The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-09 00:00:00

ALEXANDER VON B ULIIBOLDT.

Alexander von Humboldt is dead. When Sir
Robert Peel died the English nation testified its
appreciation of his services to his country by an un-
mistakeable mourning. Every ship in the Thames
lowered its flag, every shop put up its shutters.
This, however, simply concerned England, and the
mark of esteem to the great departed was restricted
to one country. The same might be said of Wel-
lington. To write a notice of Humboldt is no easy
task. His canvas was the universe, and he used
his pencil with a master hand. His mind grasped
with iron strength everything it met, and, instead
of being woakened by the immensity it was brought
in contact with, its appetite grew with what it fed
upon. To English readers Humboldt is best
known by his latest work, t‘ Kosmos," a work which
alone would suffice to render his name immortal.
But to the cosmopolitan reader Humboldt is better
known. His merits are of such transcendant qua-
lity that praise is out of place.
It may, however, be of interest to some of our
readers to give a brief sketch of this European cele-
brity. Alexander von Humboldt was born at Berlin
on the 14th of September. 1769. He was an under-
graduate at Gottingen, which university he left for
Frankfort-on-the-Oder. Geography and Geology
were his chief studies. His intelligence and zeal
were not overlooked by the Government. In 1795
he was sent by the Prussian Government to study
the nature of the volcanic eruptions of Vesuvius.
Humboldt's mind took a wider range. He aspired
to investigate regions unknown. Africa was his
object. He went to Marseilles and joined Bonpland,
who was on the point of starting on a similar mis-
sion, with the intention of accompanying him. This
plan failed, but through the interest of Baron
Forell, the Saxon Ambassador, Humboldt obtained I
permis3ion and authority to make a scientific tour
of Spanish America. During 18 months Humboldt
examined geologically and geographically every
part' of Venezuela, the Orinoco, and the Rio
Negro. He afterwards visited Bogota, the Cor-
dilleras, and Quito. At this latter place lumboldt,
at great personal risk, investigated the volcanic
mountains. He spent some time at Lima. In
August, 1804, Humboldt landed at Havre, rich in
experience, and with aq, invaluable collection of
specimens of geological and botanical interest.
Humboldt fixed his residence at Paris, taking an
occasional trip to London ; but Prussia could not
spare so valuable a man, and the King requested
Humboldt to return. The King made him a Privy
Councillor, and offered him various diplomatic mis-
sions. Mountains, not men, were Humboldt's object.
He wished to explose the Andes and the Himalayas,
to make a comparison of their respective dimensions. 1,
This plan failed. He, however, succeded in another.
He started for Siberia, and then. visited the chief
cities of Russia. There is not one branch of science
to which Humboldt has not contributed something
—nay, much. The powers of his mind seemed to
increase as they produced. The friend of Kings,
he was a Liberal. He took a large view of the
world in a political sense while investigating with
the utmost minuteness the conformation of some
unknown substance. Doubtless we shall shortly
receive from some German pen a worthier notice of
one of Germany's greatest celebrities.—Times,

THE ACCIDENT ON THE CORNWALL

RAILWAY.

