The Sun.
London, England, 1857-05-19 00:00:00

rEE SUN, LONDON, tUESDAY EVENING, MA Zr 19, 1857

a single member of either branch of the Legisla-
ture, with sufficient manliness and independence,
to protest against the proposed marriage, or to
state that, under any circumstances, it would be
eminently unsatisfactory to the nation. In truth,
we have already had too much of " Germanism,"
and the Prussian is decidedly its most objectionable
p4ase. The people were disgusted with the
vacillation and pettifogging spirit displayed dur-
ing the late war, and the difficulties were by no
means smoothed by the Neuchatel interlude, in
which the paltry shifts and peddling disposition
of the Angel of Peace were so clearly manifested.
There could not, then, have been a time when
the proposition, always unpalatable, would be less
favourably received than at present. The plunge
has, however, been made; and on Friday next we
shall have an opportunity of ascertaining of what
stuff our popular representatives are made, and
whether they are indeed worthy of the confidence
that has been reposed in them by the several con-
stituencies throughout the entire kingdom.
" The leading Journal," as it is styled, follows
in the servile track. It declares that " the Eng-
glish people will heartily respond to the intima-
tion of the
Q (TEEN' s desire that a suitable provi-
sion should be made for the Princess Royal on
the occasion of her approaching marriage with
the Prince of Prussia." We believe that
there will he a very If hearty" response,
although possibly of a different character
from that anticipated by the Times. Such
an application will, under the existing circum-
stances of the country, the tightness of the money
market, and the generally prevailing distress, be
peculiarly unpalatable. But when it is considered
that the money, whatever it may be, is to be
handed over to Prussia, that it .may be regarded
as a species of tribute to the most unpopular
monarch in the whole galaxy of despotism, the
mere amount to be extracted from the pockets of
the over-burdened tax-payers almost becomes a
matter of secondary consideration. It will be the
establishment of a bad precedent, which may be
many times repeated, and it is just as well to
resist it first as last.
The Times declares that " the revenues of the
Duchy of Cornwall have been so well managed
that they will constitute an ample provision for
the Prince of Wales, without the necessity for any
fresh application to Parliament. The Duchy of
Lancaster has been handled in the same way,
and the income arising from this source is, it is
said, destined to make provision for the younger
Princes as each attains a proper age." We hope
it may be so, although to use the vulgar, but ex-
pressive adage " We fear that it is too good news
to be true." But if there is the slightest foun-
dation for the statement, why is not the unappro-
priated fund applied in the present instance ?
or why does not Prince ALBERT out of his
large savings pay the stipulated portion
of his eldest daughter in a match entirely of his
own making, and that is eminently disagreeable
to the English ? We shall gladly make liberal
provision for every Prince and Princess residing
in England. But when the money is to be sent
abroad—when it is to increase the difficulties of
the country—when the precious metals are ebbing
from our ports—it is a very different matter in-
deed. The present marriage has been contracted
without the consent or approbation of the British
people, and they should not be asked in any way
to contribute to produce a result so exceedingly
distasteful to themselves.
Even Clicquot himself should be ashamed to
ask for or to accept a dotation in such a case.
Non olet numnws, however, appears to be his
guiding principle, and so he can get hard cash
he little cares for any disgrace that may be at-
tached to its attainment. The Times hints, and
it is more than probable on authentic data, that
the intention is to pay down a sum in hand, in
place of throwing a constantly recurring life
charge on the public. It would certainly
be well to get rid of a constantly recurring
source of irritation ; but what security would we
have against new demands, or against the young
lady who has once been provided for, again be-
coming a pensioner on the National Exchequer,
along with a greedy set of Prussian claimants,
who will condescend to receive handsome subsidies
from Jousr Bum, ? If money is to be given,
and we earnestly hope that such may not
be the case, it should be placed in
English securities, and stringently settled to the
sole and separate use and interest of the English
Princess, free from the debt,, control, or inter-
ference of her present or any after-taken (Gorman)
husband. Let us at least have the satis'action of
knowing that there will be no after-clap, no fresh
demand on English pockets.
As to the amount to be granted—sums per-
fectly preposterous have been already spoken of.
None of the daughters of GEORGE 111. received
more than 6,000/. per annum from the country,
and that an antuity for a single life, which would
certainly nbt be worth more than from 80,0001. to
100,0001. This is the very outsitle of what can
be suggested, and even to that we entertain the
greatest possible objections. For it carries with
it a possible contingency of far greater weight
than any mere question of £s. d. Suppose, for
example, that the Princes should die without
issue ! what, then, would be the result ? The
Throne of England would be annexed to that of
Prussia, and.- we should be contented to have
public affairs administered by a Prussian Viceroy !
Oh for the pen of a THACRERAY to depict the
probable consequences of such an untoward
event ! The First and Second GEORGES were
bad enough. They had no sympathies or
feelings in common with their English subjects.
But even that would be far preferable to the state
of affairs under a Prussian Viceroy ! If, there-
fore, there must be a legislative recognition of the
inauspicious nuptials, it would be but a salutary
measure of precaution that there should be a
formal act of Parliament depriving the unfortu-
nate young victim, so long as she remains a Prus-
sian Queen or Princess, of any possible claim to
the throne of the United Kingdom ! This should
be the equivalent for the 80,0001. or 3 00,0001.
that may be asked for, and the members who may
be called on to sanction the grant might fairly
ask the concession.
The Royal Marriage Act should also be un-
conditosally repealed. We should greatly prefer
the most beggarly representatives of one of the
petty German Principalities to a Prussian
Prince. We should like an English nobleman or
gentleman still better, allowing the youthful
Princesses to have a chance of happiness by well-
assorted English marriages. We might hope to
get rid of tales of scandal such as were but too
frequent in the beginning of the century, but
which were not so much the fault of the unfortu-
nate Princesses as of the iniquitous and unnatural
laws of which they were the victims.

