The Sun.
London, England, 1857-07-23 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY, JULY 23, 1857

The standard of revolt is openly d splayed in
the lonian Islands. Nay, more, it has been ex-
hibited, in, the Legislative Assembly and, amongst
others.-14 members of the Government, who re-
ceive English pay,
and to whose hands the honour
and interests of Great Britain have been confided.
They have declared that "not only is every
lonian ready to make use cf every means in his
polet to object to any petition foe colonisation,
but he is at the same time Wiling to sign with, a
pen dipped in his own blood, that union with
Greece is their sole wish and desire 1" At this
announcement the assombly rose en masse! The
l'resideut got up, and with him all the members
of the House, crying with enthusiasm, yes, yes,
yes I While the Speaker, a certain Signor LOM-
BARDO, lashing himself into wrath, exclaimed
with fervour, " Let us, therefore, prove t) the
foreigner, what we have already proved, that
what is'niost grateful to us, is to get rid of his
protection." .;for was this all ; encouraged by
the extraordinary demonstration above alluded to,
what was the sangninary declaration of Signor
PADonfi, Minister of Public Instruction? He said :
" That if any base creature who shall have part:-
cipated in the scheme should happen to put his
foot on any part of the country where I have influ-
eiic9 4u,1 kits grave there, for the grave
the proper-place for sucll aborainable and ilaitious

beings." The speaker continued—" We have voted I
today unanimously our national resurreetior.
Thanks to you, Mr. President, you have been the
first to rise and vote for it ; thanks to you, mem-
bers of the house, and particularly to you, Cefa-
lonists, you have been amongst the first to declare
that you subscribe with your blood the union with
Greece. Who dare now say that the foreigner can
find any support in these islands ? With enthu-
siasm and unanimity we have voted our national
resurrection ; henceforward, therefore, it is by-
force only that the present political system can be
kept up. Order, therefore, that our proceedings
of to-day be printed forthwith." The house una-
nimously ordered the printing thereof; the Ad-
vocate-General on this adding, " We are a Greek
independent State like Greece, with the sole differ-
ence that we are under British protection. We all
wish for the greatness and the glory of the nation ;
but the question as to when a union with Greece
and the whole nation will take place, must be
decided by time and by circumstances."
This incendiary document was signed by the
President and Secretaries of the Assembly, and
transmitted throughout all the Islands, on the
false and frivolous pretext, " that a petition was
circulating, praying that Corfu may be declared a
colony !" The assertion appears to have been
without the slightest particle of foundation. It
was a wicked and mischievous falsehood, promul-
gated for the sole purpose of eliciting, even from
the paid members of the Government, expressions
of ill will towards England ani the English, and
of the determination to become amalgamated with
Greece whenever a favourable occasion should
• arise. It is manifest that it has been excited by
Russian propagandists, who have encouraged the
notion that England's difficulty affords the golden
opportunity, not to be wasted or misapplied.
These miscreants have exaggerated the effects
of the Chinese War and the Indian Afatiny,
and hence this "storm in a butter boat." Hence
the mendacious manifesto—the wicked display of
insubordination and bad feeling !

The matter cannot be suffered to remain in
statu quo. There has been a most deplorable
exhibition of disaffection and disloyalty. We
are openly told that it is " by force only that the
present political system can be kept up," and
the delinquents have been feted at the High Com-
missioner's table, on the very day after these
most atrocious proceedings. England is not, as
yet, so humiliated, or so powerless, as to submit
to such proceedings ! We have still sufficient
strength to deal with the lonian Islands. Aye,
and with all who may cast down the gage in their
behalf. It is, however, essential that the national
defences by land and water should be placed on
the most satisfactory foundation. We earnestly
hope that the matter may not be suffered to pass
sub silentio, but that stringent interroga-
tories may be exhibited to the Premier
and the Colonial Secretary, in order to ascertain
the course about to be adoptsd under the circw-n-
-stances. It is not a time when we can tamely
submit either to insult or to injury without for-
feiting the prestige that has constituted a great
portion of our sfrength, and which caused us to
be respected by other nations. Of course we can
easily deal with the lonian malcontents, and we
must be prepared to show their aiders and abettors,
whoever they may be, that we are ready and wil-
ling to deal with them also, and to inflict con-
dign chastisement for their improper interference.
It is not the first time that the lonian Assem-
bly has displayed a similar spirit. We should
now adopt such means as would make it the
last, or, at least, render any repetition of the
like proceedings, very improbable indeed.

