The Sun.
London, England, 1860-03-08 00:00:00

Commence at 1.

ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE.-
Lessee, Mr. A. Harris.
THIS EVENING, TIIE CORSICAN BROTHERS. G.
Melville, A. Harris, and Miss Clifford.
Followed by the Farce, CRUEL TO BE KIND. Mr. A.
Harris, Frank Matthews, and Miss Carlotta Leclercq.
After which, a new Christmas burlesque pantomime,by
J. Byron, called JACK TR K GIANT KILLER ; or, Harle-
quin King ArKiur and the Knights of the Round Table.
Jack, Miss Louise Keeley—Harlequin, Mr. Cormack Panta-
loon, Mr. x'aulo—Columbine, Miss Caroline Adams—Clown,
Mr. A. F. Forrest.

W THEATRE - ROYAL, ADELPHL
STEW
Proprietor and Manager, Mr. Benj. Webster.
THIS EVENING, ICI ON FARLE FRANCAIS, Mr. J.
L. Toole, Chas. Selby Billing-ton, Mrs. Chatterlev, Mrs. Bil-
lington, Miss Kate Kelly, and Laidlaw.
After which, PAPER WINGS, Mr Alfred Wigan, J. I.
Toole, D. Fisher, Billington, P. Bedford, Stuart, C. Selby,
Eburne, C. J. Smith, Powell, Romer, Mrs Alfred Wig,an,
Miss H. Simms, Miss Kate Kelly, and Mrs Chatterley.
Followed by DINORAH UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
Messrs. J. L. Toole, P. Bedford, Eburne, C. J. Smith, Miss
K. Kelly.

ROYAL ST. JAMES'S THEATRE,
King-street, St. James's. Lessee, Mr. T. B. Chatter-
ton. Directress, Miss Wyndham. The nearest Theatre to
Chelsea, Pimlico, and Westminster, the Park being open to
Carriages and foot passengers all hours of the night.
THIS EVENING the performances will commence with
"No. 49."

After which, MAGIC TOYS. Miss Lydia Thompson.
Followed by a new burlesque called DIDO. Mr. Charles
Young, Mesdames Wyndham, Clara St. Casse, Murray, Eliza
Arden, C. Ranoe, A. Evans, and Corps de Ballet.
To conclude with FIRST AFF EuTIONS. Messrs. H. T.
Craven, G. Spencer, and Miss Wyndham.
Reduced Prices—Gallery, 6d; Pit, ls. The Box-office open
from 11 to 5 daily. Doors open at half-past six; perform
Anse commences at 7.

CANTERBURY HALL
THIS EVENING,
LUCREZIA BORGIA,
(Donizetti).

CONCERTS.-

Donna Lucrezia
Maffio Orsini Mrs. Anderson.
ennaro Mr. Henry Herbert.
Don Altonzo Signor Tivoli.
Conductor—Mr. Jonghmans.
Comics Vocalists —Messrs. George Hodson (the Irish Come-
dian and Mimic), W. T. Critchileld, and E. W. Mackney.
The gallery is open from 5 till 11 on Sunday Evening.

THE WEATHER.—Strw OFFICE, MARCH 8, 1860.
THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE.
41—highest since noon yesterday.
41—lowest this morning and during the night.
40—this day at noon.
BAROMETER-30.19—falling again.
WIND, North-Easterly ; fresh, with heavy squalls—rain
and snow occasionally, with cold weather. -

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
THIS DAY.—Morning, 2h. 18m.—Afternoon, 2h. 39m,
To-moßßow.-Morning, 3h. Om.—Afternoon, 311. 20m

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THE SUN.
LONDON, THURSDAY, MARCII 8, 1860.

Reversing the usual order of figurative illustra-
tion, the Emperor of FRAN CE, when her rivers a
year or two ago overflov, ed their banks and spread
desolation around, explained his views in regard to
physical evils by a reference to moral ones.
" Rivers," said he, " like Revolutions, must be
taught to keep their courses." He had found it so
easy to wield French Revolutions to imperial pur-
poses, that he could not better explain what he
meant to do with French Rivers, than by referring
to what he had done with. Revolution. It is not a
littleremarkable, however, that the man who could
direct the stream of political movement in France,
has so signally failed in Italy. Failed not in the sense
of not having tone signal service to Italy, but of
not having done it exactly in the way he wished.
Neither has he &idled of doing what would bring no
little honour to the Emperor of FRANCE, if he were
content to accept the honour offered him by pre-
sent results—but he does seem to have failed
in making the mere will of Lot- is NA-
POLEON BONAPARTE the rule for Cen-
tral Italy. There may be more behind
than we know. It may be that the EMPEROR is
but playing a part in sending forth polite edicts
to Sardinia through M. THOUVENEL ; he may only
want to seem consistent—to seem the same man at
Villafranea,Zu rich,an d th e Tui leries—and this spring
as last summer. If this be so, however, the present
generation will probably never know it, and we must
take things as they appear, at least as diplomatic
documents represent them to be. And, according
to these, Louts NAPOLEON cannot keep the Italian
revolutions he has let loose within the banks he is
ever trying to build. His political engineering
was successful enough in France ; in Italy it fails—
fails to accomplish his will.

