The Sun.
London, England, 1869-08-07 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, AUGUSII 7, 1:-69.

LONDON AND NORTH-WESTERN AND
CALEDONIAN RAILWAYS.
Further Improved Service, by the West Coast Route,
between London (Euston Station), and the North of

Scotland.

FROM LONDON.—On and after MONDAY, the 9th
instant, the 9.0 p.m. Train from Euston Station will be
carried on Express, so as to arrive at Aberdeen at 2.0 p.m.
the following day.
TO LONDON.—On and after TUESDAY, the 10th inst.,
a New Train will leave Aberdeen at 9.0 a.m., Glasgow
(Caledonian), 1.45 p.m., Edinburgh (Caledonian), 2.0, and
arrive in London at 3.15 a.m.

For further particulars see Bills.
August 6, 1869.

AGENTS WANTED EVERYWHERE
to introduce commodities valuable to every householder
high and low. This offers a highly remunerativeCommi4sion to
Tradesmen, Travellers, Gentlemen's Servants, &c. Apply with
two stamps to R. MARRISON, Great Orford-street,Norwich.

THE " SINGER" SEWING MACHINES,
THE " NEW FAMILY"
SEW THE LOCK-STITCH AND THE NEW EMBROIDERY-
STITCH.
Work by Hand and Treadle, and in a Portable Case
for Travelling.

THE " SINGER " SEWING MACHINES
ARE WORLD-RENOWNED AS THE BEST SYSTEM
AND THE MOST COMPLETE, WITH NEW IMPROVEMENTS
FOR EVERY CLASS OF SEWING.
The p lunar simplicity of theca Machines enables any one to
acquire tb,ir perfect use in a Yew boors.
Illnstra:ed Price Lists post free.

TIIE "SINGER" MANUFACTURING COMPANY.
Chief Office in the United Kingdom:
147, CHEAPSIDE.
Branch Depilts or Loca Agents in every Town

THEATRE-ROYAL DRURY-LANE.
(Joie Lessee and Manager, Mr. F. B. Chatterton.
THIS EVENING, at 7, BELLES OF THE KITCHEN. At S
FORMOSA : Messrs. Barrett, H. Irving, David Fisher, Brittain
Wright, John Rouse; Mrs Billington, Misses M. Brennan, Mac
donald. and Katharine Rodgers. Conclude with BORROWED
PLUM r.S.

like the wonderful founder of his Dynasty, he che-
rished throughout the whole of his wanderings in
foreign lands, upon both sides of the Atlantic, a pro-
found conviction that it was reserved for him, in the
fullness of time, to redeem the fortunes of the impe-
rial family,!of which by reason of the deaths succes-
sively of the King of ROME, and of his own two
elder brothers, he had become the recognised_ head or
representative. Excited by this conviction, firel by
this not very un natural ambition, he twice, as the
world very well knows, essayed to hasten the time
when he was to assume his place at the
head of the French Government. First of all at
Strasbourg, and afterwards at Boulogne sur frier.
Twice tried for his life—that is upon the close of each
of these desperate and abortive attempts to revolu-
tionise France by a coup de main, in the name of
NArOLEON—the future Emperor wassentenced, on the
second of those memorable occasions, to undergo the
penalty of perpetual imprisonment in the Fortress of
Ham. After enduring six years' incarceration, there,
as a Prisoner of State, he contrived, on the 25th of
May, 1816, to effect his escape with singular address,
with wonderful presence of mind, and under the
most romantic circumstances. Within two years
after that, he had been summoned back to France.
immediately after the Revolution of February, 1848,
having been spontaneously elected, by acclamation,
to a seat in the National Assembly, by more than one
enthusiastic department. A few months afterwards
his name was carried to the head of the poll, by very
nearly six million votes, as President of the French
Republic. Confirmed in that position, after the
crisis of the coup d'etat, and that, morever, by
a majority of nearly seven million votes—
he was declared EMPEROR a year afterwards
by nearly eight million votes, and as Emperor has
ever since then, for seventeen years, been reigning
over France with despotic and irresponsib'e autho-
rity. At the end of these seventeen years he has,
now, spontaneously delivered back into the hands of
France the supreme power entrusted to him, first,
conditionally, in the December of 1818, secondly, and
again conditionally, in the Dec of 1851, and thirdly,
and lastly, and quite unconditionally, iu the Decem-
ber of 1852, by the great mass of the adult male popu-
lation of the country. Restorer of Order, Autocrat
of France, Leader of the Armies in the field, Liberator
of Lombardy, the faithful ally of England during
all these years, during peace, and during war, in the
Council Chamber and upon the battles of the Crimea,
of China, and of Japan—.NAPOLEON 111. has, now,
emulated, after seventeen years, the wisdom attained
amongst ourselves, gradually and through the lapse
of ceutu:ies, by according to the millions obedient to
his authority the blessings of Constitutional Govern-
ment. This is beyond all question the noblest of
his achievements. It is the ripened fruit of his
exile. It is the worthy crowning of his am-
bition. " Out of the nettle danger" he
has " plucked the flower safety." Having said
which, we would end where we began—NAPOLEON
111. has left to himself little beyond a General
Amnesty, with the bestowal of which upon his coun-
try, fittingly to commemorate, on the fast approach-
ing 15th of August, 1869, the centenary of the birth,
on the 15th of August, 1769, of the Emperor and
King—NAPOLEON THE GREAT.

