The Sun.
London, England, 1847-12-23 00:00:00

SOCIETY OF ARTS.

Last night a very large meeting of the members
and their friends was held in the great room of the
Society's house, John-street, Adelphi; Benjamin
Rotch, Esq., Vice-President, in rotation, was in the
chair. After the usual routine business had been
gone through, and the minutes of the last meeting
read by the Secretary,
The CHAIRMAN called upon Mr. Smith Williams
to read a very interesting paper on the Progress of
Lithography in England.
After a few introductory remarks, Mr. ‘VlLLiams
stated that the discovery of the art of lithography was
like that of many others, purely a work of chance ;
it had been found out when quite a different end had
been in view. About 1795—the exact period was
not known—Alois Senefelder, the son of an actor, at
Munich, and also an aspirant for histrionic fame,
made the discovery alluded to. He was in the habit
of printing the speeches which he had to study,
and as copper-plates were too dear, he tried tin
ones; these were found to be uncertain in their ac-
tion, and he had recourse to stone—a peculiar kind of
stone, known now as lithographic stone, was obtained
by him; this stone was remarkably porous, and he
was enabled by its means to engrave his speeches
easily, and to draw the letters backwards ; in this
state, however, he might have remained, had not
chance directed it otherwise, having one day being
desired by his mother to make a note of a certain
household bill, and not having any pens, ink or paper,
he determined on drawing it on the stone; this was
done, and the writing allowed to remain some time ;
it then struck Senefelder if he bit away the stone
round the writing, with acid, he might be enabled to
produce an engraving; the acid was applied, and thus
the discovery was made. The art of lithography, Mr.
Williams said, was one which required the utmost
care and taste, the touches on the stone
must be made at once, from the circumstance that
no retouching would serve to improve that which
was once done wrong. That there were four methods
of lithographing, by means of chalk or grease in a
hardened state, ink or grease in a liquid state, en-
graving with incised lines, and those lines being filled
up with ink, and by transferring drawings on pre-
pared paper to the surface of the stone. Great care
was required to be taken that the outline of the
drawing should be neat and cleanly executed, and
that it was properly bitten by the acid ; for were it
bitten in too deep, the shades would turn out black
lightsand patchy
would
b
; and
faint
d wereandimperfect. it not sufficiently
bitten
bet o
ianr , t hef
lithography was an ally to engraving, not a rival, and
tabs
astuaccheoitnwn
ta
we
neoz.erreegfaarsdt regarded by
ln
approaching
t:glish
a artists,sta state
and
e oft on
he
highest perfection in it. Mr. Williams was very
e hiresemreavgd.ietrige
'th
warmlyof
fthe
communication. ap p a u ded
The walls
throughoutot
thickly hung with most beautiful specimens of
lithography.

LEONORA, A LOVE STORY.—Speculation has been
busy respecting the authoress of this work, whose
beauty and genius have been particularly alluded to,
and various ladies have been mentioned as being entitled
to the honour of having produced this clever and bril-
liant story; among others, Lady Dufferin, Lady Bles-
sington, Lady Duff Gordon, and Lady Emmeline Stuart
Wortley; but we can assert, on good authority, that
neither of these aristocratic writers is the author desired
to be discovered, who now appears for the first time in
the literary arena.
NEWSPAPERS AND RArLwaYs.....The sale of news-
papers and periodicals at the different railway stations
in London is becoming so profitable that the companies
now exact a rent from the venders for the privilege. It
is said that the sale of papers and periodicals at the
London-bridge station returns a profit of ten guineas a
week,and that the directors have put the privilege up to
competition at a high figure. The rent payable for this
privilege at the Easton station is at the rate of 601. per
annum, though, until lately, the privilege was accorded
free of payment.—Railway Times.
A letter from Leipsic, of the 13th December, an-
nounces that the new work by J. Venedey, " Vorwiirts
and Buck%arts in Preussen," (Prussia ; her Rise and
Fall) bas been seized by the authorities. Ast izure has
also taken place at Heidelberg, of a work, tntitled
" Transactions of the Diet from the Secret Conferences
at Vienna to the year 1845."

MORTALITY in the METROPOLIS.

NUMBER OF DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES REGISTERED IN

THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, DEC. 18, 1847.
Epidemic. Endemic, and Contagious Diseases ... 629
Dp.eases of (inc.-I-tam Soat 131
Diseases of the Brain, Nerves, and Sens. 5... 178
Diseases of the Lungs, and other Organs of
Respiration ... ••• ••• ••• ••• 657
Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels ... ... 52
Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs
of Digestion...
Diseases of the'liidneys, &c. .s. .
Childbirth, Diseases of the Uterus, &c. .
Diseases of the Joints, B.mes, and Muscles
Diseases of the Skin, &c. .
Old Age, or Natural Decay 110
Deaths by Violence, Privation, or Intemperance ...
Causes not specified ... ... 3

DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES

... 14

... 1,946

Poiulation Average weekly Deaths
Enumerived, Deaths, 1842-6. in the

1841. Five Autumns. Week,
West Districts.— 301,326 . . 146 ... 273
North Districts.. 376.396 IS4 ... 415
Central Districts 374,759 ... 196 ... 314
East Distlicts ... 393,247 232 371
South Districts.. 502,483 ... 2SS ... 573

Totals... ..... 1,948,211 ... 1,046 ... 1,946
Male 3 •• ••• 980 ••• ••• •••
Females ... 966

BIRTHS IN THE WEEK.

