The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-29 00:00:00

Commence af 7.

ROYAL LYCEUM THEATRE.
Manager, Mr. Edmund Falconer.
THIS EVENING, will be performed THE SISTER'S
SACRIFICE. Messrs. Emery, Barret, and Rogers. Madame
Celeste, Mrs. Keeley, and Miss Julia St. George.
After which, will be produced the new Burlesque, written
expressly for the Lyceum Company by Robert B. Brough,
and entitled THE SIEGE OF "TROY. The principal cha-
racters by Mrs. Keeley, Miss Julia St. George, Mrs. Weston,
Miss Portman, Miss Talbot, Miss Kate Saxon, Miss E. Romer,
&C. Mr. Emery, Mr. Charles Young, Mr. Merton, Mr. J.
Rogers, Mr. Barrett, Arc. ; Miss Rosins Wright, Miss M.
Charles, Miss Harriet Dalton, &c.
To conclude with the new Comic Pantomime, replete with
new tricks and mechanical devices, entitled HARLEQUIN
TOY HORSE • or, The remorne Fete. Clown, Mr Charles
Lauri ; Mr. John Lauri ; Pantaloon, Mr. Henry
Lauri ; Columbine, Miss Jenny Lauri.
Reduced Prices—Dress Boxes, 4s. ; Upper Boxes, 3s. ; Pit,
2s. ; Stalls, ss. ; Gallery, ls.
Box-office open from 11 to 5 daily. Doors open at half-past
6, to commence at 7 every evening.

NEW THEATRE - ROYAL, ADELPHL
Sole Proprietor and Manager, Mr. Benj. Webster.
First Night of a New Drama.
THIS EVENING, THE BORGIA RING: A Legend of
Stonehenge. Mr. Ben. Webster, Mr. C. Selby, Mr. J. L. Toole,
Mr. P. Bedford, Miss Woolgar, Mrs. Billington.
To be followed by THE LAST OF THE PIGTAILS.
Mr. C. Selby, Mr. X. L. Toole, Miss Henrietta Simms.
To conclude with the grand Christmas Pantomime, entitled
MOTHER RED CAP ; or, Harlequin Johnny. Gilpin's Ride
to Edmonton. Clown, Mr. Croueste ; Harlequin, Mr. Hilde-
brand ; Columbine, Miss Hayman ; Pantaloon, Mr. Luptno ;
Sprite, Mr. Le Barr.

ROYAL STRAND THEATRE.
Lessee and Directress, Miss Swanborougb.
THIS EVENING, THE RULE OF THREE.
Atter which, the new Extravaganza, KENILWORTH ; or
Ye Queene. ye Earle, and ye Maydenne.
And THE LITTLE SAVAGE
Commence at 7 o'clock.

ASTLEY'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE
Westmittster-road.

Lessee and Manager Mr. William Cooke.
Crowded Houses Nightly.

Great and glorious Success of the gorgeously-appinted Pan-
tomime.—The celebrated continental equestrians, Mr. A.
Brydges and Madame Brydges, every Evening.
Dress Circle, 48. ; Boxes, 3s. ; Pit, 2s, ; Gallery, Is. ; Upper
Gallery, 6d.
THIS EVENING, and during. the week. the grand Spec-
tacle of THE GIPSY GIRL OF MADRID ; or, The Edict
of Spain.

After which, the inimitable SCENES IN THE CIRCLE,
Introducing Mr. Wm. Cooke's beautiful and highly-trained
palfries and ponies, and the Starßiders of Europe.

To conclude with the great Operatic and Burlesque Eques-
trian Pantomime, entitled HARLEQUIN BARON MUN-
CHAUSEN, AND HIS COMICAL CREAM COB
CRUISER. Baron Munchausen, Mr. W. Anson ; Harlequin,
Mr. H. Hemmings ; Pantaloon, Mr. Morley; Clown, Mr. A.
F. Forrest ; Columbine, Miss Julia Weston.

Stage Manager, Mr. R. Phillips.
The last grand Morning Performance of the matchless Pan-
tomime on Saturday next, January 29, at Two o'clock.
Carriages for the day 'performance at half-past four, and
night representation at half-past eleven,

CANTERBURY HALL, Westminster-road.—
Proprietor —C. Mon Tori.
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 Proprietor 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-
selves, 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 marked a sensa-
tion in the principal cities and towns of the Continent, will
perform every Evening at Nine and Eleven o'clock.

THE WEATHER.-SUN OFFICE, JAN. 29.

THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE.

52—highest since noon yesterday.
43—lowest this morning and during the night.
52—this day at noon.