PLYMOUTH, SATURDAY.
An inspection of the scene of the unfortunate accident
which occurred on Friday evening on the eastern side of
the Grove Lake viaduct, which crosses a small inlet from
the river Lyuher, gives no clue to the
nent way is straight and level, and thefreear:s• noTthaepPpeerinar ato-
rom its proper course
have been anything to turn the engine
maliciously placed on the rails.
unless some obstruction was
The train, consisting of a first-class carriage between two
second class, with a truck behind, started from Plymouth at
7.25 p.m. with about 30 or 40 passengers, chiefly for St. Ger-
mans, and having stopped the usual time at the Devonport
and Saltash stations, went lnto Cornwall. When within
100 yards of Grove Lake u
proceeding a little distance onethenge viaduct,ine got owffhitehhe
is line,btellant
ofd
wood, dashed against and carried away the north parapet
faking with it the leading second-class carriage and the
first-class carriage. The engine crossed the stream about
30 feet below and t
the mud, which urning upside,down, was imbedded in
((Buncombe) and the
must
stokerhave instantly suffocated the driver
(Hannaford). It was about
half flood at the time. The second-class carriage, which
had but few passengers, followed the engine, and remained
in the mud and water with the wheels down. The guard,
Hosken, might possibly have escaped had not the first-class
carriage fallen on the roof of his compartment and deprived
him of life instantaneously by a fearful blow on the head.
The first-class carriage then turned on its back. The male
passengers, among whom was Mr. Glubb, of Liskeard,
saved themselves. Mr. Matthews, the chief accountant of the
line, had, however, some difficulty, as his end of the car-
riage was nearly immersed. He escaped with his arm cut and
knee bruised. One elderly lady, finding herself uninjured,
quietly requested that the other passengers should be res-
cued first. By the strenuous efforts of Paddon, the second
guard, the other second-class carriage, which contained
about 20 passengers (the major portion in the train), was,
with the truck, saved.
When he observed that the engine was cc Winning," he
pressed down the break with so much force that, aided pet,
bably by the concussion of the engine against the par
the coupling iron broke. The carriage wa.sx
, inches however,
the
off
the rails, and the leading wheel within Six of
edge of the viaduct, so that the escape was a very narrow
one. The truck was also off the rails, but on the line. Pad_
don who was the only official left alive, appears to have
acted with great self-possession and energy. He went fear-
lessly down the embankment to the disabled e trriages, and,
aided nobly, by Spencer, a St. Germans waterman, and
some others, rescued the terrified passengers. Mr. Clever-
ton, town-clerk of Saltash, was soon present with stimu-
lants. Besides those recorded, the only ascertained casual-
ties are three women, who were conveyed to Orchard Farm
where they were kindly treated ; one
man,
the
a bruised
e even-
ing, the others the next morning ; aan
face, who walked on to St. Germans, and a iittle isd
whosee
arm was injured.
The traffic will be interrupted for a day or two The
trains continue to run as usual between Liskeard and Truro.
The bodies of the men are at St. Germans, about a mile
from Grove Lake, where an inquest will beheld on Mon-
day. The viaduct is 116 feet long and 28 feet deep.

Ballot Society, London, conducted the prosecution ;
and Mr. Bishop, solicitor, Fowey, defended Belling.
At the recent election for Bodmin there were
three candidates, Mr. Wyld, the late member, the
Hon. F. Leveson Gower (Liberals), and Dr. Mitchell,
a resident in the _borough, who styles himself a
" Liberal Conservative." The contest lay between.
Mr. Wyld and Dr. Mitchell, and it was a very
warm one. The defendant exerted himself to pro-
cure the return of the Tory candidate, and it was
while so employed that the alleged act of bribery
was committed.
Thomas Chapman deposed as follows :—I live at
Halgover, and am a voter for the borough of
Bodmin. I know a man named Brewer.
Mr. Bishop objected to the witness detailingany
conversation that took place with Brewer unless
the defendant was present.
Witness continued—l know, a man named John
Belling, who is now in court. On the 25th April
I had a conversation with him outside my house at
Halgover about the election. He said to me that
if I would vote for Dr. Mitchell he would lend me
£lO, and I might give him a note of hand for the
money. I said that I should not like to do any such
thing, and that if Dr. Mitchell was not returned he
would call on me for the money. He said that he
would pledge his word and honour the note should
be given up as soon as the election was over. I re-
plied that I should not like to do business in that
way. He then said to me, "Do you consider the
offer. Are you coming into the town one night in
the week ? " I said, "I am." He said that he
should not be at home on the Tuesday, and desired
that I would come on the Wednesdayt, He said that
I was to come about that time in the evening, which
was between seven and eight o'clock. I saw him
about eight o'clock on Wednesday evening, the 27th
April, in his own house, in Fore-street, Bodmin.
There was not much said about the election then.
I asked him what I was to do with my second vote.
He said, " Do what you like with it, so long as you
give Dr. Mitchell one." I said that I had voted for
Mr. Wyld at former elections, and he said, " Well,
Ido not think you can vote for a better man." He
then said, " I want to bind you to secrecy, which
you are not to divulge to any one—not even to
your wife." I said, "It won't do to tell the women
everything that is done." Then he offered me two £5
notes, which I took. Before he gave me the notes, he
rose up, and asked me to step back into a darker part
of the room, which I did. He then said to me, "Take
this, and go out of the back door." I then left
the house, and I went to Mr: Pearce, Mr. Wyld's
solicitor, to whom I gave the notes. (The notes
were produced and identified by the witness.)
In cross-examination the witness said that he was
not canvassed by Mr. Wyld, or by any one on his
behalf, before seeing the defendant on the 25th.
Was canvassed by Mr. Wyld before the 27th, but
did not promise himself to that gentleman. Had
voted for Mr. Wyld at former elections, and pro-
mised him one vote now. Mr. Wyld did not pay
him for voting for him before. He went to. London"
before the election of Iss2—it was in 1847 or 1848.
Had voted for Mr. Wyld at that time. Went to
London to prove that he took a refreshment ticket
for ss. Made a communication of what took place
with Brewer to Mr. Wyld. Mr. Pearce, Mr. Wyld's
solicitor, suggested the line of conduct witness was
to pursue. Mr. Pearce instructed him to take the
money, and he went to Belling's house with the
view of taking it. He was asked to vote for Dr.
Mitchell when he was given the money, but he did
not intend to vote for him. Did not like to take
the money at all, when it was first mentioned to
him on the 25th, and would not have taken it at
if he had not been advised to do so by Mr. Pearce.
That gentleman stated that no penalty would attach
to him for taking the money.
Mr. Bishop—My friend Mr. Whitehurst has
called your attention to the second section of the
act ; but did "Mr. Pearce read to you the third
section, which states that any person taking any
money or agreeing to do so shall be liable to the
same penalties as the person who offers the bribe P
Witness—No. Mr. Pearce did not then promise
he would keep him out of trouble. Was not aware
that lie was going to get into any trouble. Mr.
Wyld was present when he handed the two £5
notes to Mr. Pearce. Something was taken down
in writing that evening by Mr. Pearce, and no one
was present but him and Mr. Pearce at the time.
Did not intend at any time to take the money
untiljadvised to do so by Mr. Pearce, and having done
so had no intention of voting for r. Mitchell.
Mr. 'William Pearce, solicitor and agent for Mr.
Wyld at the last election, corroborated the evidence
of the last witness, so far as related tb receiving the
two £5 notes from him, which had never been out
of his: possession since.
In cross-examination he stated that he had ad-
vised Chapman to receive the money, and that no
offence had then been committed to his knowledge.
Advised him to do this knowing the law, and gave
him this advice in order to detect bribery.
Another witness, whose evidence was unim-
portant, having been examined, the ease for the
prosecution was concluded.
Mr. Bishop having addressed the bench,
The Bench retired, and after an absence of about
ten minutes, the Mayor stated that they were
unanimously of opinion that there was sufficient
evidence to justify them in committing Belling for
trial for the offence. .
Bail was accepted for the defendant's appearance
to answer the charge, himself in £lOO and two
sureties of £5O each.

