The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-06 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING

from roof and windows, a fiery throat, with a
hundred tongues of flame, threatening all around
with destruction. The glorious structure was
doomed, and all that remained was to confine
the flames to their devoted prey. This, it is
gratifying to know, was effected, the blackened
and shrivelled fronts of several houses in
the narrow adjoining strects testifying to the
danger in which they stood. Crash suc•
ceeded crash, and in a few hours the
interior presented nothing more tangible than
hissing embers and curling smoke, while from the
hot, blackened, and shrivelled walls protruded
tongues of fire, licking in insatiate enjoyment the
embedded wood of the window sills. The spec-
tacle was one that will not readily be forgotten,
and that must deeply have impressed a visitor
from the provinces. Even Londoners, to whom
the associations of the place were powerless, were
startled for a short period by it, and that is
something ; for to show how enured the metro-
politan population is to destruction by fire, and
how confident in the skill of the firemen, we may
state, on reliable authority, that individuals were
to be seen in an adjacent court lighting their
pipes with the floating embers !
" Covent-garden," the beautiful and the
sacred, is destroyed. We mourn over it, and a
host of our countrymen, both at home and abroad,
will participate in our regret :IS over a national loss.
So long as the skill of the architect and the re-
sources of the builder are forthcoming, temples
or palaces as splendid may be built, but amid the
splendours of another Covent-garden,-,who may
resuscitate recollections which warm the chill
of age and lend youthful vigour to the

mature ? We grieve for so immense a
loss of property, and the hardships which
the burning of the theatre will occasion to indus
trious thousands. On the other hand it is with
the deepest satisfaction we record that, so far as
has yet been ascertained, there has been no 1035 of
life, and that the conflagration occurred in a place
of assembly so well provided with doors, as to be
evacuated in a few minutes. Had this not been
the case, and had not the police done their duty
as they did, we shudder to think how many
homes would this day have been filled with
lamentation and woo, and how many bud-
of promise might have been blasted. Surely
this event ought to operate as a warning,
and in all places of public resort where the means
of egress are inadequate provision should immedi-
ately be made against so dire a calamity, if it i,
not, heavy will be the responsibility of the de-
faulters. There is something horrible beyond ex-
pression in the notion of a moiety of an audienci.
being within a few minutes suffocated and re-
duced to ashes ! How the fire broke out is still a
mystery, so far as the absence of specific inforrin-
tion makes it so. The interpretation, however,
is not difficult, and may be comprised in the words,
" want of care." A conflagration ought rarely to
be regarded as involving no blame, and only in
cases where the default has been in the past and
beyond the ken of the present. The matter, how•
ever, will be inquired into, and it will probably
be shown, to the satisfaction of the verie-t
bigot, that the destruction of Covent-Garden
Theatre was not, as bigots would fain give
out, a judgment on profanity and licence, but
a judgment on neglect by some petty and un-
trustworthy official. Again we must revert to
those blackened walls, which in the dim moon-
light seemed to nod frowningly on the august
altades of our great tragedians, and answer with
a mournful echo the plaint of EEMELE as the
ill-starred Hamlet—the groans of KEAN as the
sooty moor," " who loved not wisely but too
well"—and the heart-wrung sigh of SIDDONS
her whose pitiless promptings needed to be-
clothed with the " dunnest pall of her —and

so reverting exclaim—
" We shall never look on thy like again."

CANAL ON THE DANUBE. •

The bases of the firman for the construction of a
canal from Czernavoda on the Danube to Kostndjc
on the Black Sea, are
1. The concession is made to a company composed of
Rifaat Pasha for Turkey ; Mr. Thomas Wilson, of 20,
Glocester-square, London, for England ; Cuunt de
Moray, for France ; and rant Breda' for Austria.
2. The company is to be constituted under the appel-
lation of the Imperial Ottoman Compar.y of the Abdul.
Merijid Canal.

3. The concession is for 99 years. The Imperial Go-
vernment will never cease to be the proprietor of the soil
ceded to the company, but during the 99 years the latter
will hold possession of it without paying any other tax
or impost than the tribute mentioned in the 12th article.

