The Sun.
London, England, 1866-07-17 00:00:00

QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY IN IRELAND.

Sir R. PEEL called attention to the circumstances under
which a new or supplemental charter had been granted to
the Queen's University in Ireland, and complained that the
charter had received the sign manual of the Crown and
had the groat seal affixed to it, in spite of an assurance
given by Mr. Gladstone early in the session that no change
should be made in the constitution of the university until
an opportunity had been afforded to the house of challeng-
ing the policy of the Government relating thereto. The
right hon. gentleman charged the late Government with
having been influenced in the course they had pursued by
a desire to conciliate the support of the Irish Roman Catho-
lic members.

Sir G. GREY hold that nothing could be more clear and
unambiguous than the manner in which the intention of
the Governments both of Lord Palmerston and Lord Rus-
sell had been stated, and denied that their conduct was
liable to be construed into a violation of a pledge given by
Mr. Gladstone. What his right hon. friend said was, that
immediately after the issue of the charter a copy of it
would be laid upon the table, and that whatever was done
by the Government would be done upon their responsi-
bility. In compliance with that understanding, on the
26th of March, a copy of a letter to the Lord Lieutenant,
explaining what the Government proposed doing, was
communicated to the house. The supplemental charter
was not a revocation of the original' charter, but merely an
enabling one, and he hoped the senate of the university
would see the propriety of adopting it, and thus remove
what was admitted to be a grievance on the part of the
Roman Catholics in Ireland.
Mr. LOWE echoed the opinion of Sir R. Pool with re-
gard to the nature of the pledge, and suggested that the
Government should take up the question of the Queen's
University in the interests of education.

r Mr. C. FORTESCUE defended the conduct of tho late
Government, and in reply to the imputation cast
upon
them by Sir R. Peel, that their object had been to co
ci
liate the support of the Irish members on the reform
question, stated that the supplemental charter had received
the sign manual a week before the motion of Lord Dun-
kellin came before the house.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL did not impute any in-
tentional breach of faith to the late Government, but con-
tended that the proposed charter, if accepted by the senate
of the Queen's University, would have produced a complete
subversion of the whole system of education at that in-
stitution by doing away with the condition of residence at
the Queen's Colleges.
Mr. LAWSON (the ex-Attorney General for Ireland)
attributed the opposition raised to the charter to the fact
that it placed Roman Catholic students upon an equality
with other subjects of her Majesty. It did not interfere
with the Queen's Colleges, but merely enabled the senate

to do as was done by the London University, confer de-
grees upon persons who presented themselves as candi-
dates for honours from other educational establishments.
It would in no respect affect the mixed system of educa-
tion, but rather operate as one of its best preservatives
and securities.

After some observations from Mr. MAGUIRE and Sir
P. O'BRIEN, _ .

Mr. GLADSTONE, in justification of the course taken
by the late Government, said Sir R. Peel was himself a
party to the introduction of the change in the constitution
of the Queen's University, having sat on the Treasury
bench as Secretary for Ireland when Sir G. Grey, as the
organ of Lord Palmerston's Administration, specifically
announced the object they had in view, and given it his
tacit approval. Sir George stated that her Majesty's Go-
vernment thought that object would be best effected by
an enlargement of the powers of the university, by amend-
ing its charter so as to remove the restrictions which then
prevented it from granting degrees to any students except
those who had passed through the course of instruction
in one or other of the Queen's Colleges, and thus adopting
a system analogous to that which was found to work so
satisfactorily in the University of London. Such was the
declaration made by his right hon. friend with the official
and responsible approval of Sir R. Peel.
Sir PEEL said he had not sat silent, for he intimated
to Lord Palmerston that if the Government made an alte-
ration in the constitution of the Queen's University he
could not continuo to hold office.

