The Sun.
London, England, 1853-12-21 00:00:00

AY EVENING, DECEMBER 21, 1853.

CHRISTMAS DAY.

here be one stronger impulse than another
e English breast it is the desire that the
'human race on Christ Mas-day should par-
T plumpudding'. This savoury compound, of
al parts . of ' Malaga raisins, - currants, suet
ed fine, sweetmeats, and bread crumbs," is
ery foundation. of 'Anglo-Saxon .civilization.
hut a man and his wife up in a workhouse—
ully Separating thein--for twelve months, but
Vristmas;lay we give' to each of them- a

larg wedge of plumpudding as a set-off against
1 the iscomfort of the year. The country squire
caus s. his servants' ball to be decorated with
8011--sprigs, ruddy with their cheerful fruit, and
bun4hes of mistletoe more spars* intermingled ;
and the " establishment," after partaking of
plunniuddina, " threads the mazy dance " we
beliciv.e the phrase is a correct one—the lady of the
ma ion leading the ball. The Sovereign of these
bro d realms is not unconscious of the influence of
l the enial season, while the poorest of her subjects
i
may on Christmas-eve be seen standing outside a
pawfibroker's shop with three fiat irons, an ancient
engaving figurative of a harvest-home, and her
husband's Sunday .waistcoat—all of which goods
and, chattels she is prepared to make over to the
usurer by way of mortgage, that she may obtain
the peedf til purchase money for the, ingredients of
her 'Christmas pudding. The soldiers and sailors
of ueen Victoria eat their Christmas pudding to
a n;it is the 'necessary condition df our national
safe y. • Crime even is pampered for the moment,
and indulged with gastronomic emotions. The
wh 'stands still and the crank forgets to revolve ;
inch ed, we know net w.hat,clegee of moral turpi-
tudt Would, to the aplirehension'ef a true*Engligi-
-1
marl, justify the deprivation of a plumpudding on
Christmas-day. This we take to be the absolute
anch simple truth. We would therefore take this
opportunity .of .hinting to all our friends and
readers that there are certain persons to be found
in t is metropolis who may not, perhaps, be •in a
; ,pos ion to enjoy themselves to any very rap-
turous extent on Christmas-day. It is so in all
seasons of festivity. A day of rejoicing to some is
a d4y of bitterness to others, and all the more so,
perhaps, from theeonsciousness that their own
grier and suffering is even more than usually
out ,of place, jarring and discordant. To most
of us—we hope so, at least—Christmas-day
means the glad gathering of •familiar faces—
of parents, .of children, of friends—it means cheer-
ful rooms with crackling faggots and blazinc, fires,
well-furnished boards, and ringing laughter—
it means turkeys and sirloins—plumpucldings,
of Course, with genial sprigs' of ' holly stuck
intc their tops—snapdragons, blue-tames, and
cork uror's tricks. Alas I that 'it should mean
to others the dry arch and the checked sob—the
scaxty gown pressed lightly, over the shivering
fra eof a dying child—the hurried and irregular
pro ess through lighted streets ; nothing but fog,
chi , starvation, and policemen without : nothing
but mirth and abundance within. It is an awful
truth that in London such contrasts are to be seen
every day and every night by the careful observer ;
but!the persons who are so afflicted are not the
sharp-sighted • " poor , blind," the epileptic practi-
tioners' the shoeless lads from Ipswich ; in a word,
the regular rank and file of London mendicancy.
Good Samaritan, beware of these !
The affliction exists ; it is real ; it haunts the
streets, ay, and the imagination of those who know
of its existence and desire to alleviate it. The
question is, how is the stream of benevolence to be
so directed that its current may not flow away ? We
wish to help the poor, but we have not the slightest
wish to contribute to a tipsy, not to say beastly
drunken jollification, at the Three Jolly Post-
boys in Clerkenwell, or at a " slap-bang " shop
in the back streets of Westminster. We think
we can give the charitably disposed some good
counsel, and therefore it is that we take this
subject up again to-clay. In the first place,
we would renew our former caution. From the
hardened importunate beggar let every reasonable
being turn aside. It is, unfortunately, impossible
to give the poor children a good dinner all round,
and the parents, real or putative, a most excellent
whipping ; so from impossibilities we must needs
turn aside. It should, however, be remembered
that, although a casual passenger through the
streets of London cannot distinguish between the
cases of real and fictitious suffering, there are those
who can. There is not a police magistrate in
London who has not every day to listen to tales
of distress in its most appalling form, which ho
knows to be real ; for at a police-court imposture
is impossible. What can he do ? If he were to
give away the whole amount of his salary over
and over again in the course of the year, it
would not, in point of fact, meet the exigencies of
the case. Many of the London magistrates
do bestow, from their own private sources, on
these poor suitors far more than the amount of
their income would justify ; but all the relief
they can give is but as a drop of water in the '
sea. Their only help is derived from the poor-
box of .the police-court, and it is to this fact we
would direct the attention of all benevolent per-
sons. Let them be quite sure that every pound
—every shilling—every farthing, which they may
send as a donation to any of the poor-boxes of any
of the police-courts will be applied to the relief of
misery of the most fearful description. The hu-
mane and intelligent gentlemen who preside over
these courts will not shrink from the trouble of sect
ing the alms well bestowed. Let us add that it is
far better to leave the distribution to the discretion
of the magistrate than to forward subscriptions for
the relief of a particular case. It almost invariably
happens that donations in money pour in for some
particular prisoner whose case may abound in
striking or dramatic points. There is nothing so
prosaic as the poor man's usual tale of starvation
and sickness,, and in nine cases out of ten it is suf-
fered to pass unnoticed. The magistrate gives the
commonplace sufferer half-a-crown from the poor-
box, and perhaps another from his own pocket ; in
consideration of which gift he will probably walk
home himself througli the wet, or suffer his little
boy to go without the Noah's ark which that young
gentleman had not unreasonably looked for, by way
of surprise, on or about Christmas day next ensuing.
The stern Minos of Bow-street or Marlborough-
street is obliged to do sums in his head, and to ac-
quiesce in disagreeable results.

