The Sun.
London, England, 1848-10-26 00:00:00

HOP INTELLIGENCE.

MAIDSTONE.—Hop-picking being now everywhere
finished, attention is closely directed to the duty, the
announcement of which is awaited with some anxiety
by the speculators. We understand that orders have
been given to each hop supervisor to send in an ab-
stract of his books, within twenty-four hours after
the last weighing, so that the official statement cannot
be very far distant. Opinion seems to be in favour of
the duty, though, as we said last week, there are
many stout betters against it. From the following
statement which has been handed to us, and which we
lay before our readers for what it is worth, it would
seem that it has gone up considerably. A corres-
pondent says—" The hop duty is backed by parties
who have the best information, as follows :
Rochester ... ... • • 72,000

Canterbury ... ... ... 41,700
Sussex ... —. .. ... 72,300
Worcester ... ... ... 18,125
Farnham ... ••• ••• .. 13,725
Kingdom .. ••• ••• .. 4,000

221,850"
Having no interest in the matter whatever, but that
of laving before the public the best information we
can obtain, we are still of opinion that this is far too
high an estimate.
ROCIIESTER COLLECTION OF HOP DUTY.—Wednes-
day, Nov. 15, at Gravesend ' • Thursday, 16th, at Ro-
chester; Friday, 17th, at Milton ; Saturday, 18th, at
Lenham ; Monday, 20th, at Tunbridge ; Tuesday,
gist, at Sevenoaks; Wednesday, 22d, at Westerham;
Thursday, 23d, at Wrotham ; Friday, 24th, at
Mailing; Monday, 27th, and Tuesday, 28th, at
Maidstone.—Maidstone Journal.

PREVENTION OF ACCIDENTS, &C., IN TRAINS
DURING TRANSIT.—Our contemporaries are still busy,
we see, recasting old ideas for the pre:ention of accidents
or other casualties with trains in transit, and especially
for communication between the passengers or guard and
engine-driver. One of these professes to obviate the ob-
jections we have frequently pointed out; and, without
clearly perceiving where the hitch actually lies, inadver-
tently, as in other instances, blunders on it by accident.
The apparatus referred to consists of a rather ultra-sci-
entific adaptation of the electromagnetic force to the
purpose in view, with et clear distinction between the
signal transmitted, to the driver, from a guard, and that
from a mere passenger, so that if from the latter " the
pace of the train need only be slackened until the guard
ascertains the carriage from which the signal is made, and
the reasom." How is he to do that, we again and again
ask? Since it does seem to be inevitably destined that
passengers and guards and drivers are to be brought into
mutual communication during transit, and to that end
that guards are to be called upon to " ascertain the car-
riage from which the signal is made, and the reason," wo
must protest against the establishment of the dangerous,
undignified, and unofficial practice of crawling along the
tops of the carriages, which a recent inventor of strings
and pulleys attempted to dignify by calling it " travel-
ling to the carriage." If it he essentially requisite, as
frequent practice has already proved it to be, that the
guard occasionally travel from one carriage to another,
let him, at least, have a proper and protected footway,
without or within, along which to travel, and then the
modern bell-hanger and the human tongue may render
all further exercise of super-refined ingenuity on this
questio vexata quite unnecessary.—Builder.
GILI.SUIEL9.—The hills in our neighbourhood are
covered with a premature mantle of snow. So early a
fall of snow has not occurred for some years past. The
storm commenced on Tuesday last, some heavy showers
of hail and snow having fallen on that day, accompanied
with an intensely cold north-cast wind. A severe frost
set in throughout the night, and on the following morn-
ing tle. ice in some parts of the town was nearly as thick
as a penny piece. On the evening of Wedeeseay ,
very heevy fall of snow commenced, and continued till
yesterday morning, when the ground was covered to the
depth of some inches. Some lightning was seen late in
the evening, and some cracks of thunder were heard. A
brilliant de.play of the aurora borealis was observed,
whose refulgent brightn,ss radiated from the zenith
downward They were observable for more than an
hour, and cast a bright glow over the storm, which raged
at intervals during the time the northern lights were.
visible. The snow between St. Boswells and
said to be nearly six inches deep; on the Gala Water
road it is also very deep.—Border eldves tiser.
The North American mail steam-ship Canada is
expected to be ready to make a trial trip this week.—
Liverpool Standard.