The Sun.
London, England, 1859-03-07 00:00:00

OYAL ENGLISH OPERA, COVENT
...IA GARDEN, under the sole Management of Miss Louisa
Fyne and Mr. W. Harrison
THIS EVENING will be presented an entirely new and
romantic Opera, by Mr. W. Balfe, entitled SATANELLA ;
or, THE POWER OF LOVE.

Conductor—Mr. Alfred Mellon.
To conclude with the new Pantomime of LITTLE RED
RIDING HOOD ; or, Harlequin and the Wolf in Granny's
Clothing.

Commence at Seven,

THEATRE-ROYAL, DRURY-LANE.
Lessee—Mr. E. T. Smith.
THIS EVENING. will be produced an original En fish
Ballad Opera, entitled WILLIAM AND SUSAN, w am
Mr. Haigh ; Susan, Miss Lucette.
ro conclude with the nePantomime, ROBIN HOOD ;
w
OV, Harlequin Friar Tuck and the Merry Men of Sherwood
.Forest.

ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE.
Under the Management of Mr. Charles Kean.
THIS EVENING, will be presented Shakspere's Tragedy
of HAMLET.
Hamlet, Mr. C. Kean—Gertrude, Mrs. C. Kean.
After which, a new grand Christmas Pantomime, entitled
THE KING OF THE CASTLE; or, Harlequin Prince
Diamond and Princess Brighteyes.

THEATRE-ROYAL, HAYMARKET.
Lessee, Mr. J. B. Buckstone.
THIS EVENING, an entirely new comic drama, called
THE YOUNG MOTHER.

After which THE LOVE CHASE. Messrs. Chippendale,
W. Farren,:Rogers, Clark; Miss Amy Sedgwick and Mrs. E.
Fitzwilliam.

To conclude with JACK'S RETURN FROM CANTON,

Commenee at 7.

ROYAL LYCEUM THEATRE.
Manager, Mr. Edmund Falconer,
Engagement of Mr. and Mrs. Barney Williams.
THIS EVENING, will be produced THE FAIRY
CIRCLE. Mr. and Mrs. B. Williams.
After which, THE HOUR AT SEVILLE. Mrs. Barney
Williams in ten characters.
To conclude with THE LEPRACHAUN; or, Bad Luck's
Good Luck with Good Looking After. Messrs. Barney
Williams, Barrett, Ste.
Reduced Prices—Dress Boxes, 4s. ; Upper Boxes, 3s. ; Pit,
28. ; Stalls, ss. ; Gallery, is.
Box-office open from 11 to 5 daily. Doors open at half-past
6 to commence at 7 every evening.

NEW THEATRE - ROYAL, ADELPHI.
Sole Proprietor and Manager, Mr. Benj. Webster.
Sixth appearance in the new theatre of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred
Wigan.—Revival of DOMESTIC ECONOMY. John
Grundy, Mr. Wright. Unprecedented success of the
INVISIBLE PRINCE. Mr. J. L. Toole, Miss Woolgar.
THIS EVENING, the performance will commence with
STILL WATERS RUN DEEP. John Mildmay (his first
appearance), Mr. A. Wigan ; Mr. Potter, Mr. Charles Selby;
Hawksley, Mr. Billington ; Mrs. Mildmay, Mrs. Billington ;
Mrs. Sternhold (her first appearance), Mrs. A. Wigan.
After which WELCOME LITTLE STRANGER.
To conclude with THE INVISIBLE PRINCE. Mr. J. L.
Toole, Miss Woolgar, Miss Arden, Miss Keeley, Miss Kate
Kelly.
Doors open at a quarter-past six—Commence at seven. Box
Office open from 10 to 5 —no charge for booking. No fees to
servants permitted. A registry kept of all articles found.

ROYAL STRAND THEATRE.
Lessee and Directress, Miss Swanborongh
This Evening will be presented MATRIMONIAL PRO-
SPECTUSES.
Atter which, the new Extravaganza, KENILWORTH ; or
Ye Queene, ye Earle, and ye Maydenne
And THE BONNIE FISH WIFE.
Commence at 7 o'clock.

