The Sun.
London, England, 1858-02-05 00:00:00

P R SASS ENT CLERKS' MUTUAL LIFE
ERA.NCE ASSOCIATIOIT.—EstabIished 1640.

MCS'rEIS

Thomas Baring, Esq., M.P. 1 Wm. Cleo. Prescott, Esq.
Thomson Hankey, Esq., X.P. 1 Baron L.N. de Rothschild,lif.P.
The seventeenth Annual General Meeting of the above Association
was held at the London Tavern, on the 3d instant, when the follow-
ing statement of the business for the year 1857 was exhibited :
New Policies issued-688 for .. .. £116,665
• •
New Annual Income .. .. • • .. 3,150
Total Ditto . • • • .• .. 28,900
Amount added to Capital .. .. .. 15,200
Total accumulation after providing for all claims, and
after two divisions of profits ..

98,000

The Report and Accounts (which may be had at the Office, 15,
Moorgate street), were unardmou.sly adopted, and thanks were voted
to the Board of Directors.

W3f. THOS. LINFORD. Secretar7•
A third division of profits, to the 31st of December last, will take
plats as soon as the calculations, which are now in the hands of the
Actuary, are completed.

OIL
II ER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.—
EXTRA PERFORMANCESfo .
the first
On SATURDAY, Feb. 6, will be produced,
time in England, LA ZINGARI, being V e Italian version of
Bal'e'a Opera of The Bohemian Girl, by Madlles. Piccolomini
and Sa,nuier ; Signori Belletti, Violetta, and Giuglini.
To conclude e Ach Evening with the successful Divertisse.
meet, by M. Massot, entitled L'HYMENEE, by Madlles.
Clavella, Morlacchi, and Pasquale.
Prices :—Pit Stalls, 12s 6d; boxes (to hold four persons),
pit and one pair, 2/. 2s; grand tier, 3/. 3s ; two pair,
3s 55.;
three pair, 15s ; gallery boxes, 10s ; gallery stalls, 6d ;
pit, 3a 6 gallery, 2s.

THEATRE-ROYAL, DRURY-LANE.
Lessee, Mr. E. T. Smith.
THIS EVENING, will be performed T3O MUCH
OF A GOOD THING.
After which, a new comic drama, A LUCKY HIT.
Followed by the new grandl,pantomime, LITTLE JACK
HORNER.
Ckmmence at 7.

THEATRE ROYAL, SAYMA.RKET.
Lessee—Mr. J. B. Buckstone.
THIS EVENING, to commence at Seven; o'clock, with
THE RIVALS.
After which, a new comic Christmas Pantomime, entitled
THE SLEEPING BEAUTY IN THE WOOD; or, Harle-
quin and the Spiteful Fairy. Harlequin, Mr. A. Leclereq ;
Columbine, Misa Fanny Wright ; Pantaloon, Mr. Mackay ;
Clown, Mr. Charles Leelereq.
Orchestra Stalls (which may be retained the whole of the
evening). 6s. each. (No charge for booking.)
First Price. s. d. Second price. s. d
Dress Boxes 5 0 Dress Boxes 3 6
Upper Boxes .. 3 0 Upper Boxes 2 0
P. t 2 0 Pit 1 0
Gallery

ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE.—Under
the management of Mr. Charles Kean.—
On MONDAY NEXT, Bth inst., Mr. CEIARLES KEAN will
RE-APPEAR in the character of HAMLET.

ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE.
Proprietor, Mr. Charles Kean.

THIS. EVENING, will be performed Shakspero's Play of
A MIDSUMMER-NIGHT'S DREAM.
After which, a new grand eomie Christmas Pantomime,
entitled HARLEQUIN WHITE CAT ; or, The Princess
Blanche Flower and her Fairy Godmothers. The Princess
Blanche (White Cat), Miss Kate Terry ; Harlequin, Mr. Cor-
mack ; Clown, Mr. Huline ; Pantaloon, Mr. Paulo ; and
Columbine, Miss C. Adams.

THEATRE ROYAL, A. DELPHI.
Lessee—Mr. Ben. Webster.
THIS EVENING, will be performed the new drama,
THE POOR STROLLERS, in which Madame Celeste, Mr.
B. Webstar, Paul Bedford, and Mr. Wright will perform.
With the Farce of
THE SPITALFIELDS WEAVER.

