The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-02 00:00:00

MAJORITY-NOES, 137.

Arland, Sir T. Dkye East, Sir J. B. . Maxwell, Hon. J. P.
Adderley, C. B. ' Edwards, Henry Miles, William
Archdall, Captain • Egerton, Sir P. Mitchell, T. A.
Arkwright, George Estcourt, J. B. B. Morgan, 0.
Begot, William Ferrer, James 3lullings, J. R.
Baillie, H. J. Filmer, Sir E. Naas, Lord
Baldwin, Barry Forester, G. C. Napier, Joseph
Bankes, G. Freshfield, J. W. Newdegate, C. N.
Baring, Thomas Fuller, A. E. Newport, Viscount
Barrow, W. H. Gallwey, Sir W. P. Noel, Gerald J.
Bennet, Philip Galway, Viscount Oltrien, Sir Lucius
Bentinck, Lord H. Goulburn, Henry Ossulston, Lord
Beresford, William Gore, W. 0. Packe, C. W.
Blandford, Marquis Greene, Thomas Palmer, Robert
Boldero, H. G. - Grogan, Edward Portal, Melville
Bowles, Admiral Gwyn, Howel Reid, General
Branaston, T. W. Hale, R. B. Renton, John C.
Brernridge, Richard Raiford, Sir Henry Repton, G. W.
Bridges, Sir B. Hallowell, E. G. Rushout, Captain
Brooke, Sir A. B. Hamilton, G. A. St. George, Chris.
Bruce, C. L. C. Hamilton, Lord C. Seyraer, H. K.
Buck, Lewis W. Harris, Captain Smollett, A.
Bliller, Sir J. Y. Heald, James Somerton, Viscount
Burrell, Sir C. Ileneage, G. H. W. Sotheron, T. H.
Cabbell, B. B. • Henley, J. W. Spooner, Richard
Carew, W. P. Hildyard, B. C. Stafford, Augustus
Chandos. Marquis Hill, Lqrd E. Sutton, J. H.
Child, bngth. Hope, Sir J. Taylor, Colonel
Christopher, R. A. Hope, H. T. Tennent, Sir J.
Christy, Samuel Hotham, 'Lord Thesier, Sir F.
Clerk Sir G. Hughes, W. B. Trevogr, G. R.
Clive, It H. ' Inglis. Sir R. H. Trollope, Sir J.
Clive, H. B. . - Joillife. Sir W. G. Tyler, Sir G.
Cebbold. J. C. Jones, Captain ' Tyrell, Sir J.
Codrington,:Sir W. Knox, W. S. Vesey, Thomas
Collins, Thomas Langton, W. H. Villiers Viscount
Compton, H. C. Lennox, Lord A.
. Walpole', Spencer
Cotton, W. H. Lewisham, Viscount 'Whiteside James
Cubitt, William Lindsay, Colonel Wigram, Loftus
Davies, D. A. Lockhart, W. Willoughby, Sir H.
Deedes, W. Long, W. Wodehouse, Edmund
Dick,.Quintin Lkgon, General Wynn, H. ty.
Dod, J. W. Manners, Lord C. Yorke, E. T.
Duckworth, Sir J. Manners, Lord J.
Dtmcombe, W. E. March, Earl of MLEILS.
Dunne, Colonel Masterman, John Datcson, Thomas
Du Pre, C. G. . Maunsell, T. P. Lennox, Lord H. G.

MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS. ACTS AMENDMENT

BILL.
. (IN THE COMMITTEE.)
Clause 1 (Proprietors of Newspapers not to be deemed
Contractors by reason of Advertisements) :--Amendment
proposed, in page 2, line 15, to add the words, " or in any
Banking Company which may have had or may hereafter
have deadngs or transactions with any such Council, Com-
missioners, or Trustees of such Borough:"—Question put,
" That those words be there added." The Committee
divided :

MINORITY—AYES, 13.
Anstey, ThOmar C. 'Lindley, C. Thompson, Colonel
btarrow,- W.• H. Hobhouse, T. B.
Bell, Jacob Mulliugs, J. R. mum.
Carter, John B. Pilkington, James Headlam, T. B.
Greene, John Scholefleld,.William Hutt, William
HaUewell, E. G. Tennent, R. J.

