The Sun.
London, England, 1857-04-07 00:00:00

(Cheers.) in these secterian times the performer ought
only to be too proud and too grateful that his royal mistress
is pleased to encourage his art in her own halls, than seek
by an exhibition of doubtful taste to question the libe-
rality of a kind patrorese, who had only the interests of
the drama in view when she invited the actors to give
a " taste of their quality" in her own palace. (Cheers.)
I have now, gentlemen, another noble donation to an-
nounce. It is well known that amateur acting at time
is very ruble-net-le and very popular—(hear, hear)—iu the
public theatre, in the camp, on beard ship, and at the pri-
vate residence, and that the amateurs are at all times only
anxious to discover some institution or charity to which
they can generously present the proceeds of their exertions.
In a fortunate hour ono highly respectable and talented
company of amateurs happened to select the Ito:val General
Theatrical Fund as a proper recipient of what they might
gather together by a dramatic representation. (Cheers.)
The performance seas given on the 14th March last, at the
St. James's Theatre, and that excellent party of amateurs
have this evening presented us with the nrofits of that
night. amounting to the handsome sum of 761. It would
have been more, but ono gentleman has not yet paid for his
box. From this time forward the profession will shake
hands with the amateurs. The actors now will only regard
them as a dramatic militia, from which the ranks of the
regular army can be well recruited. (Laughter.) I trust
this liberal conduct may be followed by other amateur
companies, and that I shall have the pleasure of annually
announcing the result of their generous exertions. Thus
you will see, gentlemen, that our circle of friends is yearly
increasing, and, though we could not expectto live through
12 of these annual celebrations without losing some well-
wisher and supporter, yet it is pleasant to see so many, old
familiar faces still beaming around us and foremost
amongst them, that of our best and most faithful trustee,
Mr. C. Dickens- (cheers)—who, wherever he may appear,
let the roof be where it may, is sure to make that dwelling,
by his happy presence, anything but a " Bleak House." I
was really afraid, when the dissolution of Parliament took
place, that he would have been away at this time election-
eering, or a candidate perhaps this day for the represen-
tation of Middlesex. However, we are all delighted to see
him here, though of this I am convinced,should he ever con-
test an election anywhere, he will besure to be found at the
bead of the poll. (Cheers.) And now, gentlemen, I leave the
fund in your hands, feeling assured that our stewards will
not appeal to any of you in vain. (Cheers.) I have already
alluded to our change of locality on this occasion, the only
reason for which has been, that we were promised a larger
attendance, and consequently a larger list of donations.
Whether this promise will be fulfilled or not it will be im-
possible to say until Mr. Cullenford has proclaimed their
gross amount. Therefore, as we have removed our quarters
to the west to oblige many of our friends who objected to
go so far as Bishopsgate-street, surely I may call upon
those friends to increase the amount of their subscriptions
to-night, if only to prove they have been right, and we
have not been wrong. (Loud cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN next proposed " The health of the trus-
tees and Mr. Charles Dickens," a tried friend of the institu-
tion, and whose name was as "familiar as household worth"
to all connected with the theatrical profession.
Mr. DICKENS had great pleasure in acknowledging the
toast so kindly proposed by the chairman, and so flatter-
ingly responded to by the company. He could assure them
that, notwithstanding the remarks of his hon. friend the
member for the Haymarket—(laughter)—he bad no inten-
tion of offering himself to any constituency for election.
His course in life he had long chosen, and he had no de-
sire to put himself forwari to represent any " sex," ex-
cepting it be that sex of whom so many brilliant examples
were behind him—(the ladies on a raised platform)— and
whose representation ho could see also in the dim perspec-
tive in the clouds before him—(the gallery at the end of
the hall)—and that other sex by whom he was more imme-
diately surrounded. (Laughter.) He could assure them,
however, that it gave him great gratification to be present
on that occasion, and he trusted that their Chancellor of
the Exchequer (Mr. Buckstone) would never bring before
them a worse budget than on that evening, (Cheers.)
Should, however, that gentleman be meditating any reduc-
tion in the income-tax which he at present nightly levied
upon his admirers, he was assured it would be received
with gratitude, and that in all his enterprises he would be
as he had hitherto been, triumphantly successful. As he
had the honour to hold an official post, he felt that he must
not exceed the bounds of official reserve ; and he would
therefore do no more than thank them for the honour
conferred upon himself and the trustees.
Mr. DICKENS next proposed " The health of the Chair-
man," and alluded to the great success which had attended
his exertions in maintaining the supremacy of the classical
English drama at Sadlers' Wells Theatre, and the great
liberality he had always exhibited towards actors and dra-
matic writers.

The toast having been most enthusiasticallyresponded to,
Mr. PHELPS replied, and introduced an anecdote to show
how little the dramatic art was appreciated in certain
bigoted circles, a little daughter of his, only eight years of
age, having been sent back from a school because a kind
neighbour objected to three of his children being educated
in the same house with the daughter of an actor. Now, he
felt that either the terms iu which he had been spoken of
that evening were undeserved, or the father of these chil-
dren must have been a great fool. (Cheers and laughter.)
Mr. Phelps concluded by giving " Prosperity to the
Drama," coupled with the name of his co-labourer, Mr.
Creswick.

Mr. CRESWICK acknowledged the toast in a philosophi-
cal dissertation on the uses and abuses of the drama, which
was cut short by the impatience of the company, and we
therefore did not arrive at the moral of the lecture.

