The Sun.
London, England, 1846-02-27 00:00:00

fore the revolution occurred. He said, " You must tire ('are that
your revenue is maintained. and that you avoid scarcity."—(Cheers.)
His very first Act in 1775 was to make internal trade free, and he
put on record his views at the same time with respect to corn com-
ing from foreign countries. And he observed that the effect of
the then existing law was to make the provinces dependent upon fhe
season. They were always exposed to scarcities: lie also stated
that it would improve the commercial interests of a country, by
removing this prohibition on corn. Now, what was his fate ? He
would mention it to the House, as it was not unlikely that the same
fate would befal other Ministers. Condorcet says there was a com-
bination of all the people, All classes of the people iu the state—
young girls and kept mistresses—all combined to drive him trom
power, and every Minister who succeeded him, between the years
1775 and 1789 were driven in like manner from power, when they
thus adopted measures to prevent the emergency which they fore-
saw. It is such men as those of whom the Hon. Member for Dor-
setshire is afraid lest they should come into power. Mr. Carlisle, in
his " lilistorory of the French Revolution," states that the prevaleeft
opinion among the Nobility was, that they could not live alone
upon the rents which they derived from their estates ; they wanted
something more. They could not parade themselves at court—they
could not preserve their equipages—they could not maintain their
proud position unless they had some exemption of privilege, In the
'B3 there was a scarcity, and in 'B9 there was a comprehensive
scheme such as the Honourable Member for Shrewsbury (Mr.
Disraeli applauded ; and the results of that measure wen known
to all. He maintained that it was impossible to provide against the
season of scarcity, or a famine, or a failure in the revenue. Ile there-
fore recommended Hon. Members opposite to consider whether the
Right Hop. Baronet was not a real Conservative—whether they did
not think he was really doing what he thought was best for their
own interest? Hon. Members opposite had not one security against
time of scarcity. They had heard the Right Hon. Baronet state his
apprehension and kis dread of a recurrence of that time. After all
this discussion, all the enlightenment of the public on the subject, it
would be an impossibility to deceive them again. They had now an
intimation of a famine in Ireland, and they had not the`least cer-
tainty that such a season would not recur again. If such an event
should occur, what would they do ? It was a fact that the people
were not fed, that the people were distressed, and what did they un-
dertake to do for them ? Did they mean to answer that question in
the year 1847 or in the year 1848?—(Cheers.) He would assure
the party Who were opposed to the present measure that if a
period of famine should arrive it would not be a question of
corn-laws ; if the people were driven to a daigerous extremity he
was quite sure that it would be very much for the interests of the
aristocracy that before such a period should arrive that that question
should be settled. He thought if there came a period of famine,
confusion and distress would fellow, and the people wooled look to
the cause, and would come to no other conclusion than that for the
last forty or fifty years the aristocracy of the country were using
the powers of legislation against them, and that they had been
faithless to their trust, and he (Mr. Villiers) therefore urged them at
that moment to reconcile themselves with the people by giving their
hearty compliance to that measure, by voting in tote for the aboli-
tion of the corn-laws. If they did that he would venture to predict
they would follow only that course which would win for them the
respect of the country and the people over, whom it ought to be their
guide and glory to rule with mercy and with justice. (The lion.
Gentleman sat down amidst loud cheers.)
Mr. HUDSON rose (amidst loud cries of " Adjourn, adjourn)" to
explain that he could give the name of a gentleman who iniported
grain at 225.

- Mr. FERRAND rose and said that he was informed that he was
grossly attacked by four Members of that Molise that evening,
during his absence, and he begged to state that to-morrow evening
he should be in his place to defend himself from any charges
that might be brought against him.(Loud cheers,)
Mr. BANKES then rose and moved the adjournment of the de-
bate, when

Lord JOHN RUSSELL rose and said that he hoped, as it bad con-
tinued so long, it Would be brought to a conclusion to-morrow
evening. _