Last evening the Navy Estimates were com-
plete'l. It will be remembered that about a
third part of those estimates, i. e.—X3,390,000,
had been provided for the exigencies of the public
service during the four first months of the admin-
istrative or Financial Year ('517.,58), immediately
prior to the dissolution of the last Parliament.
Consequently it devolved upon the new House of

Ominous, at once to attend to the imperative
requirements of the remaining eight months—
voting, in completion of the Navy Es timates, as it did
vote, almost we had said proforma, last evening the

residue of the various amounts required by the

Admiralty, calculated altogether in round num-
bers at £9,074,232, adding which sum to
the £3,390,000 voted previously, we ar-
rive at a sum total of just A 12,464,232 for the
entire twelve months. A considerable amount

n itself, of course, but not by any means ap-

pearing to be an extravagant sum when it is re-
membered that the whole of one entire year's
expenditure upon its Navy, by the greatest mari-
time power upon the Globe, is covered by some-
thing under 12,500,0001.

Sir CHARLES WOOD judiciously remarked, last
evening, towards the close of the comprehensive
statement with which he introduced the estimates
collectively to the notice of the House of Commons
—previously to their being separately submitted
to the votes of Members in Committee—that

Economy had been carried as far as—but no fur-
ther than—the exigencies of the country justified.

