The Sun.
London, England, 1848-03-31 00:00:00

T/r ,
'IVIARCH 31, 1848.

LORD ROSSE'S TELESCOPE.

At a recent meeting of the Royal Acaelemy, Dr.
Romney Robinson gave a most interesting account of
the present condition of Lord Rosse's great telescope.
In 1845 the Learned Professor submitted to the Aca-
demy the first fruits of its performance ; since then the
enormous instrument has done nothing. And why? The
Doctor answers this, and adds some most interesting
information on the recent discoveries in the heavens:—

lie had often been asked why this telescope had
given nothing since. His English friends, though doubt-
less acquainted with all of the sufferings of Ireland that
appeared in the daily press, had but a very inadequate
conception of the overwhelming pressure with which
those miserable years bore on the personal exertions
of that class whom the position in society which
raised them above actual want, bound to aid encou-
courage, and instruct their unhappy countrymen.
Lord Bosse is not a man to seek enjoyment and
knowledge in the heavens while he had duties to per-
form on earth, and he gave himself exclusively to their
performance. Some parts of the machinery, which
could be finished by his workmen without superin
tendonce, IA ere proceeded with ; and the resolution
of the great nebula of Orion, imperfectly observed.
was communicated to and published by Dr. Nichol,
of Glasgow. Some of the men, in the general dis-
tress, became careless, and the speculum was tarnished
slightly in consequence of wet getting admission. But
these days of evil are gone, end though the future was
still dark and threatening, yet he trusted in God it
would bring nothing like the past, nothing but what
energy and wisdom, working together, might turn to the
good of our country; and in this same hope Lord Russe
felt himself justified in resuming his favourite pursuits
with the new year. Dr. Robinson - found that the
speculum (whose figure as he had formerly stated
was not quite perfect) as well as a duplicate one, had,
during the time referred to, been polished by 'the work-
men; but as he apprehended no difficulty in the process,
it was repeated. Au unexpected difficulty, however,
occurred, which made much delay, till Lord Rosse dis-
covered the cause. The success of the operation
requires that it be performed at the temperature 5.5.
In winter this must be obtained by artificial heat,
which, however, increases the dryness of the air,
so that the polishing material cannot be kept on the
speculum. In this case the surface is untrue, and gives
a confused image. This was verified by the hygrometer,
and remedied by a jet of steam so regulated as to keep
the air saturated with moisture. The result was
immediate, and at the first trial the speculum acted
so well that it was unnecessary to try any
further experiments. Three additions had been
made to the telescope. 1. The - movement
in right ascension is given from the ground by ma-
chinery intended to be connected with a clock move-
ment which is in progress. 2. To obviate the difficulty
of finding objects, an eyepiece of large field and peculiar
construction is connected with a slide, so that it can
be