Colonel SIBTIIOItP observed, that having failed in many endea-
vours to say a few words on the subject of the present Measure, ha
hoped he should not be out of order in putting a few questions to the
Bight Honourable Baronet.—(Hear, hear.) The country at the
present moment was in an extraordinary situation, in fact it was be-
coming a laughing stock to the nations of the earth.—(Hear, hear,
and laughter.) There was no Secretary for the Colonies—thefb was
no Secretary for Ireland—there was no Attorney-General
for Ireland—there was no Solicitor-General for Ireland
within that House ; what an anomalous condition was *at,
when Honourable Gentlemen, who, like him, were anxious to put a
question to these gentlemen, had no opportunity of deng so. lie had
a right to presume that the Secretary for the Colonies was a very
important person in that House. His salary was not less than 5,0001.
a year, yet he was not there ; and the Secretary for Ireland, who
had promised himself success in Nottinghamshire, where he (Colonel
Sibthorp) thought it his duty to go to oppose him, had been re-
jected, a pretty plain proof that the Prime Minister was not very
popular among the agriculturists. He felt an honest pride that not a
tenant of his was bound down to any particular course ; he had no
communkatlon with them, nor did he know which way they voted,
but he had no doubt—(Laughter)—that they voted in the manner most
conducive to their interests, namely, by supporting protection too
agriculture. There was a Lord of the Admiralty, where was his seat
in the House ? (Hear.) Why the Minister should have little weight
indeed who could not secure him one, though he received a salary of
1,2001. a-year. They were informed there were two vacanctes in the
Lords of the Treasury, at 1,2001. also ; where were they ?—(llgar.
hear.) Of the gentlemen who held the offices and resigned he held
the highest opinion for their highmindedness, and the independence of
the course they pursued in throwing off the Government livery under
the circumstances.—(Hear, hear.) There was the Commissioner of
Woods and Forests at a large salary, where was he, or what became
of the salaries ?—(Hear, hear.) He thought it the duty of the Right .
Hon. Baronet to satisfy the country of its present condition, and the
likelihood or its future condition.—(Hear, hear.) The Right Hon.
Baronet had said in his speech " that never should the year 1841 be
effaced from his memory ;" but he (Col. Sibthorp) wished that the
Right Hon. Baronet would not permit the year 1839, when he first
embodied the Conservative body to escape from his memory.
Mr. SPOONER said after what had fallen from the Noble Lord
(Russell) as to the debate closing on the next evening, he conld not
think QC disagreeing with the views of the Noble Lord,„but he could
not agree to that • without expressing his Opinion that
the debate should not close without giving an op-
portunity to Hon. Members to express their opinions xpou the
measure before the House.—(Cries of "Go on, go on.") He was not
at that time of the night prepared to go on, but on the next night he
would be enabled to inform the Hon. Member for Wolverhampton
why it was that he was opposed to the present measure. He was in
favour of cheap food, but he was not in favour of a measure which
was nothing more than a delusion.
The debate was then adjourned.
The other orders of the day were then disposed of, and the Itougs
adjourned at a quarter to One o'clock.

DRURY-LANE THEATRE.
A new grind opera, In three acts, entitled The Crusaders, the music
by Benedict, the libretto by M. de St. Georges and Mr. Bunn, was
produced here last evening with the most triumphant success. The

Playbill contains the following notification:—" isTotwithstandillg the
various novelties which have been produced in the course of the pre-
sent season, the preparation for this opera (which was entered- upon
at the end of last summer) has never been suspended • it having
been deemed essential, while every necessary care has been bestowed
upon other entertainments, to pay minute attention to the produc-
tion of a drama more elaborately and expensively worked gut than
perhaps any other previous performances which have been fortunate
enough to obtain such favour at this establishment." For once the
playbill does not exaggerate. This dramais more elaborately and ex-
pensively, and, let us add, tastefully worked out, than any
that has ever been produced at this establishment. The scenery, by
Grieve and Telhin, is exquisitely beautiful ; the costumes and proper-
ties are magnificent, and the spectacle gorgeous in the extreme. To
attempt to do justice to the splendour of the scenery would be im-
possible —suflice It to say that it is a perfect realisation of some of the
most splendid descriptions of Tasse. We have, for instance, in the
first act, " The enchanted wood;" and, in the second act, " The
' planting the cross on the walls of Jerusalem," descriptions wlilch
any lover of poetry knows by heart, and which he will here see re-
alised. But the Crusaders is not a intro spectacle—as a musical
composition it is certainly the greatest work that Benedict has yet
produced—learned, profound, fully instrumental, elaborately worked
out, as every composition by such =accomplished musician as Bene-
dict must necessarily be. The Crusaders surpasses all his former
compositions in originality, variety, mid dramatic point. There is,
moreover, a rich vein of melody running through the whole (Im-
position, which we seek in vain in lets former productions. There is
an unity and a purpose about the music of the Crusaders which stamps
it as, par excel:owe, an opera.
. . . . .

It is a work which will undoubtedly enjoy not only an English, but
an European reputation. The following is the east of the cliaractwrs:
_ _

