The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-27 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, JANUARY 27, 1854.

THE OFFICE OF PRIVY COUNCILLOR.

We refer our readers to a letter of Mr. Toulmin
Smith, under the head, " Coronation Oath, and the Act
of Settlement," which will be found ix another column.
We regard this communication as one of the ablest and
most conclusively reasoned letters which has yet ap-
peared on the disputed right of a foreigner to hold the
office of Priv' Councillor.—Morning Advertiser.

COSMOS INSTITUTE.

Yesterday a meeting was held in the small room,
Exeter-hall, "for the purpose of developing the objects
/of the Cosmos Institute in connection with the promo-
tion of educational and geographical pursuits, and for
the diffusion of information on the colonies and emigra-
tion." In the absence of Lord Stanley, who had re-
signed; Sir John Dorat took the chair.
Mr. HYDE CLARKE read a written address, explaining
the objects of the institution to be the acquisition kff the
"Great Globe," Leicester-square, and the collection of
maps in the possession of Mr. Wykl ; and, secondly,
the establishment of a library and reading room for co-
lonial newspapers and information. Further, it was
proposed to establish an ethnological museum, and in
short, generally to aid the diffusion of knowledge on
colonial and geographical subjects. The remainder of
the address referred to the details by means of which the
design was to be carried out.

DifT. DIGBY SEYMOUR, M.P., in proposing the first
resolution, said he regretted the absence of the noble
lords and right rev. prelates who had given the society
the benefit of their names. The object of this institution
was, he said, to aid the masses of the people in the pro-
cess of self-development, and especially in their inquiries
on geographical and emigrational topics. He congratu-
lated the meeting on the absence of political agitation,
as making the present a peculiarly favourable moment
for projects of social advantage. There were signs of
progress in every quarter, and although there was a
dark cloud in one quarter of the horizon, he still hoped
that it might not burst over the heads of the nation.
Even if it did, however, Eaglishmen 'were now, as they
had always been, ready to brave the storm. (Loud
cheers.) But the great question of the day was the
education of the people. The people themselves had
determined that education they must have, and the
only question now was, how was it to be given, and
what it was to be. After some further general observa-
tions, Mr. Seymour concluded byrecapitulating the objects
already stated in the address, adding the fact that, out
of 1,200,000 persons who had visited the " Great Globe"
during the past year, 400,000 had been gratuitously ad-
mitted by the present proprietor, Mr. Wyld. The reso=
lution pledged the meeting to the general principle of
national education and the support of educational insti-
tutes. •

