The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-10 00:00:00

MARCH 10, 1846.

ROYAL INSTITUTION.

The announcement of a lecture by Professor Faraday,
" On the Magnetic Condition of Matter," drew a most
crowded and fashionable audience to this Institution last
Thursday. Amongst the company present we observed
the Marquis of Douro, Sir Edward Codrington, Sir
James South, Professors Brande, Grove, Ansted, Dr.
Alantell, Messrs. Pepys, Hunt, &c. We have on a
former occasion, taken occasion to enunciate the general
facts of this most recent and most important discovery
of Dr. Faraday ; and in the present report we shall
therefore confine ourselves to a brief outline of the
beautifUlly conceived and brilliantly performed experi-
ments by which the Professor illustrated and exhibited
the discovery. The instrument used was a very large
horse-shoe electro-magnet—the power derived from the
beautiful battery of Mr. Grove. The two poles were
moreover fitted with two short bars of soft iron, termi-
nating at one end in cones, by which means the poles
could be separated or made to approach, at the plea-
sure of the operator. The Professor first proved, that
bodies termed magnetic, in the ordinary acceptation
of the term, such as iron, mickel, cobalt, will, if freely
suspended over the poles of the magnet, arrange
themselves in an axpial position, or in the lines of
magnetic force, and that moreover, if brought within
the sphere of action of either pole, they will be
attracted. Many other bodies, which hitherto
have not been regarded as magnetic, and
which, when subjected to the influence of ordinary static
magnets appear to be unaffected, when brought into the
sphere of action of this powerful magnet will imme-
diately take up this axial position. This fact was
earl!l bNa ro
wo, fa
nperoxide r
aotf
clai
srso no,f
la)
onddi eas
Ipirttolveedrobllyofapsamp
which have hitherto been deemed to be unaffected by
the magnetic force, are found, in direct opposition to the
former, to arrange themselves in an equitorial direction
to the poles, or at right angles to the magnetic
force, and are also repelled by either pole of the magnet.
These Dr. Faraday has called dia,magnetics ; and„ here
he took occasion to explain thai 'the term diamagnetic
was first given to glass and other bodies, because they ap-
peared to allow the magnetic force to traverse or pass
through them, and that the term had still been retained
in connexion with their property of being repelled from
either pole, and of arranging themselves at right angles
to the lines of magnetic force. To illustrate this dia-
magnetic property, the professor first suspended a piece
of heavy glass between the poles of the magnet,
so as to swing freely. The instant that contact with
the battery was made, the glass was repelled from
the pole to which it was nearest, and arranged itself in
an equitorial direction. A bar of bismuth, a small
stick of phosphorus, and water, were also used as ex-
periments, and all under similar circumstances arranged
themselves in an equatorial direction. To exhibit more
clearly the repulsion from either pole of such bodies, a
very beautiful and delicate experiment was had recourse
to. To the end of a small rod, delicately balanced
upon a steel point, a small bar of bismuth was attached,
brought between the poles of the magnet and repulsed
from either pole, as soon as the contact with the battery
was made. The law in this respect is that all such bo-
dies are repelled from the stronger to the weaker places of
action. This diamagnetic property is possessed by an
immense variety of bodies, amongst which Dr. Faraday
named such things as an apple, a bird, wood, leaves,
frogs, biscuits, and even the human subject, were it
possible to suspend him. A piece of wood and a slice
of apple were experimented on, and in both cases the
attempt was perfectly successful. Another curious ex-
periment was exhibited. If to the end of a piece of
thread a small cube of copper, a diamagnetic, be at-
tached, it will, by the torsion of the string, spin round
rapidly. But if it be placed between the poles
of the magnet, it will, immediately upon con-
nexion being made with the battery, stop. To whatever
class, whether to the magnetic or diamagnetic, a body
belongs, its compounds also belong, and still further,
even its salts belong. Thus, iron is magnetic; a solu-
tion of sulphate of iron is also magnetic. And here an-
other curious fact is elicited, namely, that by the action
of magnetism upon solutions of the rarer metals, such
as cerium, magntsium, &c., we can ascertain what is
their magnetic condition. And further, by thus mag-
netising solutions, such for example as sulphate of iron,
we get a liquid, transparent magnet, into which we can
look.

