The Sun.
London, England, 1851-03-03 00:00:00

_ .
tion of the political and judicial functions of the
office. We believe that the community would in such
a case hail the appointment of Sir EDWARD SUGDEN
as chief justice in equity with the most lively sa-
ticfaction, and that the country would rejoice in a
judge second to none that ever held the seals of
office and presided on the bench of justice.

The gathering at the Hall of Commerce on Satur-
day, to do honour to Mr. MACREADY was a sufficient
proof, if proof were wanted, that our glorious Eng-
lish drama has still ardent and enthusiastic worshippers,
and that a bright future is in store for it; for we can-
not but believe that it was adoration of the art, as
well as of the man, that induced BIILWER LYTTON,
and DICKENS, and EASTLAKE, and MACLISE,
and LANDSEER, and all the other notabilities
to crowd to the banquet of Saturday; although,
from the manner in which the proceedings
were conducted, it might almost be inferred that all
considerations of what was due to the art were lost in
idolatrous homage of the artist. We regret to find
that throughout these proceedings there was observable
that same contemptuous ignoring of the merits of con-
temporary artists which was but too apparent through.
out the whole managerial career of Mr. MACREADY.
Throughout the whole of the proceedings, with the
solitary exception of a compliment paid to Mr.
Pustrs, a compliment most richly merited, and
which might, to cur thinking, have been more grace-
fully paid, not a single allusion is made to any con-
temporary artist. The Chairman demanded for Mr.
MACREADY, and Mr. MACREADY took to himself
the credit of having been the first to attempt the
revival of the legitimate drama, thus entirely
ignoring the efforts, the persevering and successful
efforts of Mr. WEBSTER in the same cause—efforts
commenced long before Mr. MACREADY undertook
the reins of management, persevered in up to the
present time, and thus far brought to a successful
issue without having recourse to any but legitimate
means of success, after Mr. MACREADY bad twice
tried and twice failed, even although he bad on his
last attempt called opera and ballet to his aid. This
omission could not have been from forgetfulness on the
part of either the Chairman or the guest, for Mr.
MACREADY, when he named Mr. PHELPS, could not
have forgotten that it was Mr. WEBSTER who Est
introduced that gentleman to a metropolitan audience,
neither ought he to have forgotten that after the
failure of his managerial experiment at Covent-
garden it was at the Haymarket that be found
a home for three years, and the Chairman
ought to have recollected that Mr. WEBSTER, lice
thing daunted by the failure of the Sea Captain,
accepted the comedy of Money and paid for it a
then unparalleled price, even before he bad read it.
Surely these things ought not to be forgotten, as they
appear to have been on Saturday night. Neither was
it in good taste to pass over altogether unnoticed the
merits of Mr. ANDERSON, who, during the whole
of Mr. MACREADY'S managerial career, stood
by him " shoulder to shoulder," and nobly se-
conded him in all his efforts, and whose theatre
was, under circumstances highly honourable
to Mr. ANDERSON, placed at Mr. MACREADY'S services
for the night of his benefit. We regret that these
omissions should have taken place, they give an air of
eliqueism to that which ought to have been a national
manifesto, and reduce that which should have an ex-
pression of allegiance to the great cause of English
dramatic literature to the level of a mere compli-
mentary dinner to Mr. MACREADY.
_ _

Although we have never ranked ourselves
among the idolaters of Mr. MACREADY, yet
we have always done full justice to his
talents and his exertions, have never been
niggard of our praises of him whenever we could
conscientiously bestow them, and have at all times
made great allowances for the enthusiasm of those
who, never having seen either JoHN KEMBLE, or
CHARLES YOUNG, or EDMUND KEAN, considered Mr.
MAcazAny as the greatest actor the world ever saw,
simply because he was the greatest that they
themselves bad seen. For the last twelve years he
has undoubtedly stood alone, and when in the quiet
of his retirement he asks himself what he has done
for artists and for art, we fear he will find reason to
regret, that although desirous of forwarding the cause
of art, he neglected the only true method of doing
so. Art cannot exist without artists, and it is only by
fostering artists, by aiding them to develop their own
views, and encouraging them to cultivate their talents,
that the cause of art can be forwarded. In
what instance has Mr. MACREADY done this ?
We respect and honour Mr. MACREADY as a ripe
scholar and a high-minded and conscientious gentle.-
man ; we admire him in many characters as an artist,
but we hope that while our rising young artists strive
to imitate him in all his good qualities, they will, above
all things, eschew that petty jealousy which is the
besetting sin of the actor and the bane of his pro-
fession.