The First Lord of the Admiralty adding to this
announcement a few word; in apposite reminder
of the wholly indisputable truth, that the late
war had afforded us a solemn warning as to that
most perilous mistake of leaving the empire with-
out adequate preparation for any such possible,
and even probable contingency ! Wholesome
economy, we are rejoiced therefore to learn, has
not in the present instance degenerated into irra-
tional niggardliness. Retrenchment there has
been to a certain extent, but not disbandment.
Thrift but not Parsimony. Evidences of which
discriminative medium course, we take it, are suffi-
ciently apparent in some of the principal items of
the Naval Estimates yesterday submitted to and
adopted by the popular branch of the Legislature.
It cannot be deemed extravagant, for example,
that England requires some 53,700 men for her
full maritime complement. Particularly when it
is considered for a moment that these 53,700
men include amongst their number—seamen, and
marines, and coastguard. It is but a reasonable
calculation, again, which has estimated the wages
of over half a hundred thousand sailors at
1,349,3331. And precisely the same may be
said of the estimate coming immediately after-
wards, that namely of 533,9221. for the
expenses of the victualling department. For the
Admiralty-office it is but the ordinary fact in
these estimates to find some 84,217/. required.
While, according to similar usage, less than
120,0001., to be exact, 118,1501., are demanded
and at once granted for the salaries of Coast-guard
and Volunteers. For establishments "at home"
close upon 100,0001., iu fact precisely 92,2241.
For establishments " abroad" a very little over
15,0001., otherwise, to give the very numerals of
the estimates, 15,4231. For artificers' wages'" at
home" in the above establishments, 584,3901.
For the same "abroad" also in those previously
mentioned establishments, 33,383/. Supplementary
to all which we find for New Works a sum of
378,4151. another sum of just 33,0911.
for the Scientific Branch of the Maritime
Service—and 20,000/. for purposes relating to
its medical department, in reality for drugs and
all the et ceteras in the stores of the apothecary.
One additional item, in these Naval Estimates,
yet remaining to be particularized : viz., the
good round sum of exactly 895,4501. for Naval
Stores and Steam Machinery.
The last-mentioned plea for so very consider-
able a disbursement of the national wealth re-
minding us of almost the only point, in all these
large Maritime Estimates, to which we are in any
way disposed to take exception. But to this we are
disposed to take exception ; and to this we at
once take exception accordingly ! Allusion is
here made, of course, to that particular service,
with regard to which the steam machinery at the
command of the British Admiralty, is proved to
be about the most usefully employed. To be
plain—Sir CHARLES WooD, in introducing the
Naval Estimates last evening, observed that
they had been fully considered in the early
part of last year, and that nothing had
since transpired necessitating in them any mate-
rial alteration. For—he added in the way of
corroborative explanation with reference to
naval purposes it wont' not be necessary to ask
for any additional vote because of the new war
with the Chinese. Adding—that the only fur-
ther demand would be in respect to the transport
of troops ! Aye—the Transport of Troops
" There's the rub !" "That is the question r'
Here precisely is the very point in regard to which
we would forthwith and most earnestly enter an
exception !. The Transport of Troops ! How,
for the most part, has this been hitherto accom-
plished by the British Admiralty ? By the em-
ployment of their own MammGths of the Deep
—l3O gun sea monsters, and the like ?
That were irrational ! They, forsooth, are
only made for show—gigantic structures of
timber and metal floated off upon thn ocean to de-
monstrate by their unwieldy magnificence the
grand extravagance into which genius, skill,
money, labour, and industry can " run " the re-
sources of naval architecture ! How then By
the appliance in some less exaggerated way of
other portions of the steam machinery placed, year
after year, at the disposal of.the Admiralty No
—literally and actually, for the most part, our
troops ar© transported from coast to coast, in pe-
riods of warlike emergency, in ships found else-
where, and chartered at an immense expenditure
—vessels picked up from mercantile companies—
vessels built in the yards of private
shipbuilders. Tins is the kind of extravagance
we protest against in the system long in vogue
with the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty.
A system which contrives to erect gigantic ships
of war, of no use whatever when War does oome.
And which compels us then to go a-begging for
useable transports, for applicable steam machinery.
hands for the lo
go
a-begging
with millions of gold in our
or purchase—seapigs bought
in seapokes—of ships that turn out to be tubs,
or what chances in the latest instance of the kind
to be literally the same thing-LMangs
Nests ! So that our troops recently get a Tran-
sit that provides them with very poor and
precarious transit indeed—suggesting to Punch's
whimsical finey (by a leak, and slack rigging, and
an evident predisposition to founder) the waggish
application of the words, " Sic Transit," &c. We
have bad enough of this—Rather too much,
JOHN BuLL thinks, while he bears the First Lord
of the Admiralty making a "further demand "
(upon the old system), "in regard to the trans-
port of troops"—while, at the same time, he
(JOHN' BULL) is plunging his hand into his capa-
cious breeches pocket to bring up a fresh "trifle "
in the shape of 895,4501. for naval stores and
steam machinery

