The Sun.
London, England, 1849-11-22 00:00:00

THE ARCTIC REGIONS.
(From the Times.)
The return of Sir James Ross from his voyage in
search of Sir John Franklin recals our attention
from the ordinary topics of discussion to those distant
and desolate regions of eternal ice, from which man
and his interests seem for ever banished. That where
there is danger man should be found to brave it, is
not a matter of surprise. There will always be forth•
coming adventurous spirits in abundance who are
readyto grapple with peril for peril's sake—men whose
hearts rust within them in the midst of the tame
interests of civilized life, and who, although capable
of the most heroic efforts and the most astonishing
perseverance, when placed in conflict with the powers
of nature, sicken and give up the game when condemned
to the position of cogs or wheels in a complicated
machine over the general operations of which they
can exercise no effective control. To men of such
stern, unyielding stuff the human race has been
greatly iadebted. They seldom profit by their
own labours. They pass their lives in the
midst of danger and of toils. They die with the
satisfaction, perhaps, of having pointed out to their
countrymen, and to the world, ths existence of some
continent, or some system of islands, unknown before
their times, but which centuries after their death
will be covered with thriving towns and cheerful
homesteads. Beyond the consciousness of having
satisfied the inward cravings of their natnre—their
own peculiar reward is limited to the privilege of
bestowing their name upon a mass of ice-capped
granite far within the Arctic circle, or on a desolate
island removed beyond the summer wanderings of
the distant Esquimaux. It may be supposed that we
are not inclined to apply any very stringent canons
of criticism to the noble labours of these simple-
hearted men. If the Anglo-Saxon race is at this
moment more widely scattered than any other
European stock over four of the continents which
overtop the level of the ocean, it is to men of this
class that we must be grateful for the distinction.
If we raise our voice at length against
any further expeditions in a particular direc-
tion, we do so mainly from the sorrow with
which we hear of so utter a waste of the
most heroic struggles, and of lives too valuable to be
sacrificed prematurely, but which, if sacrificed at all,
should at least be staked with a view to some result
important to humanity. With the map of the Arctic
regions lying spread before us, we ask ourselves in
vain what single object worthy of the venture could
by any contingency be gained by any further voyage
of discovery in this direction ? As to the fact of a
North-Western passage from the Atlantic to the
Pacific, there is nothing further to be known which
is worth knowing upon the subject. It is now as
nearly as may be three centuries ago that the tide of
maritime enterprise has set in this direction, and, as
any one may convince himself by a glance at one of
Mr. Wyld's maps of the Arctic region, discovery has
been pushed far beyond the limits of practical utility.
There appeared in the Times a few days back the fol-
lowing brief abstract of the course of the various
Northern expeditions, which may not be without in-
terest to any of our readers who would take the
trouble, in connexion with it, to give five minutes to
the chart :

" The first attempt was made in 1553 by Willoughby
and Chancellor, who were sent out with instructions to
ascertain it there was a north-east passage, or if they
could reach China by passing to the north of Europe
and Asia. Willoughby reached Nova Zambia, but he
and all his crew were frozen to death. Chancellor en-
tered the White Sea, and thus opened a communication
with Russia. Captain Cook reached Icy Cape from the
Pacific in 1778. In 1607 Captain Hudson was sent out
to attempt to discover the north-west passage, and
reached the latitude of 81 degrees, but was under the
necessity of putting back on account of the ice. In
1773 this experiment was again tried by an
expedition under the command of Captain Phipps,
who advanced as far as Captain Hudson had
previously done: and a similar attempt was
made in 1818, which proved t qually unfortunate
under Captain Buchan. In 1827 Captain Parry ‘s as sent
out to reach the Pole in boats and sledges over the ice,
and he atJtined about 82 degrees 40 minute-, and wa.
obliged to return by the motion of the fields of ice to the
south. In 1818 Captain Ross attempted a north-west
passage, and passed through Lancaster Sound. In 1819
Captain Parry reached 110 degrees west longitude, and
in 1821.23 examined the coast to the northward of
Hudson's Bay. In 1824 he reached Prince Regent's
Inlet. In 1826 Captain Franklin was sent overland to
explore the northern coast of America to the west of
Mackenzie River; and at the same time Captain Beechey
was dispatched to meet him in Behring's Straits. The
two expeditions approached each other to within a dis-
tance of 146 miles, but returned without meeting. In
1829-33 Captain Ross sailed up Prince Regent's Inlet,
and ascertained that there is no communication between
the Arctic Ocean and the Atlantic soath of Barrow's
Straits."

