The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-21 00:00:00

ItETURA OF A COMET.

The comet which was reported to have been seen a few
clays back does not seem to have been altogether a
hoax. At any rate a veritable comet has at last refreshed
the hearts of the astronomers. They have long been on

the look out for comets. "News," the Daily News says,
" has just come from a foreignobservatory that the wanderer
has been discovered. He is now traversing the incon-
ipicuous constellation of the limiting Dogs ; but
is as yet far too quaint to be seen without a powerful
telescope. Even the possessor of such a telescope
would find it difficult to discover the comet were
not its place accurately indicated. On this account it may
he well ft r those IN ho w ibh to eNamine the new comer to

wait until Mr. Hind, Nwl, o has long been recognised as the
leading English authority in matters conietic, has marked
out fur the stranger the path which it shall fo low across
the skies. The cornet which has just returned is com-
monly called Winnecke's comet, having been discovered
1.3; that astronomer in 1858. It must not be confounded,
however, with a comet of the same name which returned
last year. The latter was one of much longer period, and
quite different in character. ahe present one travels once
in five and a half years round the sun. It was described in
1858 as having at first ' the appearance of an undefined
nebula, the light most intense in the centre, but no true
nucleus to be seen ;' later a well marked nucleus made its
appearance. It must have returned in 1863, but was not
hen favourably placed for observation. Indeed,
^, comet travelling in a period of five and a half years can
only be well seen at alternate returns. If at one visit it is
well placed in the nocturnal sky, at the next the half
year difference brings it on the diurnal sky, and of course
the light of the sun blots out so faint an object. In this
:natter of its period \Vinnecke's comet is not singular. More
than half of the comets of short period take about five years
and a half in the performance of their circuit around the sun.
The circumstance has a very interesting interpretation.
It arises from the strange way in which the short-period
comets have been twisted into our neighbourhood by the
planet Jupiter. This monstrous fellow goes on his rounds
like a gigantic policeman, and takes up comet after
comet, which but for him would have passed far away
from the neighbourhood of the sun. Sir John
Herschel related in lively terms how Jupiter
ill-treated Lexell's comet, first twisting it into the
solar system, suffering it to go twice round the sun, and
then unceremoniously twisting it out again, so that astro-
nomers have never seen it 'since. That was precisely the
sort of treatment which gives to a comet a five-and-a-
half year period or thereabouts. For a comet
which has thus been forced into the solar system
must necessarily have the most distant part of its path
just outside the orbit of Jupiter ; and that being so, the
laws of planetary motion tell us its period must be
about five and a half years. The worst of the matter is,
that with an orbit so placed a comet is always apt to be
sent again upon its travels by Jupiter. If he happen to be
near at hand, when the comet returns to the neighbour-
hood of his orbit, he will twist it out of its path as easily
as the Great Eastern would tow a cockboat. In fact, the
way in which Jupiter treats the cosmical clouds which
we call comets merits for him the title of cloud-
compeller,' which Homer gave to the Jupiter of Mount
Olympus. We may congratulate ourselves on the safe
return of the wanderer now visiting our skies. For
it has happened, quite recently, that our astronomers
have searched long and fruitlessly for one of the same
family."

An invention new to English operators is
described in the last number of the Illustrated Photo-
grapher. It is called the "Oplithalmos," and is in reality
a camera provided with mechanical contrivances for
automatically uncovering and covering the lens, and
exposing the plate. It is sent up attached to a small
balloon without an operator, and at any required height
takes a picture of the surface of the earth beneath it with
all the bearings of the compass accurately marked. The
value of such an invention will be apparent to all; but
some doubts of its success are expressed.

PROFESSOR BLACKIE ON HISSING--At the recent
presentation of the prizes in the first and second Greek
classes in the University of Edinburgh, students who
belonged to Aberdeen came forward, and Professor Blackie
remarked that Aberdeen students generally were superior
to those of Edinburgh as far as their knowledge
of Latin was concerned. The irate Edinburgh students
rewarded this statement by a shower of hisses, where-
upon the learned Professor gave utterance to some words
which are applicable further South than the capital of
Scotland. Here is the interesting scene :—" Whenever a
man utters an important truth," said the Professor,
"some fellow hisses. (Laughter.) Those persons are more
ignorant than the beasts that perish. (Laughter and
renewed hissing.) Gentlemen, cannot you find out the
poor creature that is hissing? (Loud laughter and hisses.)
Let us see where the ass is. (Renewed laughter and hisses.)
Those gentlemen who hiss, if they were not extremely
ignorant, should know that it is a well-ascertained fact
in our halls that the Aberdeen students beat all the
other students in Latin composition. (Hisses and laughter.)
1 mention that fact to spur on people here to make such
improvements on their system as to cause the students to
be successful rivals. (Cheers.) Do you think that I, a
professor, deserve those hisses when I maintain that there
are some people in the world better than your conceited
091ves ? (Roars of laughter, cheers, and., hisses)," The
distribution of Prizu

„orb ...

.~a~—~

IMPERIAL ?ABU A rYli ENT

HOUSE OF CO AIMONS—Tms DAY.

The SPEAKER took the chair at 12 o'clock.

There was a very small attendance at tho meeting of the
House, there being only just the number present requisite
to form a " House."