MAJORITY—NOES, 37.
Arkwright, G. Gwyn, Vowel Sinollett, A.
Baillie, H. J. Hamilton, G. A. Spooner, ittchard
Baukes, G. Hamilton, Lord C. Stafford, Augustus
Beresford, William Henley, J. W. Tennent, Sir J.
Brotherton, Joseph Hill, Lord E. Thesiger, Sir F.
Bruce, C. L. C. Jolliffe, Sir W. G. Trollupe, Sir J.
Chandos, Marti. of Knox, W. S. Wyse, B. 11. IL H.
Chichester, Lord J. Lennox, Lord II G. Walpole, S. 11
Christy, S. .Blahon, O'Gorman Willoughby, Sir H.
Cotton, W. S. Naas, Lord
Ducitworth, Sir J. Napier, Joseph TELLEII.3.
Duane, Colonel Newport, Viscount Bateson, T.
Edwards, Henry Packe, C. W. Bunbury. Edward
Grogan, Edward St. George, Chris.

THE c_ URItENCY.
THE QUESTION "WHAT IS A POUND ?"

ANSWERED.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SlR,—The recent discoveries in California and Australia
render it extremely probable that we shall have to suffer
the evils of c deprt culled currency, if gold long continue
to be the standard, of value. It is, therefore, advisable
to consider whether or not some substitute cannot be
found which will be more perfect as a standard.
In the, first place, then, it may be rematked that
there is no more absolute necessity for the standard of
value to possess intriutic worth than for the standard of
weight or measure; and in the next, that the experience
of the last few years has shown that, however abundant
may be the amount of money at the source of issue, the
active circulation of the country cannot be materially
increased beyond a certain amount, however low the
rate of discount, or however strenuous the efforts to
force it. Money, like other commodities, is governed by
supply'and demand; and, like them, if supplied in too
great a quantity, or if not required as the instrument of
exchange, lowers in price, and becomes a drug in the
bands of the owners or possessors. _ _ _

If gold, then, ought not to be the standard, what
ought ? and what ought to be the mode of issue?
.As regards the standard, instead of making the pound
sterling to represent "a. certain amount of gold, of a
certain fineness;" that is to say, instead of making it to
represent the. exact RESULT of a certain qeantity of
labour, I would make it the representative, or money
value, or money expression of that certain quantity of
labour itself, instead of the representative of the result of
that labour; and thus avoid the necessity of selecting
one description of commodity from the rent, fixing its
price, and making it the exponent of value for all.
To illustrate:—Let US suppose that the AVER/LOS
value of adult male labohr throughout the kingdom is
two shillings per day, twelve hours' labour to the day.
The pound sterling would than be the representative',
or money expression, of the average value of ten dcz
adult male labour; and consequently ten shillings would,
be the repretentraive, or money expression, of five dal
labour; one shilling, of half a day; exPeuen,„y, ot
quarter of a day; -twopence, of an hour; :Pen
of bout,
half an hour; and a halfpenny, of a quarter
isotand,rd
&c., &c.; arid, therefore, if this principle f
°and sterling
saying that the
cinsotitY of B°l "the
were adopted, instead of
._
oi , of a ontain
represented " a certain
Pant- the exact RESULT
dueness," we should then say that flag;"
and thus
•
average value of a certain
the " pound," instead of represe:o,
d then represent the
al
ebvee l left,i p like ee
of a certain amount of labour, would
i exact amount of labour
average exchangeable value of
gold
Wolf supply and demand.
-, 5 0
w n could
properthen itself, and, consequently.
I would other commodities, to
Peratiti;:en-1 obfankissuee;tablished; and,
by the natural o
be only bank of issue, and that
Now, as respects 'the."'
notes,. of
pro-
pose that there
that this bank be t theissue only,
it be a bank . upwards should be whosef
primly-- Is exchange for the gold coin and but-
one pound andti
„1,, hove stated—it first issues
upon
s issues to be
the
issued slap,in eculation and in
the baniss. The notes
lion now
.shoulddin
thus issue- form the nucleus or body of the
„,„fittion, 'or currency,
to e a°
re . issued
oliidssuessecuaribt
above
only—
at a fixed and uniform rate of interest, or
discout; and
r, for limited periods solely. The Bank of
Issue, howeve()tight to'have-nothing et all to do with
.‘banking,''• in the general acceptation of the term. All
banking Operations, 'with the exception of issuing,
ought to be left as at present, viz., to individual compe-
tition and exertion. We should thus have a perfectly
safe and legitimate system of currency—fixed and steady
in its nature—and peculiarly adapted to all the varied
requirements of trade and commerce. No one commo-
dity would then have a preference over another, in re-
ferenee to fixing its price or making it the exponent of
the rest; but all would be placed exactly alike, and upon
precisely the Same footing. Part of the proceeds
of the gold thus liberated might be applied in
Pe) i!'g off the debt owing to the Bank of Epp
1 old, and the remainder t,..) national purposes. The
yearly profits of the National Bank of Issue might atso
be appropriated to diminishing. the national burthens.
And lastly, there would be no less from wear and tear
of gold, in euiatige or circulation—nor any disturbance
of existing money contracts and cege,j4tonents by thn
change in the standard, whilst the discoveries of Cali-
fornia and Australia might then go on ad infinitum with-
out in the least etLcting the value, steadiness, or sta-
bility of our currency.—l ant, Sir, &c.,_
1 _ _____

.C. E. ROCII.

