The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-01 00:00:00

HA LL OF ItOME.

POSES PLASTIQUES
There was last evening a grat,d rehearsal of sev'ral
new Peses Plastiques or moving Tableaux Vivans, 15i
twenty-eight male and female artistes, under the super
intendence of Mr. Tumour, at this establishment. These.
new groups are exceedingly graceful, and reflect great
credit on the taste of Mr. Tumour, by whom many °
them were designed. The Hall was crowded toi exec's'

MR. MORRISON, M.P.
'We ire informed by Mr. Morrison, whose letter aP'
lsewhere, that the document published in the
Times of Saturday, and purporting to be the second
report of the Select Committee on Railways,
report of the committee, but merely a draught prepayeri„
by Mr. Morrison for the consideration of the board. ~"
is profer, for the sake of truth, that this statement
should be made, but for no other reason is it at all MCI
sari'. Its only effect is to transfer from the genera
body of members to their chairman whatever merit the
public may conceive to exist in the document in questi°l3.
In our own estimation the paper loses nothing of ita
importance in losing the official stamp. The arguments
remain the same; the inforalation is not less valooble;
is not the
the facts are equally true; the resolutions alone 1
somewhat diminished in their weight by being reduc as
from a general verdict to the expression of an individu%
opinion. That opinion, however, will bear the. test
of the most rigorous analysis ; and we are convinced
m
that the more it is examined, the more clearly will -1 7,
the
-system appear. It has been commonly objected to
-system of Government surveillance, and especially to th
appointment of an executive board, with powers of Pre.-
er
liminary investigation, that either would operate ;ski
ously, as a check even upon legitimate enterprise. IVe
iv
believe that no more erroneous notion could pool" ir
have taken possession of the public mind. That the fee'
of a searching inquiry into their merits might stifle WI
fraudulent or visionary projects is a supposition not ismr„
probable than satisfactory ; for surely there can be o,`"
one so blindly devoted to the non-interference prineiP;
as to view such a result with disaffection or alarm. E'e
the bubble companies themselves, or at least the g(ei:
neral body of their subscribers, would feel the a
vantage of a tribunal which would stop their Pr°:,
gress at the outset and save them from a need's%
and unprofitable expenditure. To the bonii
useful schemes the benefit would be immense. I'',
sums that have been wasted in Parliamentary exPensete
by the railways now working, are so enormous, that,lo
state them is to draw almost too largely upon puu
credulity; we believe they are not less than ten nuill°ilos
Mr. Morrison's report informs us that, if an seco-__
were taken of all the premiums already or hereafter t_u,
be divided among directors, through the creation.
new shares, and of the expenditure incurred in bunuiKe'
off parties supposed to possess powerful interest, an" to
Parliamentary proceeding:, which alone arnounieet
twenty-five millions, the total would be a sum suffice
for the construction of trunk lines for the whole enthe
try. Contr Ist this wasteful extravagance with „is•
state of things in Francs, and Belgium, and Prul 00
In the first country, the capital of the lines executetai4
the 31st of July, 1845, was eight millions and a b
of those in course of execution, fourteen millions ; rats
of others sanctioned or projected down to the Pre oat
o f oot
period, forty two millions ; making, in the whole, abbe
sixty-four millions and a half. The whole t 79
Prussian lines cost about thirty.six millions, and 'D to
state lines in Belgium not quite six. The cause 0' es
extraordinary difference here apparent is not the sulints
rior cheapness of labour or material on the COntinoscre
This we stated on Saturday. The expense °f toe
construction on the French Railways has been, in 5,011
instanees, greater than that of the English. The. 'l-
actose is to be found in what may be called the
ey-
dental expenditure, especially the Parliamentary Ste
penses, which Mr. Morrison reckons m the aggrel
at fifty millions. The Eastern Counties are salbot
have paid 810,0001. fos land alone, being allot
12,0001. per mile, more than the whole cost 011 sod
of the German and many of the Belgian lines ;
we have have heard it said that the Parliament
penses of the London and York exceed a million. „I ow
these facts before their eyes, the English people vv..'',411
derstand at once why they have to pay so exorlsts74o
for the carriage of themselves and their goods on Osno,
railways. The enforced extravagance of the coriitery
falls eventually upon the public, who by this CO
tion, if by no other, may possibly be induced at Ins
to appreciate the advantages of Government convo; 0,
will of course be said that an enforced reduction
,_nting
compulsory revision of the charges made by e'tit'bess
companies would be arbitrary and unjust, for thueosles),;
ought to be a fair return for capital ex?, eats
Mr. Morrrison has anticipated this object
ex?,,
al
proved by the evidence of Mr. Stephenson and others'
well as by independent facts, that a reduction otiewuits
would not necessarily nor probably be attended es on
diminution of profits. It is certain that the tun' they
most of our railways are very much less now tha„„J
•
Were at the entomperement of t.h...""t"'"°' Initt"le•
believe it is acimitte'st on al! hands that in ne rl'
have the dividends been injuriously affected. Ints/00
cultural districts, which, according to the opinion?!4_ die'
are more favourable to railways than rnanufacturi se,
tricts, Mr. Peto thinks that low fares ars absolutenlY_„,
cessary to create traffic, for, as the rural
not afford to pay high, if they are charged high tliceithaft
not use the railway at all. Mr. Stephenson thin ,'
toes tb,,,r.
in course of time, experience will teach the WWI wing
they best consult their own interests in Yie rehab i 1
the wishes of the public. This opinion is bow populatto
correct ; but the public may very fairly ask, t"" stse
they are to wait? The probability of an evil curl, the
will hardly be thought to relieve a Government !T. ;rt.,/ of
duty of applying remedies, or from the responstn!,:fassa
neglect. The full benefits of railway colnulanie rieb
can only be developed by cheapness. It is not tb
iota
only who require and who will be improved by a eon°
frequent intercourse among each other. The nntosefr
interest demands a method of speedy and cheaP eas Ole
ling ; and it seems to us that sound policy dintn"ra the
adoption of such a system as will immediately en
desired result..—Times.