The Imperial Government gratuitously cedes to tip'
company all the territory requir d for the canal, whin
is to follow the course that may seem most advantageous
to the engineers of the company. By " territory required
for the "canal" is understood—•the ground for the canal
itself, for carrying off the superfluous eater, fir towing-
p stile, guard-houses, magazines, awl warehouses, bridge,,
and ,locks, and houses for the emptoygs.
6. The concession of 99 years dates from the day on
which the canal id opened, and when the period for
which the grant is made is at an end the canal,
quays, docks, basins, sluices, etations, 46c , revert to Us
Porte, which will have no indemnification to pay.
7. At each extremity of the canal there will be
magazines and depots fur corn and merchandise which
the POrte, when the concession is at an end, will have to
purchase of the company at a price to be settled by ar-
bitration.

It is, however, stipulated that the Porte shall,
uuder no circumstances, pay more than 3,000,000'.
sterling.

COURT CIRCULAR.

His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge visited
the Queen yesterday at Buckingham Palace. The Duke
and Duchess d'Aumale also paid a visit to her Majesty.
His Royal Highness Prince Albert rode on horseback
with the Prince of Wales and Prince Alfred, attended
by Captain the Hon. D. Dd Ros and Mr. Gibbs.

Prince Arthur and the Princesses Alice and Helena
took a drive in an open carriage and four.
His Royal Highness Prince Albert, attended by Vis-
count Torrington -and Captaid the Hon. D. De Ros,
weot in the evening to the Society of Arts, Adelphi.
Her Majesty, accompanied by the Princess Royal and
the Princese Alice, honoured the Haymarket Theatre
with her presence in the evening. In attendance were
Lady Churchill, Lord Waterpark, and Major-General
Buckley.

The Duke and Duchess of Hamilton and family, who
are residing at Nice, do not intend to return to this
country until the close of the ensuing month. His
grace's spacious mansion in Arlington-street (formerly
Beaufort-house) is rapidly approaching completion.
The Duke of Devonshire is still at Kemp Town, in
improved health. Sir Joseph Paxton visited his grace
last Saturday, returning to town on Monday.
The Duks of Euccleuch, who came to town to attend
the recent debates in the House of Lords, has left Mon-
tagu House for Dalkeith Palace, near Elinburgh. The
Earl of Dalkeith, M.P., has also left Montagu House
for a tour of visits.

The Marquis acid Marchioness of Cholmondeley have
arrived in town for the season, from the family seat,
Chohnondeley-castle, Cheshire.
Sir Robert Peel, Bart., M.P., and Lady Jane Peel
have left town on a continental tour until after. the
Easter holidays.
Lady Graham and Miss Graham have arrived in town
from Nei herby Perk, Cumberland.
The First Lord of the Admiralty and Lady M. Wood
entertained at dinner, at his official residence, last even-
ing, the Lord Chancellor and Lady Crauworth, his Ex-
cellency the Danish Minister and Madame d'Oxholm,
the Earl and Countess Grey, Lord and Lady Lovaine,
Hon. Arthur Kinnaird, Hon. W. Cowper, M.P., and
MN. Cowper, and Capt. Eden, R.N.
The Earl of Derby entertained at dinner, yesterday,
at his mansion in St. James's-square, the following
members of the HoU-e of Commons :—Sir John Walsh,
Sir William Jolliffe, Sir Joseph Bailey, Sir Frederick
Thesiger, Colonel Harcourt, Colonel North, Colonel
Somerset, Colonel Boldero, Colonel Dunne, Captain
Bateson,. Mr. Liddell, Mr. Bankes, Mr. Henley, Mr.
Cele, Mr. Evelyn, Mr. Bagge, Mr. Du Pre, Mr. Whit-
more, Mr. Hurefall, Mr. Malins, Mr. Yansittart, Mr.
Cubitt, and Mr. Eliot Yorke.
The Right Hon. B. Disraeli entertained at dinner yev-
terciy, at his residence, Grosvenor-gate, the following
members of the House of Commons :—Lord H. &orlon
Lennox, Lord C. Clinton, General the Hon. R. Arbuth-
not, M. Joliffe, Mr. Ferrer Mr. K. King, Mr. Moody,
Mr. F. Hume, Mr. Whiteside, Mr. Rust, Mr. Goddard,
Mr. Gwyn, Mr. Peacocke, Dlr. G. hardy, Mr. Robert-
Sop; wad Mr. L. Davies.