The Sun.
London, England, 1846-02-12 00:00:00

CLYDE HARBOUR, AND DOCK.

In this Bill, and also in the Downpatrick Gas Bill, the
objects of both which are expressed in the name, the Com-
mittee decided that the standing orders were complied with.

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BALLYMENA :11ALLYMONY.
The object of this Bill is to connect Belfast and Ballymena
with the Armagh and Coleraine line. The length of the
line will be twenty miles, and the cost is estimated a. 55,000/.
Mr. Charles Lanyon is the engineer and Mr. Bayden the Par-
liamentary agent. The standing orders were complied with.

Rutland Election is to take place on Saturday next;
there is at present no opposition, but it is expected that the
farmers will, on die hustings, strongly express their opinions, and
that Mr. T. Healy, the new convert to the League, will also state his
opinions. Mr. Finch has declined to come forward.
IMPORTATION OF CATTLE FROM IRELAND.—By a Par-
liamentary paper printed yesterday, it appears that in the quarter
ended on the sth January last, the importation of cattle from Ire-
land was—of oxen, bulls, and cows In number, 32,833 ;of calves,
583 ; of sheep and lambs, 32,579 ; and of swine, 104,141.
NORTH NOTTINGH ASISHIRE.—By the death of Mr.
Gaily Knight, announced in another place, a vacancy is occasioned
for this division of Nottingham, in 'addition to that caused for the
southern division by the appointment of the Earl of Lincoln to the
office of Chief Secretary for Ireland. Mr. Knight wet a COnserVatlTC,
end has represented North Notts since 1834.

THE WORCESTERSHIRE AND
STAFFORDSHIRE COAL MINES.
Mr. Onions has lately delivered an interesting lecture
before the Institute at Birmingham, on the coal forma-
tions of England, including a description of the coal
fields of Worcestershire and Staffordshire, from which
we extract the following condensed description of the
latter:—" The first attempt to describe the coal
district of South Staffordshire was by Mr. Keir, in
1796; and nothing was added to that till Dr. Thompson's
account in the Annals of Philosophy for 1818. The
coal field was described by Keir to extend only about 4
miles round Dudley, whereas at the present day the area
over which the coal extends, is estimated at more than
100 square miles. From Stourbridge on the south to
Rugeley on the north its length was twenty-two miles,
and its breadth from east to west about nine miles. The
Dudley coal field is surrounded by the new red sand-
stone, beneath which Lord Dartmouth's ainkings, at a
distance of one mile from the great "fault," by which
the coal is supposed to be cut oft; have discovered it
again. How far, however, it may be profitable to work
in such a position is another question. On the western
sides shafts have been with success sunk under the new
red sandstone, and the coal found to expand in thickness
as it dips. It might be taken as a rule, that if the sand-
stone were the lower member of the new red or Permian
system, as it was called, it might he bored for coal with
almost a certainty of success; but if the upper member,
the expense would be immense, and it was doubtful
whether the coal would ever be reached. The millstone
grit, which forms such vast walls round the north fields,
was here scarcely represented; and the mountain lime-
stone was altogether absent. There was reason to be-
lieve that those strata had never been deposited in the
part of the country. The sub-strata were, therefore,
Silurian rocks, which rise up irregularly through the coal
near Dudley and Sedgley, and form its eastern boun-
dary near Walsall. The coal field was divided by the
limestone hills of Dudley and Sedgley, and the basalt
of Rowley Regis. The curious foldings and twistings
of the limestone and shale of Dudley and the
Wren's Nest, showed that the whole mass had been
violently lifted up from beneath while in a fluid state,
and rising to the surface was spread out upon it. Hence
the coal strata dip away from or rise to the opposite
sides of the limestone, while they are continueckunder
the basalt, being evidently charred or burnt as they
approach the nucleus of hills. Three courses of iron-
stone of no very great value have been found near
Dudley, but at Wolverhampton fourteen courses of valu-
able ironstone are wrought. It was hence supposed
that the workings of Dudley did not go deep enough ;
but the fact was that the miner was there acquainted
with the very bottom of the field, which had been brought
to the surface by the protrusion of trap and other igne-
ous rocks. The greater scarcity of coal round Wolver-
hampton caused the richer iron ore of that dis
trict to be brought to Wednesbury, Sedgley, and other
places in the south, to be smelted. The ten-yard coal in-
variably terminates at the foot of the limestone hills, as at
Walsall, Sedgley, Wren's Nest, and Wednesbury. It
extends around the basalt from near Oldbury to Hales
Owen, where it again meets with and is thrown up by
the limestone. Near Stourbridg• many dislocations
occur, and the progress of mining is much improved by
a peculiar volcanic substance called green rock,
resembling basalt. Towards Sedgley, the ten-yard coal
goes so deep that the mines cannot be worked. It is
probable that the ten-yard coal extends westward into
Shropshire, and eastward under the new red sandstone;
but it was not likely they would obtain it beyond Bil-
ston to the north, or Stourbridge to the south. The
ten-yard coal is found at various depths in different
parts of the same field, owing to the dislocations of the
strata. At Wolverhampton and Bilston it crops out,
while at other places its position varies from 16 to 140
yards from the surface in a short distance. As the sub-
jacent limestone and superincumbent new red sandstone
have participated in the effects of these dislocations, it
is evident that they were deposited before ; that the
coal was deposited horizontally on the Silurian rocks ;
and that the whole were upheaved at one time.

