The Sun.
London, England, 1865-11-28 00:00:00

Liverpool Cotton Market—This ray.

Market opens with a good inquiry. Sales pro
bably 8,000 bales.

The Moon.—ls it Necessary ?

In an article published by the Moniteur M.
Geoffroy asks what may be the utility of the moon
with regard to our planet, and whether it is only
there for the purpose of raising the waters of the
ocean twice a day ? To this he replies himself,
that besides the great planets that are carried along
a regular path round the sun, there exists an un-
limited number of bodies of different sizes, moving
through space in every direction, as the almost
daily discovery of a vast number of asteroids
proves. Now, in the author's opinion, the moon
was once one of those erratic bodies, and, hap-
pening one day to get within the sphere of
attraction of our planet, was forced to become
our satellite, instead of continuing its own course.
Elence the moon is but an accident; the earth had
done without it before, and might do without it
again. Venus is about the size of the earth, and
goes regularly round the sun, although it has no
satellite ; why should the earth need one ? We
would here remind the author of the article that
some astronomers have asserted they have ob-
served a satellite moving round Venus, but that
it is seldom visible owing to the planet's prox-
imity to the sun. However our author con-
tinues to say that our moon is of no use to
us, because we might perfectly well do without
oceanic and atmospheric tides ; and the best
eulogium we can pass on her satellite being that it
is utterly useless, he goes farther and declares that
we owe it to the merest chance, it having been
picked up, as it were, on the way; and as such a
thing might happen again, our author sees no impos-
sibility whatever in our getting some day another,
and perhaps more moons still, added to our stock.
M. Geoffroy is also one of those who deny that the
moon is inhabited : Ist, because the excessive cold
there must prevent the possibility of any animal life ;
and, 2d, because the moon has no atmosphere. We
confess both these suppositions appear open to con-
troversy ; for as regards the latter, it has been con-
tended that the moon has an atmosphere, but an
exceedingly low one ; and as to the excessive cold,
we do not see how that can be proved : first, be-
cause the moon is strongly illuminated by the sun;
and, secondly, because there is evidence of great
volcanic action in the interior of its globe, and con-
sequently also of great development of heat.

THE SHIPWRECKED MARINERS' SO C lETY.—In
view of the late terrible gales, which have caused so
many and such fearful disasters on the southern coasts of
England, we feel it imperative on us to call attention to the
admirable society above mentioned. During the quarter
ending Oct., 1865, relief was given to the following sufferers
from shipwreck :—Widows, 106 ; orphans, 192 ; aged
parents, 83 ; master mariners, 18 ; mariners and appren-
tices, 165 ; fishermen, 23 ; pilots and boatmen, 2 ; ship-
wrecked persons (subscribers), 150 ; and non-subscribers,
127 ; in all 698 persons relieved, at an expense of £1,897
9s. 10d. The crews of no less than 66 wrecked vessels
have been boarded, lodged, clothed, and forwarded to their
homes by the honorary agents of the Shipwrecked Mari-
ners' Society, between the Ist of June and the 31st August,
1865. There can be no possible doubt that a heavy draught
will be made on the funds of the society by the results of
the gale just passed, and we very much regret to say that
they are in no condition to meet it. We cannot too strongly
recommend this society to the notice of our charitable
readers.

YORKSHIRE STATUTE FAIRS.—The last and chief
of the series of "statutes" for the hiring of servants was
held at Malton on Saturday, when a vast number of young
boys and girls attended. The day was wretchedly wet
and stormy, and for some unexplained reason the Corn-
Exchange was not opened for the female servants, and the
poor girls were obliged to "stand the market." The pro-
gress made in drawing the girls from the open market was
lost on Saturday, and there was the usual amount of
public-house frequenting of years past. Both agricultural
and domestic servants are stated to have been engaged
Very readily at increased wages.