The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-23 00:00:00

ASTLEY'S ROYAL AMPRITHRATRE.

leases and Manager, Mr. Win. Cooke.
THIS EVENING.
OM Night !) Shakspere's Tragedy of RICHARD THE THIRD
'tit Equestrian Illustrations by Mr. W. Cooke's stud of trained
=We. Richard, Mr. James Holloway.
After which,
The SCENES in the CIRCLE.
To conclude with a Pot Foarri of Amusing Entertainments.
Commence at Seven. Box-office open from Eleven till Four. Stage
Manager. Mr. W. west. Equestrian Director. Mr. W. Cooke, Jun.

MGR WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.

gm DAY—Morn. 55 min. aft 9—Evening 36 min. sft.l
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TaitWEATHER—SUN Orrpoit, Ocrrosau 22.
THEAMOILETEEt, IN
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NO —lowest this morning and during the night.
62 —this day at noon.

BAROMETRB, 30.44.
WIYD—S. to S.S.E.—Light, with very fine weather.

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L9NDON, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1856.

_-•-----

The wags of Naples that arch-wag, Xing
tomes, includA—would probably be delighted
to learn that English Literature holds forth a
model from which they may construct a lasting
memorial of what Sberrii likely to be tho story of
the interference of Franco and -England with
Neapolitan affairs. The department of literature
in which this model may be found is the ballad,
and when this is said the reader will have little
difficulty in coming to the conclusion that the
"Doleful Tragedy of Guy Fawkes" is alluded to.
The opening stanza informs us of the subject-
matter of the song ; it is—

" Guy Fawkes, the prince of sinisters,
Who once blew up the House of Lords,
The King and all his Ministers :"

the conscientious minstrel immediately afterwards,
however, with a laudable regard for truth, softens
his rather over-bold announcement by the quali-
lication—

“That ii, ha would have blown them up,
But a little accident prevented him :”
the little accident being his capture before he
could put his design into execution.

What the design of the two Governments ori-
ginally was we won't undertake to say ; but the
general opinion both here and at Naples is, it
was something more than figuratively to " blow
up" King BoafßA and his Government. If so,
that amiable and discreet Monarch has had a
"A little accident" has "pre.
narrow escape.
vented" the catastrophe. The little accident
being the appearance of the policial as well as
political, and impudent more than either—circu-
lar of Prince GORTSCHAKOFF. That BOMBA and
his satellites should, under all the circumstances,
be merry does not in the least surprise us.
Their merriment is quite natural, and
will doubtless be shared by wiser and
more discreet individuals than themselves.
Indeed we look with confidence to a wider theatre,
and count on England and France being the
laughing-stocks of Europe and America. The
story is so redolent of the ludicrous, and tends so
much to divest the Allied Powers of the
respect due to their position, that constituted as
human nature is, more especially in that aggregate,
or rather segregate, phase of it —a nation we
should rather wonder if it were otherwise.
The memory of " the oldest inhabitant'' of the
British Islands, or of France, we fancy, would b,-!
tasked in vain to " find a parallel humiliation to
that now inflicted by Governmental folly on the
two nations. The dignity of either demands that,
they shall not threaten, unless prepared and deter-
mines, in care of obstinacy, to carry their threats
into execution. What the precise terms employee

