The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-12 00:00:00

BIRTHS IN THE WEEK.

Males
Females

Total

--. 1,402

THE SCARCITY OF PAPER.

A correspondence has been published between the
departments of the Treasury and the Board of Trade on
the increasing scarcity of materials for the manufacture of
paper, which contains some interesting particulars. Dr.
Playfair, to whom the subject has been referred, attributes
the scarcity of rags to a falling off in the supply iii some
measure consequent upon the " lock-out" at Wigan and
Preston, and the half time working at Belfast and the
surrounding districts ; bnt as the price of cotton goods
was scarcely in any decree affected by those circum-
stances, they can hardly have interfered with the supply
of rags. The very half-time working in Belfast referred
to is an evidence that no want of cheap manufactured
cotton existed during the period of the Preston strikes.
The causes of the scarcity are clearly to be found, not
in a falling off in the supply of materials, but in the very
greatly increased consumption of paper, consequent upon
the increased demand both in Eurone and America, not
only for newspapers and books, but f,r the various manu-
factures to which paper and paper materials have of late
years begun to be applied. Dr. Playfair attributes the
failure of the many attempts hitherto made tai convert the
fibrous substances with which the vegetable kingdom
abounds into paper, to three causes—the cost of prepara-
tion, the loss in bringing the fibrous substance to a state
fit for the paper-maker, and the difficulty of bleaching
some substances for white paper. Dr. Forbes Boyle, how-
, ever, in enumerating the fibrous plants of India, mentions
several which, in his opinion, might decidely be pro-
fitably employed in the manufacture of paper. Even
the weeds which in tropical climates grow in such luxu•
riance, might all, he believes, yield an abundance of
fibrous material if the refuse of cultivated plants were
found insufficient. Some machinery he suggests for
separating the fibre would greatly facilitate operations ;
the expense of freight might be diminished by compres-
sion, or by packing the material as dunnage ; while the
cheapness of labour as of everything else in these coun-
tries, would enable materials for paper-making to be
brought here in great abundance, and at a sufficiently
cheap rate, if ordinary pai,s were taken by the con•
sumers in Europe to encourage the planters or colonists
of a distant region. But the substance which ho more
particularly recommends is the fibrous stem of the plain-
tain or muss paradisaica, which is extensively cultivated
in all tropical countries. The stems of this plant, so
valuable forits fruit, are now applied to no useful purpose.
Each rootstock throws up from six to eight stems, which
must be yearly out down, and which will yield, according
to Dr. Royle, from 3lls. to 41b. of fibre fit for textile
fabrics, for rope making, or for the manufacture of
paper. As the,fruit already pays the expenses of culti-
vation, this fibre could be afforded at a cheap rate, as
from the nature of the plant, consisting of almost only
fibre and water, the latter might easily be separated.
One planter calculates that it could he afforded for
91. ids. 4d. a ton ; how far in a prepared state does not
appear. The Board of Trade, while suggesting that her
Majesty's consuls abroad be instructed to obtain infer-
!nation, and procure samples of vegetable fibre, in their ,
respective localities, fix 2d. to 2id. per lb. when purified
and bleached, without reckoning the expense of prepa-
ration, as a cost sufficiently low to answer.the purpose
in view, though according to Dr. Lyon Playfair this
is generally considered by paper makers as too high,
to 1:d. per lb. being the price at which they think
that materials, to be of benefit, should be looked for.
The latter price refers to rough!), prepared pulp ; but
should the pulp be offered in a bleached state, or in
as far an advanced state, with regard to colour and
texture, as cotton or linen rag, then 2id. to 41. per
pound might be obtained. The limit of remunerative
cost—the cardinal point in all experiments—does not
appear to be settled with sufficient clearness. One fact,
however, iocertain, that the vegetable world abounds in
fibrous materials for paper which have not yet been
fairly experimented upon. To wild plants, such as
alluded to by Dr. Boyle, it is commonly objected that,
although they are to be had for nothing in a natural
state, the irregularity of supply fram such a source
prevent their being available ; but to any one
wo
who considers the desultory way in which the rags now
used are collected, it will be manifest that this objec-
tion might be surmountable. The Indian peasant might
learn
bya simple process to convert the fibrous materials
in his neighbourhood into a pulp fit for paper making, as
the Chinese peasant plants and prepares his tea against
the periodical visits of the Hong merchant. • We are
not in the habit of expecting much from Government
inquiries, but British capital and energy are not
went to be deaf to the call of a daily advancing price
and a sure market. They are accustomed to seek for
new fields and fresh ventures. Let the possibility of
making paper from cheaper materials be once shown,
and literature cannot long remain dependent upon the
precarious supplies of the rag-bag.

