The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-22 00:00:00

when examined by the brilliant light of the torches
which he himself enkindled, but which required
trimming by skilful successors before their full
light could be revealed to the admiring spectators.
It was not merely in pure physics and mathe-
matics that he distinguished himself. He traced
with marvellous accuracy the course and periodic
time of every planet, and enabled those elaborate cal-
culations to be made, which enable us to predict to the
very moment the commencement and termination
of an eclipse, or the transit of a planet—which
enables the mariner of every sea and ocean to dis-
cover his exact position, and thus to avoid the
shoals and rocks on which he might otherwise meet
destruction. He also explained the " differential
and integral calculus," although it is but a simple
act of justice to another great man—the illustrious
LEIBNITZ—to confess that he also had made dis-
coveries on the subject later than NEWTON, but
without any knowledge of the results of his inves-
tigations.

His optical discoveries supplied tests by which
the accuracy of his celestial dynamics could be
ascertained. It was he that pointed out the pro-
perties of light—that indicated the path which has
been so well pursued by HERSCHEL and RossE,
and many other distinguished persons. Of him it
might truly be said, that there was nothing towards
which he directed his attention that he did
not brilliantly illustrate. The inhabitants of
Grantham have not rendered honour to the mighty
dead, but to themselves. So far as he was
concerned, it was but " gilding refined gold ;" but
they will henceforth receive a reflected light, which
will render famous the locality in which so great a
man was born, and where he received the first
rudiments of education.

The revising barristers are now beginning their
important annual task among the different constitu-
encies. It is a reminder to the electors generally
throughout the United Kingdom of the probability
of a speedy dissolution, and of the consequent ne-
cessity for forethought on the part of those who
may otherwise run the hazard of losing, by negli-
gence, the high privilege of the elective franchise.
Next session will, in all human likelihood, not
come to an end before another appeal to the country
is adventured upon. It is difficult to believe for an
instant that the present House of Commons will
suffice for the passing of any comprehensive measure
of Parliamentary Reform. It was chosen origi-
nally, it will be remembered, under the pressure of
an emergency—to pronounce " Yeh" or Nay upon
the Question of the War with China. That war
has, happily, been terminated to everyone's satis-
faction. The appeal last made to the country
answered its purpose to admiration. Out of that
little squabble over the lorcha Arrow has come
forth a new treaty between the British and Celestial
Empires, calculated to result, not only to the ad-
vantage of the conquerors themselves, but to that
also of a hitherto insulated mass of 400,000,000 of
our fellow-creatures. Consul PARKES made way
for Lord ELGIN, as Sir JOHN BOWRING had already
made way for Sir MICHAEL SEYMOUR—and the
result has been that the ports of China are no
longer sealed against us, but that all that is sealed
in any way, in regard to the Chinese, is this new
and most admirable Treaty of Pacification.

The existing Barliament has doubly done its
duty—it has secured the triumph of British arms
in China, and it has hurled down, during this last
session, the " insolence of office," latterly grown to
be an intolerable incubus under the weight
of a purely Whig domination—advisedly we
say a Whig domination—for Lord PALMERSTON
was literally without any followers whatever,
saving and excepting Whigs. Call the noble
Viscount himself a Canningite, or an Any-
thingite ; but the comparative Nobodies who
were at his beck to fill up the offices of the Govern-
ment were—Whigs all. There was a pure Whig
at the Admiralty—Sir CHARLES WOOD. There
was a Whig man of letters at the Board of
Control—Mr. SMITH. A Whig— Sir GEORGE
LEwis—was Chancellor of the Exchequer. A
Whig, abut the ablest of them all—Sir GEORGE
GREY--was Home Secretary. And so on through
all the ins and (as they happily are now) outs of
the Palmerstonian Government.

Wherefore. again we remark—this present House
of Commons has done its duty well and doubly.
It won't obviously do in the least for the next
work to be done—the great inevitable labour long
postponed, and therefore largely accumulated, of
Parliamentary Reform. Consequently, all that now
remains to be done in its regard, at the earliest time
that may be convenient, is—to dismiss it with a
benison for the past, and a hope for the future as to
the character of its successor.

And now, as to that successor, and the labours,
just commenced, of Registration. Surprise has
been expressed by some that the (so-called) Conser-
vatives—that is, the supporters of the DERBY
Government—are perfectly idle and apparently in-
different as to the progress of registration—say,
for example, in the city of London. Instead of
regarding this as a melancholy spectacle, we look
upon the fact as in every way encouraging and
satisfactory. It helps to justify the observation
made, if we remember rightly, by the Colonial Secre-
tary, in his address to his constituents on accepting
office—the observation that the old landmarks of
party are really broken down and swept away.
Thoroughgoing Reformers are themselves, in the
best sense of the word, Conservatives. Conserva-
tives, again, are themselves, or we are much mis-
taken indeed, among the numbers of the more
earnest and thoroughgoing of Reformers. The ap-
parent quietude of the Derbyites, therefore, in the
midst of the Registration, looks to us rather like
confidence than indifference. One watchword alone
we would suggest for general guidance in the now
less anxious, but still responsible duties of Regis-
tration ; and that one word—note it well—is Anti-
hig

COURT CIRCULAR.

BALMORAL, SEPT. 19.

Her Majesty the Queen, his Royal Highness the Prince
Consort, his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, and her
Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, accompanied by the
Ladies and Gentlemen-in-Waiting, attended divine service
in the parish church at Crathie.
The Rev. J. Fowler officiated.

The Marquis d'Almasy has left the lfluunswick
Hotel.

The Countess of Jersey and Lady Clementina
Villiers are expected in town on Saturday from the con

tintli~

We
_regret to learn that the Countess of Abingdon
still contiotes in a very precarious state of health.
Viscount tud Viscountess Palmerston left Cam-
bridge House, ye.gto.vday, for Broadlands, Hants.
His Excellency sti.:e Ambassador of France left
Albert-gate House yestC:rtZlY, on a visit to the Duke and
Duchess of Wellington, ut- C;aremont, Norfolk.
The Duchess of Beatifor.!" arrived in town on
Monday, from visiting the Eurl ai,:d Countess Howe, at
Gopsall Hall. The duke is exvected in town to-morrow.
The Marquis and Marchicruess of Breadalbane
are passing the season at Geneva, where the noble lord and
her ladyship intend prolonging their stay until the end of
next month.
The Duke and Duchess of Hamilton, since their
arrival at Brodrick Castle, from Hamilton-,pa London,
have been surrounded by a select party.
The Earl and Countess.of Erroll are entertainiug
a select circle at Slaines Castle, Aberdecnshi`re .
Lief passing
The Earl and Countess of Bosebery
the season at Dalmeny Castle.

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