The Sun.
London, England, 1849-08-10 00:00:00

broning

LONDON, FRIDAY, AUGUST 10, 1849.

Apart from the contributions which are still swel-
ling the amount of the Hungarian Testimonial, the
people of England, both in the provinces and the
metropolis, are striving by every means to express
their sympathy for Louis Kossuvn and his compa •
triots. Meetings have already been held in the city
of London, in Marylebone, in Westminster, and at
Notting-hill ; others have been convened at Birming-
ham, at Cardiff, and at Edinburgh. By our impres-
sion of this evening, moreover, it will be observed
that a similar assemblage is to be held to-day at Chel-
sea, and another on Monday, the 13th inst., at Derby.
Considerable, however, as this progress in the good
cause is even now, and worthy as it is of our congratu-
lations, we cannot but view these proceedings as
merely the commencement of a long series of still
grar.der demonstrations, and as the beginning of a
movement such as must ultimately command the ac-
quiescence of the British Government in the resolu-
tions of the British multitude. Of this we are fully
satisfied. The result is inevitable, the more espe-
cially as we have already secured so many able and
energetic champions in the House of Commons, and
still more particularly, seeing that our aspirations
are shared in by the greatest statesman in the Cabinet,
the Noble Lord the Secretary for the Foreign
Department. Remember the derision thrown
at first on the agitation for Parliamentary
Reform, and yet remember how, in spite of that
derision, the Bill of Earl GREY passed through both
Chambers of the Legislature ! Remember the scorn
expressed for the advocates of Catholic Emancipation,
and yet remember how the Catholics of the United
Kingdom were emancipated through the indomitable
energies of the Irish Liberator, and through the
unconquerable perseverance of his few but devoted
fellow-labourers ! Remember the ridicule expressed
for the first disciples of ADAM SMITH and Hums-
sox, and yet remember, too, how the question of
Free Trade was forced upon the attention of the
Popular representatives by the annual motions of the
Ron. C. P. VILLIERS, how the logical truth of the
new doctrines was emblazoned in the " Catechisms"
Of Colonel P. THOMPSON, how the blessings, inevita-
bly flowing from the liberation of commerce, were
chs.unted in the show the project w
ongs of EBENEZER ELLIOT, and
self- sacrificing patriot"isEll of at last realised by the
Sir ROBERT PEEL ! All
these schemes, at first scouted absurdities, were
at last recognised as victoroiesthose demands, at
first derided by the administrators, Allrs, were at last ac-
quiesced in by the Government. And +
them, no not one, ever commenced ?e„ none of
w
sudden and universal display of enthusialtshm such a
part of the whole population as this one for the the
knowledgment of emancipated Hungary. In regl,
the question of English sympathy for the independ-
ence of the Hungarians, there was no neces-
sity for argument. It was only necessary to
strike with a bold hand the chord that vi-
brated through every generous heart in the British
islands. It was only necessary to breath the first
syllables of truth, and the words would reverberate
in every crevice of the land. It was only necessary
to light the first torch of fraternity, and the whole
kingdom would be in a conflagration of ardent and