THE BIRMINGHAM FEsTrirtl),;o
SATTRDAY.—The ball at the Theatre last night Pert
satisfactory as regarded the attendance, which Wid foes
numerous and brilliant. To form a spacious sre„,ll
k
lea
dancing, the whole pit was boarded over, so as t° ty"
with the stage. Entrances were contrived thr°''aitile.
boxes, by flights of steps on either side and in the 4.1' we,
The dress boxes constituted a comfortable place r,,„..-filir
for the dancers. The upper boxes and gallery we'`A-0 ore
by the visitors who came merely to look on. PibrisP.
chestra was somewhat clumsily constructed in 084 til•
for the musicians, who were sadly incommoded ;oh'
want of some barrier to protect them from the encjollieti
ments of curious gazers. The popular oh
was there, but only a very small nolliw-whir';
those faces, so familiar to Londoners, , hoe
ordinarily are recognised in his orchestra cre,,robl
Nothing, indeed, could have been more 06:0 the
than the music, which was out of time and t 11"„
of
whole evening. Instead of Koenig, who had bee; nfr;
pected, we bad a performer on the cornet-a-aist°"t,
generally came in too late, and when, by accidetl: d
came in time, was sure to play out of tune. A'..,'"ftlie
magnificent a festival, this shabby arrangerney,t:okt
ball music was the object of unanimous aramacr"„e
Jullien is unrivalled in his way, but he must 11..„/"Itlai''
band, or his energy goes for nothing ; twenty 11,th
cannot turn scrapers into fiddlers. Besides valie„'"thOt
authorities had given the public to tinderstallu,aeo_atj
Jullien and his band were to preside. In other flare'
the ball was badly managed ; out of tweliqls tho
dances there were thirteen quadrilles, which
whole a most dreary aspect. Nevertb aless, there cool
as many visitors, active and passive, as the theafrewsoVi
well contain ; and among them we noticed Lord
tesley, the President of the festival ; Lord SaedY-oi OP
other distinguished persons. The dancing was ice`
op
till the morning had far advanced.
I,e se 41
Mendelssohn left yesterday for London by t"--;ect,
o'clock train. Moscheles, and most of the Pr- Pe_;
artists engaged at the festival, followed soon after; 's
town has lost one half its life and bustle. Ther-t is
of account of the results of the meeting Ye,-;faco'„t"
lished, and information in that quarter is very ug'ialli'"
to be obtained, those who are in a condition to 11''50;
being so very uat sterious and inscrutable, that itnity
possible, without an importunity beneath the cbg-ene9,,
the press, to extort any thing from them. Thel;essi°:
management of the festival would admit of anielau,:nati°'
in more than one respect, had we leisure and ille,"1-000
to make it. The want of rehearsals at the misceil::tole
concerts was painfully felt, The want of accomya
ark
for the members of the London press was a a_rato re,
inattention that sorts not well with the Binning°, jpls
imitation for hospitality to strangers. The gross re the
of the festival amount to upwards of 11,5001. for
expenses have been enormous, including a large stl easli
the decoration of the Music Hall; still there is 13
5,0001. left for the General Hospital. Since 18,3 4 csail”
a profitable festival has not been known in Birinal6 oar
and it is the more gratifying from the fact that a;_iiia
mediocre result was anticipated. Mendelssohn 's 1 vorf
to
notices
etehse
of
fratnhde cLauosnedoonf ex
jocuitrenmaent,
raise it. 106
,SUNDAY.—Last night the festival may be said to tre,
terminated with the grand concert given at the '.Cheat ree
and the prepara„
ls
caehdiec(lii
beya
as crowdedcome,y to
sustainedsuff o c a t
by hhee'llcphoeemdcponanoncyte r. at
wagiol
the artists engaged was Madame Grisi, who had od
co.ays encored deforr7d herina
wposiittiho
s,
jag°
rMario sangiardivifnreolmp lic tr,:e
m
Donna del Layo, and in the air, " Non fu toga rljt
from Lombardi. Signor Mario was siral r
complimented, in Alan's cavatina, introduced t
pA
Don Gregorio, and substituted the serenade from
Pasquale, the first notes of which were is eel-red w ,4
burst of animated recognition. Signor Mario als°
the " Adelaida" of Beethoven in such expressive or
passionate st;le as would have satisfied the comp'
himself—nothing could have been more charming. .00
side these, encores were awarded to the clever g Ltiti
Williams, in Macfarren's " Merry Gipsies ;" to dto
Parry, in two of his humnurous extravaganzas ; " ,jIP
F. Liblache, in the Tarantella, which he sang rsapiti
Moreover, Mr. Hayward and M. BenedicC ploY4