•
Mr. EMERSON seconded the resolution, addressing
himself principally to two topics. The first was the
great ignorance of the people of England as to the
colonial possessions of the British crown. One object
of this society would be to enlighten that ignorance,
which was nowhere greater than in the great metropolis.
The second was the great want there was in this city of
any place of resort and information for visitors from the
colonies. To remedy that defect would be another ob-
ject of the proposed institute, and therefore he, as a
colonist, felt bound to give it his support.
Mr. A. CAMPBELL, who described himself as a work-
ing man, supported the resolution. He considered that
the proposed arrangements were very liberal towards
the working men, who would, he was sure, give the
institute their support.
The resolution was put and carried unanimously.
Captain INGLEFIELD, R.N., the celebrated explorer of
the Arctic regions, who was received with loud applause,
proposed the second resolution, which was to the effect
that the promotion of geography and its kindred sciences
was of great value to a commercial and mercantile
epeenotprlee,oafnindfothrmat the Cosmosationtopers lonnssetmituigtreawtinogul,dansciertvoe as a
those
colonists who visited the motlier country. He was happy
to state that the Board of Admiralty and the authorities
at the Horse Guards liberally supplied books to the navy
and army, and that the men eagerly availed themselves
of these contributions of books for libraries. He knew
that both in the army and navy there were those who
andwnly morelacke cdl es vuecrh
stoker, who, on his last voyage, through the chief en-
maneni.nstHituetimonenatsitohniesdtoabneicnosmtaengeereoaftear,
gineer, had asked for the loan of a book out of his
library—that book was Humboldt's "Cosmos." This
man had studied the book, and had made some very ab-
struse calculations on the eclipse of the sun, and he was
now engaged at Woolwich. He (Captain Inglefield) ex-
pected to go another voyage to the Arctic regions, and
he hoped to take this man with him. Of all sciences,
there were none which admitted of so much extension
as that of geography. If they turned to painting, let
them look to the old masters. Could they find any-
thing superior to the works in the present age ? So in
music—the old ballads always charmed. But geo-
graphy involved with its study many other sciences,
and this institution offered an opportunity to every man
to instruct himself in any one branch of geography.
Ignorance pervaded not only the humbler classes, but
the very highest in this respect, as he had himself re-
cently witnessed. The discowiesvade in the Arctic
regions had been productive oefirglity results. With
reference to our gallant missing countrymen, the
world believed they were lost, but be did not.
(Loud applause.) This was a broad assertion to
make. He had been twice in the Arctic regions,
and he had penetrated 120 miles further north
than any other previous voyager, and he would
speak of what he had seen, and he must refer
to the vast supply of animal food to sustain the
voyagers. One night, when the sea was calm, he had
sailed through what he termed an ocean of birds ; and
the natives within 103/4 degrees of this were able to find
everything they required from the beasts by which they
were surrounded. And here he would allude to what
had been declared by Sir Edward Parry at the dinner
given at Lynn to Lieut. Cresswell—that he believed
where the Esquimaux lived Europeans might also exist.
Had they a right, then, to give up our gallant country-
menPl Poor
kFranklin,and
d still
their alive,
average
agest be
did
hismen wereaslost? a
not exceed 33 or 35 years. These, then, were not the
Men to despond. They lived upon hope. He had, in
those latitudes, with his own gun, killed in three hours
150 birds. They were carried to Beechy Island, and
being frozen, they remained as fresh food. For himself,
he had spent his life in every clime, and it was his busi-
ness on this occasion to return thanks for the seamen to
Mr. Wyld, for the manner in which he had opened his
exhibition gratuitously to his brother sailors. (Cheers.)
The Rev. Mr SEYMOUR, of Chelsea, seconded the
resolution, and promised the aid of the working clergy
to the institute. He contended that the diffusion of
knowledge, instead of weakening, as some thought,
would tend only to strengthen religious convictions
throughout the community,
Mr. STOOQUELER moved the third resolution, approv-
ing of the Cosmos Institute. He showed that our re-
cent geographical discoveries would enable us to be very
independent of Russia in the event of a war, as tallow
and isinglass could be brought from India. He was
of opinion that ignorance of geography was as much a
blemish among the upper and middle classes as among
the lower, and instanced a case of a lady having asked
him if he ever rode from Calcutta to Bombay to see her
son.
Mr. GRIFFIN seconded the resolution.
A vote of thanks was then tendered to the chairman,
and the meeting broke up.

POSTAL STEAM COMMUNICATION WITH
AUSTRALIA.

A public meeting was yesterday held at the London
Tavern, for the purpose of taking into consideration the
most desirable steps to be taken for promoting the most
desirable steps to be taken for promoting semi-monthly
postal intercourse between this country and our Austra-
lian colonies ; Sir James Duke, Bart., M.P., in the
chair.