BAROMETER-29.79,

WIND, South-Westerly; light, with dull weather.

THE SUN.

SATURDAY. JANUARY 29, 1859.

Mr. BRIGHT is pursuing an honest and straight-
forward course, so far as the Reform Bill is con-
cerned. Even those who may differ with respect
to some of the details of the proposed measure will
cheerfully recognise the manliness and integrity of
purpose by which he is actuated, and the unflinch-
ing determination with which he has flung himself
into the breach, and planted the Reform standard
on the very citadel. Rotten boroughs, which obey
the dictates of patrons, and all those which have
not a sufficient number of inhabitants to
justify the returning a member to the repre-
sentative branch of the Legislature are to be
disfranchised. Others are to be shorn of a
moiety of their Parliamentary representation and
the seats thus obtained are to be bestowed on
populous districts well entitled to the privilege.
But, above and beyond all, there will be full pro.
tection to the voters in the exercise of the extended
franchise which is intended to be bestowed on
them. These are good points; but,
will compel the production of
the measures an-
nounced by the rival competitors for
ship, and render it indispensable that they fully
come up to the mark required by the • community.
Lord PALMERSTON will scarcely congratulate him-
self on his protracted taciturnity, or the elaborate
care which he took to prevent the slightest
inkling
of his intention from oozing forth, or the public
from being enabled to even grasp at the nature of
the dainty dish prepared for its palate.
Mr. BRIGHT has grappled with the Times in
respect to the disfranchisement scheme. The lion.
gentleman is so fully capable of speaking for him-
self that he requires no advocate. We therefore
give his own words • they are as follow :
" The Times said the other day that it did not find
So much fault with
my scheme of disfranchise-
ment, but with my redistribution ; and I think it
said it was a gigantic fraud to take eighty-seven
seats, as I proposed, from boroughs in schedule
A, from one side of the house and interests, and
put thorn on the other side, meaning the commer-
cial or popular interests ; that it would make a
difference on a division of 174 votes ; and the Times
assumed that these 87 seats were seats in very
small towns connected with the landowners in the
neighbourhood. Now, the Tin les has a short me-
mory, for but six weeks ago it proposed, what I
thought was a little extreme, to disfranchise every
borough under 10 0
, 00, and that no borough under
25,000 should return more than one member. Now,
if I had carried out that plan I should obtain
from disfranchised seats not less than 47 seats more
than those which I have obt • ained. Now that I call
extreme, and I say that my plan is more reasonable,
for I only go up to 8,000, and I take
120 seats,
whereas the journalist would take 170 ; and for-
getting what he had written six weeks before, he
condemns my plan as very extreme, and, happily
for us, introduces a rival scheme of his own. I am
told that in the Times of this day there is a con-
siderable correction of this rival scheme. That
scheme was what is called a plagiarism. I don't

wish to speak offensively, but the scheme was
stolen from my schedule. They took my child and
stripped it of its decent clothing. They put on it
rags of their own, and they scarred its countenance
in order that it might excite pity."

He was no less powerful on the extension of the 1
franchise—more especially to counti2electors. It I
is really hard that because a man lives outside an
imaginary line he should, although paying rates
and taxes to a greater amount than the born egh
voter, that he should be made a political cypher on
the mere question of venue. Mr. BRIGHT says,
on this point :—" I have not the slightest doubt
that when the next Reform Bill passes, if it does
establish a county franchise -at the rate of £lO,
very few years will elapse before there will be
motions in the House of Commons for the purpose
of bringing it down, if not to the level of the
borough franchise, at least to a lower level than it
is likely to be fixed by the coming bill. The fact
is, the more the people who look at the question of
the franchise examine it and handle it, and see how
it works, the more their fears vanish. The fear
of the rich and the great of the votes of the
people is a fear arising from a suspicion which I
believe is based almost entirely upon ignorance—
first of the character of the people, and secondly of
the effect which the possession of a vote has upon
the minds and actions of the men in possession
of it."