ROYAL LYCEUM THE ATRE. —Sole Lessee
and Manager, Mr. C. Dillon.—
Grand Combination of Attractions—Fifth Night of a new
Domestic Tale, by Westland Marston, Esq.—Leigh Hunt's
highly successful play—and the gorgeous Spectacle, [Alla
- Rookh.

THIS EVENING, will be performed Leigh Hunt's new
Play, LOVERS' AMAZEMENTS. Supported by Messrs.
Charles Dillon, J. G. Shore ; Mesdames Charles Dillon and
Woolgar.
After which (sth time), a domestic tale, by Westland
Manton, entitled A HARD STRUGGLE. supported by
Messrs. C. Dillon, Barrett, J. G. Shore, Mesdames Charles
Dillon and Conquest.
To conclude with the Burlesque and Pantomime, LALLAH
ROOKII, and the PRINCESS, the PERI, and the TROU-
BADOUR ' • or, Harlequin and the Ghebers of the Desert.
Supported by Mesdames Charles Dillon, Buckingham White,
Eliza Webb, Maria Ternan, Esther Jacobs, and Woolgar ;
Messrs. Barrett, Calhaem, Holston, Poynter, and J. L.
Toole. Clowns, Messrs. T. Matthews and R. Stilt ;
Harlequin, Mr. J. Ricketts; Pantaloon, Mr. A, Stilt ; Sprites,
Herr Zeleski and Sons ; Columbines, Misses Malcolm and
Lees. Gorgeous Feast of Lanterns.—Fenton's Grand Trans-
formation Scene.

Doors open at half-past 6, to commence at 7.
3ozoffice open from 11 to 5 daily.

ROYAL SURREY THEATRE.
Lessees, Messrs. Shepherd and Creswiek.
THIS EVENING, will be performed WILLIAM TELL.
After which, QUEEN MA.B ; or Harlequin Romeo and
Julliet. Clown, by the Surrey Buck ; Pantaloon, Mr. Brad-
bury.

CA—NTER,BITRY h LL. Wwitmin3ter-rn,i(l.
OPEN EVERY EVENING.—The follow-
ing company of Vocalists are engaged for the performance of
S lections from all the popular OPERAS, MADRIGALS,
CHORUSES, GLEES, DUETS, dm, viz.:—Miss Russell,
Mrs. Badzey, Madlle. Marietta, Miss Brugell, Miss Ray,
Madame Bartoletti, Miss Montague, and Madame Marietta ;
Herr F. Jonghmans, Mr. Henshaw, Russell Grover,
8. .rones, J. Barker, W. Melling, Senor Antonio, E. L.
Rime, Mr. Badgey, Mr. Edwards, Mr. Bell, and Mr. Ber-
nard; Messrs. W. T. Critchgeld and E. Mackney. Piano-
forte, Mr. Cecil Hicks ; harmonium, Master Williams ;
Director, Herr F. Jonghmans. Commence at Seven o'clock
precisely. Suppers, dzs., until twelve o'clock.
Mr. AtTGUSTUS BRAHAM will appear every Evening.

"SUN" MAP OF CHINA.

SUN OFFICE, 112, STRAND.

On Wednesday, the 10th of February, we
shall print an Outline My of China in The Sun.
The capture of Canton may be expected by the
next mail from China, so that our readers will
see the contiguous position of surrounding
places.

Orders received by all news-agents, and at The
Sun Office, 112, Strand. Prica only 4d., stamped
sd. by post free.

' —we should not accept it when tendered at the I
point of the bayonet, or swallow the leek while
threatened with the cudgels of the French
" FLUELIANS." Should we do so, nothing will
persuade many of the people of France—we do
not say all, for there are men of sound judgment
and clear understanding among them—that we
have not yielded to pressure what we refused to
reason and justice. Should this impression once
take root, many untoward results may follow
before it can be completely and permanently eradi-
cated.

