The Sun.
London, England, 1859-07-04 00:00:00

been menaced. On the contrary, the Emperor NA- i
POLEON has frankly disavowed all and every inten-
tion of interfering with the nationality of Germany.
Then, why should the Germans insult him by dis-
believing his solemn promises ? The Germans
should remember that it will be time enough for
England to act when the French prove false—but
not till then.

Mr. MILNER GIBSON does not even affect to
emulate the stoic superiority to the temptations of
office evidenced so very recently and so very sig-
nally by the hon. member for Rochdale. Nothing
conies amiss, if it but enables him to have a seat in
the Coalition Cabinet. Poor-law Board, or Board
of Trade—his own eagerly grasped first prize, or
Mr. COBDEN'S leavings—each lure in turn is seized
upon with avidity. " Give me a cup of sack,"
quoth FALSTAFF, " I am a rogue if I drunk to-day"
0 villain !" cries Prince HAL, "thy lips are
scarce wiped since thou drunk'st last"—" All's
one for that" responds Sir JOHN, with (again)
A. plague of all cowards, say I." And so
with w like gusto, the member for Ashton-under-
Lyne quaffs the drugged goblet of Whig blandish-
ments, bi_kt just now disdainfully refused his
quondam ass:qciate, late M.P. for the West Riding,
now M.P. for .nochdale.
How much, le.t us ask, was gained to the ultra-
Liberal cause in th.,,° July of 1846—exactly thirteen
summers back—by 1:no-mAs MILNER GIBSON'S
rst time, from the then
acceptance of office, for th
Whig Premier, Lord JOHN _
,'? fit
RUSSELL. Thirteen
years ago, in this same auspicioLls month for the
Right lion. Gentleman's personal fortunes, he con-
sented to run in harness under the Alrn'' Ili whip
He was then M.P. for Manchester, by tht con-
stituency of which place he had been selee,ted
five years previously as one of the two ultra-re-
forming representatives. Mr. GIBSON thereupon in
that July of 1846 became for the first time an Ad-
ministrator. He was sworn in and kissed hands
as a Privy Councillor. He inaugurated his career
as Right Honourable by consenting to assume,
exactly thirteen years ago, the Vice-Presidency of
that very Board of Trade to which he has now been
nominated President, vice COBDEN, who peremp-
torily declines to sell thus cheaply his proud Par-
liamentary Independence. During the one-and-
twenty months ensuing that first acceptance of '
office by Mr. MILNER GIBSON, what was the gain
to himself, what was the gain to the country
resulting therefrom ? For that matter, indeed,
it might be inquired with about an equal chance
of any satisfactory reply, where was the good
anywhere discernible in return for the abandon-
ment of the Premiership to Lord JonN RUSSELL,
not simply from the July of 1846 to the April of
1848 (the interval of scarcely two years during
which Mr. GIBSON remained in office as the Whig
Vice-President of the. Board of Trade), but from
the 26th of June, 1846, to the 22d of February,
1852, very nearly six long years altogether. Like
the result of Mr. Bob' SAWYER'S practice in Clif-
ton—it might all be deposited at the bottom of a
wineglass, and covered over by a gooseberry leaf.
For five years and for two hundred and thirty-nine
days between the summer of forty-six and the spring
of fifty-two Lord JOHN reigned supreme over the
various departments in Whitehall. And as far as
reforms are in any way concerned, that prolonged
interval of time remains a blank upon the records
of Hansard. Signal as had been the complaisance
with which Mr. GIBSON bad yielded his consent to
be enrolled upon Lord JOHN'S political staff in the
beginning of 1846—it failed the right hon. gentle-
man just one year and three-quarters afterwards.
For in the April of 1848 he abandoned office pre-
maturely—having originally accepted it, as we
have seen and intimated, precipitately. It was
obvious, in fact, in the April of 1848—the year
and month of the threatened Chartist Demonstra-
tion, and of the not simply threatened but
actually and magnificently realised counter-demon-
stration of the Special Constables—if then became
very generally apparent that Mr. GinsoN's Ron-
tinned connexion with the Government might
probably embarrass him in his relations with his
constituency. Vividly conscious of this himself,
Mr. GIBSON resigned the Vice-Presidency of the
Board of Trade--retaining, of course, his honorary
and right honourable rank as one of the Privy
Councillors of the Sovereign. If it be in any way
possible to be so the right hon. gentleman's position
to-day in the new Liberal-Radical-Whig-Peelite
Coalition is positively more anomalous than it was
then under a Whig Administration pur et simple.
Under Lord JOHN'S Premiership Mr. GIBSON
eat in 1846-1847-1848 alone in one of the subor-
dinate posts of the Administration. He sits now-
a-days under Lord P ALAIERSTON'S Premiership--
no longer, it is true, in a subordinate position, but
in the high position of a Cabinet Minister—but he
sits thus, in a manner, in every respect far more
strikingly insulated. His eminent associate of
yesterday—the hon. gentleman the member for
Birmingham—has been shamefully passed over
altogether in the formation of this new Coalition
Government. His other eminent associate of yes-
terday—the member for Rochdale—has declined to
accept the office set apart for him during his absence
in America. Mr. GIBSON takes his place at the
Cabinet Council Board—the solitary Radical or
ex-Radical among a total of 15 Ministers, the total
number of the Cabinet having been originally fixed
as we all know at Sixteen.
Sixteen oddly enough was the grand total of the
RUSSELL Administration—so many of the Whigs
require to have their appetite for place satisfied.
The Secretary for Ireland then as now had a seat
'in the Cabinet—the post (now awarded to Mr.
CARDWELL) being then occupied' by Mr. LABOU-
CIIERE. Mr. LABOUCHERE'S claims are not now
recognised. Lord CAMPBELL then sat in the Cabi-
net as Chancellor, but it was as Chancellor merely
of the Duchy of Lancaster. The woolsack was oc-
cupied by the late Lord COTTENHAM. Mr. (now
Lord) MACAULAY was Paymaster General—
his lordship being now left undisturbed
to the pursuance of his historical researches
at Holly Lodge. Lord MORPETH (now Earl
Of CARLISLE) had the Woods and Forests—
being now viceregally banished to the Irish Lord-
Lieutenarry. Lord BROUGHTON (then Sir J mut
RoanousE) held the Board of Control—now con-
fided, under its new name, to the wisdom of Sir
CHARLES WooD, then, in 1846, the wonder-
working Whig Chancellor of the Exchequer. The
Earl of m
INV) was Privy Seal—the ornamental
post now awarded to his Grace of ARGYLL. The
Earl of. CLARENDON held the chieftainship of the
Board of Trade—now shuffled about between Mr.
COBDEN and Mr. GIBSON. The Earl of AUCK-
LAND was First Lord of the Admiralty—
a perillous and responsible office, now
entrusted to the "prentice hand of the Duke
of SOMERSET. Th,?, Mar •
gins of CLANRICARDE
was Postmaster-Gen eral—an office nowadays con-
fided to the Earl of ELGIN as the
inadequate
reward
of his late resplendlent diplomatic
achievements
The venerable Marquis of LANSDOWNE was Presi-
dent of the Council— -a distinction now reserved for
the comparatively youthful Earl GRANVILLE.
Lord GREY was a t the Colonial-office instead
of its present chief, then Lord LINCOLN. Lords
AUCKLAND and COaTENHADI hare passed away

