The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-03 00:00:00

No. 22,288.

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 3, 1863,

DO NO r FORGET YOUR AIOINTMENT.
—We Sup at EVANS', Covent-garden, after Jullien's
Concert.

KINAHAN'S LL WHISKY v. COGNAC
BRANDY.
This celebrated Old IRISH WHISKY rivals the finest
FRENCH BRANDY,
It i+ Pure, Mild, Mellow, Delicious, and very Wholesome.
Sold in Bottles, 3s. Bd., at the Retail Houses in London ; by
the Agents in the principal towns in England ; or wholesale
at

THE WEATHER.

logical investigations had not led to their practical utilisa-
tion nationally.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

In conclusion, may I be permitted to say that, while ad-
mitting many errors of judgment and numerous instances
of tardy decision, it has been proved by general opinion of
the maritime, if not also of the agricultural, interests, that
the system of meteorologic information existing now under
the Board of Trade is worth its cost to the nation, and is
deserving of efficient maintenance.
Dec. 2. It. FITZROY.

slow ready, in 2 vole., 2 ts.,

. ,
MEMOIRS OF JANE CAMERON,
FEMALE CONVICT. By a PRISON MATRON,
Author of " Female Life in Prison," (tc.
"This narrative, as we can well believe, is truthful in
every important particular—a faithful chronicle of a Noman's
fall and rescue. It is a book that ought to be widely read."
—Examiner.

Sir,—You have aided practical meteorology so
efficiently that I am now induced to ask for your
publication of the following memorandum, as a
general answer to very numerous observations and
questions.
As the public pay for what is effected in our
international meteorologic telegraphy, all have a
claim to "know the reason why."
Your obedient servant,
London, Dec. 2.

8, GREAT WINDMILL-STREET, W.
Observe the Red Seal, Pink Label, and Cork branded
Kinahan's LL Whisky."

" There can be no doubt as to the interest of the book,
which, moreover, is very well written. "—Athenaeum.
Hurst and Blackett, 13, t, reat Marlborough-street.

THE best TROUSERS for gentlemen to wear
are those made by ELSTOB, of 60, New Bond-street.
hey are neither so low in price as to necessitate their being
carelessly put together, nor so dear as to gain only the
wealthy purchasers. "In media via tutissimus ibis."

Scuttling of a British Ship and Murder of
the Captain and Officers by the Crew.

ELSTOB'S TROUSERS, TWENTY-ONE SHILLINGS
PER PAIR.

R. FITZROY.

Yesterday the subjoined despatches were re-
ceived by Captain Halstead, R.N., secretary of
Lloyd's, from the Admiralty, respecting the wilful
scuttling of the British ship Flowery Land, of Lon-
don, bound to Singapore, and the murder of her
master and officers

FORECASTS OF WEATHER.

Many persons have asked questions about forecasts of
weather and their principles. Some have impugned their
accuracy, and a few have demurred to their having any
claim to a really scientific basis.
No doubt that as very different views of atmospheric
com motions or changes are taken by able men, such subjects
may scarcely seem worth their earnest attention, because
as yet they have not been brought to the verification of a
rigid mathematical analysis.
But to metaphysical inquiries, and to other researches or
avocations, indispensably useful, one might take objection,
and decline their study on similar grounds. Meteorology
not only abounds in physical facts, excessively useful as
well as interesting, but it demands an extensive range of
intellectual and extremely comprehensive considerations.
One cannot take it into full use without due study; yet
who is there without an inderpsftdent opinion of the wea-
ther, and perhaps too little understood barometric indica-
tions ?,

Admiralty, Dec. 1.

Sir,—l am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of
the Admiralty to transmit to you herewith, for the informa-
tion of the Committee for Managing the Affairs of Lloyd's,
copy of a despatch from the Rear..A.dmiral Warren, report-
ing that a party of 14 seamen had landed in two boats near
the entrance of the River Plate, and that one of them had
given information to the authorities that they were part of
the crew of the English merchant vessel Flowery Land,
who had mutinied and murdered the captain and other per-
sons.-1 am, sir, &c., W. G. ROMAINE."
Saulettite, Monte Video, Oct. 28, 1863.
_ .

