The Sun.
London, England, 1866-02-05 00:00:00

HOUSES.—Messrs. TOPLIS and ROBERTS we judge the future from the past can we expect
have numerous furnished and unfurnished TOWN, that Herr von BISMARCK will yield one iota of his
Suburban, aad Country KESIDEM;ES to LET or SELL.
Particulars upon application forwarded for two stamps, arbitrary demands. He has become so infatuated
upon stating requirements and rental. Offices, 2, Conduit-
street, Regent-street, alid South Kensington, facing the with his great success hitherto that in all proba-
Museum.
bility he will pursue his mad career quite heedless
of where it will take him to.

QOUTII KENSINGTON, HYDE-PARK,
Queen's, and Rutland Gates, Queen's-gate and Peters-
-*rn rraces, Queen's-gate, Cornwall, Princes and Beaufort
Ely iston-place, Cromwell-road, Onslow and Thurloe
✓ iaares, Boltens, &c. Messrs TOPLIS and ROBE itTS have
r:-I DEN CES to SELL and LET in these and surrounding;
localities. Offices, 2, Conduit-street, Regent-street, and
South Kensington, facing the Museum.

It is not very long since the report of the trustees
of the PEABODY Fund appeared in the journals,
and was read with general interest. The admiration
felt for the magnificent generosity of the American
gentleman was increased if possible by the know-
ledge of how much good his gift had been the
means of doing; of how many toil-worn, anxious
families had been raised from the inevitable associa-
tions of dirt and squalor to the enjoyment of a de-
cent and respectable home, fitted with all those
little appliances for domestic comfort and economy
which make so great a difference in the weekly ex-
penditure of the thrifty housewife. The manner in
which Mr. PEABODY'S money has been expended by
the trustees has been worthy of the gift. It has
been laid out in a sensible, prudent, practical form,
so that it shall not only relieve temporary suffering
and then be forgotten, having done its work, but
it shall last to future generations, the very good it
does giving it the means of doing more. The
economy shown in the administration of the funds
could only have been manifested where the in-
terest of the trustees was in the cause, and Mr.
PEABODY has the satisfaction of knowing that none
of the money has been uselessly or lavishly ex-
pended. He can, too, see for himself the rows and
squares of goodly habitations, and learn from tho
healthy, cheerful countenances of the inmates how
practically beneficial his kindness has been to one
of the
.classes most deserving of help—the respect-
able, hard-working poor. So well satisfied does
Mr. PEABODY appear to be, that the public is now
gratified as well as astonished to learn that he has
nearly doubled his gift, having added to the already
munificent donation of £150,000, the sum of
£lOO,OOO ! Such lavish generosity reads more
like the fables of Eastern princes and magicians,
more like a chapter from Persian romance or the
Arabian Nights, than the record of the gifts of an
ordinary man of business in our matter-of-fact
and self-seeking age and country. Great thoughts
and noble impulses no doubt abound ; but pru-
dence, timidity, the claims of family and position,
the extravagant demands of even ordinary living at
the present day, all step in to fetter and to cramp
the spirit which inclines to forget what may be
exactly expected or demanded in measuring its own
means against the overwhelming want and suffer-
ing around. Mr. PEABODY simply says that he
feels this country has claims upon his fortune,
since so large a portion of that fortune was
acquired here. But if this reason constitutes so
powerful an appeal upon the generosity of one who
is after all the citizen of another country, surely
the claim must be still stronger upon those who
by birth, by education, by association, by rela-
tionship, are altogether English. There is no lack
of liberality in this country, as is continually
proved in cases of great or exceptional distress,
while the number of noble institutions, hospitals,
and asylums, supported exclusively by voluntary
contributions, show on their very fronts convincing
evidence that Englishmen "remember the poor

LIFEBOAT SE RVI CE S. —1) urin g the storms
of the past year the National Lifeboat Institution, by
Its i ifeboats and ()liter means, contributed to the savin ; of
;07 persons from stiffer ent wrecks on our coasts. The Insti-
tution also expended .£91,•V.4 In the same period on its life-
boat ettablisliments, in addition to grantiot4- .£4,030 for te-
wai ds for saving die and exerzising the lifeboats.
The Committee of the Institution e irnestly A i'PEAL to
the public for ASSISTANcE to enable them to nie,t, the
continued heavy demands on the Institution's 15s lifeneat
stations.
~ at the
Contributions are received by the London andaq country
bank,trs ; and by the Secretary, Richard Lewis E ,
Institution, 14, John-street, Adelphi, London.

THE WELLINGTON RESTAURANT,
ST. JAMES'S-STREET.
Entrance, 160, Piccadilly.
BREAKFASTS, LUNCHEONS, AND DINNERS
from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Charges moderate.
An Elegant DINING ROOM for Ladies and Families.

TO the PEERESSES and LADIES of the
ROYAL COURT of ST. JAMES'S, who intend to be
present at the Opening of the Houses of Parliament by her
Majesty in person, are requested to make early application
to 31A0AM i E RACHEL to nsur, her special attendance
for that occasion.-47A, New Bond-street.

