The Sun.
London, England, 1857-02-10 00:00:00

tl iai , no less than 1,741 copies of conditions and

jects without let or hindrance, but they had their
ranks recruited by experienced bands fresh from
the hulks and houses of correction, who had
succeeded in gammoning the chaplains, or me-
dical men, by the reformed or sick dodges.
This serious evil must in some way be checked,
and although Sir GEORGE GREY does not strike at
its very root, by interposing the protection of the
law against notorious members of the swell mob
and the different schools of crime that abound,
more especially in the metropolis, he has made a
creditable attempt to prevent convicted and ea,
rienced criminals from getting loose to prey
upon society for the second time. He
does not proceed to the full extent that
is required, but the step is in the right direction,
and we have no doubt that further ameliorations
will gradually be introduced, until all that could
be reasonably anticipated will be effected.
The main feature of the new proposition will
be, that transportation and penal servitude will
be convertible terms, so that notoriously incorrig-
ible offenders maybe detained in perpetual imprison-
ment at home or deported for life, or a prolonged
term of years, as may be deemed most expedient
by the authorities. There is no doubt that the
old system of transportation was by far the most
effectual, that it afforded the best protection
against the criminal, and at the same time the
most auspicious prospects of his reformation.
Natural humanity revolted against anything that
deprived even the most atrocious malefactor of any
motive for improvement, that excluded even hope,
and delivered him over a victim t 3 despair.
Besides, he was rendered a permanent burden on
the national finances. The means essential to
his safe custody rendered it impossible for lam to
earnhis
utility. But there
dailybreadby hisdailywelarebooutrhseor pnwarotrikess
of public
to be consulted before a judicious system of tran-
sportation could be carried into operation. Our
colonists were entitled to protest against the con-
tamination to which they would be exposed by the
invasion of the offscourings of our population.
Even those who would be willing to receive con-
victed offenders stipulated for the class which we
ourselves were anxious to retain. It was not the
incorrigible or the helpless, but those who might
be reformed, and who could make themselves use-
ful auxiliaries in the battle against the wilderness.
There was then, apparently, an insuperable ob-
stacle to carrying out our own views and intentions,
and no adequate solution has as yet been offered
of the interesting and important problem.
For the present, West Austrialia stands alone
in being willing to receive our criminals, and it
must be obvious that unless great discrimination
be exercised that " locus penitentice," as it may
properly be termed, may speedily be overstocked
and closed against us. Sir GEORGE GREY is,
therefore, fully justified in demanding the legis-
lative sanction to that which, under all the
cireumstaaces of the case, was all that he could
at present suggest. But the measure can only be
regarded as a temporary expedient—not as a per-
manent system. It may always be useful, but
more is required. We want a new and exclusively
penal settlement. We shall not at present enter
into the vexed questions of the Falkland
Islands, the Hudson's Bay Company's dis-
tricts, the Hebrides, or the islands of
the western coast of Ireland ; some of them
may beneficially be resorted to. Suffice it now to
say that Sir GEORGE GREY'S measure is good so far
as it goes, but that far more is required before the
criminal question can be considered settled, or
even as placed on a satisfactory foundation.

The Chief Commissioner of Public Works gave
a very satisfactory account last evening of the
intentions of the Government in regard to the
proposed new bridge at Westminster. In answer
to an inquiry (relative to those intentions) ema-
nating from the Hon. Gentleman the member for
Honiton, Sir BENJAMIN HALL intimated that
Ministers had already formally adopted the re-
commendation of the Committee, to excite a com-
petition, in reference to the designs for the new
bridge, among the principal architects and engi-
neers of the day. So completely indeed has
the Administration adopted this ouggestio 1))

p titulars have been circulated in all directions—
tl ire Hugh Sir BENJAMIN liku:s own department,
ti iv 'ugh the Foreign Office, and through the agency
of 'the French Government. As many as 1,541
of ' these " forms '' passing through the Office of
P )lic Works ; 170 being disseminated through