My Lord,—On the 18th inst. Mr. Lettson, her Majesty's
Charge d'Affairs at Monte Video,:acquainted me he had re-
ceived information that 14 seamen had landed in ttvo boats
on the coast near the entrance of the River Plate, and from
the statement made by one of them they were part of the
crew of an English merchant vessel who had mutinied
and killed the master and several others. Mr.
Lettson having requested me to assist him in getting
the men up to this place, the Government authorities here
having agreed to deliver them over to us at Maldonado, and
despatched the Curlew clipper on the 23d inst. to bring them
up, and I forward for their lordships' information the follow-
ing summary of the statement the Minister of the Interior
here has received from the local judge at Rochas, a town
about five leagues from the coast where the men were made
prisoners :—On the 9th Oct. 14 persons landed in two boats
near Castillos, and stated they ware part of the crew of the
American ship Maria, wrecked on the passage from Peru
to Bordeaux, with a cargo of guano, and that shortly after
leaving the wreck the boat with the captain and several
others parted company; they were provided with food, &c.
On the 15th J. Taffer, who had left the party some days
previously from fear of assassination, appeared before the
local judge and stated that he was the boatswain of the
English merchant vessel Flowery Land, that the other men
were the crew of that ship, who had mutinied and killed the
captain, chief mate, and several others. They then com-
pelled him as the only person on board who could navigate
to take the ship to the mouth of the River Plate, and on
sighting Cape Maria they scuttled the vessel and landed in
the boats. The captain's name was G. Smith. The ship was
bound from London to Singapore. He (Taffer) was afraid
of his life, as the others would kill him to prevent his giving
information, so he had left them. • On this statement they
were made prisoners, but one of them James Wilson, had
left the party previously. The Curlew has just returned
with the individuals above referred to as prisoners, but
there is no time to make any further inquiry into the case
before the sailing of the mail steamer. As far, however,
as I can at present ascertain there seems little reason to
doubt the correctness of the statement made by the boat-
swain of the vessel.--I have the honour to be, &c..

Having ascertained that the principal atmospheric
currents are incessantly in more or less circuitous but
mutually opposed progress, sometimes side by side but in
contrary directions, sometimes superposed, one or other
being nearest earth's surate, temporarily, and always
having lateral as well as direct progression, we have a clue
to their dynametry by observations at distant stations and
by telegraphing to a centre, somewhat like that which
might be given in a tidal estuary by ships swinging in
advancing or receding tide streams to an observer at a fixed
station.

By the tension or barometric pressure, the temperature
and other characteristics of the air at each station—by the
approximate knowledge now possessed of the set, turn, or
progression of atmospheric currents—of their relative
breadth horizontally, and of the circuitous eddies usually,
or often, between their edges or boundaries—one may tell
what conditions of air exist within some hundred miles
around—say, a sweep of 500 miles from London (as a centre),
and, which is of far more value, what changes or move-
ments are impending.
The capability of doing this for about two days in
advance rests on the proved fact of a general lateral transla-
tion towards the east in the Temperate Zone, while north-
erly, southerly, or other (mixed) currents of air are in very
various movement, the practical results on earth's surface
being usually composite motions.
By thus estimating the atmospheric area above, around,
and within some hundred miles of us; by statical observe-

tions at the same hour, and by summary calculations of a
dynamic character, all the principal motions and changes
are brought within the grasp of forecast.
But this applies only to general and principal averages,
not to local peculiarities or special disturbances so limited
in nature that they do not affect more than a few score
miles expanse of atmosphere.
It ought to be kept in mind that broad shallow cur-
rents are the chief aerial features, below or between or
among which there can be vacancy, unless momentarily,
as when a violent blast of wind is caused by a sudden (ap-
proximate) vacuum ; and that when currents act against
each other (gravity restraining upward motion) their ten-
dency is to cause more or less rotation.
The lamented Espy said that winds always set from the
place of higher barometer towards that of lower, but he also
said (which some writers seem to have overlooked) that
the meeting of such winds causes a circuitous effect. Espy's
views accord with those of the authoritative Dove and our
own illustrious Herschel.

