The Sun.
London, England, 1853-09-06 00:00:00

THE LAWSON OBSERVATORY.

The Midland Observatory Committee, we are glad to
state, were again at their post on Tuesday evening—
Mr. Alderman Birkin in the chair--to renew the effort
to complete the subscription required for securing to
Nottingham the splendid gift of Mr. Lawson, of Bath,
(10,0001 in value), and to complete it within the time
now limited by Mr. Dawson for this purpose, before
the Ist of October. Within a month the inhabitants of
Nottingham and the Midland Counties are required to
supplement the funds already promised to the ObPerva-
tory Committee, to the extent of five thousand pounds ;
otherwise this opportunity of securing for this ad-
mirable site an efficient Observatory. which will be
public and not private property, available for
public
inclination
of and not dependent on the caprice or
of any private individual, will be utterly lost. By
the institution of such an establishment a great blank
would be filled up in British science. We believe
we are right in stating that no hiatus is, at this mo-
ment, more severely felt by those engaged in scientific
observation than the want of an observatory upon a
large scale, calculated to facilitate the advancement of
science and discovery in a degree to which private en-
terprise and scientific devotion, however ardent, cannot
aspire unaided. So deeply are we convinced of this,
that could any effectual method of laying the claims of
this locality to be provided with an observatory, and
the rare opportunity placed within its grasp, before the
British Association now about to assemble on the 7th
inst., at Hull, we firmly believe that the general convic-
tion of the importance of such an object would induce
the friends and lovers of science at large to contribute
handsomely to promote -it. We do not expect that
the British Association, as a body, would do this ;
nor do we think it desirable that any extraneous in-
influence should be brought to bear upon the observa-
tory, by giving a right of interference to any popular
body apart from that under whose immediate charge the
institution may be placed. But the individual support
of those interested in science should, we think, be courted
for a purpose so thoroughly identified with its promo-
tion—and at a moment, too, when recent planetary and
stellar discoveries, and the appearance of illustrious
strangers in the still of comets in our heavens, appear
to point to even more astounding discoveries in creation
than even the few last years of Lord Rosse's telescope
and the prophetic calculations of Adams and Le Verrier
have made us familiar with. Meanwhile, the town of
Nottingham has been divided anew into two districts,
and some zealous members of committee have under-
taken to repeat and extend the canvass for subscriptions
formerly set agoing.—NoUinghanb Guardian.

RAILWAY TRAFFIC RETURNS.

LONDON AND SOUTH-EASTERN EAlLWAY.—Traffic re-
turn for the week ending Sept. 3, 1353 £21,137 17 5
Corresponding week last year 20,315 11 11

Increase in 1853 £B22 5 6
LONDON, BRIGHTON, AND Sol, ra COAST RAILWAY.—
Traffic return for the week ending Sept. 3,
1853 £15,258 13 li
Corresponding week last year 14,046 17 9
Total of the half-year to this date, 1853 157,390 13 1
Total of the half-year to this date, 1852 140,598 19 9
GLASGOW AND SOUTH-WESTERN RAlLWAY.—Traffic re-
,urn for the week ending Sept. 3, 1853 £5,116 16 8
corresponding week last year 4,269 19 9
Increase in 1853 £846.16 11

