The Sun.
London, England, 1859-02-10 00:00:00

VIE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 10, 1859

friends, but we look for fair play in return. It
will not be fair play if we have not the Govern.
ment -Reform Bill before us all in a very short

time.

Lord JOHN RUSSELL about hit the mark when
he said the House—he might have added, and the
country—will " wait their time, but they must not
be putting off the subject." Of course, his Lord-
ship wants to get the Reform business before the
House for his own purposes—still, the old adage is
ever true, fas est ab poste doceri ; and it was just
because Lord JOHN knew correctly the general
feeling, that he plied the Government with this re-
presentation. The least appearance of " putting
off" will be more damaging to the Government than
even a bill obviously tinged with Conservatism.
Both would injure their position, but the latter
would be excused as consistent, however severely it
might be attacked. The former will be attributed,
justly or unjustly, to cowardice, perhaps to fraud.
It will be taken for a scheme to protract the dis-
cussion, by means readily conceived, into another
session, perhaps into another Parliament; or, it
will be supposed that the Government is conscious
that its measure will not be popular. Had onr
'Ministers anything to give us in the way of Reform
(it will be said), which ought to strengthen their
position with fair-minded men, they certainly would
proffer it amongst the first fruits of their labours
during the recess. We trust, therefore, that our
Premier will carefully consider his position, and
that, he will, on a •very early day—why not next
week ?—give us a bill which shall enable all the
irresponsible Reformers to avow that their "occu-
pation's gone."
Meantime, an opportunity is thus given us to
appeal again to those who make Reform Bills, and
to those for whom they are made. We place
first, as we always have done—The Independence
OF THE VOTER. We hold that any reform, which
does not secure the integrity of the unit of each
constituency cannot secure a sound constituency
at all. It seems generally agreed that moderate-
sized constituencies feel much more interest in the
members they select than very large ones ; it
seems to be also agreed by all schedule makers
that we shall not have equal electoral divisions,
and we certainly do not like them, but for a consi-
derable number of moderate-sized constituencies—
for all of these the INDEPENDENCE of the indivi-
dual voter is the essential thing. Even at Man-
chester we have heard of millowners conveying
their men from the factory yard to the poll, to
vote, not for themselves, but for their employers.
But second to this is the question on which there
is most dispute at present--the re-apportionment of
members. Respecting disfranchisement, the Tory
party, whether represented by the anti-reforming
Times, or the honest but moderateßeformers, like
Sir JoHN E. WILMOT, do not irreconcileably differ.
The tug of war commences with the question—
What proportion of the vacant seats shall be
given to the boroughs, what to the counties? We
have, we think, placed the question in a much
fairer light. We decline to pit the borough
constituencies as a whole, against the county
constituencies as a whole. We ask, What
proportion shall be given to POPULOUS, WEALTHY,
EDUCATED COUNTIES, and what proportion to
THINLY-PEOPLED, LESS 'WEALTHY, and LESS EDU

CATED COUNTIES
Let each class of counties take the proportion of
members belonging to it. Let each individual
county, then take the share which is its due, and
then let each county apportion the members fairly
belonging to it between the towns in it which are
sufficiently populous, and convenient divisions of
the remainder of the population .
The latter part of the business would be easily
enough settled. It is the needless and undesirable
element of pitting all the boroughs in the kingdom
against all its counties which has caused all the
feeling. Take the number of members which any
county should have, and probably there would
rarely be any dispute within that county as to
what towns should return representatives, and how
many. What can our Landed Gentry ask more
than that the counties should be compared with
each other, as the basis of rearrangement ? What
can they ask more than that POPULATION, ASSESS-
MENT TO INCOME TAX, and ASSESSED TAXES—
should be the grounds of distinction between county
and county ? Bare land can have no claim to vote.
Heaths and moors do not want members. Industry
requires population, population and industry create
wealth ;—so strictly is this true in England, that as
will have been seen by our tables the industrious
the populous, and cultivated counties can claim
more on the ground of property than on that of
population itself !
Mr. BRIGHT and we have often enough had oc-
casion to dffer. He is by no means our model
statesman, but he is a man of popular origin, of
popular instincts, and of business habits, and his
schedules, when subjected to a test so different
from any to which he has yet referred, only show
that he has been thoroughly moderate in his claims
for those counties to which England owes her
greatness. These are the counties which enable
England to pay the interest of her enormous debt,
and to raise her immense revenue—the counties
which support her army and navy, and which fill
the whole world with the fame of her commerce—
the counties which alone make the other counties
worth high cultivation, and which require not only
all their surplus agricultural produce but that of
other countries besides. To the twelve counties
which we have contrasted with the forty, our land-
lords owe the value of their estates, their increased
rent roll, the absorption of a surplus population
which would otherwise beggar their estates with
pauperism, and the best market in the world for
their produce, close at their own doors. We call
upon the landlords of England to look facts in
the face, not to fight with their best friends, but to
accept the terms dictated by population, intelli-
gence, and wealth.