•
RICHARD WARREN.
The ship Flowery Land sailed from Gravesend
for Singapore on the 20th July. She was about
400 tons register, and her cargo appears to be
largely insured.

The word cyclone has been so associated with stoma that

few persons attach to it now the simple and ancient sense
of circuit and circuitous.

Without duly following the progress and ultimate desti-
nation of material fluid air having great bulk, infinite elas-
ticity, and more or less vis inertio, or rather momentum,
according to mechanical laws, some persons have imagined
that air currents intermix, as if unresistingly, instead of
opposing each other for a time, especially if in rapid motion,
just like the currents of water in a river or in the sea.
Air streams in opposition must deflect or turn each other,
or go upwards (against gravitation).
Without a general, lateral, or transmeridinal movement,
or translation of atmosphere towards the east in the tempe-
rate zones, but westward in the intertropical regions, in ad-
dition to meridianal movements from and towards the poles
(of which full explanations are given elsewhere), it would
not be possible to forecast the character of wind and weather
beyond one day's interval. It is the prescience of dynamic
consequences. arising out of statical facts, that enables a
really scientific calculation of probabilities to be made. Cer-
tainly it is not yet attainable, but a fair average probability,
for a certain area or district, is already within our reach.
Out of these forecasts spring the cautionary notices of im-
pending storms.
It is by a continuous observation of the changes and in-
dications of change that we are now enabled to decide and
direst with confidence.

Without such a generally informed state we should
often be surprised, as we should derive our warnings solely
from distant stations, and should not be able as now fre-
quently to warn even outposts such as Nairn, Valentia, or
Rochefort.

That errors have occurred, that we have been too slow,
or have given warning where it seemed to have been un-
necessary, may appear to have been unavoidable in such
new and tentative experiments.
But there have been four special causes of occasional
failure, which ought to be fairly considered.
1. A watch having been officially set to report on the
results of each cautionary signal, has somewhat discou-
raged such speedy action as might otherwise have been
taken in signalling, but a record of their inutility should be
complied, rather than the contrary.
2. Public offices are not open on Sundays, and only a few
principal telegraph stations are then available. Hence
there is sometimes unavoidable delay between Saturday
and Monday.

3. No one or two persons Can be always at their station
all the year round from morning to night. The new sub-
ject of forecasting and warning is hardly yet so familiar to
many persons, however zealous, as it may be in due time.
Lastly, the telegraph offices are not open in general till 8
or 9 in the morning or after those hours at night ; therefore
official communications are only practicable over so wide a
range as ours between those times of the day.
To communicate between Nairn or Valentia or Roche-
fort and our office in London usually takes about two hours
in actual practice.
For proofs of what has been thus stated, perhaps too
dogmatically, about the movements of air currents and
their literal translation, I would suggest a reference to
published works, except in one recent and very remarkable
instance.

During the storm of last October 29.30, such remarkably
sudden and violent shifts of wind took place, about the same
time, at many places in a nearly meridional direction across
England, between or by Oxford, Greenwich, Notting-
ham, and other places, that to meteorologists even they
seemed unaccountable; but, if we contemplate parallel cur-
rents, side by side, moving rapidly
in opposite directions,
and having also a lateral movement to the eastward, such
sudden and meridional changes may become as easy to com-
prehend as those so well described by aeronauts who passed
out of one stratum or current of air into another, so closely
superposed that while the balloon was tilted (dragged aside
as it were) by the one, the car was influenced differently by
the other.
This Elementary effect was accompanied by a rushing
sound, like that of a torrent of water. These currents had
different temperatures, electric characters, degrees of dry-
ness or moisture, and horizontal motions. The sound, caused
by pressure and friction, is suggestive of various ideas in
connexion with heat and electric considerations, inadmis-
sible here.
In this case, of course, the representative of an observa-
tory moved vertically through horizontal air currents, at
times differing in velocity (referred to earth's surface) from
some 30 to 60 miles an hour. In the former instance—
that of a land station, the currents were separated vertically,
their division passing across any place suddenly, but hori-
zontally.
At the present time our meteorological communications
are utilised, and highly appreciated on the Continent.
At about 10 o'clock in the morning (as soon as in Lon .
don) Paris receives notices of wind and weather, from our
most distant stations, and distributes them.
Two hours afterwards the French Government despatches
our forecasts, and (if any) cautionary notices to more than
18 stations on the coasts of France.
This British system has, therefore, incurred a large re-
sponsibility.
" What does it cost ?” is, of course, a frequent question.
The Meteorological-office of the Board of Trade, and for
the Admiralty likewise, was established in 1855, with a
yearly estimate of £4,200.
This was for many duties, exclusive of those now super-
added, not then contemplated.
To include and provide for all—with these additional
subjects and their contingent expenses. I now ask to have
£5,800, being only £1,600 more than 1855-8, when raeteero •