We ha:ye pointed out the poor box of the police-
court as a , most certain ally to the benevolent in
the cause of real charity. They should consider
how great a matter it is to secure an almoner who
knows what he is about, and who will not suffer
their gifts to be diverted from their true intent.
The magistrate, be 'it remembered, is an unpaid
almoner. It is from this consideration, indirectly,
that we confess we do not look altogether with-
out suspicion en the benevolent societies, who
waste so much of their funds ort collection, distri-
bution, &c. There must be a secretary on so
hasin a a condi-
tion
weak
of suitable splendour, libolyeraalnath Polyanthus
-cottage,
that he can keep up
p otu.rjohn's
, and his John's-wood,
ness for charitable tea-parties, which involve a o:con-
siderable outlay in sponge-cakes. Then there must
be a board-room, and expenses for firing, printing,
etc. Above 'all, the True Samaritans must have
their annual whitebait dinner at Greenwich, while,
without the usual ball at the Eyre Arms, the
Charitable Twaddli3rs' Association would fall to the
ground. It is best when the money, given by the
opulent passes into the hands of the poor without
deduction, or without suspicion of jobbery of any
kind.—Times.

ANGLO-MEXICAN MINT COMPANY.—Yeaterday a spe-
cial general meeting of the proprietors was held for the
adrtfircoumlarsthoef
Supreme
eprnemewe
spetated that the sum of
andGcp ogonrvtperoFrasncaemte
newtfnehet communicating
of niTAauldhneeixbeiacectieoil been
o
an
igfroorb:
altitanel ne
mints of Guanaxualo
730,000 dollars bad been advanced to the Government
as a loan at 6 per cent., on the security of the rent:pay- ,
able by the company to the Government for the two‘
mints in question ; that the rent would amount to from
90,000 to 100;000 dollars annually, and that this sum
would
_secure the repayment of the loan and interest
within the term of years granted under the contract.
That such term of years would expire at the end of
1866, and that the conditions of the contract, although
varying in some particulars from the present contract,
would secure to the company the same scale of profit
which they had hitherto enjoyed. Resolutions were
then passed to increase the capital of the company from
its present paid-up amount of 125,0001. to 200,000/.,
the additional 75,0001. to be raised by the transfer and
capitalisation of 50,0001. from the company's reserved
fund, and by calling up the 25,0001. remaining unpaid
on the half-shares of the company: The meeting ter.
minated With a vote of thanks to the chairman and
directors.

EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY COMPANY.—This com-
pany having notified their desire to borrow yesterday
a large sum on their debentures for five years at 42 per
cent.,
,the, whole amount was readily taken.
AUSTRALIAN GQLD.—The 800,0001. of Australian gold
announced last week by the Victoria was sent up yes-
terday; and was delivered to the *seueral consignees to-
day. A portion wilt be sold for exportation, and, the
remainder will go into the Vank, '

~. .1. J.`_ _,

ti

MINISTERIAL DIFFICULTIES..

