The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-30 00:00:00

T;1 EA TRE-RO 'V AL, IT AYMARKET.
',elm', Mr. J. B. Bloketerie,

!Eels EVENING, the periormances will commenett with
tt n.A. and f,riginal Conrdy, BLACK SHEEP.
Mr. linekatone, Mr. Compton, Mr. Howe, Ito. ; Mrs. Wilkins,
Charles Younz, Miss Lovell, &c.
After which, will be -revived, with entirely new aeenery
And effects, and all the original music by the late Slr Henry
Bishop, the melodrama of THE miLLLE. AND HIS MEAL.
Commence at 7.

t.? 0Y A ILiesseeraintdlYan(aTe.r.S, ''S THEArrRE
Arbr. A. Harris. i .
..L. 5.)
To be followed by HANDY ANDY. Handy Andy, Mr.
rills EVENING, THE HUNCHBACK. Messrs. Ryder,
Hermann Veztn, Shore, Meadows, am ; Misses Heath and
C. Leelercq,
To conclude with NUESEY CHICKWEED.

NEW THRATRE-ROYAL, ADELPHI.-
Sole Proprliitor and Manager, Mr. B. Webster.
Recrk,duction of "The Colleen Bawn. " The Adelphi
"Census" every Evening.

THIS 141VENING, 2d time of a new Farce, entitled A
TURKISH BATh. Mr. J. L. Toole, Mr. P. Bedford.

After which (167th time), THE COLLEEN HAWN. Mr.
D. Pemmicanit, D. Fisher, Billington, Falconer, Stephenson,
C. J: Smith, Romer, Howard, Ward ; Mrs. Boucicault, Miss
Woolgar, Mrs. Billlngton, and Mrs. Chatterley.

-- •
To be followed by a new apropos Sketch, THE CENSUS.
Messrs. J. L. Toole, Eburne, Romer, C. J. Smith ; Miss
Kate Kelly, Miss E. Chorne, and Mrs. Chattcrley.

Doors open at halt past 6—Commence at 7.

CANTERBURY-MALI, CONCERTS!!
Westminster-road.
Proprietor.— ....C. Morton.
A Grand Selection from Verdi's new Opera,
IL CORSARO, •
(This opera has never been produced in this or any other
country, except at these Concerts), having met with that de.
cided success which charactise 4 the most popular works of
this ,great Master, will be performed EVERY EVENING ;
together with a Selection from LA FIGLIA DEL REGGI.
hIENTO, by Donizetti,
_miss Russell, Madame Maria, Miss
Principal Artistes
Tyrrell, Mr. H. Herbert, Signor Tivoli, H. Drummond, and
C. W. Bernard. Director, 1/Ir. F. Jonghnians.
The Comic Department comprises Messrs. E. Marshall, A.
B. Ifollit4fsworth, J. Blanchard, F. Bell, W. 11. Welland, and
the Brothers Conrad.
~.„. martin,. Three celebrated Pictures will remain on
view a short time longer In the Fine Arts Gallery of the
Establishment.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
'Pais DAY.—Morning, sh. 37m.—Afternoon, Gh. 4m.
To-NtoRRoW.-Morning, Gh. 29m.—Afternoon, Gh. 531 n.

THE WEATHER.—Strx OFFICE, APRIL 30, lgel.
THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE.
51—highest since noon yesterday.
35—lowest this morning and during the night.
57—this day at noon.

BAROMETER-30.33.
WlND—Westerly, inclining to South light ; with
cloudy weather, but rather tine.

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THE SUN.

LoNDC6i, TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 1861.

--

Sir MORTON VETO to-night is to ask the Under-
Secretary-at-War whether the Government intends
to proceed with the forts is the roadstead of Spit-
head. These forts. are five in number, and with
some others connected with the Spithead defences
are estimated to mount 915 guns, to accommodate
2,800 defenders, and to cost £1,100,000, being, how-
ever, much more likely to cost double that sum.
What reply the Government will give, we are
rather anxious to see, being pretty confident that
the money spent on these forts would be worse than
thrown away. We hope no false pride will induce
the Government to adhere to plans, merely because
it has once accepted them.