Mr. GLADSTONE repeated that the right hon. baronet
had, as Chief Secretary, sat silent on the Treasury bench,
and upon that silence ho must be held fully responsible for
the whole measure. Ever since the month of June, 1865,
the plans of the Government had been well known to the
house. The supplemental charter sufficed for the purpose
of extending the powers of the university so far as the
granting of degrees was concerned, but to place the uni-
versity upon the footing of the London University it would
be necessary that those who received degrees should be
invested with the membership attaching to those degrees,
and that could only be effected by an A, t of Parliament.
He protested against mulcting the Roman Catholics of Ire-
land of civil rights which were freely granted in England
in deference to conscientious religious convictions, and ap-
pealed to the Government to declare their views with re-
gard to the question of education in Irela d.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—The right
hon. gentleman has appealed to me to express on this occa-
sion the opinions of the Government on the question be-
fore us. My complaint is that there is no question before
us. (Hear, hear.) The question before us is, whether we
should go into committee of supply, and I think it is most
inconvenient that if the opinions of the Government are
.ndtc ftohfbeutth
desired on so momentous a question as Irish education it
should be sought to obtain them without any notice and in
a manner so incidental as has occurred this evening. In-
deed, this discussion has originated in a misconception be-
tween the right hon. gentleman the member for Tamworth
and the late Government, respecting some engagement that
was made about the Queen's Colleges. I do not wish at
all to enter into that argument. It is clear that her Ma-
jesty's Government entered into an undertaking in which
they have not been, from some circumstance or other, suc-
cessful. I will agree that it is impossible to leave the ques-
tion in the position in which we find it. We will consider
it with candour. We will endeavour to make ourselves
acquainted with all the facts; and I think with refer-
ence to that result it may be interesting to know what
will be the decision of the Senate in the autumn. (Hear,
and a laugh.) As the discussion has gone on it has assumed
various phases, and has developed into a variety of aspects,
till at last, in the speech of the right hon. gentleman the
member for South Lancashire, it has touched on the very
principles on which the whole system of Irish education is
to be founded. It is not desirable that an issue of so much
importance should bo discussed in this house in a manner
so incidental, and alsolutkly, practically speaking, without
notice. I do not say this in defending the Government
from any expression of opinion upon the question..
.If
proper notice had been given, with the intention of elicit-
ing, even at this period of the session, and under the cir-
cumstances in which the Government finds itself, and
challenging the opinion of the Government upon the whole
question of Irish education, we should have been prepared
to meet the discussion. We should not have shrunk from
such a discussion, though I think under all the circum-
stances of the case the proceeding would not have been a
very fair one. But as the right hon. gentleman proceeded
he touched upon the vital principles on which tho whole
system of Irish education is founded, and I declare myself
that, though I listened to him with that attention which
he always commands, I am quite in ignorance whether ho
is in favour of or opposed to the system of mixed educa-
tion. I only say this to illustrate the inconvenience of
treating these vast questions in a manner so unexpected, so
occasional, and so desultory. We recognise fully the import-
ance
of the whole question of Irish education. It will receive
from us an earnest and anxious consideration. (Hear, hear.)
When the matter is brought before Parliament in a na-
tural manner we shall be prepared to offer those opinions li
which wo think it will be expedient for them to adopt and
to follow. But on the present occasion I think it unne-
cessary for mo to say more—(hear, hear, and a laugh)—
except that an honourable gentleman, who rose early in
the evening in this discussion, made some inquiries of
mo which it was not then convenient that I should
answer, respecting some appointments in the Irish Go-
vernment, and which it would not be respectful to the
much agree, so far
house that I should pass over in silence. The hon. member
for Nottingham favoured the house with an eulogy upon
Whig
judgeel ltrhifgo-er m
the duties
sat htseerl
a can f
givenocharacterrni
by
Dayfnl\t opinion,hl le.. hßori Brewster.
gentleman.tietrh I the very
I characterbelieve
31M
rr .. B re w
Brew-
ster-
to be a most eminent lawyer, and a temperate and
sagacious politician, and no doubt Mr. Brewster would
fulfil the duties of Lord Chancellor of Ireland with great