ROYAL ENGLISH OPERA, COVENT-
GA ELDEN.

(Opera Company, Limited.)

TIIIS EVENING (Saturday), Mr. Charles Deffrlli's
new opera, in one act, CHRI6TMAS EVE. Madame Y.
Lancia, Madame E. Heywood; Mr. A. Cook, and Mr. D.
Miranda.

Conductor, Mr. Alin I Mellon.

After which, at 8, the grand comic, spectacular, and ope-
ratic Christmas Pan'omime, entitled ALADDIN AND THE
WONDERFUL LAMP; or, Harlequin and the Flying
Palace. (See other advertisements).

Commence at 7 &clock.

TH EA TRE ROYAL, DRURY-LANE.-
Managers, Messrs. E. Falconer and F. B. Chatterton.

THIS EVENING, the Comedy of TIIE JEALOUS
WIFE. Mr. Phelps, Mrs. Hermar n Vezin,

After which, the Pantomime, LITTLE: KING PIPPIN;
or, Harlequin Fortunatus and the Magic Purse and Wishing
Cap. Messrs. G. Belmore. 11. brayton, G. Weston, Master
Percy tioselli ; Misses II azlewood, A. Thomson, E. Falconer,
Pantomimists, Messrs. 11. Bolen°, C. Lauri, Cormacx,
Saville, Miss Morgan, and Madame Boleno.

But Mr. PEABODY'S example suggests to us the pos

sibility of something more. In our wealthy metro

polis there are hundreds of men who have made
fortunes not unworthy to be compared with 31r.

PEABODY'S. Surely it would not be expecting too
much of some of our City millionaires that they
should manifest the same anxiety to assist their dis-

tressed fellow-countrymen that an American mer-
chant has shown to those who have less direct
claims upon him. If the American's noble gift

should stimulate any other wealthy man in this
country to follow his example, it will have done
double good ; but if it extend no further than it

has already done, it will still give many thousands

of English men and women cause to remember and

to bless the name of Mr. PEABODY.

General CLAY has been entertained by the Cor-
poration of Merchants at Moscow, and the excite-
ment and enthusiasm which were manifested on the

occasion were most extraordinary. The reception
of the General and Mr. CURTIN, his Secretary of
Legation, was very flattering, and all possible means
were adopted to insure harmony and cordiality•
The President of the Imperial Exchange, in pro-
posing the health of the PRESIDENT of the United
States, dwelt upon the great sympathy -which

existed between the Russians and the Americans

He declared that they were actuated by
higher motives than mere commercial ones in en-
tertaining their honoured guest. So great was the
excitement that prevailed at this juncture that a

telegram was sent to the American Consul at Liver-
pool, for transmission to his Excellency ANDREW
JOHNSON, President of the United States of Ame-
rica. General CLAY'S speech also afforded great
gratification to the Assembly. He spoke in English,
and declared that he had great pleasure in paying a
visit to the ancient capital, the cradle of the Russian
nation. We must confess that the General rather
exceeded even the limits of American exaggeration
when he spoke of ALEXANDER the Second as
" that glorious Monarch whom GOD gave to the
living generation as a guarantee of prosperity to
Russia, and as an honour to humanity for all time
to come." The coincidence of this great Monarch
being in power at the same time as the President of
the great Republic is a special dispensation of
PROVIDENCE to promote the liberty and civilisa-
tion of the human race.

Great as was the enthusiasm concerning General
CLAY, it seemed even more extended when the
Assembly received the toast concerning Mr. CUR-
TIN. In proposing it Mr. TORBOFF, who before
said that the love of the strong for the strong is
what binds them together, declared that he never
wished so much to be a good speaker before as he
did then in endeavouring to celebrate the praise of
their guest, whom he addressed in Russian as JE RE-
DAVIDOUILET CURTIN. It appears also that Mr.
CURTIN was quite as carried away by the excitement
of the scene as his entertainers, and in concluding
his harangue:by quoting the words of an American
poet—" God bless the great Empire that loves our
great Republic, success to its people and long life
to its Czniz," his feelings quite overcame him.
General CLAY, in a second speech that he made,
indulged in some very intolerant remarks at the
expense of England and France. Ile said that the
Russian and American industry being but young
must be protected against overwhelming compe-
titors, and actually went so far as to affirm that if
the request of the Freetraders were complied with,
" Russia and America would become tributary to
France and England for all time to come." This
is a most ridiculous idea, and speaks ill for the pro-
gress of American commerce. A comparison be-
tween the United States and Russia was drawn by
a Mr. TCIIIJOFF, in which he said that the time had
passed when these great empires had consented
to be the hewers of wood and drawers of water
in the household of civilised nations. " The doctrine
of Protestantism might be regarded with a mingled
feeling of pity and contempt in Western Europe,
hut, thank GOD, it gained even fresh proselytes in
both Itusia and America." Such doctrines are of