The Sun.
London, England, 1862-01-08 00:00:00

THE OIL _REGIONS OF\AMERICA.

The accounts of the development of the oil re-
gions of America continue to indicate that the sup-
ply is likely to prove ♦irtually inexhaustible, and
that it will work a singular revolution in some
branches of commerce. Although the full effect
will not be experienced until the short branch line
now in course of construction to the Atlantic and
Great Wes'arn Railway shall have been completed,
and also a similar line from the Canadian wells to
the Great Western of Canada Railway, many of the
principal houses in the whaling trade in NewEn gland
have diminished or abandoned their operations, and
have adapted their mills to the purpose of refining
the new product from the Pennsylvania district. The
daily quantity of rectified oil thus made in the city
of New Bedford is stated to be 4,000 gallons, which
are shipped thence to all parts of the world, in-
cluding the East Indies. The paraffine obtained from
this material is found to be highly valuable for the
manufacture of candles, and a circular from Messrs.
J . C. and J. Field, of Lambeth, which details the
successful results of a long and costly series of ex-
periments, embodies also a report from Dr. Letheby,
stating that—
, " Weight for weight, the illuminating power of paraffin°
is rather more than 22 per cent. greater than that of sper-
maceti, about 40 per cent, greater than wax, 4G per cent.
greater than stearic, and 58 per cent. greater than compo-
site; or, to estimate it in another way, the light produced
by 981 b. of paraffine candles is equal to that of 1201 b. of sper-
maceti, or 1381 b. of wax, or 1441 b. of stearic, or 1551 b. of
the best composite candles. This high illuminating power
of paraffine is duo to the circumstance that it contains a
large proportion of carbon ; it is, indeed, among the richest
of the hydro-carbons, and therefore it burns with a very
intense light, and requires an unusually small wick. The
products of its combustion are the same as those of wax and
spermaceti, and are free from sulphur compounds. The
candles are entirely free from colour, odour, and greasiness;
in fact, they have the appearance of the best variety of sper-
maceti, and would be mistaken for it but for a translucency
and fineness of surface spermaceti does not possess."

MEETING OF PARLIAMENT.

(From the Gazette of this evening.)
BY THE QUEEN.—A PROCLAMA.TION.

VICTORIA, R.,—Whereas our Parliament stands pro-
rngued to Tuesday the seventh day of January instant ; We,
with the advice of our Privy Council, do hereby publish and
declare, that the said Parliament shall be further prorogued,
on the said seventh day of January instant, to Thursday
the sixth day of February next; and we have given order
to our Chancellor of that part of our United Kingdom
called Great Britain to prepare a commission for pro-
roguing the same according : and we do hereby further,
with the advice aforesaid, declare our royal will and
pleasure, that the said Parliament shall, on the said Thurs-
day the sixth day of February next, assemble and be holden
for the despatch of divers urgent and important affairs : and
the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Knights, Citi-
zens, and Burgesses, and the Comuiissioners for Shires and
Burghs of the House of Commons, are hereby required and
commanded to give their attendance accordingly, at West-
minster, on the said Thursday the sixth day of February
next. .

Given at our Court at Osborne House, Isle of Wight,
this sixth day of January, in rho year of our Lord, one
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, and in the twenty-
fifth year of our reign.