The CHAIRMAN informed the meeting that the ques.
tion it was met to consider was one of the most impor-
tant of the day, affecting, as it did, not only the com-
mercial interests, of the city of London, but of the whole
kingdom. Great exertions bad been made in 1850 by
gentlemen representing various important interests in
different parts of the country, to obtain that more rapid
and regular communication with Australia which it was
the object of the meeting now to obtain. But if such
improved communication were necessary in 1850, much
more had it become essentiallat the present time, in con-
sequence of the immense increase of our trade with the
colonies, consequent upon the discovery of gold. The
number of letters passing between Australia and this coun-
try was already greater than between India and the United
Kingdom, and he had no doubt that it would continue
to increase to a still greater extent. With respect to the
expense of affording increased postal communication
with Australia, he believed that the increased revenue
obtained would more than cover the additional expense,
for the great increase in the correspondence of this
country had been found to arise not more from the re-
duction in the rates of postage than from the great
facilities afforded by frequent deliveries. (Rear.)
Mr. MOFFATT, M.P., in moving the first resolution,
stated that he had no doubt the Post-office authorities
would shortly propose a uniform rate of 6d. for
letters to Australia, 2d. of which had been appropriated
for the land service in the United Kingdom and
the colony, and the remaining 4d. he thought ought
to be given entirely tc, those who conveyed the
letters by sea. He did not think that the Goyern-
ment would be justified in refusing to concede to any
company offering proper securities a proposition to esta-
blish semi-monthly communication with the Australian
colonies, on the condition of receiving the whole of the
sum to be paid for the sea passage of the letters. (Hear,
hear.) The Government had received in 1851 not less
than 56,0001., and he had no doubt that with increased
facilities a revenue of at least 200,0001. could be obtained
from the postage of Australian letters. (Hear, hear.)
He moved, "That the immediate establishment of regular
semi-monthly communication with Australia was im-
peratively called for by the extended commercial relations
and growing wants of the mother country and her Aus-
tralian colonies."

Mr. Lents (formerly a member of the legislative
council of Sydney) seconded the motion, and stated that
the colony of Victoria had offered a large subsidy to any
company which would molt efficiently promote the postal
intercourse between that colony and the mother country ;
and he had no doubt that if the authorities at home
were to reduce the postage to a uniform rate of 6d., the
colony would be content to reduce the postage on their
side from 2d. to id. upon alit letters previously sea-borne.
Mr. MALINS referred to the great expense of main-
taining steam communication with Australia, and stated
that the consumption of coal on the voyage out and
home amounted to not less than 11,500/. He considered
that no arrangement short of giving to the steam com-
panies the whole amount earned from port to port would
be satisfactory. (Hear.)

Mr. RIDGWAY considered; that a great saving of time
would be effected, if all steaz n ers for Australia left Milford
Haven, instead of Liverpool and Southampton, and were
not compelled to touch at efvery port in Australia as was
now the custom.

