The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-10 00:00:00

THE SUN, 7LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 10, 1860,

this session. Enough, however, for the present ;
we must soon have a glance at the Legacy Duties
and Income Tax.

Everyone who has read the wonderful history of
the Splendour and Downfall of Omar Birotteau,
by HENRI DE BALZAC, will remember vividly the
manner of his reception by those great moneyed

-people, bankers, Ministers of State, usurious mil-

Lionaires, and others, when poor CAESAR, the deco-

rated Perfumer, is in quest of a few hundred thou-
sand francs to stave off impending bankruptcy
How he is snubbed, cajolled, insulted—how he is

everywhere unsuccessful in his applications for
_ .

assistance—how he walks down the staircases of the
rich man's house with a purse as light but a heart
far heavier than he had walked up them with—how

ruin closes round him as inexorably as
closed round another the metal walls of that
dreadful prison-house called The Iron Shroud,
described years and years ago in Maya with so
powerful a hand by WILLIAM MLTDFORD, and since
then (indeed but very recently) reprinted in the

first volume of that beautiful little series popularly
known as " Tales from Blackwood." How all

;hese painful incidents in the career of C2ESAR

BIROTTEAU are depicted with a pen of gold upon
tablets of ivory by the magic genius of DE

BALZAC, the readers of DE BALZIC will very dis-
tinctly bear in their recollection. And so, bearing

.hose incidents in their mind, will they not sub

scribe to the wisdom of that sentence discoverable
in a far different work, that sentence which says,
" It is well known that the large fast man is en-
couraged even without capital [i.e., under our pre-
sent monetary system, under the unnatural mone-
tary system dating back to A.D. 1844, the year of
the ever•memorable and lamentable Bank Charter
Enactment]; while the small, hardworking, plod-
ding man, requiring the slightest assistance never
gets it." This passage—the wisdom of which is
born from the experience of countless individuals—

is discoverable, we have said, elsewhere than in any
of the witty and sparkling books of DE BALZAC—
it is excerpted from a volume much less pretentious
in its character, yet, be it said, a ♦olume very re-
markable and noteworthy nevertheless. The sen-
tence above quoted in effect is taken from p. 403 of
Mr. JOHN GROSSMITH'S " Government upon First
Principles"—a comprehensive political treatise of
which we have already spoken in these columns in
terms of well-merited commendation.
The fragmentary passage but just now transcribed
from the page which has been subsequently parti-
cularised, occurs incidentally in the course of one
of not the least curious chapters in the volume,
viz., chap. cxxiv., a chapter headed simply " The
Policy of the Whigs considered with regard to the
Currency." It constitutes altogether one of the most
admirably epitomised yet all-sufficient exposures of
the ill results accruing to the nation at large from
that disastrous policy, in its application to the deli-
cate and complex question of the currency that we
can at this moment contrive to recall to our remem-
brance. Whoever may still remain, from some
mysterious and altogether inscrutable reasons, in-
fatuated with a credence in that marvellous and
entirely irrational Bank Charter Act, that has
now for 16 years consecutively been crippling our
commerce and currency, and half strangling our
monetary circulation ; whoever may still cherish a
belief in this astounding delusion, we would ear-
nestly recommend to glance through the seven pages
of that one hundred-and-twenty-fourth chapter of
Mr. GROSSIMITH'S thoughtful treatise upon " Go-
vernment on First Principles."

It demonstrates, as clearly as conclusively, the
fatuity of the Whig policy applied to the currency
the insanity, we might almost call it, of the Bank
Charter Act of 1844 ; the miserable selfishness of
the arguments advanced in favour of that melan-
choly enactment by such moneymonopolists asJoNEs -
LLOYD, Lord OVERSTONE. Quoth Mr. GROSSMITII
(p. 402), as we have for years past in these columns
been insisting interjectionally, in spite of ourselves,
in defiance of all our " liberal" predilections—" I
can no longer distinguish between Toryism and
Whiggism, except that of the two I believe we may
expect more from the former than the latter." He
reminds his reader of the vigorous and earnest effort
made by Lord DERBY, while in office, " to grapple
with the difficulty of the day ;" of his penetrant
allusion to the distress of the operatives ; of his noble
recognition of their civism and discretion when ex-
claiming, " All honour to the good sense and loyalty
of the operatives !" Besides, argues Mr. GROSSMITII
in continuation—lie (lArd DERBY) was the one to
put before the country at large those timely
and startling statistics which demonstrating,
among other things, that " while our exports had
been £308,000,000, the imports had been
£468,000,000, leaving a balance of £160,000,000 of
imports over exports." Whereupon, asked Lord
DERBY significantly, " How had those imports been
paid for ?" Answering his own inquiry, of course,
as it alone admitted of being answered, namely,
thus—" The country had had to export £84,000,000
in bullion in consequence of the disparity between its
imports and exports." In point of fact, the system
of the currency in this country as it now stands is,
to all intents and purposes, the fabrication of an
artificial ANEURISM in England's monetary circu-
lation.