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PRICE.— —..4d.
STAMPED ....sd.

REPORTING IN THE LAW COURTS.

A very numerously attended meeting of members
of the bar took place yesterday in the Hall of Lin-
coln's Inn, to cons;der the present system of pre-
paring and publishing the reports of decisions in
the various courts of law and Equity. There were
present—The Attorney-General, the Solicitor-
General, Sir Fitzroy Kelly, M.P., Sir Hugh Cairns,
M.P., Mr. Matins, M.P., the Hon. Geo. Denman,
Mr. Mecqueen, Q.C., Mr. Anderson, Q.C., Mr.
Baggallay, Q.C., Mr. Shapter, Q.C., Mr. Willcocin
Q.C., Mr. Gifford, Q.C., Mr. Daniel, Q.C., Sec.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL (Sir Roundell Palmer,
NIT.), who occupied the chair, said that all present
were aware of the cause of their meeting that day.
He had received a very numerously signed requisi-
tiolyrom members of the bar to call the present
meeting. The subject was one for the common
benefit of all, and he had invited them to come
together to discuss it. Having done what was
pro-
posei‘i
Mr. DANIEL
Afi.sltELressaoildutti
gene"rally required, he wouldhoz: call on Mr. Daniel to
*resolution he had placed in
the hands of the Attorney-General was, t, That, in
editing, and publishin
the opinion of this meeting, the present systemt off
judicialprepari ngdecisions in this country gthe
requires
r e paomr sn do
ment." The question was—are the bar satisfiede
with the present system ? He had no doubt but
that the opinion of the meeting was that it required
some amendment. If the proposition affected the
interests of those who are at present engaged in the
publication of reports, those interests should not be
interfered with without proper compensation ; but,
if in the public interest, a sweeping change should
be required, the sooner it took place the better. Our
system of law consisted of two parts, the written and
the unwritten; one the acts of Parliament, and the
other the reports. The same law or unwritten law
was left in the hands of private individuals, the pre-
sent reporters, which he considered a most fatal
system. The learned gentleman then went on to
describe the history of reporting in this country. He
said that at one period, a long time ago, the law was
officially reported by official persons employed by
the State up to the 27th of Henry VIII., when the
year-book ceased; the reason these official reports
ceased was that Henry VIII. had other requirements
for the public money. What was the consequence ?
The reports became inaccurate, and loosely con-
ducted. From the time of Henry VIII. till the end
of the reign of Elizabeth there were only the works
of Plowden and Coke, which could hardly be called
reports; from the time of Sir Edward Coke we
passed to Lord Bacon, who in 15th James 1., 1617,
odtained letters patent from the King for the pur-
pose of appointing two official reporters. The reign
of Charles 1., and during the Commonwealth, was
a period unfavourable for law reporting, during
which reporting was at its worst. At the Restora-
tion, 13th and 14th Charles 11., an Act was passed,
directing that no report of law cases should be pub-
lished without the special licence of the Lord Chan-
cellor or some other judge, which continued till
1692—he might say almost till Lord Mansfield was
elevated to the bench. But the public required the
decisions quickly reported. Under the old system
of official reporters many cases were not reported
till 20 years after the judgments had been given,
and when the judges were dead. In 1822 a gentle-
man of the name of Paget, a solicitor of great expe-
rience, knowing how difficult it was to obtain re-
ports at any reasonable time after judgment, started
a paper called the Law Journal. In this publica-
tion the members of the profession could obtain, at
a small cost, and more accurate than from news-
papers. and with greater expedition than from the
authorised reports, the various decisions of the
judges in the different courts. In 1832 a I4CW and
better system was established. Sixteen gentlemen
of the bar were employed in reporting for this pub-
lication. We had now what were called authorised
reports, which were, however, nothing more than
private undertakings for commercial profit; and
he contended that the decisions of the judges
in all great eases should not be entrusted to
private enterprise, but should be paid for and
published by the State. There were now the Jurist,
Law Zinies, Weekly _Repo? ter, New Reports, &c.,
all the offspring of competition, and the Law
Amendment Society had called attention to this
fact in 1849. The evil was one of long standing.
Everyone complained of the system, and he con-
tended that the State was in fault. Ia 1853, Mr.
E wart gave notice of a motion in the House of Com-
mons on the subject of law reporting, but the sub-
ject was so dry that he believed the motion had
dropped. In bringing forward the question, he
assured the members of the profession that he had
no object except to benefit the bar ; and he was
certain that the present system might be improved
by them to their own advantage and the public
benefit.