Some other toasts followed, and
Mr. CULLENFORD, the secretary of the institution, read
a list of subscriptions amounting to olose upon 5001.
The musical arrangements, conducted by Mr. Lovell
Phillips, included the talents of Madlle. Matilda Ruders-
dorff, Miss Rlnsford, Miss Eyles, Miss Poole, Mr. Rant-
ford, Mr. Genge, Mr. D. King, and several other well-
known vocalists ; but, as is usual on these occasions, not
more than one-half of the professionals announced made
their appearance.
Mr. Toole was the toastmaster.

RUSSIAN INFLUENCE AT .NEJV YORK.

(Front the New York Herald, Dec. 27.)

Our special despatch from Washington, of this morn-
ing, introduces home new characters of a very distin-
guisbed class as among the Cabinet-makers at Washington
and elsewhere. It appears that, looking ahead with her
far-reaching diplomatic sagacity, Russia has thrown the
weight of her political agencies and influences in this
coentry in behalf of General Case for Secretary of State
to the incoming Administration, and that all the proba-
bilities are in favour of his appointment.
The 'vantage ground which will be secured by Russia
with General Cass at the head of the Cabinet will he
manifest to every reader. General Cass is the intractable
enemy of England. Had he taken the oath of Hannibal
against her, he could not have pursued her with a more
constant hostility than that which has illustrated his I fa
since he has been a candidate for the presidency. Such
a sleepless foe of John Bull at the head of Mr. Bu.
chanau's Cabinet would naturally be the very man for
Russia. His influence in favour of Russia with the
President elect would also probably be greater than
with any other President ; for, while Mr. Buchanan
remembers his Ministerial residence at St. Peters-
burg with grateful satisfaction, mellowed and ripened by
age, his recent mission to England cannot be recalled
without unpleasant sensations. The genial hospitalities
of the sagacious Nicholas were one thing; but the patro-
nising airs and diplomatic provocations of Palmerston
and Clarendon were quite another thing.
The future influence and power of the United States
among the great nations of the earth are nowhere better
appreciated than at St. Petersburg. It was the policy of
Nicholas to cultivate the most friendly relations with us,
as against Nicholas; and this is the policy of Alexander,
with a little change in the programme in favour of Louis
Napoleon.

SUEZ CANAL AND EUPHRATES VALLEY
RAILWAY.

Extract from a letter from M. Ferdinand de Lea-
seps to Mr. Charles Lamb Kenney, author of
" Gates of the East" :

" London, March 26, 1857.
" Sir,—On my return from a long voyage I have just
made in the Soudan my attention has been drawn to a
pamphlet, published by you, under the title of ' The
Gates of the East,' which I have read with the greatest
interest.
"In defending the question of the piercing of the
Isthmus of Suez, from a British point of view, and with
patriotic motives, you have lent the most powerful aid
to an enterprise whose initiation is due to the
intelli-
gencs of the Viceroy of Egypt, and to the success of
which I have devoted every effort for the last two years.
Allow me to thank you and to congratulate you.
"As I hope that you will in the future continue to
t?
serve a cause worthy the sympathy of all men of spirit
and intelligence, I think it my duty to draw your at-
tention to one side of the question touched upon in your
pamphlet.
"It has been sought to represent the
.Euphrates Val-
hi), Railway and the Suez Canal as two rival and hostile
enterprises ; and as a consequence, the partisans, from
conviction, of the Suez Canal have been led occasionally
in order to maintain the cause they had adopted, or in
reply to attacks, to make use of arguments which, if not
in their conception, in appearance at least might afford
a pretext for the commonly-received belief in the rivalry
of the two enterprises. Although you have avoided this
shoal I deem it expedient to make known to you my
formal opinion.
"The two enterprises are altogether independent of
each other, both as regards the means of execution and
the results proposed in each case ; they will both prove
useful to the progress and civilisation of the world ; and,
far from injuring one another, they can only mutually
assist each other's advance towards equal success.
"I have personally maintained, and I shall continue
to maintain, that the Euphrates, Railway will be a bese••
faction to countries now disinherited; ands what is morl
my experience of the Arabs and of the deserts of Arabia
leads me into the persuasion, in opposition to what is
generally believed, that the pretended difficulties as to
the maintenance and safety of the Euphrates Valley
Railway are prejudices as baseless as the fears respect-
ing the silting up the Suez Canal, the impracticability
of the Bay of Pelusium, and the dangers of the Red
Sea.
‘ and ti Accept,
cept,
dseivro, theon. expression of my
esteemsentiments of

"FERDINAND DE LESSEN."

THE FINSBURY ELECTION PETITION.—At a meeting
of electors of the borough of Finsbury, held at the Bel-
vedere Tavern, Pentonville, a committee of fivelias been
appointed to take measures for supporting the petition to
be presented to the House of Commons against Mr
Cox, and a fund has been raised to defray the expenses
to be incurred thereby without calling upon Mr. Ser.
geant Parry to contributeto such expenses. Mr. Shoop,
of Bedford row, has been appointed the solicitor, and
Mr. Edwin James, Q.C., has been retained to appear in
support of the petition.
BANQUET TO Mn. WILLIAM BROWN, M.P.—About
twenty-four distinguished guests have signified their
acceptance of the joint invitation from the mayor and
the banquet committee. All the arrangements are pro.
greasing very satisfactorily, but the issue of tickets has
been delayed till 1 o'clock on Wednesday. Mr. Best
will attend and exhibit the power and tones of the organ.
40ion.