The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-19 00:00:00

Commence at Seven,

TIIE -
A.TRE-ROYAL, DRURY-LANE.
Lessee—Mr. E. T. Smith.
TIE IS EVENING, LATEST FROM NEW YORK. Mr.
and I irs. Rainey Williams.
To conclude with the new pantomime, ROBIN HOOD;
or, E Sarlequin Friar Tuck and the Merry Men of Sherwood
Fore st.

OYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE.
Under the Management of Mr. Charles Kean.
TI ITS EVENING will be performed THE CORSICAN
BR( ►TITERS. Mr. C. Kean.
AI ter which, a new „rand Christmas Pantomime, entitled
T II: KING OF THE CASTLE; or, Harlequin Prince
Dia' nond and Princess Brighteyes.

HEATRE-ROYAL, HAYMARKET.
Lessee, Mr. J. B. Buckstone.
1' HIS EVENING will be presented THE LOVE CHASE.
Mes srs. Chippendale. W. Farren, Rogers, Clark; Miss Amy
Sed zwick and Mrs. E. Fitzwilliam.
fter which, a new grand Comic Pantomime, entitled
UN DINE ; or, Harlequin and the Spirit of the Waters.
Commence at 7.

ROYAL LYCEUM THEATRE.
Manager, Mr. Edmund Falconer.
THIS ENING the ew Dramntitled MARION DE
LORMEE V ; or, The Cradle of Steama, e :
Madame Celeste, Mr.
Vaudenhoff, Mr, Emery, Mr. Falconer, &c.
After which, will be produced the new Burlesque, written
expressly for the Lyceum Company by Robert B. Brough,
and entitled TILE SIEGE OF TROY. The principal cha-
racters by Mrs. Keeley Miss Julia St. George, Dirs. Weston,
Miss Portman Miss Talbot, Miss Kate Saxon, Miss E. Romer,
ke. ; Mr. Emery, Mr. Charles Young, Mr. }Merton, Mr. J.
Rogers, Mr. Barrett, ac. ; Miss Rosina Wright, Miss M.
Charles, Miss Harriet Dalton, Am
To conclude with the new Comic Pantomime, replete with
new tricks and mechanicCremorne Fete. Clown, Er CQharles
al devices, entitled H LEUIN
TOY HORSE ; or, The
Lauri ; Harlequin, Mr. John Lauri ; Pantaloon, Mr. Henry
Lauri ; Columbine, Miss Jenny Lauri
Reduced Prices—Dress Boxes, 4s. ; Upper Boxes, 3s. ; Pit,
25 Box
office o . ; Gallery, is.
sspen from 11 to 5 daily. Doors open at half-past
6, to commence at 7 every evening.

-----
NEW THEATRE - ROYAL, ADELPHL
Sole Proprietor and Manager, Mr. Benj. Webster.
THIS EP-ENING, THE BIRTHPLACE OF PODGERS.
Mr. J. L. Toole, Mr. C. Selby, Mr. Billington ; Miss Kelly,
Mrs. Chatterley.
To be followed by TARTUFFE. Tartuffe, Mr. B. Webster;
Orgon, Mr. C. Selby ; Damius, Mrs. Beington ; Elmire, Miss
'Henrietta Simms ; Dorine, Mrs. Mellon; Marcani, Miss
Keeley.
To conclude with the grand Christmas Pantomime, entitled
MOTHER RED CAP ; or, Harlequin Johnny Gilpin's Ride
to Edmonton. Clown, Mr. Croueste ; Harlequin, Mr. Hilde-
brand ; Columbine, Miss Hayman ; Pantaloon, Mr. Lnpino ;
Sprite, Mr. Le Barr.

ROYAL STRAND THEATRE.
Lessee and Directress, Hiss Swanborongh.
THIS EVENING. THE RULE OF THREE.
After which, the new Extravaganza, KENILWORTH; or
Ye Queene. ye Earle, and ye Maydenne.
And THE LITTLE SAVAGE.
Commence at 7 o'clock.

AS TLEY'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE,
Westminster-road.

Lessee and Manager Mr. William Cooke.
Great and glorious Success of the gorgeously-appinted Pan-
tomime.—First appearance these two years of the celebrated
continental equestrians Mr. A. Brydges and Madame Brydges.
Dress Circle, 4s. ; Boxes, 3s. ; Pit, 2s, ; Gallery, is. ; Upper
Gallery, 6d.

During the week, the great Eastern Spectacle of THE
REVOLT IN INDIA; sr, The Fugitives and their Faith-
ful Steed.

After which SCENES IN THE CIRCLE by the Star
Riders of Europe.

