The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-14 00:00:00

SUBMARINE TBLEGRAPRY.

Communications continue to be received on the
subject of submarine telegraphy, but discussion is
of little use while the views of the Government as
to the proper mode of dealing with it remain un-
changed. Among other correspondents Mr. Thomas
Allan furnishes a useful history of the refusal of the
Treasury a year or two back to "entertain" the pro-
posals of an independent company for a compara-
tively inexpensive line to Gibraltar and Malta, and
of the announcement six days afterwards of their
determination to lay down a cable themselves, and
to employ Mr. Lionel Gisborne for the under-
taking—a conclusion which has resulted in the
manufacture of the cable at an enormous outlay,
and its being apparently found unfit for its purpose.
Another writer, Mr. Joseph Rogers, with regard to
a patent of his own, which seems to possess recom-
mendations on the score of economy as well as
efficiency, observes as follows :
"After Making many lengths of my cable for Messrs.
Gisborne and Fords, the Government engineers, who ex-
pressed it as being the best hempen cable ever made, I can-
not but be surprised that I was not examined under the
commission, the objects of which my long practical expe-
rience would have much assisted. But Mr. Lionel Gis-
borne informed me that he was so prejudiced in favour of
iron that there would be little chance of my cable being
adopted."

Under the circumstances all that the public desire
is to be assured that in nominating Messrs. Gis-
borne and Forde to deal with the enormous outlay
already incurred on submarine lines, and to have
the power of crushing or approving at pleasure the
claims of other projectors, the Government acted
upon substantial proof of the scientific merits and
experience of these gentlemen. To furnish this
proof cannot be a matter of difficulty. Messrs.
Gisborne and Forde, it is believed, were not known
tither to the public or the Government until the
Darien expedition of 1853, to which Lord Palmer-
ston lately alluded in the House of Commons. An
official report of that expedition was made to the
Government by Commander Prevost. It is upon
this report the Treasury must be presumed to have
acted when they selected Messsrs. Gisborne and
Forde as the persons to be placed at the
head of the telegraphic engineers of Great
Britain. But they resolutely abstain from pro.
ducing it. There is no reason, however, to _sup,
pose that it has been lost, because the present Ca-
binet, when they recently renewed the appointment
which was originally made by Lord Derby, must,
it may fairly be inferred, have referred to a docu-
ment having a bearing so important on the pro-
priety of their choice. Perhaps, on the reassem-
bling of Parliament in 1861, the objections to its
production may be overcome. Meanwhile, the
commercial, financial, and scientific public, who
have now come to look on submarine telegraphy as
one of the most vital questions of the age, must
remain content, and quietly assume that the Go-
vernment are not only perfectly satisfied, but that
they possess the means in due time of justifying
that satisfaction.— I imes' City Article.

COLLEGES FOR ORIENTALS AT CAMBRIDGE.—The
ed
efort a
e
Rev. George Williams, B.D , Senior Fellow of King's Col-
lege, Cambridge, has proceeded to Armenia for the purpose
Patriarchoof
assistingof the
Armenia
Orientalrmenia
h a eNliinugr ches establishing hostels at
Cambridge for the education of
nearer communion with the English Church. The Russian
Government has determined upon laying the foundation of
a Russian hostel in Cambridge, and a hope is expressed that
the Catholikos of Etsh-Miazin will follow the example by
sending a bishop of the Armenian Church with a number
expressed youths from
a great thet East,eire h
of the Armenian youths to England, to be educated in the
University. Dr. Wolff has presented the nucleus of a library
l
for
CHRIST'Sth eu use
eof studentsspT A
L_o f theon Russian
Friday,
theos te 12et inst.,
.
being St.
with Matthew'sthe
Day,
Sheriffs,
governors of the several royal hospitals,
will attend divine service at Christ Church, Newgate-
street, at 11 o'clock a.m., where a sermon will be preached
by the Rev. A. Williams. After which they will repair
to the great hall of Christ's Hospital, to hear the orations
to be delivered by tho senior Grecians, according to annual
custom.
DEPUTATION OF POSTMEN TO TILE POSTMASTER-
GENERAL.—Yesterday afternoon a deputation consisting
of the following members of theleommittee of the employes
of the Post-office, waited upon the Postmaster-General by
appointment, viz.:—P. Richmond, L. Tilley, G. F. Haw-
kins, H. M. Hines, S. G. Harrison, and J. E. Rosomond.
Tbey were received by his lordship alone, and in perfect
confidence, and they were told that the report as recom-
mended by the commissioners would receive his best and
earliest consideration, and he hoped before long to be able
to lay before them such conditions as would give general
satisfaction. His lordship also urged upon them the neces-
sity of allaying the excitement that at present existsi and
await with confidence his lordship's decisions. • The depu-
tation thanked his lordship for the courteous manner in
wLicb, they Imo Weiyod, an. 4 retired. •