The last question to which the Professor adverted was,
as to the effect of magnetism upon the air ; examined
and tried in every way, rarified, condensed, or in its
natural state, air appears to be utterly unaffected. The
same law holds good with all vapours, but the
moment they are reduced to a liquid or solid form
they become either magaetic or diamagnetic. From this
it would appear that air possessed neither property; but
even this assertion cannot be confidently made; for, ac-
cording to the medium in which it is suspended, air be-
comes magnetic or diamagnetic. To illustrate this, the
following curious experiment was shown ; a tube of
air was first suspendel in water between the poles
of the battery. Although the water is dia-
magnetic, the air became magnetic ; but t, hen
suspended in a solution of sulphate of iron,
of itself magnetic, it became unmagnetic. From all
these experiments, Professor Faraday concluded that
air held a sort of zero point, from which on
the one side branched the magnetics, on the other
the diamagnetics, and that magnetism influenced,
in one or other of these ways, all bodies. He con-
cluded by observing that this was a field in which he
believed much was yet to be done, and that this pro-
perty of diamagnetism, inherent in so many bodies—
the sea, lakes, rivers, rocks, &c.—was not without its
importance in the regulation of the system of the uni-
verse, although as yet we are ignorant of the part it
plays.

THE POLISH INSURRECTION.

