The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-16 00:00:00

MITCH MAIL.

WEIMAR, Junr s.—The presence of his Llai,,sty
the King of the Netherlands, gives great pleasure
to the inhabitants of Weimar, who crowded about
the palace in order to see the august father of the Prin-
cess, whose affability has gained all their hearts. There
is a constant succession of fetes, and yesterday we were
most agreeably surprised by the unexpected arrival of
the King of Prussia. In the evening their Majesties
and the whole of their grand ducal family went to the
theatre, when Schiller's William Tell was performed by
the King's desire. To-day the King of Prussia and the
Netherlands, with the Grand Duke, and the Hereditary
Grand Duke went to Weissenfels, to be present at the
opening of the railway from Thuringae to Merseburg.
GRONINGEN, JUNE B.—We receive from all quar-
ters the most favourable accounts of the state of the
crops ; the fears that were entertained respecting the
disease in the potatoes, are much diminished, and this
fine weather will, perhaps, wholly put an end to all signs
of an evil which has caused so much apprehension.
THE HAGUE, JUNE M.—His Majesty is expected to
return to the Hague on Friday or Saturday next, from
his visit to Weimar.

ROTTERDAM, JUNE 10.—The Rotterdam journal gives
very long and detailed accounts of the regatta of the
Royal Netherlands Yacht Club, which took place to-day
on the Maas. The weather being extremely fine vast
numbers of spectators assembled to witness the animated
scene, the interest of which was heightened by the
presence of their Royal Highnesses the Prince of
Orange, and Princes Alexander and Henry, the latter
of whom distributed the prizes.
THE HAGUE, JUNE 11.—The Government of the
Dutch possessions in India is preparing a grand expedi-
tion against Bali. At the departure of the last packet-
boat from China, a body of 3,000 men of all arms were
assembling at Batavia, Sourabaya, and Samarang, and
was to sail on the 15th of March, on board a numerous
flotilla of transports, gun boats, and steamers, among
which was the steam frigate Bruno, Capt. Smit Vanden
Broecli e.

A melancholy disaster has just occurred at Flush-
ing. One Roel Stales, a labouring. man, and his
wife had gene from home to their work, leaving five
children under the care of the mothcr of Stales, a
woman of great age. This woman went out to fetch
some milk, leaving the five children by themselves. Sud-
denly the house was seen to be in flames, which spread
with such rapidity, that notwithstanding the prompt
aid of the neighbours, it was impossible to save the poor
children, and all five perished in the flames.

THE ELECTION OF A. NEW POPE.
" The following," says the Conslitutionnel, " are the prin-
cipal ceremonies observed at Rome oa the death of the Sove-
reign Pontiff:—
"As soon as the reigning Pope has ceased to live, the
Pope's Great Chamberlain, accompanied by the clerks of the
Apostolical Chamber, is conducted to the bedroom of the
deceased Pontiff, where he verifies his mortal remains, and
receives from the hands of the Master of the Chamber the
fisherman's ring.' This ring, and the seal of bulls, called
the leaden seal,' are broken by the chief master of the cere-
monies in presence of all the Cardinals. The Pope's Great
Chamberlain then holds a congregation with the same
clerks, and in this re• union he appoints all the officers of the
Chamber.

":Twenty-four hours after the Pope's death, his body is em-
balmed. In the evening of the third day it is transported
to the Church of St. Peter's with the same pomp that sur-
rounded the Sovereign Pontiff on solemn occasions; there
is also a detachment of artillery, which forms a part of the
cortege. The body thus embalmed remains exposed in the
Chapel of the Holy Sacrament during three days, the head
turned towards the altar, and the feet touching the railing
which encloses the chapel. The people pay their last homage
of respect and regret to the mortal remains of the Pope by
kissing his feet between the bars.
"A large and rich catafalque is raised during this period
in the middle of the principal nave of the basilica. The por-
trait of the deceased Pope, and the most memorable events of
his reign, are painted in grey colours, and ornament the
different sides of the mausoleum. The funeral commences in
the evening of the third day by the ceremony of interment,
which takes place in the presence of the Great Chamberlain,
the Cardinals appointed by the deceased, and the clerks of
the chamber. The body, inclosed in a triple coffin, is after-
wards placed near the chapel of the choir until the time of-
sepulture.
"The funeral ceremonies last during nine days. The
cardinals, prelates, magistrates of Rome, officers of the pon-
tifical household—all those, in fact, who usually assist in the
Papal chapels, are present at these ceremonies. The Sacred
College assembles before the funeral mass, in the sacristy of
St. Peter's, and there appoints the different public officers for
the Government of Rome, the Council of State, and the
Conclave."

ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.
SITTING OF JUNI 8.
M. Dumas read a long report of the process employed at
the Royal Printing-office for printing upon stone, and in
colours, the large geological map of France. It would be
tedious to our readers generally to follow M. Dumas
through the whole of his report, however interesting it
may be to printers, who are well acquainted with
all the technical details into which he enters. It
will be sufficient for us to state that which has been done
upon a rather smaller scale, with the must perfect success,
by other lithographic printers, and in particular by M.
Engelmann, to whose genius and perseverance so many
beautiful improvements in lithographic printing are
due, is accomplished at the royal printing office upon a
more extensive scale, by the mechanical precision which
has been attained. Printing in colours, whether from metal
types or stone, is, as our readers may suppose, a repetition
of the process for as many colours and shades as are
required. If in letter-press printing, for instance, it be re-
quired to print a sheet in six or seven colours, there are the
same number of forms set up, each containing the words
which are to be in one particular colour. The press-work
upon one colour being accomplished, another form, containing
the letters to be printed in a different colour, is brought to
the press, and the sheet is so adjusted that the colour may
fall nowhere else ; this process is repeated as often as the
colours are to be introduced. There must be the greatest
care and precision used. It is the same with lithographic
printing. For as many portions of the print as there are to
be portions in different colours, there are so many engraved
stones, and success in the operation depends upon the ma-
chinery, by which the sheet is made to adapt itself exactly
to each. The novelty at the Royal Printing-office appears
to us to consist entirely in the extent to which this mode of
printing is carried, for it appears that no less than 23 or 24
lithographic stones are used for the same map. The me-
chanical part of the process is evidently, from the description
of M. Dumas, admirably contrived; but whilst due honour
is paid to the art and ingenuity evinced in the process at
this establishment, we think it is only fair to speak in terms
of almost equal praise of the individuals who have, with so
much public spirit, and at so great a sacrifice of money,
brought the art of lithographic printing to its present state.
A long letter was read from M. Boussingault to M.
Arago, relative to a tree struck by lightning last month, and
which the writer saw and examined after the accident. M.
Bossingatet gives a very detiiled account of the appearance
of the parts rent or carbonised by the electric fluid, but they
are wholly without interest, for the writer admits that it dif-
fered in no essential point from what has been seen in other
cases of the same k ind. What, then, it will be no doubt
asked, was the writers object in this long letter ? It was
simply to enable 51. Boussingault to repeat an opinion which
he has frequently expressed, that the belief that the electric
fluid leaves behind it a strong odour of sulphur is a vulgar
error. He says he was assured by some persons that this
tree gave out such a smell, but that having himself visited
it he was convinced that there was no smell of sulphur,
and that the real smell was precisely the same as that in the
manufactories where vinegar is distilled from wood. These
two odours are very unlike, and consequently if M. Botts-
singault is right, persons who fancy that the electric fluid
leaves behind it a smell of sulphur are wrong. M. Bons-
singault adds, that in no case has lie found a sulphurous
emanation from any article struck by lightning. In the
present case, however, he candidly admits that a person who
accompanied him in his visit to the tree was of opinion tha
the smell was sulphurous, "notwithstanding all his efforts to
dissuade him from it." M. Boussingault is a great authority
in scientific matters, but his companion seems to have
thought that, independently of science, a nose is a nose, and
that be had as much right to smell or fancy that he smelled
sulphur as M. Boussingault had to smell or fancy that he
smelled the vinegar of wood.
Cornay gave a description of a new sound or rrobe for
detecting the presence of urinary concretions and cairn- de-
posits, and which he calls a stereoscope. It is an irgenious
contrivance, and will, we believe, be found of Lractical
benefit.
A communication was received from Monsieur Bouchardat
on the functions of the roots of plants. He states that if
the roots of plants be plunged in a solution of several salts
so weak as to be without chemical action upon the tissues,
the plant will absorb these salts in equal proportions. M.
de Saussure came to a different conclusion, but this arose,
says M. Bouchardat, from his not having taken into ac-
count the secretion which goes on simultaneously with the
absorption.
A communication was received from M. de Nothomb, on
the use of ammonia in the preparation of plates for
photographic impressions. hitherto it has been considered
important to carry on the process of photography in places
as free as possible from ammonial emanation. M. de
Nothomb is of quite a different opinion. He says, nothing
tennis so much I o increase the rapidity of the operation as the
use of ammonia. After preparing his plate in the usual way
with the vapour of iodine, &c., lie exposes it to the vapour of
a solution of ammonia, and at the end of twenty or thirty
seconds, it is, according to his account, in a much better state
than it would otherwise be to receive the impression that is
required in the camera obscure.
There was no other paper of general interest read at this
sitting.

THE SPECIAL BURDENS OF LAND. —The agricultural
hundred of Lonsdale, which in 1815 contributed 16 per cent.
to the county rate, now contributes but 41 ; the manufactu-
ring hundred of Salford, which contributed but 14 per cent.
in 1815, now pays 434 per cent. In other words, where Lons-
dale formerly paid 161., it now pays but 41. 15s. ; and where
Salford paid 141. it is now charged with 43/. 153.—Lancaster
Guardian.

FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE CROYDON RAILWAY.—
On Saturday afternoon, a fatal accident took place on the line of the
Croydon Railway, to a man named Thomas Field, aged thirty-five
years, a workman employed in the carriage department. Ile was at
the Croydon station at the works now going forward, a few yards
from the platform, and endeavoured to get across the rails, as a
special engine was nearing the spot.. Several persons called to him,
but he heeded them not. In a second afterwards, the trout part of
the engine struck the deceased with frightful violence, forcing him
about twenty feet forward on the line, and before any person could
reach him, or render any aid, the engine again knocked him down
and passed over him, when the unfortunate man was found in a
frightfully mutilated state, and perfectly insensible. He was taken
to the hospital, where he was found quite dead, having expired on
the way.
SWARMS OF BEEs.---During the past week many
hives of bees in the town and vicinity have each sent out a strong
independent colony. A swarm was discovered on Friday night in
ngg
the Kelso Library-room, on the Chalkhetigh, which was secured in
a hive by the librarian next morning. There is little doubt that this
was a swarm cast off from a hive beloin to Mr. Ferguson, in the
garden at Abbey Green, on the Friday afternoon, as they were fol-
lowed a good way in that direetion.—Kelso Chronicle.
DEATH OF ARCHBISHOP POSADO.—WQ regret to hear
of the death of this eminent man, the head of the nomad Catholic
Cluirg4 Lu 3.102tiM tie expired 04 the 24 or Nay,

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
HOUSE OF LORDS, June 15.
Their Lordships met to-day at Five o'clock.
MESSAGE FROM THE. COMMONS.
Messengers from the House of Commons brought up several
bills.