The Sun.
London, England, 1863-11-21 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sift,—lt has been recently announced, on the part
of the Astronomical world, that they have hitherto
been in error as to the distance from the sun to the
earth. The error amounts they say, to four mil-
lions and thirty-six thousand miles ; and it seems
that M. Le Verrier now adopts the idea that the
sun's horizontal parallax is 8 min. 95 sec.; and
that, therefore, the true mean distance of the sun
from our earth is only 91,328,600 miles, instead of
what Professor Eneke has hitherto taught, viz,
95,364,400 miles. Now, if these gentlemen had
only considered that the all-wise Creator has made
all the universe by " weight and measure," and
that it is, therefore, impossible that our earth,
the moon, and the sun, should have been
made at haphazard, and without any de-
sign in their constitution and proportions, they
might have determined the true distance of the sun
long ago. A conviction that some definite relation
must exist between the dimensions and distances of
these glorious bodies has led me to the discovery of
the true distance of the sun, without any reference to
those doubtful observations on parallax which have so
long misled the great astronomers of Europe. I
have discovered this relation between the moon, the
earth, and the sun, viz„ " that the diameter of the
moon is to the mean distance of the moon's surface
from the earth's surface, as is the diameter of the
sun from the mean distance of the sun's centre to
the earth's centre." Also, that the diameter of the
earth is to the diameter of the sun in exactly the
same ratio, or proportion. From this I find that
the true distance of the sun from the earth is
exactly 91,493,000 miles; which distance differs
from that now given by M. Le Verrier, only by
164,800 miles. And whereas that astronomer
gives the horizontal parallax at 8.95 sec., I find it,
as above, to be 8.94 sec.

I think this discovery is undeniable eNidence of
the existence of design in the creation of the sun,
moon, and earth.
To satisfy persons who may desire to examine the
evidence of these facts, I hero beg to append the
data, on which my calculations are founded, as tot-
ows :—The diameter of the moon is 2.159.3 miles;
the mean diameter of the earth is 7,912.4 miles.
The mean distance of the moon's centre from the
centre of the earth is exactly 237,231 miles
59.9643 mean radii of the earth. This gives the
distance of the surface of the earth from the surface
of the moon-------,232,195 miles. And this, divided by
the diameter of the moon, gives the rati0=107.532;
which, multiplied by the mean diameter 01 the
earth, gives the diameter of the K11,1=850,842 miles.
And this again, multiplied by the same ratio, gives
the mean distance of the sun from the earth, as
above stat Gd.. The apparent mean diameter of thc
sun, taken at 15 minutes (Nhich is allowing 3.3
sec. for refraction), gives the distance only 88,600
miles less ; differing from LeVerrier 76,600 miles.—
Yours, &c.

R. J. MORRISON, Commander R.N.

MADAME DE LAMARTINE,—It is stated that the
will of the late Madame de Lamartino, which left all
heelrytterty t!)
.14sshnstund, has been declared void in
England, owing to an informality in the execution. It,
will be rep:imbued that she was an Englishwoman.

vp-1:.?3E-v
ortulat
6i/44e

JJER MAJESTY.

WINDSOR CASTLE, Nov. 20.
The Queen, accompanied by her Royal Highness
the Crown Princess, walked and drove in the
grounds this morning.
Their Royal Highnesses the Duke of Nemours
and Princess Marguerite of Orleans arrived at the
Castle yesterday.
The dinner party included their Royal High-
nesses the Crown Prince and Princess of Prussia,
Princess Helena, the Duke of Nemours and Princess
Marguerite, the Prussian Ambassador and Countess
Bernstorff, Lady Caroline Barrington, Lieutenant-
General the Hon. C. and Mrs. Grey, Dr. Holzman,
and the Ladies and Gentlemen in Waiting on the
Queen and the Prince and Princess of Prussia.
Count and Countess Bernstorff left the Castle this

morning.
Earl Russell had an audience of the Queen.

The Prince and Princess of Wales.

SANDRINGHAM, Nov. 20.

His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, with
Major Teesdale, Sir Charles Phipps, Sir Henry
Keppel, and Mr. H. Villebois, went out shooting
yesterday.
Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, with
the Hon. Mrs. F. Stonor and the Misses Phipps
drove out.