DEATH OF DR. H. STEWART.—The Belfast papers
announce the death of Dr. Horatio Stewart, Professor
of Materia Medica in Queen's College, Belfast.
DEATH OF SIR E. HAGGERSTON, BART.—We regret to
announce the sudden death of Sir E. Haggerston,
seventh baronet, of Haggerston Castle, Northumber-
land, which happened at his residence, near Hexham, a
few days since, in his 60th year. He bad long been in a
ailing state of health,

APPROACHING MARRIAGES IN HIGH LIFE.

We have reason to believe the Right Hon. Frederick
Peel, second son of the late Sir Robert Peel, and re-
cently Under Secretary of State for War, is about to
lead to the hymeneal altar Miss Shelley, daughter of
the Hon. Mrs. Shelley, of Avington.
A marriage is on the tarns between Captain the Hon.
John Ashley Ponsonby, second son of the late, and
brother of the present Lord De Manley and the Hon.
Louisa Gordon, Maid of Honour to the Queen, second
daughter of the late Lord Henry Gordon, and sister of
Lady Augustus Fitzclarence, widow of the youngest son
son of the late King William IV.
We are led to understand that Colonel the Hon. Geo.
Cadogan, second son of Earl Cadogan, is about to be
married to Miss Ashworth, daughter of Lieut,-Genera,l
Sir Frederick Ashworth, Knt.

The Maharajah Dhuleep Singh, Prince of Labor;
accompanied by Sir John and Lady Login, have arrived
at Claridges Hotel from a tour through Italy.
The Duke and Duchess of Sutherland received a large
circle to dinner last evening at Stafford House. The
party was confined to the immediate members of the
family, the dinner being considered as a farewell to the
Earl of Carlisle before his departure to resume his duties
as Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland.

The Duke of Rutland has arrived in town from Long-
sham Lodge, Derbyshire. The noble duke intends to
make increased alterations at the favourite shooting box
of the late duke against the ensuing season.
The Duke of Northumberland has now recovered
from his attack of gout. The noble duke and duchess
shortly commence their parties at Northumberland
House.

The Duchess of Montrose had a re-union last night at
her grace's residence in Belgrave•square. Close on 200
of the elite of society graced the duchess's saloons by
their presence.

THE IRISH SECIEETARYSHIP.-Mr. Horaman's official
existence in connection with this post will cease on the
21st inst.

We are authorised to state that the Convocation of

the prelates and clergy of the province of Canterbury
will be prorogued by commission on Wednesday next,
the 20th inst., to a future day. No business will be
transacted.

THE TEA TRADE.—May 18.—The deliveries in Lon.
dln estimated for the week were 728,2111 b., being a de.
crease of 695,2571 b. compared with the previous state,
ment.

THE CITY OF DUBLIN STEAM-PACKET COMPANY.—
This company had its stated half-yearly meeting on
Saturday, in Dublin, when a dividend at the rate of 5
cent. per annum, free of income tax was declared.
WHEAL HELEN.—An order has been made to wind
up this company, which was established for the same
purpose in Cornwall, and failed, with liabilities of about
2,000 i.
THE FALL OF HOUSES IN TOTTENHAM-COURT-130AD.
—The inquiry into the circumstances connected with
the deaths of Frederick Byne, Ann Driscoll, Richard
Turner, John Garnett, James Kivill, and Joseph Tay-
lor, was resumed this morning. No new fact was elicited.
The principal part of the day s proceedings consisted of
technical and scientific questions being put to different
witnesses.