ASTLEY'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE,
Westminster-road.
Lessee and Manager Mr. William Cooke.
Brilliant and unprecedented success of the new Dramatic

Spectacle.
THIS EVENING, and during the week (Ash Wednesday
excepted), the performances will commence with an entirely
new Spectacle, from the pen of R. Phillips, Esq., interspersed
with /extraordinary hippodramatic effects and striking situa-
tions, in three Acts, and entitled THE HUNDRED
CUIRASSIERS. Produced with new scenery, mechanical
arrangements, gorgeous •in I characteristic costumes, elabo-
rate equestrian and spectacular appointments, and the hand-
somest Stud of Horses in the world. Characters by Messrs.
Holloway, Phillips, Anson, Francis, Anderson, M. Howard.
Herbert ; Mesdames Dowton, Blanche, Julia Weston, Thorne,
&c. _ .

ifucing Mr. W. Cooke, Mr. Bridges, Mr. A. Cooke, &c.
Emily Cooke, together with the Star Riders. and Astley's
unrivalled Troupe of Equestrian Artistes.
To be followed by SCENES IN THE CIRCLE, intro-
ducing Miss Kate Cooke, Miss Emily Cooke, Madame Blanche,
Madame Bridges, Maddlle. Fleurette, and Madame Fran-
cisco, being tne greatest amount of female equestrian talent
ever seen in one night at any theatre. Grotesques : Messrs.
Hemming and Thorne.
" To conclude with the CAPTAIN IS NOT AMISS.
Dress Circle, 4s. ; Boxes, 3s. ; Pit, 2s, ; Gallery, ls. ; Upper
Gallery, 6d.;
Stage Manager, Mr. R. Phillips.

CANTERBURY HALL, Westminster-road.—
Proprietor--C. MORTON.
The public is most respectfully informed that the FINE
ARTS GALLERY, in connection with the above Hall, IS NOW
OPEN DAY AND NIGHT, from 11 o'clock a.m. until 12
l'cloek p.m. The New Gallery contains an extensive Collec-
Jon of Pictures, by Ancient and Modern Masters :and is also
devoted to Art productions generally. The Proprietor feels
he may confidently assert that, viewed altogether, the exist-
ing Musle 'Hall, the New Fine Arts Gallery, and the recently
added Ante-Hall, will present an attraction which, whether
as regards the architectural beauty of the structures them-
selves, or the varied and hitherto unattempted combinations
within, willto found to be wholly without parallel in the
Kingdom.

The MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT commences RS usual at
Seven o'clock.

In addition to the usual entertainment, the SAUVLET
FAMILY, of Amsterdam, Eight in number, whose varied
instrumental performances have created so marked a sensa-
tion in the principal cities and towns of the Continent, will
perform every Evening at Nine and Eleven o'clock.

THE WEATHER.-SUN OFFICE, MARCH 6.

THERMOMETER. IN THE SHADE.

63—highest since noon yesterday.
47—lowest this morning and during the night.
63—this day at noon.

BAROMETER-30'30.
WIND, Westerly ; light, with fine weather.

MARCH 7.
59—highest since noon yesterday.
51—lowest this morning and during the night.
58—this day at noon.

BAROMETER-29.80.

WIND, Westerly ; with very fine weather.