The subjoined extracts from the German and Paris papers
furnish the latest intelligence respecting this unfortunate
affair. The following is the official account furnished to the
Austrian Government by the Military Governor of Tarnow,
in Galicia :
" TARNOW, FEB. 22.—The news of an approaching attack upon
our town, and of a threatened revolution, having been widely ru-
moured, we closed ourselves up in our small fortress on the 17th, as
if we had been in the midst of war, and on the 18th we received a
small reinforcement of two squadrons of cavalry, sent us by the Com-
mander- in. Chief of our troops,whom the urgency of the circumstances
induced to take the step. At length certain information was received
that some events of importance were to take place in the course of
the night of the 18th. We were informed that the first and prin-
cipal attack was to be made upon Tarnow, and that this was to be
the central point of the general insurrection which was to break
out throughout the country. We were told that the most ter-
rible destruction was to be our fate, that assassins were already
posted by the side of every German and of every Pole who
did not join in the revolution. It was by a blessing of Providence
that we were made aware of the danger twenty-four hours before
the revolt was to break out, and we gained at least the time to pre-
pare our feeble military forces, consisthig of two battalions of in-
fantry and three squadrons of cavalry. All the preparations on the
part of the insurgents wore, as has since been proved, perfectly or-
ganised, and they had shown much judgment in the choice of their
posts, their places of meeting, and attack. They were all provided
with the most formidable arms. One only of the most unfortunate
preparations for the great struggle was left to the last moment, and
its success was made to depend on the success of the fanatics and
the impression of the moment. In the night of the 18th to the 19th
the communes were to be called upon to join in the movement, and
they were to be forced into it by violence if they did not do so
willingly. During the whole of the 18th deputations from the neigh-
bouring and distant communes, which the insurgents had already be-
gun to prepare for the carnage, arrived at the offices of the magistracy,
and in the greatest terror announced the dreadful events with which
we were threatened, and while they declared their attachment to the
Government, and their aversion to the cause of the insurgents, that'
asked what they were to do. The following answer was given to
all :—" Join in no rising. It is treason against the State, and against
the Emperor, whose subjects you are. Give me notice of what hap-
pens in your neighbourhood. It is your most sacred duty, and you
will be recompensed for it. If attempts should be made to oblige you
to join in treason by force of arms, you will here find a refuge, where
you can rally and tight for the good cause. If arms should be given
to you to fight against us, bring them here." In point of fact, several
deputations had already brought in several functionaries, as persons
who had attempted to make them join in the insurrection. At the
time that these deputations were coming to us, and before many o;
them had time to return to their homes, the carnage commenced in
• great nMillaer'of villages. When the communes Assembled under
the orders of their chiefs, and were armed with forks, pikes, cutlasses,
and other instruments of carnage, secretly prepared by the insur-
gents, and were preparing to march upon Tarnow, they turned their
arms against those who had given them, and now refused to follow
the leaders. The consequence was a succession of bloody affairs at
all the places of meeting. Whilst we passed the night of the
18th to the 19th in a state of distressing uncertainty (for although
we were no longer alarmed that we should have the pee sentry against
us, we could not place much dependence upon them, and we were
threatened by the insurgents, who were superior in force to us), and
disturbed by continual false alarms, we were greatly surprised by the
arrival of peasants from the neighbourhood of the town, bringing
a'ong with them, as prisoners, several gentlemen, inspectors, clergy..
men, and others, all of whom they placed in the hands of the autho-
rities, together with a large quantity of arms, which they had se:zed.
The peasantry deserve well at our hands for this good work. The
prisoners belonged principally to the high nobility, and a great num-
ber of the chiefe and of the inferior adherents were brought before us
bound hand and foot, having been reduced into that state by their
own adherents. The spectacle was a terrible one, but still more ter-
rible was the lesson which it gave, and which proves that treason
carries along with it its own punishment, and that it is criminal to
turn the people from the path of justice and to imbue them with com-
munism in place of morality and religion. The result was evident from
the very commencement. We had only to tell the peasants who pre-
sented themselves with prisoners how far they were to go, to what
point their efforts in tire cause were to extend, and where they were to
stop. These advises, it is true, were well received, but already the
outrageous fury which had taken possession of them proved to what
point the artificial demoralization of the people had reached ; for
from the moment when blood was spilt all their bad passions broke
loose, and nothing could stop the torrent. Those who succeeded in
escaping at the time of the first combats, began to take flight, but on
all hands they met with bodies of insurgents who fell upon them "the
moment they attempted to force a passage. All bonds were broken.
The peasants soon constituted themselves judges and executioners,
and, carried away by the excitement and fury, they regarded all pro-
prietors as joining in the insurrection, and as being, therefore, liable
to their jurisdiction. Deprived of all means of putting a stop to this
outbreak, for the proclamations issued for the purpose of re-calling
the people to order made no impression--and it being impossible to
sendtroops out of the town, because in a great part of the environs
isolated bands of the insurgents were endeavouring to force the pas-
sages leading to the town, and which were defended by the pea-
santry—the adherents of the revolution in the city were only wait-
ing for an attack from without to raise the standard of rebellion,
which they could Hot do till after the departure of the troops. The
small body of troops could not, therefore, be diminished, for after all
the city was the principal place to be defended, and its importance
was felt so much by the insurgents, that all their efforts were directed
to its capture. It is possible that many victims have fallen, of
whom the law could not have got hold, and others who were entirely
innocent; but this is the terrible result of the events which the
senseless instigators of the revolt have brought about. The dreadful
scenes which took place cannot be thought of without horror, for the
number of dead already brought here amounts to 98. Our hospitals
are filled, and the prisons, in which we have placed all the prisoners
whom the peasants brought in alive, are filled to overflowing. It
was not till yesterday that we were able to take steps to put an end
to the ferocious proceedings and pillage of the peasantry.
"We have received notice from Bochnia, that during the night
before last the insurgents of the eastern circle of the Bothnia w ere
about to march upon Tarnow. It appears, in net, that a movement
has taken place in that quarter, for yesterday some peasants from
Bochnia arrived here with prisoners, of whom many were wounded."
The Frankfort Journal publishes the following letter,
dated Podgorze, the 27th ult.:—
" Yesterday, in the afternoon, Major-General Conn left Wadovicz,
at the head of five companies of the regiment of infantry of Seinneh-
ling, a batallion of . the regiment of Furstenwariher, a squadron of
light horse of the regiment of the Emperor Ferdinand, and half a
battery of artillery. After sleeping at Isdebnik, he resumed his
march on the next day, so as to arrive at Podgorze about six o'clock
in the evening. The insurgents had posted themselves on the first-
floors of the houses and barracks, and opened a fire on the assailants.
After a short resistance, however, they retreated across the bridge
into Cracow, under a murderous fire of grape shot. An instant
afterwards General Colin was attacked oil the opposite side by a
band, which had sallied from Cracow in the direction of Wieliczk.a.
The Austrians rnabod upon that band, killed sever-al, took eighty-
nine prisoners, and routed the remainder. The trocpa had only one
killed, the sub-lieutenant Sabransky, of the regiment of Schmehling,
and seven wounded. To-morrow we expect a battalion of the regi-
ment of Landwehr of iiohenegg, two other companies of Schmeh-
ling, and a second squadron of the light horso of the Emperor Ferdi-
nand. We have no accounts of the insurrection at Wieliczka ; we
only know that Lieutenant-Colonel Benedekt, who placed himself at
the head of the loyal peasantry, defeated with considerable loss a
party of Cracovian insurgents who had advanced beyond that
town."