sympathetic brotherhood. So it has been. That chord
has been touched, those syllables have been articu-
lated, that brand has been ignited. The response has
burst forth with spontaneous devotion from all parts
of the community. Lord PALMERSTON himself, the
foremost man of all Englishmen in the consideration
of every foreigner, has so spoken from the
floor of the House of Commons that his
language has carried dismay to the council
chambers of Vienna and St. Petersburgh. These
things borne in recollection, no one can have the
temerity, or rather we should say the absurdity, to
doubt that the movement in bebalf of the Hungarians
will not prove ultimately successful.
Among the provincial meetings already men-
tioned, we must be permitted to particularise the
meeting held on Monday last at Edinburgh, and the
meeting to be held on Monday next at Derby. We
are solicitous to make one passing allusion to those
assemblages, for the purpose of commending to
the attention of other constituencies the earnest-
ness of the language uttered, and the amount of the
subscriptions collected at Edinburgh, and to express
our particular satisfaction, as an organ of the great
English people, at the unanimity displayed by the
intelligent inhabitants of Derby. What Edinburgh
has already done, will be done, we are satisfied, with
sympathetic generosity by the citizens of Derby.
While the provincial population is thus replying to
the ardour of the metropolitan, the latter is by no
means relaxing its energies after its first admirable
exertions. Indeed, we are sanguine that the
demonstrations already made in four dif-
ferent quarters of the capital will prove merely the
prelude to others of an equally enthusiastic cha-
racter elsewhere. An aggregate meeting should
be convened, for example, at Exeter Hall, as a build-
ing at once central in position and spacious in pro-
portions, for the purpose of enabling another section
of London to breathe forth its aspirations for the
freedom of the Hungarians.
Not only the voice of the orator and of the journalist,
but also that of the musician, has endeavoured to ex-
press the sentiments of the multitude upon this supreme
question of Hungarian independence. For it will be
observed, from one of theitoenmisabthatcontainedp
u in
evening's list to the Testimonial, wardsths
oif
81. .
have
d been contributed
Magyaras .t.
ohaeu
ao proceeds
at
the
John-street o a concert
given al
Literary Institution, Fitaroy-square, the use of the
apartment being given gratis to further the objects of
the occasion. We would here earnestly suggest to
other similar establishments the emulation of the pro-
ceedings at the John-street Institution, satisfied that
the members of such places would eagerly respond to
the demand made upon their sympathies. By the
multiplication of such means the sum total of
the subscription will be at length raised to an
amount worthy at once of England and of Hungary.
While the British multitude are endeavouring in
these different ways to proclaim to the Magyars the
fact that England is regarding their heroic struggle
with mingled admiration and solicitude, the Hun-
garians themselves are fulfilling their glorious desti-
nies in a manner which surpasses even our own most
sanguine expectations. By the combined aid of un-
surpassed valour and of consummate generalship the
army of liberation (insignificant in numerical strength
when contrasted with its antagonists) is thoroughly
worsting the united forces of the Imperialists.
Bar,' opposed to LUDERS in Transylvania—GuroN to
JELLACHICIS in the south near Peterwardein—

---GEORGEY to PASICEWITCH in the north, near the
frontiers of Gallicia—DEmniNsm to HAYNAU in the
centre—have all successively or simultaneously proved
triumphant. As will be seen from a statement
in our foreign intelligence of the position of the
several corps of the several armies, the Austrians
and Russians have been completely and irreme-
diably checkmated. This very day the accounts
received from all parts of Hungary are so astounding
as to have been scarcely credible, but that their
authenticity cannot be called in question, coming, as
they do, through the channels of the Austrians them-
selves. Raab has been taken by AULICH—SO that the
Imperialists are now completely cut off from Vienna!
Cronstadt and Hermannstadt have both been taken by
BEM—so that his opponents were utterly routed,
being obliged to fly with a loss of 10,000 men in
killed and wounded! Disstuntsaf has completely
vanquished FRMYTAG, and taken him prisoner. The
imperial army of the coalition is surrounded on all
sides, by BEM in one direction, by GEORGE/. in another,
by AULICH in another, and by GUYON in another;
while the possibility of the concentration of the cir-
cumvented Russians and Austrians is effectually
prevented by the interposition of the Hun-
garian head-quarters, presided over by the master-
spirit of this wonderful and ever-memorable
campaign—DE MBINSKI. Henceforth the name of
DEMBINSKI must rank with those of the
first captains immortalised in history. His
plans have proved in every respect effectual—so
that the legions of FaA.Nas JOSEPH and NICHOLAS
are entirely cut off from communication with their
imperial masters. Besides which, in consequence of
the command of Kossuxu, the wells have been choked
up, and the provisions carried away into the fast-
nesses of the mountains, so that the Austrian and
Russian soldiers are perishing from hunger and
thirst, and from the ravages of the diseases attendant
upon famine. Already the vengeance of the out-

raged Hungarians—unaided except by the blessing
of the GOD of Justice —is smiting down the
pride of two terrible apd rampant despotisms. Such
are the achievements, such is the position, such are
the prospects of the heroic warriors of KOSSUTH, that
glorious race of freemen whom his thrilling voice
apostrophised, saying, " Arise, my mighty, my gi-
gantic people !" That cry has thrilled to the hearts
of fourteen millions, and Hungary has arisen in her
majestic unanimity to conquer her independence
under the banners of her great Tribune.