Arguing in favour of a measure " that shall
legalise a domestic issue, that from its very nature
of fixity can only be applicable to home purposes,"
Mr. GROSSMITH says (and with reason), " Let any
statesman who might fancy any danger that could
arise out of this issue on tax convertibility put
down in figures the amount of the wealth of Great
Britain; he will then see how small a proportion
£20,000,000 [the amount proposed] is to that
MIGHTY sum, which would render Exchequer notes
safer than gold, backed as it must be by the whole
nation's worth !" If only we had a Financier who
would try it !—instead of an idly experimental
Chancellor of the Exchequer content to blow bubble
Treaties and " fly"' Paper in a manner so lament-
ably and ludicrously different.

It is now some years when the telegraphic sys-
tem was proposed to be extended to India, that we
advocated the route by the Euphrates as being the
most direct as well as the shortest by a thousand
miles ! But the pedantry of some and the self-in-
terest of others preferred the Red Sea route. Well,
we even concurred in that so that we might have a
telegraphic communication with India. And we
went farther—we said two lines are better than
one—let us have both. But no ! The dog in the
manger would have it all his own way—and so the
Red Sealrcute was adopted—yes—and has failed !.
and now we have no line at all! People in office
may call this business, hut we and the public call
it by its right term JoBBING, jobbing at
the expense of the "nation, and the sad irre-
deemable lose of human life. Why, had the
Euphrates line been' adopted the woeful re-
bellion in India might have been averted,
and tens of thousands of lives been now in being
and oceans of money saved. As it is, red-tapism
has triumphed, and plunged India into an un
fathomable gulf of debt, and the Red Sea line
overwhelmed in everlasting captivity like
PHARAOH'S host ! Really, it is a melancholy pie-
, tune to muse on, but painful to reflect on. And

why, in a commercial country like this, should
these misdoings be permitted ? Are we not a prac-
tical people—and yet we are done—done with our
eyes open. The Government, or that portion of
it to which the business of these commercial gua-
rantees appertains, seems to decide by the rule of
contrary—they cannot, or will not, see things in
the obvious common sense view of trade, policy, and
commercial advantage. We will not impute dis-
'aonest motives, but their conduct, judging by the
result, is anything but loyal or patriotic.
In another column will be found an article which
we have copied from the Mechanic's Magazine, an
excellent journal devoted to the march of improve-
ment in its most liberal acceptation, on the route
by the Euphrates. It points out the many mani-
fest advantages likely—nay, sure to accrue from the
adoption of that route. In short, by a steady and
conciliatory policy with the Arabs, we might secure
a well organised police all along the line, by giving
the natives an interest in its prosperity, and bring
India within a very few days' range of home.
If knowledge be power, the sooner that know-
ledge is obtained the more powerful we will become.
Surely, then, it is the bounden duty of Govern-
ment to lend a helping hand to men who have
devoted so much time, labour, and skill like Mr.
ANDREWS to the development of a line which
promises so much for the welfare not only of
India generally, but of England as well. Let Lord
PALMERSTON look to it, and that promptly.

SADLER'S WELLS THEATRE.