Te conclude with the great Operatic and Burlesque Eques-
trian Pantomime, entitled HARLEQUIN BARON MUN-
CHAUSEN, AND HIS COMICAL CREAM COB
CRUISER. Baron Munchansen, Mr. W. Anson ; Harlequin,
Mr. H. Hemmings ; Pantaloon, Herr Cole; Clown, Mr. A.
F. Forrest; Columbine, Miss Julia Weston.
Stage Manager, Mr. R. Phillips.
A Morning Performance of the renowned Pantomime every
Saturday, at Two o'clock.
Carriages for day performances at half-past four, and for
night representation at half-past eleven,

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 DAT AND NIGHT, from 11 o'clock a.m. until 12
o'clock p.m. The New Gallery contains an extensive Collec-
tion 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 Music 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, will be found to be wholly without parallel in the
Kingdom.
The MUSICAL ENTERTAMIENT commences as usual at
Seven o'clock.

In addition to the usual entertainment, the SAUVLET
FAMILY, of Amsterdam, Eight in number, whose ♦aried
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.—Sux Orrtem, Jew. 10.

THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE.

55—highest since noon yesterday.
48—lowest this morning and daring the night.
51—this day at noon.

BA R OM ETEIt-30—rising.

Wm), Westerly; light, with dull mild weather.

Mr. BRIGHT has given "a bone to pick" to Whigs
and Conservatives. His scheme will give ample
occupation to every Member of Parliament who
desires fairly and impartially to discharge his duty.
We care not what may behispolitical predilections,
or what his party feelings,he must test by calm and
attentive consideration, the elaborate plan which
the champion of the Liberal party has deliberately
put forward. Three other Reform Bills are loom-
ing in the future. Three measures for the improve-
ment of the national representation have been pro-
mised or hinted at, but JOHN BRIGHT has antici-
pated all the others, and pnt forward a project
ready to be canvassed, and on which the voice of
public opinion will be heard clearly and intelligibly,
even before tho meeting of Parliament.
There is one broad feature standing out boldly
and prominently which will receive general ap-
plause. Mr. BRIGHT gives us the Ballot, gives
security to every elector, and prevents the possi-
bility of any corrupt or degrading influence. No
wealthy candidate or speculative lawyer will pay
a bribe when he can obtain no security as to the
vote given by the " bribee." The man who would
barter his political birthright for a few sovereigns
would be ready to deceive his equally criminal
accomplice, and to receive the wages of shame,
without performing his part of the disgraceful
compact. Bribery would be altogether - extin-
guished by the Ballot, and that alone should be
sufficient to point out the necessity for its adoption.
But bribery is not the only means of corruption.
There are others producing far more injurious
results. Intimidation, whether proceeding from
landlord, priest, employer, or customer, or even the
hired bludgeoneer, who is regarded by Lord JOHN
RUSSELL as " the representative of the unrepre-
sented," (!) is equally_ bad. A man should not be
deprived of the shelter of a roof, and driven with
his family into the streets, or to the doubtful
mercies of the Union Workhouse because he chances
to differ with the gentleman to whom he happens
to pay rent as to the legislative qualities of the
Honourable SAMUEL FLUNKEY or HORATIO
FIZTKIN, Esq

The sareedotal interference is, if possible, more
objectionable. The priesthood of any denomination
have never yet governed a nation wisely or
judiciously, and, if they are not qualified as
statesmen, they could scarcely make a proper selec-
tion of the elements from which statesmen are to
he selected. Some say that therelean be no adequate
guarantee against priestly interference—that they
will still worm themselves into the secrets of their'
flock. But if so, those who have not strength of
mind sufficient to keep their own counsel must be ,
hopeless fools, for whom legislation .would be
useless.

The great advantage of private voting will,
however, be felt by the trading community---
by those who would suffer loss of custom
or of employment, because they had con-

---scientiously exercised the important trust con-
fided to the it charge. They do not wish to
give offence. They know well that they will
receive no eq
.itivalent for the serious losses they
may sustain ; and it is ridiculous to say that they,
in the consd Jntious discharge of their rights and
privileges, la -ill receive an ample recompense for all
their sufferings.

The most elaborate portion of Mr. BRIGHT'S
scheme is tl iat which relates to disfranchisement
and enfranchisement. The former, of course, takes
the priority , because there must first be a vacancy
before it c :an be filled up. No less than one
hundred an .d thirty seats come under the scalpel,
and are orif iered to yield up their privileges to more
worthy claimants. None possessing more than
a ight thousand inhabitants will be altogether dis-
fromelaised, althouglf none with less than sixteen
thou sand will be deemed worthy of sending a
id representative to the popular branch of the
BLeecgls lature. The elaborate schedules which ap-
pearee, 1 in our impression of last evening will clearly
indicat, a the nature of the contemplated changes ;
and, alt.ho ugh there may be some details requiring
alteratiou, we may hail the measure as the best
which ha s yet been ventilated, and which furnishes
the nuclei as of a Reform Bill which will be accept-
able to thi e nation, and afford the best prospect of
obtaining representatives qualified to discharge
their imps ,rtant duties, and ready and willing to
prove that they are really " the right men in the
right plac(3 s."