Sir FlTzriol. KELLY said that the deep interest
he took in this subject induced him to second the
resolution, and he was glad to se.: the meeting so
numerously attended by the members of the profes-
sion. He went on to say that the evils had been
pointed out, and it was fur them to consider what
was the best remedy. He thought there should be
one report only of each decision. At present there
were conflicting reports of the same judgments de-
livered by the same judge. There were often five
or six reports of the same case in different publics-
tions,each of which was materially different. His
opinion was, that if official reports were published
within three months of the judgment, the public,
as well as the profession, had a right to insist that
these reports should be issued in the cheapest pos-
sible form. He thought a committee of the bar,
with power to communicate with the bench, should
be appointed to consider the matter.
Mr. GEMMET opposed the motion on the ground
of monopoly. He contended that law reporting
üb-
was in no way different from other literary p

lications.
Mr. WEBSTER admitted that the
measure present system
was bad, but he said the proposed
not give us bar reports but judge-made reports. 1-1,,,
was not prepared to deny that liberty to
the bar
which they had so long enjoyed. No one
ever
werewatched
could in this country prevent competition,
The Hon' GEORGE
PENMAN said that, in his
opinion, if the reports were settled by the judges it
would be most unsafe. At present they
by a most intelligent class of men, .wh
that took place in court, which, in h 0 reported all
i
a great check upon the judges, and he for one did
s opinion, was
not believe that we could do
anything to improve
the present system. It would indeed be a bad
system to trust to the judges
the officials whom it was for reports, or trust to
proposed to appoint. They
would have no
interest in furnishing
re-
ports. Tne guarantee f accurate
If the present rep or accuracy was competition.
would buy them, reports were not correct, no one
and the present proposal would
interfere with free
trade in reports. He protested
against the state paying for reporting. In his
Opinion the State had nothing to do with reporting.
Mr. I\ CE said he considered the general public
had nothing to do with the question. The profes-
sion had nothing to find
fault with in the present
reports, which had existed for
30 or 40 years. He
did not think that we ought to disturb the present
system.
Mr. MALINS would not sanction a monopoly in
law reporting. He believed that the system of re-
porting was best when the sayings and doings of all
the judges were reported. He strongly opposed theidea of appointing a Government reorter. His
opinion was that the committee about to be ap-
pointed would report that they could propose no
better system of law reporting.
Mr. Tennison Ed wards, Mr. Winkels, and Mr.
W. G. Harrison addressed the meeting amidst cries
of " divide."
Sir HUGE/ CAIRNS had a preposition to make
which would not r,quire:a speech. He moved that
a committee of members of the bar be appointed to