New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-01-13

full and better organized than has been supposed, OF
the Government precautions are as superluous as
they are extraordinary. 1t is estimated that $4,000
special constables have been swOln in London Alone
and the process gees on all over the Kingdom The
Home Secretary who avoids nothing so carefully as
suspicion Of the timidity and weakness of his pre-
decessor, the fearful Walpole, sends circular to
every town and city in the island, exhorting them to
bewartof conspiracies and to swear in constables
The regulations show that the force thus levied IS
meantEtO be kept on foot through the Winter Troops
and ships-Of-war constantly IN notion. Inc
Queens person is guarded as if she were an OIlen'al
despOt in hourly peril OF assassination. NOt olIE
public buildings, but large private manuiaetOIItS vi
certain kinds, and especially gas WORKS are vaccine
with extreme vigilance. The floors OF the uONCIHlcuU
Offices in Whitehall and Westminster are stleWn WIN
sand, and reservoirs OF sand are heapeu up 10 ste
Greek fire which the Official mind sees ever ready 10
he shot ont from Fenian pirates on tho Thames.
Public meetings are under the surveillance OF an
extra police force. There IS authority Tor saying tat
the project of sspendng the habeas corpus has been
discussed in Cabinet Council, so that England as well
as Ireland may come to enjoy the conyemences Of
martial law. If Fenlanisnl be the conteInptlDle
thing which il has all along been declared, why does
an Imperial Government put IN motion It's most pow
erful machinery, in order not to extrpate lt-nODody
dreams OF thatbut 10 cheek lS outbreaks anu secure
the public saietyI
solemn matters, We ind the authorities olthe BRUSH
Museum entering the arena against this Omnpresent
foe They have enacted that IN future no person
frequenting the readng-room shall be permitted to
Because the Librarian believes that there are Fenians
among the readers in the Museum, and that they VIII,
or nav smuggle in bottles of nitro gycerne or other
Fenan chemicals with intent to blow up; l suppose
themselves and the Museum together! Ii thlS SOUNDS
too childishly absurd for belief can only say 1t Is
VOuched for by letter tins morning published by
respectabe man of letters who signs his own name
to the statement. On such state of things what
comment is so expressive as bare recital OF the
facts
Boxing-nicht seems to be the English carnival, or
to come nearer 10 " than anything but the Derby
Day. Its name has nothing to DO with the noble
science" of selfd Tense, but is lawleSs deTlYatVe
from the substantive box, a Christmas box beng "a
universal synonym for Christmas gut 80 me cay
after Christmas gets the nome OF boNinG-day De
cause the innumeIable army OF servants, p0stmen,
and small tradesmen receive on that day thclr Riits
and the proceeds OF system OF eAiOltIOh OF WHICH
the word is not III any sense description. ms eX-
PLANTATION may be very familiar to everybody IN Amer
lea; can only say twas new to me till this week Inc
theatrical celebration a sensation III It's own way
We have all heard of the Christmas pantomlme IN
England a delicious ensoyment OF young ana old
pate glimpse of Fairy Land, sun 1t was surprise
TO nv nnfutOred American mind TO ind the morning
papers of Friday blazing with ten columns aPlece0t
pantOmimc criticisms. Whatever went on the hlg1t
before i'll any London theater was duly recorded
whether it were the huge magnhcenee Oh Duty ny
Lane and Covent Garden or the suburban splendOrs
of Sadlers Wells and East London. Not all OF them
produced pantOmpes, indeed, as was once the un,
VARYING fashion, nor even all new pieces, but all
shared in the pantOnime enthusiasm OF the puOhc,
filled their treasures, and hlled theH que cOuh Oh
section of column, IN the FRIDAY newspaper.