* This, I believe,,is.soznewhere neer the truth; but
the principle above laid .flowm would not be at all legs
effective were the exact fact only assumed. Nur do I see
why the same, or a similar principle, might not be
adopted by other nations, and thus a sort of zniversal
standard be established.

MIIICHIEY BREWING.—,Sir James Grabaco the
expectant Pretnier, and his Secretary-at• War, Dir. &Wen,
were observed last night, in the Houss of Commons. in
close and earnegt coaference for some cousiderablO a:lm
iieraid _
.. . . .
, • . .
..... -_ . --

LITERATURE.
HISTORY OF PHYSICAL ASTRONOMY.
By Robert Grant. F.R.A.S. Baldwin.
A. comet-el:eh:Jive work like the present, embracing
1" r,:bge comp!efe narraeve of the most sublime of
all rho - • .cieeces, from the moment of its rise to the period
of its latest &volopment, has long been desired by the
more earnest atneeg the students of Physical Astronomy.
It must be manifest that the realization of some such
enterprise was absolutely requisite before there could be
any possibility of systematising in the minds of more
than a select few the whole of those apparently oomph-
catul, but, in reality, most simple and symmetrical laws
which theoretical philosophe, aided by the revelations of
the telescopy, hail revealed their beauty and their
grandeur as regulating the movements of the celestial
bodies, end elucidating the phenomena of their orgeni-
zation. Without some assistance like that we
have indicated. the generality of inquirers,
unless they contented" to dedicate their intellects
almost exclusively to the consideration of astronomy,
were doomed etevieusly eteeieh to the acquisition of
krr;wl,cl4e either -y-rx denfused or very superficiaL
'Thank:; to the laborious compiler of the volume here
sahrthued to our examination, the intelligent public will
at length he eie:b!ed to appreciate the mojesty of the
4cl,.neti unfolding the mechanism of the heavens, and to
comprehend without any remarkable exertion in the
way of research the consecutive stages of its develop-
ment—from the earliest agree extending back even to the
limits of the bielical records. down to the most recent
discoveries made in the 'middle of this nineteenth century.
The volume before us comprehends, indeed, according to
the suegtetive intimation of the very title-page, a de-
deteded description of the esiablishment by Sir Isaac
eeron of the:thc,ory of, graviiatiou, as well ea of its illus-
tration by saver al uuce..di94 philosophers, togeeber with
an aecautit of the progress made in the researches of man-
kind atewite all the other deparimeets of the study of
celestial physics. So mieute is the exposition of the
theory of gravieltiou by Mr, Grant in the very outset of
hiss highly meriteririus en erprise, that he has (not by
any means inju-dielously) • xteoded it froth 'the commence-
ment of the first ehar,-r to the close •of the thirteenth.
Ainorz the preieuteily inter, sting subjects, treared of in
hs perm:lilac nivisiint of his Ilistrry of"the Celestial
Illeetistibui. Air. Grant enumerates prominently and
ex,lains with considerable lucidity—tits law of the
areas, the motion of a body In an elliptic cubit, its motion
in an orbit of variably curvature, the attraction of •
spherical mass of parttoles, the general effects of pertur-
bation, the computation of the moon's int-qualities,
the aid afforded by the infinitesimal calculus, the

attraction of spheroids, the precession of the
Equinoxes—and all the other marvellous and
suggestive themes pointed oat to the scrutiny of
man by the immortal Principia." It were difficult to
decide upon this matter whether our author has suc-
ceeded best in his exquisite account of Newton's inductive
ascent to the principle of gravitation, or in his masterly
record of the development of its almost innumerable
consequences. Having specified the reasons impeding
the early acceptance of the Newtonian theory, be goes
on to show the precise nature of its reception, first in
England and subsequently on the continent, enumera-
ting in addition to the foregoing facts those researches
in analysis and mechanics which subsequently exercised
such a remarkable influence on'tphysioal astronomy.
Thereupon are particularized the 'problem of three bo-
dies, the motion of the lunar apogee, the secular varia-
tions of the planets, the invariability of their
mean distances, the oscillations of their eccen-
tricities and inclinations, and the sublime de-
monstration of the stability of the whole
planetary system—a demonstration begun by the hypo-
thesis of Lagrange, but triumphantly completed and es-
tablished by the elegant and ingenious theorem of Ls-
place. By such advances as these does the compiler of
the present history adventure upon the revelation of the
loftier and abstruser mysteries of physical astronomy.
Setting out with the divine researches of Newton he