The exertions of the heroes of the Arctic regions,
Parry, Franklin, and the Rosses, appear to have
sufficiently developed the true nature of these high
latitudes. The abs,lute opposition offered by the
vast fields of Arctic ice to any continuous traffic, or
even to the fortuitous passage of a single ship without
almost superhuman exertions and endurance on the
part of her crew, forbids the supposition that the Arctic
regions can ever be turned to any practical account.
A few whales are no doubt picked up by the more
adventurous of the whale ships ; beyond these, what ?
The answer shall be given from the narrative of the
proceedings of Captain Penny in the Advice, who,
much to his honour, had penetrated in search of Sir
John Franklin as far as Navy Board Inlet in Lan-
caster Souni. He landed on one of the Wollaston
islands in this inlet, and here is what he discovered
We disturbed on our landing about half a-doz^n
pairs of the eider duck (soniuteria mollissima). Their
eggs I found to be within a very few hours of maturity.
There were besides numerous nests, the occupants of
which had, I supposed, winged their way southwards.
Two brent geese (anser bernicla), and a single pair of
Arctic terns (sterna Arctica) were most vociferous and
courageous in defence of their downy offspring when-
ever I approached. These were the only birds, with the
exception of a solitary raven (corvus corax), &c."
Now, it is far from our intention to speak otherwise
than with admiration and respect of the noble exer-
tions made by Captain Penny and Mr. Goodsir to
discover and relieve Sir John Franklin and his party.
We quote from the narrative of their proceedings
simply to show in ordinary cases what the value
would be of any expedition to these high latitudes—
to witness the process of incubation on the part of
the somateris mollissima, and to listen to the
croaking of a solitary raven. Go still further, as
men have gone, beyond the regions where the eider-
duck and the Arctic tern pitch their nests, and what
do you find ? A vast solitude of icebergs and a
desolation, the monotony of which is broken alone
by the cracking and turning of the heavy ice. It is
clear enough, then, that for all purposes of commerce
or of traffic the Arctic region must remain a sealed
book to the human race until some vast change shall
occur in the temperature and meteorological arrange-
ments of the globe. Steam and railways are power-
less here. Magnetic telegraphs and the printing press
can do nothing. All the wonders of modern civilisa-
tion are palsied in the presence of eternal ice and
snow. If we want to go eastward to India, we have
now the short overland passage by the Isthmus of
Suez, which must in any case take precedence of the
North-Western passage, even if we could put a
vast fire under the ice of the Arctic regions,
and melt it down to-morrow into a sum-
' tiler sea. So with regard to the voyage to
China; a few years—perhaps a few months—and
the Isthmus of Panama will be cut through. What
have we to gain in this respect if we could establish a
line of steamers to perform the distance by way of
Lancaster Sound and Behring's Straits ? Such a
course would simply be to go out of our way without
any adequate object. In a scientific point of view,
does any fact remain unexplored which would be of
sufficient importance to justify the risk of dispatching
further expeditions into these inhospitable regions ?
Sir James Ross has already reached the Magnetic
Pole. Captain Parry, in July, 1827, reached in boats
and sledges 82 deg. 40 sec. north latitude. Thus,
human enterprise has penetrated within four or
five hundred miles of the North Pole, and we are
sufficiently aware that in that direction nothing
is to be met with but impracticable fields of ice.
If we speak against any further dispatch of Arctic
expeditions, our remarks are not intended to apply to
the noble efforts of Sir James Ross. His was a gal-
lant enterprise gallantly conducted. No nobler or
more adequate motive could be proposed to the brave
sailor and to the companions of his honourable toil
than the succour of the missing expedition. If the
mission failed, no fault can be imputed to the!party under
the command of Sir James Ross. The powers of nature
overcame the efforts of man. The partywas forced to
return after having performed important services,
which even yet may be productive of a good result.
At any rate thus much is clear, that they did not
meet with a single sign which would lead to the con-
clusion that Sir John Franklin and his companions
had met with any misfortune. Although this testi-
mony is only negative, vet it is so far favourable and
worthy of attention. Our remarks have, however,
extended already to such a length that we must re-
serve all comments upon the recent services of Sir
James Ross for a future day.

