The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-28 00:00:00

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PRICE 4D. STAMF2D, 50.

found in history, that she had said " If I can bo
his wife but for an hour I will run the risk !" She
knew of the legal objections to the marriage—the
settlement provided for the case of its being dis-
solved, and consequently she had not contracted it
with " good faith" in the eye of the law.

111E522-NG OF THE -PROPRIETORS OF pl?
LANEk-
THEATRE.

.lI:WSPJ-41PER

X--

757-1 Saturday the annual meeting of the proprie-
tors of Drury -lane Theatre was held in the saloon
for the transaction of the usual business. Benjamin
Bond Cabbcll, Esq., in the chair.
Mr. FLADGATE, the secretary, read the report of
the committee, which stated that the receipts of
the year, including the balance of £293 13s, Bd., on
the 31st Dec:, 1859, and the sum of £4,500 paid by
the lessee in respect of rent, amounted to £5,227
18s. 9d. The payments amount to £4,839 4s. 11d.,
leaving a cash balance at the bankers of £3BB 13s.
10d. The payments comprise the sum of £1,900
lbs. Bd., for six quarters' rent, paid to the Duke of
Bedford, and a sum of £1,050 paid to the trustees
of the new renters.

The architect's report was also read, and was of
a satisfactory nature.

The reporis having been received and adopted,
the retiring members of the committee were re-
elected,

The sub-committee were elected, and thanks
were passed to the auditors for their services.
Mr. ARDEN said he had no doubt that the pro-
prietors would excuse him for prolonging their
business fora few moments while he paid a debt o f
thanks and gratitude to Mr. Smith, the lessee, for
the way in which he had carried on the manage-
ment of the theatre during the past year. Mr.
Smith had, to the best of his ability, sustained the
theatre, and with so many and numerous irons he
had in the fire he was almost surprised that some of
them did not burn him, but he trusted the last of
them that might do so would be Drury-lane Theatre.
He moved that the thanks of the meeting be given
to Mr. Smith, the lessee.
Lord W. LENNOX seconded the motion, stating
that Mr. Smith had raised the character of the
theatre by putting plays on the stage in a manner
worthy of a great concern like Drury-lane Theatre,
and in punctually paying his rent Mr. Smith had
set an example which had never been set before.
The motion was then unanimously agreed to.
Mr. E. T. SMITH, the lessee, thanked Mr. Arden
for the way in which he had proposed the vote of
thanks to him, &lid the propr'esas for having
agreed to it, and said that as it would be his study
to discharge every obligation to the committee and
the proprietors, he hoped to receive their confidence.
He thanked the committee for the very favourable
state the theatre was in at the present time, and
for the courtesy they had at all times shown him
when he was unable to carry out all he could have
wished in consequence of the weather, and the state
of business not being what they had a right to ex-
pect at the present moment, For eight years he
had discharged every obligation, and with respect
to fresh talent, it was very difficult to find parties
who were disengaged to take the position on the
stage which was necessary; He had had Mr. Chas.
Mathews, and had now engaged Mr. C. Kean. Mr.
and Mrs. C. Mathews would shortly appear in a
new piece, and Mr. G. Brooke would also appear on
his return from Australia. He was besides ready to
engage any other talent that might come in the way
and offer the largest amount for it, both for the in-
terest of the theatre and amusement of the public.
Lord TENTERDEN moved that the best thanks of
the meeting be given to the chairman for the able
manner in which he had conducted their proceed-
ings, which was seconded by Mr. Arden, and car-
ried unanimously.
The CHAIRMAN acknowledged the compliment,
and the meeting was dissolved.

LA TOLOGNE LI SON DROI7; PAR T. VILBORT,

PARIS, 1860.