Mr. SEED, a straightforward and consistent
monetary reformer, has brought a very important
resolution under the consideration of the Belfast
Chamber of Commerce. It is in the form of a
memorial to the House of Commons, to the effect
"That this Chamber, believing that the frequent
fluctuations in the state of the money market
arise from an imperfect monetary system, respect-
fully request your Honourable House will appoint
a committee for the purpose of considering the
question in its entirety." After some discussion
it was finally decided that the matter should be
referred to a select committee, who were to report to
the Chamber at a future meeting on the subject. The
question thus raised is one of the most important
that can be brought under:the consideration. of a
commercial body interested in the welfare and
prosperity of the industrial community, and we
rejoice that it should have fallen into such com-
petent hands. We have already had occasion to
notice the clear and distinct views taken by Mr.
SEED on the all-important t laic, and by his very
able speech at the meeting he has exhibited fur-
ther evidence of his fitness for the self-impose l
task. He has shown that dear money is exceed-
ingly prejudicial to the trade and commerce
of the nation, inasmuch as, assuming
the average circulation of bills of ex-
change to be 600,000,000/. in the year (by
no means an exaggerated estimate) the increase
of 1 per cent. in the rate of discount, is a less
to the trade profits of the nation of 6,000,0001.
But this is not all. A still greater loss is oc-
casioned by the absence of facilities for legiti-
mate pecuniary accommodation. The circula-
tion is unduly curtailed at one period, while it
is improperly expanded at another. At one
time trade's and manufacturers are like the
children described by LOCKE, as " pulling at•
a scanty coverlet, insufficient for all, and
each striving to protect himself at the ex-
pense of his "neighbour." At another the
wildet and moat extravagant speculations are
stimulated, because money is a drug in the market.
Hence these extraordinary fluctuations in the
value of money, which Mr. COBDEN described as
having occasioned more mischief than the failure
of all the banks of issue that ever stopped
payment.

lUnder the Charter of 1844 new banks of
1 issue are virtually prohibited. No mater how
Iperfect the security they offer. Notes of small
and convenient denomination are not permitted
to circulate, and thus, " the life-blood of indus-
try is rendered stignant and inadequate for the
work required." The amount of the paper circu-
lation might have been sufficient for the export
and import trade of 1844, but it ii totally inade-
quate to that of 1857, which has increased by at
least 150 per cent., t) sly nothing of our inter-
nal trade, which has expanded in a stilt greater
ratio.

The amendment 3 suggested by Mr. SEED were
to the following effect :

"Ist. That all restrictions upon the quant;ty
and value of the notes issued be rescinded, leaving
them to be regulated by the natural law of supply
and demand, the convertibility of the notes being
retained as at present, founded upon a basis of
one-half or three-fourth 3 of the amount being
ludged with Government, either in specie or other
approved negotiable security. 2d. Tbat the Bank
of England and Bank of Ireland notes be made
legal tender throughout the United Kingdom. 3 3.
That the possibility of a deficiency of the legal ten-
der arising be provided for by the Government."
The first resolution applied to the question of
Free Trade in currency. It is impossible to . jus-
tify the existing restrictions which establish pro..
tcction, del that of the trust objectionable de-

scrip' Hon for the moneyocracy ! Why, if adequate
seen rity be given for the convertibility of the note,
should there be any restriction on the amount ?
No one can explain or justify the prohibition, for
it is a prohibition, for no matter howgreat the mar•
gin, and perfect the guarantee, not a single note
can be issued. Industry is starved that usury
may thrive and grow fat on the blood of its
victims.