Mr. Bishop then applied to the magistrates for a
summons against Chapman on the information of
John Herden, charging him, under the third sec-
tion, with a misdemeanour, in having accepted a
bribe, according to his own confession.
The Mayor and Captain Liddle said that they
did not think the circumstances under which Chap-
man had accepted the money would justify them in
granting a summons against him ; and Mr. Ward
application.ite hmuer smte
hs at i dt thato
discuss he wt
haes
(ipue
er
sf et
et
n 1 y
INphre -
e -
said that he should require time to consider the
ha Ita thatVp hm
a n had committed any offence under the
)al
Actel ‘rrelodrC.f Parliament.

The bench were of opinion that Chapman, in
accepting the money, did so without any corrupt
motive.

HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY.

The Toronto Globe, which has the largest circula-
tion in Canada, pays a marked compliment to Sir
Edward Bulwer Lytton for his statesmanlike and
patriotic conduct in reference to this company,
whose sway over the Indian territory, three times
as large as Germany, with a soil more fertile and a
climate as good, ceased on the Ist May. How dif-
ferent from that of his predecessor, the Right Hon.
H. Labouchere, who offered to renew for twenty-
one years longer the exclusive privileges of trade,
which, if persevered in, would have placed Canada,
the quietest colony of the Crown, hitherto so
loyal, in collision with the mother country. With
this gentleman, the family interests and influences
of the Selkirks, Ellices, and Mathesons had too
much weight, who have been weighed " in eadem
trutin6" with the Joneses, Browns, and Robinsons
by Sir Edward, who has done his duty to his coun-
try, irrespective of family considerations and
powerful connections.
As the prairies of the Red River can be reached
in 20 to 25 days from England, we hope to see the
tide of emigration directed to them instead of Illinois
and Minnesota, being as fertile and more healthy,
fever and ague beingunknown. In a few years the
high road to China will pass through it ; in the
meantime an Overland Mail service to British.
Columbia should be subsidised by our Government,
who have no mail service, either ocean or overland
when the Americans have four or five.
Ought not the new colony round Lake Winnipeg
be named after the Colonlagil.eSat novelistecre and tary, as a well-
merited compliment to the
states-
man.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE NEAR FARRINGDON-STREET,
ClTY.—Yesterday morning, between the hours of 4 and 6
o'clock, a fire broke out in the premises of Messrs. Law-
rence and Davis, printers, in Bear-alley, Farringdon-street.
A number of engines were soon in attendance, but notwith-
standing a plentiful supply of water was procured, in the
course of ten minutes or a quarter of an hour the boiler-
house, a roomy building was in flames, which spread to the
counting-houses and store-rooms over, and a large amount
of damage was done before the fire was extinguished. The
origin of the disaster is unknown. Mr. Lawrence was in-
sured in the Phoenix Fire-office, and Mr. Davis was also
insured in the Atlas Fire-office.

