The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-03 00:00:00

THE NEW PLANET.

Since tl:e'discovery of the exultra-zodiacid planet Ceres,
on the Ist of January, 1801 (soon after followed by the
discovery of Juno, Pallas, and Vesta), no occurrence
has, perhaps, excited so much inter, st in the scientific
world, as the newly-discovered member of our planetary
family, Astrea. The observations of one of the greatest
living authorities on the law of Bode, of whose sagacious
and far-sighted conjecture the recent discovery would
seem to afford =additional confirmation, will doubtless
be peculiarly acceptable to those who have not Sir John
Herschel's work immediately at hand. The concluding
sentence is, however, remarkably curious, and shows that
even the highest authorities may at times, from extreme
caution, prove at fault:—
" The planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter,
and Saturn, have been known from the earliest ages in
which astronomy has been cultivated. Uranus was dis-
covered by Sir W. Herschel in 1781, March 13, in the
course of a review of the heavens, in which every star
visible in a telescope of a certain power was brought
under close examination, when the new planet was im-
mediately detected by its disc under a high magnifying
power. It has since been ascertained to have been ob-
served on many previous occasions with telescopes of
insufficient power to show its disc, and even entered
as a star, and some of the observations which
have been so recorded have been used to improve
and extend our knowledge of its orbit. The dis-
covery of the ultra-zodiacal planets dates from the
Ist day of 1801, when Ceres was discovered by
Piazzi at Palermo ; a discovery speedily followed by
those of Juno by Professor Harding, of Gottingen ;
and of Pallas and Vesta by Dr. Olbers, of Bremen.
It is extremely remarkable that this important ad-
dition to our system had been in some sort surmised
as a thing not unlikely, on the ground that the intervals
between the planetary orbits go on doubling as we recede
from the sun, or nearly so. Thus the interval between
the orbits of the earth and Venus is nearly twice that
between those of Venus and Mercury ; that between the
orbits of Mars and the earth nearly twice that between
the earth and Venus ; and so on. The interval between
the orbits of Jupiter and Mars, however, is too great,
and would form an exception to this law, which
is, however, again resumed in the case of the three
remoter planets. It was, therefore, thrown out by the
late Professor Bode, of Berlin, as a possible surmise,
that a planet might exist between Mars and Jupiter, and
it may easily then be imagined what was the astonish-
ment of astronomers to find four revolving in orbits
tolerably well corresponding with the law in question.
No account a priori, or from theory, can be given of
this singular progression, which is not, like Kephi's laws,
strictly exact in its numerical verification ; but the cir-
cumstances we have just mentioned lead to a strong be-
lief that it is something beyond a mere accidental co-
incidence, and belongs to the essential structure of the
system. It bas been conjectured that the ultra-
zodiacal planets are fragments of some greater planet
which formerly circulated in that interval, but has
been blown to atoms by an explosion, and that more
such fragments exist, and may be hereafter discovered.
This may serve as a specimen of the dreams in which
astronomers, like other speculators, occasionally and
harmlessly indulge."

Guns
. 90
. 84

SHAMEFUL HOAX.
At Hammersmith Police-court, yesterday, Inspector
Howell stated that he had that morning received, by
post, a communicationfrom
Inspector Horne, of the
Stepney division of police, informing him that a piper,
which was enclosed, had that morning beim found con-
tained in a bottle, which had been seen floating with
the stream down the river Thames, off Wapping, and
picked up, and desiring him to make immediate inquiries
about the matter. The contents of the paper found in
the bottle was as follows :

" 20, Victoria-road, Kensington.
" Christian Frie: ds,—Whoever may be fortunate
enough to pick up this bottle, in the name of all that is
holy I conjure him to repair to my dungeon, as above.
For a trifling fault I am chained hand and foot in a dark,
dismal cellar, with no prospect of liberation for months.
My employer is most arbitrary and unjust, and after
having violated my person six times, has confined
me to this dreadful death. I have expectations, and
can promise whoever rescues me my hand and a thou-
sand pounds. . _ _

(Signed) " ROSINA MAVERS, Governess."
Inspector Howell further said, the document, which
bore no date, was executed in a neat female's hand-
writing. He last no tin=e in making immediate inqui-
ries, but on reaching the Victoria-road he found there
was not so many houses as twenty, and that from all the
inquiries he had subsequently made in the neigbour-
hood he did not believe there was the slightest truth in
the statement contained in the paper.

