The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-08 00:00:00

Commence at Seven,

THE ATR E ROYAL, HAYMARKET,
Sole Lessee and Mivasor. Mr. Buckstlne.
TUTSEVEN+ NG, TIIE WOLF AND TAE LAMB.
Messrs. Chippendale, Farren, Gordon, Sc. ; Mrs. litzwliliam,
Miss Fanny Wright, &o.
Alter which, A WILD GOOSE. Messrs. Sothern, Buck-
stone, Rogers. Gordon, White, Vincent, Weathersby, ;
Mesdames Burke, Hill, Chippendale, Laws, Sidney, &a.
To conclude with A KISS IN THE DARK. Mr. Clark ;
Mrs. Eltzwilliam, Commence at Seven.

THEATRE ROYAL ADELPHI.
sole Proprietor and Manager, Mr. B. Webster.
TILTS EVENING. a new Musical Drama, GA RIBALDI
IN s3CILY. Miss Roden. Miss Jtimily ritt ; Messrs. It.
Phillit,;4, •1. G. Taylor, and Ashley.
Alter which, at 14, LOST IN LONDON. Messrs. H.
Neville. J. Clarke, I'. Beelf.,rd, Ashley, Eburne, C. J. Smith ;
Miss Neilson, Mrs Millington, and Miss Seaman.
To conclude with A BONN lE FISHWIFE. Mr. J. Clarke,
Ashley, Stephenson, and Miss Furtado.

ROYAL OLYMPIC THEATRE.
New Management.

Sole Les3ee, Mr. B. Webster; Manager, Mr. IL Wigan.

,
THIS KVENING, THE BkST WAY. Messrs. Clayton
and 11. Wigau ; Mrs. St. Henry.
Followed by THE LIAR. Messrs. C. Mathews, Addis n,
U. J. Montague and Horax Wigan ; Mrs. Charles Mathews
and giss St-phens.
To conclude with OLYMPIC GAMES. Messrs. H. J.
Moutag.te, G. Vincent, L. Murray ; Mesdames E. farren, G.
Moore, Sheridan, Harris, N. Harris, St. Heury, and Roselle.
Doors open at halt-past Six; commence at Seven.

OYAL LYCEUM THEATRE.-
ill/ Sole Lessee and Manager, Mr. Fechter.
THIS EVENING, at 7, BAMBOOZLING.
Atter which, at 8, THE DUKE'S MOTTO. Mr. Feehter ;
Me•sra. Jordan, Emery, Price, Widdicombe. Fitzpatrick.
Evans, Daltnn, Newbound, Anderson, Reynolds, -Vivian,
Bennett; Misses lienrade, IGeworthy, Grattan, and Carlotta
Leelercq.

ROYAL STRAND THEATRE.
Sole Leat,ee and Manageress. Sirs. Sivanborongh.
THIS EVENING, MARRIED DAUGHTERS.
After which. PYGMALION ; or, The Statue Fair
A. . MesSwan-
srs
Thorne, D. amep, and Fenton ; Mesdames
borough, Raynham. Harland, Newton, and Holt.
To conclude with T lIE FRENCH EXHIBITION.

Commence at Seven.

HOLBORN THEATRE ROYAL.
Sole rroprietor and Manager, Mr. Sefton Fury.
THIS :EVENING, a new Farce, MY TURN NEXT. Mr.
Belmore, Miss Foote, :Hiss Lennox.
After which, Boucicault's drama of FLYING SCUD.
Messrs. Neville, Belmore, Blake, Garden,Vollaire ; Mesdames
F. Josephs, C. Saunders, B. Foote, Raymond.