replaced by the usual one in an instant. It mag-
nifies 208 times, and employs nearly four feet of the
speculum, the same as Herschel's forty feet ; thus
giving the power of trying what that instrument might
show. 3. The micrometer is peculiar, a plate of parallel
glass, with a position circle attached. Light admitted
at its edge cannot escape at the parallel surfaces, except
they be scratched, and a scale of equal parts engraved
on one of them with a diamond—luminous in a field
absolutely black. The exceedingly unfavourable state
of the weather subsequently prevented much from
being done • in fact, there was but one good night,
the 11th ult. In the moon he observed the large
flat bottom of the crater covered with much fragments,
and satisfied himself that one of the bright
stripes, which have been often discussed, had no visible
elevation above the general surface. In the belts of
Jupiter, streaks like those of Pyrrhus' cloud were seen,
and the fading of their brown colour towards the edge
is evidence that they are seen through a considerable
and imperfectly transparent atmosphere. A similar
shade in the polar regions, where little cloud is to be
expected, seems to indicate that the brighter bands
are cloudy regions, and the more dusky show the
body of the planet. Several nebulas were exa-
mined, and, as formerly, all were resolved, That of
Orion is most remarkable. Even before the mirror was
perfect, and in bad nights, that part of it which
presents the strange flocculent appearance described
by Sir John Herschel, is seen to be composed of
stars, with the lowest power, 360. But Dr. R.'s
required 830 to bring out the smaller stars,
amongst which these are scattered. Having
seen them and known the easiest parts, they were
seen with the 3 feet and 500. Dr. R. has seen a
recent notice in which this nebula is said to have been
resolved by the observers of Harvard University, U.S.,
with a Munich achromatic of from fifteen to sixteen
inches aperture. He has often seen it with Mr.
Cooper's of 13.5, a difference easily to be allowed for,
but never saw any trace of resolution. He does not in the
least dispute the observation; fur a precise knowledge
of the place (which Dr. Nichol had mentioned) with a
purer atmosphere and sharper eyes than his are suffi
cient to account for it; but he cannot refrain from re-
marking that the epithet, "incomparable," which they
apply to their telescope, would be less extravagant it',
in addition to the two stars of the traperium which
were discovered by the telescopes of Dorpat and Ken
sington, they had seen the other two which the six
feet showed at the first glance, after its polish was
completed. Another interesting object is the plane-
tary nebula, h. 464, situated in the splendid cluster,
Messier, 46, and probably a part of it. It is a disc of
small stars uniformly distributed and surrounded by
the larger. Messier, 64, is a singular modification of
the annular form seen obliquely. The opening seems
black as ink, and at its margin is ono of these in-
terior clusters of bright stars so often noticed before.
But the most remarkable nebular arrangement which
this instrument has revealed is that where the stars
are grouped in spirals. Lord Rosse described one of
thew, Messier, 51, in the year 1845 ; and Dr. R. found
tour others on the 11th, of which he exhibited drawings,
h. 604 (seen by Herschel as a bi-central nebula), Mes-
sier, 99, in which the centre is a cluster of stars.
Messier, 97, looks with the finding eyepiece like a
figure of 8 ; but the higher powers show star spirals re-
lated to two centres, appearing like stars with dark
spaces round them ; though probably high powers in
a fine night would prove them to be clusters.
Another fact deserves to be noted, from its bearing on
Struve's Etudes d'Astronomie Stellaire. In that ad-
mirable book, among other curious matters, he infers
that the 18-inch telescope of the Herschel penetrated
into space only one-third of what was due to its
optical power. He explains this by supposing the
heavenly spaces imperfectly transparent. In com-
puting the limit, however, he assumes that the
milky way is in its greatest extent " unfathomable by
the telescope." Dr. R., however, chanced to observe
it when it is deepest at 6 4, and is certain that its
remotest stars were very far indeed within the limit
of the 6 feet, and very much larger than those of the
nebula of Orion. He concluded by apologising for
the limited number of facts which he had com-
municated, but mentioned them as an evidence that
their great instrument was again at work. For the
future it would be constantly employed, as he had
trained for Lord Rosse an assistant, on whose zeal and
talents he could rely, and as it could never be turned to
the sky without finding some new wonder, he felt assured
of a glorious and unfailing harvest of discovery,
which would be at once a treasure to astronomical
science, a reward to the generous master of the telescope,
and the noblest of honours to his country.

ASSOCIAZIONE NAZIONALE
ITALIANA.

The second meeting of the above association was held
last night at the Western Literary Institution, Leicester-
square. The hall was not so full as on Wednesday
se nnight, but the same unanimity prevailed as on the
former occasion.

Signor PisTnuccr, the President, took the chair; and
after briefly alluding to the events which have taken
place in Italy within the last ten days—the insurrection
in Lombardy—the victory obtained by the inhabitants of
Milan over the garrison, and the evacuation of that city
by the Austrian troops—proceeded to state that their
principal object in assembling that evening was the for-
mation of a special committee for the purpose of receiving
the names of those who should offer themselves as volun-
teers to start immediately for Italy, there to aid in the
struggle to emancipate their country from a foreign
yoke, if indeed that emancipation were not already
achieved by the ♦ictorious Milanese. It would be the
duty of the committee to supply the volunteers with the
means of returning to Italy, as far as the funds at their
disposal, arising from the subscriptions of the members
of the association, permitted. Such assistance would be
afforded to those only who, being poor, could not them-
selves defray the expenses of the journey. The follow-
ing gentlemen wore then nominated, composing the
special committee :—Signori l'istrucci (ex officio), Brizzi,
Villani, and Giglioli.
The SECRETARY stated that the subscriptions received
hitherto amounted to little more than fourteen pounds,
upon which the President made an eloquent appeal on
behalf of the objects of the association; additional sub-
scriptions to a considerable amount were handed in, and
several persons enrolled themselves as volunteers in the
cause of Italian freedom.
It was then announced that the special committee
would sit on Thursday evening at the Gratuitous Italian
School, Grevillo-street, liatton- garden, when all who
were animated by genuine patriotism would have an
opportunity of imitating the example set them by those
who had already devoted themselves to the liberation of
their native country.
After the reading of an address in which Englishmen
were invited to contribute towards the objects of the
society, the meeting was adjourned to Wednesday next.