DR. BUCKLAND'S EATING-HOUSE.
(From Punch.)
An eating-house on a novel, economic, and scientific
principle, is about to be established, to be called the
" Dr. Buckland's Head;" the dishes at which establish-
ment will be prepared on the principle recommended by
the Reverend Dean of Westminster, who has identified
himself with a new plan for feeding the people. The
Doctor's favourite dishes of starch, peas, and mangel-
wurzel, will he served up in every variety to tempt the
public appetite. There will be an ordinary at one, con-
sisting of three courses, the first of which will con-
sist of—

False collars a la Brummell,

which will comprise a very strong starchy soup, the nu-
tritious qualities of which will be quite indisputable.
This will be followed up by
Mouchoir de Poche a la Tutbury,
consisting of a delicious entree of fricasseed pocket-
handkerchiefs, starched to the same degree that was
found so beneficial in prolonging the existence of th,,
old lady of the place alluded to. This will be followed
by a third course of
Split Peas au Naturel;
and for the benefit of those who prefer it, there will be
the alternative of burnt bones. There will of course be
Mangel-wurzel a Discretion,
which will render the eatables complete, while the drink-
able will consist of

Eau Chaude a la Polar Party.
We have very little doubt that a few eating-houses
established on these principles in different parts of the
town would be eminently successful as speculations ;
and we strongly recommend some enterprising indivi-
dual, with capital enough to buy a pint of peas, a pound
of starch, and a bunch of mangel• wurzel to try the
experiment.

NEGLECT OF MAGISTRATES.--Complaints from the
country keep coming in upon us relative to the vast incon-
venience to which the public are put, for want of proper
attention of the magistracy to their duties. This is an un-
pardonable inconvenience to the public, and it must find
correction from the proper quarter. If gentlemen who are
in the commission of the peace feel it enough to have the
honour of being so, the sooner that notion is changed the
better both for themselves and the community at large. The
honour and credit (if it is to be looked upon as such) of being
a magistrate is in the due attention to public duty. Neglect
is derogatory to a magistrate, and prejudicial to society. Let
us hope that the new year, upon which we have just entered,
will produce better things, and before it terminates many
needed, useful, and beneficial changes will have been brought
about and accomplished.—Front a Correspondent.
31ISTERIOUS DEATH OF A MARRIED WOMAN.—
Last evening Mr. Wakley, m.p., held an inquest at the
Rent Day, Cambridge-street, Edgeware-road, on the body of
Sarah Bradbeer, aged 19, the wife of Mr. W. Bradbeer, late
proprietor of the Polygon-mews. Mr. Bradbeer stated that
his wife, who took two pills the previous night, died shortly
after five o'clock last Tuesday morning. A few minutes be-
fore five o'clock she got out of bed and struck a light, and
was a corpse in ten minutes afterwards. Medical at•sistance
was instantly called in. Witness's two brothers declared
that their brother had been very kind to deceased, and that
there was no reason to suspect that she died from foul means.
Mr. Reubens, surgeon, opened the body, and found the in-
ternal part healthy, with the exception of the stomach,
which was highly inflamed. Dr. Day tested it for oxalic,
arsenic, and other poisons, but not for all. The jury, not
being satisfied with the analysis of the stomach, the Coroner
adjourned the inquest.
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CHELMSFORD BANK.—It is announced that George
are about to join the bankin. estEajsbcl.ll:
Sparrow and Co., and that in future i"'" W. E. Green, Esq.,
homf theents
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