THEATRE ROYAL, ASTLEY'S.
Under the Sole Management of blr. W. H. C. NATION.nded
Production of an entirely New and Original Drama, founded
on Charles Dicitcus'A noted work " Hard Timer,' entitled
entitled
"CINDER THE EARTH; or, The Sons of ToiL"
THIS EVENING (Wednesday), May 8, an entirely
new and original Dramatic Adaptation ot Dizictns's work,
" Hard Times ' entitled UNDER THE EARTH; or, The
Sons of Toil, the striking and etive Mine Sce
sses
nes.
Messrs. Fernandez, Atkins. Stephens, Richardson; Mi
Edith Stuart, Marion, Mrs. Caulfield.
To conclude with H. J. Byron's piquant Burlesque, THE
NYMPH OF THE LURLEYBURG, with new and brilliant
Scenery illustrative ot the beautiful Rhine. Misses Edith
Stuart, Ellen Thirlwall. Nellie Clifto, Annie Richardson;
Messrs. Atkins, Stephens, and Arthur.n

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.—
"OL v SA.3I SMITH," late ut " The Mail Coach,"
bhepherd'a Bush, now of the White Hart, Acton, middlesex.
begs to intorm his friends neighbours that the LATEST
EDITION of "TUX SUM" can be seen at his house as
above.

riIHE '"SUN" NEWSPAPER.—
G. It. GI.NNIK, Sporting Library, 4, Connaught
terrace, Ed4ware-road, is specially appointed A.Gr:N to
deliver the LA.TE EDaTlos 01 "1' SUN "at the
earliest possible moment after leaving the press. tie is able
to deliver copies Wl:own, the Suburbs, and in many parts of
the Country at a comparatively early hour the same evening.
say 40 miles by 9 o'clock.
Orders by Post punctually attended to.

rpnE "SUN" NtIVSPAPEII.-
1. G. R. GLENIS deliTers the LA FE MDITION a
Chelsea, 7.10; Kilbtun, 8; Starch-green, 8; Woolwich, 7.30
Uxbridge, 9.20; Walford,

THE THIRD EDITION of " THE SUN,"
giving all the SPORTING NEWS of the day, may be
seen at JIMMY MANTON'S !loose, "The Swan and Horse
Shoe," 32, Little Britain, City, EA:.

y.IIE LATEST EDITION of " THE SUN"
supplied, as soon a 3 published every Evening, by
ALISXANDEIt (late SKOO&S), Newspaper Agent, 24,
Old Caven4iißll-4treet. Oxford-street.

QPORTING.—JOHN ROBERTS supplies the
1-0 LATaST EDITION of " r lc SUN" as soou as pub-
Ished.-4, Bath-street, City-road, E.C.

FOR TILE LATEST POLITICAL and
SPOUTING INTELLIGENCE see the Late Edition
In "The Sun" at Air. Blake's, Queen's /lead, Windsor-
street, Uxbridge.

fl HE LAST EDITION of " THE SUN "
LArx 't4PP/sl4i:lNvass asnoiotas:% EnttheicligiakitnlN all the
H. W. FIA.ItIi(S, Newspaper Agent, 4, Blacktriars-road,
1,,,n don, S.

• 11HE LATEST EDITION of " THE SUN."
J. 110.4MNS begs to inform hie friends, and the pubic
7enerally. that, he supplies the LA rtST EUITIuN of
r 's as soon as published —No. 16, 11.mpstead-
road, N.W.

" THE SUN" NEWSPAPER.—" The Mitre"
Tavtrn, ew Church-street, near the Alpha-road,
Paddin;ton. —Mr FIZZ EY (many yeats of 4,llnrch-stree.
havini; taken the 3.13,mre Business of Mr. Fred. Squires, re-
spectfully informs his friends and the pu'),lc that •"nut;
SUN" (Third Eititlon).o)nt &sin; the Latest Sporting News,
Results of Races, Latest l'arliamentary Debate,, ,to, can be
seen at his house as above " All the year rouud."
t** A well-selected and extensive Stock of WINES,
PI it ITS, An.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
Tnis DAY.—Morning, 4h. 35m.—Afternoon, sh. Om.
Ta-Monaow.-Morning, sh. 2Gm.—Afternoon, sh. 50m

