The Sun.
London, England, 1849-03-08 00:00:00

COMMUNICATION BET WEEN
THE ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC OCEANS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SlTt,—ln your paper of the 16th ult. you did me the
honour to make some remarks, in its leading article, on
a few thoughts I had put together in the shape of a letter
to my friend the author of " The Clockmaker " (merely
for the perusal of friends, and such influential persons
as could find time to read and reflect on such a subject)
on an Atlantic and Pacific Railway communication.
Those thoughts were hastily and enthusiastically
written, but time and cool reflection have only tended to
strengthen the conviction of their correctness, and to im-
press my mind the more deeply with their importance.-
Again, therefore, I venture to call your attention to the
subject, although as yet no other London journal has
echoed your kind voice; but whether we are right or
whether we are wrong, there are many points that must
be, and that before long, brought to the serious consider-
ation of the British public.
In the Times of the 13th ult. we have a long and in-
teresting article on the various projects (suggested
during the last half century) for opening a communica-
tion between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. There
are four paragraphs of that article to which I would re-
quest particular attention, commencing severally—
" To adventurous minds;
" This state of affairs ;
" A few days back;
" Important however.
In the first paragraph we read—" Each projector has
made a point of declaring all to be impracticable except
his own." Now, Sir, lam anxious to draw the attention
of the editor of the Times to the few thoughts I have
written on this subject, and which are now published,
and if he can spare me the time, I would request his at-
tention to a small pamphlet I have had the pleasure to
forward to him. In that pamphlet Ido not think he will
find an insinuation even of the impracticability of any pro-
ject ever brought forward for a communication between
the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. I would also wish to
call his attention to a pamphlet published by Lieutenant
Millington Henry Synge, of the Royal Engineers, called
" Canada in 1848," and although that officer does not
actually propose a communication, he strongly points out
both its possibility and its probability, and I do not ob-
serve that he in any way alludes to the practicability or
otherwise of any former projected scheme.
In the fourth paragraph of the article of the Times, to
which I have alluded, we read—" A railroad from the
Mississippi, already talked of, would at once furnish an
outlet for all the produce of the States to the eastern
seas, but England has no such resource." Surely, Sir,
these few last words have escaped from the press of the
Times without permission; for such a decision against
England cannot be considered otherwise than, to say the
least of it, rather premature. For my own part, I be-
lieve that Great Britain, as an empire, is now in the quiet
possession of territory—most valuable and magnificent
territory—through which could be constructed (at an im-
mense gain to herself) as good, as short, and as practi-
cable a line of communication as it is possible to make
between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. And further, I
believe with Lieut. Synge,
" That there is a field open to an almost illimitable
capital of labour.
" That the systematic development of the resources of
British North America will, so far from being a drain
on Great Britain, be of immediate advantage to her.
" That such development entails the natural enduring
and perfect union between Great Britain and that part
of her empire."
In the fourth paragraph also of the article in the Times,
to which I have alluded, we read—" It is impossible to
look at the map and not to perceive that it is of far more
importance to England."
[ am most happy to agree in this with the Times, and
if the editor will do me the favour to look at the small
map attached to the pamphlet on the subject of the
" Atlantic and Pacific Railway," he will perhaps, as it
is somewhat different from the maps commonly in use,
be more strongly impressed with the importance of this
subject as regards England, or rather we should say the
British empire.
In the Times of the 2d instant, the City article rffers
to that of the 13th ult., then relates some historic facts
connected with the Nicaragua route, informing us
that the report (as far as it went) of the
special agent, sent by General Jackson, was ad-
verse to the Panama route, again alluding to
the railroad from the Mississippi to the St. Francisco,
and then concludes with an extract from Mr. Stephens'
most interesting work, in which that author eloquently
and cleverly tries to excite the jealousy and pride of other
nations. "If," the extract says, "Europe is indifferent,
it would be glory surpassing the conquest of kingdoms
to make this greatest enterprise ever attempted by the
human force entirely our own." Now, Sir, I may per-
haps be excused from making an extract from a private
letter, since such opinions have had great influence in in-
ducing me to appear before the public, and here I
must take the opportunity of saying, as regards myself—
" Pardon, gentles all,
The flat, unraised spirit, that hath dar'd,
On this unworthy scaffold, to bring forth
So great an object."
Thus runs the extract from my private letter:—" The
conception is a magnificent one, and carrying it into
effect would be a crowning glory to Great Britain." I
must not trust myself to continue, for your space and
time are both valuable.—l have the honour to remain,
Sir, your most obedient, obliged servant,
ROBERT CARMICHAEL SMYTH.