PHILANTHROPHIST ISAMBERT

AND THE WHITE NEGRO.

A former Paris gamin, who had, in consequence of
sundry misfortunes, become a Pole, had obtained of a
fellow cosmopolite a list of the generous persons living
within the twelve arondissemens of Paris. Amongst
those charitable individuals figured M. Isambert, the
deputy, better known as the friend of the blacks. Our
Pole called on him the other day, told him the
old story of the campaign of 1831, dwelt with
eloquence on the miseries of exile, and concluded
by demanding some trifling assistance. "If you deny
it," said Gaminowski, "I shall be reduced to sell my cross
of the White Eagle, the only thing remaining to me in the
world." The beggar was fair and rosy, and M. Isambert
dismissed him, apologising for hii being obliged to at-
tend a rehearsal at the Varietesaleatre. The disap-
pointed Pole was threatening revenge, when public
rumour apprised him of the success of the Petit Mousse
(which vaudeville is ascribed to the pen of M. Isambert),
and explained that gentleman's last words. Our Pole
immediately rubbed his face with yellow ochre, made
his hair as woolly as possible, and, in the shape of
a mulatto, boldly called again on the witty vaude-
villis, who gave him five francs and shook hands with
him. A week after the Pole returned to the charge,
under the aspect of a real Ibo, soot having suc-
ceeded to ochre. " Pray be seated," said M. Isambert ;
" what is it that affords me the honour of your visit, my
dear black ?" "Me hungry !" cried the Pole ; "me
come from,New York with American lord; me in France,
me free, me hungry, thirsty, and not a bit of bread."
Here are twenty francs for you," replied M. Isambert
in his most gracious style, which he the more readily
used as the Variet6i manager had just sent him some of
his author's dues. The Pole wPpt for joy, sand touched
M. Isambert to such a degree, that the latter fell into his
arms and embraced him like a brother. At length their sobs
ended, and the Pole, mulatto, and negro withdrew. On
re-entering his closet, M. Isambert happened to see him-
self in his glass, and found that his cheeks and his nose
were of a superb black. He fouled himself about to be
turned into a negro, and almost fainted with delight. It
was some time before this sweet dream was dispelled
and M. Isambert could persuade himself that his African
visitor had favoured him, in return for his 20 francs,
with the contents of a chimney.—Paris Print.