[ADVERTISEMENT.]—HoIIoway's Pills.—The liver, that
large and important viscus, which secretes bile, and trans-
mits it to the duodenum and gall bladder, is exposed to
serious and sometimes fatal derangements. It is necessary,
therefore, to watch carefully the first symptoms. A pain
on the right side of the belly, and on the top of the right
shoulder, much uneasiness in lying on the left side, a arY
cough, and difficulty of breathing, are among the cliAgnoa6.:
tics or signs that the liver is more or less affected.
sroliticu,
disorders of this vital organ Holloway's Pills aro
eh
rye
toncheckingand
givingthe o
thernseutoppthlyeoeftonwhile,
hr Bey ne Testl taadspeedy
-
and permanent cure

pOY AL PRINCESS'S THEATRE.
Under the Management of Mr. Charles Keen§
THIS EVENING will bepresented Shakspeare'tl3La orieal
play of KING HENRY V.
King Henry V., Mr. C. Kean ; Chorus, Mrs. C. Kean.

THEATRE-ROYAL, HAYMARKET.
Lessee, Mr. J. B. Buckstone.
THIS EVENING will be performed the new and original
Comedy, entitled THE WORLD AND THE STAGE. The
characters by Messrs. Compton, Buckstone, Howe, W. Far-
ren, Rogers ; Miss Amy Sedgwick, &c.
After which, a new Classical Extravagaeza, entitled
ELECTRA IN A NEW ELECTRIC LIGHT. Messrs.
Compton, Braid, Clark, Mrs. Wilkins, Misses Fanny Wright,
Eliza Weekes, and Louisa Leclereq.
And 'TWAS I.
Commence at 7.

NEW THEATRE - ROYAL, ADELPHI.
Sole Proprietor and Manager, Mr. Benj. Webster.
TUTS EVENING the performances will commence with
ICI ON PARLE FRANCAIS. Messrs. J. L. Toole, Chas.
Selby, Billington ; Misses Keeley, Arden, and Laidlaw, and
Mrs. Billington.
After which, THE DEVIL ON TWO STICKS. Mr. J.
L. Toole, P. Bedford, Misses Woolgar, Keeley, Arden, and
Kate Kelly.
- - •

MASK:, AND FACES ; Triplet, Mr. B. Webster ; Quin
Mr. P. Bedford ; Sir Charles, Mr. C Selby ; Ernest, tfr. Bil-
llngton ; Peg Woffiington, Miss Woolgar ; Mabel, Miss H.
Simms.

Acting Manager—Mr. Wm. Smith.
Doors open at a quarter-past six—Commence at seven. Box
Office open from 10 to 5 --no charge for bookif4.-T. No fees to
servants permitted. A registry kept of all articles found.

ROYAL STRAND THEATRE.
Lessee and Directress, Miss Swanborough
THIS EVENING will be produced a new Comedietta, by
J. M. Morton, Esq., entitled WHICH OF THE TWO ?
supported by the company.
After which, THE MAID AND T FIE MAGPIE.
To conclude with VANDYKE BROWN. Mr. J. Clark.
Commence at.7o'clock.

ASTLEY'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE,
westminster-road.

Lessee and Manager Mr. William Cooke.

Continued Success of INANi NHOEghtly.—Oyerflowing Houses

THIS EVENING, the performances will commence with
a new grand spectacle, founded on Sir Walter Scott's popular
work, entitled IVANHOE; or, The Lists of Ashby, intro-
ducing among the vast resources of this great Hippodramatic
Temple,Tournaments, Processions, Banners, Combats, Tilts,
Victories, and Achievements in extraordinary magnificence.
Ivanhoe, Mr. R. Phillips ; Isaac of York, Mr. Jas. Holloway;
Richard of England, Mr. Herbert ; Robin Hood, Mr. Wm.
Cooke, jun. ; Rebecca, Miss Bathurst; Lady Rowena, Miss
Dowton.