SCOTCH MARRIAGES AND
REGISTRATION BILLS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SIR,—I am anxious to draw attention through the
medium of your widely-circulated journal to the Scotch
Marriage and Registration Bills, which have again been
introduced by :Lord Campbell. although twice rejected
by Parliament—having met with the unanimous opposi-
tion of the people of Scotland. They were submitted to
a Committee of the House of Lords lust session, of
which I was a member, and though many of the ob-
jectionable clauses contained in the original Registration
Bill were amended they still bear a highly penal charac-
ter, and, moreover, cannot be carried out without con-
siderable expense—to be met partly by a rate upon pro•
perty (which, considering the rapid increase of poor
persons and county-rates, is highly objectionable), and
partly by the State. The system of registration having
railed in England, and being neither popular nor requi-
site in Scotland, it seems most undesirable in these days
when economy is so necessary to introduce a measure
of no pressing importance, entailing the creation of
many officers such as registrars, sub-registrars, deputy-
registrars, in addition to the register-office and its
attendant expenses—a demand upon the Exchequer
which Sir Charles Wood can scarcely have duly con-
sidered. A 13111 brought in thus early and hurried on
may slip through Parliament unless the attention of '
Scotch Members is especially directed to it. If time bo
given petitions will pour in from every county and
borough, and most of the parishes and presbyteries in
Scotland, for the people are feeling alive to the evil of
creating new offences by the unnecessary multiplication
of statute laws, and of adding to the local taxation for
purposes of a public character, which, as they are
valuable chiefly as a means of obtaining statistics, and
confer no advantages of a local nature, should fall solely
on the State.

I remain, Sir, your obedient servant,
Rossie Priory, March 6, 1849. KINN AIRD.

IMPORTANT DISCOVERY IN VOLTAIC ELECTRICITY.
—Mr. Alfred Smee, the surgeon to the Bank of England,
and inventor of the battery which bears his name, has
announced important discoveries in animal electricity.
By a test, which he terms eleetro-voltaic, he has satisfied
himself that the terminations of the sensor nerves are
positive poles of a voltaic circuit, whilst the muscular
substance is the negative pole. The sensor nerves are
the telegraphs which carry the sensation to the brain,
and the motor nerves carry back the volition to the
muscles. The brain he infers to consist of five distinct
voltaic circles, which, upon theoretical grounds, he be-
lieves to be sufficient to account for all mental pheno-
mena. Mr. Smeo has succeeded in making artificial elec-
tric fish, and artificial muscular substance. The bare
announcement of such a discovery must put the whole
medical world upon the alert, and in their hands, fur the
pr‘sent, we leave it. Should Mr. Smee'a views be con-
firmed by other investigators, he will establish an im-
perishable name in the records of physiological science.
TILE HARBOUR MASTER.—Yesterday the Port of
Loadcn anti Navigation Committee of the Common
Council met at the Guildhall, for the purpose of elect-
ing a principal and superintending harbour master, va-
ca❑t by the resignation of Commander Fisher, R.N.,
who has retired on a pension, after thirty years' ser-
vice. The Committee discussed the question with closed
doors, and at length came to the determination that the
old harbour masters should rise in seniority, according
to established usage, and Mr. Rowland was appointed
principal and superintending harbour master, at a sa.
1 .ry of 5001 per annum. Lieutenant Stone, R.N., of
Limehouse, second, at a salary of 4001.; Mr. James, of
Gravesend, third, 3002; and Captain Coffin to enter, as
his colleague had formerly done, at a salary of 2501.
JOHN HUNTER THE ANATOMIST AND THE

DENTISTS.—In the latter part of the last century the
celebrated anatomist, John Hunter, in the course of his
valuable physological labours, made himself master of
the anatomy of the teeth, and published a work on
dentistry, in which he recommended, as a more scientific
mode of extracting carious teeth than any other, the
raising the tooth perpendicularly or in the line of its
axis. It is only within the last few months, and after
the lapse of fifty years or more, that an ingenious in•
vention has been put forward to carry out Hunter's sug-
gestion. At the last monthly meeting of the Medico-
Chirurgical Society, held in Berners-street, J. M. Ar-
nett, Esq., F.R.S„ iu the chair, the attention of the
members was engaged by the exhibition of a new sur-
gical chair for operations, to which is attached what is
called a dental fulcrum, by which teeth can be extracted,
on true scientific principles, and causing less pain than
was heretofore produced by the torture-inflicting instru-
ment, known as the "Key. ' The invention is patented,
and employ( d professionally by H. Gilbert, Esq.,
M.R.C.S. The members of the above society expressed
themselves much pleased with the invention, as calcu-
lated to prove a boon to the public and the profession.
DEATH OF DAVID SCOTT, ESQ., R.S.A.—We
regret to announce the decease of this distinguished
artist, which took place at his residence here on Monday
afternoon. Mr. Scott had been suffering from serious
illness for several weeks, and for some days past, no
other than a fatal issue had been expected.—Scotsman.
Two men, named Nicou and Michel, were cited
ou Saturday, in the name of the ex-King Louis-Phi-
lippe, under his title of Count do Neuilly, to appear
before the Correctional Tribunal of Paris, to answer a
charge of cutting and carrying away faggots from the
forest of Bondy, belonging to the ex-King. They made
default, and were condemed to pay a fine of 4f., and
also 2f. as damages.