The Sun.
London, England, 1866-10-30 00:00:00

ASTLEY'S THEATRE.

The winter season, under the management of
Mr. H. C. Nation, commenced most auspiciously
on Saturday evening last, on which occasion a very
large audience assisted to encourage the new lessee
in his undertaking. Mr. Nation has secured the
services of a very excellent company, and has also
secured novelties by authors of acknowledged
merit, of which report speaks very highly. The
pieces selected for the opening night were
the eminently successful drama founded on
Mr. Charles Dickens's novel, "Our Mutual Friend,"
entitled the " Golden Dustman," which, on its first
representation at Sadler's Wells last season, met
with the most unbounded applause. The only
alteration of importance from the original cast was
in the character of Boffins, which was first repre-
sented by Mr. Belmore, but Mr. Atkins on Satur-
day sustained the part with the greatest excellence.
The remaining characters were sustained by Miss
Brecknell, Miss Nelly Nisbett, Miss Kelly Burton,
Messrs. IV. T. Richardson, Branch, Walter Joyce,
T. C. Harris, Wrench, W. Arthur, Smithson, Craig,
and IV. Harris.

The concluding piece was the burlesque of
" Atalanta ; or, the Three Golden Apples." The
character of Narcissus was entrusted to Miss Made-
line Percy ; and Miss Polly Marshall, as Atalanta,
sustained her part with great spirit.
Mr. Nation, we hear, is determined to carry on
his campaign with spirit and energy, and therefore
it will be but his desert if he meets with the most
unequivocal success.

CLEMENCY OF TILE KING OF PlwsslA.—The
Carlsruhe Gazette publishes the text of the decision accord-
ing pardon to Oscar Recker, the student who had attempted
to kill the King of Prussia, and was for that offence con-
demned to 20 years' imprisonment. The condition for the
remission of the punishment is that he shall not reside on
German territory. The King of Prussia himself, it appears,
had asked for this indulgence, having been moved by a
petition sent in by an uncle of the prisoner, M. Webea,
Protestant clergyman at Hosterwitz. The family asked for
the young man's liberation, promising that he shculd go
and live in America. The Grand Duke's decision is less
severe, since it merely interdicts Becker taking up his resi-
dence in Germany.
THE TRADE OCFRAGE AT SIIEFFIELD.—At a
meeting of the Sheffield Town Council yesterday
the recent trades' union outrage in New Hertford-street
came under discussion, and it was proposed that a deputa-
tion, consisting of the Mayor and Alderman Brown (Mas-
ter Cutler), Alderman Jackson (President of the Chamber
of Commerce), Alderman Vickers, and Councillor Eadon,
should be appointed as a deputation to wait on the Home
Secretary to confer with him as to the necessity of granting
a commission to inquire into the attempt recently made to
blow up the house of William Fearneyhough, in Sheffield.
In the course of a brief discussion the proposition met with
nearly the unanimous approbation of the council, bnt a
general reluctance was expressed to fix the guilt of this
outrage upon the trades' unions, although several speakers
hinted that it was well known what everybody's opinion
was. The impression seemed to be that Government should
appoint a special commission with power to summon wit-
nesses befere them, to examine upon oath, and to give in-
demnities to persons who might make statements incul-
pating themselves. The issuing of such a commission would
require a special act of Parliament. The resolution was
carried, and the deputation will seek an interview with the
Home Secretary as soon as possible.
NOVEL MODE OF COMMITTING SCICID::.--T.llO
following extraordinary account of a determined
attempt at suicide is gravely related by the Lpoca of Ma-
drid ; but as neither the name of the party nor the locality
is mentioned, we must suppose that the whole statement
is intended as a piece of pleasantry :--‘4 The individual in
question being tired of his life resolved to take such mea-
sures as must infallibly ensure his death. To that end he
started for the sea shore provided with a ladder, a rope, a
loaded pistol, s bottle of poison, and a box of snatches.
Having some time before discovered a post standing a
little way out in the water he fixed his ladder against it,
and ascending fastened one end of the cord to the top and
passed a slip note round his neck, swallowed the poison,
and, striking a light set fire to his clothes, then placing
the pistol to his ear kicked away the ladder, but in so doing
his hand swerved, and as he fired at the same moment the
bullet, instead of penetrating his brain, divided the rope,
and ho fell into the sea, extinguishing his burning gar-
ments; also a quantity of salt water he swallowed caused
him to throw up the poison ho had taken, so that he scram-
bled on the shore, convinced that his time had not yet
arrived."