After which, the matchless and unrivalled SCENES IN
THE CIRCLE, introducing Mr. John Henry Cooke, the
greatest equestrian in the world : together with Miss
Emily Cooke, Madame Blanche, Madame Bridges, Madlle.
Fleurette, and Madame Francisco, being the greatest amount
of female equestrian talent ever seen in one night in any
theatre. Grotesques—Messrs. Hemming and Thorne.
aTo conclude with the Farce of RAISING THE WIND.
:Dress Circle, 4s. ; Boxes, 3s. ; Pit, 2s, ; Gallery, is. ; Upper
Gallery, 6d.
Private Boxes, £4 4s, £2 2s, and £1 Is.
Stage Manager, Mr. R. Phillips

CIANTERBURY HALL AND FINE ARTS
V GALLERY, Westminster-road.—Open at Seven.

EVERY EVENING during the week will appear
THE DELEPIERRE FAMILY,

consisting of three Juvenile Violinists, viz., Jules, Juliette.
and Julia Delepierre, aged, respectively, FOUR, SIX, and
EIGHT years.
• ' ' - •••• • • • • • • -

The perfect execution by these Lilliputian Artistes of some
of the most difficult and brilliant Solos, Duets, and Trios ever
written for the violin, has excited mingled wonder and admi-
ration in Continental Musical Circles, and drawn forth enthu-
siastic tributes of praise from the Public Journals of France
and Belgium.

They will perform EVERY EVENING, at NINE and
ELEVEN o'clock, in addition to the usual Entertainments.

THE WEATHER.—SUN OFFICE, MAY 8.
THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE.
69—highest since noon yesterday.
56—lowest this morning and during the night.
61—this day at noon.

BAROMETER- -30.17.
WIND, Northerly ; light, with fine weather, It rained
heavily in the night.

MAY 9.
THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE.
64—highest since noon yesterday.
.50—lowest this morning and during the night.
61—this day at noon.

BAROMETER-30.27.
WIND, South-easterly; rather fresh, with very fine
weather.

The Austrians are still hanging fire. They have
lost the chance of inflicting severe injury on Sardinia.
And in place of pressing forward rapidly to Turin,
have contented themselves with levying pecuniary
contributions on the inhabitants of the districts
they have occupied. It is difficult to understand
the motives for the course they have pursued. had
they not decided on immediate action it was a great
mistake to appear in the character of aggressors,
disturbing the peace of Europe, and affording a
pretext to Louis NAPOLEON for the proceedings
that he so long contemplated, and is now carrying
into execution. There would have been. sufficient
reason for such conduct if they advanced by forced
marches on the capital, and were thus enabled to
damage materially their most hated opponents, and
obtain considerable plunder. As it is they have
procrastinated when activity was of vital impor-
tance, and have lost much valuable time which
can never be recalled.

Their present movements, or at least the last of
which we have any authentie accounts, are alto-
gether of a retrograde character. They have fallen
back from Trino on Vercelli, and have not only
refrained from sending additional troops across the
Po, but have brought back those who had already
passed the river, and even permitted the stores
which had been taken over, to fall into the hands of
the enemy. There has been, in fact, a total want
of the vigour which had been anticipated, and it is
more than probable that the Austrians will adopt a
purely defensive, in place of an aggressive policy.
The plains of Marengo bring back inauspicious
omens to every Austrian mind, and we fancy that
the invaders will not be desirous of having a second
defeat associated with the same locality.
General GYULAI is also fortifying the line of the
Sesia, while General DE "LA MARMORA is adopting
a similar precaution on the Dora. Each party
appeari anxious to wait for the first blow.
We can easily understand this feeling
on the part of the Sardinians, inasmuch as every
day brings them additional auxiliaries and greater
power. But it certainly seems strange that the
Austrians should play the game of their opponents,
or, if intending to fall back on Pavia; and Piacenza,
that they should have taken the initiative and
thus brought against themselves the public opinion
of ',Europe ! and more especially of England and
Prussia, who might be enabled to render important
assistance in the event of serious difficulties oc-
curring.

There certainly is an Austrian division which
crossed by Lago Maggiore, of which we have as
yst had no authentic intelligence, and which may
mean mischief. It is, however, difficult to conceive
that if the last-mentioned division was about to
assume the offensive, that their fellow-soldiers
should have fallen back and intrenched themselves
in a position where they could render but little, if
any, aid to their comrades.
The weather has been a formidable opponent to
the Austrians. The rivers have been swollen, the
fields turned into swamps, from the heavy falls of

rains.

The procrastination exhibited in the first
instance has occasioned greater mischief than could
have been anticipated ; and now that eighty thou-
sand French troops are in Piedmont, in addition to
its own army, there must be a decisive battle or a
retreat and there is no possible chance of a decisive
Coup in the first instance.

