The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-26 00:00:00

LI

RE.

Sam Slick's Wise Saws and Modern Instances;
What he Said, Did, or Invented. 2 vols. Hurst
and Blackett.
At the dinner of the Literary Fund the other
evening (his health having been drunk with enthu-
siastic acclapaations), Judge Haliburton modestly
asserted that he had no claims to popularity. Ile,
was no genius, 'he was no scholar ; he only narrated
with simplicity the facts of his every-day experi-
ence. " If," said the learned Justice, " read a
book to a man, I send him to sleep ; but if I talk
it to him, he will ask me to sit up all night
With
him." This little fact, so felicitously expressed, la
the secret of a great part of Sam Slick's great suc
cess. There is something very delightful in his
frank and easy manner. He reminds us of the lad?'
who said " she gossipped whenever she plea
and pleased whenever she gossipped." Nevertlr::
less, we must confess we are not always pleased Oil
the liberties taken with our mother tongue by the,
American clockmaker. He observes himself that
" plain English is not very plain"—that it re'
sembles " common sense," than which nothing.
more " uncommon ;" but the English of M•
is to us not very plain and not very pleasant. P"01.
genial manner, however, is not the only cause a
this author's wide-spread popularity ; there
fund of wisdom mixed up with his drolleries.
" Wise Saws" are to the full as instructive as his
" Modern Instances" are entertaining. Witnnt
for example, the two companion sketches of t
House that Hope built," and " The House with°l/,
Hope." In the former, while illustrating the f°,,
of those who, relying on hope, and not on enert
place their trust in place and patronage, ,t.O
author appeared to us hardly to do 3115,,"
to the merits of the Charmer, when he exclaimed"
Hope ought to be struck out of the Diction
Do your duty and trust to Providence—have
hope and no fear." Surely, we thought, Mr. a
forgets that Hope is one of the highest virtues,. the
ranks by the side of Charity and Faith—but in Lie.
next chapter we met with the amende honorni
In the house without Hope is a wretched reaLut
the helpless inertness of despair. How can he Tau"
whom no hope animates ? And Mr. Slick, ill;
porting him to effort, is compelled also to el-u°
him to " Hope for the best :"
" Arter all, I had to use that word hope ; and ini?ed:
lieve it must actually be kept a little longer in the in
tionary. It is a dark room that has no ray of lights;
it. Hope is a pleasant acquaintance, but an
friend. He'd do on a pinch for a travelling corapan"
but he is not the man for your banker."
A host of amusing observations and wise nia1),1315
we might cull from these volumes ; but it vil"
suredly be more gratifying to our readers to se; a
them for themselves in the genial pages of
Clockmaker.

Sir Frederick Derwent. By the author of "FA°ll5,
Tower, and Smugglers and Foresters." 31°
Newby.
There is a great deal of amusement to be derive,
from this novel. It certainly does not belong.;
the higher order of fiction, but, notwithstallwri°o9
it is cleverly arranged. The latter portion of
story, in particular, has an exciting interest 31)°,t.5
it which gives a somewhat dramatic effect to.
character. Roger Pemberton is very ably descry
moody, jealous, and revengeful, sitting down,Aiis
breakfast in high glee, at the thought of hie
man (of whom he was the heir) being killed 1110,
neighbouring field, while he would not stir to P.
vent the catastrophe. The foreign part of the f
rative is not so natural ; on the contrary, 111.1
the scenes relating to Clarice's mother seem hid
improbable. The accounts given of the NlP.ii",l
during the cholera are powerfully written,
contain a good deal of useful information to l
of
placed in a high position, as to the protection r,
their dependents in seasons of distress and daing:ro
The lively widow and the demure old ,maid ter
well illustrated, each prosecuting her desiP "".o.
her own fashion, of dashing effrontery or insult'
ing gentleness. •

The Ladies' Portfolio. Nos. 1 and 2. Mae 6IP
Co., Ironmonger-lane.
This journal has very recently commenceu,2lllo4
is likely to become a universal favourite with Dot
admirers of the art of embroidery. Each nu%
contains three patterns, one of crotchet, ano3
second of the fashionable broderie a l'Anglaise,', ig
the third of worsted-work. One of the prettiesi;ig
the group of roses in the second number, will°
skilfully shaded. One of the chief attractio.l,oa
this " Guide to the Work-table," is that Piot
elegant patterns, with descriptions, are given
...zb
the price of one when purchased elsewhere
number being two shillings, and the annual $,4,
scription for twelve numbers eighteen shilliS
Combining, therefore, so much variety and avtie
lence at a moderate price, it must prove a valutl,g,
assistant to all desirous of new and tasteful desig''

re
THE SUBMARINE TELEGRAPH BEVY.-
GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.