estimates the extent to which the world of science is

indebted to the prior, the contemporaneous, or subse-
quent labours of Huygens, Leibnitz, Clairsut, Mayer,
Euler, Lagrange, Laplace, Lambert, Halley, Danthorne,
Maclaurin, D'Alembert, Legendre, Bradley, Galileo,
Heveliu3, Cassini, Hodierna, Borelli, Walmaley, Bailly,
Delambre, liOrfel, Poisson, Borchardt, Binet, Damoisesu,
Airy, Carlini, Lubbock, Hansen, Herschel, Bouvard,
Besse!, and a multiplicity of others, going as far back as
Tycho Brabe and Kepler, and coming as far forwards as
Adams and Leverrier, beginning with the Chaldeans
and ending with the Astronomer Royal. A variety of
enthralling problems, as might be felt certain, before
•.

turning over a single page of the volume are considered
in the course of its investigations, and that with s
caution which inspires confidence, and a clearness -that
commands attention. Not thR, least interesting iniong
these curious topics is the one having reference' to the
solution of the great problem of the longitude. Fasci-
nating as all these very accurate accounts necessarily
must be, furbishing us with the actual results of the re-
searches, many by various geometers, perhaps amonfre
tne most fascinating wilt be found that chapter in which
Mr. Grant describes the manner in which the sagacity.
ot Laplace led to the detection of tlie.phy'sical cause of
the gradual acceleration perceiv6d in the moCiiii
,ngulsr velcaity round the earth—an accelera-
tion first hinted at by the comparison of -the
records of certain eclipses seen at Babylon
nearly 700 B. c , with others, observed about the tenth .
century by the Arabian astronomers. Especial mention
is made by the author of the present history of the•
iuminou. pen crs and the premature death of liorrocks,
woo is gracefully spoken ot by him as the morning star,,,
of chat gikkxy of men of gcidus who continued for nearly_
a century to adorn the anr.als ot these islands by their
contribe.ion to the scisrlec., -both physical and maths-

navica!—.,ach intn a 3 01.3eoigoe, firouneker. Barrow,
Wallis, Wren. Gregory, Hooke, Taylor,Bradloy, Simp-

„ - -
son, Maclaurin; but above all and beyond all, Ivan° Now
The narrative giie3, in the twentiethehapter of the
volume, the earliest inti.oation ma& of the knowledge

of ihe. principle of the telescope, as revealed in Roger
13 C 123 Op US .2/1411S, in Digges' Pantometria, in'
Edition cf .13' nelid in Ports's Magia Nata•
ratil, and in the posthumous work De Radii*
Visas of Antonio de Dominic. Thi4 portion of
the work de,icribes the improvements made in the most
wonderful ot optical instruments, from tife first rude tube
in the hands of Galileo to the colossal reflective telescope
of Lord R see, with a focal ngth cf 54 feet and a six•
feet aperture. Dae reference is made before the close of
this extraordinary production, of the solution ot the
problem of the nebelw, end of all the more remarkable
facts connected with the discovery of the planet Neptune,
by M. LEverrier. Throughout the whole of his under-
taking—an undertaking, the .bewildering difficulties of
which might have deterred any man of ordiefiry ener-
gies from attempting its realit G rant', bas re-
vealed a mruitery of his subject, eminently honourable to
him as an astronomer, and calculated very materially to
advance the id:in:nation of the intelllPM in that sublime
department of philosophy. Hereby be 13118 at once cou.,
trived to forward the interests of popular education by
contributing to the science of the celestial mechanism
the national literature.
a work cap Ale of adorning