The resolution was then :agreed to.
Mr. DONALDSON moved the next resolution, "That in
the opinion of this meeting, the geographical position of
the two great emporii of the' south, Melbourne and Syd-
ney, required distinct and independent lines of steam
communication." He considered that that the Post-
office authorities were greatly to blame in acting with
so much tardiness in a matter of such great national im-
portance as that of increased postal communication be-
tween this country and Autstralia. The conduct of the
authorities at home in this respect contrasted most un-
favourably with that of the colony of Victoria, which
had just agreed to grant a sum of 3,0001. monthly to
any company which would bring out the letters from
England in 65 days. (He ,a r, hear.) It was unworthy
of Great Britain to take on o farthing of the sums derived
from the colonial correspoi idence of Australia, in order
to swell the revenues of th in country. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. J. MACGREGOR, seconded the resolution.
He considered the question of speedy and certain com-
munication with the Austrldian colonies one of so much
importance, that it would have done honour to the
Government had it called Parliament together at an
earlier date for the sole purpose of effecting this desired
object. When he looked at the rapid progress of the
commerce of the United States it appeared unprece-
dented, but when he compared it with thj trade with
Australia, the increase h:rd been much less rapid and
extensive. Our exports of British manufactures to
Australia for the last year amounted according to his
estimate to 15,500,0001., and if the value of the colonial
and foreign produce also 'exported were added to this,
the total exports of the United Kingdom to Australia
would not be less than 17,5+00,000/. (Hear, hear.) Con-
siderable apprehension appeared to be entertained with
respect to losing our trade with Russia. But the total
value of our exports to. Russia did not amount to
2,000,0001., while our commerce with Australia was
more than eight times that amount, and we could
get from Australia alma st every article that we
now imported from Russia. (Hear, hear.) The
whole of our exports to the United States did
not exceed those to Australia, which already
amounted to one-half of the whole of our exports in
1831. He hoped that no exertions would be spared
in order to obtain that amount of communication
between this country and the Australian colonies which
the extent of the commerce and the social interests of
the two countries imperatively required. (Hear.)
After a short discussion, the resolution was agreed to
unanimously.
Mr. LINDSAY moved the next resolution, to the effect
" That an humble address to her Majesty, and petitions
to both Houses of Parliament, should be adopted and
signed by the chairman on behalf of the meeting, and
that the chairman should be requested, in conjunction
with the committee of the Postal Steam-communication
Society, to impress upon the Government the serious in-
jury inflicted upon the trade and industry of the coun-
try by the present inefficient system of postal communi-
cation between England and the Australian colonies."
He called the attention of the meeting to the enormous
rate of charges at present made for the conveyance of
letters to Australia, and the inefficient mode of obtaining
their conveyance by the present system of offering a sum
of 1,0001. to any vessel that would undertake to convey
the mails to Australia within the time specified by the
Post-office authorities.
Mr. KIAD having seconded the motion, it was unani-

mously agreed t 0...
Resolutions were also passed awarding the thanks of
the meeting to the Postal Steam Association for the
energy displayed by it in promoting an improved system
of steam communication with the Australian colonies,
and to the chairman for presiding on the occasion, after
which the meeting broke up.

DEATH OF MR. PHILIP BLITZ, PROFESSOR OF MUSIC.
—lt is with a very deep feeling of sorrow and regret, in
which a large proportion of the public of Southampton
will participate, together with large numbers in the
principal towns of the southern counties, we record the
decease of Mr. Philip glitz, professor of music, who died
after a brief illness of bronchitis, yesterday morning, at
the age of 49. He was born at Lymington, where his
father established his reputation as a musician of con-
siderable eminence, and brought up six sons to his pro-
fession. Philip, the eldest, early became a popular com-
poses of ballroom music of the highest class, and his
compositions became fashionable for their respective
periods. He came to reside in Southampton about 25
years ago, and showed the versatility of his talent by
composing, besides much classical music, a variety of
ballads, of which the words were frequently his own ;
and ono series of naval songs, called "The Songs of the
Mid-Watch," the Admiralty did him the honour to be
added to Dibdin's, in a special edition published for the
Navy. Besides his musical works, he was the author
of "Tales of the New Forest," which he was well quali-
fied to write, from his intimate acquaintance with the
scenery of the forest and the manners of its people. He
was a great advocate for the Hullah system, and intro-
duced it in Southampton and other places, andindeed
sought to cultivate a musical taste among the young ge-
nerally. His lectures on music were exceedingly attrac-
tive at all the literary institutions of these counties. He
was a most brilliant performer on the pianoforte and
violin, and conducted Paginini's concerts when very
young. He has for many years held the office of organ-
ist at All Saints' Church, and there, as well as previously
at other churches, raised and taught a choir, and per-
fected the vocal service. His wife and an only son have
to mourn the loss of an affectionate husband and father
—the profession of one of its most meritorious and ac-
complished members—and the masonic brethren a
brother whom they esteemed. He always gave a willing
assistance to the craft, and distinguished himself amongst
them, and was P.P.G.O. of Hampshire. One of his
masonic compositions, " Faith, Hope, and Charity," is
possessed by every lodge in the province, and is intro-
duced at most of their festive entertainments.. Hamp-
shire Advertiser, Jan. 14.