The second suggestion aims at a great anomaly.
Why should not the notes of the Banks of Eng-
land and Ireland, so long as they are maintained,
and are regarded as quasi national establishments,
not be constituted legal tenders throughout the
whole of the United Kingdom ? No mischief
could possibly arise from the regulation
which would be mutually beneficial to both
establishments as well as the people of Eng-
land and Ireland. The third is, however,
the most important point of all. We want a legal
tender sanctioned and guaranteed by Government,
and receivable in payment of all public obligations.
If really national notes for 11., 21., and 31. were
issued, the use of gold would be economised. It
would be made available for our foreign trade in
place of lying idle and unproductive in the
vaults of Threadneedle-street, or circulating
uselessly—from hand to hand—exposed to
considerable wear and tear. If these mat-
tars can be placed on a satisfactory foun-
dation, the welfare and prosperity of the nation
will be ensured, and such will be the case if we
find other duly qualified persons and institutions
to followt he example afforded by Mr. SEED, and
the Chamber of Commerce at Belfast.

LYCEUM THEATRE.-ROYAL ITALIAN
OPERA.

Last night Madathe Ristori performed Lady Macbeth
at this house for the last time, and notwithstanding the
fine personations on former occasions, that of last even-
ing surpassed them all. The audience was perfectly
electrified by the grandeur of her earnestness in stimu-
lating Macbeth to consummate the witching glory of
her daring ambition. Many of the scenes were splen-
didly executed, to. the unspeakable admiration of a
crowded house. Madame Ristori was bailed with en.
tht.Aa..tic applause at the termination of the play. She
is, indeed, a first-rate artiste, and treads the stage with
3.1 the consummate confidence of one who feels the in-
nate promptings of irrepressible genias.
She plays Bianco in "Fazio" to-morrow.

The success of Mademoiselle Viotoire Balfe, as Lucia
in Donizetti's opera of that name, on Tuesday evening,
was complete. Our contemporaries aro unanimous in
saying that the acting and singing of the charming
young debutante was remarkable for artistic feeling and
originality. Her performance in the last act was a
chef d'oeuvre, and her brilliant execution of the exquisite
ftoriture she introduced in the arias of her role was the
theme of universal admiration. She wag recalled several
times during the evening amidst showers of bouquets.

A Cabinet Council .vas held yesterday at the official
residence of the First Lord of the Treasury in Dowmn g-
street. The Ministers presentjwere—Viscount Palmer_
ston, the Lord Chancellor, Earl Granville, the Marquis
of Lansdowne, the Earl of Harrowby, Sr G. Grey, the
Earl of Clarendon,. Mr. Secretary Labouchere, Lord
Panmure, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Right
Hon. R Vernon Smith, Lord Stanley of Aldelley, the
Right Hon. M. T. Baines, and the Duke of Argyll.

The Duke of Devonshire has left Chiswick for his villa,
in the neighbourhood of Sydenham, where his grace in-
tends residing a few weeks, previously to going into
Yorkshire.

Tue Duchess of Wellington will give a dinner to her
Majesty the Queen of the N,therlands at Apsley House
on Monday next. The dinner will be followed by a con-
cert, to which a small circle of the aristocracy have been
invited.

The Duchess of Somerset's morning party at Wim•
bledon Park, announced for Thursday, the 30th inst.,
will not take place. The duchess will receive, as usual,

.0-morrow.

The DUlce and Duchess of garnilton, with the youth-
ful Marquis of Douglas, arrived in town on Tuesday
night front the Continent, atter a protracted absence.
The Rid and Countess Spencer and the Lady Sarah
Spencer have left town fur Althorp Park, Northampton-
shire.

The Earl and Countess of Abergavenny and Lady
Caroline Nevi!l have left their house in Portland-place
Birling Manor, near Maidstone.
Lord and Lady Lyndhurst and the Hon. Miss Copley
intend to leave town at the close of the Parliamentary
session for St. Leonard's-on-Sea. His lordship has
taken a mansion there for ttree months.