One of our weekly contemporaries, who used to
employ slach language only when pretty sure of
its correctness, says, " We are not entirely with-
out grounds for believing that the Reform Bill is
in existenno, and has been subjected to exceedingly
careful anal well-assisted consideration ; but the
nature of it 9 propositions still remains a secret of
the most confidential character." The Radical Re-
form Bill was made public, so far as its main pro-
visions are con.cerned, by Mr. BRIGHT on Monday
evening at Bradford, and we now know all we
need to know of his views. Meantime a bill, in
everything but form, by Sir JOHN E. EARDLEY
WILMOT, Recorder of Warwick, now lies before
us, sufficiently explicit for us to give it a first
reading, and to form a pretty fair conception of
its workings.
Sir JOHN is no croaker. He has no fear what-
ever of largely extending the franchise. He thinks
that with the cessation of the Russian war and the
suppression of the mutiny, there is no pretext
on which a Reform Bill can be evaded, nor does
he wish to evade it. He thinks the bearing of the

humbler classes in regard to the war, their fighting
at Sebastopol, their aversion to the Conspiracy Bill,
with their behaviour in 1848, all show that the
country is quite safe in their hands. "Is there,"
he asks, " any ground for alarm, then, in the know-
ledge that the people are sensible of their power ?
. I say not the slightest, as long as those
to whom are entrusted the reins of power promote
by legislative measures the best interests of the
empire, and show by their acts that the honour,
prosperity, and advancement of England are the
keystone of their policy, and not the strengthening
of their own position, wrought out by personal
manoeuvres and the unprofitable fencing of party
conflicts."

Sir JOHN first presents us with his ideas of dis-
franchisement and redistribution. To do this he
is obliged to consider what shall be its basis. For
this he takes the inhabited houses in boroughs ;
since he has little difficulty in showing that the
present number of electors in each, the population
simply considered, and the income-tax, furnish no
sufficiently fair idea of the claims of the borough
to representation. The number of houses is, he
contends, a much more trustworthy and a less

Ifluctuating basis. By disfranchising all boroughs
having less than one thousand inhabited houses,
by taking one member from all having less than
two thousand, and by adding the four members for
Sudbury and St. Alban's, already disfranchised, he
gets sixty-four seats.
These he proposes to dispose of thus :—To
boroughs, 42. To counties, 15. To universities—
Aberdeen, 1 ; Glasgow, 2 ; Edinburgh, 2 ; Durham,
1 ; and London, 1; seven in all, as educational seats.
Two boroughs, Liverpool and Manchester, now
returning but two each, are to return four each.
Five boroughs—Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield,
Wolverhampton, and Bristol—are to add one mem-
ber and return three each. A second member is
to be added to eleven which have now each but one
representative; all these boroughs containing up-
wards of 3,000 inhabited houses. Seventeen new
boroughs, of above 2,000 houSes each, are to return
one member a-piece. These, with a new metropo-
litan borough, two members more to Scotch burghs,
and an additional member to a Welch one,
completes his redistribution of the 42 amongst

boroughs.
As to the counties—the West Riding of York-
shire and Lancashire, by further subdivision, arc
to gain two members each; five more counties are to
have three instead of two members; and six new
divisions are to have one member each. These
make up the fifteen for counties; and with those for
the boroughs and for education make the required
total of sixty-four.
For the Borough Franchise our author proposes
inhabitants—householders who have resided
eighteen months in the town—as the basis of his
constituency ; and he furnishes ample proof that
in this he is proposing
no innovation on the consti-
tution, but rather restoring it. To the above, how-
ever, he adds, since he objects to a homogeneous
franchise, all persons paying local, parochial, and
state taxes to the amount of fifty shillings per
annam r-all income-tax payers; and all forty-shil-
ling freeholders, if they elect to vote in the borough
in preference to the county. He has also an edu-
cational franchise, comprising the clergy—whether
including Dissenting ministers he does not state—
the bar, physicians, surgeons, officers of the army,
navy, militia, graduates of universities, members of
literary and scientific societies, and perhaps certifi-
cated schoolmasters. These educational franchises
to extend to counties also. •

