The Sun.
London, England, 1856-06-26 00:00:00

ROYAL OLYMPIC THEATRE.

Lessee and Mans:re'', Mr. Alfred Wigan.

THIR EVENING
A FASCINATING INDIVIDUAL.

After which,

RETRIBU

To conclude with
CATCHING A 314.R3f tID.

ROYAL SURREY TtIEATRE.

Lessees. Messrs. Shepherd and Creswick.

THIS EVENING,
LUCREZIA BORGIA (Ist and 2d Acts.)

After which
An Act of NORIIA.

Followed by

IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA (3d Act.)

To conclude with
A BALLET DIVER TISSEMES r.

ASTLEY'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE.
Lessee and Manacer, Mr. Wm. Cooke.
THIS EVENING,
The Romantic Equestrian Spectacle, THE HORSE OF' THE
CAVERN, or the Mminted litiganda of the Abruzzi, with the novel
featuro of the Itslitn Bandits on horse,ack, the Neapolitan Dragoons,
and Mr. W. Cooke's stud of trained horses.
After which,
The EQUESTRIAN S7ENES of ART In the CIRCLE. with
Desarsi's celebrated performing Dogs and Monkeys, as exhibited
before her Majesty.

To concluae w►th
THE FESTIVAL OF PEACE ; or Honour to the Brave.
Boa-office oxen fr)et Eiev,,n till Fair. Stage Manager, Mr. W.
West. Equestrian Director, Mr. ►V. Cooke, Jun.

RI EL WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
THIS DAT—Morn. 51 min. aft. 7—Evening 22 min. aft. 8
ern-ivf °meow—Morn. 55 min. aft. 8 —Evening 25 min. aft. 9

THE WEATHER—Sys OFFICE, JUNE 26.

THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE.
77 —highest since noon yesterday.
62 —lowest this morning and during the night.
78 —this day jit noon.

Timinwlersß-20.32.
Wm—N.W. to W.N.W.—Light with fine, warm,
sunshiny weather.

4

LONDON, THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 1856.

To-morrow evening will have to be decided a
rather important question. Let us hope, for the
credit of our good taste as a nation, that it may
be settled satisfactorily. The "momentous ques-
tion''—whether the same name shall henceforth
be associated with our National Gallery (the same
name of ludicrous omen) which has already ac-
quired the triple glory of association with a cap
very like a fool's-cap, with a light only just a
shade better than a rushlight, and with the trum-
pery trinket festooned across the " loud pattern "
of every preposterous waistcoat of every unmiti-
gated Gent ! We have had the " ALBERT CAP"—
the cap that capped the climax of all ludicrous
absurdities in the way of military toggery ! We
have had the " ALBERT NIGHT-LlGHT”—appropri-
ately enough a very small light, indeed, dying out
as such a ghost of a light should, with " a most
melodious twang," and forgotten almost the very
instant after it has so splattered itself out •f
existence ! Again—we have had the " ALBERT
WATCH-CHAIN," made out of all sorts of glittering
rubbish, of gold very much alloyed, of silver
bearing a most suspicious resemblance to the
German metal so designated, of copper worth,
as the saying is, so many brass farthings,
and of all kinds of make-believe splendour
such as mosaic and pinchbeck. Albert Caps,
Albert Lights, Albert Chains—perking, glim-
mering, twinkling before us--shall we, in the
name of all that is frivolous and nonsensical,
shall we, in the name of fortune, sailor, WE, in
the name of common-sense and right-reason, in-
dulge ourselves with an additional, and a much
more enormous, and a much less excusable, Folly,
. in the shape of an ALBERT NATIONAL GALLERY ?
HEAVEN forbid ! So thinks, and hopes, and prays
everybody who happens to be neitAer an idiot nor
a Court-flunkey. HEAVEN forbid ! And yet while
everybody who is neither an idiot nor a Court-
flunkey joins in the aspiration—everybody trem-
bles, while so saying, lest, after all, the present
gouge of Commons should really hesitate to-mor-
row evening about rejecting the pet project of
H.R.H. the illustrious Consort of our most gra-
cious SOVEREIGN. Nor can the doubt, in truth,
be very much wondered at, all things considered.
Foi• has not this Derby Rouse of Commons been
the most pliant, the most Complying, the most
complaisant, the most supple among all the
Houses of Commons that have ever bent, and
twisted, and wriggled under the pressure of faction
and intrigue since England first amused herself
with the rhetorical broils and political hubbub
of Parliament. Yet, here, at any rate, is tl
last chance for this same House of Commons in
regard to its very dubious reputation. Here, at
length, is a final loophole of escape from the ill-
repute, otherwise the inevitable meed of its
short-comings and its wrong-doings. Lit it
pronounce resolutely against the Prince am-
sort's absurd scheme of moving the National
Gallery of England from the " finest site in
Europe," allowing it to terminate its ignoble
career
(as poor SMITH O'BRIEN'S revolutionary
outbreak did) in a cabbage-garden—acid much
may be forgiven if all cannot be forgot ton. It is
a noble opportunity—this, enabling the House of
Commons by a single " division" to expiate so
many sins of omission and commission, by scat-
tering to the winds of haaven, as with the mere
breath of a sudden outburst of inextinguishable
laughter, Prince Annißr's last nonsensical hobby,
*bat of padre awed all our national treasures of