ability and satisfaction. I am only surprised. that after the
glowing account of Mr. Brewster given by the hon. gen-
tleman he and his friends did not make him Lord Chan-
cellor. (Hear, hear, and a laugh.) The hon. gentleman
inquired of me whether the Lord Chancellor of Ireland
greate eminence,Lo
was Mr. Blackburn°. I believe.
.I may say that her Ma-
jesty,by the advice of her Ministers, has appointed Mr.
Blaekburne to be Lord Chancellor of Ireland, and that he
has accepted office. The hon. gentleman did not deny
ability and experience. The hon.. gentleman referred to
the past as having been the period when Mr. _Blackburn°
that
ftrheeal
Ireland,
decision
Government
was distinguished ; but three months ago Mr. Blackburne
hon.of appeal
gentle-
man i s
only three months ago he would have been deemed quite
the was
judgejudgel ov
fh
who appealrevises
Chancel-
lor, and if ho had been appointed by
tao
of Lord Chancellor. (A laugh.) The hon. gentleman
competents byto
thinktla e late
him
seemed to complain that Mr. Napier was appointed as suc-
cessor to Mr. Blackburn°, although au hon.gentleman who
sits near the hon. member, delivered a panegyric on Mr.
Napier. No one can deny that he is an able and astute
lawyer. When the act passed first for constituting the
judges of appeal in Ireland it was admitted that if ono
man more than another was entitled to the highest post
it was Mr. Napier. The hon. member for Nottingham,
with that delicacy which sometimes distinguishes him,
talked of an infirmity under which Mr. Napier labours,
and said he was deaf as a post. I am sorry to say,
and I speak from information which I have re-
ceived, that deafness is an infirmity to which the right
hon. gentleman has always been subject, but that did
not prevent him from obtaining the confidence of the house
in his judgment and learning, and by his labours materially
assisting the deliberations of this house in committee. I am
informed that the infirmity to which Mr. Napier is subject,
being an infirmity not coming from age, has not increased
since ho was in the House of Commons, and therefore I
cannot think that that is any ground for incapacitating him
from filling the post to which he has been preferred. I do
not know that I need say more upon the remarks of the
hon. member for Nottingham (Mr. Osborne). The hon.
gentleman has indeed said that it was my duty, on thepart
of the Goveroment, to express the policy they mean to pur-
sue with respect to Ireland. I remember seven years ago,
under almost similar circumstances, taking my placeatthis
table. The hon. gentleman, who then represented another
constituency—he really has been almost a universal repro-
sentativo—(laughter)—asked me to favour the house with
an exposition of the policy of her Majesty's Government,
not only on this but ahnoston every other subject. (Laugh-
ter.) A debate took
place, and a reforenco was made to pre-
cedents which regulate the conduct of this house, and I
believe it was admitted by the hon. gentleman,who did not
take much by his motion, that it was not established that
it was my duty to make an exposition of the policy of the
Government, it being clearly shown, on the contrary, that
such was not my duty, no one placed in my position hav-
ing felt it his duty to do so on first taking his place at this
table. Tho hon. member has now grown more modest ;
seven years' experience has modified his opinions—(laugh-
ter)—and now he confines his demand as to what will be
our policy towards Ireland. On that point I will not shelter
myself under precedents. The hon. member seems to accuse
me of having some secret by which emigration may be
checked from the sister isle and he demands that J, as
Chancellor of the Exchequer' should with perfect frankness
explain what this secret Specific is. Ho certainly seemed
to intimate that I, as Chancellor of the Exchequer, was go-
ing to place an export duty on emigration. (Laughter.)
Tho hon. member for Nottingham says there are some things
he will not bear, and says emphatically that he will not
bear votes for public works, but especially will he hold
himself bound to oppose votes for railways. Now, I am
bound to admit, with the frankness which the hon. gen-
tleman encourages, that it is part of our policy to propose
a vote for the Irish railways and to assist them at this
moment. (Hear, hear.) This may deprive us of the con-
fidence of the hon. member—(laughter)—but this will,
perhaps, be of less importance if wo obtain the confidence
of others by this declaration. I hope that such a policy,
which we inherited from our. predecessors, will obtain for
us support, and we recommend it because we think that
they wisely advised it. I have now answered the ques-
tions of the hon. gentleman as to our Irish policy, and I
trust that, when questions relating to Ireland come to be
discussed, whether those be imperial or local, whetherthey
relate to the construction of railways, or whether they in-
volve the question of education, the Government will be

