The Sun.
London, England, 1841-04-20 00:00:00

WHAT HAVE THE WHIGS DONE

In answer to a Correspondent, we give the following brief
list of their deeds during the last ten years. We wish they had
done more, but we must be thankful for what we receive.
Taken off taxes to the annual amount of £6,235,000
Lessened the annual expenses of the Government 3,471,000
Lessened the number of official persons, I,BsB—sa-
laries thereby saved 259,230
Abolished upwards of 2,000 places—salaries saved 369,250
Reduced the salaries of the Ministers, Chancellors,
Chief Justices, Attorney and Solicitor-Ge-
nerals, &c... 199,430
Reduced salaries and allowances of Ambassadors, &c. 50,525
Two Boards of Stamps and Taxes thrown into
one, with various other economical preparations
Housertax .. Repealed.
Duty on printed cottons
Duty on 'dandles
Dutr on starch
Reduced

'
Duty o soap
n one half.
Duty on slates and coals
Duty on tiles
Duty on hemp

. _
Duty on drugs
Duty on currants and fruit
Duty on cotton wool
Stamps on marine insurance.
Stamps on tire insurance—farming stock
Duty on advertisements
Stamps on small receipts ..... ... .. Repealed
Land tax on personal e,tates
Duty on pamphlets and altnanacks
Duty on commercial travellers
Duty on clerks and bookkeepers
Duty on horses of clergymen and ministers—if
s lary under 1201.
Duty on tax-carts Repealed.
Duty on overseers, warehousemen, and shopmen Reduced.
The Irish Church placed on a more satisfactory footing by
the abolition of several useless Bishoprics and adding to the
salaries of the inferior clergy.
Irish Church cess abolished.

Irish Tithe Commutation.
The Bank Charter r, newed on a much more liberal system
—a monthly report of its accounts to be made public. The
convertibility of bank-paper into gold maintained inviolable.
Ihe East India monopoly destroyed; all India and China
thrown open to British enterprise and the employment of Bri-
tish capital.
They have abolished negro slavery, given us cheap postage,
and greatly reduced the stamp duty on Newspapers. We be-
lieve they would do a great deal more if the people would only
urge them on.

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.
The season at this house, in its full operatic amplitude, may
be said to have commenced on Saturday night. 'I he operas
Norma and Lucia di Lammermoor were both performed,
with the interlude of a divertissement, which might, in every
respect, be considered a very simple dessert to two such courses.
The house was crowded. 1u Norma Lablache and Grisi made
their appearance, and were welcomed with a warm salute from
all parts of the house. They looked in excellent health, and
were both in finest voice. Grisi never played or sang in the
Norma better—we should almost venture to affirm, so well.
From the impassioned and most expressive aria, " Ah, bello
a me ritorne," after " Casta Diva," down to the conclude
ing bar of the final trio, she sustained the extreme and
varying emotions of the part with power and pathos quite
unrelaxed, with, perhaps. some slight exception at the open-
ing of the second act, where Norma is agonized with the
conception of destroying her children. In the preceding
scene with Pollio and Adalgisa, her personation of the
young priestess, when maddened by the abrupt revelation
of " the worst of woes that wait on " love was admirably real
in its lofty energy of expression, with, however, it must be said,
those few violent,angular movements of the arm at the passages of
highest passion which seem but tuo like the undignified indica-
tions of extravagant petulance. It is greatly to be regretted
that a blemish of this kind, so easily to be corrected, should
continue to injure the effect of a piece of acting, in all other
respects SJ sympathetic with • a high ideal. The last and most
touchiug scenes of the opera, that with Polo, and the suc-
ceeding intercession of Norma with the chief druid, her father,
for her children, were given by Aladame Grisi in the most
delicate spirit of tragedy. Signor Mario's Pollio responded
well to such a Norma. He went through the part with
great animation, a graceful energetic action, and a nice
sense of the quiet expression of by-play. His singing
was also very successful; his tone sweet and sound ; his
style finished and masterly. His duet with Madame
Grisi, Si, fino all' ore estreme," was amongst the most
choice. portions of the whole performance. The part of
Adalgisa was supported by a new vocalist in this company, Ma-
demoiselle Granchi, an artiste of merit and prepossessing man.
nor. Lablache was all his great self, in look, manner, and
voice. In the arrangements for this opera it is singular that so
gross an absurdity as that of marshalling a band in Roman cos-
tume, with trumpets, French horns, &c., in scenes of druidism
in Gaul, should be continued with unvarying constancy.
The divertissement on Saturday night was but a series of
evolutions of the corps de ballet, with a pas de trois, in which
Mademoiselle Stephan displayed that superior skill and taste
in her art which have already placed her above the class of
mere danseuses. The house manifested some symptoms of im-
patience at this entertainment. It was quickly f. Rowed by
Lucia di Lammermoor, in which Tamburini and Rubini made
their appearance, and were warmly received. Both were in ex-
cellent condition for the performance of their parts, and the opera
was executed with as much spirit as on any former occasion.

COWES, ISLE OF WIGHT.
(FRom OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
Some insane admirer of the Medina bubbles has in a country
paper dared, after a fortnight's consideration, to assert that the
statement made in The Sun, " that the Bill will be opposed by
Mr::,Ward, the College of Winchester, Mr. Way, and many
other influential gentlemen," is false. Had he left off here
some poor deluded dupes might have been induced to believe
him, but he goes on, and gets worse, until, as might be ex-
pected, he beats himself ; be laments that those parties should
oppose his darling Bill, but considers they are the mere dupes
of others (likely persons truly); that they certainly ought to
allow their property to be taken from them rather than oppose
this fine project. He says "We trot they will listen to rea-
son," and • that their opposition will be fruitless there can be
no doubt." So this false statement is indeed a fact, but one of
those facts which the public generally ought not to be made '
acquainted with • but The Sun has exposed it ; it is now not
only known that the Bill is opposed, but by whom, and why.

THE WEATHER.
ROYAL GALLERY OF SCIENCE, ADELAIDE-
STREET.

NOON, APRIL 19.
BArometer °Q 92 In.
Thermometer
Highest . 60
Lowest
Wind N.W.—Freezing Point 32 Deg.