art in a mimesaila Lola-in•the-corner at Kensing-
ton-4ora 1 Away with it—down with the abdur-

dity—we will have " none on't "—the notion of
such a project is simply ridiculous ! Not a jot
less ridiculous (more, nothing could be !) than
our sending Herr OTTO MUNDLER maundering
about the Continent, at what the Yankees would
"acall pretty tall salary,' in search of immense
daubs, hardly worth so much damaged canvas and
worm-eaten wood. For HEAVEN'S sake let us
have done for once and for all with these fine-art-
follies—with our MUNDLERS MtTDDLERS as
Connoisseurs, and our R.H.'s (worse even than
our R.A.'s) as Commissioners. As a receptacle
for our national paintings, better, say we, the
absurd cruet-stand in Trafalgar-square than the
absurder market-gardens near Kensing ton.

About this unfortunate National Gallery of
ours—Why change the site at all ? Simply as
a site, it has long been admitted on all hands to
be one, in the whole of the ample range of our
vast metropolis, quite unrivalled. This, by rea-
son at once of its central situation and of its
noble elevation. It has been called, in fact, rather
extravagantly, because of its many undoubted
excellences—" the finest site in Europe." With-
out quite claiming for it that immense pre-
eminence—we may certainly regard it as a very
fine site indeed, a better one than could be
found anywhere else, in all London and
Westminster, with the one, solitary, grand
exception of the site already occupied
by St. Paul's Cathedral. Then—why, why, in
the name of fortune, we ask, change the site at
all? Why not "leave well alone ?" Why
not rest contented with having our National
Gallery in Trafalgar-square instead of re-
moving it, in hot-haste, to Kensington-Gore,
or, in fact, to any other of the absurd
localities spoken of as probably the region of its
future whereabouts ? Why ? The answer is
pertly and flippantly made at once by the apolo-
gists of German Jobbery—Because the
atmo-
sphere of Trafalgar-square is very injurious
to the national paintings ! Injurious to fiddle-
sticks ! To this objection we have simply one
word to utter in reply, and that word a mono-
syllable simply, briefly, curtly, decisively—
FUDGE ! We don't call it fudge, merely our-
selves, be it remembered. We speak of
the objection thus contemptuously upon autho-
rity in matters of art admissible, perhaps,
in quarters where our own radical, demo-
cratic, independent dictum might perhaps be
taboo ed as utterly obnoxious. Well,The Sun calls
the objection raised against the present
site as detrimental to the National Paint
ings—the objection raised by H.R.H. and
his courtly supporters The Sun calls this
preposterous objection bluntly " Fudge"
—upon the authority of Science, upon that of
Philosophy. Professor FARADAY treats the ex-
ception taken to the present site as absurd ! Sir
DAVID BREWSTER regards it as ridiculous !
Surely those two great intellects so viewing the
question—set it at rest at once and for ever.
Sir DAVID BREWSTER has spoken. Professor
FARADAY has spoken. We don't need now to
listen to the twaddle of any R.H. or R.A. bab-
bling to the contrary. Therefore, say we again,
in the name of common sense—" leave well
alone !" Be contented with your present mag-
nificent site—central, at once, and elevated.
Sweep away the barracks and workhouses
and the miserable back slums in the im-
mediate vicinity of the existing build-
ing. Level that ridiculous structure itself
with the ground. Send the Royal Academy
packing—somewhere else—anywhere else—for
that matter we really don't much trouble our-
selves " where," so long as we can at length
contrive to be well rid of it ! Aud
then—well, then, upon the existing site so
enlarged build up a National Gallery worthy
of the metropolis, worthy of Great Britain ! And
"have done" at last, for ever and ever, with these
preposterous projects upon art, projects (called by
Mr. IVlonals MoonE) of Germanism and Jobbery,
projects, it matters little in the abstract, whether
of Prince or of Parvenu

Of all the humiliating triumphs of Bigotry, none
is more mortifying than her compelling superior
minds to do homage to her power. But a few
nights ago Mr. WALPOLE was made to pipe and
dance to her honour ; the intense bigotry of cleri-
cal Orangemen bid him, as the price of party sup-
port, trick the Government out of a vote in fur-
therance of their proselyting schemes. An amiable
and worthy man, these bigots may, perhaps, have
gained over half his better judgment in their
favour ; it was, however, impassible not to be
ashamed of England in the face of Ear.ope, when
we saw au ex-Cabinet Minister taking the lead in
a contemptible enterprise, worthy only of Messrs.
SPOONER and NEWDEGATE.