The despatch of Count CAVOUR, which we pub-
lished yesterday, gives us hope that the wishes
we expressed just before we had seen it will be
realised. It is the Count's answer to M. Thou-
YENEL'S despatch recommending a Vicariat of Sar-
dinia, in the name of the POPE, in the Romagnas,
and a separate government for Tuscany. Telegrams.
had told us the main points in Count CAYOUR'S
note, and now that the complete document is ar-
rived, it more than bears out all our expectations.
The Co Count is certainly one of the ablest diplo-
matists of Europe, especially when we remember
that he is a man enthusiastic for an idea. Too
commonly such men are but imperfect adepts in
the style and conduct requisite for dealing with
the erocikedness of diplomacy on the side of the
wrong. count CAvouais,however,more than unlatch
for M. T E[OI:YENEL. He humours, and even fl titers
but he stands by Italian rights, with argu
punt, ;, t ao, better than those by which M. 'firm:-
VENEL would politely Ea them aside. He shows
that a j rie(rriat in the Romagna would be as con-
trary to ; ipal wishes as it would be impossible to
gain the aosent of the people to it. lhey will not
submit I et having the King of SARDINIA there, or
any ona ellke as their ruler, if he be in any sense
subject to the YorE. They will tolerate no further
interven ttion in their affairs on the part of his Holi-
ness; al 111 tb propose to them, for adoption by uni-
versal s affrage, anything which implied it would
enVige its universal rejection. What can M.

THOUVENEL do with what we may be pretty sure
is such a certain fact as this ? The precise substi-
tute suggested by Count CAVOUR to save the Papal

amour propre we hardly undm stand sufficiently,
but it is clearly intended to exclude the POPE from
any real power in the affairs of the Romagnols.

The answer of Count CAVOUR is as frank and
manly as could be wished on all the great matters
involved in the despatch he is answering. Out of de-
ference to France, he is willing to submit the whole
question of annexation or separate Government to
the States concerned. He does not wish to accept
even Modena and Parma without a fresh vote.
He writes, be it remembered, before the circulars
which, we have already seen, had been sent forth
by FARINI, making arrangements to take the popu-
lar vote. But he tells the French Minister that,
by the result of that vote Sardinia must abide.
The KING, his master, could not refuse it, without
endangering his own position. He would have to
rule by force, instead of popular attachment,
even in Piedmont itself, so completely is
his name now identified with the cause
of Italian independence. The King of SARDINIA,
happily, can take the honourable ground of wishing
to constrain no one. If Tuscany, or any of the
other States, wish for " autonomy"—if they prefer
to be under some other Prince of their own free
election, so let it be. VICTOR EMMANUEL will
cheerfully recognise their full right to decide for
themselves; but if, on the other hand, they make
a second appeal to him to accept the sovereignty
over them, and to permit them to form one State
with Piedmont, he is unable in his position to re-
ject them again. The evils of such a course would
be greater than any possible good.
In the Austrian despatches just published in the
Gazelle du Danube, Count RECHBERG makes the
remark to M. TIIOUVENEL that five sixths of the
people were excluded from the voting which de-
cided on the annexation to Sardinia. That is, a
constituency, much resembling the present electoral
constituency of England voted on the subject. De-
mocratic enough one would think in all conscience,
to satisfy an Austrian Count• But no, low
democracy and despotism, are made for
each other. Despots can generally ensure the
suffrage of the mob. NERO himself could.
And the Austrian Minister seems to have some
hope that the modern NERO of Venetia could get an
invitation back again for the Archdukes them-
selves, if he could but obtain the votes of the dupes
of the confessional. We only know that Count
CAVOUR himself is fully awake to the low cunning
which seeks to thwart annexation through univer-
sal suffrage, but he does not fear it. He did wish
to defer the voting till after Lent and the confes-
sional performances were over ; but submitting to
every disadvantage, and taking the votes when
every confessor's box is likely to be made
an instrument of Papal and Austrian intrigues
with the most ignorant and superstitious of
the populace, he seems to have no fear for the re-
sult. However, in little more than a week we
shall know the results of the entire population of
the States of Central Italy, voting by ballot and by
universal suffrage, will pronounce. If they should,
under every disadvantage, give a large and conclu-
sive majority in favour of union with Sardinia, it
will be impossible for all the Powers of Europe to
interfere. Louis NAPOLEON himself must bow to
a verdict similar to that which gave him his Em-
pire, and which he has himself asked for in Italy.
Prussia, as her best orator demonstrated in the
Chambers, will be the better for a strong
Sardinia. Russia is too far off. Austria can
but grumble and keep still—and all England will
applaud and rejoice—from the Cabinet itself to her
remotest country town. If the Ballot-box and
Universal Suffrage come out right—if the unedu-
cated and poor are above the arts of the priests—if
they have but the love of freedom which charac-
terises our own population, the freedom of Northern
Italy will soon be an accomplished fact.