The Hon, Mrs. Francis Stonor has succeeded the
Countess of Morton as lady in waiting en the
Princess of Wales. The Countess of Morton has
left Sandringham.
The Prince of Wales joined the meet of the West
Norfolk hounds today at Sussex Farm, Burnham.

The Duke and Duchess of Marlborough will
entertain company at Blenheim Palace, near Woodstock;
Oxon, during the ensuing week ; and on Thursday her
grace will give a large party, to which the principal fami-
lies in the county have been invited.
The Earl and Countess of Cawdor and the Ladies
Victoria and Muriel Campbell left town on Wednesday last
for Nipton, Lincolnshire, on a visit to the Hon. Archibald
and Mrs. Campbell.
The Earl and Countess of Wilton will entertain
a succession of visitors at Egerton Lodge, Melton Mow-
bray, during the hunting season.
The Earl and Countess Craven, who have arrived
in town, accompanied by the Ladies Craven, will shortly
leave Charles-street, Berkeley-square, for Ashdown-park,
Berks.

The Countess Dowager of Cawdor has arrived in
Tilney-street, from Burwood, Kent.
The Countess Lord()if has left Claridge's Hotel
for Paris.

Viscount Curzon left Curzon House at tho early
part of last week for Gopsall Hall, Leicestershire, for the
hunting season.

Lord and Lady Dacre, accompanied by the
Dowager Lady Chesham, have reft Grosvenor-square for
the Hoo, Herts.

Lady Macdonald Lockhart and Miss Macdonald
Lockhart have left Farrance's Hotel for Lee Castle, near
Lanark, N.B.

On Thursday last the Hon. T. C. Bruce, youngest
son of the late Earl of Elgin, was married at Riddlesworth
to Miss Sarah Caroline Thornhill, eldest daughter of Mr.
Thomas Thornhill, of Riddlesworth Hall, Norfolk. Tho
ceremony was petormed by the Hon. and Rev. A. Phipps.

Sir Henry Keppel, who has been on a visit to
the Prince and Princess of Wales, has left Sandringham for
Quid d enham.

Sir William and Lady Maxwell have arrived at
Claridge's Hotel from the continent. _ _

Sir Edward and Lady Synge have arrived at the
Alexandra Hotel, St. George's-place, Hyde-park-corner,
from Paris.

Sir Charles Phipps and the Misses Phipps have
arrived in town from Sandringham.

His Excellency Sir Henry Bulwer, G.C.8., her
Majesty's Ambassador at Constantinople, has arrived in
town.

The party which was about to be given by the
Duke of Devonshire at Chatsworth has been postponed,
owing to the demise of his grace's uncle, Lord Cheeham.
THE EMPRESS AND THE PRINCE IMPERIAL.—
Sunday, being the Empress's birthday, or rather
fete, for it was the St. Eugenie, there was a grand dinner
at the Chateau, illuminations in the Park, which was
thrown open to and thronged by the public, and later in.
the evening amateur theatricals, in which two or three
short one-act pieces, composed for the occasion,were played
by some of the guests present. In one of these a part had
been reserved for the young Prince Imperial, who performed
it very creditably, although evidently struggling against a
certain amount of timidity, which is a feeling he appears to
throw aside completely when riding on his little pony in
the woods of Compeigne. Some very pretty verses, set to
music by two of the guests, in honour of the fair heroine of
the day, were sang with much entrain, all the amateurs
who had taken part in the evening's performances, stand-
ing on the little stage, and joining in the chorus at the end
of each couplet. The Empress seemed greatly pleased, and
was looking on that evening younger and more lovely than
usual. She wore a transparent white muslin dress spangled
with silver, on each breadth of which ran, from the waist
downwards, a narrow band of green velvet ending in knots,
fastened with diamonds. A small toque, or cap of green.
velvet, embroidered with diamonds, and ornamented with a
diamond aigrette, was placed on her head, and a string of
pearls fastened round her throat, a locket and cross, com-
posed of emeralds and diamonds. Simple as this dress was,
it attracted universal admiration, and did the grace and
kindness with which the Empress did the honours of the
fete. The Princess Anna Murat, who is remarked to be a
special favourite with the Empress, was dressed in white
muslin, trimmed with blue, with bouquets of forget•me-
nots, and a parure of turquois and pearls.

ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS.—The follow
ing gentlemen, having undergone the necessary
examination for their diploma, were admitted members of
the College at a meeting of the Court of Examiners on the
20th inst.—viz., Messrs. Frederic Nash, Royston, William
Godfrey Watermeyer, Cape of Good Hope, and Ebenezer
Diver, M.D. St. Andrew's, Yately, Hants (students of Uni-
versity College ; William Gall:more Hayden, L.S.A., High
Wycombe, Augustus Reeve Senior, Richmond, and James
Fuller, L.S.A., Rectory-place,
Woolwich (of the Charing-
cross Hospital) ; Francis James Ryder, L.S.A., Green-
wich, and Richard Edward Cooke, L.S.A., Southwell,
Notts (of St. Thomas's Hospital) ; William Henry Vipan,
Ely, Cambridgeshire, and Vincent Richards, Charlton (of
Guy's Hospital) ; William Snowden Hedley, M.D., Edin.,
Alnwick, Northumberland, and Ralph James Forbes
Leith, Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire (of Edinburgh) ; George
Philipp Justus Ludwig Lichtenberg, M.D. Gottingen,
Finsbury-square; Alexander Murray Bligh, Liverpool ;
James Gwyther, M.B. Lend. and L.S.A., Manchester; and-
Emil Julius Baetcke, M.D. Giittingen, Finsbury-square.
MAUDSLAY, THE MECHANIST.—As the con-
noisseur in art will exclaim, at sight of a picture,
"That is Turner," or "That is Stansfield," detecting the
hand of the master in it: so the experienced mechanician,
at sight of one of his machines or engines, will be equally
ready to exclaim, " That is Maudslay ;" for the character-
istic style of the master-mind is as clear to the experienced
eye in the case of the finished machine as the touches of
the artist's pencil are in the case of the finished picture.
What Oxford and Cambridge are in letters, workshops
such as Maudslay's and Penn's are in mechanics. Nor
cannex Oxfordo:
wth andthe
r respective Cambridge
Torlegbee prouder of their con-
s than mechanics such.
as Whitworth, Nasmyth, Roberts, Muir, and Lewis are of
their connexion with the school of Mandalay. One of Mr.
Maudelay's old workmen when informing us of the skilful
manner in which he handled the file, said, "It .was a
pleasure to see him handle a tool of any kind, but he was
quite splendid with an 18-inch file: '—Samuel smiles.
a
ATTEMPTED MURDER AT ALDERSHOTT._O
aTtahruit niresttedtr:vcme to Aldershott, by his own statement, to WO/
.:
a plasterer, a native of Exeter, named
e w with his wife, who has been livin; there as a
prostitute for some time. He found her at the‘ house of
Mrs. Niel, and appeared to be on pretty good terms with
her. Ho had been in the house about two hours when it
was suggested that she and several other persons who 'were
there should go and have something to drink at the Vas
falgar beerhouse. They accordingly proceeded there, and
three of them entered the beershop. Bartlett, his wife, au'
another person remained outside. Suddenly, and without
any remark, Bartlett seized his wife and threw her down.
tie cried " Murder!" and on the bystanders raising her
uP
a pool of blood was discovered on the ground. It was foul'
that her throat was frightfully cut. Medical men were Wt.-
tnediately sent for. The first who arrived was Dr. School-
braid, a surgeon residing- in the town. Shortly afterwards
Dr. Fortieth, of the Royal Dragoons, was in :Attendance. It
was then found that the woman's throat was cut in three
places; one wound had partially severed the jugular vela
and also the windpipe. The medical men succeeded in tying
one of the principal arteries, but there appears, from the CO
dition of the woman at 9 o'clock yesterday morning, to
not the faintest hope of her recovery. Bartlett was inoneul
ately secured, and a razor stained with blood was found
within a few yards of the spot where the woman had fallei
o•
On the way to the police station the prisoner said if his wilt.
died he should die happy, as he came down with the iute .
tion to do for her. He also said be should askthe favour 0
county'
beineallowed to go back to Devonshire, his native court
to be executed, He is about 27 or 28 years of age.