Males
Females

... ... 690
... ... 629

Total .

... ... 1,319

FLANDERS MAIL.

BRUSSELS, DEC. 20.—The deputation of the dis-
tillers have had an audience of the Minister of
Finance, and have received from his Excellency the
assurance that at present there will be no change
introduced into the law. on distilleries, and that,
should it subsequently be found necessary to intro-
duce more modifications in this branch of legislature,
due notice will be given to the distillers.
ST. PETERSBURGH, DEC. 1 1 .—His Majesty the
Emperor has issued the following manifesto :
" By the grace of God, we, Nicholas the First,
Emperor and Autocrat of all Russia, &c., do here-
with make known to our loving subjects our well-
beloved son the Grand Duke Constantine has now
attained the age which has been fixed by the funda-
mental law of the empire for the majority of the
members of our Imperial house. At so momentous a
period to himself, wherein having completed the
preparatory studies of youth, he now enters into the
wide-spread active circle of the years of manhood,
which he begins by a solemn oath to dedicate those
services to us and to the State. We help him with
paternal tenderness, end turn to you, our loving and
faithful subjects, calling upon you to unite with us in
fervent prayer to the Almighty for his weal. May
He give our much-loved son his sanctifying and
assisting grace in all good things in every event o
his life. May Ile give him wisdom and strength
from on high, and enable him ever to prove a worthy
successor to our illustrious forefathers, a worthy and
firm supporter of our throne and, of our country.
" Given at St. Pefersburgh, the 26th day of No-
vember (Bth December), in the year of our Lord
one thousand eight hundred and forty-seven, in the
twenty-third year of our reign.
(Signed) " NICHOLAS."
By a ukase of the same day his Majesty, according
to section 27 of the Imperial family statutes, has ap-
pointed Vice-Admiral Lieutenant-General Lutke,
curator to his Imperial Highness the Grand Duke
Constantine.
The Grand Duke Constantine has addressed the
following rescript to the governor of St. Peters-
burgh :--
" Dmitri Jwanowitsch,—As it is my desire to
sib nalize the day of my taking the oath, upon my
coming of age, by an act of benevolence, I have,
with the approbation of his Majesty, assigned for
the relief of the poor of the Residence the sum
of 7,500 rubles out of my privy purse. I enclose
this sum to you, which I place at your disposal, with
the request that you will have the goodness to employ
it in conformity with my wishes.—l remain always
yo*r well-disposed, " CONSTANTINE."
PRUSSIAN FUNDS.—BxzList, Dec. Is.
Bills. Money.
st.Schuld Sch., 3% per Cent •• •• 92
Pruss•English Bonds, 1830, 4 per Cent ••• • • •
Foreign Exchanges —• .
Exchange on London. LI Sterling, 3 Months
AUSTRIAN FUNDS.—Vixiina, Dim 17-
per Cent. Metalliques..... .
4 per Cent.ditto— ............ 92 h
3 per Cent. ditto .... ......... • G 6
Loan, 1834 157%
Ditto, 1839 .......................... 114%
Bank Shares •.• • . :.................1617
Esterhazy's Loan ........ . •........... 62
RAILWAYS.
The Northern, or Ferdinand . 156%
Gloggnitz , •• • • • . • . • ........ 112
Vienna—Milan ..
Leghorn .• • • • ..... •• • •
Pesth Bridge
HAMBURGII BORSENHALLE, DEc. 18.
Bills. Money.
Austrian 5 per Cents .............• 104
Bank Shares ........................ 1600
Anglo-Russlan Loan • .............. 101%
Russian 5 per Cent., Hamb. Certificate. 101% 101
Ditto Ist series inscription-- 104
Ditto, Rope and Co., ad and 4th series.. 95
Ditto, in Certificate— •••• •• •• 95
New 4 per Cent., Hope and Co. •• •• 86%
Ditto Stieglitz . ..... ......... 86% 86
Spanish New 5 per Cent— 12%
Ditto 3 per Cent .................. 23
Anglo-Portuguese Loan, 2% per Cent .. 22
Dutch Actual Debt, 2% per Cent• ..... 55
Ditto 3 per Cent. .• • • •• •• ••
Polish New 4 per Cent. Loan, 1844...•
Anglo-Danish Loan, 3 per Cent ••• • • • 81%
National Bank Shares ••• . • •••• • • • •
DUTCH FUNDS.—Alarm:um. Dac. 21.
Money. Bills
ACtaal Debt, 2% per Cent • 55 55%
Ditto, 3 per Cent 67 67%
Ditto, 4 per Cent. ..................88 85 yi
Amort Syndic, 3% per Cent..........
Commercial Company, 4% per Cent .. 162% 163%
East India Loan, 4 per Cent .•.• • .....
Exchange on London, at sight ........ 12 10
• Two months..... • I t 97
On Hamburgh, at sight .... 35 11
Two months.• •••• • • • ...... 34 87
On Paris • ••• • •• ........ 56 62
Two months. • • • • • • 56 12