WYLD'S TREATRE OF WAR.

Under this title Mr. Wyld has produced No. 2 of
his Quartermaster-General's Map, extending from
Malegnano to the West of Lodi, on the River Adda,
to Verona, on the East of the Mincio, and from
Bergamo on the North, at the foot of the Alps, t•
Parma on the South of the river Po—thus taking
in the whole scope of the war as hitherto developed.
We need not say that all the places are set down
admirably clear, and the reader may put his finger
on any town or fort mentioned in the late accounts
of the battle.

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA, COVENT

GARDEN.

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA, DRURY-
LANE.

•.311,0.......,....,... ,
from the scene themselves. Lords GREY, LANS- i Y
—i
r 1 --1 ---1 r
AI E. II NE 1W 8
DOWNE, CLANRICARDE, CLARENDON, and MINTO • ''
no longer figure in any capacity among the
catalogzie of administrators. Sir GEORGE GREY
has sunk from the Home-office to the
Duchy of Lancaster. Lord JoHN and Lord
PALMERSTON have " set" to each other in the gay
political dance, and with a hand across ilave changed
places! Lord JoHN RUSSELL was then First Lord
of the Treasury and Viscount PALMERSTON at the
Foreign Office. Lord JOHN is now at the Foreign
Office and Lord PALMERSTON chief of the coalition
Government. Conspicuous among the members of
which revived Ministry is the more than ever
anomalously placed right hon. ultra-reformer, Mr.
MILNER GIBSON to wit—then Vice-President, now
President of the Board of Trade. An administra-
tor then in his subordinate position, having no seat
in the Cabinet, now possessing the additional em-
barrassment of that supreme responsibility. Sup-
posing this new Coalition by any means to continue
in existence but long enough, we may be quite cer-
tain of this, that Mr. MILNER GIBSON'S tardy (but
for them, whenever it may come, premature) with.
dra-vval from the Ministry will be its next embar.
rassment.