I When we first commented on the _lrish peat distil-
' lotion project, as introduced to the notice of the House
of Commons by The O'GoastAN MAHON and by
Lord ASHLEY, we did it purely on public grounds;
we knew nothing of Mr. OWEN or his operations;
we hailed it as a discovery calculated to confer vast
advantages upon Ireland and the empire. The high
auspices under which it presented itself to our con-
sideration, the numerous experiments under the most
scientific men, by which its merits.had been accurately
tested, the immense value of the products resulting
from those experiments, induced us, in the exercise of
our duty as public journalists, to give every aid in our
power to a project teeming with so many advantages
to the commercial, manufacturing, and agricul-
tural interests of both countries. Every new system
will have its opponents as well as its votaries.
The wildest theories, the most absurd systems, from
the pilgrims of Mecca to the Lore-birds of Agapemone,
all have found followers and supporters. The soundest
projects for the benefit of mankind, from the days
of HARVEY to the present, have met
with op-
position. The great scheme under our con-
sideration at present has not escaped the com-
mon fate. One gentleman issues his caution against
it, because, somehow or other, there has been a failure
at Dartmoor, where an experiment had been at-
tempted on inferior peat (not Irish) with cumbrous
and expensive machinery. With this gentleman's

Letter we dealt in a former number, and, we believe,

fully disposed of his objections. Indeed, the letter
itself bore internal evidence of the cause of the
failure, for which the writer himself appeared un-
able to account, and the arguments which
we then put forth have been fully borne out and for-
tified by a statement of facts from a gentleman
apparently well acquainted with the proceedings of
the Dartmoor Company, which will be found in
another part of our impression. He says--
" The operations of the Naptha Company, as far as
they molt, were quite corroborative of the statements
made in the House of Commons by Lord Ashley and
The O'Gorman Mahon. Extensive experiments were
made by two practical chemists (besides Mr. Drew), Mr.
Oxl.and and Mr. I'rideaux, who discovered so much of
various kinds of product as to induce a lavish expendi-
ture,into a marketable state•
cutting immense they
. without attempting to bring any of their products
to the bogs, in large
&c., which were afterwards expended their capital in
were disheartened, anftlst
expensived retorts and furnaces,
quantities of peat, in laying a railway
found unfit, the shareholders
properly
worksi ceased for want of
means before it was evernowpear y set to work."
hrceasaeuswebiethf
fuaislurtheaotf Attre.
sßOZAßr,seadpeurzszlwelasll
to theg
hsatisfactorily
veCwoempstarnoyngly hinteeedil
oowre
believe
solved;-D artm
of these causes having produced the effects a probability
ects consequent
on the ill-managed experiment at Dartmoor, and we
Are much gratified to be borne out by the plain and

honest statement of facts in Mr. FREAN'S letter, a
gentleman who, in his own words, is " pretty well
acquainted with Dartmoor, and what has taken place
there for some years past."
Another gentleman, through the columns of a
morning Contemporary, under_the assumed signature
" VERITAS," conveys to us the gratifying intelligence
that

"He was considerably amused at Lord Ashley's state-
ment in the House of Commons respecting the conver-
sion of peat into various products, and thought, from its
being so much at variance with facts, that it would carry
its own antidote. I see, however, in the Times of to-
day a letter from a Mr. Oxland, confirming to a consider-
able extent Lord Ashley's sanguine expectations as to the
gross value of products into which peat is capable of conver-
sion, but disagreeing considerably in detail."

This pretty considerably inconsiderate gentleman
then goes on:—
" Allow me, then, with regard to his Lordship's state-
ment to select the article of carbonate of ammonia, of which I
am a manufacturer, where he states, on the authority
of a Mr. Owen, that 6001b5., or as he sap, upwards of
301. worth, can be extracted from 100 tons of peat. You
will, I am sure, be astonished when I tell you that I
obtain for that quantity (6001b5.) only about 91. 10s."