SCARCITY OF SEAMEN.—The Newcastle Guardian says,
such is the demand for seamen in the Tyne, that crews
are obtaining from 41. to 41. ss. per month, for voyages
to the Baltic.
BRADFORD MUSICAL FESTIVAL—The festive excite-
ments of Bradford are over. The expenses of the 6 concerts
amounted to 4,0001., the receipts to between 6,000/. and
7,0001., so that the committee are considerable gainers.
THAMES HAVEN RAILWAY. —lt is understood that
the agreement for selling this railway for 49,5001. 6 per
cent. in the Tilbury and Southend Railway, is completed.
I)E1ILOUS ESCAPE.-011 Monday night, two privates
of the 48th Foot, quartered in Carlisle castle, madetheir
escape and deserted. They were in what is called the
Inner Castle. From this they let themselves down by
a rope to the outer yard, passing the sentinel, and the
rope by which they did it seems to have broken in the
operation, for they left it behind. They then appear to
have proCeeded to the opposite side, and obtained a lad-
der ; this they placed behind the embrasure on the wes-
tern side, fastened a rope to the latter, and descended
to the Castle-bank, about 60 or 70 yards from the work-
house, a height of some 30 or 40 feet, and got clear off,
leaving rope and ladder as proofs of their daring.
STATUE OF "AUSTRALIA" AT SYDENHAM.—The statue
of Australia," by Mr. Bell, now placed in the gardens
of the Crystal Palace, is of terra-cotta. The firing occu-
pied three weeks, and the heat attained was that at
which glass will melt. The contraction in firing was
three-quarters of an inch to a foot. The statue, after
burning, weighed about 25 cwt., and is, including its
plinth, about B,feet 6 inches high. It is probably the
largest piece of pottery ever fired in an entire piece. Mr.
Bell had the commission for the design and model, and
Mr. Blashfield for the moulding, prey sing, and firing.
THE WEATHER IN IRELAND.- The weather has again
become fine. Saturday and Sunday were midsummer
days, and Monday promised to be equally favourable.
The heavy rains of last week do not appear to have done
any considerable mischief. Harvest operations are pro-
ceeding rapidly in all parts of the country.
THE BIRMINGHAM BOROUGH GAOL INQUIRY.—With
respect to the general discipline pursued at the gaol, the
inquiry, so far as it has proceeded, shows that the
provisions of the act of Parliament for the regulation of
prisons have been frequently evaded. In the case of
the surgeon, it is shown that he had not made
the required periodical inspection of the prisoners ;
that he had not made an examination of the prisoners so
as as to judge of their ability to perform labour ; that
he had not complied with the requirements of the act
of parliament with reference to the entry of medi-
cines administered and treatment adopted ; and that
his inspection was hurried and superficial. With re-.
ference to the gaol discipline, for which the gover-
nor is responsible, it appe rs that the system of•
crank labour was originally an exceptional punishment ;
that at Mr. Austin's suggestion the cranks were increased
from two to 16, and subsequently to 22 ; that the act
of Parliament which provides that no prisoner shall
be kept at hard for more than 10 hours a day, has
been disregarded; that cases have occurred where
prisoners have been kept in the crank labour cell from
1;alf-past 6 in the morning till 11 at at ;night a period
of sixteen and a half hours ; that it was usual to keep
prisoners who refused, or could not perform this work,
without food for a whole day, a pound of bread being
given them at night ; that this treatment has been re-
peated for three days, and after an interval of a day re-
pea ed again ; that it was customary to keep prisoners,
even boys, at the crank labour in the dark, to count
the revolutions as they best could ; that, in oppo-
sition to the rules, prisoners before trial were punished
for speaking to each other; that the power of increasing
or decreasing the severity of the crank labour was exer-
cised by Freer, Without the special sanction of the gover-
nor in every case ; that the records of the punishments,
attempts at suicide, and so on, were imperfectly kept, the
record of the suicidLs especially
,being made up " from
memory ;" that the warders were in the habit of going
into the cells of the prisoners whenever they pleased; and
generally that the officers were in state of scarcely
disguised insubordination. The inquiry is still proceed-
ing, and as the commissioners have determined to make
a thorough investigation Of the system of discipline
without reference to special charges, it will evidently
occa—
py a considerable length of time.
NOVEL MODE OF RAISING. THE WIND.--Numerous
boys are constantly engaged in picking up the immense
quant. ties of copper caps on Chubhain-common which
have been used by the brave regiments recently en-
camped there. The boys sell them to the ironmongers
for old copper, and realise 2s. or 2s. 6d. a-day by their
industry.