Some petitions were presented for and against the Mar-
riage with a Deceased Wife's Sister Bill.
MARRIAGE WITH A DECEASED WIFE'S sisTER.
Mr. J. CHAMBERS moved the second reading of this
bill. Ho stated that thirt 7-three divisions in the house
had already condemned the law, and five times the house
had sanctioned a bill for f; to remo ;al of the present re-
striction, and on four oe =ions the house bad sent to
the 11Ousa of Lords a me am Ire to do away with the re-
striction. No Divine laws pr ohibited a man marrying the
sister of his deceased wife, but there was a prohibition
against a man taking the sisb nr of his wife during the life-
time of his wife to vex her. In all ages among the Jews
such a marriage was honours tile, and was now permitted
by the Jews. With the ex ption of some of the Baptists
and Weshyans, marriage ,cr!.tli a deceased wife's sister
took place at the present le, and It as acknowledged.
Taking the English laws, t. ma, in the days of Henry VIII.,
it was there stated that i attri iages aro to ha considered
legal if not prohibited by God's law. la Ireland and
Scotland in 1588 a aim Jar law was rioter(' to, and
prevails to the preseLt tint". God's laws were
an authoritative appeal, an-1 no ideas (.1 men could
make a marriage unholy and illegal, if it were according
to God's word, holy and legal. The learned gentleman
quoted a portion of the words used in the marriage cere-
mony, and contended that he was backed by the laws tout
by the doctrines and principles of the Divine Word.

(LEFT SITTING.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE—This Bay

LEWES PACES-THIS DAY.
INNKEEPERS' PLATE.

Lady Lavender 1
Wanderer . 2
Kicksey Wicksey .

Eleven ran.
LATEST BETTING.
TWO THOUSAND GUINEAS.
9 to 2 agst Belladrum (taken freoly)
CHESTER CUP.
23 to 1 agst Robespierre (taken)

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

LEWES 111 EETING -YESTERDAY.
TOWN PLATE.

Scout
Dawdle
Maiden's Blush

• 1
.... ...
...... 3

Fifteen ran.
SWEEPSTAKES OF 5 SO VS.

Velocity
Kicksey Wicksey
Curatrix g .... . ..... 3
Five ran.
TWO-YR-OLD STAKES.

Nelly Hill c
Candour
Prince Harry
Eight ran.
CRAVEN HANDICAP.

a 1

2Eolus..
Hue and Cry
Lady Lavender

Nine ran.
CASTLE STAKES.

Brazcnose
Sea Robber • 114
Marquis of Worcester

Five ran.
WELTER CUP.

Citron 1
Target
Wrestler.

J

Fourteen ran.
LATEST BETTING ON THE COURSE.
TWO THOUSAND.
7to 2 agst Pretender (taken and offered)
4to 1 agst Duke of Beaufort (taken)
sto 1 agst Drummer (taken)
6to 1 agst Belladrum (taken)
33 to 1 agst Martyrdom (taken)
600 to 400 agst Pretender and Duke of Beaufort.
coupled (taken)
CHESTER CUP.
sto 1 ngst .iEgean (offered—take 11 t 9 2)
1200 to 100 agst Fairwind (taken)
2000 to 100 agst Palmer (offered)
DERBY.
100 to 6 aget Bellactrum (taken)

RACING FIXTU RES.

Chester l, 5, G, 7 1 St. Albans 17 18
liglinton Runt 6, 7 ! \Vast Drayton l7, IS
Wiucliebter ll, 12 lluth 18, 19
York 11, 12 Alunchest,r l9, 29, 21
lialdoyle ::i.l Spring II 12 Croydon 19, 21
Salisbury ' ; 11 Harpenden 2l
I Doncaster 13, 14 Epsoui Summer .. ...25, cte.

J I rNli.
Croydon 2,3, 4 Newcastle 22, 23, 24
Newton ', 0' 4 Oldliatu 22
Ascot ...8, 9, 10, 11 I;ibury Club 23
Liverpool Sunnuer —l5, 16 Scockuridge 24, 25, 26
'Windsor 15, 16 Ulielinsford
Hampton l7, 18 Sutton Park .....29 30
Curragh 22, 23, 21 1
- - --

_
.1111 X
Worcester l, 2 1 Southampton 13,13
Newmarket July 6, Vic. I Reading 15, 15
Carlisle
Pontefract 9, 10 1 Stamford ... 242, 23
Hendon ..... l2, 13 I Goodwood 27, 28, 29, 30
Nottingham 11, 11

AUGUST.

Brighton 3, 4
Brighton Club 5
Lewes 6, 7

Oxford
York 24, 25, 26
Plymouth 26 27
~.

. . _ .
Egtiam lO, 11 1 Scarborough 30, 31
Wolverhairpt.on ......10, 11 f Derby Summer ..,31, Sep. 1
Windsor 12, 13
Weymouth 31, Sep. 1
St. Albans l7, 18 Canterbury .........31, Sep. 1.
Stockton lB, 19, 20 I
SEPTERBER. •
Warwick 7, 8
I Hampton `)1, 2
Curragh (Royal) 7,8, 9 Western (Ayr)........22, 23
Abingdon 0, 10 I Hendon
Doncaster 14, 15, 13, 17 1 Monmouth... - 23, 24
Richmond
21, 22 I Newmarket Ist 0ct....28, &c.Lichfield

OCTOBER.
Bedford 5, 6 Cheltenham . 19. 20
Edaihurgh 6, 7, 8 I (purr: O l9, *A., 11
Leicester 7, 8 1 West Drayton .........21, 2.

. .
Bromley 7 8 Hereford ... 21, 22
I Newmarket 2d Uet...11, &c. Monmouth 23, 21
Chelmsford l9 20 I Newniarkw, ll'ton ...25, dc.
Kelso 19 20 1

NOVEMBER.
Harrow 2, 3 ilglinton Hunt 6, 7
I
Worcester 3, 4 Liverpool
St. Albans 5, 6 i Shrewsbury ..... l5, 16

STEEPLECHASE FIXTURES.
APRIL.
DI A.Y.
Limerick Hunt 4 St. Albans
Eglintuu Runt I 7 .st Drayton....... 1

i..-Eta

r.,.