This important line of communication has at lenr:
_Ala
been successfully effected by a submarine cable, MO
factured by the well-known makers Messrs. Dreglioe"
Co., of Gateshead, and laid down by that firm on kyle
day between Donaghadee and Port-patrick. The
consists of six communicating wires, insulated in %ter
percha, and protected in the usual manner by wiL is
covering of iron wire. It could not be laid, asfiles
tended, during the previous week, owing to the bites
from the east preventing the opening of the dock b-sit,
at Sunderland to let the vessel containing it ros tele'
As several previous attempts to lay a submarine cate
graph across the Irish Channel had failed, ever''f the
was taken to insure the successful termination ei.the
present attempt, and the expedition, consistiogiee:
screw-steamer William Hutt (with the cable an, %Atha
ratus on board), the Conqueror, and the WizarcVe at e
Irish coast, having landed the end of the i "le'
point about two miles to the south of pon the
harbour, and commenced the submersion tiljp,/es'
cable, under the guidance of Captain who ter
RN., specially appointed by the Admiralty,
duel
the
dered great assistance in determining and dire7i—vrolf,
exact course to be pursued, without which, ofe`i
bility, the squadron could not have succesern'lolee;
come the swift tides and adverse currents P. 47,,, 1,/h"
throughout that part of the Channel. The Pe`ilestat
accompanied the laying of the cable included, atia'
Newall, the contractors ; Mr. Statham, of thectorlee
Percha Works ; Mr. Bright, the secretary ; I‘l%agseti,„,°
Bright, the engineer of the English and Irish 'so t 0,,"
Telegraph Company ; Mr. Reid, the well-I°l°ble 17(1
graph engineer ; and Mr. Moseley. The ea (0113
landed on Wednesday morning, in a sand)? kie). will:a
Mora-bay), a little to the north of Portpatr,i'Leorclis
belongs to Mr. Blair, of Dunskey, who kiodl -ugh I',
permission for the laying of the landwires thro to be
estate, and as soon as the end had been taken 1:13 pot
position assigned, the magnetic instruments sce,ebed •
operation, and the following message was dispa'
314 Tele'
"Mora-bay, Portpatrick, Monday'
the
" The directors of the English and Irish geguthel,9
graph Company beg to acquaint his ExcelleneYuy effee
Lieutenant that they have this morning sueee2e,fil3ritoin,d''•elc
communication between the shores of Grey' yartPe-
Ireland, by means of a submarine cable from
to Donaghadee." he tree ebto6
The cable at each side was then buried in t--11 nett e,
prepared for its reception, and instruments shortcooe tie'ci
serve as a means 'of communication fora, ing eartolo,
until the subterranean line of six wires now
,11,b, 9,t0
from the company's station at Carlisle, tchorepleteoec
fries, to meet the cable at Portpatrick, 5.9
out tO bee to
that spot ; and an underground line is abna,had eAp
tended from the Irish end of the cable at Dc°ooty D
and
Newtownards, the terminal station of ahe
le p3glislicoar
Railway, along which the wires of t nearly ear
Irish Magnetic Telegraph CompanY areeet the the
pleted to Belfast. At Belfast the wires ifited ovelifot
pany's line of telegraph already coMPIF the /3e the
Ulster Railway, and will be carried, anaa,,s, hitotheir
Junction and Dublin and Drogheda Bayn "wre there
company's offices cn College-green, Pn their so Goa
line from Galway (already working)
line of telegraph, now in forward of the •I;ing
The lines wo
from Cork, will concentrate.
and Irish Magnetic Telegraph Cour...urn)? ;$1
between Liverpool, Manchester, Blackou Green°e7Oee°
Preston, and between Carlisle, Glasgowyr
_Tess be
.00
Edinburgh, and those now in forward.P.legohterr:l!o
London and Manchester (consisting 0.1.:,1 poi
,upg•
wires), and between Preston and Cai:ll towns
ill into
Carlisle, and the three capitals and chiefshro
„other'
instantaneous communication with on
_..bag
land, Scotland, and Ireland, will be thus - lig
couarres" of constg,

STOPPAGE OF OMNIBUSES AND CABS.---A 11115-j e,►"e
gone abroad that a general strike of oninibuses_scd ill
Mouse
take place if Dil•. Fitzroy 's new bill ITure 50
of Commons. But this report is re'll' ii. ' ill
no such proceeding is at present in conteuiplatl,%oo,oo
omnibus-masters have made great efforts, b_'s giviag
success, to obtain an amendment of the claUs_ontiog
judicial power to the police commissioner inf6the GI;
and suspending of licences ; and the refusal then' s'e
vernment to meet their wishes, and to gritasters eyed
appeal, will most likely lead to however'alarge '.; belie°
tiring from the trade. As it is, it i .00 of t/el
bill,
the public will be great sufferers by the operatiooooe
their intention not to take out more licences Berl s.
as many of the omnibus owners hare than sbs°;
lutely necessary; for the more licenses the 1010 , 00
the police inspection, and decision, if adverse, is refs
ter. Thus the Government must ultimatelyboroo,o:
in point of revenue, and the public in resruci,ifi the 3,.°0
modation ; and all from the refusal commis""oner the
other hand, if Ministers had
nsmious clauses which give the police sus„eociiiiiihe
absolutethe
e power of a judge in granting and OO 'le
licences of the proprietors of omnibuses.
__.4.;oolibi_
clauses, the omnibus people were readY t°. _c objelefii
hwith the proper authority in placing theirogfatio a
orses, and mode of con eyance under the re,
bilie, to
tbe civil power, for tl v • •
le satisfaction of the Piz
conforming
to all reasonable orders.
expunged the obje
0. , ;rote