Yesterday was a memorable day in the history

of the Rifle Volunteer Movement. It was a public

recognition of their claims to national consideration,

testified alike by their gracious reception by her

MAJESTY in the morning, by the Commander-in

Chief of the regular forces presiding at their ban

quet, and by the vast concourse which assembled
to honour their festivities in the evening. We

rejoice to see the importance of this movement so
universally appreciated. It can hardly be without
its effect in foreign countries. It showsthat England,
though not eager to provoke animosity, is fully
prepared to resist aggression ; not only by her dis-
ciplined soldiers, but by the simultaneous move-
ment of her people. The knowledge that a great
country is prepared to repel invasion is her best
defence, and great as is the national c mfidence in
our wooden walls, the Rifle Movement is every-
where felt to be a most useful auxiliary. The
speech of the Duke of CAMBRIDGE was well suited
to the occasion. He expressed his opinion that

the movement to be efficacious should be
continuous. He refuted the arguments which had
been used against it on the ground that the move-
ment was an aggressive one ; and truly charac-
terised it as entirely a defensive one. He had often
been told, he observed, that we were not a military
nation, but no country with a conscription could
show such military spirit as the Volunteer move-
meat exhibits ; and certainly the spontane-
ous display which yesterday enlivened the
metropolis proves that the old martial ardour is not
extinguished. It is very satisfactory to find that
no petty jealousy exists between the members of
the regular service and the Volunteers, but that
all seek to serve their common country undeterred
by professional rivalry. Their public reception by
royalty, and the good feeling generally expressed
towards them, show clearly that neither Sovereign
nor people are inclined to trust the defences of the
country to the arbitration of the Peace-at-any-Price

negotiators.
The demonstration of yesterday will prove to our
continental neighbours that the timorous counsels
of these gentlemen do not represent the real feel-
ings of the nation, and also that no aggres-
sive movement on their part can take us
unawares. We hope the great encouragement given
to this movement will serve to establish it among the
reccgnised institut ions of the country; and when the
present excitement has subsided, its supporters will
not suffer it to decay, but whether or no existing
circumstances may appear likely to call them into
action, they will strive to preserve the discipline
and attain the efficiency which are indispensable to
their success.

An interesting observation was made by Lord
CAMPBELL at the banquet held last evening. The
venerable Chancellor stated that half a century since
he had formed one oft he four hundred thousand volun-
teers who assembled in Hyde-park for review before
GEORGE 111. The national spirit which was then
so readily evoked by the threat of invasion would
not fail to be again aroused should it
be called for. When we behold such
a display of the Volunteer movement as we
witnessed yesterday, and its ratification by the
QUEEN and the people, we feel that we have little

cause to fear for the future of our country, and may
exclaim, in the words of our immortal poet,—
" This England never did, nor never shall
Lie at the proud foot of a conqueror.
Come the three corners of the world in arms,
And we shall shock them. Nought shall make us rue,
If England to itself do rest but true."

When Greek meets Greek then comes the tug of
war. So with genius in its various and wide range
of invention. The public attention has been lately
directed to our Artillery reforms, and ARMSTRONG,
WHITWORTH, and others have been in the ascen -
dant. Their several merits are unquestioned and
appreciated, but the original—the precursor in
making great guns—has been, to all appearance,
overlooked. LANCASTER was that enterprising man.
Yes, Mr. LANCASTER first started the idea of pro-
ducing artillery of such scope and magnitude as
would eclipse all that had hitherto been practised
in the field or at siege. For our own part, we
express no opinion, but we are anxious to give
every one fair play ; and on this principle we
insert an article from a contemporary (Morning
Post) on the subject. That article speaks fairly
of the prejudice created against the LANCASTE-1
guns, from no fault of the inventor, but from
his production having been brought too prema-
turely into action before its capacity was fully

tested. We extract a few lines from the article
referred to, and, beg attention ,to 'the rest :

" With regard to LANCASTER'S, the popular opinion
is entertained that it has been tried and found un-
successful, than which nothing can less accord
with the circumstances of the case. During the
Crimean war his system was pressed into ope-
ration before either guns or ammunition was suita-
bly prepared for giving effect to it. Certain of the
Lancaster guns blew up in the Crimea, a circum-
stance which has been laid hold of to justify the
statement that they burst. Now they did not burst
in any proper acceptation of the term. At that
period the shells employed were made of two pieces
welded together; the weld joint was occasionally
imperfect, on which account the flash of the gun
reached the shell charge of powder (121 b.), and the
shells exploding within the guns blew off their
muzzles."