• rti ! 8;1
(y
The clubs clubs and-Fmc: the
coteries N
of course
I
• still busily
speculating about the present condition of the Cabi-
net, and the prospect which Ministers have of meet-
ing Parliament with success. The interes' t' taken
by the bulk of the nation about who shall realiy be
gazetted as Home Secretary is very small 'intlee'd,
when compared with the vivid excitement of poli-
tical " sets" under similar circumstances. The pa,
tion, as a whole, does not greatly care whether or
no Lord This is in, or Lord That is out, so long. as
the work of the Government goes on, the character
of the country is kept up, and the prosperity. of the
people is not checked. With the coteries a vacancy
in any such post as the Home-office is a totally dif..
ferent thing—a thing to keep place-holders in anxiety
and place-seekers at a white heat of expectation till
the name of the new official really appears in the
London, Ger_lettc.. The question of " Who may come
in ?" means •to them, also, who may be taken in
with him, and what are the future chances of a
special policy, and the hopes of a group of would-
be ministers and other placemen. Hence the fervour
with which rumours pass from mouth to mouth, ,
and from club to club. Yesterday, the Carlton had
the honour of being declared parent to a rumour
that Mr. Gladstone was about to resign ; but, like
most Carlton rumours, it met a very cool- reception.
It was endorsed chiefly by those who declared that
the entire Cabinet. is in those early throes which
usually betoken a final dissolution. The adherents
of Lord Palmerston are naturally ready to'lend ear
to all such gossip, and to give it full currency. Al-
ready these same politicians find a very ready hear-
ing from all to whom change is distasteful. If the
Coalition are found to be really in a mood for Re-
form, every representative of a rotten borough
will, of course, be keenly on the look out for a
good excuse why he should vote against a Cabinet
with a Reform Bill in its Ministerial pocket.
Even now the anti-Reform steam is being got up.
Whilst the bill is out of sight, who knows what
seats may be lost ? what legislators disturbed ?
what little quiet borough nests may be rumpled ?
what vested interests in corruption be disturbed ?
With his keen nose to the chance of future high
office, the ex-Home Secretary when he contem-
plated resignation could scarcely overlook the
chances of future-division lists when the present
House of Commons are called to vote upon a inea-
sure !or to deal with a Ministry pledged to Parlia-
mentary improvement and electoral extension. He
could scarcely have been unmindful of this when
(if the story is true) he wrote to Lord Aberdeen to
object to the Cabinet measure on Reform', • and to
ask for modifications. And he might—when he
received the alleged reply of the Premier, saying
modifications were not requisite--he might let us
imagine, have been screvrel—ff—ri3§ignation pitch,
by the thought that with a seat in opposition he
might secure a chance of winning to his side all those
whoishudder at reform. His friends 'say he has no
such prospects, but the reply is suggested by the fact
chronicled in the " Court Circular," that on his re-
signation the ex-Home Secretary went at once to take
counsel with Lord Lansdowne, who is also inimical
to parliamentary changes. Why go to Bowood
unless he wanted to upset the Cabinet coach ? And
more. It is now said said that he wrote a letter
complimenting Lord Clarendon on his foreign
policy—the policy on the Turco-Russian quarrel.
Can ithis be true ? And if so, why did he do that
if he had no desire to disturb the colleagues he had
left ? Did he do these things or did he not ? If
he did, what can be the explanation other than
that he desires to pave the way for the time when
the isruption of the present Cabinet shall seem to
open a channel by which he may himself be at the
head of a party in Downing-street, with Derbyite
colleagues and a reactionary policy ? Lord Lans-
downe, with all his former liberal leanings, was
knoivn, from growing years and sedate objections
to change, to be an unwilling party to parliamen-
tary' alterations. He was, so to speak, known to
be rthaking. Lord
,Clarendon' might also be re-
garcled as not very cordially bent on schemes of
parliamentary alterations. He was, so to speak,
known to be shaking. Lord Clarendon might also
be regarded as not very cordially bent on schemes
of parliamentary alterations, unless these changes
were sure to give new popularity to their origina,-
, tors, If thou, lie had no .ulterior views, why did
Lord Palmerston run to visit the one, and hasten
to compliment the other ?
lye have no desire to do any sort of injustice to
any pile of the statesmen in or out of office whose
names are identified with recent changes. We have
