The Sun.
London, England, 1850-06-25 00:00:00

THE SUN,

FRENCH PLAYS.—ST. JAMES'S THEATRE.
M. LAFONT'3 BENEFIT.
TO-MORROW EVENING
The Entertainments will commence at Eight o'clock, With
JEAN ; on, Le Manvais Sujet.
To conclude with the amusing Vaudeville of
LE CHEVALIER DE ST. GEORGES.
Boxes and Stalls may be secured at Mr. Mitchell's Royal Library,
33, Old Bond-street ; and at the Box-office of the Theatre, which
is open daily from Eleven till Five o'clock.

Under the Patronage of her Most Gracious Majesty, his Royal
Highness Prince Albert, &c. &c.
ROYAL SURREY ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS.
OPEN every MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, and
THURSDAY.
Last Week but One of Mons. JIJLLIEN.
The new Irish Quadrille, the "Hibernian," composed by M. Jullien.
The Derby Galop," composed expressly for these Gardens, is one
of the most successful of Monsieur Jullien's compositions, and in
consequence of the nightly encore, will be repeated till further
notice.
The Grand Ghorka March, performed for the first time before the
Nepaulese Ambassador.
Prodigious Success of the entirely new-modelled Dioramic Pic-
ture representing the PASSAGE of the ALPS by Napoleon and his
Army ! the largest Picture in the World! with innumerable moving
Figures the size of life. Modelled, painted, and produced by Mr.
Danson and Son, assisted by Messrs. Adams, Wilson, &c. &c. The
Picture has occupied the Messrs. Danson for many months, and it is
confidently submitted to the Public as a chef-d'oeuvre of art, and not
,nferior to any production of the day.
The Splendid MENAGERIE has lately been enriched by severs
valuable Presents from the Queen.
The Musical Department will be conducted by Mons. Jullien and
Mr. Godfrey. It will be the alas of the Establishment fo oiler
for the gratification of the Subscribers and the Public, the
most Splendid Military Band in the Kingdom ! ! Selected
from the Bands of her Majesty's Horse and Foot Guards, and the
most eminent Artistes in the profession.
The following list of engagements will, it is hoped, convince the
Public, that the long-acknowledged excellence of the Band of this
Establishment will be fully maintained ! The Repertoire of Music
will be most extensive and varied, arranged from the most Popular
Operas in this and other countries. Solo-Players—Messrs. Kcenig,
Lazarus, Prosperre, Colinet, Pratten, Jarrett, Sonnenberg, Sommers,
and Winterbotham.
During the evening a grand Colossal, Scenic, and Pyrotechnic
Tableau illustrating the celebrated Picture by David, of Buonaparte
Crossing the Alps ! Showing a general view of the Region of the
Alps, stretching from the small mountain lake in the foreground to
the distant snow-clad mountains, crowned by the stupendous Mount
St. Bernard and its far-famed Monastery. A portion of the French
Army is first seen " en bivouac," presently the drums beat to arms,
and amid the clash of Military Bands and Martial Music, the Troops
commence the Ascent. The Soldiers are aeon dragging the Artillery in
Trunks of Trees, now ascending almost Perpendicular Heights, and
traversing the most Terrific Ravines, but all difficulties are overcome,
and the Gallant Army is seen pursuing its course to the Fertile
Plains of Italy.
The whole to conclude with a Gorgeous Display of Fireworks, by
Messrs. Southby, introducing, amongst various novelties, the most
admired feux d'artifice of former seasons, jets d'eau, water rockets,
revolving pieces, a magnificent Transparency fifty feet in height,
painted by Messrs. Denson, representing Buonaparte on Horseback
cheering on his Troops, surrounded by warlike emblems, insignia of
honour, flags, trophies, &c., amidst scermscation of various coloured
fires.
On Thursday, July 4, a GRAND FETE in aid of the Funds of the
Linen-drapers, Silk-mercers, Lacemen's, Haberdashers, and Hosiers'
• Institution. _ _ _