Zirjg SUM

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 1867,

Yesterday the preliminary meeting of the Con-
ference took place at the official residence of the
First Lord of the Treasury. Lord STANLEY is the
"'resident of the Conference, and the noble lord
will have enough on his hands with one thing and
another. However, he will be an excellent arbi-
ter, which is of the greatest consequence, and we
feel assured that he will neither be too yielding
nor too dictatorial. Had the noble lord chanced
to have been the presiding genius in 1864 no doubt
a very different result would have -followed, but
as it was England was a perfect nonentity in the
affair, and she could not even enforce the carrying
out of the treaty to which she was a party in
1852. It is idle at this early stage of the pro-
ceedings to say anything very decided in the way
of prophecy, but we may readily enough surmise
that the difficulty in the way of coming to a settle-
ment will bo very great. It is certainly so far a
tribute to this country that it should have been
s:lected to settle the differences in question, and it
is surprising after the very curt manner in which
we have been treated by foreign magnates. No
doubt had the hero of the meddle-and-muddle
policy bean still at the head of foreign affairs things
woul I not have come to this pass, and certainly
the French Emperor for one would not very wil-
lingly have agreed to the matter, bee tuse Earl
RUSSELL was an ungracious and rinconciliating in

the earlier stages of the Dano-German controversy,
refaied to accede to the desire of France for
a Congress. Hid that taken place under proper
auspices we should have by this time beludd a very
different state of things, but there never was a more
unrortunate conjunction than that the foreign ad-
ministration of this country should have been so bally
managed while important European combinations
took place. The mischief will not bs speedily reme-

died, and indeed this generation may not live to see
the end of the Danish wax, The members of the Con-

ference comprise the foreign ambassadors, and we

suppose that the " vexed question" of German
policy will be gone over again and again during
the discussions. Very little beyond preliminaries
took place yesterday, but it was agreed upon that
a guarantee for the neutralisation of Luxemburg
was indispensable, and must be the basis of the
negotiations. The •Plenipotentiaries have
°tele-
graphed for instructions to their respective Govern-
ments. The next. Conference will be held to-mor-
row. It is curious to notice some of the comments
made in the German papers on this subject. The
semi-official North German Gazette observes that
the Conference " opens to-day, the anniversary of
the day when Count BISMARCK'S life was so visibly
protected by the hand of GOD." This style
of writing and speaking prevails to a large
extent in Prussia, and it is much to be
regretted that it should be so, for it is most un-
seemly language. This journal goes on to say that
affairs are now in a much better and more promising
state than they were at the time of theSchleswig-Hol-
stein question. France has given up her desire of pos-
sessing Luxemburg, and Prussia, " confiding in her
right, recognised by Europe, and in the pacific
assurances of France, has taken no measures of de-
fence." This is certainly an original way of looking
at the thing, and it shows that those who are con-
vinced against their will are of the same opinion still.
It was generally believed that all Europe was scanda-
lised at the latest demands of Prussia, and som: had
been roused from apathy and indifference to regard
the state of things with dismay and indignation.
Another authority states that affairs have reached
that point when an arrangement will be come to
immediately, and when the mobilisation of the
Prrssian army will be issued. It is encouraging to
notice the Journal of St. Petersburg, which declares
that an arrangement is on the lapis, and that
all is ready for an immediate settlement.
It would be indeed a sad .thing for war

