The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-07 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TIIVRSDAY EVENING FEBRUARY 7, 1856

tv e authorities relied on may be eliminated by
st xiking six of the ten cases from the calculation.
T wo others held hereditary Peerages, and there-
f pie their successors who could put forward any
clhim to the dignity would, under any circum-
tnces, be entitled to sit and vote at all future
til nes. Another case, that of Lady RI PEAS, con-
ferred no seat in Parliament, while the only re-
-133 ainbag one, that of Lord FAUNHOPE, may, and
--if the question had been properly raised before
tile constitutional tribunal, the House of Lords
.—would probably have been held to possess the
incidents of a Peerage created by writ of summons
when no remainder had been at all noticed,
but which has been clearly decided to confer a
hereditary Peerage on the heirs general of the
body of the party, who has once sat in the Upper
House. It is, therefore, by no means improbable
that the patent to Lord WENSLEYDALE may, not-
withstanding the limitation for the term of his
natural life, convey hereditary rank to the heirs
general of his body ; and although the Noble
Lord has no son, he has descendants in the female
line, some of whom may be enabled to put forward
a claim. Of this point the House itself will be
the sole judge. Its decision on a question relat-
ing to its own dignities will be final and conclu-
sive.

public ; and the primary result was, he became the
founder, and not the least efficient supporter of
the hospital in question. What obstacles he had
to contend against, what heartaches he had to
endure, how often he had to muster fresh courage,
and address himself again to his task, how labori-
ously he strove to interest the benevolent public
in his scheme, what pains he took to stimulate all
connected with the hospital to renewed exertion
—of these things, and others, we know positively
nothing, we can but guess at them. What we do
know, however, and noticed then, is a grand epi-
tome of exertion, endurance, and triumph, and
testifies to no mean oblations offered up on the
altar of humanity. Since the establishment
of the hospital, no fewer than 521,493
patients, not only from the metropolis but
also from all quarters of the kingdom,
including many utterly destitute, many objects
of disgust and loathing, many on whom
the shadow of death had seemed to darken,
and many, though-fewest of all, from whom no
earthly skill could remove that shadow, have had
occasion to bless the name of the benevolent and
enterprising founder. It struck us then, and it
strikes us still, as a remarkable fact, involving an
example worthy of imitation in every walk of life,
that to the philanthropic spirit and persistent
energy of one man, right-minded enough to have
won the confidence, and bold enough to rely on
the benevolence of the public, the medical relief
of considerably more than half a million of the
population is owing. The man for the public,
charitable or political---find hint, and the public
will follow or support him, while everybody may,
to a limited extent, be a leader to somebody else.
In thus holding fOrth the example of Dr.
MARSDEN for imitation, and referring to the suc-
cess of the Royal Free Hospital—whose obvious
claims, by the way, on wealthy country residents
as well as dwellers in the metropolis, we sin-
cerely trust, for the credit of provincial philan-
thropy, will be generously responded to—the reader
must acquit us of any invidious intention. That is
and was the furthest thing from our thoughts. Who
could willingly overlook or seek to depreciate the
splendid illustrations of humane feeling which
the numerous hospitals scattered throughout the
metropolis afford ? Who that knows anything of
the contributions to science which owe their origin
to these schools for the education of the youthful
members of the profession ; of the immense indi-
rect as well as direct services to humanity they
have rendered and continue to render ? Who that,
oppressed with the unceasing uproar of the busy
crowd hastening along the crowded thoroughfare,
each absorbed in his particular business, has
turned aside, oppressed with a sense of isolation,
and in some less frequented spot has been cheered
by the sight of an inscription over some refuge of
distress, testifying that the genius of Humanity
had its worshippers and ministrants as well as
Mammon in the metropolitan wilderness ? Who
that, in his peregrinations, has lit on St. Bartholo-
mew's, Guy's, St. Thomas's, St. George's, the
Middlesex, the London, the University, King's
College, Charing-cross, and other general hospitals
—those noble institutions where the highest scien-
tific skill is gratuitously available to the victim
of accident, and the sufferer from any of the
thousand and one dangerous diseases to which the
human frame is liable ? Who that has stumbled
on the special hospitals for consumption,
for small-pox, for fever in its various
forms, for cancer, for opthahnia, for de-
formity—on the asylums for the blind, the
1 deaf and dumb, the insane, lying-in women,
the orphan, and, worse than orphan, the female
unfortunate, who, in the bitter anguish of her
repentant heart, longs, yet dreads, to be restored
to the forfeited home and friends of her childhood I
No one that has a heart to feel and a head to com-
prehend could overlook or seek to depreciate insti-
tutions like these. They are among the chief glories
of London—the oases in its wilderness, and can-
not but be remembered with pride l Our object
will not be frustrated, blit the contrary, should
this notice lead to the prefertnent of the claims
of other institutions, not invidiously, but by way
of appeal, to the sympathies of the bene-
volent. At the present moment we have
reason to apprehend that no help afforded
to any of them but is sufficiently needed
to be gratefully received ; and we, there-
fore, earnestly invite our readers to single out
whatever institution has especial claims on their
notice for the reception of their charitable contri-
butions, quite satisfied that where merit is re-
warded, the hospital which has elicited these
remarks will not be overlooked.

COVENT-G.4BDEIIN.

Last evening being Ash-Wednesday, the Wizard of
the North gave us a concert, like all his other perform-
ances and entertainments, on a monstre scale. A mere
list of the artists engaged would suffice to show this,
but it is so copious that we cannot even make room for a
bare enumeration.

The programme was in corresponding proportions, for
it embraced no fewer than forty-eight items, culled from
all classes and schools, and presenting us with no small
number of the established favourites of the concert-room
and opera. Of course it is quite impossible, with
such a proivamme before us, to go through it in
any detail, even if the well-known character of
many of the pieces given did not render it a matter
of perfect superfluity. Contenting ourselves, there-
fore, by noticing the generally satisfactory cha-
racter of the concert, let us select for special
consideration a few of what seems to us the gems of
the evening. The principal attractions of the concert
were unquestionably the appearance of Madame Cara-
dori amongst us after her long absence, of Madame Ama-
dei, Lucy Escott, and M. Billet. Madame Caradori has
returned to us with powers but little inferior to what
they were. She sang the " Casta diva " with great flexi-
bility and finish of execution, and with considerable ex-
pression. Lucy Escott gave the "Il mio Walzer " of
Venzano with a dashing facility and a profusion of orna-
mentation that reminded us of Madame Gassier. Nor was
she less successful in Belfe's "I dreamt that I dwelt in
marble halls," which she gave with a natural and
appropriate expression that fairly deserved the encore she
received. Madame Amadei, who possesses one of the most
perfect contralto voices we have ever heard, sang the
"Brindisi," from " Lucrezia," very fin :ly, although, per-
haps, with hardly sufficient entrain. But, after all, she
was heard to most advantage in a duet with Mr. Hamil-
ton Braham in the second part. Miss Rose Braham's
" Where the bee sucks" was distinguished by nice taste ;
and the spirit of Mr. Winn's " Sing me the Songs of
Old," was not unworthy of the applause which it re-
ceived. Of a far higher order of merit, however, was
Mr. Augustus Braham's execution of " La mia Letiza,"
from the " I Lombardi." It was distinguished by re-
markable grace and finish of style, and depth of expres-
'ion. Mr. Geo. Tedder deserves a word of praise for his
neat and unobtrusive execution of Hatton's charming
song, "Good bye, Sweetheart." The orchestra was
under the able direction of Mr. Loder and Herr Ans-
chuez. The concert was both fully and fashionably at-
tended.