But what shall we say to the subserviency of
Lord DERBY to the same ignoble power ? We have
tried to do it, but we confess we cannot realise
the idea of Lord DERBY'S personal belief in the
ineligibility of Jews to sit in the House of Com-
mons. Lord DERBY is as a man far above such
bigotry. He joined energetically in opening the
House to the full extent of the Reform Bill ;
and he retained in going over to Conservatism his
readiness to do full justice to Dissenters. Indeed
the manly stamp of his mind is a guarantee that
he must despise in his heart the work he is set to
Flo. We are not, of course, to suppose that his
Lordship could utter a profane oath, but we can-
not be far from the mark in imagining the temp-
tatioa to be very strong to give way, as the par-
ties left his room for whom he undertook to pit
himself against the Jews. Probably be mut-
tered behind their backs, " enough to make

an ex-Premier swear." HERCULES spinning
for OMPIIALE, SAMSON grinding for the Phi-
listines, are something not more pitiable, certainly
not so absurd, as Lord DERBY'S nobler mind set
to making Jew•traps, or at least to offering for
sale such as the Bishops had made for him. It
was plain from the few words he ventured to
drop that he felt himself but a dealer in the " old
do' "of a bigotry he scorned in his heart. But
the bigots wore, unluckily, necessary to his party,
and he dared not refuse to be the vender of their
goods.

now will the House of Commons deal with
this
miserable Bill if it ever reaches them ?
The utterly
useless oath of abjuration, with just
the profane parts eliminated, and the uncharitable
clause retained over which the Lower House has
been fighting with the Upper for seven or eight
years ? Both Houses agree to be rid of the pro-
fanity of abjuring what has no existence, and
thus in the clearest sense " taking GOD'S name in
vain ;" but the Thrds cannot agree, at the same
time, to free the oath " from all uncial tritableness."
The Commons will, we are confident, reply,
"Our only hope of mastering bigotry, which the
oath undesignedly subserves, is by retaining the
part of which you are ashamed till both are ex_
punged together. They will certainlLy not submit
to the insult of having the odiou 3 clause sent
down to them unaltered, which they have so
frequently endeavoured to get rid of. But
if the Lords choose to remain ob stinate, why
should not the Commons now ii pitate their

conduct ? Let them at once declare, Lore 'JOHN'

RUSSELL notwithstanding,- by a -resolution, that
the oath is sufficiently taken by a Jew without
the offensive words. If the Jew be prosecuted
for speaking, and if the Judges truckle to the
Imds, let the Commons indemnify him by votes
of money till the Lords are wearied out. That
is one course. As another, let them refuse to ac-
cept the Appellate Jurisdiction Bill, a mere
attempt to screen the unfitness of the Lords for
such a purpose, and to sustain them in judging of
their own members' qualification, till the Lords
compromise the question. But what reason is
there after all, as the Lords see fit to bar
the door of the House of Commons by a tech-
nicality, that Jews should not thrust back the
bar by a technicality. It is the refinement of
conscientiousness in a Jaw to decline to take the
oath, when he does not assert by so doing that he
believes what he swears by. It is what he swears
to he believes. If a person is satisfied with my
swearing by a formula, which does not bind me,
that seems to be his concern, not mine. When
asked to take an oath, the things sworn to, not
the formula of the oath, are the objects important
to me, and to the other party too. In the pre-
sent lase these very words were selected because
they alone would bind, it was said, a good Catho-
lic ; the Catholic did not mind swearing by a form
which did not bind him. Why should a Jew ? We
think, indeed, with Lord CAMPBELL, the
entire oath utterly useless, mere antiquated
mummery, but if such mummery be retained
till it become a real grievance, it is fair that
fictions should be met by fictions. SOCRATES used
to swear by the dog and the goose, and a greater
than SOCRATES said " Swear not at all," and it

really does seem, therefore, the height of absur-
dity to continue longer in enlightened and Chris-
tian England this contemptible higgling about the
terms of au anti-Jesuit oath, because Jews put
upon it an over-conscientious interpretation.