Paris is at this moment deluged with pamphlets. Tho
liberty of the Press, deprived of its ordinary vont, takes
refuge in other channels, and seems to breathe more freely
in foreign than in domestic questions. The pamphlet be-
fore us proceeds from the able pen of Mr. J. Vilbort, ono of
the editors of l' Opinion Nationale, and is alike creditable to
his heart and to his understanding. The story of the three
partitions of Poland is, however, a thrice-told tale, and
needs no eloquence to preserve, revive, or confirm the in •
delible impressions which it has left on the public morals of
Europe. Might had more than once trampled upon right
before the partition of Poland ; but in no previous instance
had usurpation been perpetrated in so cynical, and withal
so hypocritical a form. The fable of the Wolf and the
Lamb is the history of Poland; and the original precedent
of that reckless career of ambition, which has ever since
that precedent been continually tampering with territorial
limits at so vast an expense of blood and treasure. The
most eminent statesmen of every country, with Burke and
Fox at their head, Tories, Whigs, and Radicals, have all
denounced the crime and foretold its consequences—con-
sequences which are still far from being exhausted. A new
treatise upon such a subject looks much like a lecture on
the sound of every letter of the alphabet before an audience
better able to read and write than even Monsieur Jourdain,
and more conscious than he was that they were making
prose all their lives. Nevertheless, in the midst of the
hurry, excitement, and confusion of so many conflicting
interests peculiar to our times, the repetition of elementary
truths is not, perhaps, a waste of time, and on this ground
the tract of Mr. Vilbort is not unworthy of notice. But
the fact is that the rights of Poland have passed the stage
of discussion; and the question is not whether her
restoration would be an act of justice, but whether
it is practicable, and by what means it is to be brought
about. The aspect of things is not at present encouraging,
and although in tho long run principles will prevail over
facts, one cannot be blind to the fact that " ins Bros battail-
lons are at this moment on the side of autocracy. The song
of liberty, however, resemble the Spanish guerillas in this
respect, that though they may be vanquished when they
imprudently venture on a pitched battle, they yet see the
strongest armies melt before their desultory tactics. It is
from some moral combination of this sort we look to the
future restitution of the rights of Poland,—not but what in
the present confused and anomalous state of the Continent a
Polish question may be started to-morrow, along with twenty
one and a half other questions, which one government may
start against another; or one or more people start against
their own government. We see despotism or anarchy in
some of the fairest regions of the world, liberty scarcely
anywhere abroad, and cannot forget that liberty was the
vital air of Poland. We should regret for the Poles, if at
this, or at any future time they placed their faith and hope
in foreign assistance. Eighty years of cruel experience
ought to teach them a lesson upon that point. National
independence and freedom to be safe must come from within,
and diplomacy may be resorted to, only to cheer their popu-
lar efforts, and to confirm vindicated rights. Europe is
more interested in the restoration of Poland than is com-
monly imagined. That colossal monster called the Russian.
Empire is twelve times larger than France. It rules over
2,142,504 square miles in Europe, and leaves only 1,687,625
square miles to the rest of the European world. Its popu-
lation is 70 millions, and exceeds that of Germany added
to France. Russia could easily feed as large a population
as that of China, and in less than half a century she
will hold one hundred millions. But the Russians
aro more hardy and warlike than the Chinese, and as
roving and predatory in their habits as their ancestors, or
allies, the Tartars. Add to all this that hussia is ruled by
an autocrat, both in the State and in the Church. tho
natural chief of the Sclavonic race—a race of 100 millions
—from the Frozen Sea to the shores of the Adriatic. After
the successive failures of Charlemagne, Louis XIV., and
Napoleon 1., the idea of one universal monarchy is looked
upon as the chimera of madmen. But the rail and the
electric telegraph have nearly annihilated distance. Peters-
burg might now govern Constantinople, or Constantinople
govern Petersburg, as easily as London governs Dublin or
Edinburgh. Either this will come to pass, or Poland will
be restored. We venture upon this prediction ota
prophets of the future, which is the secret of Providencea.
alone, but as attentive observers of eausesi actuallycsbor:
work under our eyes. Tho Russians
then's:o7m nations
in it as in their inevitable destiny,
and
dstaTesmen without
are not without misgivings, nor western
d tthretmnwhool a Polandare not seems
aware
could effectually check the
anxiety on this subject. The
to be the only measure whiehrt
rn Europe could find in
of Russia, and the expansion of
dangerous preponderance t
and they
superficial politicians..
that empire to the Ilellespo
br
lv
eet
antiquarian geography. Conces-
When we speak ?f
restoration of Poland, we are not
srwi
doingooh n
sl what
,adssftn:ui nanr vital s
rb I e rut ors ea
auto er must be made to Prussia on
thtolAsppuoisrrtti.ratinaocfoen some parts of her frontiers, nay,
the
„Ten to Russia in the north. What we maintain is that
the vast bulk of the Russian empire must be broken towards
the southand the west, and an independent State erected out
of the fragments, having for its nucleus a consider-
able part of ancient Poland. The independance of
the west
tisto
daoelnlaolcyWe whichainn(i ssionsn apt
supercilious
the spiritea
schera. But webe found
should
fobo
shallow
politicians, and bely that policy of peace
of this journal, if we undertook, to preach, in the present
state of Europe, a new crusade against Russia, a crusade
to which no act of aggression on the part of Russia is in any
way inviting the world. The policy of the reigning Czar
seems, indeed, more fit to inspire the confidence than tO
arouse the jealousy of Christendom ; and according to
every probability, the question which we aro hypothetically
discussing here is reserved for a distant epoch. It would
scarcely bo fair to attack Russia, not for what she is doing,
but for what she might, at some future indefinite time feel
inclined to attempt; nor would it bo good taste to heap
curses upon her by anticipation, for "curses," says an
Asiatic proverb, " are like chickens, they return home to
roost." What we would impress on the mind of Europe
is, neither to despise nor to forget the importance of Po-
land, nor turn a deaf oar and a cold shoulder, when shit
implores the moral support of the West in behalf of stipn.
lations to which the West is a party, bound in honour and
in good policy to support, advocate, and justify.

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