Thee Count Perponcher has left Maurigy's
Hotel for Berlin.
Viscountess Palmerston has issued cards for as-
semblies on Saturday, the 12th, and Wednesday, the 16th
instant.

Vicomte Bouillon has arrived at the Brunswick
Hotel, Jermyn-street, from Switzerland.
Lord and Lady Rokeby have left Montagu House
for Windsor.
A mysterious wit, veiling his identity under the
assumed name of Ben Trovato, has just now celebrated
the Burns' Centenary with a volume of "Rival Rhymes,"
worthy of taking their place henceforth with the famous
" Rejected Addresses," and the immortal " Bon Gualtier."
Who is Ben Trovato ? asks Curiosity. Rumour replying—
' A literary celebrity, who, for all-sufficient reasons, prefers
for a while the mask of the anonymous.
About 2,000 bales of silk, and 40,0001 b. of tea
bales
aaolvlue
olboefre enseni
silk
atsivn, ehsddae
from
17te6os5t
a,0,1
fot hochleobi conaonffegintaoetlaso. f
yh et
hJi
su by i
se
se
e, l a
ms
ro
er e2n,near
wool will commence on
the 24th. Since the last sale the quantity arrived hasbeen
25,746 bales, about half of which are from the Cape.
THE WEATHER IN TILE NORTII.—Last week a
man was found frozen to death among the snow on the hills
near Stanhothpe, in
of bod Durham. In the same week some sports-
men found e y a person known as an American
prophet lying out on the wilds of Northumberland, near
Falstone, where he had frozen to death. In the same week
gaotthheerredhay
nearrs gSatrodeekntofluo,l%!enrsDurham,in,full and
bloom in the public parks and gardens in the towns on the
coastmco.ali;sfilooi cowslips
wallflowers
re
andrNorthumberland.

and we warn the present Government that delay
will be bath undignified and hazardous. We have
always demanded fair play for our Conservative

VOCAL ASSOCIATION, ST. JAMES'
HALL.

After a brief overture, it opens with a spirited
chorus, " Wake with a smile, 0 month of May,"
followed by a graceful air for the tenor, " Oh,
meadow clad in early green," which Mr. Wilbye
Cooper, who was unexpectedly called upon to
supply the place of Mr. Sims Reeves, sang with
much taste and expression. One of the gems of
the piece was the charming solo with chorus, "With
the carol in the tree," in which Miss Stabbach
rendered the soprano part most successfully.
An unanimous encore was elicited by this striking
passage, which was followed by a melodious duet
for the May Queen and her lover, " Can I not find
thee a warrant for changing ? " sung by Miss
Stabbach and Mr. Wilbye Cooper. Mr. Santley,
as Robin Hood, took the bass part, and acquitted
himself respectably, though he scarcely did justice
to the spirited bass song, " 'Tis jolly to hunt in the
bright moonlight," which might have been given
with much more animation and effect. The trio
for soprano, tenor, and bass, was carefully sung;
and the choruses, "111-fated boy," and " Hark their
notes the hautboys swell," though very different
in character, were both very well rendered. Miss
Stabbach sang the last soprano solo very grace-
fully, and the chorus finished this charming can-
tata with spirit. The instrumental music was
excellent, and the performance of the chorus,
though not always perfect, was very creditable to
them, considering the novelty of the music. Mr.
Wilbye Cooper acquitted himself satisfactorily,
though it was impossible to avoid regretting the
absence of Mr. Sims Reeves, to whom the tenor
part seems especially suited. At the conclusion
of the piece it was warmly applauded, and there
were enthusiastic calls for the composer, who
acknowledged the compliment from the gallery.
We cannot refrain from felicitating Mr. Chorley
on his graceful and flowing verses, which afford
full opportunity for the composer to display his
varied abilities.

