The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-27 00:00:00

THE ROAD TB

-A If ES SPA UK.

(From the Times of this day.)
Sir G. Grey, iu his character of Home Secretary,
has just given us the assurance that nothing is in.-
tended but fair play by the appointment of the Se-
lect Committee to inquire into the best means of
opening St. James's-park to the public. Lord Pal-
merston, as Premier, has ratified this assurance. Sir
B. Hall, as Chief JEclile of the Ministry, adds, that
not only was it never intended to exclude public
traffic from that portion of the park which lies in
front of Buckingham Palace, but that at the time
the clamour was at the highest against the apparent
selfishness of the policy pursued he was actually
engaged in the preparation of a plan for admitting
the traffic over this very ground. Marvellous in-
deed are the ways of statesmen, and of all who •
dabble in statecraft. The great art seems to be, that
a proficient in this noble science should carefully
hide that which he ought to reveal, and disclose
that which lie should conceal. There was no
question here of foreign diplomacy, no Treasury
secret, no suggestion which might not with the
utmost propriety have been discussed by every
cabman in London, and this was jest the occasion
selected by Sir Benjamin Hall for dealing in mys-
teries. He must have been well aware that a
perfect storm of execration was gathering round
the department over which he presides—nay,
that the unpopularity of his supposed measures ex-
tended even to the Court of his Royal Mistress ;
yet still he maintained his dignified reserve. Even
when "My dear Shelley" was set up as a corres-
pondent to "My dear Sir Benjamin,"--just like
the timely confidante in an -old French tragedy,—
not a syllable of the dread secret was allowed to
ooze out. Sir Benjamin explained that he was the
victim of circumstances ; that true it was lie was
preparing a plan upon the line indicated by his
abominable posts, but that he was acting strictly
under orders. The blame lay not with him,
but with the Home Secretary. Now, upon the
supposition that Sir B. Hall was at the mo-
ment engaged, —equally, of course, by the
orders of the Home Secretary—in the prepara-
tion of another plan such as was preeminently
calculated to give satisfaction to the public,
was it quite fair to Sir George Grey to hold
him up to universal criticism, of a not very flatter-
ing character, as the complaisant agent of the
Court? Nay, we will venture somewhat further
than this, and ask, was it *loyal to his Royal Mis-
tress that Sir Benajamin Hall should have left her
subjects for so many months under the erroneous
belief that she was opposed to a measure so
necessary to the convenience and comfort of the
inhabitants of London, when one word from
him could have set the rumour at rest for ever ?
This may be statecraft after the good old school of
King James 1., of wise memory, but it is scarce
fitted to the plain dealing and publicity of modern
times.
After all, this rumour arose not without sufficient
cause. Sir Benjamin did not shrink from giving
us material guarantees of the policy lie intended
to pursue. He commanded his agents to erect a
line of landmarks which should indicate the pre-
cise spot at which he intended to bisect the Park.
But, as it appears, each of these posts, like the
" tall bully" of the famous distich, "lifted its head
and lied." They were only so many beacoas esta-
blished by the Board of Works to warn intruders
off. Wherever else the gardens were to be cut, up,
that line at least was sacred. Sir Benjamin Hall,
indeed, was all the while busy with his plan for
conducting the traffic under the walls of Bucking-
ham Palace ; which was just all that was wished.
Do the readers of Theodore Hook remember that
pleasant scene in which the practical joker outwits
the retired merchant at Twickenham ? This
practical joker—the Sir Benjamin of the tale—
is represented as floating down the Thames in a
wherry with his companion. They are weary and
hot, hungry and thirsty, and they have not where-
withal to satisfy their hunger or quench their
thirst. In this uncomfortable position of affairs
they perceive an Alderman and his family enjoying
their claret and fruit in a cool dining-room at the
end of a beautiful lawn. The question for the two
tired boatmen is, how they can obtain an invitation
to join the party ? The practical jolter leaps out of
the wherry, strikes first the boathook and then the
two oars into the ground—just like Sir Benjamin
Hall's posts—,.and then he and his companion go
through the farce of taking a survey as for au in-
tended railroad, which is to be driven through the
Alderman's grounds, and to shave off 'the pet
corner of his conservatory. The two pseudo-sur-
veyors, of course, soon find themselves at the hoe-
pitable board imbibing claret and peeling peaches.
Now this is just such a trick as Sir Benjamin has
been playing the Londoners, always on the suppo-
sition that the real idea throughout has been to
open a road in front of Buckingham Palace to the
public. We trust the result may prove that it has
been so, and that the=right hon. joker has been
mystifying the town for his own private amuse-
ment, or from some of those abstruse motives
which regulate the conduct and inspire the action
of such statesmen.
There is no very serious objection to the names
selected for the committee upon Sir Benjamin's
plans. There is one thing, however, which
we would strongly impress upon their minds.
If their object be to meet the wishes of the
public, the public desire -no expensive improve-
ments or costly undertakings. We don't want
a viaduct across the gardens—we don't want
a tunnel under the Duke of York—we simply want
that the circuit of the Park shall be open to the
public, as Birdcage-walk is at the present moment,
with access at Spring-gardens, St. James's Palace,
and Buckingham and Storey's gates. The dis-
placement of a few iron gratings, the widening of
the passage at Spring-gardens, and the opening of
a road across the upper portion of the Parade,
would give us all we ask. Don't let the committee
be too magnificent.