EXTRAORDINARY INTEMPERANCE.—On Saturday
evening a private soldier in the 30th Infantry, stationed
at the nrg.nt-road barracks, Manchester, went with two
companions to spend the evening at a singing-room for
the working classes, taking with them a quantity of raw
spirits, and in the course of a very short time they drank
amongst them three pints of neat rum, and the effect
upon Allen, 'who had taken a large portion of it, and
who was altogether unaccustomed to excessive drinking,
was such, that on reaching the open air he fell down as
though completely deprived of life. lie was taken in a
cab and lodged in the guard-room, where he soon after-
wards began to rave like a madman. He was afterwards
taken to the hospital of the regiment, but he died
aitelT.eorof onr odf, St
huenjuryd:
theAfrotman iinquest
effectsguest
heldo f theon liquor
Monday
the
Mr.
n by
returned a verdict of Died from excessive drinking."

THE SUN,

LONDON,

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH, ,Nov. 21.
(Sittings in Banco.)

THE QUEEN V. THE LONDON AND BRIQIITONRAILWAY.

The points involved in this case are of the utmost
importance to railway companies.
This was an appeal from an order of the justices at
the Quarter Sessions for Surrey, with respect to the
rating of the line which passes through the parish of
Croydon. The rule called upon the justices to show
cause why a rate reducing the amount of rating from
21,3001. to 15,7651. should not be quashed from its
inefficiency, in order that the said rate and assessment
be reduced to 5,9701, or such other sum as the Court
might think fit. The rate was made in November,
1847, and four questions were reserved for the de-
cision of the Court. The first was, in effect, whether
the railway ought to be rated on account
of the earnings in the six miles for which it
passed through the parish of Croydon, or only in
proportion to the earnings of the whole of the line,
the largest earnings being obtained in that parish.
The second point contended for by the company was,
that the cost of maintaining the permanent way should
be deducted before the rate was made. The third
was, that the London and Brighton had made an
agreement, which was sanctioned by Parliament, by
virtue of which the South-Eastern to Dover ran over a
portion of the other line, and the London and Brighton
over a portion of the line of the South-Eastern, both
being in the parish of Croydon, no toll being
paid, the use of the one being considered an equiva-
lent for the other. The fourth point arose out of the
following :--The rate was made in November. On
the 18th of August certain accounts were drawn
out, in accordance with general Acts of Parliament,
but they only brought down the affairs of the rail way to
the 30th of June. The rate was really made on the
18th of August. The company said, that on account of
the inefficient state of the plant when the accounts were
made, and in consequence of having opened various
lines between June and November, that the condition
of the line and its circumstances were altogether
altered when the rate was made, and that the makers
of the rate were bound to ascertain by some means or
other the value of the property rated at the moment of
the making of the rate.
Mr. PASULEY appeared to show cause against the
rule. He held, on the strength of several
cases which he cited, that in railways, as
in the case of canals, the rate must be
levied upon the earnings of the land in a particular
parish, and not in proportion to the earnings of the
whole route. Then the use of the two portions of line
in the same parish by the two companies was just
like two farmers agreeing to use portions of their
farms alternately, or of two gentlemen, one holding a
house in the country and another in, town,
agreeing to occupy each other's house for certain
periods. It was a private understanding, and the
real owner was the person to be rated. It
was utterly impossible to make out a valuation with-
out occupying a good deal of time. The value of the
property assessed could not be stated at the time the
rate was published. He contended that the justices
were correct in the rating they had laid down.

Mr. J. CLARKE follovired on the same side, after
which

Mr. GURNEY proceeded in reply, but had not con-
cluded when the Court intimated that it would hear
him in continuation on the first day after term, the
27th instant.

COURT OF EXCHEQUER, Nov. 21.
THE DUKE OF BEAUFORT V. SMITII.
In this case, which was partly reported in our first
edition of yesterday, the Court delivered judgment.
The COURT was unanimous that the judgment
should be for the plaintiff. being of opinion that al-
though the document of 1665, cited in the argument,
was not receivable in evidence as not being a public
document entitled to credit in a court of law, there
was still abundant evidence to show that the payment
of the toll in question was immemorial.
Judgment for the plaintiff accordingly.