As Sir EDWARD LYTTON remarked on Tuesday
evening, in regard to the Hon. Member for New-
port, " The bearer of his father's name enters into
the discussion of all questions that affect humanity
with a hereditary title-deed to respect"—so might it
be said in reference to all questions affecting the
national school of art, when brought under discus-
sion in the Upper House by Lord LYNDHURST.
Although descended from a family of Irish ex-
traction, although himself born eighty-seven years
ago at Boston, in the United States of North
America, JOHN SINGLETON COPLEY, Baron LYND-
HURST, is essentially and peculiarly and thoroughly
an Englishman. No man in either House of Parlia-
ment more thoroughly expresses the national senti-
ment upon all matters affecting the vital interests of
the realm. As a veteran patriot, none can claim pre-
cedence over the very patrician who is, we believe,
only one single remove from being the Father of
the House of Peers, the oldest of our hereditary
legislators. For the respect with which Lord
LYNDHURST is listened to upon questions in any
way connected with the internal polity of the
United Kingdom, or with the external relations
maintained by this country with the rest of
Christendom, he is indebted exclusively to the
influence won for himself, by himself, through the
tenor of his own honourable and protracted career,
as one among the most distinguished members of
our Imperial Legislature. But whenever the
noble and learned lord addresses himself
to the consideration of any question relating,
directly or indirectly, to the national school of art,
he enters into the discussion of those questions—to
apply to Lord LYNDHURST the words already
quoted in reference to the Hon. Member for New.
port, from the admirable speech upon Coolie immi-
gration delivered by her MAJESTY'S Colonial
Secretary—" he enters into the discussion of all
these questions with a hereditary title-deed to
respect." The son of the eminent painter whose
brush has depicted in glowing colours and with
pathetic solemnity the " Death of Lord CHA-
THAM "—one of the most celebrated pictures
in the Vernon Collection—could hardly rise in the
House of Peers (the scene of that historic incident)
for the purpose of advocating, in any way, the in-
terests of high art in England without securing to
himself, in a twofold manner,
the respectful atten-
tion of that patrician auditory. It was, therefore,
with a peculiar grace and emphasis that the noble
and learned lord, on Friday evening last, brought
again under the notice of Parliament the apparently
conflicting, but really harmonious interests of the
Royal Academy and of the National Gallery, now

on the eve of being each more appropriately
cared for, now that they are happily at last also
upon the eve of their definitive separation.
Nothing could well be more interesting, nothing
could certainly be more lucid than the record given
by Lord LYNDHURST, on Friday, of the rise, pro-
gress, and development of the eminent institution
only four years his senior. Ninety-one years ago
the Royal Academy was first called into existence,
namely, in the year 1768—the Society consisting
then, as now, of forty academicians and twenty
associates. By way of effectually securing to the
interests of the Academy the respectful attention
of his hearers, and eventually of the community at
large, Lord LYNDHURST notifies, almost at the
outset of his remarks, that circumstance—certainly,
as:the noble and learned lord calls it, " a remarkable
circumstance"—which distinguishes the Royal
Academy in this country from all the other
academies that exist upon the European Continent,
namely, that "there is not a single academy for
the purpose of promoting the Fine Arts upon the
Continent of Europe that is not supported
entirely by the State ; whereas, the Royal
Academy here has, almost from its first
institution, been self-supporting." How far it has
been self-supporting, Lord LYNDHURST will, per-
haps, allow us briefly to indicate. It has been self-
supporting then—By obtaining hitherto shelter
from the nation altogether rent free, first at
Somerset-house, and since then under the roof-
tree of the so-called National Gallery Added to
which its income has been derived from the pockets
of the people, latterly to the tune of £7,000 per
annum—by means of the annual exhibition bring-
ing in during the spring months thousands and
thousands of shilling entrance fees, and thousands
and thousands of other shillings for the printed
catalogue. So far, certainly—the Royal Academy
has been self-supporting. However, to revert to
the record of its history as succinctly revived to
popular recollection by Lord LYNDHURST—ninety
one years ago (in 1768) it was first of all, as we
have seen, called into existence. Three years after-
wards, in 1771—just one year before the birth of
Lord LYNDHURST—the Royal Academy, originally
located in Pall Mall, was removed thence, by
Royal authority, to the old palaoe of Somerset
House. There—in Somerset House—the Royal.
Academy remained for a period of very nearly sixty
years—when the society was removed once more
to the eastern moiety of that wretched building
miscalled, in every sense of the word, the
National Gallery. Again, and we will hope for
the last time, the Royal Academy is now on the
eve of being removed elsewhere. The society is so
extremely independent, and has all along been, as
we have shown, so very honourably self-supporting,
that it really appears to regard as something
very like an indignity the notion of its receiving
any assistance (in the removal) from the Govern-
ment.