For about two hours previous to the time an.
nounced for the opening of the doors of this theatre
on Saturday evening an immense crowd collected
outside the principal entrances, each being anxious
to obtain admission to welcome their favourite
actor on the first night of his winter season. The
fact that Mr. Phelps had, since the close of last
season, become sole lessee seemed to increase desire,
and at half-past six o'clock more than sufficient had
assembled outside to fill the house in every
corner. The rush on the opening of the doors
was tremendous, and in a very few minutes
every inch of ground was occupied. Dur-
ing the recess the interior of the theatre
has been very handsomely re-decorated, and the
appearance of the house with its crowded and good
tempered audience was exceedingly interesting.
The play chosen for the opening night was Shak-
speare's "As you like it." Great curiosity was
evinced as to the ability of the new names that ap-
peared amongst the company. On Mr. Phelps,
who sustained the part of Jacques, being recog-
nised, a tremendous cheer arose, and for some
moments the action of the play was interrupted, but
on silence being restored it proceeded, and through-
out the whole of the piece he delighted the audience
with his masterly conception of his part. Amongst
the new candidates for the "sweet voices" of the
habitues of this Shakspearian Temple was Mr.
Hermann Vezin, an American actor, who first ap-
peared in London a short time ago at the Surrey
Theatre, where he, during a brief but bril-
liant season, was recognised as one of the
most promising actors that had ever crossed the
Atlantic. The part awarded him on Saturday night
was Orlando, and we fearlessly say, that an equally
delightful or finished performance has not been
witnessed for years. The audience were in ecstacies
with him, and more enthusiastic or well deserved
applause could not have been bestowed upon him-
had he been their leading favourite. As a special
mark of favour he was honoured with a call at the
termination of the third act—qt circumstance by no
means common with the critical audience of Sadler's
Wells. That Mr. Vezin is an actor of great and
eminent ability cannot be denied, and we cordially
congratulate the talented lessee on the great
acquisition he has made to his unusually good com-
pany. Mrs. Charles Young gave us a delightful
impersonation of Rosalind, and Miss Josephs, an-
other new aspirant for metropolitan honours, as
Celia, showed that she possesses much and varied
talent. The old favourites were all heartily wel.
corned, and altogether Mr. Phelps's managerial
reign was inaugurated under the most promising
and favourable auspices.

LATEL N E

The following telegrams have been received at
Mr. Reuter's office :

PARIS, MONDAY.

The Moniteur, in a telegram, from Marseilles,
states that brilliant fetes have taken place there in
honour of their Majesties.
The Constitutionnel in an article signed by
Grandguillot, speaking of the intention of Sardinia
to intervene in the States of the Church, says :

" We should grieve to see Piedmont accomplish
an aggression which would incontestably separate
ber from the Imperial policy.
" France being the Protector of the Pope at
Rome, cannot but disapprove that any armed as-
sist:lnce should be given to the insurrection in the
provinces.

" We hope Piedmont will not renounce the prin-
ciples of respect due to international right, which
alone can preserve our alliance with her.
" We also trust the King will avoid a political
fault which would be a misfortune for Italy."

NAPLES, SEPT. 9.

Garibaldi has entered Naples alone. Great en-
thusiasm prevails. He has disavowed a national
committee illegally constituted, and has ordered the
Prefect of Police to punish its members.
Garibaldi has consigned the fleet and the arsenal
of Naples to the charge of Admiral Persano, and
proclaimed Victor Emmanuel as King of Italy.
The Dictator has confirmed Romano as Minister
of the Interior, and appointed Arditi Director of
Police, General Cosenz Minister of War, and
Pianelli Minister of Justice.

The capitulation of the forts is expected to take
place to-morrow.

NAPLES, SEPT. 7.

The chiefs of the National Guard have gone to
arrange with Garibaldi the programme of his entry
into Naples.

BOLOGNA, SEPT. 10.
Other towns in the Romagna have revolted to
the cry of " Victor Emmanuel for ever !"
The telegraph wires and bridges have been de-
stroyed in the province of Umbria. Urbino is free.

TURIN, SEPT. 9.

The insurrectionary movement in the Marches
and in Umbria is extending. The provisional Go-
vernments which have been established have sent
deputations to the King of Sardinia. They are
era route for Turin.

The report that Sardinian troops have already
passed the Roman frontier is unfounded. A reply
to the ultimatum sent to Cardinal Antonelli is
awaited.

FLORENCE, SEPT. 9.