Although there was no Speech from the
Throne, Lord DERBY availed himself of the
opportunity of making a really admirable speech,
in which, and especially in reference to
the refugee question, he put forward sound
and healthy views, that must make a large
addition to his political capital, and more especially
so if the Premier should make any unworthy and
uncalled-for concession. There was scarcely a
word that fell from the Noble Earl on that
interesting and important topic in which he will
not receive the cordial concurrence of an over-
whelming majority of the people. We have no
sympathy for the atrocious and indefensible crime
of secret assassination. It is utterly repugnant
to our feelings ; even when it assumes a shape in
which it might be designated as " the wild justice
of revenge," it is still odious to every truehearted
Englishman. It comes in shape so questionable,
that it cannot be tolerated for a single moment ;
and any punishment to which the perpetrators
of murder or accessories before the fact, could be
rendered liable, would be sanctioned by the
community without difficulty or hesitation.
But, as we have already stated, the existing law

of the land is amply sufficient for every purpose.
Our assertions on this point are now sustained by
the high authority of Lords BROUGHAM and
CAMPBELL, and we could not find more unexcep-
tionable or trustworthy witnesses on such a ques-
tion. Lord BROUGHAM said that " there was no
doubt that, if persons met together, either in
public or private meetings, or employed publica-
tions and set forth doctrines that led not
merely to a general and abstract defence
of murder and assassination, but to the
roost mischievous act of attempting that

assassination, then the parties so offending were
liable to prosecution, and, if convicted, to punish-
ment." Emphatically adding, " without the
commission of any overt act, these persons might
be punished." And, be it remembered that, in
this country no person could be found guilty of
High Treason without an overt act being charged
i❑ the indictment, and clearly and distinctly esta-
blished by unquestionable proofs. Mere sus-
picion, or " public notoriety," as it has been
euphoniously termed by a leading diplomatist,
constitutes no ground whatever for arbitrary pro-
ceedings in this country, and we cannot do for
others what we refuse to do on our own behalf. It

has been well remarked that we might get rid of

the organised bands of thieves and save an
enormous amount of cost, and loss by robbery
and otherwise, if we would merely act on noto-
riety, and remove well known thieves, and
receivers. But knowing how the law if once
sanctioned might be strained beyond its legitimate
operation, and made to include innocent persons
in its meshes, we have refused to sanction it,
although it promised if adopted to achieve that
great desideratum. Again, enthusiasts have
talked of means by which " the greatest social
evil" might be materially mitigated, if Rot alto-
gether abolished. And yet our free spirit and
inborn love of liberty forbid the attempt, not-
withstanding the value of the prize by which We
are tempted. Why then should it be supposed
'that we weald at the die.ation of a fireign
potentate accept a principle which we have de-

liberately rejected on our own account ?
The speech of Lord CAMPBELL, however, went
directly to the point. While sincerely and earnestly
deprecating any change in the criminal law which
would extend the power of the Government over re-
fugees who sought asylum in this country, he clearly
showed that there were ample means for vindi-
cating the majesty of the law against any wrong
doers, whether natives or foreigners. He em-
phatically declared that " there could be no
doubt that, as the law now stood, a consplacy in
this country between British subjects, as well as
between aliens, to assassinate a foreign sovereign
or to commit murder, or t 3 disturb the peace be-
tween this country and any other with which we
might be at amity, would be a misdemeanour,
and liable to severe punishment. There could be
no doubt that words might amount, for that
purpose, to a misdemeanour, and the moment the
speaker had finished his speech, he might be
arrested and tried." Surely this is or ought to
be conclusive. It shows that the modest demand
of the French government, backed by the insolent
menaces of the soldiers, promulgated through the
official journal, is that we shall change our time
honoured institutions at the dictation of foreigners,
and render Great Britain, in place of being an inde-
pendent kingdom), merely a French department
bound to register the decrees of the French
autocrat.

Votes of thanks are to be moved in both Houses
to the Army and Navy for their truly efficient
services in India. This just and well-merited
recognition of their brilliant exploits will be
carried by acclamation. As Lord DERBY
truly declared—" We have had to rejoice over
victories and successes achieved over the enemy
by comparatively small numbers of men—we
have had to rejoice over the gallantry and endur-
ance of our troops on repeated occasions—and
we have had many other causes for congratulation
afforded by the conduct of our bravo army in