Letters from Berlin of the 3d instant state that General
de Brandenbourg, the commandant of the Prussian troops in
Silesia, has received orders not to attack the insurgents at
Cracow, excepting in the event of the Austrian troops not
succeeding in putting down the insurrection.
" BRESLAU, MARCH I.—By the railway train from Upper Silesia,
which arrived here yesterday, we have received accounts from Cra-
cow direct. The insurgents have demolished the house of the Rus-
sian chamberlain, de Poleel. Several men of rank, and, among
others, Professor W—ski, left Cracow, under the pretext of serv-
ing the revolution in foreign countries, and have taken refuge in
Prussia. The provisional Government has therefore determined not
to allow any others to leave Cracow. The town is divided into eleven
districts, administered by special commissioners. The new Govern-
ment has already struck off some coin, and issued paper money. It
has carried away the rich treasures which were in the cathedral.
General Rohi is in command of the troops on the frontier, and it is
said that the insurgents have been already summoned to surrender.
It is thought that the Prussian troops will act in conjunction with
the troops of the othei protecting powers."
Another letter of the same date says :
" Since the residents of the protecting powers left the town and
the territory of Cracow the place has been entirely in the hands of
the insurgents. It is said that there has already been an engage-
ment at Gdow, in Callicia, between the insurgents and the Austrians,
in which the latter were defeated. Some scenes of carnage took place
at Cracow on the occasion of the insurrection. A commissary of
police, employed to arrest a clergyman, was cut to pieces with
scythes. The Prussian troops are posted along the frontier in the
circles of Benthem and Pless. No magazines have been established,
and the army is reduced to the resources of that poor and over-popn-
lated country. The number of Prussian trooi's in the district is
about 5,000, but numerous reserves are collected here, which will be
forwarded in case of need. Accounts from Upper Silesia state that
the insurgents have set fire to the town of Nicola!, and that the do-
mains of the nobility have been everywhere pillaged and destroyed.
The insurrection in that quarter is spreading rapidly. Count Potoki
arrived here from Paris within the last few days. The head of the
police refused to rise his passport, but he proceeded without one. He
was, however, arrested atGlenitz.

"-Letters from Upper Silesia, of the 28th of February, state that
the Austrians have quitted Podgorze and retired to Wadowoze, fol-
lowed by the insurgents, who, it is said, have taken. Williezka, and
have advanced as far as Guloff, within a league of Bothnia. General
Collin was waiting for reinforcements. It is reported at Cracow that
the Archduke Ferdinand did not feel himself in surety In Lembourg,
and that the insurrection now extended to the frontiers of Russia."
" Paris, March 7.
" The insurrection which has broken out so generally and so un-
expectedly in the Polish provinces of Prussia, Russia, and Austria,
has produced a sensation among the Polish refugees In France which
is difficult to describe. The provisional Government at Cracow has
sent word to the Polish deputation in Paris, which c?nstBeilsfmeorferem-
gee delegates from all the provinces, ly as
its representative, and that it is ready to give up
that it considersth@ maitsnagement of
affairs to it, as soon as called upon to do so. The Polish refugees in
consequently taking effectual steps to aid theircountrynien.
Paris are
for
amongrGerih
Germany,
are
onesd,Lpoosfsibthlee,
to Several
make havetheir
awl already
into Poland,
Proiaa,riids,
and
general officers who distinguished themselves most during the former
insurrection.
" Tunas o'CLocx.—A meeting of the members of the Polish
ty of May 3, of which Prince Czartoryski is president, was held
too-cdayatthellotel Lambert, the Prince's residence. The Prince is
considered by a large portion of the Polish nation as King of Poland.
The Society consists entirely of refugees, and has upwars of 1,000
subscribed members. Three hundred attended the meeting. They
declared to the Prince that they were ready to serve under his orders,
and to recognise his authority as king, but that in the present cir-
cumstances they thought it best not to raise that question, but to
take means for uniting in their exertions in the cause of their coun-
try. The Prince replied that he had never had any pretensions to
the throne of Poland."