in the communications with the Court of Naples
were, as already intimated, we do not know—but
it is pretty certain King BOMBA. was frightened,
and expected nothing short of a bom-
bardment of Naples, if he refused to
comply with the requests made to him.
The Ambassadors of the two countries were to be
withdrawn, and an Allied fleet was to appear
before Naples. The interests of humanity and
the well-being of Europe were at the very least
to be vindicated and rescued from peril. The
subjects of BOMBA. were to have the opportunity
to do what they liked, or rather what they could,
with him. An Italian kingdom was to be res-
cued alike from tyranny and anarchy. Great
things were to be done, and adequate means were
provided to do them. Austria sneaked as usua
when she does not swagger on to the scene. The
King understood what Austria meant, however
much it might differ from what she said. He
plucked up fresh courage and went on strengthen-
ing his fortresses, and, adding to the number of
his troops, actually retorted the admonition he
had received with every circumstance of insult
The Ambassadors still remained, and the
fleet lay in port, at all events kept
out of sight of Naples. Time passed on,
and when action seemed imminent out
came the Russian Circular. Never was asto-
nishment greater than that of the two Govern-
ments. It fairly took away their breath. So
soon as recovery set in they refreshed themelyes
with " humble pie," and announced their deter-
mination to go on as they had threatened, taking
good care, however, to define their intentions
within the severest limits. The fleets were to be
despatched towards, but not to Naples, nor by way
of intervention, but for the protection of English
and French subjects. The measure was simple ;
partook in no degree of the nature of an interven-
tion or of a threat, aid could not be "considered
as a support or encouragement offered to those
who seek to shake the throne of the Two
eicilies." B• MBA, of course, does not believe
any more of this than suits his convenience. They
meant to coerce him, to say the last of it, by bully-
ing, and theyhave caught a Tartar. That is his view
of the matter, and a sensible one it is. For our
part we never believed that any more was intended,
or that what might be done would be in the
interests of liberty. But for the degradation of
this country we should say matters are none the
worse for the appearance of the Russian Circular.
Had anything good been intended it would-by
this time have been achieved. Better tyranny in
its loathsome deformity than patched and salved
for the sake of appearance. But a heavy culpa-
bility rests with those who have betrayed England
into a proceeding unworthy of her greatness, and
her position in the van of Freedom—who have
made her the jest of a baboon, the sneer of tyrants,
and the object of mingled contempt and indigna-
tion to the oppressed.

The name of CHTSHOLM ANSTEY is not yet for-
gotten in England. Few men gave greater pro-
mise of eventual success, when he had sobered
down from the intellectual intoxication that
attended his first admission to a seat in the Im-
perial Parliament. There was unquestionably at
first a grievous lack of discretion, but his errors
were those of a high-minied and enthusiastic
young man, aiming at more than he could by any
possibility hope to accomplish. But at any mo-
ment of his career there never was the slightest
doubt cast upon his political integrity and honour.
After a few years, when the early illusions were
dispelled, Mr. AMITE? was justly regarded as a
consistent and energetic reformer, ready to lend
his aid in the removal of every recognised griev-
ance. There were at that time few more efficient
members. To great natural shrewdness and con-
siderable knowledge he united indefatigable in-
dustry, and never for a moment swerved from that
honesty of purpose, which was at all times un-
impeached and unimpeachable. He had by that
time learned to distinguish between the practical
and the Utopian—to discern where he might
render essential service to the popular cause ; and
it is but an act of simple justice to state that no
amount of personal labour or annoyance deterred
him from steadfastly supporting the cause which
in his soul and conscience he believed to be well-
founded.
Previous to the last dissolution he
had earned for himself the reputation of a very
hard-working and efficient member, one who
would do honour to any constituency by which
he might again be qualified to take part in the
political affairs of the nation.

But, unfortunately, high deserts do not invari-
ably insure success at the hustings. Mr. ANSTEY
was not returned at the last general election.
But the nation was not thereby deprived of his
services. He was appointed to the honourable
but comparatively barren position of Commis-
sioner for codifying the law, and in that capacity,
by his extensive learning and indefatigable indus-
try, gained golden opinions from all with whom
he was brought into contact. Lords LYNDHURST
and BROUGHAM were, we believe, to be reckoned
amongst the friends and admirers whose respect
and friendship he had gained in that capacity.
There was still reason to hope that the services
of Mr. ANSTEY would at no distant date be again
available in the representative branch of the
Legislature, when, unfortunately for himself and
the country, the Attorney-Generalship of Hong
Kong became vacant. It was offered to and
accepted by the learned gentleman, and he was
speedily consigned to what can only be consi-
dered as honourable banishment, in what has
been appropriately designated as " the noisome
scandal of the East 1"

We cannot, of course, enter into the motives
that induced a man of such high promise to accept
an appointment so far inferior to others to which he
might fairly have aspired. He went out, however,
to the pestilential climate, strong in the hope of
being enabled to purify the moral atmosphere—
cleanse the Augean stable, and, so far as prac-
ticable, to render Hong Hong worthy of being a
British dependency. His attempts, however, at
improvement have been met by the most virulent
and systematic opposition. Every effort was
made to vilify and crush the honest reformer,
who used the broom too strenuously for those
steeped in corruption. Not only did he meet
with unexpected obstructions in every stage of his
progress, but he was made the target at which
many envenomed shafts were aimed ; not only
was the most bitter and unsparing abuse aimed
against his devoted head, but sundry civil actions
were instituted against him, for acts which he
considered essential to the due discharge of his
official duty.