IT is not easy to recognise the principle on which
a sudden opposition to the Habitual Criminals Bill
has been got up at this late period of the session.
It is true that though the necessity for some more
stringent dealing with the criminal class has
long been imperatively called for, yet this measure
introduces a somewhat new principle into the treat-
ment of crime in England, and makes very serious
changes which ought not to be sanctioned without
grave consideration. But this full inquiry has

undoubtedly been given. The measure has just gone
through the Upper llouse, where—at a time when
the Lords had little to do—it was sifted with great
care, and with the assistance of the legal wis-
dom so abundant in the Peers' Assembly. An
eminently Conservative body has sanctioned a
measure proposed by a Liberal Government. It is
indeed still justly within the province of either
party in the Commons to raise objections; but it
is wholly nnfair to urge the plea of too little de-
liberation. The measure has had full consideration,
it remains in principle what it was when the Lore's
first took it in hand, and it is satisfactory to find
that it is now likely to pass, and that a much-needed
experiment is to have a fair trial.
The object of this change in the criminal law is to
attempt to more effectively restrain the depredations
of systematic offenders. These are now kept in
safety during their terms of imprisonment.
But the period they spend in gaol is generally
short, is often curtailed, and whilst they are
at large they are under no restraint whatever. The
great defect of our present arrangements is that
men who are known to be incorrigible law-breakers
are let loose again and again upon society to carry on
a nefarious trade which no one expects them to
abandon. It is contended that a criminal who has
been more than once condemned comes under
reasonable suspicion as to his future career,
and that it is as much within the province of
the law to prevent crime as to punish it. Acting on
this theory, the Habitual Criminals Bill provides that
offenders who have been twice convicted for felony
shall be subject to the surveillance of the police for a
period of seven years. Third convictions may be
followed by surveillance for life. Persons who have
once been convicted, and who are found in posses-
sion of stolen goods, are to be deemed guilty, unless
they can prove their innocence. All convicts are to
be registered, with a view of more effectually watch-
ing their movements after release from prison.
The pawnbrokers, a class which contains many honest
dealers, but also very many abettors of crime, will
be closely watched, as will keepers of thieves' lodging-
houses. Some alterations worthy of remark
have been made since we first noticed
this Bill. A clause providing that a sen-
tence for a third felony conviction following the
second within five years should not be lighter than
seven years' penal servitude has been struck
out. Other amendments have been passed, giving
the court power to absolve a criminal from
the consequences of a second conviction in cases
which seem to require it, thus mitigating the rigour
of the surveillance principle without infringing upon
it. Harshness will be guarded against by this
power of exemption, but the
system originally
laid down is retained. The Bill will become law
substantially in its pristine form. 'What will be
its consequences, is a prediction which cannot
be hazarded of a measure which is necessarily an
experiment. There can be no hesitation, however,
in deciding that this very stringent law—for
stringent it still remains—is justified by the neces-
sities of English society. No one desires to
be too hard even with criminals; but the
Legislature ought surely to first give its solici-
tude to honest men, Hitherto the chances of
the law have been all on the side of the rogue, and
the result is that crime has become a vast organisa-
tion which must now be broken up.

ILFRACOMBE REGATTA.—Of all places on the
English coast, we consider Ilfracombe to be the best
adapted for a regatta. Its situation in the fair way of the
Channel is admirably suited fur testing the sailing quali-
tit.s of the craft engaged, and at the same time affords to
the spectators an uninterrupted view from the Capstone
Ilill of the whole course. The yachts being thus always
in sight, the interest excited by each race is sustained
throughout. On the 17th and 18th August, prizes amount-
ing to :£l5O will be competed for by yachts, pilot, and
other sailing and rowing boats. Swiming matches and
sports of different kinds will follow, and there will be a
grand display of fireworks and a flight of of balloons at
the close. A full military band has been engaged, and a
public dinner will be given on ono of the days, and a ball
on the other.

THE REPRESENTATION OF CORK.

The Weekly Register says it is reported that one of the
seats at Cork will immediately become vacant. By the
Church Disestablishment Act passed last week, Mr. George
Alexander Hamilton has been appointed one of the
three commissioners to carry the disendowing clauses
of the Act into effect. This renders the permanent Under-
Secretaryship of the Treasury vacant, and it is reported
that the vacancy will be filled by Mr. Maguire. The
hon. gentleman sat for Dungarvon from July 1852
till July 18G5, when he was elected for the City of Cork.
The name of Mr. Massey is mentioned as his probable
successor in the representation of Cork. Mr. Massey is
now chairman of the Nati'nal Bank, and was formerly
Chairman of Ways and Means in the House of Commons
before he went to India as Minister of Finance at
Calcutta.