regularnr3ianidion Tuesdsv'
cruiseh
ttlevees,ohneCta
nehcenntn:
eewtldhlne6oiccicekrisiatalorletp:ai 'splmoo.frstitsohmoin yesterday
hthanni
INTELLIGENCE.
g
Fop
.thu:c.hreu,
arepnis
Bake,
sb,stntojetlauh.‘
above
jaeooAdrfrrn:atethmnie g
!..e, die. w hitehall, that he will see flag
—__
Y'fraOm half-past twelve to two o'clock
wliellv% days.
T uk berhTel has desired a notice to be
The'
DN Ae
,N,re AlcolArthu
officersawoitwh the First Lord at his
of loner interviews of
!him WorsfOld-(1841) has been appointed
theT
sepincerL 0) as commander of Portsmouth ordinary,
scrubbedtbho:o:oorinas i
n down.
uarn
vice umbras, who has resigned on account of ill-health.
v'vixen steam-sloop, Commander Barnard, was taken into
morning to have her
toand vessels detained bily°°tlhoe Commander
tl . Hand,"
retum:newedardtc:
PoiersmouTli, THURSDAY. neitsTtueerslydawy
inadlernoon from a
_Tebeo
steam-vessel,rAeniteevleopteheho
Li,utenan e
le ofemamler Young, hasbeen gotoff the
Ledge
of Berulnidge. She had the assistance of the large boats of
hole of the squadron Spithead,well th
at as as e
Sprightly
steam-vessel, Mr. George Allen Acting-Muter
commanding, and the Drake lighter. The Antelope was
lightened 01 ad her dead weight—a gun, anchors, and such
like, but which the Sprightly afterwards recovered. The lat-
ter vessel also lightened her of her coals, &c. She went
ashore at a quarter past 6 o'clock yesterday morning. All
hands set to work to try their utmost to get her off, which
appearing to fail, assistance was sent for. The Sprightly
lightened her about 18 inches. She found her on the inner
part of Bembridge-ledge, with her head lying west, with not
above 15 inches of water under her fore foot. Mr. Davy,
Assistant-Master Attendant of this dockyard, and Mr. Luke,
foreman of shipwrights, with a party of the latter corps, went
out to render assistance, and the boat of the latter gentleman,
with five men in her, was swamped in the service, but we
are hippy to add no lives were lost. About 25 minutes p est
6 o'clock last evening the Antelope floated off the ledge, and
came into this harbour without assistance, under steam.
She is reported not bilged or hurt. The Sprightly came
into harbour after her, at about half-past 10 o'clock last
night, with the gun the Antelope threw overboard, the
anchors, chain cable, and heavy gear. The latter has
been docked to-day, and found to have sustained no injury.
Simoom iron screw-frigate, Captain Bingcome. haying
bad her engines pnt to rights by taking something from the
air-pump of the Sanspareil, she took on board supernume-
raries for the eastward on Wednesday afternoon, and
then got up her steam and went outside the Breakwater.
where she steamed about some little time to prove the new
work in her engine; meanwhile the Avon tender, which
took the supernumeraries to the Simoom, took the Vulcan
iron-screw frigate, Master-Commander Penn, in tow, and
at 5 r.at., was going out to the west end of the Breakwater,
where she will give her in charge to the Simoom to assist
her to Portsmouth.
The Pluto steam-vessel, Lieutenant-Commander West, hall
been paid advance to-day, and went out to Spithead. . .
_,
The Victory, 104, Captain G. B. Martin, C. 8., flag 01.11,T;
miral Sir Thomas Brigge, G.C.M.G , Commander-in-um.
rder that
has been transferred to the west shore to-day, in o
her moorings may be examined.
Rodney, g 2
At Spithead—The .Prince Regent, _ 90,
_raaani, 16, and
Superb, 80, Rogue, :7;6, Retribution, ,Si
Pinto, 4. • -General Simpson, ap.
PoIiTS.IIOI:TH GA Rrasorr.—Mgrrri„,o as Lieut.-Governer
pointul to the command of this gerafin.
_oiler.' of the South-
.if Portsmouth and Command . day,
and relieved Lie
Western District, arrived here this
been d •the "."f
, who has tang duty o.
Gcneral D'Aguilar, Cdr.,
the poet as Acting- Lieutenant-Governorl since the departure
nce.
of Lord Frederick Fite
:I:PrOINTHENTS.
cHERRNF>, —, Arnie l.—Captain G. R. Mundy to the
t.)
London, 00.
Captain
• the Hon. Montague Stopford to the Waterloo,'l2o
i -Adroir
as Flag-Captain to Vice _ t e lion. Josceline Percy,
Comma 1 in
der--Chef at the Noreal .
h
Commander J. B. Marsh (1844), late of the Heroine, to
f
theleraterloo, 120, for general service.
W Majesty's ship London, 90, Captain the Hon. Monta-
gue Stopford, sent down her ) •
ury topgallant masts yesterdaY,
preparatory to their being replaced by her sea-going one&
Gr. R. Mundy, Esq at present Fla C t •
of the Waterloo,
succeeds Captain the Hon. Montague ap am
ue Stopford to-day in the
command of the London.
The ward- too 1.11 officers of her Majesty's ship Waterloo
120 gave
1 ' ... -a f •AIOWall dialler yesterday on Word alit AliP;