poner critics dispensed with liberal hand the panto-
mines were never better The spectacles were pro-
nounced perfect, and the raptures OF the audience
understandable. / took all this III good faith and
went with heightened curiosity last night TO Drury
Lane. This theater is the natural abode OIL panic
mime and the favored spot where 1t has reached Its
most splendid growth. odd Drury" we are tod on
the very highest authority, must always be re-
garded with exceptional respect by every
true London hOliday-maker as the spot where
the national Christmas drama was first restored
TO its pristine emlnence. The Drury-lane pantomlme
foo fix
lar officers and administration Mr.. +. /; blanchard
writes it, Mr. w. Beverly paints it, Mr. Cornack en-
stage-managed by Mr. T. Stirling, and it Is presented
by Mr.. F.'B. Chatterton' The lsgsld which TINS
illustrating is the narrowing tale of Fqg Fee fO-E
or Harlequin Jack, the GiGnthHg. what could pe
better for the stage, or who could douOt inc excel
lence which so many wise journalists agreed IN
affirming Alas, must confess to an almost total
disappointment. There were two, or perhaps three,
good scenes; there was one hne piece OF
device d,SfEt"' not much more can be said, The
piece was a bore, and the audience plainly thought
dozen running within the last year. CendTlllon at
the Chatelet in Paris was 50 much finer that 1T Is
cruel to suggest it q comparison. AS pantOnlIne,
the Drurv Lane piece is clumsy and confused, the
clowns are stupid, the whole business poor. Where
are the immortal Ravelsf Did they everyday IN Lon
don and if they did why could not English pantO-
mime be in some degree inspired by their cleyerness
have been tod that the Raves We're Ion
Ice Pre-Raphaetiic high art beside the coarse aWk-
WaTdness of Drury Lane.
Mr. Carlyle say the papers, has been made JUS
tice of the Peace for his native County OF Dunn
fries in ScOtltnd 1t is more interesting TO know
that of late he is in better health and spirits Much
relieved reports one friend who him on Monday,
by the clearing of his mind In the Niagara article.
He is further reported saying that he never saw
nor heard of anything so extraordinary III IT'S as
the picturesque dramatic power OF Dir. DICKENS IN
his readings. Mr. Dickens, III some characters, said
his philosOphic observer, costumes his mind with
completeness that is absolutely perfect This pats
tnto my head to tell little story which Hong since
heard. How one evening the great novelist was
reading, think, the trial scene IN flckWlck, 10 an
audience of rank and fashion, and all that IN London
Presently rank and fashion began to nave Their at
tention drawn TO an explosive merrlment III one part
of the hall On the front bench sat tall man, blue
eyed and gray haired, who ever and anon swung ms
steeplecrowned felt hat torci6iy down on MS kets
as the Gods on HOmer's Olympus when they beheld
mp-foOted Vulcan hating round the circle as cup
bearer Rank and fashion were lht Ilhsu 70 no
shocked at this unconventional mTth, but by and by
he whisper went round that he OF the steepe hat
was no other than Thomas Carlyle OF Chelsea ana
for the rest of the evening MI Dlckens had ouL III
Tuning over The journal Of Philology the other
dav we came across All odd blt OF INFORMATION ABOUT
one Of the most eminent men exiled from the Qld
Ward To America There is III the last printed number
of Tie Journal a curious correspondence from Me-
buhr containing the history OF the circumstances
under which his history OF hole caie " 20 i1 i,
Tor which there is no place in these columns.
Ar the end of one letter, Niebuhr writes thus: o.
NAV presume sufficiently Of your philanthropy sr'
to rcconnend 10 you victim OF political lnquisluOn,
who has flew for safety TO Englandi His name is trG
els Lieber from Berlin ana al %nat o~ h ao9 , ,nS
direet their letters TO house OF hamburg extraction
Wessrs Domeer Co., whose direction might nc easily
found Mr.. Lieber is gentleman OF nhe parts various
and noble feelings-when almost boy ne
was seduced into foolish political rerrieS anu became te
fanatcaI disciple OF a madmaD, whom boy might III
GOOD faith mistake for hero. Being prosecuted 1Or