The Press.
London, England, 1853-09-24 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

be also permanent. Combined with thaw• now erect-
ing in England and on the Continent, as well as
those likely to follow, a new era, not only in archi-
tecture but in the education of the people, by re-
ereation, will be achieved; the ultimate and final
results of which may be many and of great import.
Rl:stasis RALLIVATS AND ELECTRIC TELFAIRAIIIN.—
Tim railway between Warsaw and St. Petertburg is
io active construction, and will be ready in two years,
when an uninterrupted line from the Russian capital
to Marseilles, from the frost of the north to the
orange groves of Provence, will be available. The
electric telegraphs also are feet progressing: although,
up to the present time, the message:: from Warsaw
to St. Peteniburg are conveyed by light telegraphs,
occupying the space of two hours between the two

paoressoft Wfutos, the only British commissioner
still left in America, will shortly leave New York for
a tour through the British provinces, where he will
deliver some addresses before agricultural associa-
tions. Yesterday tthe 23rd) he was to deliver his
most important address at the agricultural fair of the
State of New York. The subject was " The history,
culture, and commercial aspects of flax." In his re-
cent tour through the western and north-western
States of the Union, Professor Wilson has seen
nearly half a million acres of the best flax in the
world rotting in the field. It is enitivated only for
the seed, in which only about one third of its value
consists. An intelligent Englishman could not look
on such a sight without feeling sad. The United
States are paying the British islands 15 million dol-
lars a year for linen goods, and leaving more flax to
rot into manure than the British empire can manu-
facture. England, on the other hand, imported last
year o‘er 100,11(WO tons of flax front the north of
Europe, chiefly from Russia. America paid 10,450,000
dollars for manufacturing that portion of it which
she wanted. England's supply of raw material has
come very near being cut off by recent political
events. Whenever the pacific relations of England
and ltinssia are seriously hazarded flax rises from
WI. to 1301. per ton.
THE STATISTICAL. CONGRESS AT BRUSSELS went off
splendidly under the presidency of M. Quetelet,
director of the Brussels Observatory. The Nice pre-
sidents were—M. Villerne, for France ; Farr, for
England ; thernig, for Austria ; Dietoriis, for
Prussia ; Mittermaier, for Baden; Akkersdyeth, for
Holland ; Renton de la Satgra, for Spain ; and Ber-
tini, for Italy. The other members were Messrs.
Leone Lever ; Whewell, from Trinity College. Cam-
bridge ; Southwood Smith, member of the Board of
Health ; Babbage, &c. On Wednesday the Con-
gress was honoured by the presence of the King of
the Belgians and the Prince ; and in the evening the
members of the Congress, to the number of lb°, as
sembled at a dinner. On Thursday all the principal
members of the Congress dined at the Court.
JOHANNA WAGNER is performing with immense
success at Munich. Next month she will sing So-
phocles' Antigone and (Edipus. with music by Men-
delssohn. It is the first time Mendelssohn's music
to King adipus will have been performed in a Ger
man theatre. The music used ull now was by Lac,
ner.

SIIAKSPEATIE'S Antony and Cleopatra will be per-
formed next winter at the Burg Theatre at Vienna.
Tut: GRAND OPERA AT VIENNA was reopened with
the Huguenots, after remaining closed for three
months for the purposes of restoration. The opinions
are very contradictory as to the decorations: some ap-
prove of the exclusive use of gold and white, others
blame it : but all are of opinion that the ceiling or
cupola is perfect.
THE BELGIAN Moniteur announced some days ago
the discovery of an important piece of history, the
confession of Balthazar Gerard, the murderer of
Prince William the Taciturn of Orange, written and
signed by Gerard himself. The thing made some
noise among the historians but the Stoats Courant.
the Dutch 3louiteur. has considerably reduced the
importance of the document by declaring that it is
nothing else but a contemporaneous copy of the con-
fession of Gerard, the contents of which are generally

known.
l'utscx JOHN of SAXON' closel on September 1;.
at Nuremberg, the Congress of Gennan Aram.°lo-
gists. All tlennan associations were represented, as
well as England and Belgium. The number of
members was 115. The nest meeting will take place
in Iss-1 at Munster, in Westphalia.
M. ALEXANDRE VON III'IIDoLDT accomplished his
s4th year on the 13th. The illustrious philosopher
is still in the full enjoyment of health and vigour.
1)R. KALISCIL the author of several popular farces.
which always draw crowded houses, has produced a
new one-act musical piece at the Berlin Kiinigstadter
Theatre, entitled An Oriental Question. tiroebecker.
the favourite comic actor, plays the part of the diplo_
matic hew, amidst bursts of laughter not over-com-
plimentary to the distinguished body whom he
represents.