Now Lord ASHLEY'S statement was that 100 tons
of Irish peat produced 2,60285. carbonate of am-
monia, which at VERITAS'S price of 9/. 10s. for
6001b3., would produce about 411. 3s. 11d., exceed-
ing Lord ASHLEY'S statement of value by 81. 13s. 9d.
So much for the statement of " VERITAS," on the
only article selected by him to show the exaggera-
tions of Lord ASHLEY. Why, he clearly proved
that his Lordship understated the market price of
this product.

" Cuique sua ante credeadum est."

The manufacturer of ammonia ought to be authority
on the price it brings in the market, and we give him
the full benefit of his experience.
We would,
ld,
how-
ever, caution him before he again rushes into print,
to see that his data are less " at variance with facts.'
It will require stronger proofs and sounder reason-
ing than those advanced by " VERITAS " to shake the
public faith in the practicability of a scheme sustained
by such strong facts and unimpeachable evidence as
the one introduced to the notice of the House of
Commons by such men as Lord ASHLEY and The
oGoamIN MAHON. We have had no communica-
tion with any of the promoters of this project ; we
have taken it up as a great and important discovery,
likely to effect a large measure of good ; we have ex•
amined all that has been advanced for and against
it, and have given to the public the calm and un-
biassed result of our judgment. All the
men of science who have written upon the subject
agree as to the extent and variety of the products
from the distillation of Irish peat. Mr. OXLAND, a
practical chemist at Plymouth, in a letter to a morn.
ing Contemporary, says—
" I have much pleasure in bearing testimony to the
general correctness of the statement of the value of the
products obtainable from Irish peat, as reported by Lord
Ashley last week to the House of Commons."

The testimony of men of practical science, such as
Mr. OXLAND, should outweigh " a whole theatre "
of those who have raised objections to the project.
The " Dartmoor Tradesman" may be afflicted with
the fears of the burnt child ; the "Ammonia Manu-
facturer" may have before him a wholesome dread of
a reduction in the price of ammonia; but we, who
stand beyond those influences, and merely look to the
public good, feel it our gratifying duty to promote
an object calculated to confer peace and happiness on
Ireland, and prosperity on the empire ; and we trust
we shall ere long hear that the now peat-covered soil
of Ireland will be blessed with as good crops as those
of Prince-hall, Dartmoor; and if The O'GORMAN
MAHON did no other service to his country than
aiding this good work, the constituents of Ennis
should rejoice in their selection.

We understand from undoubted authority that
immediately on the marriage of Lieutenant Heald
with the Countess of Landsfeldt (Lola Montes), the
Marquis of Londonderry, Colonel of the 2d Life
Guards, took the most decisive steps to recommend
to her Majesty that this officer's resignation of his
commission should be insisted on, and that he should
leave the regiment, which this unfortunate and
extraordinary act might possibly prejudice.—Times.
[lt is earnestly to be hoped that her Majesty will, on
the contrary, insist upon the resignation of every
antiquated imbecile, be he Field-Marshal or Colonel,
or Marquis, who shall evince the incapacity of seni-
lity, or the prudishness of parvenu pedlarism.-,
ED. sun.) -

DISTILLATION OF IRISH PEAT
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SlR,—Being pretty well acquainted with Dartmoor,
and what has taken place there for some years past, my
neighbours have called my attention to a letter from
Mr. Seaman of this town, which appeared in the columns
of one of your contemporaries, and upon which you
commented in The Sun, on the 4th instant.

IThe operations of the Naptha Company, as far as they
went, were quite corroborative of the statements made
in the House of Commons by Lord Ashley and The
O'Gorman Mahon; extensive experiments were made by
two practical chemists (besides Mr. Drew), Mr. Orland
and Mr. Prideaux, who discovered so much of various
kinds of product as to induce a lavish expenditure; with-
out attempting to bring any of their products into a mar-
ketable state, they expended their capital in cutting
immense quantities of peat, in laying a railway :to the
bogs, in large and expensive retorts, and furnaces, &c.,
which were afterwards unfit, the shareholders were dis-
heartened, and the works ceased for want of means before
it was ever properly set to work.

