The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-05 00:00:00

THE SEVERE WEATHER.

The following are the temperatures of the coldest days
here since 1809
1810 ... Feb. 21
1814 ... Jan. 9
13
14

12° above zero.

1815 -.-- 23
1816 -. Feb. 9
1820 ... Jan. 1
1823 19
1826 -- 15
1830 _. -- 19
1838 -.-- 20
1841 .- -- --
1845 _.Marel2l4
1854 -. Jan. 3

6.5°
6.5°
11°
10°

13°
4• below zero.

On the 14th of March, 1845, the temperature on the
grass fell to 1' below zero ; to-day that temperature was
6' below zero (as indicated by several corrected thermome-
ters), and at 4 feet above the ground, upon a flat board,
8° below zero.

The following are several readings of the instruments :

Jan. 2, 5 o'clock p.m., in air + 20.5 on the grass + 99
7 o'clock + 15'0 + 5.5
10 o'clock ÷ 0•0 6.0

midnight. o'o 6.0
Jan. 3, 8 o'clock a.m. + I'o 2.0
-- 9 o'clock + I'B 1.0
11 o'clock + 19.9 10.0
(+, above zero ; —, below zero, of Fahrenheit's thermo-
meter.) E. J. Lows.
Observatory, Highfield-house, near
Nottingham, Jan. 3.

CHRONOLOGY OF REMARKABLE EVENTS.

Prospectively calculated by our own Clairvoyant.
(From Punch.)

1854. City Improvement begins. Temple-bar and
Lord Mayor's Show end.
_ _

1856. Restoration of the bonnet to the crown of the
head.

1857. Act passed for the Relief of London Lodgers.
Prohibition of barrel organs, cats, blunt knives, and
door chains.

1859. Teetotalism introduced among the London Cab-
men. No less than three take the pledge at once.

1880. Something useful dane by the Sanitary Com-
missioners.

1881. Great excitement prevails in literary circles.
A. London Author gets a cheque from a Now York
Publisher.

1899. Cultivation of genuine Havannah Tobacco
Plants at Richmond ends.

1900. A clean street seen in the City.
1901. Publication of Mr. James's 2,000 th Novel.
1919. Completion of the Library Catalogue at the
British Museum—up to the letter H.
1920. A racing prophecy fulfilled.
1933. Ventilation of the House of Commons effected.
1945. A London lady for a wager walks down Re-
gent-street with her husband without stopping at a
shawl shop.
1980. Maine law introduced into England—for an
hour or two.
1999. Starvation of curates ceases.
2000. Restoration of a borrowed umbrella to its right-
ful owner.
2001. Apparition of a policeman at the moment he
was wanted.

UNIVERSITY OF LONDON.—The council of this Uni-
versity have made the following arrangements for the
various examinations of the present year :—The Ma-
triculation examination commences on the first Tuesday
in July. The examination for the degree of Bachelor of
Arts commences on the fourth Monday in October. The
examination for the degree of Master of Arts commences
on the first Monday in June. The examination for the
degree of Bachelor of Law takes place in the last four-
teen days in June.
WHAT IS A BILLION ?—Why, a million times a mil-
lion, to be sure ! Ah, you may easily write this down,
and still more easily pronounce it ; but can you count a
billion ? Why not. Stop a bit. Perhaps you can
count 160 or 170 in a minute—nay, suppose you could
even count 200 in a minute ; then, in one hour you
could count 12,000, if you were not interrupted. Well,
12,000 an hour would be 288,000 a day; and a year, or
365 days, would produce 105,120,000. But this would
not allow you a single moment for sleep, or for any other
business whatsoever! Well, now, suppose that Adam,
at the beginning of his existence, had begun to count,
had continued to count, and was counting still, he.
would not even now, according to the usually supposed
age of our globe, have counted near enough. For to
count a billion he would require 9,512 years, 34 days,
5 hours, and 20 minutes, according to the above reckon-
ing. But suppose we were to allow the poor counter
twelve hours daily for rest, eating, and sleeping, be
would need 19,024 years, 69 days, 10 hours, and 40
minutes to count a billion.
THE PORT OF FOLICSTONE.—It having been found
that, in consequence of the continued :increase of the
business at this port sinco the regular intercourse with
the opposite port of France for the importation of mer-
chandise of all descriptions, including all kinds of silks
and fancy goods, wines, &c., the customs establishment
required an increase in the number of officers for the
conduct of the revenue business, arrangements have been
made for establishing an additional officer of that place
for the general purposes of the customs there. Since the
permission was granted by the Government authorities
for the importation of silks, &c., from the continent, and
also wines in cases into Folkstone, that port has become
an important branch of the import business of the coun-
try with France and elsewhere.
The indictment against Williams and others for a con-
spiracy to defraud in connection with the Leman Estate
• Fund, in the Court of Chancery, has been removed by
certiorari to the Court of Queen's Bench,