LONDON, BRIGHTON, AND SOUTH COAST BAIL-
WAY.--A long statement has been put forward in the Times
of this morning, by the directors of this company, in reply
to the recent report of the South Eastern Railway Board, in
reference to certain alleged obstructions towards the open-
ing of the Hastings, Rye, and Ashford line, on the part of
the first named company. Without pronouncing any opinion
on the matters in dispute, we would direct the attention of
the public, and especially. of the respective
proprietors, to
the analysis of the competing allegations, which is contained
in the advertisement columns of our contemporary. •

DEATH OF LORD BERNE/B.—We regret to have to
announce the death of the Right Hon. and Rev. Henry Lord
Berners, at his seat, Kirby Cane, Norfolk, on the 26th ult.,
in the 89th year of his age. His Lordship succeeded his
brother Lord Beruers in the year 1838. The title now de.
wolves upon his eldest and only surviving son, the Hon. H.
father. in cTo nh see qu e c
present e
to
Lord
de
W. Wilson, of Keythorpe Hall, in the county of Leicester. It
will be recollected that at the Waltham Protection meeting
on Wednesday last, a letter was read from the Hon. H. W.
Wilson (now Lord Berners), apologising for his non-attend-
anceßerners dangerouswa
si
bornlness
a deputy-lieutenant of Leicestershire.
ofin
1
his revered
an d is

assistance without any dereliction of principle on any
side.

It was stated on Saturday, by one of the principal
organs of the Protectionists, that "if Lord STANLEY
had placed his list of appointments before the
QUEEN, Sir EDWARD SUGDEN would have been
proposed to her MAJESTY as the future
Lord Chancellor." A more unexceptionable ap-
pointment could not have been made, so far as the
legal acquirements and judicial capacity of that distin-
guished and eminent lawyer are concerned. Differing
Coto ccelo in political views from the party by whom he
was nominated, we can yet recognise the great public
advantages that would be derived from securing his
invaluable services as an equity judge. We cannot
forget the important ameliorations which he intro-
duced into the practice of the Irish Court of Chan-
cery within a brief period after his resumption
of the seals in that country in 1841. They
were acknowledged by men of all parties and
classes to be of the most valuable character,
materially diminishing the expenses and
greatly expediting the progress of causes in that
country. Under his auspices we could calculate
to a certainty that the " Augean stable" would be
—if not thoroughly cleansed—at least rendered
less intolerable than heretofore, and that
nothing would be introduced which was
not safe and practicable, and the result whereof would
not show the remedy to be (if possible) worse than
the disease.

We trust that the new Ministry, whenever formed,
will take a hint from the Protectionists, and endea-
vour to secure his assistance, not in a political, but
in a judicial capacity. The necessity of another
Vice-Chancellor is admitted—a Bill is before Parlia-
ment for the purpose of creating such an office ;
there can be no doubt of its passing almost unani-
mously. Why should not the situation be tendered
for Sir EDWARD SUGDEN't3 acceptance ? The salary
will undoubtedly be beneath what he has a just right
to expect, but we cannot suppose that he would re-
fuse to serve his country in the mode for
which he is so well qualified. Lord LYNDHURST
became Chief Baron of the Exchequer after he had
filled the office of Lord Chancellor of England; no
one considered that the Noble and Learned
Lord suffered any loss of rank or dignity
by so doing; and we do not think that Sir E. SIIG-
DEN would act in any manner derogatory to his posi-
tion, in becoming one of the Vice-Chancellors of
England. It would effect a saving to the country
of three thousand pounds per annum ; but that is
the last consideration to be taken into account,
for on such a point a few thousands more or less are
matters of the most trivial importance. Another op-
portunity will also arise on the contemplated separa