MADEMOISELLE RACHEL.—MdIIe. Rachel has returned
from Egypt, and will remain in the south of France, in
order to recruit her health, which has not been entirely
reALered by her residence on the Nile. There is every
probability of the return of the great tragedienne to the
stage, as the directors of the Theatre Francais have
manifested an intention of stopping her salary, which
has been paid with regularity since her departure.
PENN? THEATRES.—Yesterday, at Judges' Chambers
Mr. Justice Coleridge issued a warrant for the appre
hension of a person named Henry Lemaire (who is the
proprietor of a low penny theatre, called the Albion
Saloon, situate at the foot of Blackfriars-bridge, in the
Blackfriars-road), against whom a true bill of indictment
was returned at the last Old Bailey sessions, "for un-
lawfully keeping a disorderly unlicensed place of public
entertainment, contrary to the statute."
ROYAL INSTITUTE OF BRITISH ARCHITECTS.—Yester-
day evening a very numerous meeting of the Fellows
was held at the rooms, in Grosvenor-street—Earl de
Grey in the chair, supported by Sir C. Barry, Mr.
Beresford Hope, M.P., Mr. Tite, M.P., Professor Cocke-
rill, Professor Donaldson, Mr. Pennethorne, and other
architects, when the Royal Gold Medal was presented to
Mr. Owen Jones, in appreciation of his artistic talent,
and as the author of the " Grammar of Ornament."
Other medals were also awarded, and a testimonial was
proposed to Mr. Pennethorne, architect to the Commis-
sioners of Woods and Works. A paper by Mr. Digby
Wyatt, on the Benedictine buildings at Subiaco, was
read.