THE WAR IN ITALY.

MILAN, JULY 1 (via TURIN).

The legion of General Garibaldi and the division
of General Cialdini are manoeuvring to close up
the whole valley of the Adige, in order thus to
render themselves masters of the Lago di Garda,
and to isolate Verona from the Tyrol.

BERNE, JULY 2.

A body of Chasseurs des Alpes, 5,000 strong, has
arrived at Tirane, under the command, it is said, of
General Garibaldi himself.

TRIESTE, JULY 2.

The American steam frigate Wabash has left our
port for Messina. To-day '7OO prisoners of war
passed through this town for Nabresina. The Arch-
duchess Charlotte is about to establish an hospital
for wounded soldiers in the Archducal palace here,
and to support it with an annual donation of
20,000 florins..

TRIESTE, JULY 3.

A steamer arrived here to-day from Constanti-
nople passed the day before yesterday, at Curzola,
on the Dalmatian coast, a French squadron com-
posed of six ships of the line, five frigates, and
many gunboats.

TRIESTE, JULY 3.

An English steamer coming from Liverpool an-
nounces that on the 26th ult. disturbances took
place in Messina. Four Sardinian war steamers
were at Messina, of which three had left for the
Adriatic Sea.

Be delightful opera, "I Puritani," attracted a
crowded aod brilliant audience on the stormy night of
Saturday, to witness the first appearance of the accom-
plished Madame Penco in the role of the heroine. The
other characters wcre thus distributed, the names of the
artists giving warrant for the excellence with which the
opera was presented :.._...Arturo, Signor Gardoni ; Riccardo,
Signor Graziani; Giorgio, .Signor Ronconi; Bruno, Signor
Enrichetta, Madame Tag-
Rossi ; Valton, Signor Polon..:.ni
liafico.
We might almost dispense with notice of all the singers,
with the exception of the representative of Elvira, as Gar-
doni, Ronconi, Graziani, and Polonil have often been be-
fore us in the several parts, with the recent change of Ron-
coni taking Giorgio, the uncle, while Craziana assumes
Ronconi's old character of the Puritan coi.wel Riccardo.
Gra.ziani's singing of his aria d'intrata, "Per Oempre io ti
perdei," and his delivery of " Bel sogno beato," Nr-ere beau-
tiful specimens of his fine, manly, yet delicate baritone.
The well known duet with Giorgio, " Il salvo- to dever
rival," with the " Suoni la tromba," ended the second act
triumphantly; the patriotic sentiment expressed adding, by
association, to the enthusiasm evoked by the dramatie sing-
ing of Bonconi and Graziani.
The Arturo of Gardoni is well known ; he dressed aid
looked the cavalier Lord Talbot well, and sang, from his
chest, his throat, and his head, in his usual remarkable
manner. He was applauded in " A te, o cam," and called,
and sang well in the concerted pieces with Elvira, Bur*.
chetta, and Giorgio. In his re-entrance in the first scene
of act 3, he was greeted at the close of his cavatina ; and
in the following one, in "Da quel di." " Ella e tremante,"
brought in the historically absurd anti-climax of the ruin
of the Stuarts, and the glorious exultant joy and marriage
of the young cavalier with the ,old Puritan. Governor's
daughter, to celebrate the " glory and honour" of " Crom-
vello ;" all which we determined to lose sight of in the
admirable musical features of the finale.
Turn we now, as the best in reserve, to the Elvira of
Madame Penco, in every respect a great, an admirable
vocal and dramatic achievement.
The Queen and the Prince Consort honoured the per-
formance with their presence. Her Majesty and his Royal
Highness were accompanied by the King of the Belgians
and the Count de Flandre, the Pi:nce of Wales and the
Princess Alice, and bis Royal Highness the Duke of Oporto.

The advertised season of this great enterprise of esta-
blishing an Opera for the general public, supported by the
highest ability available in Europe, elosed on Saturday with
the great work of Mozart, " Il Don ,Giovanni," with a tex-
tual adherence to the composer's score. Titiens was the
dignified Donna Anna, Piccolomini the piquante Zerlina,
Badiali the mercurial Don, Marini the grotesque and musi-
cally admirable Leporello, Mdile. Vaneri the hapless
Elvira, Ginglini Don Ottavio, Lanzoni II Commendatore,
and Castelli Masetto. The cast tells its own tale of the re-
sources of the Drury-lane Opera, which in the short period
of its career has placed more operas in its repertoire, intro-
duced more talent to the public, and made greater exer-
tions to secure success in every department than any manage-
ment within memory. The season of 20 additional subscrip-
tion nights opens this evening, with a promise of the variety
and energy which have hitherto marked the directorate of
Dro.ry as an opera house.