tl le, Office of the Foreign Secretary; and 130 being
si applied to our Gallic Allies for the purposes of
a, ?p ropriate distribution. Immediately the replies
too -this comprehensive invitation to the more con-
s] le uously gifted among the living votaries
co,'. azchitecture and engineering, shall have been
ri Lei ved—it is proposed by her MAJESTY'S Govern-
or lent to make, somewhere, a grand public exhibition
of • .the various designs sent in by the competitors.
P t obably, says Sir BENJAMIN, Westminster Hall
w ill be the place selected for this rather unusual
e: ritibition. If so the public will be reminded
stmiewhat forcibly of another grand public exhi-
Viti on which took place there some ten or a
d oz,sn years ago—that, we mean, of the gigantic
Ciartoons in the production of which some of our
13 tore ambitious artist, such men as Messrs.
llecusE, and POOLE, and CROSS, and ARMITAGE,
r evealed new powers in a new department. It is
1 earnestly to be hoped that the forthcoming dis-
play of designs for the New Westminster Bridge
in Old Westminster Hall may be auspicious of
grander improvements in our metropolis generally
—4improvements to be effected by moans of oom-
g achievements.
bI
It
niesd
tarchitecturalthatand e
theng p
i nereorpi nosed exhibition,
promised last evening in the House of Commons
by Sir BENJAMIN HALL, may be auspicious of such
improvements, improvements thus diffused and
comprehensive--Precisely as the former Exhibition,
the Exhibition of Cartoons just alluded to, was
auspicious of a novel and unaccustomed evidence
of taste, enterprise, and munificence, as applied
to the decoration of the magnificent palace of
the Legislature. Whichever of the numerous
designs . for the new bridge about to be
received and exhibited by Her Majesty's Govern-
meat may be selected as the most suitable in every
particular—it is sincerely to be trusted by us all
that due regard will, in the first place, be had to
the site chosen, as well as to the precise sweep of
the new approaches. Sufficient space, moreover,
ought to be cleared in the immediate vicinity of
the',Bridge itself, and in that of the palatial Houses
of Parliament; otherwise the old shame and griev-
ance will, in this instance again, therefore, be de-
plorably perpetuated. That we mean which is so
obviously the disfigurement of all our metropoli-
tan specimens of architecture. The want of
room, actually, in
which to be seen. St. Paul's
Cathedral being a flagrant instance of this. Se-
veral of our
principal
churches, moreover, being
ignominiously poked down back lanes, as in the
' instance of S. Bride's, with its beautiful tele-
scopic spire. If the competitors in the proposed
or rather promised Exhibition of Designs for the
New Bridge want "no favour"—the Bridge itself
most assuredly wants " a clear stage." And so
for that matter, too, does the contiguous
palace of the Legislature. Unless some regard
be had to this very pressing want of space, both
in regard to Westminster Bridge and the Houses
of Parliament—the more stiffnecked passers-by
will run the chance repeatedly of dislocating
their vertebra, in trying to get a peep at the sum-
mit of the Clock Tower ! Now that Sir BBNTA.MIN
HALL has fairly warmed to what ought to be the
spirit of his office, it is satisfactory at any rate to
note his readiness to acquit himself of its duties
with a due regard to the numerous and onerous
responsibilities they involve.
pe- _

CONVOCATION,—The adjournment of the convocation
of tke province of CAnterbury is to the 26th of June
ensuing.
REPORTED DEATH OF COLONEL WYNDHAM.—We are
happy to state that there is no foundation for this ru-
mour..'-United Service Gazette.
THE EARL OF HAERWOOD.—The medical bulletin from
Harewood-house yesterday morning was as follows :
" The Earl of Harewood is a little better. Harewood-
house, Monday morning, Feb. 9."
Mr. H. W. Schneider has withdrawn his claims to
le now
the the representation of Hull, and Mr. James Clay is w
a
the or ly candidate.
dulrilnagjorththeepliasotn.wWeelt,Ballet,h!LLPi.terary and Scientific
Institution, Fromo, on the subject of Algeria.
Ye-terday the Liverpool Town Council resolved to
invite Mr. W. Brown, M.P., to lay the foundation stone
of the new free library in the Easter Parliamentary recess.
It is stated that the East India Company will shortly
invite tenders for the conveyance of upwards of 2,000,
troops from England to Madras.
The continental exchanges continue with a favourable
appearance. At Hamburg the rate of discount has de-
clined to 3i per cent.
that
tc contradict
otlhlien
bad statement
left
ofL oTnthhdeeo
nPizr forne s.suetehaerVvElt
States.ta:fdielitueeb
The amateur performance at the St. James's Theatre,
on Saturday last, for the Broadstairs boatmen, has
yielded 701., after payment of the expenses.
ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON.—At the meeting
of the Z )ological Society this evening, Professor Owen
will read a paper on the anatomy of the great aat-bear.
Cnoncli PREFERMENTS.—Rev. A. C. Copeman, 8.M.,
minister of St. Andrew, in the City of Norwich ; Rsev.
Edward Pots Neale, M.A., to the vicarage of Horsey,

