The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-19 00:00:00

ROYAL

Under the manaszement of Miss L. Pyne and Mr. W. Harrison.
THIS EVENING (the first time) VICTORINE. Messrs.
Santley, Haigh, H. Corri, G. Honey, Bartleman, &c. Misses
Parepa, Thirlwall, &c.
Conductor, Alfred Mellon.
Ballet, LA FIANCEE. Messrs. W. H. Payne, 11. Payne,
F. Payne, Mdlle. Lequine, Pasquale, Pierron, Clara Morgan,
and Mons. Vandris.
Doors open at half-past 7—Commence at 8 o'clock.

THEATRE-ROYAL, HAYMARKET.
Lessee, Mr. J. B. Buckstone.
THIS ETENTINT4 the performances will commence with
A GAME OF SPECULATION.
After which, by desire, TUE CONTESTED ELECTION
Mr. and Mrs. Charles; Mathews, Mr. Buckstone, &c.
And SHOCKING EVENTS.
Commence at y.

ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE.-
Lessee, Mr. A. Harris.

THIS EVENING, the new drama, entitled HOME
TRUTHS. Messrs. G. Melville, J. G. Shore, F. Matthews,
Miss C. Lec'ercq and Mrs. Charles Young.
To be followed by the new Petite Comedy ' entitled
* 03SIP. Messrs. Ryder, Meadows, H. Bland, J. G. Shore ;
and Mrs. C. Young.
After which, Mons, Espanosa (Premier*Danseur Comique),
will appear, with Madlle. Nariquita, assisted by the Ladies of
the Corps de Ballet, in Le Grand Pas du Dervish de Faust, as
danced by him 150 consecutive nights at the Theatre de la
Porte St. Martin, Paris.
To conclude with NURSEY CHICKWEED. Messrs. H.
Widdicomb, Meadows, H. Saker ; Miss L. Keeley and Mrs.
Weston.

NEW THEATRE - ROYAL, AD ELPHI.
Sole Proprietor and Manager. Mr. Benj. Webster.

THIS EVENING. THE DEAD HEART. Messrs
B. Webster. J. L. Toole, David Fisher, Paul Bedford. Stuart,
Billington, C. J. Smith, Ebume, Moreland; Miss Woolgar,
and Miss K. Kelly.
Followed by the successful piece of extravagance, called
DINORAH UNDER DIFFICULTIES. Messrs. J. L. Toole,
P. Bedford, C. J. Smith, Eburne, and Miss K. Kelly.
Doors open at half-past six—Commence at seven. Box-
Office open from 10 to 5. No charge for securing seats,
nor for bills of performance. All fees to servants of this
establishment are strictly prohibited.
Acting Manager—Mr. Wm. Smith.

THEATRE-ROYAL LYCEUM.-
Sole Lessee and Directress, Madame Celeste.
THIS EVENING, a new Vaudeville Comedietta, called
THE KEY UNDER THE DOOR-MAT. Messrs. James
Vinning, Jno Rouse, &c. ; Mesdames A, H. Hatton and Julia
St. George.
To be followed by the new Drama Fantastique, entitled
PARIS AND PLEASURE ; or, Home and Happiness.
Principal characters by Messrs. W. Lacy, J. Vining, J. John-
stone, F. Villiers ; Misses Julia St. George, Hudspeth, Kate
Saville, A. Burdett, and Madame Celeste.
Po conclude with ST. MARY'S EVE. Madame Celeste
and Mr. Rouse.

ROYAL ST. JAMES'S THEATRE,
King-street, St. James's. Lessee, Mr. T. B. Chatter-
ton. The nearest Theatre to Chelsea, Pimlico, and West-
minster, the Park being open to carriages and foot passen-
gers all hours of the night.
On Christmas Eve (SATURDAY) a new Farce, entitled
GARIBALDI.
Followed by a new sketch, A HOUSEHOLD FAIRY.
Miss Wyndham.
To conclude with the new pantomime of PUNCH AND
JUDY.
Reduced Prices—Gallery, M ; Pit, ls. The Box-office open
from 11 to 5 daily. Doors open at hall-past six ; perform
ance commences at 7.

ASTLEY'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE,
Westminster-road.

Sole Lessee—Mr. William Cooke, his Farewell Season.