to break out again on the Continent, and
more especially as things are in so unsettled and
unsatisfactory a state in regard to commercial and
monetary transactions. The war of last summer,
in addition to the panic in the money market, has
occasioned a sad year for many, and to renew the
struggles and disappointments of war in order to
gratify the foolish ambition of Prussia seems a result
greatly to be deprecated on all accounts.
We hope that Lord STANLEY'S firmness and dis-
cretion will do much, and will show the Prus-
sian representatives that England will not
be trifled with, and that at any rate no support,
either moral or material, will be given by her to
the war wih France, to which Count BISMARCK'S
efforts seem to be tending.. It is said that the lat-
ter replied to the deputation which waited upon
him to congratulate him upon his escape from
assassination last year, yesterday being the anni-
versary of it : " The situation is now more serious
than ever it was before." If this be the case
it is the best satire on his own con-
duct, and shows the folly of spending
one's life in making plots against the security of
others. The state of the Berlin Government just
now seems akin to that of ships who wish in sight
of land. They were, it was said, on the eve of
accomplishing all their most earnest desires, and
lo and behold ! all is again confusion, and we are
again mixed up in strife and controversy. It is a
disgrace to Prussia that another Conference should
be rendered necessary in so short a time, when no
mportant need calls for it.

There is one part of Reform which it is very easy
to talk about, but very difficult to put into practice,
and it possesses the peculiar characteristic that
every one agrees about it in words, and attaches
great importance to it, while in actual fact every
one is absolutely indifferent. No one is bold enough
to stand up in the House of Commons and defend
bribery and corruption. M.P.'s may be found to
defend the rigid limitation of the franchise, and to
take exception to every other Liberal proposal, but
no one can venture to declare himself in favour of
electoral corruption. Yet it is a difficult and un-
welcome task to attempt its repression ; and so long
as the public fail to appreciate the advantages offered
by the ballot it will be very difficult. Still we are
gaining some ground, since the necessity for active
measures is being insisted upon by leading members
of both parties, and the improvements suggested by
the new bill are very important. The alteration
respecting the investigation into corrupt practices
is an undoubted gain. The wearisome Parliamen-
tary committees,which exhaust the time and patience
of members during the already busy hours of along
session, are often fruitless of good. There are plenty
of means of evading them known to the initiated—
the withdrawal of petitions by mutual arrangement
between political -parties, the " starving out " of
proceedings and getting rid of witnesses, and plenty
other familiar means. Added to these many glaring
cases are never brought forward owing to the ex-
pense which the lawyers take care to render pretty
burdensome. The exorbitant fees required for
carrying an election petition before the House of
Commons may well deter men of moderate means
from attempting to dislodge an unfairly-seated
member. Very certainly the system of examination
by Parliamentary Committees has not succeeded in
putting a check upon bribery and corruption, and
it is, therefore, highly advisable that a new plan
should be tried. An inquiry carried on On the spot
will be ten times as effectual and far more likely to
deter both bribers and bribed. It will be next to
impossible for the culprits to escape detection in
their own immediate neighbourhood ; neither will
it be easy to buy off or get rid of all the witnesses.
There was one very excellent suggestion which I,e
are sorry to find is not included in the Bill now
before the House, although early in the season
the Government expressed their approval of
it.

We hope that the committee will take
care that it is carried out. We allade to
the proposal that in cases where bribery is proved,
the seat should be given to the unsuccessful candi-
date. This is a most efficacious mode of stopping
bribery, because if a candidate knew that by his
expenditure he is not only running the risk of loss
and exposure, but really of benefiting his rival, he
will be much more cautious in his proceedings.
This clause, too, would put a check upon
the system of obtaining party seats, since
the clubs would be less willing to come
forward if they knew that their subscriptions
would be more likely than not to give the con-
tested seat to the opposite side ! The scheme is not
a new one. Sir F. GOLDSMID, who regretted its
omission from the bill, on Monday reminded the
House that he had himself made a similar proposi-
tion in 1860 and in 1863. Ile expressed his belief
that this would do more to check bribery than any
other provisions. Common sense, however, is more
in favour of Colonel SIKES'S panacea. The hon.
and gallant member, after remarking that the ex-
tension of the constitueuc:es would be likely to di-
minish bribery from the great increase of the number
to be bribed, said that they ought to protect thos:3
whom they admitted to the franchise by the ballot.
It appears not a little singular that so simple and
inexpensive a remedy should not have been long
since tried, and the general reluctance to make the
experiment goes far to confirm Mr. OSBORNE'S
I"pointed declarationo that there is no wish to put