The Sun.
London, England, 1869-07-07 00:00:00

ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHS.

The following are the resolutions reported to the House
on this subject:—
" 1. That it is expedient to provide for the purchase by
the Postmaster-General of the undertakings of telegraph
companies in the United Kingdom.
" 2. That the Commissioners of her Majesty's Treasury
be authorised to raise such moneys as shall be required for
such purchase by the creation of securities chargeable on
the Consolidated Fund of the United Kingdom.
" 3. That the said Commissioners may raise such moneys
by Terminable Annuities or Exchequer Bills or Exchequer
Bonds or Three per Cent. Capital Stocks of Annuities, or
by either or by all of such modes, provided that the total
amount shall not exceed in the whole the sum of £7,000.000

sterling.
"4. That it is expedient to authorise the payment, out
of moneys to be provided by Parliament for the purpose,
of all expenses which may be incurred in working, main-
taining, and extending the telegraphs so purchased, and
for the issue of any surplus of receipts over payments
arising therefrom to the Commissioners for the Reduction
of the National Debt to be applied to the redemption of
National Debt. - _ _

" 5. That it is expedient to amend ' the Telegraph Act

1868: "

SAFETY IN RAILWAY TRAVELLING.

Mr. Brady, one of the South-Eastern Railway Company's
engineers, has recently introduced an improved switch
and signal apparatus. It has been for some time in
operation on the North-Eastern Railway, the Metropolitan
District Railway, at the Waterloo Junction, at Redhill,
and on many important railways and at some
of the chief railway stations. For some time it
has been in use at the Reading station of the South-
Eastern line. The apparatus has been found to work
exceedingly well, and is simple and ingenious. As we all
know, the most fruitful cause of railway accidents is the
disagreement, so to speak, which there is between the
signal and the points. By the use of Mr. Brady's appa-
ratus it would seem a moral, or rather a mechanical impossi-
bility that the signal and the points should be otherwise
than in harmony. The following is a technical description
of this very ingenious invention :—" It is simple in its
parts, which are so proportioned as to be calculated to out-
last the lever handles to which they are attached. The locks
are all alike, and consist of a combination of links and
cams acting and reacting upon each other. The cams are
threaded on two-inch horizontal rods, placed parallel to
the row of lever handles in the switchman's box, and
underneath the floor on which he stands ; they are con-
nected with the point levers by means of short cranks
and connecting rods, each point lever having two cranks
attached to it, giving contrary motions to the attached
rods and cams, the two-inch rods being cut through oppo-
site each point lever for the purpose. The links are attached
to the signal levers by means of horizontal rods at right
angles to the rows of cams, and turn, with the motion of
the signal levers, in shoes secured in rows upon a cast iron
plate placed about a foot below the floor of the switch-
man's box, in a position to be seen and got at with ease.
As the link when it moves must turn upon the point of
the cam with which it is in contact, the slightest move-
ment of the lever handles causes an immediate locking of
the cam or the link as the case may be. The same patterns
are used for any number of locks, and a link or cam
can be slipped out and replaced in a few minutes when
necessary."

On Saturday next there will be a "great metro-
tropolitan demonstration" on Blackheath against the Irish
Church Bill.

A Cardiff contemporary says it is currently re-
ported in Carmarthen that Mr. John Jones, the Con-
servative member for the county, intends resigning his seat
in Parliament, in consequence of the death of his brother,
the late Mr. David Jones, of Pantglas. This step is attri-
butable to the increased attention to the affairs of the bank,
which will be required of the honourable member.
REMARKABLE CONVICTION IN IRELAND.—At the
Limerick sessions Mr. Rd. Dickson, a brother of Col. Dickson,
has been tried for threatening to shoot two female servants.
They invited a man named Eahill to the Colonel's house,
and Dickson finding him there, presented a revolver to shoot
him, and gave him up to the police. Mr. Dickson was found
guilty, and sentenced to a month's imprisonment, and to
find bail, or an additional month.