The committee at first was composed of men clever in
their business, no doubt, but as to the management of
this, there need not any more be said than what has
already been stated. The fact of different committees
having been appointed to supersede each other, shows
the !pinion of those interested.

My observations and experiments are quite in favour
of the opinion that the peat of Ireland and elsewhere
will soon be an article of vast consumption, not only as
producing much that is usetul in commerce,but as decayed
vegetable matter it can be used with advantage in agri-
culture.

If dried and crumbled, or charred, and deposited in
drains and cess-pits, it absorbs the feculent matters, and
is at least equal to guano as a fertilizer; or if even
dried and reduced to something like powder, and drilled
in with the seed, it will be ono of the most certain
manures in its effects.

The quantities of different articles produced are very
surprising, but as all the component parts of peat are
available, I am willing to hope there is no mistake, but
if only one-half can be produced for the sum mentioned,
then there is indeed a bright prospect for Ireland. As
to the fertility of the land, when the peat is removed,
we have here sufficient proof of this. Mr. Fowler, of
Prince-hall, Dartmoor, had last year the finest crop of
turnips in the county, and obtained a prize for them,
and will, in all probability do the same this year; there
is no soil so favourable for vegetables. I fear I have
trespaLsed on your valuable space, but I very much
dislike any ungenerous attempt to blight a cheerful
prospect.—l am, Sir, your humble servant,
Plymouth, Aug. 7, 1849.

GEORGE' FREAN.

PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN
CURE.
TO THE EDITOR OF TILE SUN.

SIR,—It-has hitherto been gratifying to the inhabit-
ants of some of the more favoured localities of England,
that during the rage of the present epidemic, and even
under the fearful ravages of the malady in the years 1831
and 1832, certain places entirely escaped cholera, and
amongst the more conspicuous ones is that of Chelten-
ham, where, in the periods mentioned, and to the present
time, not a single case has occurred. We would desire
to see the same exemption we enjoy the characteristic of
the whole kingdom, and we trust the day may not be
far distant when the result will be obtained.

The foregoing remarks lead me to the observations
made by Dr. Rowe, of Cavendish-square, London, in
reference to the disease of cholera, as recently pub-
lished, which cannot be too extensively circulated. Dr.
Rowe commences, or states, that "prevention is better
than cure," and also that it has been proved by the most
able and scientific practitioners, that the blood of cholera
patients is defective of those saline " properties which
are furnished by the liver, and that it is but fair pre-
sumption to conclude that that important organ contri-
butes, by its healthy or morbid secretion, either to the
restoration of health or the production of disease—
thus, then, (he proceeds to state) the preventive means
will consist in avoiding all fruits and vegetables, substi-
tuting rice and other farinaceous matter, with moderate
uses of brandy, wine, and beer, and also to take mild and
undebilitating doses of aperient medicines."
Now, the established fact, as admitted by men of
medical science, that the blood of cholera patients is
deficient of those saline properties which are furnished
by the liver, and in which the efficacy of saline aperient
medicines are considered as preventions, I submit it is
not irrational to conclude that the elementary actions of
the same properties as are to be found in the mineral
waters of Cheltenhan3, when diffused through the atmo-
sphere, cannot be less efficacious and conducive to health
than their ordinary and accustomed use proves them to
be in all liver complaints or impurities of the blood, and
therefore it is that Cheltenham, with its sanitary ar-
rangements, and diversity of mental attractions, may
attribute its exemption from the epidemic.
Conceiving it important, as most places are publishing
the general health of their several communities at the
and
createu l s op
prejudicial uopdri
ceivaeln
ct 0 anynius
imo
ni
s-
induces me to request the insertion of the foregoing
GEORGE SMITE
remarks. —I calculatedt
remainul yourcrisis, t o
very obedient servant,
Sussex Lodge, Cheltenham, Aug. 9.

Isis PEAT ."A vessel arrived in the river from
one of the Irish ports, has brought 17 casks of peat as a
portion of her cargo.