The second part opened with M. Benedict's festi-
val overture, very well played. A new part song,
composed for the Vocal Association by Herr Otto
Goldschmidt, though not rendered with perfect
correctness, was so animated that it" was rede-
manded Miss Stabbach sang Weber's difficult scena,
"Ocean, thou mighty monster," with care, but it is an
arduous undertaking for so young a singer. A
tuneful part song by Mendelssohn, and Beetho-
ven's march and chorus from the Ruins of
Athens," concluded the evening's entertainment.

The hall was attended by a large and fashionable
audience, who appeared highly gratified by the per-
formances.

THE COUNTESS OF DERBY'S

ASSEMBLY.

The Countess of Derby opened the season with a political
reunion last evening, at the family mansion of the First
Lord of the Treasury in St. James's-square.
His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge honoured
her ladyship with his presence, arriving at 11 o'clock, at-
tended by Col. the Hon. James Macdonald.
The party was rather more select than, numerous.
Among the members of the corps diplomati4ue we re-
marked
:
His Excellency the Turkish Ambassador and the Prince
Vogorides, his Excellency the Belgian Minister, his Excel-
lency the Bavarian Minister, his Excellency the Austrian Mi-
nister and the Countess Apponyi and the Countess Baum-
garten, his Excellency the Spanish Minister, his Excel-
lency the Netherlands Minister, his Excellency the Ame-
rican Minister and Mrs. Dallas and Miss Dallas, his
Excellency the Minister of the Hanse Towns and Madame
Rucker, his Excellency the Swedish Minister and the
Countess Platen, his Excellency the Hanoverian Minister,
his Excellency the Danish Minister, his Excellency the
Sardinian Minister, Capt. de Falbe, Count Jaucourt, M.
Blanpre, Count Blucher, Chevalier de tavalho, Baron
Aldenburg, Count Chotek, Count Brandenburg, and M. C.
Tricoupi. ,
Among the general circle were---Their Serene Highnesses
the Prince and Princess Edward of Saxe-Weimar, the
Duchess of Inverness and Miss Wemyss, the Duke of Hamil-
ton, Maria Marchioness of Ailesbtuy, the Countess of Sefton
and Lady Cecilia Molyneux, Count and Countess Grote,
the Countess Sandwich, the Earl of Hardwicke, the Earl
of Lanesborough, the Earl of Carnarvon, the Earl of
Powis, the Earl of Mornington, Viscount Campden, Vis-
countess Combermere, Viscount and Viscountess Melgund,
Lord and Lady C9lchester, the Lord Chancellor and Lady
Chelmsford and the Hon. Miss Thesiger, Lady William
Powlett, the Ladies Murray (2), Lord Downes, Lord and
Lady Claud Hamilton, Lord Wynford, Lord and Lady
Sondes and the Hon. Miss Miles, Lord Henry Gor-
don Lennox, Lady Burghersh, the Right Hon. H. T. L.
Corry, M.P., and Miss Corry, Hon. Capt. Grey, the
Queen's Advocate and Lady Hardinge, the Solicitor-General
and Lady Cairns, Hon. Charles Murray, Sir William
Jolliffe, M.P., Col. R. Taylor, Mr. and Lady Elizabeth
Russell, Sir Roderick Murchison, Sir R. W. and Lady
Carden and Miss Carden, Sir Charles Locock, Sir Hamilton
Seymour, Col. and Mrs. Brooke Taylor, Col. Tyrwhitt,
Col. Lowther and Miss Lowther, Capt. Archdale,
the Right Hon. Spencer and Mrs. Walpole and Miss Wal-
pole, Hon. Charles Edgcombe, Mr. and Lady Mary Stan-
ley and the Hon. Miss Stanley, Hon. Mrs. Spencer
Ponsonby, Col. Airey, Mr. A. Corry, Mr. Wilson Patton,
Mr. Fleming, Mr. R. Perry Nisbet and Miss Nisbet, Mr.
Robertson, Mr. Merivale, Mr. and Mrs. Gaythorne Hardy,
Mr. Hardy, Mr. Alfred Montgomery, Mr. Conolly,
Mr. and Mrs. Seymour Fitzgerald, Mr. and Mrs.
Bovill, Mr. Cavendish Bentinck, Mr. Macartney, Mr.
Graham Vivian, Mr. William Peel, Hon. Henry and
Mrs. Butler Johnstone, Mr. Adams, Mr. and Hon.
Mrs. Higgins, Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Drummond, Mr.
Campbell (of Islay) and the Misses Campbell (2), Mr. New-
deg,ate, Mr. and Mrs. Jones (of Pantglas), Mrs. Disraeli,
Mr. and Mrs. Darby Griffith, Mr. Dundas, Mr. Adderley,
Mr. F. Eliot, Mr. Willis Fleming and Miss Fleming.
Previously to the assembly the Earl and Countess enter-
tained at dinner his Excellency the Ambassador of France
and the Duchess de Malakoff, his Excellency the Prussian
Minister and the Countess de Bernstorff, the Marquis and
Marchioness of Salisbury, Lord and Lady Arthur Hay,
Lord and Lady Colville, the Earl of Malmesbury, Count
Louis Corti, Col. Hon. W. P. Talbot, Hon. C. Eliot, &c.

