The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-11 00:00:00

EVENING, SEPPEMBER H, 1860.
rHE S N, LONDON, TUESDAY

carrier, married, let us say, and with a family of
little children, painfully earning a few wretched
shillings a week by an excess of toil resulting in
his instance in physical weakness arising from ab-
solute want, is intentionally entrusted with letters
containing marked money—with a view to test his
power under those painful circumstances of resist-
ing temptation. If his probity is proof against the
heartless lure—let him starve on his wretched dole
as heretofore. If his conscience becomes warped
and his honesty fails in the struggle—away with
him to the alternation of the treadmill and the cell
of the penitentiary. It is time that there should be
an end put to this heartless system radiating
from St. Martin's-le-Grand, as from an elabo-
rately organised source of poverty, with all its
consequent physical misery and moral degradation.
The position of a letter-carrier is, as we have said,
necessarily and inevitably one of especial responsi-
bility. It is, consequently, for that very reason one
that ought to be guarded against the risk of tempta-
tion—instead of having its temptations elaborately
prepared and dexterously and heartlessly multi-
plied. We confidently submit the case of these hard-
working and, for the most part, thrifty and exem-
plary public servants, the letter-carriers of London,
to the just and generous consideration of the newly-
installed Postmaster• General, Lord STANLEY of
ALDERLEY.

We have on many occasions appealed with painful
shame and just indignation to those who have long
benefitted by the discovery of HENRY CORT in the
manufacture of iron—that staple of our stupendous
machinery ashore and afloat—and yet with but
insignificant success, for his bereaved and almost
destitute family. The Government pittance was
just in the inverse ratio of the marvellous boon con-
ferred on the nation. Unfortunately such is the
invariable reward of genius—

As down he sails the stream of life
With all its elements at strife :
And when his bark is buried deep—
Will Envy be the first to weep
Accursed inheritance of worth—
To shame the land that boasts his birth
But, alas, so it has been in all ages— this envious
malignity which will not acknowledge merit until
it has passed away., leaving its virtue behind to be
appropriated and t-urned to account by others. Such
has been the fate a CORT, to his country's shame.
Pensions and gifts. are bestowed on many who have
done the nation no good, but who are the protegees
or the hangers-on. of those in power or of those who
have similar influence—witness the gross misap-
propriation of the twelve hundred thousand voted
to literature, but diverted to party and other objects
quite distinct from the original intention. Really,
we denounce the favouritism of despotic
Powers—but they, at least, are grateful for
benefits received at the hands of genius,
while in this free country it is quite the reverse.
A man who is fortunate enough to make a bene-
ficial discovery is sure to be rewarded for his
invention, and the patronage of the State leads to
his fortune. Wit husit is far otherwise : obstacles
innumerable rise, up in his path and obstruct his
career, until he sinks wearied out with hopeless
efforts, and borne) down with care and anguish, till
his poor bet indignant heart breaks in the
struggle.

We insert in. another column a paper entitled
" The CORT Ce,se," from the Engineer, by which
we see that our esteemed friend, CHARLES
MANEY, and 'others of the Institution of Civil
Engineers, are doing their best to alleviate
the forlorn condition of the CORT family. Let us
hope that a generous public will make yet another
effort to repair the disgrace which attaches to our
common country, by restoring the unhappy family
of HENRY CORT to comfort, if not to independence,
and place them beyond the reach of want in their
latter days.

STRAND THEAT.Rz,

The winter season at this elegant little theatre coni-
menced last evening in the presence of a very brilliant and
fashionable audience. The novelty of the evening was a
new comedietta from the pen of Mr. Selby, entitled " The
Pet Lamb," and, from the adnirable manner in which it was
supported, met with the most decided success. The plot of
the piece is as follows :—Giatomo Tintoretto, the celebrated
painter, has conceived a pasaon for Isadore Valone, who is
about to be married to a friend of his own, Annibal Bra-
ganza, a braggart Neapolitan officer—such as no lady could
possibly admire. The artist, who is planning an intrigue
with Isadore, is interruptet by a young novice from the
neighbouring convent, the Pet Lamb, who is directed by
the Abbot to engage the cervices of Tintoretto to paint
their patron saints, and learns from him of the approach-
ing marriage of his inaraorsta. lie determines upon steal-
ing her away before the wedding can take place, but as he
is about to leave his studio for that purpose the officer enters,
and announces that, having heard that his friend had ac-
cepted a challenge from a certain Marquis for an encounter
that day, he had, as a matter of friendship, informed the
governor, and procured the deputation of the Marquis on
a secret and instant missbn—and at the same time an
order for the arrest of the artist, who is to be confined to
his own house until his antagonist should be so far on his
journey as to prevent the passibility of the contemplated
hostile meeting. In thic dilemma Tintoretto enlists the
services of the young novice, who consents to personate the
friar who was to have performed the marriage ceremony,
and bring the intended bride to the studio of the artist,
under the pretence that ha is conducting her to her affianced
husband—for whom she of course has no great partiality,
the match being a family arrangement made without her
consent. Left to themselves a mutual explanation takes
place between the aspirait for clerical distinction and the
maiden, who have been playfellows from childhood, and it
appears have loved each other but have never confessed it.
When the novice finds butt Tintoretto's object is merely an
intrigue he repents the part he has taken in the matter, de-
clares his own passion, fs accepted, grows valiant, frightens
the military lover, bamboozles the artist, and finally, for-
swearing the convent, the cell, and the monk's frock, de-
termines to exchange into the army and marry, and thus
brings about the expected climax. The principal parts were
admirably sustained by alias C. Saunders, Miss Bufton, and
Mr. Parselle, and from the enthusiastic applause that fol-
loWed the descent of fhe curtain, a long and successful run
may confidently be expected.