To-morrow Louts NAPOLEON, glowing for mili-
tary distinction, sets out from Paris to take com-
mand of the army of Italy. That simple fact
sufficiently proves that he has, or believes
he has, already a sufficient force in Piedmont
to meet the Austrian attack. Anything
approaching to a defeat would be ruinous to himself
and the dynasty he wishes to found. He wants
fame and glory to consolidate his empire. It is
no longer one of peace but of conquest. Failure
would be destructive to his pros pects, and he will

take the best possible care to avoid any reasonable
chance thereof. He is by far too cunning to com-
promise his position with the people. His object is
to appear as a victorious general, and if there were
much doubt on the point, he would allow com-
manders of inferior rank, who will now act as his
advisers or dry nurses, to incur the disgrace and
odium of the failure.

It is our duty, at all events, and under any cir-
cumstances, to keep out of the scrape, and to pre-
serve a strict although an armed neutrality. The
task will be an arduous one. Matters may arise to
render it impossible, but English blood ought not
to be shed, or English money expended, in such a
quarrel. We must, of course, participate in the
evils that result from a state of war, even to those
who are not actual belligerents, but none of the
combatants will be anxious to invite us to the field,
and so long as our honour, dignity, and security
are unassailed, we may and ought to keep aloof
from the contest.

While England must regard all parties engaged
in the Italian war as more or less culpable, and
while in the exercise of common sense she must
suspect the motives of the professed Liberator of
Italy, still Austria and all the Germans who sym-
pathise with her must not deceive themselves.
Austria is the fons et origo mall ; the crime of pre-
cipitating the war, unless so doing could insure its
early termination, was indefensible ; but the per-
manent character of Austrian rule in Italy is the
crime of crimes in Italian and in English eyes.
Count CAVOUR was perfectly right in denouncing
such a rule as incompatible with European
tranquillity, because it amounted to nothing less
than keeping five and twenty millions of
Italians in a state, morally, of chronic insur-
rection. No one could tell when and where the
next outbreak would be ; but with the Austrian
virus pervading all the States of the Peninsula,
the manifestation of deadly disease soon, and some-
where, was certain. The proofs, if they were
needed, of Austria's animosity against the liberties
of every Italian State, are patent now to all in the
treaties which she made. They are treaties not for
defence against external aggression—small States
must, of course, seek such alliances they are
treaties with petty despots to protect them against
their own people. With Austria peoples are
nothing, " Houses" are everything ; and these
"houses"—the curse of Europe—must be saved
harmless against the due reward of their deeds,
when a j ustly-incensed people arise to give it. Trea-
ties of foreign princes with our own to guillotine
those who resisted our martyr King (till last year
of blessed memory), or to imprison, torture, and
massacre the Whigs and Tories, too, who sent
James the Second across the Channel, would be the
parallel of those treaties which Austria has made
with her little -Viceroys throughout Italy.
Here, and here only, is the legal ground of accu-
sation against Austria. Her engagements to pre-
vent the acquisition of liberty by any Italian State,
her consequent occupation of fortresses south of the
Po for that purpose, and the intolerable tyranny
which crushed all Italy in conse pence from the
Po to the Island of Sicily, are the illegalities for
which she has no excuse but that haughty self-will.
Stie would tolerate no political freedom amongst
those who spoke any dialect of the Italian tongue.
She hated the sight of freedom anywhere ; but
the sight of freedom which would flow through
a common language all over Lombardy too, this
was to her more intolerable still. Now our
rulers well know all this ; and woe to the Minister,
or to his secret Royal backer who trifles in this
matter with the feelings of the English nation.
We know who said that Constitutional Govern-
ments were on their trial, although they had been
tried here ages before he was born who uttered
these words; but we beg to remind the august
author of that insult, as we have ever felt it, to the
English people, that despotic Governments have
also had a pretty long trial, and that the detestable
results which we now see in Italy are the natural
ones of Hereditary absolutism. Gaols full of the
noblest patriots, military brutality, an exasperated
populace, priests employed as the instruments of
tyranny, the reign of spies and informers, and a
chained press—these are the genuine fruits of the
regime so dear to petty German Courts.
But not only has Europe a legal accusation
against Austria, she has quite as strong a moral
one. It may be, as Austria asserts, that one inde-
pendent Government has no right to "lecture
another" on its administration of its own domains—
no legal right ; Count CAvotm acknowledged as
much himself. But the eternal laws of right and
wrong cannot be annihilated by technicalities and
legal forms. Europe has a moral right to " lecture
Austria" if, in 1815, she placed six or seven mil-
lions of people under her power, and if Austria has
used that power in a manner quite the opposite of
that which Europe expected. There is surely some
court of equity to take cognisance of the mode in
which trusts like that of giving northern Italy to
Austria are fulfilled. And if there be, any other power
like Piedmont has a right to appear as counsel for
the cestui que trusts. Had Sardinia treated Genoa
as Austria has treated Lombardy, all or any of the
parties to the treaties of 1815 would have had a
right to complain. Had she, instead of treating
her as on a perfect equality, a constitutional
equality now, with the remainder of the kingdom,
maddened all her patriots to insurrection, Europe
might justly have said—lf we have no legal right,
we have a moral right to protect against such an
abuse of our confidence. Genoa, we know, was
bitterly and justly disappointed at not being con-
stituted an independent Republic ; but, contrast
the sentiments now of Genoa towards Sardinia,
with those of Lombardy and Venice towards
Austria.