- -
THIS EVENING, the grand melo-drsmatic production,
by Tom Taylor, Esq., called GARIBALDI; illustrating the
principal events in the Life of the Great Italian General.
To be followed by New and Brilliant Equestrian Changes in
the Arena, introducing a vivid Four-horse Scene by John
Henry Cooke, as the Nemxan Conqueror- More Wonders by
the Educated Elephant—Elegant Equitation by Miss Emily
Cooke, the Queen of the Circle—Young Alfred Cooke's sur-
passing evolutions on a naked Courser—Electrifying Feats
by the Athenian Athletac, J. H. Cooke and Crouses—Novel
Flag Exercises on horseback by Madlle. Jenny—Varied by
those heralds of fun, the Clowns, Mimes, and Drolls.
To commence at 7.
Especial Notice.—Three Grand Morning Representations
of the grand new Pantomime, entitled HARLEQUIN TOM
MOODY ; or, Old Towler the Huntsman and the Goddess
Diana, on Monday and Saturday, Dec. 26 and 31, and Monday
Jan. 2, 18f0, at Two o'clock each day.

CANTERBURY HALL CONCERTS.-
EVERY ;EVENING. Sterndale Bennett's MAY
QUEEN.
And a Grand Se:ection from Meyerbeer's new opera of
DINORATI. _ _ _

Comic Vocalists —Messrs. Geor,c Hodson (the Irish Come-
dian and Mimic), W. T. Critchfleld, and E. SV. Hackney.
• •

Several interesting Pictures are added to the Fine Arts
Gallery. The suite of Halls have been re-decorated and
beautified, and constitute one of the most unique and brilliant
sights of the metropolis.
ROSA BO'N HEUR' S celebrated PICTURE of the I=IOII.SE
FAIR is now added to the already magnificent Collection of
Paintings in the Canterbury Hall Fine Arta Gallery. The
gallery is open from 5 till 11 on Sunday Evening.

THE WEATHER.—SUN OFFICE, DECEMBER 18.
THRIVMOMETER, IN THE SHADE.
36—highest since noon yesterday.
29—lowest this morning and during the night.
31—this day at-noon.

BAROMETER-29.72.
WIND. South-Easterly; light, with fine weather, but
very cold.

DEC. 19.
THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE.
32 —highest since noon yesterday.
2.s—lowest this morning and during the night.
31—this day at noon.

BAROMETER-29.7S

WIND, Southerly ; with very cold, foggy, frosty weather.
HALF-PAST ONlL—Better weather, with sunshine.
II ALP-PAST Two.—Wind changed to south-west, with
a fall of snow, but milder weather.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
Tuts DaY.—Morning, 9h. 16m.—Afternoon, 9h. 50m
To-moußow.-Morning, 10h. 25m.—Afternoon, Ilb. Om

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THE SUN.
LONDON, MONDAY, DEC. 19, 1859.

There is something wonderfully significant in all '
these sinister rumours about Austria, now flying
from bourse to bourse fitfully throughout the length
and breadth of Christendom. The coming event
here again surely is casting its shadow be-
fore it ! The shadow always sombre, always
darkling, often fluctuating. As with the
shadow thrown by the earth upon the moon's
disc during a lunar eclipse this one too has
its penumbra, or ghostly shade of the shadow
itself ! The latest example of which phenomenon
was noticeable only the other day, and was cer-
tainly in its way sufficiently extraordinary. It
was noticeable, We mean, in the rumour of the
young EMPEROR'S intended abdication. But as
usual with so many other statements advanced with
reference to the intentions of the Hapsburg
dynasty this last and most surprising report of all
turns out to be nothing less than an unmitigated
—canard ! That polite diplomatic term for a lie :
for what we popularly designate in this country a
" mare's-nest"—what the Yankees designate " a
bam," and boarding-school young ladies " a
fib." But call it as we may—fib, barn, mare's-
nest, lie, or canard —it is significant, this
rumour, as a rumour, is at least sigficant. It
demonstrates as clearly as possible the European
estimation of the tenure of power by the Kaiser—a
tenure (far and wide throughout Christendom) held
to be most precarious. Yesterday, as it were, the
flying rumour was that the Emperor
FRANCIS JosErn intended to abdicate. To-day
the accounts from Vienna state that that report " is
totally unfounded." Still—there was the rumour,
however erroneous. It was flashed through tele-
graphic lines, it was repeated from newspaper to
newspaper, it circulated hither and thither through
Christendom. And of what other European sove-
reign just now i 3 the same story told? Of not one
monarch save the Kaiser, of none save this imperial
Autrian ruler over some thirty-seven or thirty-
eight millions of men. Again, we repeat—to say
the very least of it, this is significant.
The undoubted truth in regard to the Austrian
Empire is this that it is pretty generally
regarded as really and positively at this imminent
juncture upon the eve of disruption. It has often
been likened before now to that symbol of ancient
Roman authority—the fasces ! A bundle of rods
tied together with a keen-edged axe in the centre.
And it would certainly be difficult not to recognise