THE PEACE CONFERENCES.

(Front the Morning Herald.)

The Congress, on whose deliberations depend
the issue of peace or war, has held its first sitting,
and, as was anticipated, an armistice extending to
the 31st of March has been agreed upon by the
representatives of the five powers. This truce
does not extend to our maritime operations ; so the
blockades will not be affected by it. This being
so, the conclusion of an armistice looks something
like making a virtue of necessity, as during the
next six weeks military operations in the Crimea
or in Asia must be difficult if not impossible, and
the opening of the campaign was not really antici-
pated before April. However, the determination
not to raise the blockades reduces the armistice
nearly to a matter of form, but will, it may be
hoped, prevent any possibility of an advantage
being taken by the enemy of the suspension of hos-
tilities either in the Baltic or the Black t-'e i.
The plenipotentiaries then are fairly at work,
and the fate of Europe for the remainder of this
century rests with them. If France, England,
and Austria are united and resolved, they can
effectually repress the advance of Russia ; but if
the Allied Powers miss the opportunity now pre-
sented, ten - years hence Russia will be more for-
midable than ever ; the damage sustained by
the war repaired ; her military character ad-
vanced ; her influence over the surrounding
populations of both continents decidedly in-
creased. Now is the time, if ever, to reap the
reward of two years of toil and bloodshed, and to
fix the peace of Europe on a durable basis, so far,
at least, as that object can be attained by " mate-
rial guarantees" extorted from its persistent and.
injurious violator. A very few days will now dis-
close the true intentions of Russia, and we may
say also of that power with whom ostensibly has
originated the last proposals of peace. If Russia
be really sincere the question will not be difficult
of adjustment, and she will not hesitate to give the
needful proof of her disposition to abate her egre-
gious protensions, and respect the public law of
Europe. If not, the sooner the conferences are
broken up the better. There is no intention here or
in France, whatever may be the feelings with which
the conferences are regarded in either country, to
tolerate protracted and fruitless negotiations.
We have already stated our opinion that the
whole question of peace or war will turn upon the
proposal for the emancipation of the Black Sea.
Russia is disposed to concede the demands of the
allies respecting the Baltic—she will not make
any difficulty about the Aland Isles ; but she will
strain every nerve to retain her foothold on the
margin of the Euxine. It seems almost like a truism
to assert that Nicolaieff and Kherson may be-
come formidable to the independence of Tur-
key, and as subversive of the freedom of the
Black Sea and of the Danube as Sebastopol ;
therefore Nicolaieff and Kherson must be given
up unreservedly. The Circassian seaboard must
be secured from the future grasp of Russia-
In short, the liberation of the Black Sea is but a
fiction so long as Russia possesses a fort or an ar-
senal anywhere on its coasts, or on any of the navi-
gable rivers which flow into it. On this point our
Minister must be firm is the resolve of the nation
he represents ; for on the surrender of this point
by Russia we foresee everything depends.
The responsibilty which rests upon Lord Claren-
don can hardly be exaggerated. We are willing to
believe he has the honour and interest of his coun-
try at heart ; let him show that he has, and that he
knows how to maintain his distinguished position,
and to meet and foil the address of Count Orloff,
and the more dangerous subtleties of the Austrian
Plenipotentiary, to say nothing of other difficulties
to •which we need not now-more particularly advert.

Let Lord Clarendon take a straightforward, honest,
English course, and in any case we shall come out
of this affair with credit ; but let him beware of
trifling with the earnest sentiment and fixed resolve
of the country that has committed all she holds
dear to his keeping.

THE LAW OF MARRIAGE.

- - ---0-
( Proin the Times of this day.)

A strange suit, worthy to be ranked among the
causes cjlebres of Doctors' Comnions, was heard and
determined in the Prerogative Court on Saturday
last. Au aged an .l infirm lady, the widow of a
Major in the army, died at Brighton in the month
of Jan., 1850, at the advanced age of 82 years,
leaving behind her an only son, a captain in the
Royal Artillery, and having down to the time of
her death paired as a widow under the name of
Mrs. Major Campbell. The lady was a strict
Roman Catholic' was attended on her death-bed
by her Father Confessor, who administered the
last sacraments to her as Mrs. Campbell, and after-
wards performed masses for the repese of her soul
under that name. The son was present at her
death, and followed her to her grave, and the in-
scription on her coffin reptesented her as the relict
of Major Campbell. It seems that by her father's
will her son was entitled to a considerable property
upon her death, 'kuLject, however, to the life in-
terest of her husband, if she left any husband sur-
viving her. She had also personal property of
large amount, to which her sun would be entitled
if she died a widow and without a will, but other-
wise her husband would claim it as his exclusive
property in case of her intestacy. After the fune-
ral her sou and the friends of the family assembled
to hear her will read, when the person who was
supposed to be her executor stepped forward, an-
nounced himself as her husband, and, as such, as-
serted his claim to her papers and property, to the
exclusion of the son. The friends repudiated the
claim ; but no will could be found, and a suit for
the administration of her property ensued in the
Prerogative Court, in which the son was enabled
to put the asserted husband on the
.proof of his
marriage.
The case of the asserted husband was, that six
months before the death of this aged lady he had
taken her in a hired carriage to the office of the
Superintending Registrar of the Marylebone dis-
trict, and in the presence of two witnesses, selected
by him, strangers to the deceased, had contracted
a marriage with her according to the act of Parlia-
ment, which was purpos dykept secret for fear of