LONDON,

ROEBUCK acted with a view to secure the
substantial gratitude of the Government I Why,
as had been remarked, as it were by
a sort of presentiment, by that Honourable
and Learned Gentleman himself in the exordium of
his masterly oration last evening, he, perhaps, more
frequently than any Member of the House of Com-
mons has on different occasions " found fault sharply"
with Lord PALMERSTON, and " quarrelled " with the
Noble Lord in matters relating to his particular
department. As if in further corroboration of the
manliness with which the motion now before Parlia-
ment has been introduced by Mr. ROEBUCK, that
gentleman indicated as follows the purpose held in view
by him—premising that the alternative stands between
the antagonistic principles of connivance with
despotism and sympathy with every patriotic move-
ment :—" Sir," said he, " I believe that this anta-
gonistic principle is now to be decided, and that the
House of Commons upon this occasion is not simply
called upon to decide upon the Ministerial existence
of the Noble Lord and Hon. Gentlemen opposite—
for as far as I am concerned that is a matter of
mighty little import; but to decide upon these two great
antagonistic principles, and to say of England, openly,
frankly, and without hesitation or ambiguity, that
we are friendly to every effort made abroad to ob-
tain self-government—to say to the world that we
do not desire to aid or assist in the spread of anar-
chical propositions, nor do we seek by physical
force to thurst any proposition upon other
people; but that we do seek by that high moral
influence—which is every day growing in Eu-
rope, which has already shattered down many
thrones, and will shatter down some which still exist—
to say to the nations of the world that we are favour-
able to those great and splendid efforts made by man
rising up, enlightened and confident in his own
power, to govern himself against that tyranny which,
under the name of, wishes to crush all
those noble efforts to obtain that self-government
which we consider as among the first and noblest
of the birthrights which nature has given to
us." It is because Mr. ROEBUCK regards the
policy of Lord PALMERSTON as a policy precisely
of this latter character, a policy at once patriotic and
comprehensive, a policy at once pacific and coura-
geous, a policy which in respect to individual
rights and wrongs throws over the wander-
ing sons of England " the great 2Egis of
England's protection," while in respect to the gene-
ral interests, dignity, and honour of the country, it
remains ever sensitive, vigilant, and uncompromising
—it is, we say, because such is the estimate formed
of the policy of Lord PALMERSTON by the
Honourable and Learned Gentleman the Member
for Sheffield that he has thus energetically, eloquently,
and argumentatively demanded in behalf of that
policy the approval and panegyric of the Commons
House of Parliament. And it is, moreover, because
such are also the opinions entertained upon this im-
portant subject by the mass of the population of Great
Britain, that the country looks forward with a high
and earnest confidence to the decision of the
Legislature. Not even the forensic abilities of
Sir FREDERICK THESIGER could last night
outweigh the unanswerable logic of the Honourable
Gentleman the Member for Oxford : neither could
the laborious oratorical effort of Sir JAMES GRAHAM
(pledged as that Right Hon. Baronet was. to oppose
the motion, i❑ consequence of his complicity in
the opening of MAzzINI'S correspondence, and his
share in the assassination of the BANDIERAS) out-
balance the masterly speech previously delivered by
the Hon. and Learned Gentleman the Member for
Sheffield. Oa reference to the opening passages of the
harangue pronounced yesterday by the late Secretary
for the Home Department, it will be observed that
that organ of the opinions entertained by the members
of the PEEL Administration prefaced his opposition
to Lord PALMERSTON'S policy by an earnest pane-
gyric on the character of that great diplomatist.
The contradiction thereby betrayed between the
premises and the deduction of the argument is, we
need only remark, sufficiently significant and sugges-
tive. From the energy evinced on both sides of
the House during yesterday's discussion may be con-
jectured the ardour postponed by the adjournment
while, from the general feeling of the nation in re•
gard to the foreign policy of Lord PALMERSTON, we
are bold to anticipate a decisive majority in favour of
the Government.

The Marquis of LANSDOWNE has, after some con-
sideration, returned an answer to the interrogatory
addressed to him by Lord BROUGHAM, on Friday
evening, respecting the more than doubtful legality
of the postal regulations recently adopted. The
Noble Marquis has satisfied himself that the Crown
had full power to direct the change, and he rested
this opinion on the 2d and 3d Vic., c. 52, E. 9, by
which it was enacted " that all post letters shall be
posted, forwarded, conveyed, and delivered under and
subject to all such orders and directions, regulations,
iimitations, and restrictions as the Postmaster-General,
with the consent of the Lords of the Treasury, shall
from time to time order and direct." There is, un-
doubtedly, a wide discretion permitted under this
clause, which would, at first sight, almost seem to
justify the important alterations that have been
effected under the direction of the Government
acting on the hasty and ill-considered resolution of
one House of Parliament. On more mature and at-
tentive consideration, however, it will be obvious that
a general stoppage of the communications throughout
the country on one day, or six days out of the seven—
tor the principle is the same in either case—is con-
trary to the real spirit, true intent, and meaning of
the statute, taken in connexion with the entire Post-
office code.

The object of the power given by that section of the
Act was merely to enable the Post-office authorities
to make such alterations with respect to par-
ticular districts, or the hours for transmitting
the mails, as the additional facilities about to be
ifforded by the extension of the rail way system
throughout the country might render advisable.
Under the peculiar circumstances of the case, it ;was
obvious that the opening of every new line of railway
would render certain changes absolutely essential.
New localities could be admitted to advantages which
were formerly impracticable. But, although there
might be a general acceleration of the mails,
some minor districts might suffer by the change.
It could not be supposed that the convenience of some
petty village, with a few hundred inhabitants, could
be placed in competition with that of a large and po-
pulous town, of considerable commercial importance.
The greatest good to the greatest number was the
object to be achieved, and that could not be effected
without having the power of retarding the letters in
some instances. But we boldly affirm that it was
never contemplated that the authority thereby
granted should be made use of for a ge-
neral suspension of Post-office business throughout
.the length and breadth of the land, a temporary
paralysis in every office in the kingdom. If the re-
ception and delivery of letters can be legally stopped
on Sundays under that clause, it can in like manner
be caused to cease on Mondays and other days ; in-
deed it might, in like manner, be ordered that for the
saving of expense, or for some other equally valid rea-
son, there should only be a dispatch of mails on one day
in the week, and the people could not complain be-
cause of the ample authority conferred upon the Post-
master-General with the assent of the Lords of the
Treasury.
Such a course, however, would be so manifestly
contrary to law, that it could not be defended for a
single moment. But if the argument be good for
anything, it may be carried to that extent. It is a
legitimate reductio ad absurdum, to which the advo-
cates of the change are justly liable, when seeking
to justify the universal cessation under a clause that
was passed by Parliament fur very different purposes.
But, whatever doubt there may be as to the
illegality of the new regulations, there can be none
whatever as to their impolicy, and as to the
vast amount of inconvenience which they will occa-
sion to all classes throughout the country. That,
indeed, has been fully admitted by influential mem-
bers of the Cabinet in both Houses. It has been ac-
knowledged by the Premier and by the Chancellor
of the Exchequer in the Commons, and by the
Lord President of the Council, the Ministerial I
leader in the Lords. But that great incon-
venience is deliberately permitted by these
parties ;• they have even advised their Royal
Mistress to wake the order, although well aware of
its inevitable results. Already loud complaints lave

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