AMERICAN MAILS.—The Canard mail steamer
Canada will sail from Liverpool for Boston and Halifax on
Saturday next, with the mails for North America. The
Post-office box will close at 12 noon, with late fees at 1 p.m.,
and on the landing stage at 2 p.m.
THE MAIL SERVICE.—SOUTHAMPTON, Wednes-
day.—The Royal Mail Company's steam-ship Tyne, Capt.
Sawyer, left the river this day, with the usual Brazil and
River Plate mails, 76 passengers (among whom is Mr. Cow-
per, her Majesty's consul for. Pernambuco), specie value
£40,637, jewellery value £29,200, and a full general cargo.
The steam-ship Fulton left Cowes Roads this day for
New York, with the French and English mails, a full com-
plement of passengers, and a good cargo. The steam-
ship Union, destined for the Mauritius, is still in the Solent.
The Orissa, with the heavy portion of the Bombay mail,
may be looked for on Friday.
LATER DEPARTURE OF MAILS FOR AUSTRALIA.
--As it appears that the packet by which the Australian
mails of the present month are to be conveyed from Suez to
Sydney cannot reach Suez until at least a week after the
proper time for her arrival, it has been decided to postpone,
for the period of one week, the despatch of those mails from
London. The mails for the Australian colonies, to be con-
veyed via Southampton,. will accordingly be made up on the
morning of the 19th instant, instead of on the 12th ; and
those to be conveyed via Marseilles will be made up on the
eveninr, of the 23d, instead of on the 16th inst.—By com-
mand of the Postmaster-General, Ito wLAxp HILL, Secre-
tary.—General Post-oflice, Feb. 9 1859.
NATIONAL EDU ICATION IN RELAND.—Two blue-
books, yesterday issued, contain the 24th Report of the
Commissioners of National Education in Ireland for the
year 1857. Why these reports appear so out of date re-
mains to be explained. It is shown, however, that at the
end of 1857 there were 5,337 schools in operation, an average
daily attendance of 268,397 children, and an average num-
ber of children on the rolls amounting to 514,4475. The
increase, as on 1856, is equivalent to 14,386 children actu-
ally attending, and from 26,000 to 28,000 is the average
number on the rolls. There were 13 " district model
schools" at work in 1857, and 166 " national agricultural
schools. The amount expended from the Parliamentary
grant in these latter schools was £6,721. The total receipts
of the commissioners for the year amount to £302,224, and
the expenditure to £289,425, leaving a balance of £12,799
at the close of the year. We believe that the question has
s endn ihn
oftii Parliament
e public
moneywhether it is
on
te puntingNOr rt
h
oa whileifrtehaed tyso-olsbt Ipet nee nni
dn
rosajuos details and tabular statements appended
to the "report" properly so called.