SUDDEN DEATH OF THE HIGH SHERIFF OF
BRISTOL.—On Monday night Mr. Robert Phippen, high
sheriff, senior alderman, and deputy-mayor of Bristol,
was dining with the mayor of the city, when he became
faint. Brandy was administered, and medical aid 'pro-
cured ; and he rallied a little and spoke, but soon became
comatose, and expired. The deceased was in his G9th
year.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR SCOTLAND.—
The report in a London evening paper to the effect
that Mr. Baxter will, in the event of a Secretary of
State for Scotland being appointed, be raised to that
dignified position, and that Mr. Candlish, M.P. for Sun-
derland, will succeed Mr. Baxter in the Secretaryship of
the Admiralty, has at present no foundation in fact.—
Scotsman.
THE BISHOP OF NATAL AND THE BISHOP OF CAPE-
TOWN.—The hearing of the case " The Bishop of Capetown
v. the Bishop of Natal," which involves ,the possession of
Natal Cathedral, was resumed on Tuesday, before the
Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, Sir John Col-
ville, Sir Lawrence Pell, Sir J. Napier, and Lord Chief
Justice Giffard, when, after hearing the arguments of
counsel on both sides, their lordships reserved their judg-
ment.
STRANGE FREAK OF A PItODIGAL.—A rich little
bit of scandal is on the tapis in the Faubourg St. Ger-
main. Count G— has the misfortune to be blessed with
a prodigal son, who has been going on so fast that his
father cut off all supplies. In a fit of revenge young hope-
ful invested his last louis in a corduroy jacket and blue
trousers, and set up as a commissionaire in front of the
Count's mansion. In order to attract customers he had
the family arms engraven on his crochet. This little
comedy has been going on for some time, and neither
father nor son appears inclined to give in. To bring mat-
ters to a crisis, the son has just announced his intention
of marrying a young fruitseller in the neighbourhood.
HAMBURG INTERNATIONAL HORTICULTUAL EXHI-
BITION.—A meeting of the English sub-committee of this
exhibition (which is to be opened on the 2nd of September),
was held on Tuesday at the offices of the Royal Horti-
cultural Society. It was announced that in addition to
the valuable prizes already offered for competi-
tion, her Majesty the Queen has graciously signified
her intention to present a silver cup for the
best specimens of grapes. A very liberal offer for the
conveyance of contributions from this country was sub-
mitted and considered, and it is believed that the com-
mittee will be able to offer to convey all English contri-
butions, except implements or machinery, to and from the
exhibition free of cost to the exhibitor. It was announced
that no entries can be received after the expiry of the
current month.

PRINCE ARTHUR.—The Council of Military Edu-
cation, in their report, state :—" Prince Arthur remained
three terms only at the Academy, and devoted his atten-
tion principally to artillery, fortification, and surveying.
In these subjects he passed a searching viva voce
examination by the Professors in June 1868, in the
presence of Major-General Sir F. Abbott, a member
of the Council, who expressed himself in the follow-
ing terms in his report : The examination being
viva voce, was much more extensive and searching than
it could otherwise have been made within reasonable
limits of time, yet the answers given were, with few
exceptions, prompt and accurate, shewing that during an
unusually brief course, his Royal Highness had devoted
great attention to the instruction given by the able and
zealous Professors of the Academy, and proving himself
to be well qualified for a commission in either of the
scientific corps of her Majesty's army.'"

THE PUBLIC HEALTH.—The rate of mortality in
London last week was 20 per 1,000, as compared with 22
in thirteen other large towns of the United Kingdom. In
Bristol the rate was 17, and in Glasgow 33. The rate of
mortality in Paris was 23 per 1,000. In the metropolis 2,019
births and 1,231 deaths were registered, the latter having
been less by 96 than the estimated number. The deaths
from zymotic diseases were 305, the corrected average
number being 357. Four persons died from smallpox, 22
from measles, 75 from scarlet fever, 4 from diphtheria, 90
from whooping•cough, 12 from typhus fever, 14 from
enteric fever, 14 from simple continued fever, and 20 from

diarrhoea. The deaths from scarlet fever exhibit an
increase on the numbers returned in many previous
weeks. Five persons were killed by horses or vehicles in
the streets. The mean temperature during the week was
6649, or CI below the average. The rangeoktopptatUre
4gring the wett..V4 mere the,