MORE TROOPS FOR TIE BART.—The Dublin Evening
Post has the following :—The City of Dublin Steam-
packet Company have received an order from Government
to have transports in readiness to convey 1,200 men,
some of whom have arrived, and the remainder are
hourly expected from Canada, to reinforce the army in
the 'East. This circumstance, together with the fact
that inducenaents are held out to the soldiers of the re-
giments at home to join as volunteers the army of the
Crimea, and also to the militia to volunteer into the line
proves that the war operations, whether in the Crimea
or elsewhere, are not expected to terminate soon—per-
haps not even with the taking of Sebastopol.
[ADVERTISEMENT.]—The Lra of Saturday next, with
a Grattlit4l.l3 Supplement of Sixteen Columns, will con-
tain all the Gazette Extraordinary of the Glorious Battle
of the Alma, Letter from an, Eye-Witness, Admiralty i
Despatches, List of Killed and Wounded, Storming of
Sebastopol, and all Latest News from the Seat of War
—The Quarter's Revenue—A Word for Innkeepers and
Hotels—lmportant Meeting against the Obnoxious Sun-
day Beer Bill —Theatricals, Literature, and Music—
Winners for Warwick Races, by " Touchstone," who,
in last week's Era, prophesied the fir.-t and third horse
for Cesarewitch,Stakes—Original Report of Newmarket
Second October Meeting—All Racing, Cricket, Aquatics,
Pedestrianism, and other sporting affairs of the week.
No extra charge, pricot U.—Order of all newsagents, or
send six postage stamps to 3, Catherine-street, Strand.
[AeveaTtsamesr.]—By her Majesty's Royal Letters Patent for
valuable and extraordinary improvements in the most power-
ful and brilliant Telescopes, Camp, Race-course, Opera, and
Perspective Glasses (glazed with Munic German Glass), to know
the distances of objects viewed through them—of great im-
portance to the army, navy, and others. Messrs. S. and B
Solomons, opticians, 39, Albemarle-street, Piccadilly. Ob-
-1 serve—opposite the York Hotel.— These telescopes possess
such extraordinary powers that some 3] inches, with an ex-
tra eye-piece, will show distinctly Jupiter's moons, Saturn's
ring, and the double stars ; with the same telescope can be
seen a person's countenance three miles and a half distant,
and an object from 12 to 14 miles. They are of larger and all
sizes, with increasing powers accordingly.—The Royal Ex
hibition, 1851,—Valuable, newly-invented, very small,
powerful waistcoat-pocket lass,the size of a walnut, by which
a person can be seen and known 1i miles distant ; they answer
every purpose on tho race-course, and at the opera houses,
country scenery, and ships are clearly seen at 8 to 10 miles.
They aro invaluable for shooting, deer-stalking, yachting, to
sportsmen, gentlemen, gamekeepers, and tourists. Opera.
race-course, camp, and perspective glasses, with wonderful
power ; an object can be clearly seen from 10 to 12 miles
distant. Spectacle Lenses of the greatest transparent power
The valuable advantage derived from this invention is, that
vision becoming impaired is preserved and strengthened, and
very aged persons are enabled to employ their sight at the most
minute ocenpation— can see with these lenses of a much less mag-
nifying power—and they do not require the frequent changes
to the dangerous effects of further powerful assistance. Deaf-
ness—New Discovery.—The Orgauic Vibrator, an extraordi-
nary powerful, small, newly-invented instrument for deafness,
entirely different from all others, to surpass anything of the
kind that has been, or probably ever can be, produced.
Being of the same colour as the skin, is not perceptible ; it
enables deaf persons to hear distinctly at church and at
public assemblies ; the unpleasant sensation of singing noises
in the ears is entirely removed ; and it affords all the assist-
ance that possibly could be desired,-39, Albenarle-strect,
Obeerve—oppoilte the Yerk

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

Joseph Goffe, an Italian, aged, a cenfectioner,
carrying on business in Bath-plece. New road, surren-
dered to take his trial on an indictment in which he was
charged with • having assaulted Eugenie in-
tent to ravish her. In other counts the charge was
varied.
The case lasted a considerable time, but the nature of
it may be stated in a very few words. The prosecutrix was
a simple-lookirg French girl, who stated that she was 15
years and a half old, but whose appearance was that of a
young woman of 20 ; and it appeared that about three*
months ago she came to London from Boulogne, and en-
tered the service of the defendant as nurse-girl, he be-
ing a married man with two children. She stated that
shortly after she was in his service he kissed her,
and took other familiarities, and that one night she woke
up and found him in bed with her, his wife being in an
adjoining house, which they also occupied, attending to
one of the children who was ill of cholera, She described
the conduct he was then guilty of, and if her evidence was
correct in all its details there would be reason to sup-
pose that the defendant had accomplished his design, but
the evidence of a medical gentleman by whom she had
been examined went in contradiction of such a supposi-
tion. According to her account, she resisted to the best
of her ability, but on being taxed by one of the men in
the defendant's service with having slept with her
master she denied it, through share, she said, and the
first complaint she madd of the defendant having violated
her was in a letter to her mother at Boulogne, which
she got some one to write for her in French, as she could
net write herself. She could not speak English, and her
evidence was interpreted by Mr. Albert, who generally
acts in that capacity at the court when an interpreter is
required.
Mr. Ballantine addressed the jury, and the Assis-
tant-Judge having summed up, they retired, and after
leliberating in a private room for about three-quarters
of an hour agreed to a verdict of guilty on the count
charging an indecent assault.
The Assistant-Judge expressed his entire concurrence
in the verdict, and sentenced the defendant to six months'
hard labour.