Yet, somehow, with all this bumptious and blus-
tering assumption of independence—the Royal Aca-
demy is again taking for granted that it is to have
as a gift (by right, and not at all as a favour) a
new and permanent site that has actually cost the
country L 70,000 sterling in the purchase of it.
It was proposed in 1844 by Lord JOHN RUSSELL
that £40,000 should be advanced by the nation
to enable the Academy to procure another residence.
But the Academy—Lord LYNDHURST tells us—
never received that proposition favourably. They
are too independent, forsooth ! They stand upon
this glorious prerogative of being entirely (!) self-
supporting. The upshot being that the Govern-
ment is now coolly expected to apportion to the use
of the Royal Academy one-half of the site of Bur-
lington House and grounds. Now, Burlington House
has only very recently cost the country no less a
sum than £l4o,ooo—so that, as the Prime Minister
remarked on Friday, if we should comply with the
wishes of the Royal Academy, we should be allow-
ing them a space of ground of the value of £70,000.
Rather cool—under the circumstances—particu-
larly with this brag of being self-supporting—
this boast of being thoroughly independent.
Especially cool, if it be remembered for a mo-
ment, that the superficial area of the
whole of the National Gallery altogether amounts
to some 13,000 square feet, while that of Burling
ton House and grounds is actually eleven times as
much, or, in other words, extends to 143,000 square
feet. So that the Royal Academy, hitherto oc-
cupying, inconveniently to the public, an area of
6,500 feet, now complacently asks for a space equi-
valent to an area of 71,500 square feet—a space for
which the country has just paid down £70,000 ster-
ling ! And at the very time the Royal Academy puts
in this modest claim for a site thus monstrously dis-
proportioned to its exigencies—other sites are not
unreasonably hoped for at the hands of Government,
on that new plot of ground to the north of Piccadilly,
by other societies, having also respectable claims
enough upon the generous consideration of the
Government. Listen to the little catalogue of
applicants in this way enumerated on Friday
evening by the First Lord of the Treasury.
—the Patent-office—the Lonflon University—the
Royal Society—the Linnean Society—the Chemical
Society—the Astronomical Society—the Geolo-
gical Society—the Antiquarian Society—the Eth-
nological Society—the Asiatic Society—the Water
Colour Societies. In the midst of all which Babel
of applicants the Royal Academy puts in its modest
little claim for a site covering 70,000 square feet,
and costing 70,000 gold sovereigns. 0, monstrous !
—and this, forsooth, with a brag of being entirely
self-supporting and thoroughly independent !

In the debate on the Army Estimates, on Tuesday
night, two points of interest were adverted to, which
are worthy of distinct notice. The first was the
ARMSTRONG gun, with the conduct of the Govern-
ment and of Sir WILLIAM ARMSTRONG in regard to
it. The business reflects the highest credit on all
parties concerned. The gun itself has, as our readers
well know, attracted general attention. We do
not blame the Government for trying to keep, if
possible, its construction and use a secret, It ought
to be a secret till the enemy, -whencesoever he
come, can seize one with its ammunition. We
blush for the fact, if it be one, that French or
Russian gold, or all the gold in the world,
could bribe a single Englishman whether
artisan or—soldier to betray the construction of a
weapon which, if in the exclusive possession of his
country, would enable our artillery to bid defiance
to all the artillery of Europe. If the secret be
divulged, it ought not to be by any neglect of
the authorities.