THE LATE BRUTAL TREATMENT OF A POLICEMAN
AT DEPTFORD.—lesteeday afternoon a very lengthened inquiry took
Hastie, police-constable 334 It, who was cruelly
the death of James
place before Mr. Payne, the City coroner, at Guy's Hospital, touching
maltreated by several persons on the morning of Saturday, the 21st
ult., near the Rodney public-house, adjacent to the gate of the Dept-
ford dockyard. Four men have been taken into custody for the of-
fence, and have undergone an examination at Greenwich Police-court,
but stand remanded for a fortnight, the particulars of which we pub-
lished at the time. The same witnesses were examined before the
coroner, and nothing fresh was adduced, except the evidence of the sur-
geon who attended the deceased, and made a post znoKeni examination.
The evidence was as follows :—My name is Frederick Collings, and I
am dresser to Mr. Cooper. Early on the morning of Saturday, the
21st ult., the deceased, James nestle, was brought into the hospital
in a state of collapse, arising from lacerated wound 9 on the face and
forehead. There was a severe cut over the right brow, and a
compound fracture of the skull. I moved a piece et' the bone
of the nose, which was torn away. The left eye was drawn
into the wound. There was a severe wound on the
right side of the face, supposed to bo incised. The teeth were
loosened, and several were knocked out. The compound fracture
was near the right eye, which was entirely smashed. Ile went on
favourably for a day or two, when he was seized with epileptic fits
which brought on vomiting. Medicine was prescribed for him, but
hemorrhage ensued in the wound, and be never rallied after, but
died about half-past 4 o'clock on Saturday morning last, I have
since made a post mortem examination, and found the frontal bone
fractured, a triangular piece extending an inch across the forehead.
The skull was much depressed, as also was the surf.:ce of the brain ;
under the former a quantity of blood was discovered, which was
evidently produced by the fracture. Death was caused by the frac-
ture of the apex of the skull. There was also a laceration of the
membrane of the brain, which would cause death. He (the deceased)
was partially sensible up to Friday, but not long together, as he fre-
quently had fits. I considered that he was not fit to undergo an
examination last Wednesday, when Mr. Cottingham attended, aor
had he been since. The Inquiry had then lasted six hours, when the
Coroner informed the jury that the police wished an adjournment, to
give them time to make ihrther inquiries ; he should, therefore, ad-
journ until Monday, the 23d instant.
HIGHWAY ROBBERY.—On Saturday evening, about
half-past seven o'clock, as Mr. Giles Hall, of Corston, was on the
road between Keynsham station and Bridge House public-house, on
the Gloucester hill, he waa met by a man dressed in a smock frock
who knocked him dow,n with an iron bar. On his getting up two
other ruffians .came to the spot, and again threw him down. They
then rifled his pockets, and took from him a pinchbeck watch, a gold
key, and a metal seal, inscribed " Peter Dirkoven." They also
1
rob-
bed him of a bag containing 15v. Mr. Hall is considerablyadvanced
in years, and the age of the sufferer renders
tire ofioe tli
enre
unmanly. In their hurry to escape the thieves left behind them the
iron bar, which proved to be a formidable instrument, sharpened at
the end.—Bath Gazette.
as —We learn
that the American Government have accepted a contract for the
AMERICAN ATLANTIC MAIL STEAMERS —We
conveyance of the American mails over the Atlantic. Six large and
powerful steamers, it is stated, are to be provided, and the ports of
departure aro to lie Liverpool and .NOW Xerk.—Ltrfrpoolll.loo/t.