India ± But all these were, to a certain extent,

marred by the deep feeling of regret, that to the long
list of heroes who have fallen in their country's
cause, we had to add the name of that illustrious man
who unhappily died in the hour of victory, and
died, too, without the gratification of knowing
the honours which a grateful country had con-

ferted upon him !"
Are we going to repeat that mistake
merited a public,
Sir COLIN CAMPBELL has well
• inestimable services.
Surely
a Royal recognition of his
t exertions,
"expressing our deep sense of the
Should not an early opportunitgyrebae taken of
the signal valour, the happy mixture of exemplary
prudence and distinguished talent, and the mili-
tary skill which have characterised the victories
of the gallant Sir COLIN CA3,11'13E1,1, ?" Has he
not already pre-eminently merited a peerage and
a pension, or is he, like HAVELOCK, to be suffered
to perish before he is made appreciation in which aware of the just
be is held by his country-
men ? We mourn the might
show that, because the y dead ; but let us
y have perished, we. are not
oblivious of the claims of the living. Let mot the
British nation be rendered liable to oth sr well-
founded reproaches for the tardy recognition of
merit, when not displayed by members or aristo-
cratic families, who can call many of the hereditary
legislators near relatives.

I An unpretending but admirably lucid pap er has
been
sent us, published by WATERLOW and SONS,'
and compiled by Lieutenant-Colonel KE24 NEDY,
from the 13test returla to Parliament, wl tich is

well worth the attention of all persons interested
in Representative Reform. It exhibits to the eye,
at a glance, in a simpler mode than any statements
we have seen, the gross inequality orißorough Re-
presentation. Lord JOIN RUSSELL may plead as
hard as he will for his quack doctrine of repre-
sentation of classes, and he may defend his Reform
Bill of 1832 on that principle, if principle it can
be called, but the simply arranged figures and
diagrams presented by Colonel KENNEDY, convict
the existing Act of either gross blundering, or of
gross fraud on the people. We think it was a
mixture of the two. Lord JohN pleaded guilty,
after he had got the bill passed, of intending to
preserve the predominance of the landed interest,
but we can hardly think that he intended his bill
to be a representative swindle, under the style and
title of representative reform. The smaller boroughs
are nearly all more or less under the influence of
the country gentlemen around; by retaining a large
number of these, and by dividing the counties, he
easily contrived to swamp the intelligence and energy
of the great seats of enterprise and commerce, and
to obtain a House of Commons which would put
up with a Cabinet, we may almost say a Ministry
too, of aristocrats, and which would tolerate
such shameless promotions as followed the Crimean
war, and the appointments which have recently
furnished our friend Punch with two or three of
his most racy tableaux. Had the thirty boroughs,
which contain much more than half the registered
borough electors, but had their proportionate
share in the representation, these insolent freaks
of aristocracy would never have been Attempted.
Colonel KENNEDY gives us first a list of all the
boroughs which have fewer than their fair pro-
portion of members. The average number of
registered voters for each of the borough members
is 1,288, and assuming that the boroughs should
have members in proportion to the average, there
are thirty-nine which have too few. We might
have supposed there were more, perhaps, in this
class out of the 202 existing boroughs. The fact,
however, is, that there are not less than 115
boroughs having under 1,000 voters, and twenty-
nine more with less than 1,500 voters. Hence,
while numerous boroughs have no title, unless
they were amalgamated with others, to
return a member at all, others return but two
members, whose fair proportion would be not less
than ten, or even than twenty representatives. We
know of nothing parallel with this attempt to subor.•
dinate commerce and intelligence to agriculture
and serfdom, unless it be the trick by which the
American slaveholders contrive to secure a majo-
rity in the Legislature, though in a decided mino-
rity in the number of registered electors.
The next table, which not only gives the
figures in a very simple form, but displays by
lines the discrepancies to the eye, arranges the
boroughs in sixteen classes from those containing
under 400 electors, to those containing 21,000.
It gives the number of members sent by each
class, and the number which each class would
return on a fair apportionment. And what a
revelation of Reform Act cunning have we here !
Take the first class, those whose voters do
not amount to four hundred each : there are fifty
boroughs of this purchaseable or thoroughly
manageable class. They return not less than
seventy-three members Yet the total of their
voters hardly exceeds 16,000. Were they still
to retain their rights as representative boroughs,
but by amalgamation to return only their
own share of members, they would lose
sixty and return but thirteen. Now,
if Lord JOHN cannot get ri 1 of his cluis crotchet,
surely the most he could ask for his pet class
would be these thirteen members. They would
fully represent all the influence which such a class
ought to exercise.