in Norfolk.
A correspondent, writing from Dresden, says
"Baron Forah ROUOD, the French envoy at our court,
was received to-day, at twelve o'clock, in solemn
audience, to deliver to his Majesty
the Legion of Honour." the Grand Cross of
The Agra, from Shanghai, is reported off the Western
Islands with a valuable cargo of 2,389 bales of silk and
DUTY PAID BY THE BANK OF ENGLAYD.—
517,5001b5. of tea. The Virginia has also arrived with
a ciTuna; ttTyA.
m ofp t a.
The sum of 60,0001. is paid by the Bank of England as a
composition for stamp duty, and 120,0001. contributed
out of the profits of the circulation department.
WHITEHAVEN, CLEATOB, AND EGREMONT RAILWAY.
The directors will declare a dividend for the half-year at
the rate of nearly 9 per cent. per annum.
GLOUCESTER AND DEAN FOREST RAILIVAY.—At the
hall-yearly meeting of this company, which was held on
Saturday at Gloucester, Mr. Baker in the chair,
a divi-
dend' of lls. Bd. per share, free of income tax,
was de-
clared.
RAILWAY.--
Bradford branch
GREAT WESTERN RAIL
of this company's railway from the main line at Bath to
the Wilts, Somerset, and Weymouth Railway atffic Trow-
bridge, was opened on Monday for passenger tra.
The departures from the port of London for the Aus-
tralian colonies during the past week h H
ave comprised
three vessels—two to Port-Philip and one to
tons.obart
The
Town, with an aggregate capacity of 1,402
rates of freight continue to exhibit heaviness. 's
A letter from St. Petersburg, of the 31st ult., says
"The Emperor Napoleon has sent to the Emperor
Alexander 11.
Jesus Christ,' printed at the Imperial
a magnificent copy of the 'lmitation of
Paris. It was sent to Count de ICisseleff by the Minister
of Justice. The Imperial Library purchased a copy of
printing office in
this work in 1855, at a cost of 6000f.'
A. copy has been received of a correspondence between
en
Mr. Luard and the London alai County Bank, whi
be was lately the manager. Mr. Luard complained of
the tone of a circular issued by the bank in April
r last,
and the bank, in a letter dated the 4th instant, have e-
plied that it was not the intention of the board to im-
peach his integrity.
FIRE IN QUEEN-STREET, LONG-ACRll.—Last evening,
between five and six o'clock, it was discovered that a
house belonging to Mr. Hooper, of Berners-strect, Ox-
ford-street, was on fire. The fire was not got under
till it bad excited some alarm in the neighborhood, A
little boy four years old was burnt to death. Nothing
is known as to the origin of the fire.
Inorr BOILERS SUNK.—On Saturday last, whilst the
steam-boat Goliah was towing three iron boilers, each
weighing 10i tone, from Whitby to Rosedale,
s'
Staithes, at which place blasting furnaces are being
formed, two of them tilled with water, and went to the
bottom, off Kettlaness Point. Their value is about 3001.
each.—Dover Chronicle,
LIVERPOOL TOWN Mht
our
RS.—Our readers will perceive,
by a perusal of the debates, that we were rig in
assertion that the Government did not intend to take
any further notice of the Liverpool town dues. take
any
moved, on Thursday, for leave to bring in a bthe
ill
for the abolition of passing tolls, but from this bill
Liverpool town dues are excluded.
At a meeting of the Australian Royal Mail Company'
yesterday afternoon, the proposal of the directors to ap-
ply for a supplemental charter was confirmed, but they
are not to take any
out previously consulting the shareholders. Since t
last meeting four of the vessels Lava baan
the ride'
from the transport service—viz., the SydueY;
laide, the Victoria, and the Australian, and have been
measures for further operations with
placed in the Victoria Dock, waiting Purcagera;
arrangement of accounts with the Government .s pro.
needing slowly. •