6 273(

............ 92

DUTCH and. HAMBURGH PAPERS.
PRAGUE, DEC. 14.—Report states that the cholera
has broken out in the town of Stanislawoff, in
Galicia, and that the yellow fever is raging there.
Nothing has as yet been ascertained as to the fact of
the first, and the report of yellow fever proves how
greatly matters can be exaggerated.
The report has been confirmed that in 019 course
of fourteen days the Austrian forces lying in Italy
shall be put on a footing for war by calling in all
furloughs, and that each third battalion is to be in-
creased by two companies of Landuehr. Those who
had obtained furloughs are to be sent to-their destina-
tion by railway as far as may be possible.
Great preparations are being made for the
public fete of our Ministry. One faculty of
philosophy has decided, after having previously
elected the Grand Duke Stephen Arch-
bishop, :Baron Schrenk, and the Grand Master
of the Order of the Cress, M. J. B. Honorary
Doctor, to confer the distinctions of Honorary
Doctors and Honorary Members, upon no less than
50 Savans, natives and foreigners.
The projected monument to the memory of our
citizens who fell in the defence of Prague against
Sweden in 1648 has been approved of, and is to be
erected on the ramparts close to the terminus.
BRUSSELS, DEC. 22.—The Societe de l'Alliance,
in its sitting yesterday evening, unanimously voted a
petition to the Chambers, demanding a res•riction in
the expences of the State, a reduction which should
be made to bear upon the budgets of war, the ma-
rine and foreign affairs.
NAMUR, DEC. 21.—The influenza continues to
rage with great intensity in the suburbs of Namur.
There is scarcely a house where three or four are
not laid up with it. Happily it has not assumed a
malignant character.
AMSTERDAM, DEC. 22.—The aspect of the Dutch
funds was far more favourable at our Bourse to-day
than yesterday. Integral and Three per Cents. have
given place to very active business. The course of
Spanish - funds was equally ameliorated, in conse-
quence of the rise which these funds have had on
some of the foreign Bourses.
HAMBURGH, DEC. 17.—The accounts of the mar-
kets are upon the whole more favourable. Transac-
tions in Coffee have not been inconsiderable the
eight days. The Raw Sugar, considering the late-
ness of the season, has been unusually active, and the
same may be said in regard to Spices and Tallow.
The continued unfavourable accounts from England
and Scotland have, however, a depressing effect upon
our markets in general, Corn—Since Friday week
there has again been more business in Wheat.
During that time abuve 700 lasts have been sold,
chiefly for exportation to England ; the prices have
varied but little. In consequence of the setting in of
the frost, to-day, a stop has been put to the purchase
of corn for exportation. Rye was also more in
sre-
quest, with a tendency to rise. Little was done in
Barley,ooly
be
sold th
a
the
prices
beingrrieeedusced prices. stationary.
As soon
Beans
it could
was
as
ascertained that the Wheat market
was improved in
England, last Monday, the II seers were more firm in
their demands.
KONIGSBERG, DEC. 13 .--The • •
e Minister has just en-
forced the execution of the suspended judgment of the
Royal Government against Dr. Rapp. The Presi-
dent of the Police has been commissioned to execute
the said judgment, and increase its severity by further
measures ii Dr. Rapp does not discontinue his official
duties. Proceedings have also been instituted against
Mr. Ender, and Mr. Papendieck for illegal baptisms.
—Dutch Papers, Dec. 22.

STATE or THE WEATIIER.—HAME.VEG, .
—ln consequence of the high E.S.E. wind during
the past night, the Upper Elbe, as fir as the steamboat
pier has bi-come fixi-d, so that the steam navigation
between this place and Hamburgh is now wholly in-
terupted. "Die steamer I.reJ , Cap ain
arrived here last night, but the liver has become un-
navigable since, so that no steamer can no‘,
enter or leave our port; for this reason the Hull
steamer Lion, Captain Hurst, was not able to leave
our city to-day.
CT'LLICRSTADT, DEC. 17.—Several vessels, destined
for Altona, have run in here on account of the sharp
frost which has set in.

BERLIN, DEC. 16.—Counsellor Wedecl:e, r.•ho has
his residence in Hanover, has been arrested there, at
the instigation of our Government. He is said to
have grossly violated the confidence of a high per-
sohage.—Hamburgh papers, Dee. IS.