For the County Franchise he proposes the old
forty-shilling freehold; copyhold of the same
amount ; tenants of land and premises to the
amount of £25 per annum ; leaseholders for seven
years of £lO per annum; also the fifty.shilling
taxes, the income-tax, and educational franchises,
as for boroughs. The savings' banks qualification
he rejects as a fluctuating one. These extensions
for boroughs and counties are, on the whole,
liberal ones; though we can conceive no reason
whatever for making a house, simply, the qualifi-
cation in the borough, and 14 £25 occupation the
lowest one for the county. There seems to be no
getting over the objection that a lower property
qualification in counties indicates a higher status
than in the boroughs.
It is, however, in his plan for purification of the
franchise that Sir JOHN appears to us most seriously
to miss his way. ' For this he has nothing better
than, first, improving our tribunals for disputed elec-
tions, by giving the House only the power of de-
ciding whether there be a prima facie case, and
referring the final decision to a judicial commission;
secondly, requirin theg member, before taking his

seat, to declare solemnly, on his honour, that he
had been no party, directly or indirectly, to the
employment of corrupt influences ; and, thirdly,
taking the votes in each parish. The Ballot he
objects to, but only on very old grounds, such as
have been shoWn, a thousand times, to be worth-
less. This, indeed, reminds us that, with Sir
JOHN'S pamphlet, we have also just received the
third edition of Major-General THOMPSON'S Cate-
chism on the Ballot, or a List of Fallacies and the
Answers. Here the old " fallacies" of Sir JOHN
WILMOT'S pamphlet, and some scores of others,
will be found fully answered, and with the Gene-
ral's usual amount of epigrammatic wit or humour.
We have left ourselves no space for comment, but
our readers will, we doubt not, feel some interest
in "A Second Letter to Richard Freedom, Esq.,—
containing the present views of the predecessor in
North Warwickshire of Messrs. NEWDEGATE and
SPOONER.

A wholesome lesson of humanity was on Friday
last administered to the parish authorities of St.
Pancras, by Mr. TYRWHITT, the worthy police-
magistrate of Clerkenwell. The circumstances
which elicited this timely reproof to the master of
the St. Pancras Workhouse were simply these :
A police constable, while on the preceding night
on duty in Oakley-square, St. Pancras, observes a
young girl seated upon a doorstep crying. The
wayfarer is a servant maid, out of place, homeless,
aged sixteen. •' Why not go to the workhouse ?"
asks the policeman. The girl has been there
already, and, in reply to her application for a
night's lodging, has been refused admittance.
The policeman conducts her back to it, and she is
again denied the luxury of a few hours' shelter in
tho workhouse. Having then taken her to the,
station-house, the policeman, this time accompanied
by a sergeant of his division, again leads the poor
homeless wanderer baek to the St. Pancras Work-
house. Finally, and for a third time, the doors of
the workhouse are closed against her admittance.
The master of this inaccessible establishment, on
making his appearance, during the course of the
next day, for the purpose of giving something in
the way of an explanation, is reported to have treated
the whole matter with great callousness and indif-
ference. The principal reason given is, of course,
the old one—the applicant belonged to another
parish—that of Clerkenwell. But when the
magistrate thereupon remarks, " You surely do
not mean to say that when persons are brought by
the police, found in the public streets without a
home, you refuse admission because they belong to
a neighbouring parish?"—" Well, no ;" replies the
master cautiously, " that depends." In the instance
under notice, however, the applicant in the first
case, the policeman in the second, the sergeant of
police in the third had each made an extraordinary
omission in the form of the demand for the night's
lodging—shelter was not asked upon the plea of
" destitution." Literally, upon this miserable:quibble
the door was closed upon a decent respectably-
attired homeless girl of sixteen. The mere circum-
stance of a girl like this met in the streets of Lon-
don at midnight, crying upon a doorstep, one might
imagine was sufficient evidence of the case being
one, for that night at least, of obvious destitution.
But no : the one magic word was forgotten which
appears to be the " Open sesame" to a workhouse!
And so, for the third and last time, the grim work-
house door was closed, and the bolt shot, and the
young girl of sixteen, guilty of having no roof to
cover her head, was left outside in the humane
charge of the police-sergeant and the police-con-
stable. All this is surely very wretched. It is
particularly wretched upon the very morrow, as it
were, of Christmas. Scarcely have the pauper
inmates of the St. Pancras Workhouse been regaled
upon their boneless meat and their all but plumless
pudding when the benignant door of the establish-
ment is thrice in one winter's night slammed in
the face of a poor homeless, shivering, crying girl
of sixteen. Heartily rejoiced are we at every
earnest word of indignation expressed in regard to
this inhuman proceeding by the able and benevo-
lent Magistrate of Clerkenwell.

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THE SUN.
WEDNESDAY. JANUARY 19, 1859.