The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-18 00:00:00

Income-tax, and a well-known publics writer, who
was without a vote, because he occupied a house in
the county of Middlesex, the rent whereof did not
amount to £5O per annum.

BitiGtur's plan will inero.-,e *i.e clectors in 1
the proportion of five to two of those already
existing. In place of one million there will be
nearly two and a half millions of electors, or about
one-half instead of one-fifth of the adult male popu-
lation of the country. We need not say that this
would be a vast improvement, although we shall
await the elaborate discussion that must take place
before we pronounce a decided opinion on the
plan.

The most elaborate and well-considered portion
of the scheme is that respecting the new distri-
bution of electoral districts. A number of boroughs
are to be disfranchised ; others are to be deprived
of one of their representatives, and the members
that are cut off are to be given to some of the most
populous districts—cities, boroughs, and counties.
Although we are bound to confess that the hon.
gentleman leans considerably to the municipal
population, we gladly hail the proposition. It is a
step in the right direction ; and although some of
the details may be objected to, it will serve as a
precedent to guide others who have hitherto suffered
no inkling of their promised measures to ooze forth.
Lord PALMERSTON will know what is expected at his
hands, and will either relinquish the task or give
something that may be accepted as a genuine
measure. The competitors for the Premiership have
received a valuable lesson, and Mr. BRIGHT has
entitled himself to the thanks and gratitude of the
country, although some of the details he has put
forward may be altered before the measure becomes
part and parcel of the statute law of the land.

It is satisfactory to note, from the last report re-
cently issued in the form of a blue book, in reference
to the Military Prisons, by the indefatigable In-
spector-General, Col. JEBB, continued evidence of
steady, and, in some particulars, of considerable
improvement, in army discipline, and in the general
organisation of her MAJESTY'S Forces. The nature
of the peculiar system of discipline established in
those places of punishment, Col. JEBB has already
frequently explained in previous specimens of this
regular annual publication. His present blue book
report consequently comprises no more than the
requisite mass of illustrative statistics in reference
to the working of that system in 1857. According
to these irrefragable statistics it appears that the
proportion of prisoners admitted into the military
prisons had been reduced in 1857 to 5.62 per cent.
upon the whole force of the army; whereas in 1856
the total number of prisoners amounted to 6,376—
in 1857 they amounted to 5,572. Of these cul-
prits 238 were Scotch, 1,712 were Irish, 3,422
were Englishmen : 95 acquired bad, 124 in-
different, and 5,353 good characters while in con-
finement. As to the offences committed-277 were
for disgraceful conduct, 619 were for drunkenness,
1,038 for miscellaneous crimes, 1,734 were for ab-
sence without leave, and 1,888 were for desertion.
As to the particular kind of punishments-49 days
constituting the average length of sentences—fire
(would that we could say none !) endured the igno-
miny of the lash, twelve were consigned to solitary,
and three to separate, confinement. In regard to
the ages of the culprits, it is satisfactory to remark
how few were past middle•life—namely, 22 being
above 40, 488 being between 30 and 40, 723 being
under 20, and 4,339 between 20 and 30. It is re-
markable that the health of the prisoners has im-
proved notwithstanding—it may be, in some mea-
sure, because—of the reduced scale of diet adopted
since 1850: the ordinary reduced scale, now in
operation, including Boz. of oatmeal at breakfast,
9oz. of Indian meal at dinner, and Boz. of
bread at supper, with half-a-pint of milk to each
meal. It is especially deserving of notice that the
whole character of the army is being raised at the
same time that the discipline carried out in the
Military Prisons, under the direction of Colonel
JEBB, is effecting so much in the way of progressive
improvement among the refractory.

A new field for patriotic munificence has now,
under the happiest auspices, been opened to the
possessors of art treasures in the United Kingdom.
We have seen the nation enriched within a compa-
ratively recent period by the VERNON Gallery,
the SHEEPSHANK Gallery, and the TURNER Col-
lection. Other magnificent gifts of a like kind may
follow in gorgeous succession. To this there is,
happily, no impediment. But apart from these
superb wholesale donations of entire galleries and
collections of pictures, there is afforded to many
thousands, in another and totally different direc-
tion, an admirable opportunity for the display of
the generous civism of individuals. Under the
chairmanship of Lord STANHOPE, the National
Portrait Gallery has at length been regularly
organised, and, we may add, formally inaugurated.
Immediately'before the close of last week, we had
the gratification of attending the Private View of
the nucleus of this deeply-interesting collection—
at the temporary gallery in No. 29, Great George-
street, Westminster.

Altogether, there are as yet no more
than fifty-seven Portraits, constituting the
entire of the existing collection. But these
fifty-seven pictures make a superb commencement.
Thirty-six of the aggregate have been purchased
by the trustees of the gallery—the remaining one-
and-twenty have been presented by the munifi-
cence of various contributors. Conspicuous among
these, the only authentic and satisfactory portrai-
ture there is of the greatest of all Englishmen—the
famous CHANDos portrait of our immortal SHAK-
spERE. A statesman like HARLEY Earl of OXFORD
—a navigator like Coo K—a great churchman like
Cardinal WOLSEY—a musician like HANDEL—a
sculptor like NOLLEKENs--a painter like REYNOLDS
—an actor like KEMBLE_a scholar like Dr. PARR—
a poet like DRYDEN--a warrior like Lord CLIVE
—a wit like THEODORE HOOK—a beauty like
NELL GwyNNE—contributo already to the attrac-
tion of the national collection. Miss BURDETT
COUTTS has generously presented to the nation
PHILLIPS' admirable portrait of her father Sir F.
BURDETT—Lord LANSDOWNE that of his father the
first Marquess, by Sir JosnuA—the Chairman of
the Board of Trustees that of his ancestor, JAMES,
the first Earl STANIIOPE. There is one Royal
donor among the contributors—his Majesty the
King of the BELGIANS—who has presented to the
English nation the portrait of General WOLFE,
the captor of Quebec. There is certainly not one
reader of Mr.THACKERAYiS "Virginians" who may
visit the gallery but will turn with intense interest
to scan the features of the gallant young hero, who
died in the arms of victoryto antottehteheearrelyd-ahgaeireodf
thirty-three. It is curious
effigy with the retreating chin—andle
of
to
beauty,observe
that there is not merely not one line
but not one spark of genius anywhere visible in
the countenance. Wonderfully different is the
portrait of another hero, marked No. I. in the
catalogue--Sir WALTER RALEIGH—with a visage
as perfectly handsome as it is eminently intel-
lectual. The Gallery is already what it will, of
Coarse, become more and more, the haunt of the
hero worshipper.