We say worse than thrown away ; for, if any
one will but take the trouble to rook at the excellent
map in the Report of the Commissioners in their
Blue-book, it will be seen at once that the forts
would be actually so built as to enable an enemy's
fleet to steer into and through the roadstead
without buoys or a pilot. To this very
important point must be added another even
more important. We may do the work proposed
for the forts more effectually by iron-plated. ships.
They would probably not even cost more ; but of
their superior efficiency and utility there can be no
doubt. They would not show an enemy the way
in; he could not sail past them, as he could very
soon clear a fixed fort ; they could place themselves
in any position most likely to damage him ; they
ould even take, on board a number of marines,
run alongside and board him if he attempted
to pass. Indeed, in these narrow channels, a very
fist ship o f the enemy could not prevent a slower ship,
or even two, from getting alongside and grappl.ing
him if he attempted to force a passage. In a word, an
iron floating battery could be manceavred in any
co.y which skill or courage might suggest, while
the fort, with defenders ever so brave or skilful,
must keep its position. Another inestimable ad-
vantage would be that such floating batteries
st, ould not he confined to the service of Ports-
mouth, if they were wanted elsewhere. Sup •
pose the landing took place near Portsmouth, as
I,ord PALMF.RSTON seems to fear might be possible,
he Iron vessels, -with their steam power, could dash
forth, run do% n, and make short work of the enemy's
heats and transports, while he could not fire on them
without injuring his own ships. They might also,
if need were, rapidly steam back again to Spithead.
For this latter purpose it might be desirable that
some of the iron ships should be of smaller draught 1
of water, so that they might go where the enemy's
large covering ships could not venture; they would
be invulnerable among a fleet of boats and trans-
ports ; and for defence of a harbour or coast, for
which large supplies of coal would not be required,
these smaller vessels would, in proportion to
their number of guns, be as useful as any.
We do hope that our Government will
tuke these and other things into consideration, and
instead of permanent forts, doing quite as mach
harm as good, will spend the money on a class of
ships which will be far more efficient batteries, and
will do service wherever they are wanted.

The brilliant debate of last evening in the
House of Commons has, at length, after three
nights' discussion, brought the Great Budget
Question to a definite issue between her MAJES-
TY'S Government and her MAJESTY'S Opposition.
It is an alternative now between the remission of
a considerable part of the duty on Tea, or the
total abolition for once (again) and—this time—
for all, of the duty on Paper. Mr. DISRAELI and
his followers pronounce at last, distinctly and
deliberately, for Tea in preference to Paper. Lord
I'AT,IIERSTON says, quite frankly,. " I myself
prefer repealing the duty on Paper." And so
Eay all q* us! is
,thereupon shouted in chorus
1.3' the rank and file of the Liberal and ultra-
Liberal supporters of the noble Viscount's Admi-
nistration. The position is now, therefore, per-
'ctlY comprehensible. The noble Premier
himself acknowledges, while avowing his
PrPferenet for Paper over Tea,'he manfully acknow-
leage3 on the
part of the Opposition the perfectly
reasonttblenef they so please, of their deciding in
favour of the Tea, as against Paper, by preference.
E• I freely adroit," he says "that it is a very legiti-
mate Pr°Psal to substitute a remission of the duty
on Tell for the repeal of
the duty on Paper." That
is
consequently the political situation as well as
the fiscal alternative. The Opposition declares itself
in favour of the remission, after the first of October,
of per lb. on
Tea in preference to the abandon-
rnent thenceforth and altogether of the duty upon
Paper. The Government declares itself on the
contrary in favour of the total repeal of the duty
upon Paper, and, therefore, against any remission
at all of the war duty of ls. sd. still levied
aunually in a time of Peace upon an article of daily
‘144 among all classes of society to the estimated