THE AMERICAN STEAM-SHIP HERMANN.—This
new steam-ship, the second built for the New York,
Southampton, and Bremen line, made an experimental
trip on the Hudson on the 9th instant,
_which, although
it is the first movement she made in her proper element,
she performed with great ease, and gave satisfaction to
those on board. She is built much upon the same lines
or model as the Washington, but with the difference of
one foot more beam, and five feet in length. Her en-
gines are also upon the principle of those in that vessel,
with, however, some improvement. She would leave
New York for Southampton on the 20th instant.—Liver-
pool Albion.
NORWEGIAN POULTRY.—An importation of a
package of game from Norway, a few da) s since, was
the subject of especial notice, in consequence of its re-
markable character. We observe that the vessel, Richard
Cobden, of Norway, arrived from Brevig, i❑ the City
Canal, has brought a package of poultry of Norwegian
produce. We know of no previous arrival of this kind
having taken place from this northern country of Europe,
and the importation is of interest.
TIIE POTENTIAL MOOD.—M. Ledru Rollin seems
to wish to rule France with his " absolute shall." Let
us hope the future will prove this " absolute shall" to be
Overruled in time by the " popular will."—Punch.

HOURS OF LABOUR.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Six,—Having so nobly assisted the cause of the
shoprnen and assistants of this metropolis in their en-
deavours to obtain an abatement of the hours of labour,
I trust you will nut refuse to give a place to the com-
plaints of that nutneroui and respectable body of men,
the clerks of the metropolis.
The facilities granted to commerce by the estab-
lishment of railroads, steam-packets to nearly all
parts of the world, and last, though not least, the
penny postage, has had the effect of greatly increas-
ing the labours of the clerk, unaccompanied by an
increase of salary, although his employers have
thereby obtained a considerable increase of income.
The hours of his attendance at office are now pro-
longed indefinitely, to the detriment of his health and
comfort. lam not pleading ;for those exceptions to
the general rule, " the managing clerks in large
firms," whose toil is sweetened with the thought
that their salaries fully cover their expendi -
tore, and enable them also to make provisions
for the vicissitudes to which this life is liable—hut

I plead for that large body of clerks whose salaries
are insufficient to keep themselves and families in
comfort and respectability, much less being able to
provide for the accidents of this life.
Artizans, in general, leave off work at six o'clock,
and should their services be required after that
time, they are paid extra; but the clerk has no
such privilege, he must stop at the office till
eight or nine o'clock whenever needful, and is not
even thanked for his extra labour. From various in-
quiries which I made I consider that no clerk need be
kept at hi; official duties after six o'clock, after
which time, I contend, it would only be fair on the
part of our employers to pay us 2s. 6d. or so an hour.
The various arrangements made of late by the Post-
office, Stock Exchange, Royal Exchange, and the
Bank of England and City banks, all lead to the
belief that an abatement of the hours of labour is
perfectly possible without detriment to the interests
of the employers ; and were the clerks to meet
together and fairly discuss the question, I am con-
vinced that much good might be done ; for if there was
a general though respectful demand for extra pay for
all hours after six o'clock, I am convinced that very
few masters would think it worth while to idle their
own time away in the day time, but would get all
their work done by six o'clock. Many a man is now
prevented from earning a trifle, by keeping books for
tradesmen in order to eke out his miserable salary,
through the unreasonable hours of late introduced.
I would ask our merchant princes what they
got last year by their corn speculations, when
the clerks were kept sometimes till eleven and
twelve o'clock, night after night? They may
depend upon it the speculations of the present
age are not healthy. " There is something rotten in
the state of Denmark," and the sooner they return to
the good old system of a fair trade,—that which has
raised this country to its present grandeur, the
better for them, for their clerks, and for the people :
the prices of whose necessaries of life are thus
wickedly raised above their fair value. Clerks of
London, I call on you all to aid the good work of an
abatement in the hours of toil. I call upon the press
to give us their valuable assistance that, press
which has so nobly infused the spirit of liberty all
over Europe.
Sir, if you think our cause worthy of notice, pray
use your great talent by bringing it before the public.
I am Sir, your obedient servant,
A COMMISSION MERCHANT'S CLERK.
Liverpool-terrace, Liverpool-road, March 28, 1848.
COST OF FEEDING ANIMALS.