SATURDAY,

THE PILE% ALEScE ('V DEsTlii • cTlif R FIRE% is
AMERICA is diminished very much by the use
what is known there as the steam lire-engine. In
its form the machine is somewhat similar to a loco-
motive, throws upwards of a 200-feet jet, and about
200 barrels in an hour, iu from one to six streams of
water. The engine way be put in operation in five
minutes, requiring four men and four horses, and is
calculated to do asmnch as wix of the ordinary hand-
engines. At a late tire in Cincinnati, the engine
discharged a cataract of 15,010 barrels of water in
eight hours, and nothing hut this could have saved
the entire square iu which the burning building was
situated front destruction.
A PURI-WIER AT 6RATZ, iu SI) Tis, hall given to
the world a biography of the late Marshal Haynau
—that " immortal hero," as he is called in the adver-
tisement. 'the author is said to be a general of high
reputation in the Austrian service, and the publisher
affirms that the popularity of the work made a new
edition necessary on the second day of sale.

THE CiceroleAt. loeetNo MAentsr, as it i 4 called
by its inventors, has had its performances exhibits,,
during the week upon Kennington-common. As thus
tried, five strong horses were attached to a small
wooden frame, about six feet square, the centre of
which consisted of a series of five iron cylinder-,
each armed with 20 teeth of the consistence of an
ordinary pickaxe, set in the position best calculated
to enter the ground with the smallest amount of re-
sistance. Cast-iron scrapers affixed to the rear of
the machine are intended to receive the clod of earth
from the teeth, and complete its friability, but in the
present instance goes very easy in the series of trials,
and the action of the machine was so far left incom-
plete. The great objections to all implements of this
character hitherto introduced arise from the irregu
larity with which the iron diggers enter the ground,
and the impracticability of turning the upper soil
over so as to destroy the grass or wee:is growing upon
the surface. The irregularity of depth produces a
corresponding number of holes, into which all the
drainage of the field necessarily discharges itself, and
at these points seed sown would, as a matter of
course, perish. The consequence of not effectually
turning over the sod would be simply that after the
first shower the grass or weeds scarified by the
machine would spring up with increased fertility. and
in a few days the surface of the ground would resume
its original hardened state. The ground selected for
the trial was calculated to test in the highest degree
the powers of the machine. The ground was very
hard, and its surface had not been disturbed for the
last quarter of a century. But, although even this
VMS broken up and almost completely destroyed. it
is probable that, after the machine had traversed the
same spot several times to and fro. the ground was
still left in a condition that no practical agriculturist
would approve or desire. Much of this imperfection
may doubtless be attributed to the confessedly im-
perfect condition of the machine, and it is hoped
that experience will suggest improvements of a
nature calculated to ensure its practicability. There
can be no greater boon to the agricultural community
at this moment than the introduction of a machine
which shall expedite and facilitate the tillage of the
ground. The inventor of this machine is a Mr.
Wilson. a native of Newry, who has had experience
of agriculture in the Australian colonies. It is
stated that the machine will be set to work at
Tiptree-hall during the present autumn.
THE EAST INDIA DIRECToRS have just commis-
sioned Mr. Noble, of Bruton-street, to execute a
statue of the late Duke of Wellington in the finest
marble. The figure of the hero will be in a military
costume. and will represent him about the period of
the battle of Waterloo. The statue is to be rather
above life size.
AN ENOLISH COMPANY has offered to establish a
submarine telegraph between the lonian Islands and
some point on the Austrian coast. Propositions on
the subject have been made to the Austrian Cabinet.
Should the telegraph be established, the news from
he East would arrive two days sooner.
Tut. TerAstr.Y have offered 2.01X1/. towards estab-
lishing the Lawson Observatory in the Midland
Counties. Including the munificent donation of Mr.
Leeson himself. the fund, with the tio‘ciiiment
amounts to o.soo/.. leaving 3...iteti. to be cc ntributed
before the Ist of October, in order to cam- out the
design of the committee.
THE STATEMENT which has been going the round
of some of the paperi to the effect that a decimal
silver coinage, to be issued at the commencement of
next year, and bearing the date lss-1. is in progress
at the Mint, is declared, upon authority, to be with-
out foundation.