Conrade (King of Jerusalem), Mr. 11Owell ; Boliemood (Prince of
Tarnetum), Mr. W. Harrison; Raymond (Count de Toulouse), Mr.
Borrani ; 'William (Archbishop of Tyre), Mr.lVeiss ; Hassan (Prince
of the Assassins, surnamed " The Man of the Mountain"), Mr.
Stretton ; Ismael (a young Fedavi, or follower of the Seat
of the Assassins), Mr. D. W. King; Alma (a Sumnite
Girl, of the Sect of the Assassins), Miss Romer ; Iseult
(Daughter of the Count de Toulouse), Miss Rainforth.
The opera opens with a scene of revelry in the palace of Tyre, on the
occasion of the coronation of Conrade as King of Jerusalem. Various
Sumnite girls arc seeking to intoxicate the Crusaders, and plying
them with wine, and dancing around them. The Archbishop in-
terrupts the orgies, orders tke Sumnites to leave the city, and the
Crusaders, recalled to a sense of propriety, renew their vows to
march to Jerusalem ; and the scene concludes with an gnergetic
chorus, without accompaniment," On, Chieftains on." a dllightful

compoSitlan, which was deservedly encored. Bohemond refuses to
permit Almea to depart, and swears to protect her, and while the
other Crusaders go to:attend the coronation, he returns to her, tells ker
love, which is returned, and she gives him an assignation in the
wood of Alamen. Ismael, who loves Almea, and has accompanied his
by order of the old man of the mountain, now drags her off; as he
is doing so the Crusaders enters terrified. Conrade has been
stabbed by an emissary of the old man of the mountain,
and by his side has been found a parchment threatening every
future king of Jerusalem with a similar fate. They cast lots for the
crown, and it falls to Bohemond, who, undeterred by the fate of his
predecessor, accepts the dignity proposed to him. The next scene
is in the forest of Alamen—the abode of the old man of the moun-
taiu—who, as Mr. limn informs us, in his preface, is now introduced
for the first time on the English stage. Almea reports to him
her love for Bohemond, and at the same time beseeches him to put
his enchantments in practice for the purpose of so intoxicating the
senses of Bohemond that he may become hers. Bohemond now
enters the wood, and here is the realisation of the beautiful clesct ip-
lion of Tasso, in his 18th canto—Almea, of course, being the Amide
of the scene. Bohemond, however, escapes from all the snares,
and salmis to Tyre. In the second act we tinge as
King of Jerusalem in the camp near the cityatne which
Is-
mael, usAoithnoenrgalsisiass
sainsrmydiasgrueistedhe zilderm.aeorsf I,haenmdoLta,ei is idlliisisg-.
siege.v a r o
her power over Ismael, she
to assassinate
guised as a
J,33,u,inifinkonnigdh,
oSlkiLowvienrghears Hassan directing Ismael
If
he
will
save
seolillssi I daughterelnllh heteurleitn(itstrhean.
h was very tastefully sung by D.W. King
and Miss Reiner.
ah
afilanced of Bohemond) now arrive camp, a. ere s
hperamnutiisfueldtuoebteincoting shciesnwelifvehic
The Count of Toulosisnset
duced a delightful ballad "In the heart's early dream," which svds so
exquisitely sung by Miss ltainforth as to call forth a rapturous encore,
and which very narrowly escaped a second encore. It is
certainly the most exquisite ballad in the Opera. This
is followed by a duet equally beautiful, which was given most
effectively by Harrison and Miss Rainforth. Ills love for Iseult huh
returned ; he has forgotton poor Almks, and indulging in pleasing
reveries of his love for Iseult, he has sunk into repose, when Ilaasan
enters, and dragging in Ismael, commands him to assassinate Bohe-
mond. He is in the act of so doing, when Aimee rashes fotwsrd,
and uttering a scream, snatches the dagger from his hand. Hassan
hurries out Ismael, and Almea is arrested as the assassin, and con-
demned to die, notwithstanding all Bohemond's efforts to save her.
We then have a gorgeous spectacle of the assault on Jerusalem, and
the planting the cross on the ramparts, which is another realisa-
tion of Tasso. In this scene Alma, is saved by Ismael,
who comes forward and confesses that he was the
assassin, and is led out for execution, while the Crusaders determine
to attack Hassan ha his stronghold. The third act opens with a
pretty chorus of female voices attendant on Iseult. Hassan, dis
gnised as a Christian Pilgrim, informs her of Bohemond's love for
Almea, and she determines to reject him. At the slime time, Bo-
hemond receives a communication offering to deliver up to him tile
old man of the mountain if he will marry Aimee, and thus smite Slip
European and Asiatic races. He consents, and Hassan. who lA
. taken poison, delivers himself up, and dies, but not ant% he Mae
heard that Almea is turned Christian. She overhears a sessile
between Bohemond and Iseult, and discovers that Bohemond still
prefers Iseult. The last scene is the grand marriage procession of
Bohemond. Alines approaches covered with a bridal veil, but whets
she takes it off she is discovered ifs the costume of a nun ; she has
taken the vows, and gives Iseult to Bohemond as his bride. The final
is a duet between Miss Rainforth and Miss Romer, iii width both
ladies sung most exquisitely, which was deservedly enceped. Ilenediet
and the two ladies, and Haulms and Biuns, were all called for at the
fall of the curtain. The house was crowded to' mtffocation, and a
more successful piece has not been produced for years. We heartily
eonsratulate M. Benedict. The Crusaders is worthy of the pupil of
WOW.