But let us turn to the other end of the table—
the nine classes having above three thousand and
under twenty-one thousand electors—these classes
have actually twelve members less than the first
numerous class of pocket boroughs. They have
but sixty-one members against the other seventy-
three—while their voters, on the other baud,
amount, in round numbers, to TWO HUNDRED AND

EIGHTY-TWO THOUSAND against the SIXTEEN
THOUSAND of the other class With seven-
teen times more voters the thirty large con-
stituenaies return fewer members by thir-
teen, than the fifty petty boroughs of the
Reform Act ! ! We might pursue these com-
parisons, but the paper we have referred to, which
is but half a sheet, in good bold type, will enable
every one to make them for himself.
What remains for us is, to ask whether the
metropolis and the other larger and more intelli-
gent constituencies in the kingdom, will, under any
pretext, tolerate this outrageous deprivation of
their social, political, and constitutional rights ?
As Mr. Br.rara told the people of Birmingham,
the other day, in a letter every way worthy of
JOHN BRIGHT, the Home R-Aormer, it would be
perfectly easy to construct a Reform Bill, bestow-
ing universal suffrage, which should place us more
than ever in the hands of the aristocracy. The
existing act, if the suffrage were made universal
without the Ballot, and without a reasonable
equalisation of the constituencies, would do it. So
would any other which the patron of the Prurrses
and CLANRICARDES may propose, if wanting these
two essentials. We begin now, however, to hop
that the Premier may not find the country quite so
passive under a sham as he might have expected.
Birmingham, Manchester, Bradford, and Norwich,
not to mention smaller places, are beginning to
move with enthusiasm, and probably, as soon as
the Ministerial announcements appear, they will
find the more in telligeat part of the country pre-
pared to give them a warm, reception. It is for
Lord PAL2rIERSTON to decide of what character the
warmth shall be. -

In another part of our columns will bq found
a report of the annual meeting of an institution
whose rise and progress we have chronicled for a
period of seventeen years, and to whos3 steady
improvement it has afforded us sincere pleasure
to bear witness.
We allude to the Provident Clerks' Benevolent
Fund, an institution which merits the title of a
" charity" in the best and noblest sense of the
word, and the promotion of which falls, therefore,
within the legitimate province of the journalist.
For many years the annual meetings of this
Fund have taken place under the presidency of
the gentleman, to whose able and untiring advc-
cacy it owes in a great measure its present inde-
pendent position, and whose valuable support well
merited the graceful eulogy pronounced by the
Chairman—Mr. THOMAS BARING—on Wednesday
evening last, when alluding to the lamented ab-
sence of the Treasurer, Mr. JOHN ABEL SMITH,
and its still more lamented cause.

gentlemen ofhave also been held
occasion of public dinners,
Among others,
under distinguished presidency.
Many of the meetings of this Fund, on the
the M3.rquis DALIIOUSIE, and other
high standing, have warmly and
ably advocated
its claims to public support, and we are very glad
to observe, by the report of the directors, that it
is proposed to renew those festivals from
which, on former occasions, such valuable results
have been obtained. There are few institutions

which in this great commercial country have a
fairer claim on the aid of the benevolent.
It has been said that this Fund should be
self-supporting, i.e., that the Clerks themselves
should contribute sufficient to meet the cases of
distress arising among their own body, but to
effect this the contributions must be calculated on
a scale which would remove it entirely from the
position of a charitable or benevolent fund, and
also place it beyond the reach of that very
portion of the clerks, for whom more especially
its benefits are designed. It would of course
be easy to secure for every widow and every aged
clerk an ample annuity, if the parties interested
were prepared to pay its commercial value, but a
transaction of this kind in no way way merits the
title " benevolent." It is to give to the widow
and the orphan, to the afflicted or unfortunate
clerk, that aid which their necessities require,
and which their incomes, too often very
very narrow, will not allow them to purchase.
This is benevolence ; it is for this purpose the
Provident Clerks' Fund has been established, and
these are the objects which it has already to a
large extent effected.
While we thus urge the claim of this Fund to
the contributions of the wealthy, and especially of
the mercantile classes, we feel that from the clerks
themselves, a hearty and unanimous support should
be accorded.

The assistance of their • employers, though both
merited and required, should be regarded as an
auxiliary, not as the mainstay of the institution,
nor can we doubt that this fact will be fully
recognised by a body so intelligent and so edu-
cated as the clerks must of necessity be.
We rejoice sincerely to find that year by year
the institution has extended its sphere of useful-
ness, and we cordially trust that its future will
realise all the hopes of its able and energetic
founders.