The first dress concert of the season was given
last night by the Vocal Association, in St. James'
Hall. It opened with Beethoven's fine overture

" Leonora," which was exceedingly well played,
I and elicited warm applause. Three songs of
Handel's, sung by Mr. Santley, Miss Palmer, and
Mr. Wilbye Cooper, followed--all performed cre-
ditably. The great attraction of the evening, how-
ever, was the production of Professor Sterndale
Bennett's new cantata " The May Queen," which
was a complete success. At its previous perform-
ance at Leeds, and at St. Martin's-hall, its success
was unmistakeable, and the enthusiasm
which it excited last night on the occasion
of its first production at St. James's Hall muse
have been very gratifying to the composer. It is
a charming composition, full of fresh and varied
melody, and so simple and unaffected in its charac-
ter, that it disarms criticism.

missioner.

us."

LATEST NEWS.

THE CALCUTTA AND CHINA

MAILS.

MARSEILLES, FEB. 10.
The Calcutta and China Mails arrived at Mar-
seilles last night, and were to leave by the ten
o'clock train. Their delivery in London may be
expected to-morrow (Friday) morning.

The following telegrams have been received al
Mr. Reuter's office :

DRESDEN, FEB. 9,

The Dresden ,Tournal publishes an extra edition
in which it announces that the hereditary Grand-
duchess of Tuscany, daughter of the King of Saxony
has fallen seriously ill at Naples.
On Sunday, at her desire, she received the sacra-
ment.

Yesterday's news state that she is no worse

MARSEILLES, FEB. 9,

Advices have been received from Constantinople
to the 2nd inst. The reserve of the Turkish army
has arrived ; but such is the want of money that
the arrears of pay of the forces in Asia, and also of
the Government employes, have- remained undis-
charged for 18 months. Ten per cent. has been
offered to the creditors of the Civil List, which,
however, was protested against by them.
The Sultan has ordered magnificent fetes to cele-
brate the occasion of the new marriage.
The contest among Ministers in the Divan still
continues. Kybrisli Pasha denounced the conduct
of Safetti Pasha.

According to a report from Persia, the populace
of Herah (Herat P) had expelled the English Com-

CONSTANTINOPLE, FEB. 2

Ethem Pasha has been sent to the Principalities
as extraordinary Commissioner. Twenty batta-
lions of infantry, together with the necessary
artillery, will be despatched to the Danube and
placed at the disposal of Ethem Pasha, who, in
certain exigencies, is empowered to order the
troops to enter the Principalities.

THE SARDINIAN LOAN.
SPEECH OF COUNT CAVOUR.

TURIN, FEB. 9,

The following is a summary of the speech of
Count Cavour on the occasion of the debate con•
corning the project of the new loan. He said:—
" Our consistent policy has been at all times
national and Italian, and never of a revolutionary
character. Austria has lately taken a menacing
attitude towards us. It has increased its military
force at Piacenza, and has collected very large
forces on our frontiers. Therefore the necessity
arises for us to look for means for the defence of

the State. The English alliance has always been
the constant care of our whole political life. We
have always considered England as the impreg-
nable asylum of liberty.

" The cries of suffering coming from Bologna and
Naples arrive still at the borders of the Thames,
but the tears and groans of Milan are intercepted
by the Alps and the Austrians; but the cause of
liberty, of justice, and of civilisation triumphs
always. As regards England, Lord Derby will
not tarnish his glory in making himself an accom-
plice of those who wish to condemn the Italians to
eternal servitude. Our policy is not defiant ; we
will not excite to war, neither will we lower our
voice, when Austria arms herself and threatens

The project of the loan was ultimately voted by
6 against 35.

PARIS, TuuRSDAY,

The Atoniteur, in giving an account of the sitting
of the Corps Legislatif of yesterday, states that the
project of the budget and a project of a contract
between the state and the railway companies has
been communicated to the members of the Corps
Legislatif.