means
roke n
Under such circumstances, it is by no
surprising that his health should have b
down between the combined influences of
the climate, and a combination of vexa-
Lions such as those above alluded to. The last
accounts state that " dysentery and low fever
have brought him to the verge of the grave." It
may even at this moment be too late to save him.
The faithful reformer may perish before a helping
hand can be oxtended on his behalf.
But surely something should be done while
there is yet hope. It would be a graceful
set on the part of the Government that would

be duly appreciated by the Rai "ormers of Great
BI- and we may add, of Honk Kong. From
4 ALMERSTON it would come with peculiar
ch inasmuch as Mr. ANS' CVY had once
onent,
• a strenuous and indefatil ;able or2p
alt. ough he had reason subseqw may to change
his views. Let Lord PALMERSON , then, come to
the rescue. Surely he has ,it En his power to
bring home, or at least to cha n ge to a more
wholesome destination, the victim, before the last
sad sacrifice has been consumm3 ted. He may
be assured that he never did a. wiser or more
politic act. We shall hope that 'it is only neees-
zary to direct attention to the s übject, and that
at least an attempt will be m ade to preserve a
valuable life—one that may yet render important
service to the country, if tim' )1y precautions be
taken.

When the Metropolitan Bo and do agree, their
unanimity is wonderful. IT n.fortunately, their
chief point of agreement seen n ; to be the rejection
of the only scheme whereby the metropolis can
be effectually drained, and th e Thames rescued
from its state of pollution. To insure this, we
believe they would give up any of their little
vagaries, save that of hearing themselves talk. It
is a strange spectacle. A I body of men mainly
called into being to accoireTlish a particular ob-
ject, unanimous in frustr sting it. Of course,
they are not without a plat 'Bible excuse for their
conduct. Who ever heard, of a knot of incapables
who were t They are afraid of the unnecessary
depletion of the pockets ,af the ratepayers, and to
prevent this are content to sacrifice the health
and be accessories to the death of numbers of the
population ! What a detestable sham ! What
they really are alEraid of, is the appearance
of submission to the desire of the Board of Works,
which notoriously is. the outfall of the sewerage
at Sea Reach. So, to gratify a miserable vanity,
they having unanimously decided on the adoption
of the Erith Marsh, plan, leaving Government, if
it chooses, to furnish the means to carry the
drainage further. The result of which, it is by
no means improba'ble, will be the loss of an entire
year—the period when plans, ac., can be lodged
in order to Parliamentary action terminating in
November. What will the population of the
metropol!s say to this t What will the rate-
payers 7 The time seems really to have arrived
when this noisy, quarrelsome lot of incapables
should be called on to resign their trust, and give
place to sensible business-like men. All the vices,
with, perhaps, one exception, of the innumerable
cliques they supplanted, seem to have been taken
up by them as an inheritance. They are half a
century behind the provincial Boards of Health,
and incapable, to all appearance, of dealing with
great questions. Where is the likelihood
of Parliament voting a large sum of money
to be spent by men like these 7 Had
they adopted the Sea-Reach scheme, reduced
I. the minimum of necessary expenditure, there
can be little doubt Government, under all the
circumstances, would have lent the weight of its
influence to secure them a grant from the Consoli-
dated Fund. As matters are, a veto on the Erith
scheme must be looked for—that scheme not
merely failing to meet the necessities of the case,
but also being sure, if carried out, to involve the
metropolis in a sea of litigation. Thus, unless
our suggestion to the ratepayers be adopted, and
a period of grace be accorded by Parliament, or
and Act be passed compelling the existing Board to
carry the sewage to Sea Reach, and prescribing
the modus operandi, too, another session will pass
away, and nothing will be done I The more the
bugbear of expenditure is examined, the more
ridiculous it will appear. What is an extra,
million or two, to have the work properly
and finally done, among so many ? Besides, the
expenditure might be spread over a period of
fifty or sixty years. A hundred millions of money
were ungrudgingly spent over a practically-useless
war, and the Metropolitan Board are not
ashamed to pretend they grudge a million or two
to promote the health of between two and three
millions of the population !