The Sun.
London, England, 1858-12-16 00:00:00

ROYAL ENGLL Sil OPERA, COVENT
GARDEN, under the sole Management of Miss Louisa
Pyne and Mr. W. llarrisot t.—The public are respectfully in-
formed that this new and a,gant Theatre will be OPENED
for the first ENGLISII 01'ERA SEASON on MONDAY,
Dec. 20, when will be presc 'sited an entirely new and original
Opera, by Mr. W. Belle, e retitled BATA. ELLA ; or, TH.NI
POWER OF LOVE. Playhouse prices.

OYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE.
1_ u Under the Managenlevt of Mr. Charles Kean.
THLS HVENING will be presented Shaksperc's Play of
KING JOHN.
King John, Mr. C. Kean—Constance, Mrs. C. Kean.
Preceded by a new Farce, in one act, entitled
THIRTY-THREE NEXT BIRTHDAY.

THEATRE-ROYAL, HAYMARKET.
Lessee, Mr. J. B. Buckatone.
THIS EVENING will be performed a new Comedy,
THE TIDE OF TIME. Messrs. Buckstone, Chippendale
; Mesdames Reynolds and Poynter.
A new Spanish Ballet, THE INFLUENCE OF GRACE
in which PereaNena will appear.
TITE TODDLES. Sir Wm. Don, Bart.
And 4%. DAUGHTER TO MARRY.
Conunentz at 7.

ROYAL STRAND THEATRE,
Lessee and Directress, Miss Swanborough.
THIS EVENING, THE LITTLE SAVAGE.
After which THE MAID AND THE MAGPIE.
WOOING IN JEST AND LOVING IN EARNEST :
Miss Swanborough.
And THE BONNIE FISH WIFE.
Commence at 7 o'clock.

ASTLEY'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE,
Westminster-road.
Sale Lessee Mr. William Cooke.
THIS EVENING the performances will commence with
the successful gorgeous Spectacle of THE REVOLT IN
THE EAST; or, The Fugitives and their Faithful Steed:
concluding with a Grand National and Allegorical Tableaux.
After which SCENES IN THE ARENA, introducing Mr.
W. Cooke, and his beautiful horses, Mr. Runnels, Madame
Blanche, Miss Emily Cooke, Madame Fleurette, and the first
male and female equestrians in the world.
Dress Circle, 3a. ; Boxes, 2s. ; Pit, Is, ; Galleries, 6d.
Stage Manager, Mr. R. Phillips.

CANTERBURY HALL, Westminster-road.—
Proprietor —C. MORTON.
The public is most respectfully informed that the FINE
ARTS GALLERY, in connection with the above Hall, IS NOW
OPEN DAT AND NIGHT, from 11 o'clock a.m. until 12
o'clock p.m. The New Gallery contains an extensive Collec-
tion of Pictures, by Ancient and Modern Masters and is also
devoted to Art productions generally. The I'roprietor feels
he may confidently assert that, viewed altogether, the exist-
ing Music Hall, the New Fine Arts Gallery, and the recently
added Ante-Hall, will present an attraction which, whether
as regards the architectural beauty of the structures them-
selv es, or the varied and hitherto unattempted combinations
within, will be found to be wholly without parallel in the
Kingdom.
The MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT commences as usual at
Seven o'clock.
In addition to the usual entertainment, the SAUVLET
FAMILY, of Amsterdam, Eight in number, whose varied
instrumental performances have created so masked a sense-
t;ion in the principal cities and towns of the Continent, will
ptrform every Evening at Nine and Eleven o'clock.

THE WEATHER.-SVN OFFICE, DEC. 16.

THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE.

45—highest since noon yesterday.
39—lowest this morning and during the night.
41—this day at noon.

BAROMETER-30.18.

WIND, Southerly ; fresh, with cloudy weather.

THE SUN.

THURSDAY. :DECEMBER 16, 1858.

111 r. WILLIAM HUDSON GUERNSEY, otherwise
Mr. WELLINGTON GUERNSEY—for, like other great
men, he indulges in a high-sounding alias—has
reason to rejoice at the very' lenient view taken by
an English jury of the matter laid to his charge,
who accepted as law the various objections raised
by the learned and ingenious Sergeant whose ser-
vices he was fortunate enough to obtain. It was
not denied that he had 'abstracted very important
documents from the Colonial-office ; that he had
betrayed the confidence reposed in. him by his
friend, Mr. MILLER, the sub-librarian, and that
in a manner that might have seriously com-
promised the future position of that somewhat
incautious gentleman ; that, " actuated either by a
feeling of anger and disappointment, or a silly
desire to bring before the public the information he
had obtained possession of," he had occasioned the
publication or these very important neva-taw,.
But the animus furandi, the intention of stealing,
was denied, and the jury, probably influenced by
the consideration that the papers taken away pos-
sessed no nominal money value, and that no specific
sum had been demanded from the Editor of the
Daily News for the information, gave the accused
thq benefit of the point, which, as we have already
stated, had been overruled by the learned judge.
We cannot, however, conceive a more dangerous
principle, or one that should be more promptly
negatived. In the olden time the bill-stealing
fraternity contrived to evade justice by purchasing
the stamps and paper on which these valuable
securities were written. A man might have been
charged merely with the larceny of a piece of paper
value one-halfpenny, when it really rendered all
parties thereto liable for tens of thousands
of pounds. However, although the nominal
amount charged did not exceed the smallest
coin of the realm, it rendered the accused
liable to severe punishment. The expiation would
be proportioned to the real not the legal measure
of the article purloined.

The Legislature removed the gross anomaly
-where documents bearing a money value were
concerned. But others, which might be of vital
importance, which might occasion the greatest
mischief, :either to the nation or to individuals,
remain within the former rule, and the only charge
of larceny that could be preferred would be for the
paper on which they were written. Mr.' WEL-
LINGTON GUERNSEY had unqnestionably taken this
paper. He did so surreptitiously and furtively.
At the time when he was found standing near the
table on which the despatches were placed, he said
to his friend, " I am not prying into your secrets;"
and when Mr. MILLER was deeply annoyed at the
trouble in which he was involved, declared that
the man who had obtained the despatches must
be a

scoundrel." The chivalrous Mr.
GUERNSEY", the ex-Provost-Marshal of the Turkish
Contingent, with just appreciation of the
magnitude of the offence, emphatically added, " lie
must indeed be a blackguard, it might have
cost you your situation." And this was to the
friend with whom he was on terms of close inti-
macy, and who placed implicit reliance on his
honour and integrity.
We cannot conceive any offence of a more serious
character than that which had been committed by
the accused. The undue publication of such docu-
ments might produce very untoward compli-
cations, leading to a war in 'which thousands
of lives and million 3 of money might
have been sacrificed, for the purpose of
avenging the anger and disappointment, or
satisfying the silly desire of ' Mr. GUERNSEY of
bringing such interesting information before the
world. Anger and folly have produced mischief
in all ages, and if they are to be adopted as excuses
we know not who can be held responsible.
Some important facts have, however, been elicitel
by the trial. The Government and all the Govern-
ment employes have been completely absolved from
any complicity in the publication. But it has
been proved beyond the possibility of doubt that
there was great laxity in the custody of very im-
portant State papers. At the private printing
office 25 copies only were ordered, but 28 Were
printed; one as P. voucher for the btationery-office,

4-* -;
~;
44, kt-,54), ,
•
,4Nti hot
.-
jall-rl. • ."411/6,•,* ;1,3-Pq'
DR° • ,"
; • r
' t-