THE NEXT BUDGET.—The Sunday Gazette says
" It is not difficult to assume that at the meetings of
the Cabinet, which commence next Wednesday, the very
earliest question to be considered will be one having an
important influence on the next Budget. In an adminis-
trative sense its immediate settlement is imperative, while,
as regards its effect upon Ministerial interests next session,
it will probably be no less important than even the great
question of reform. We allude to the dimensions of the
two great departments of expenditure—the army and navy.
We have only to look to the Recruiting Commission, and
the scarcely doubtful fact that some additional pay must be
recommended by it as a means of filling the ranks, and to
the proceedings in connection with the arming of our troops
with breech loaders, in order to come to the conclusion
that General Peel will ask his colleagues for increased es-
timates, while it is clear from Sir John Pakington's own
language that he cannot bring the navy to the condition in
which he contends it ought to be without an expenditure
beyond the ordinary rate. However consistent the
Chancellor of the Exchequer may be to his objection
to " bloated armaments," however anxious he may
be to produce a satisfactory budget, and have some-
thing to give away, even though he disappoint
friends who cry out so loudly against the malt tax, there
are some improvements which it will be impossible for him
to resist, and which, if carried out, must be paid for. On
the other hand, although the revenue returns are marvel-
lously good, they are good only in the sense of not show-
ing as large a falling of as was anticipated, in consequence
of Mr. Gladstone's great remissions. By the time that Mr.
Disraeli comes to provide for the service of the year the full
effect of these remisions will have been felt ; and if we
bear in mind that they involve a reduction of more than
£5,500,000 in two years, and look to the probably unfavour-
able influence of the harvest upon the excise and other
returns, we can only say that, without an increased expen-
diture, Mr. Disraeli would not do badly to provide for the
year 1867-8, and keep a few hundred thousands as a balance
out of our present rate of taxation. We speak somewhat
upon a rough guess, but still we are convinced not far from
the mark, when we say that if the plans now before the
Government are carried out, the increased charges for the
army will net be very much under a million. Those for
the navy must.also be considerable. Under these circum-
stances, one of the first things which the Cabinet will have
to consider will be the character of the next Budget. The
efficiency which they cannot neglect is incompatible with
the retrenchment with which they would like to identify
themselves, and the reconcilement of the two objects is not
the least difficult of the formidable questions to which they
must address themselves now that they are about to enter
in earnest upon the business of Government.
ARRIVALS AT THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS.—In
the monkey-house several specimens, including another
pair of spider-monkeys, of which there are now six of three
different species; and also one of that curious-looking
animal which has come to be known as the "jew-monkey.'
This little fellow has a frizzled crop of hair on the scalp,
and a most respectable black frizzled beard, which imparts
a ludicrous physiognomy. It is a timid, gentle creature,
prone to be affectionate to those who tend it, but is much
less energetic and intelligent than the cebi or "ring-tails,"
and it belongs to the group of South American monkeys
with nonprehensile tails, though constituting, with others,
a very distinct genus of that series, of more quiet de-
meanour than the little petulant marmozets and others
with which most visitors to the gardens are familiar. A
pair of small pardine cats, also from South America; and
two more Arctic foxes, making eight in all. It is only
when a number are kept together that the Arctic fox
seems to thrive in captivity. The cats are to be seen in
the house for small quadrupeds, and are associated in the
same cage with a remarkable pretty genet from Western
Africa.—Land and Water.

CIVIL LIST PENSION.—Her Majesty has been
pleased, through Lord Derby, to confer a pension of £75 a
year on the widow of the late Mr. Godfrey Sykes, formerly
a pupil and teacher of the Sheffield School of Art, and the
architectural decorator of the South Kensington Museum.