ELECTION PETlTlONS.—Yesterday morning three new
petitions were issued. Two electors of Maidstone have
presented a petition against the return for that borough
of Mr. A. J. B. Beresford Hope and Captain Scott. The
petitioners allege bribery, treating, and intimidation
against the sitting members both before and during the
election, and pray that the election may be declared null
and void. Two electors of Sunderland petition against
the return of Mr George Hudson, on the ground of want
of property qualification. Mr. George Montage War-
ren Peacocke, the defeated candidate at Malden, has
petitioned against the return of Thomas Sutton Western,
on the ground of bribery, treating, and corruption, and
prays that the return may be declared null and void.
ART TREASURES EXHIBITION.—MANCHESTER, Mon-
day.—Since the opening of the Exhibition about 30,000
people have visited it, for the most part consisting of the
higher classes. Of this number probably about one-half
have paid, the admissien for the first ten days being
half-a-crown. The greatest number who have entered
the building in one day has been 8,500. The committee
at first did not contemplate using turnstiles for the sea-
son ticket-holders, but finding it necessary, both as a
matter of public interest and for their own satisfaction to
keep a record of the number of visitors of both classes
passing through the palace, they have very reluctantly
been obliged to have recourse to turnstiles. This has
been a cause of great discontent on the part of the ladies,
who have a decided objection to having their crinoline
compressed within reasonable limit. Indeed, in some
cases it is with the greatest difficulty imaginable that the
ladies are enabled to pass between the turnstile and the
barrier. The attendance to-day, the first shilling day,
was noeso great as expected. Up to 3 o'clock the num-
ber probably did not much exceed 3,000 pr rsons.
HER MAJESTY'S VISIT TO THE ARTS-TREASURES
EXHIBITION AT MANCHESTER.—We learn from an au-
thentic source that the Queen and his Royal Highness
Prince Albert and the illustrious party who will consti-
tute the Royal visitors, are not to be the guests of the
Earl of Ellesmere, at Worsley Hall, near Manchester.
The fact is the noble earl is in too weak a steno of health
to welcome the Queen at his patrimonial inheritance,
but he has placed his princely seat entirely at the dis-
posal of her Majesty during the Queen's visit to that
part of the provinces. None of the Earl of Ellesmere's
household;will attend on the royal party, in consequence
of the lamented demise of the late earl placing them in
mourning ; and all the duties during the visit of the
Queen and suite will be discharged by her Majesty's own
servants. There is no truth in the rumour which has
gained currency that the Queen and Prince Albert will
visit the Duke and Duchess of Sutherland at Trentham,
the ducal seat in Staffordshire.
ANOTHER BANK DEFAULTER.—A good deal of ex-
citement was caused on Saturday last in Edinburgh,
Glasgow, and elsewhere, by the report that Mr. Henry
Salmon, the agent for the Commercial Bank of Scot-
land, at Falkirk, had absconded, after having made free
to a large extent with the coffers of the bank. That such
is the case is now not any longer matter of doubt, and
it is understood that Mr. Salmon's defalcations extend
to at least 30,0001. The Commercial Bank, like all the
other Scotch banking establishments, has a regular
system of inspection of the most searching kind ; but it
would appear that Mr. Salmon had made free with the
funds in a way which set ordinary detection at defiance.
When certain deposits were lodged he granted a receipt
in the name of the bank in the ordinary way, but applied
the funds to his own use ; and, es the transaction did
not appear in the books of the bank, detection by the
ordinary cheques was impossible. He must, however,
have retained a private memorandum of these deposit
receipts, so as to arrange for the payment of the inter-
est upon them as it became regularly due. Up till this
exposure Mr. Salmon was a man of high consideration
in the district, took a prominent part in every public
movement, and lived sumptuously. He was the oldest
official connected with the Commercial Bank, having
been connected with the establishment for the long
period of 40 years. This event is likely to lead to a
keen scrutiny into the condition of the branches of the
Scottish banks generally, which in the spirit of competi-
tion have been planted far too thickly.
THE EMPEROR OF RUSSIA'S LIFE BOATS.—There
are now in this country several officers of the Russian
Imperial navy, who have been deputed by the Em-
peror of Russia to make, amongst other matters, every
inquiry concerning the life boats of the Royal National
Life Boat Institution, and other means of preserving life
from shipwreck. In pursuit of this object, one
of these officers visited on Friday last a life boat
of the society stationed at Rye on the coast of
Sussex. The boat was on an improved transporting
carriage, from which she was launched into the sea and
hauled up again in a few minutes. Afterexainining the
behaviour of the boat in the sea, and the construction
of her carriage, the officer expressed himself highly
gratified with what he had witnessed. Another Russian
officer, who is about proceeding to the north-east coast,
will also examine one or more of the life boats of the
institution in that part of the country. The peculiar
qualities of this class of life boats, which are on Mr. Jae.
Peake's plan, are great extra buoyancy, immediate self-
relief of water, ballasting, self-righting of boat in case of
being upset, great stability, speed, much stowage room,
and great strength of construction. Lithographic colour.
ed working drawings, both of the life boat and carriage,
are about to he circulated throughout the world, at the
cost of the Duke of Northumberland, president of the
above society. We are glad to find that the great exer-
tions which have recently been made and are now mak-
ing in this country to supply exposed points with effi-
cient life boats, are about to be followed by the Emperor
of Russia in his dominions, and we trust that his example
will lead to the adoption in other countries of the same
excellent means of rescuing life from shipwreck which
have now been brought to such a state of perfection on I
the coat of the British isles.

CRYSTAL PALACE.—ONE SHILLING DAY.—Yesterday
the admissions on payment were 3,887 ; ditto by season
tickets, 391; total visitors, 4,278.

iST. JAMES'S THEATRE.

LES BOUFFES PARISIENS.

To-moirow (Wednecday) evening, public curiosity,
which is much excited by the Parisian celebrity of this
company, will be gratified by their first appearance at
the St. James's Theatre. The success which we antici-
pate will attend this new enterprise of the indefatigable
Mr. Mitchell wilt constitute an additional page in the
chapter of his many brilliant undertakings at this theatre.
The interior of the house, which had latterly got into a
rather dingy condition, is entirely renovated in the most
tasteful style, and equal pains have been bestowed on
the scenery and appointments. The "Bouffes" are to be
accompanied by their own orchestra from the French
metropolis, under the direction of M. Offenbach, a com•
poser of high talent and ability. During the engage-
ment of these new aspirants to the patronage of the
London fashionable world, the performances will take
place every evening, and commence at the highly con-
venient hour of half-past eight o'clock. " Les Bouffes
Parisiens" will, we feel assured, receive a cordial wel-
come, and produce a highly favourable impression in
their new and elegant West-end abode.