" The Old than of the Sea" was the incubus
which " Sindbad the Sailor," dear to juvenile
hearts, was compelled to endure for a protracted
period. We have all sympathised with the efforts
which the daring adventurer made to free him-
self from the intolerable burden which he had so
improvidently assumed—and rejoiced when his
exertions eventually proved successful. The tale
contains a sound moral. The British nation is
also suffering under a serious incumbrance which
paralyses its energies and impedes the free circu-
lation of the very " life-blood of industry." But
the monster is of a different sex. It is an aged
dowager that cripples our limbs. " The Old Lady
of Threadneedle-street" holds on with a more
tenacious grasp than the oppressor of poor
SINDB.ID, and the sufferer is still a willing victim.,
Heedless of the grievance, or deceived by inte-
rested irepresentations, he remains apparently in-
different to the cause of all the evils. The Bank
Charter Act has virtually expired. A sounder
and better system may at any time be inaugurat-
ed. But no steps have been taken to give the
requisite notice or to pay off the debt of
11,015,0001., Rhich the Government ought not
to condescend to owe to a private trading corpo-
ration—and for the use whereof they have bar-
tered one of the brightest jewels in the Royal
diadem which ought to be one of the most
cherished prerogatives of the Crown.
Protection has been formally abandoned on all
[points, save that which is the most important of
all. Why then should there not be unrestricte d
competition in currency ? Why should there
not be " free trade" in money,? Of all
monopolies, the most injurious is that of
the "old Lady." It not merely keeps money
dear, but, what is far NrJrs e, it keeps
it scarce. The most promising projects are knocked
on the head from the difficulty of obtaining the
motive power. " Mercator" and his disciples tell
us that it prevents undue speculation ; but un-
fortunately the good are confounded with thg bad
—or rather wholesome legitimate specula-
tions are extinguished, while deliberate swindles
are encouraged. Parties who intend to take
in the public are not deterred by the dear-

uess of money, while those who could offer

beneficial investments are kept in the back ground,
and the reckless schemers have it all their own
way from want of competition. This is a state of
affairs that should be remedied at the earliest
possible opportunity ; and although it may be too
late to introduce a new system during the present
session, there is no possible reason why the neces-
sary notice may not be given, or, at all events,
the inquiries instituted, so as to place us in a
position to legislate finally and decisively on th
subject at the commencement of the ensuing
session.

The Times, the recognised organ of the bul-
lionists, has, by its article of yesterday, rendered
inestimable benefit to the aati-bulliouist cause.
It has clearly and distinctly pointed out the ridi-
culous alarms indulged in by the currency
croakers in consequence of what it has very justly
designated as the " gold drought." It was fortu-
nate that " political economists had discovered, as
a philosophical fact, that gold was neither
the only form of wealth, nor essential to
human happiness, nor anything eLse, but
a very handy medium of exchange." This is the
point which we have for many years been incul-
cating on our readers ; and we gladly hail the
new and influential convert to these indisputable
principles. "Mercator " would, if possible, per-
suade us that the nation, although possessed of
material wealth in its most valuable forms, was
still in a state of pauperism, because the money-
ocracy had conspired to keep its measure and re-
presentative scarce and dear. He endeavoured to
persuade his dupes that "it was not currency,
but capital, that was wanting ;" forgetting the
millions—aye, tens of millions—of oxen, cows,
pigs, sheep, horses, and all ether varieties of
what are denominated live stock ; the fertile
acres, the implements of industry, the stocks
of grain, and all kinds of agricultural
produce and merchandise ; the magnificent and
useful buildings, the treasures of art, all the thou-
sands of millions worth of real riches with which
the nation would be wealthy, although it possessed

not a single ounce of gold, and although the Bank

itself had vanished like the " baseless fabric of to,
vision, and left no wreck behind."
AU we ask is strict inquiry. Let there be a
full and searching investigation into all the
details of this important subject. Truth must

eventually be elicited, and we may yet
live to witness the establishment of a really

national Bank—the circulation of notes of con-

venient denomination—for 11., 21., and 31. each
—the economising of the so-called precious metals

for the only objects for which they would really
be useful, and the securing the welfare and pros-

perity of the nation on a sound and enduring

basis. All that is required is to remove the
apathy and indifference that has enabled the

----
moneyocracy so long to prey upon the vitals of
the commonweal, and to deprive industry of its
legitimate rewards.

There is, it appears, a new American difficulty
—a new cause of war is to be averted. It is not
a territorial question—one on which the future