neither ministerial patronage nor ministerial lean-
ings, But on behalf of the-public at large—" Our
Party"—let us ask the friends of Lord Palmerston
to speak out, and give his reasons for leaving a
Ministry with whom lie has so long been acting.
If errors creep into journals when discussing these
things from deficient information, it is not the fault
of kurstalists. With them publicity is the only
motto. The secresy—parent of error—is all on the
side of the officials. If Lord Palmerston will ex-
plain his opinions on reform the public will then be
able to appreciate them. If he will give up his
views on Eastern policy the public can judge of
their merit. If he did not compliment Lord Claren-
don, on the conduct of the Eastern affair, it will
be easy to say so. With the "materials for thinking"
which explanations from Lord Palmerston might
afford the nation would be able to judge how far he
hasibeen right in this matter—how far his supper-
tell are correct in the views they put forth—and how
far the ex-Home Secretary may be fit for that higher
position in office to which some theorists regard
him as an aspirant. He would, moreover set-clubs
anci coteries at rest, and relieve them and the coun-
try,from the present flood of (it may be) baseless
rumours which besets us.
That Lord Aberdeen must resign if this country
should come to blows with Russia there can be
little doubt. Like Lord Lansdowne lie is far ad-
var.ced in life ; like that noble lord he may be wil-
lino to " stop a little longer" if his friends urge him
strongly "to do so for their sakes." But the two
strong reasons for his resignation can scarcely be
overcome—his belief in Russia and the need for a
vigprous Minister during anything like serious
'war. If faith is truly kept with the Turks, out
Laid Aberdeen must surely go, though he can
scarcely be expected to take any step towards re-
sioliation until he has bad an opportunity of
making an explanation to Parliament. The ses-
sioh is, however, at hand, and it may happen
that to make things pleasant we may find Lord
Labsdowne, like Lord Aberdeen, waiting for the
gal .ering in St. Stephen's before either the one or
thd other takes any formal stops for interfering
with the Ministerial status qno.
Every Reformer throughout the country will be
quite ready to admit that the prestnt Cabinet has
given us many acceptable measures. The succes-
sions duty, the repeal of the soap tax, the abolition
of advertisement duties, the promise to bring all
the money collected by taxation within the con-
trot of Parliament, the instalments of customs
improvements, the penny Receipt Stamp Act, the
Charitable Trusts Act, the settlement of the Canada
clergy reserves vexation—all these are in their
way things for which the Cabinet, as a whole, is
entitled to great credit, and
citauoneds
founoc much
well futurebbe,
support. When the moment comes for the modi-
fication cf that Cabinet, these instalmentis.gnthgoefthimlasmei-tr-
prevement must of course all be remembered in
resignationsfao u favour of the
shouldAb Aberdeen ecno Ministry;me,
the
euraraaenl teeveesr or two-
whether the whole party should be upset, or who-
llleoi etom
jeaussutirfeysthreealcolyunctarr:ieind
fur-
thereosession,efi dßeseonmfac
confidence
themarem eourie)slr,vuolominorici
whiseeahnvoetetf
hg
danrneealaPodrartiromealoinufrlgieanofd
n
pro-
h
et ie
wholei a n
osxhi g
staff
a allowed onwtoedits originalchance elements,
ii nn
g etrhtadeer that from its ruins he may a
ou o froufeo construct oeaci raftol.Parliamen-
taryv-wl4ch shall bear him into the high place which his
friends declare him. hest fitted to fill. The wedge
that will finally' split up the Cabinet—if it is split
up—will, of course, be its Eastern policy. ,Thj
man to drive it home, if it is so driven; will be ori•
Palmerston. "No Coalition Reform Bill ".I_4and
" War, war," being the probable battle-cries.

ENFIELD. - THE CONSERVATIVE LAND SociEnr.—
Lh
ealsdt i env
theeni nAg
sas
emmebeltyi
-nrgo
oomf
s theof inhabitantsHeadEnfield w
Tavern,a
to hear an explanation of the principles and plan of this
society, and of the scheme of allotment of the Enfield
estate, to be allotted on the 4th of January next. A
deputation, consisting of Mr. R. N. Fowler, the banker,
member of the executive committee, Mr. C. G. Lewis,
Mr. Morgan, and Mr. Gruneisen, the secretary, at-
tended. Dr. Millar, of Enfield, presided. Mr. Fowler
addressed the meeting in explanation of the principles
and general plan of the society. Mr. C. G. Lewis also
addressed the meeting in explanation of the details of the
society. Mr. Morgan, the surveyor, stated that, if pro-
per application were made to the Eastern Counties Rail-
:way Company, every person building a house of the value
of 501. per annum would have a free pass on the line for
j the perid of 21 years.