her sou's anger. One of these witnesses was pro-
duced, anal swore that he was not a stranger to her,
but knew the lady, and the signature annexed to
the entry in the book of the registrar was sworn
to be in her handwriting. It appeared further
that her age, her residence, and the name of her
father were wrongly entered; but the act of Par-
liament does not permit a false entry to invalidate
the marriage. It was in vain for counsel to con-
tend that the marriage in itself was grossly impro-
bable, that the parties never cohabited, never ac-
knowledged each other as husband and wife ; on
the contrary, that the lady always treated the as-
serted husband as a guest at her house, to the last
moment retained the name of Campbell, and
never could have deliberately intended to disin-
herit her only son, in whose arms she died, as
it was proved that she expressed her warmest
gratitude to a faithful servant who had sum-
moned her son to her bedside to attend her
last moments, and a host of witnesses spoke of her
as doating upon her son to the last. The asserted
husband•produced himself as a witness in his own
cause under the now law of evidence, and sworn
solemnly that he was honestly carrying out the
deliberate wishes of the mother in endeavouring to
deprive the son of his inheritance. The Court felt
bound to pronounce that the fact of a marriage
solemnised according to the act of Parliament was
proved, and that such a marriage was attended
with all the consequences of a marriage publicly
celebrated in, facie ccecsice, and acknowledged by
the parties &trine. their lifetime. The son left the
court stripped of his inheritance, saddled with his
own heavy expenses, and with part of the costs of
his adversary. It may fairly be a question whether
such a state of our marriage law is satisfactory, and
whether it is not a scandal to a civilised country
that the institution of marriage, which was in-
tended for the .protectiou of the offspring of the
wife, should be capable•of being perverted to its
ruin.

THE VIRTUAL ALLIANCE BETWEEN
FRANCE AND AUSTRIA.

When, some weeks ago, we began to undeceive
the people of this country as to the cordiality of
our Ally, and to pledge ourselves for the accuracy
of the fact, that a virtual alliance had been entered
into between France and Austria, our statements
were received with some incredulity. Since then
the Times, in its leading articles, has endorsed
every word, we said on the subject ; and yesterday
its Vienna correspondent., under date of Thursday
last, not only does the same, but has furnished
some illustrative details, which are full of signifi-
cance. The first paragraph of his communication
is of so much importance, that we feel that it to be
cur duty to reproduce it in our columns.
" You will, doubtless,' says the Vienna corres-
pondent of our contemporary, " before this, have
learned by the oniteltr that that the Empress of
the French has received the order of the Star Cross
(Stern-Kreuz Orden), and a letter from the Em-
press-Mother, Carole, e Augusta, but the official
organ will hardly publish the Tinpelial epistle, al-
though it must have.made an extremely agreeable
impression on the Emperor Napoleon. You have
frequently been told that the relations between
France and Austria were far more intimate than
was generally supposed, and the information which
will now be given is well calculated to remove all
doubt on the subject. When it was settled that
Count Buol should go to Paris, his Majesty
the Emperor wished to give his brother
Monarch some striking proof of the high con-
sideration in which he held him, and it was thought
that this could not be better done than by treating
his consort as if she had beets of Imperial or Royal
descent. The Stern Kreuz' is only worn by those
ladies whose pedigree has during a long series of
years been without spot or blemish, and it was re-
solved that this high order should be presented to
the Empress of the French. In order that the im-
pression produced on the Imperial pair might he
the more agreeable, the badge of the order in bril-
liants was accompanied by a letter from the Em-
press Caroline Augusta, who is Protectress and Su-
perior of the Institution, in which it is said that the
attention has been shown in order to consolidate
the intimate relations already subsisting between
the two families.' The other parts of the letter
were of little moment, but the passage quoted ap-
pears most significant, when it is considered that it
was written at the express desire of the Emperor
Francis Joseph."
We can state, from private communications from
Paris, in the accuracy of which we place implicit
dependence, that Louis Napoleon has so far com-
mitted himself to Austria—which of course means
to Russia also—that it will be with the grsatest
difficulty that even the appearance of the alliance
with us, can be much longer kept up. He is
anxious to avoid an open rupture with England,
becauso he knows that it would be ruinous to him
in the present position of European affairs ; but i f
all be true that is confidently stated, he is destined,
ere long, to realise in his painful experience, the
truth of the adage—that one cannot, at the same
time, both hold with the hounds and run with the
hare.—Morning Advertiser.