We have it now on the authority of the Secre-
tary of War. himself a soldier, and speaking in his
place in Parliament, that the accounts of its mar-
vellous performances have not been exaggerated.
It will throw a shot or shell, and with ter-
ribly destructive effect too, five miles and one
quarter. Though a breech-loading gun, Gene-
ral PEEL saw it after having fired 1,300
rounds, not in the least injured. Such was its
precision that at 3,000 yards it hit the mark seven
times to one, compared with the guns in ordinary
use; while at 1,000 yards it hit an object every
time, while a common gun hit once only in fifty-
seven times. " lts destructive effect also was be-
yond anything ever witnessed hitherto," Its

weight was only one-third of that of ordnance
carrying the same weight of ball ; the only antici-
pated defect relatively to its use in naval engage-
ments arises from its amazing power combined with
the elongated form of the bullet—it would cut clean
through a ship's side, and out, it may be,
at the other, making but its own clean
passage, and not splintering and destroying wood-
work, and lift, in consequence, like a larger and
proportionably lighter ball, moving more slowly.
This, however, has yet to be tested.
To the Government belongs the merit—one
which should not appear a great one, but it does
seem great by comparison—that it at once appre-
ciated the invention. We do not hear of any weary
struggles with " the authorities," of repeated appli-
cations and discouraging refusals. Routine seems
to have been forgotten for once, and a Government
used its own senses to test an important invention,
and believed its senses and acted on them—the
greatest marvel this of all. At least it is so
to those who have witnessed the past in similar
matters. To Sir WILLIAM belongs, however, the
highest merit of all—he was the inventor ; not only
the inventor but the bestower of his invention
on his country. Whei, as General PEEL observed,
we must have purchased his patent at any price, he
freely offered it to us with no stipulation whatever.
And when Lord Derby, very properly, asked
General PEEL to ascertain what pecuniary acknow-
ledgement would be acceptable for such invaluable
services, Sir WILLIAM had already told the General
that ho wished for nothing more than the service of
his country in the line of his peculiar geniu#. He
wished to be consulting engineer to her MAJESTY
for rifled ordnance, and to receive £20,000, spread
over ten years of service. It is pleasing to add
that her MAJESTY personally and specially ex-
pressed her wish to confer the distinction of a
Baronetage on Sir WILLIAM as a mark of her ap-
preciation of his genius and patriotism. We have
lately had to tell a story of very different treat-
ment of another inventor in the department of
warlike engines of destruction.
The other matter which ought not to be over-
looked is the suggestion of the Hon. H.
BERKELEY that rifle corps should be preferred
to yeomanry cavalry as a defensive force
for the country. Our readers will remember that
a little time ago we illustrated and enforced the
advantages not only of forming regular volunteer
rifle corps, but also of forming all over the king-
dom—in the sea-board counties especially—Govern-
ment training schools in rifle practice for all the
young men who might like to receive regular
instruction ; just as sailors are received on bbard
P the Excellent and taught in naval gunnery. As
our youth and middle-aged men used in bygone
ages to practise the bow, and attained their long-
famed skill thereby, so we have little doubt
that hundreds would now enlist themselves
for rifle practice in every town, perhaps in
most of the villages of the kingdom, and, be-
it observed, for a rifleman, especially for purely de-
fensive purposes, to be a good shot is the qualifica-
tion most essential, and the one which cannot, like
drill, be learned in a fortnight. Let all, therefore,
who like, unite in volunteer corps, as Mr. BER-
KELEY suggests, but over and above this let our
people practise with the rifle as an amusement. It
would, we are persuaded, be popular. Our good
rifle shots would be quickly available on the pro-
spect of an invasion, and woe to the invading army
endeavouring to wend its way among our hedges
and ditohes, and low hills. With ARMSTRONG'S
gun and ready rifles, not many of their officers
would find their ships again. And what would be
the cost ? A few thousand stand of rifles, and a
few old soldiers in each place to teach the use of
them. Mr. BERKELEY, of course, aroused the ire
of the feather-bed Admirals and Captains, but
Gen. CODRINGTON and Sir W. WILLIAMS acknow-
ledged the wisdom of his suggestion.

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THE SUN.
MONDAY. MARCH 7, 1859.