We beg to refer our Court, and all who are too
ready to take their lessons from it, to an authentic
letter given in our able weekly contemporary, the
Spectator, last Saturday ; it is from an " esteemed
correspondent, who knows the country well, and
who travelled in it in recent years." Some of the
facts we have indeed heard before, but here they
come to us with others, freshly attested by an in-
dependent eye-witness. They corroborate all that
Sardinia has laid to the charge of Austria, and fully
justify VICTOR EMMANUEL in not being " indiffe-
rent to the cry of Italy's anguish." " To begin," he
says, " with the penal code, the proceedings are to
be strictly secret." The defence of the accused must
be given in writing, the prisoner can claim no de-
fender, nor even that the charges against him
should be communicated to him ! By this code,
high and low, rich and poor, man and woman, are
equally subject to the degrading punishment of
flogging. True, not more than fifty blows may be
given at one time; but fasting and bastinado
may"be added. In the worst kind of imprisonment,
that to which all guilty of patriotism are subjected,
the prisoner is confined in a dungeon, shut out from
all external communication, with only light and air
sufficient to sustain existence. He is loaded with
fetters and chained by an iron ring rivetted round
his waist ; his food is bread and water, his bed a
bare plank, and he may not speak even to his
gaolers. " It is beneath similar treatment that some
of the best and noblest Italians are now writhing."
In everything relating to the State, it is enjoined

that " the wife shall denounce the husband, the hus-
band the wife, the child the father, the father the
child, on pain of punishment as accomplices!"

We must, however, refer our readers to the letter
itself, which they will find in another column ; let
them notice the tribunal for political offences ; the
punishment inflicted on those who hissed the Aus-
trian flag (or perhaps did not hiss it) in the window
of a courtezan, with the cruelly ludicrous post-
script; the extent of these brutalities—and then
let every Englishman ask himself—let our Court
itself ask itself—whether such a brutal power
ought to be tolerated in Italy for a single year
longer. Instead of its being criminal to rise in re-
bellion against her, it were criminal not to do it.
England must not intervene. But if she even did,
it could only be to expel the brutal torturers of
Italy.