Viscountess Goderich, with her infant daughter, are
going on Pati,fact)rily.
SOUTHAMPTON, Wednesday.—His Royal Highness the
Prince Consort, attended by Captain the Hon. A. de
Roe, Equerry-in-Waiting, landed in the docks this morn-
ing, about half-past 11, from her Majesty's yacht Fairy,
Captain the Hon. Joseph Danman, and proceeded to
Salisbury by special train, for the purpose of visit-
ing the Royal Agricultural Society's annual show,
now being held in that ancient city. His Royal
Highness was received on landing by Messrs. P. Hed-
ger and J. Levy, on the part of the Dock Com-
pany; and Messrs. Crombie, Scott, and Watkins, of
the South-Western Railway Company, who accompanied
the Royal train to and from Salisbury. The Prince r'-
urned to o,borne by the same route about 6 o'clock
in the evening, embarking in the E;fin, Master-Com-
mander Baliiston, from the dock stairs. Her Majesty
and the Royal children came up at the same time in the
Fairy for an evening cruise, the latter yacht lying to in
the river until the Eifin ca-ne alongside, when the
Prince joined the royal party. We understand that the
Prince C nosort leaves Osborne on Sunday for Belgium,
to be present at the marriage of the Prince=s Charlotte,
daughter of the King of the Belgians, and returns
again on Wednesday.

ANTIQUITIES FOR THE BRITISH MUSEUM.—The Gorgon
steam-sloop, Com. Towsey, was yesterday removed into
basin at Woolwich. She has on board a large collec-
tion of Greek and Roman antiquities, which will be
forwarded to the British Museum. Amongst these the
moat important are two immense stone statues obtained
from the tomb of King Miusolui. These statues are a
lion weighing about six tons and a horse of immense
proportions, which is said to be a fine specimen of art.
The latter statue is broken, but the three detached por-
tions camprise the whole of the animal. The weight is
about 13 tons, and the entire length -f the statue, if con-
nected, i 6 13 fee`. The remainder of the cargo c )roprises
mosaic statues, framents of the architecture of Halicar-
nassug, and several cases of beautifully carved frieze
work, ex libiting figures of amazons on horseback, &c.
THE RIFLEMEN OF SWITZERLAND.—The annual federal
rifle match at Berne terminated on the 15th by the dis-
tribution of prizes, which led to a curious coinci-
dence, deemed worthy by the president of the central
committee of being alluded to, namely, that the first
prize, consisting of 3,000 francs in gold, was awarded
to Captain Tscbanz, of the Company of Neufchatel
Carbineerg, who had distinguished himself on Septem-
ber the 4th by mounting first to the assualt of the
Gastle of Neufchatel, when in possession of the Prussian
party. M. Tschanz is one of the largest manufacturers
of watches in the Neufchatel mountains. The second
prize of 2,500 f. was carried of by a gunmakerof Thal wyl
(St. Gall) named Knuti. The town of Zurich is fixed
for the next federal shooting match, which will take
place in two years.

THE JEWELLERY ROBBERIES IN EDINBURGH.—At
the High C.mri.of Justiciary, on Monday, Thomas Kerr
and Thomas Gilbertz.on, artisans, were charged with five
acts of housebreaking and theft committed within the
city of Edinburgh. The particulars of this case have
been frequently published. The jury found the charges
proved in so far as they applied to the housebreakinge
at Calder's, Darling's, and Lennie'o, uo evidence on the
other charges having been call A. The Lord Justice
General, who expressed concurrence in the verdict,
sentenced the prisoners to 21 years' penal servitude
each.

PUBLIC MEETING OF WOMEN.-0a Tuesday evening
a public meeting, eJmposed exclusively of women, was
held in the town-hall, Leicester, to consider the question
of women's rights generally, more particularly in refer-
ence to the measure now before parliament. The ball
was nearly filled, and the meeting appeared to be coin-
p)sed exc usively of women belonging to the, working
classes, although it was understood that the expenses
had been defrayed by some ladies in the higher circles
~f life. Mrs. `Woodford acted as president ; and the
meeting was addressed by a Mrs. Watts and
Mrs. Wingfield. Tho latter lady was the speaker
of the evening, and addressed the meeting with
great ability for upwards of an hour. Quoting copiously
from the Old and New Testament, she contended that
in every respact, except physical strength, woman was
equal with man, but tiat the laws and social customs did
not give her fair play. Mrs. Wingfield proposed the
adoption of an address to the women of England, which
was carried by acclamation. At the conclusion of
,be meeting thanks were voted to the pro
silent, and to Lord Lyndhurst for his reply to
the Bishop of Ox'ord in the House of Lords. It was
also decided to present a petition founded upon the al.
dress. The meeting closed with singing the national
anthem shortly after 10 o'clook,