He also states what he wants, and that dis-
tinctly and explicitly. There can be no mistake in
the following declaration :—" What we want is
this—not that you should transfer great political
powers from great landowners to great merchants
or manufacturers. What we want is that equally
through all parts of the kingdom all interests, all
wishes, all opinions should be equally represented,
that the members who get into Parliament should feel
that they are not the members of any section, but
the members of the great body of the people, and
you would then find that as opinion grew it would
act gently, steadily, omnipotently on the House of
Commons, and instead of our having to contend.
with our rulers for every change, we should find
one sole incentive in the Government, the Parlia-
ment, and the people."
But although we give Mr. Bright full credit for
what he has done, and is doing, we cannot accept
all that he boasts of. He has spoken of his esta-
blishing cheap newspapers—that 300 journals are
published for a penny each. He has forgotten to
say how many receive, and a still more difficult
point would be to say how many pay their
expenses. We do not wish to assail any contem-
porary, but as we cannot understand how the
necessary expenses can be defrayed, we do
not think Mr. BRIGHT entitled to claim
much credit on that part of the question.
There may have been 300 cheap newspapers. Of
how many have the obituaries been recorded ?
It would have been far better if the
Honourable Member had taken greater care
to instruct himself on the currency question,
to have proved that he was fully informed on every
important topic. We are, however, proud of Mr.
BRIGHT, and if compelled to censure for any mis-
takes, it is in sorrow rather than in anger.

Since the establishment of the English Protec-
torate over the Septinsular Republic in 1815, the
lonian Islands have had about the worst imaginable
kind of Government. It has been all along a sort
of complicated and elaborated political experiment.
And the experiment has failed—totally and noto-
riously failed. At the best the Government out
there has been all these four-and-forty years past
simply a Provisional Government. It has worked
ill throughout. It has been a perpetual source of
disquietude. It has proved altogether unsa-
tisfactory to the lonians themselves. It has caused
a chronic vexation and annoyance to be experienced
at frequent intervals by its protecting rulers in this
country ever since the period of its anomalous inau-
guration. It has existed all this while, so to speak,
upon sufferance, as that incongruous and impossible
and preposterous phenomenon among Governments
—a State having republican institutions under a
monarchical protectorate. The government of the
'lonian Islands, under these circumstances, has
alternated between anarchy and despotism. The
policy pursued in its regard by the English has
been relaxed to the utmost stretch of conciliatory
weakness, as during the recent epoch, when
Sir JOHN YOUNG held the reins of office
loosely—ready to slip from his grasp at
any moment apparently—as Lord High Com-
missioner. At other times the lonian policy
inaugurated in Downing-street has been as severe
and rigid as delegated tyranny could well be ; as
when General Sir CHARLES NAPIER, in his work
entitled " The Colonies," wrote in regard to the
Lord High Commissioner in 1822, " The feudal
chiefs were still intent to make both the law and
MAITLAND [Sir THOMAS MAITLAND] bend to their
passions ; wherefore he created himself Dictator
and his Residents Despots." It is true that NAPIER
added to this intimation the words—" but to sus-
tain, not overrule law." Remembering, how-
ever, that the course pursued in any case depended
upon the fallible judgments of these Despots the
Residents, and of that formidable Dictator the
Lord High Commissioner—the margin left for
possible injustice and possible cruelty was suffi-
ciently alarming to disquiet any nationality, how-
ever sanguine or however susceptible. Take, as a
case in point, one of these vicarious despots,
NAPIER himself, the Resident at Cephalonia—for-
tunately a man of noble heart and resplendent
genius, at once most humane and most conscien-
tious. But what a licence was that committed
to his trust—supposing in his place there
had chanced to be a bad man, a cruel
man, or one in any way incompetent. Take his
own account of his position out there, as described
by his own hand, in a letter addressed to his mother,
on the 12th of March, 1822, and dated from Argos-
_
toli—" Dear mother," writes Sir CHARLES, "
kingdom is of sixty thousand people, and martial
law exists
send any
ss;that,is the courts of justice are closed;
and i can
inapptehael.haTnlasiiso,"f honeone to death without trial or
eTn addsan h; i
bmuste lffe, insga
no
oe
inclinationpow er
to be unjust or cruel, it does not annoy me ; I eve I
like it. If compelled to hang any one, it shall be
done on the perfect conviction that it is right to do
My hope is not to be very cruel ; but, &c.
Added to this, however, there is no small
elcis
responsibility and exertion ; for
y ou
litigious, and all the financial as well as r the Greer
crimi-
nal and military business is on my hands "—and so
forth. For an unconscientious man there were op-
portunities not merely for cruelty, but for corrup-
tion also. Recollect what had occurred to another--
years previously, among more tempting oppor-
tunities—when after the victory won at Plassy, as
the great biographerof the Indian hero has written of
him in the famous Essay, " CLIVE walked between
heaps of gold and silver, crowned with rubies and
diamonds, and was at liberty to help himself " -
MAC.kULAY adding, thereupon " lie accepted
between £200,000 and £300,000." A proceeding
in regard to which Lord CLIVE exclaimed, with
characteristic impetuosity when under examination
before the Committee of tha House of Commons,
" BY God, Mr. Chairman, at this moment I stand

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