Although the late deplorable outbreak of war in
Europe has not actually involved England in mili-
tary operations upon the continent, it has so
directly tended already to concentrate the national
attention upon the necessity of securing as rapidly
as possible the efficiency of both army and navy,
that the immediate result will probably be, under
any circumstances, to postpone for a long time to
come, many an intended—internal--peaceful im-
provement. It was upon the very eve, however, of
the positive commencement of hostilities upon the
eastern frontiers of Sardinia that the Premier, upon
the occasion of the Royal Academy banquet, ob-
served—" I trust that before many anniversaries
are over we may be enabled to congratulate the
Royal Academy on having a larger and more suit-
able site for the exhibition of the trophies of art
which adorn these walls—for the extension of their
meritorious and laudable endeavours to cultivate
the fine arts and promote the instruction of their
younger brethren; and that at no distant period
we shall find the productions of British artists in
their annual collections displayed where there is
room for all the deserving, many of which, I am
sure, from the present inadequacy of the space at
your command, have necessarily to be excluded."
The noble lord, determined apparently to be as ex-
plicit as possible in his statements—(un der what
could hardly be regarded as very encouraging cir-
cumstances to the cultivators of the arts of Peace)
—added a few words, first by way of timely retro-
spect, afterwards by way of welcome promise or
vaticination. " Gentlemen," he said, " I recollect
that when I last had the honour of holding office
under the Crown I expressed in this place the
same anxious desire, and I then made an appeal to
the liberality of my right hon. friend the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer, who is not now present, to
provide better accommodation for this society ; and
I am happy to think that now, while filling the
same situation for the second time, we find our-
selves near the completion of that wish of my
heart at that day; and that, knowing the exertions
which the Royal Academy is itself making for the
advancement of art and science, we shall see that,
great object realised in a short time by the aid of
Parliament, viz., the provision of a more worthy
building for the exhibition of the works of the Royal
Academy." So that even in the opinion of the
First Lord of the Treasury there is every reason-
able prospect before us of witnessing the reconstruc-
tion and reorganisation of the National Gallery—
and the induction of the Royal Academy into
an edifice appropriated entirely to themselves.
Hitherto our Academicians, if they have cultivated
any particular school of philosophy, have certainly
cultivated that of the peripatetics. They have
never yet had a house of their own in which to give
their annual dinners, and upon the walls of which
to hang their yearly exhibitions. Whether they
have been in Pall-Mall, or in Somerset-house, or
in Trafalgar-square, they have lived under a roof
as yet only, so to speak, upon sufferance.
It was not, remember, until after the Royal Aca-
demy had been in existence upwards of half a
century that England had any National Gallery at
all. Upon St. George's Day, of all fine days in the
year—upon the 23d of April, the birth-day and
the death-day of the brightest gift St. George bias
surely ever given to England (SHAKsPERE)—in
the year of our Lord 1771, Sir JOSHUA first occu-
pied the presidential chair at that earliest convivial
gathering of the academicans and associates. Fifty-
three years afterwards—and still England had not
the ghost of a National Gallery. Then, however,
in that auspicious year (1824) died Mr. ANGER.
STEIN. And immediately upon the demise of that
eminent connoisseur, the notion was then first started
that England should at length possess a collection
of her own—the nucleus of that collection being the
pictures left behind him by Mr. ANGERSTEIN, pic-
tures which the nation then purchased for the sum
of £57,000. For £3,000 more those pictures were
housed and preserved for the nation at a house in
Pall-Mall. Gradually—little by little—the collec-
tion increased in number and value, now by be-
quest, now by purchase, until, in 1838, the pictures
having become too numerous for the space hitherto
allotted to them, were removed to the new building
which had just then been completed from the
wretched designs of poor Mr. W. WILKINs, the
architect. Twenty-one years ago, on the opening
of that new building of the National Gal-
lery, the collection contained exactly 110 pictures
by the ancient masters alone. That number
has since been more than trebled—the paintings
by the ancient masters in the National Gallery
being at this moment as many as 350 altogether.
The collection of modern pictures, meanwhile, hav-
ing multiplied with kindred rapidity, so that the
whole number of paintings, both ancient and
modern, now forming the National Gallery, exceeds
six hundred! Mr. VERNON has given to the
country his noble collection. Mr. SHEEPSHANKS
has with equal munificence parted with his. TUR-
NER, dying in that miserable little lodging-house
at Chelsea, leaves to England as a magnificent
mmorial of his genius as many as 282 of his paint-
ings, together with 19,331 of his hardly less mar-
vellous water-colour drawings and sketches. No
wander the nation, with all this wealth of art mul-
tiplying thus in its possession, resolves at last upon
making a clean sweep in Trafalgar-square of the
Royal Academy and of that preposterous structure
called, and absurdly called, the National Gallery.
Let us hope nothing will now set aside that resolve
or even delay it. Although England has not yet
anything at all like the 2,000 specimens of the old
masters at Florence, or like the 1,860 at Dresden, or
the 1,833 at Madrid, or the 1,800 at the Louvre, or
the 1,350 at Berlin, or the 1,300 at Vienna, or the
700 at Naples, or the 569 at Turin—still we have
here 330, some of them very noble specimens of the
old masters ; we have made at least a very notice-
able beginning ; we have a prospect before us, as
time goes on, of witnessing the accumulation of a
collection worthy of taking rank among the Na-
tional Galleries of Christendom.

The Duke and Duches de Malakoff; accompanied
by Col. Appert, Commandant Duval, and M. Gudin, left
Albert-gate House on Saturday evening for Dover, en route
to Paris•
The Marquis and Marchioness of Londonderry
have returned to town from visiting the Duke and Duchess
of Marlborough, at Blenhim House, Oxfordshire.
It is understood that, if the indisposition of Sir
Edward Bnlwer Lytton should be of much longer duration,
the Cabinet have determined to accept his resignation, and
appoint a successor to the Colonial-office.—Court Journal.

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THE SUN.
MONDAY, MAY 9, 1859.