According to advices from Perugia, General
Lamoriciere has threatened to set fire to every
town which should rise in insurrection. Many

one expects that it will be negative. In such case
Piedmont will occupy the Marches and Umbria.
The condition of those provinces becomes daily
more serious. The Opinione, which receives official
information, announces in semi-official terms the
project of intervention in the Roman States. Two
corps d'arnzee are ready to act; the one is com-
manded by M. Cialdini, the other by General
Sonnaz. These two corps will act independently
of each other. General Fanti r-mains Minister of
War, retaining his rank as Major-General. In case
of operations he will join the army. As regards
the departure of the King for the army, the an-
nouncement is premature, but some of his luggage
has already left.
" M. Farini returned here this morning from his
visit to Florence and Bologna.
" It is clear a crisis is at hand. The maintenance
of the temporal power of the Pope in the sole city
of Rome, and the suppression of the private army
of the Pope, are facts of no inconsiderable import-
ance. On the other hand, the annexation of the
Marches and Umbria is indispensable for Naples
and Piedmont to form one United kingdom. It is
equally certain that by occupying these provinces
with its regular army the Government wishes, so to
say, ipso facto to put an end to the mission of Gari-
baldi, unless he should wage war against the French
at Rome and the Austrians in Venetia. Political
reasons are, therefore, not wanting to explain, if
not to warrant, the occupation of the Marches and
Umbria.

" Men here do not dissimulate that the end of all
this will be a war with Austria, despite the assur-
ances relative to non-intervention. The Govern-
ment has received information that the Austrians
have been concentrating large forces at Borgo-
Forte, from which point she can threaten the
Romagna and Modena.
" Here military preparations are being carried
on with the greatest activity."

AMERICA.

QUEENSTOWN, MONDAY.

The Cunard steamer Etna, Captain Anderson
which left New York, on the 30th ult., has ar.

rived.

She passed the steamers City of Manchester,
Kangaroo, and Prince Albert, all bound west.
Exchange on London at New York was quoted
109; 110. Money had advanced. Stocks were
rather lower.

MONTREAL, AUG. 30,

His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales reviewed
yesterday the troops of the garrison and the volun-
teers.

LITERATURE.

Elkerton Rectory : being Part econd of Twenty
1 ears in the hurch. By the Rev. Jas. Pycroft,
8.A., Trinity College, Oxford, author of " Recol-
lections of College Days." Booth.
Many readers will have a lively recollection of
" Twenty Years in the Church," a book which
excited a considerable degree of attention last sea-
son. The present volume is another step in the
same direction, and it carries out the object desired
in a very effectual manner. No one can accuse the
writer of being at all bigoted in his views, or bitter
in his expressions regarding religious subjects. It
will be seen that he enters into the difficulties that
beset the path of many a clergyman in a way that
proves he is well and intimately acquainted with
what he speaks of. It is at first a very arduous
undertaking for. Henry Austin to become fixed in
his new rectory, for his health had been so much
injured by his previous over-exertion and great
privations that he had almost lost his voice, and it
was some time before he could sufficiently exert
himself to read the service through. This delay
gave rise to many ungracious remarks and rude
reflections on the part of those who were jealous
of his having been appointed to the living. After
he had surmounted the first difficulties many more
of various kinds arose, and, quiet as the stranger
might suppose the rectory to be, far removed from
the strife of cities, it will soon appear manifest on
perusing these details that " envy, hatred, malice,
and all uncharitableness" flourish alike in seques-
tered shades as in busy towns, and wherever man
exists his worst passions will be aroused and his
greatest enmity put in practice for the purpose of
gain. Those who liked the first part of these
sketches will not be disappointed with their suc-
cessor, and the favourable reception already accorded
to this work proves that the hopes of the author
have not been frustrated, and that in appealing to
common sense and justice he has found hearers to
listen to his arguments. In inculcating the spirit
of charity he has pointed out the highest duty of a
Christian life. Too many zealous advocates and
excited partisans will do anything to put down
their opponents, and rejoice to see them covered
with confusion, but none of them will endeavour
to Booth the suffering sinner. They can speak for
ever on the terrors of the judgment, but can find
no words to tell of the glories of mercy. It will be
found that a very fair and consistent course is
taken in the arrangement of this book, which re-
flects great credit on its author, as nothing is more
difficult than to write a religious work in a becom
ing spirit and appropriate manner.