The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-04 00:00:00

POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTION.

The lecturer on natural philt.sophy of this establishment
Dr. Bachhoffner, has been engaged in delivering lectures on
astronomy. This gentleman stated, on Monday last, that
the lecture which he was about to deliver was intended as an
outline of the various subjects that would be dwelt upon
more at large in the subsequent lectures. The lecturer en-
deavoured to impress upon his audience the importance and
pleasure derived even from a slight acquaintance with this
sublime science; and although at present a knowledge of the
subject was confined to the tew, he could not but consider
that this arose in a great measure from overrating the neces-
sary amount of knowledge Which an individual ought to
possess before he' dare venture upon its study. At the same
iititinithe Doctor flt,tound to admit, that every individual
'ng to bkorne a protoundkstronomer must, on the one
ha ,be a rnathematkilln of no mean acquirements, and, on
the other, be in possession, and likewise have aknowledge of,
the use of instruments of a costly character. But this was
altogether unnecessary for those who merely required an out-
line of the science, or that portion of the subject comprised
under the head of descriptive astronomy, which might be
easily done, with a little perseverance, by one of the
meanest capacity, and -by the aid of a common day and
night telescope, a celestial atlas or globe, and an ephemeris,
such as that furnished by the publishers of the Illustrated
London News. The lecturer, after describing the erroneous
views of Ptolemy and the dogmas of Aristotle, which had
enthralled the world for more than 1,400 years, as also the
abortive attempts of Tycho Brahe, then directed the
attention of his auditors to the only true system, origin
ally taught by Pythagoras, and revived by Copernicus, and
finally fixed on more solid foundation by the labours of
Galileo, Kepler, Newton, La Plase, and others—that although
the destroying band of time must and will level to the dust
the most gorgeous fabric of man's genius, yet this would un-
doubtedly flourish as the only true system until the end of
time. Not the least interesting part of this most pleasing
and instructive lecture was the introduction of some beauti-
ful illuminated diagrams of various nebulas, as seen by the
aid of that gigantic telescope of Lord. Bosse, and contrasted
by the same nebulas as seen and figured by Sir William
Herschel, in the description of which ample justice was done
to this most astounding, yet sublime subject of the learned
lecturer. By way of conclusion, we cannot too strongly
recommend all our readers who are anxious to acquire an
idea of the wonders of the heavens, to visit the Polytechnic
Institution some Monday, Wednesday, or Friday, during the
continuance of the course.

THE POISONING AND SUICIDE

AT WALTON.

PRZSTON, MONDAY EVENING.—This evening, at seven
o'clock, the deputy coroner resumed the inquest on the body
of Fanny Leadbeater, aged 9 years, who died from the
effects of poison, supposed to have been administered by her
mother to the deceased and four other of the children, on
Friday evening last, the mother afterwards being found
drowned in the river. Particulars of the case have appeared
in a former publication.
Joseph Sherlock, a surgeon, of Walton-le-Dale, said that
he considered that laudanum was the cause of death.
By the Conomat.--Would it not have been advisable to
administer stronger remedies on your first visit ? Witness—
Yes ; had I known there had been such a strung dose I would
have done so.
A juror—l think Mr. Sherlock was to blame for not giving
the children an emetic, or some other strong dose, when he
saw that they had taken laudanum and that the mother
was missing at the time.
Thomas Moore, a surgeon, of Preston, sail be knew the
deceased Mrs. Leadbeater, mother to the child who had
been poisoned. He had known her ever since she was born.
She was confined in an asylum about six years ago. He had
seen her several times since, and considered her insane to a
degree—quite in a mad state. When in a convalescent
state, on one occasion, walking in the neighbourhood of the
asylum, in the charge of keepers, she jumped off one of the
bridges into the canal. When told she had drowned herself
he was not surprised, and would not have been had she done

it twelve mouths atzo.
The CORONER. briefly addressed the jury, and after con-
sulting for a short time tbey returned the following verdict :
That the deceased Mts. Leadbeater administered a cer-
tain poison, called laudanum, to the deceased Fanny
Leadbeater, she, Mrs. Leadbeater, being at the time in a
state of insanity."

THE MAILS.—SOUTHAMPTON, MARCH. 2.—The
Royal West India mail-packet Dee, Captain Allan, with the
Gulf and West India mails, left the River this day at three
P.M, with a good general cargo, about 32,0001. specie, 43
tons, value 24,3001, quicksilver, and above sixty passengers.
The Medway, Captain Andrews, will bring home the next
West India and Gulf mails, and may be expected on the
6th. The next outward West India mail-packet will be the
Trent, Captain Sturdie, which will leave this port on the 17th
inst. The Oriental Company's steam-ship Erin, Captain
Sturdie, will take out the East India mails to-morrow to
Malta, and thence proceed to Alexandria en route for Bom-
bay. The Erin will then proceed to Constantinople, Black
Sea, sc.She will take out a full cargo of Manchester goods,
and full complement of passengers. The Ripon, from Alex-
andria, with India mails, and 'fiber from Gibraltar, are both
due, and hourly expected.
A letter from Munich of the 22d says :—" The
exasperation of the populace of our city against Madlle.
Lola Mones has become so great that the authorities, in order
to prevent disturbances, have required the young lady to
quit the town. This she did last night, going village
situated at abot five leagues from Alunieh. Te carriage
was escorted byu a strong detachment of dragoons from the
garrison."
DEATH OF LORD CLANAIORRIS.—We have to an-
nounce the painful intelligence of the decease, after a short
illness, of Arthur Bingham, Baron Clanmorris, aged
39, at Rugby, Dennis_arwickshire.
DL'ATH OF SIR GEORGE GIPPS, KIST.— This Gal-
lant Officer, who had returned only a few weeks back from
New South Wales, expired on Sunday last at Canterbury,
from disease of the heart, from which affection he bad been
suffering for some months past.
SHIFMENT OF MEAL STOPPED OFF FOWLIS.—We
understand that Mr. Colin Munro, Dingwall, intending to
ship about 200 bolls of meal for the West Coast, at Fowlis, dis-
patched somecarts from Dingwall to-day ( Friday),with about
50 bolls of oatmeal. The carts no sooner appeared, however,
than the people collected, the shipment was stopped, and the
carts sent back to Dingwall. There were about 1,000 bolls
on board of the vessel, which were purchased at Portsoy, and
the remainder of the cargo was to have been made up here.
The people have kindled a large bonfire on the beach, and
are
to watch all night in case further shipment he attempted.—
Ross-shire Advertiser.

CULTIVATION OF COTTON IN INDIA..--At a meet-
ing of the manufacturers of Manchester, held last evening,
the Mayor in the chair, a petition was adopted to Parliament,
praying for a select committee to make a full and searching
inquiry Into all the circumstances which affect the cultivation
of cotton in India.

Viscountess Villiers was safely delivered of a son
at an early hour on Monday morning, and we are happy to
hear her Ladyship and child are both progressing most
favourably,