The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-02 00:00:00

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--and what, astounding advances have we not beet
made in the Science of Optics alone by practical
philosophers, such at Sir DAVID BREWSTER (still
happily in his green eld age surviving in the midst
of us), in the exquisitely beautiful applications of
those hitherto undetected or disregarded laws of
optics, out of which have grown Sir DAVID'S two
lovely discoveries—there of the Kaleidoscope—here
of that still more curious and magical contrivance,
the Stereoscope. Fifty years—and . the expansion
of the science of Optics has carried human know-
ledge and human eoservation yet further onwards
—incalculably further—than to the comprehension of
the hitherto unrecogrised or unappreciated mystery
of Binocular Vision. Philosophy, combining to-
gether in an exquisite union some of the subtler
laws, here of Chemistry, there of Optics, has, during
this same marvellous Half Century, has, in effect,
only but very recently,indeed, extended its researches
into the abysses of space, into the immeasurable
depths of the infinite universe surrounding us—re-
vealing to us, one by one, and with the utmost ex-
actitude, the constituent elements of the Fixed
Stars, through the weird agency of what is now
known as Spectrum Analysis ! In the carrying
me
out
of the scheme for the development of
which sublime
investigations by means of the Messrs. MILLER and
HuGGucs' newly cortrived instrument of the Spec-
troscope, not only are we enabled to detect the
constituent elements of the Fixed Stars with
as much certainty as we can those of any
substance lying within the palm of our hand—but,
yet more wonderful to relate, we are, in addition
to all that, empowered in the very process of these
inquiries to discover new substances in nature--
metals that have never before been dreamt of—
metals such as those alread
li" y (literally) "brought to
ht" by the study of Spectrum Analysis—metals,
let us say, like thallium and caesium and rubidium !
Fifty years (looking in another direction) and there
was no such art as the art of Lithography—an art first
hit upon by a hutky accident, in his garret at
_Munich, by the hand of the ingenious ALOIS SENE-

FELDEN.

Enumerating, however, a trifle more rapidly, divers
other marvellous appliances of more or less impor-
tance, given to the world within these Fifty years
last past—while War has won for itself formidable
.AR
instruments of destruction such as the Rifled Cannon
of )ISTRONG and WinTwoRTH, Percussion Caps and COLTS'S such as WRIGHT'S
needle- Revolvers, such as the
gun of the Prussians and the gun-cotton of
ScHONBEIN—the interests of Peace have been
enhanced and advanced by many boons not yet
even hinted at ! Boone, a complete and minutely,
accurate list of which, it would be difficult,
indeed, here, upon the of the moment, to spur
enumerate. From Sir
Ponta ROWLAND HILL'S Penny
ge to NAsurrn's Steam Hammer—from
M'Coßmicß's Reaping Machine to PHILIPS'
Fire Annihilator—from FUCH'S Water-glass Paint
ing to VILLEME'S Photo-Sculpture--the catalogue
of these beneficent improvements in Art, Science,
and industry, nay, even (as in the instance of the
Penny Postage System) in the amelioration of the
social condition of the civilised races of the earth__
the wondrous catalogue would be found, if it were
attempted, to extend in all directions ! Yet—when
everthing has been said, in is w ay, in regard to the
fecundity this
of this last Half Century in the History

a ni‘rn.N..l nf

s. Ihe civil news is very import;
o find that President t A 14-0644,-:,

atatesniaLsl.

vati ! i_y i ..,c' 3 obnoxious or
I Canaui,:f. frontier for tli,
, Which wart, inticed iittk
1a 4 ; . , , (.*.i.arai.lot of
--- . lya, against. Gieat Britain, a stti, -,•-' ieh Mr. LlN-
mi must see would be fatal to Gover,
MI,
Goverment d his cause. The Northern press for the most
pa ~, regrets the disavowal of the order, while much
excitement prevails in Canada, where the Parlia-
ment is summoned to meet on the 19th. The
Toronto Globe very justly says that Canada must
look to her naval defences. It is said that the
PRESIDENT has made a draught of 300,000 men,
and a long discussion has taken place in the Senate
on the bill for authorising the expenditure of twenty
million dollars for fortifications and floating batteries
on the Canadian frontier. The Canadians, we are
glad to see, are prompt in their turn, and intend
sending immediately thirty companies of volunteers
to guard the frontier. Altogether, the news, civil
and military, is of an exciting and interesting
character.

The Revenue on the whole is as favourable as,
under the circumstances, could be expected, espe-
cially when we take into account the large remission
of taxes. One thing appears to be rather singular,
which is that we find a decrease on the quarter,. a
decrease on the nine months, and a decrease on the
year ! But there is one consolation to reflect upon,
that the decrease is on profit, and not on our losses.
The decrease on Customs is doubled by the increase
on Excise, which is very cheering symptom. The
net decrease for the quarter is £248,570, that for
the nine months of the financial year £83,589, while
that for the year just ended is £308,246. Consi-
dering the many adverse circumstances with
which we have had to contend, it may
be regarded as satisfactory that the state
of the Revenue is, at all events, no
worse, instead of being no better than it is. It
proves the buoyancy of the national finance that,
notwithstanding the depression of the Cotton Trade,
so little material difference should have been felt.
When we consider that within the last two sessibns
the Tea and Sugar Duties have been reduced, and
the Property. Tax diminished from ninepence in the
pound to sixpence, and that each penny so reduced
represents nearly a million sterling, we have good,
reason to rejoice at the condition of our National
Exchequer. All the decrease, it may be-observed,
after a careful survey of the tables, is attributable to
the reduction of taxation, and not to any falling
off in our material prosperity. With the
exception of those in which there has been a decided
reduction, there has been a positive increase in every
source of revenue. The Property Tax, it is true,
shows a decrease of £1,809,000,_ and the Customs a
decrease of £886,000 ; but the Excise return has
increased more than a million and a-half, which is
in itself an important test of the national prosperity;
and on Stamps the increase has been £216,000,
while in the Post Office an increase is perceptible of
£260,000 for the year, of which the last quarter
alcine contributes a hundred thousand. This shows
clearly that the increase is progressive ; and alto-
gether it appears a very satisfactory state of things
that we behold, especially when compared with
some of our Continental neighbours.

THE EXECUTORS OF THE LATE MR. DAVID
ROBERTS intend to have an exhibition of all his drawings,
to be open in London, we believe gratuitously, early in the
spring. -
THE POET LAUREATE, it iS rumoured, will
4hortly be created a baronet.
MR. RANTING'S CARTE DE YISITE is just now
the rage among photograph collectors.