able to announce their policy in a manner which will en-
title them to the confidence of this house. (Hear, hear.)
Several votes were agreed to for the Revenue depart-
ments, the Customs, and the Post-office packet service.
A number of bills were advanced a stage, and others
postponed.
The house adjourned at a quarter past one until twelve
o'clock this day, when the Thames Navigation pill will
be considered in committee.

ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH EXPEDITION.

(From the Times Special Correspondent.)
VALENTIA, Friday Night, July 13.
This day, just before noon, the Great Eastern
picked up the shore end off this island, and in less
than three hours made a perfect splice with the main
cable, and amid the hearty good wishes of all, went
steaming across the Atlantic to America, paying out
the Wire as she went. This evening she was about
80 miles from land submerging the rope at the rate
of about six knots an hour, and conversing by sig-
nals with the shore through the whole length of
2,370 miles of wire, all the signals coming with a
force and distinctness such as have never yet been
found with any submarine wire. So clear and rapid
are all the messages that, even despite the paying
out work going on, it is perfectly easy now to hold
the most gossipy sort of conversation on all kinds of
subjects with any of the engineers on board the
Great Eastern. This has never been done before,
and probably could not easily be done now but for
the improved instruments invented by Piofessor
Thomson, Mr. Varley, and Mr. Willoughby Smith.
These, however, are all acting with the most uner-
ring precision, and every one is sanguine of a suc-
cessful result to this last great attempt. Beyond
actually recording the fact there is not a great deal
to say about the splice-making. Everything went
so smoothly and s as such a perfect matter of busi-
ness routine that there was an utter lack of incident.
It was meant, if possible, to make the splice the day
before this, for there was a half-concealed repug-
nance among many about commencing the work on
Friday. It need scarcely be said, however, that
there was no feeling of this kind among the en-
gineers and electricians, most of whom had been
engaged in former efforts, and all of whom remem-
bered that when the cable was successfully laid
in 1858 it was on Friday that the work of sinking
in mid-ocean was begun. The Great Eastern left
Berehaven on the evening of Thursday, the 12th.
A small fleet of ships had previously assembled there.
In addition to six fine colliers there were her Ma-
jesty's ship Terrible, with the Albany, Medway, and
William Corry, and to these on the morning of
Thursday was added her Majesty's ship Racoon,
which, through the kind hospitality of Capt. Armi-
tage and his officers, took out a large party of visi-
tors to see the squadron start, and be present at the
making of the splice. Under these special circum-
stances, therefore, Berehaven wore a most festive
aspect, and with the constant visiting of boats from
ship to ship the harbour teemed with life and activity
from morn till dark. The general sailing of the
squadron, however, did not come off as was expected.
For many reasons it was deemed advisable that all
the vessels should not leave together, so the Terrible,
the Medway, and the Albany were started early
yesterday morning, and aftersome hours unpleasant
groping through a dense fog, during which all the
ships came perilously near the rocks off the Skelligs,
they at last found their way to the entrance of
Valentia harbour last evening, and taking their bear-
ings, stood out again, to remain at the buoy at the
shore end till morning. Tne Great Eastern, with
the Racoon, quitted Berehaven just before dusk,
leaving the magnificent bay destitute of a single
ship out of the squadron which had so lately
filled its waters with life and animation. Im-
mediately outside the haven both ships were
at once enveloped in one of those dense, white
Atlantic fogs which make navigation on the coast of
Ireland almost as difficult and dangerous in summer
as in winter. Not a thing could be seen ahead.
Even the Great Eastern herself, to which the Racoon
kept close, gradually became dimmer and dimmer in
the watery haze, like the shadow of a vessel as
vague and unsubstantial looking as the Flying
Dutchman. Soon even this taint visionary outline
was lost as a great sweep of fogbank poured over
her and enveloped also the Racoon so closely that
even from her own deck her spars were lost to view.
It was not by any means a pleasant situation on
such a coast and such a cruise, especially with a
gigantic neighbour close at hand like the Great
Eastern ; the slightest touch from each would at
once have put her Majesty's ship Racoon under
some 50 fathoms water. The speed of both ships,
therefore, was slowed to as low a rate of motion as
would keep steerage way upon them through the
swell which came lumbering sluggishly along in tire-
some monotony. Fog horns were also set going
from both ships, and their dismal clamour made the
night seem doubly long. It was alsolutely neces-
sary, however, to keep them going, for at all risks
an accidental encounter with the great ship was to
be avoided, even if the Racoon had to heave to and
remain where she was till daylight. Fortunately, the
fog-signals from the Great Eastern were so distinct
that there was no necessity for this, and at slow
speed the Racoon was able to keep her place about
half a mile astern of her. huge consort. A very wide
berth was given to the shore, and of course a very
wide one indeed to the Skelligs. The ships were off
the latter soon after daylight, and before 6 a.m. the
Terrible, Medway, and Albany were sighted, keep-
ing their dreary vigil through the mist and rain
round where they thought the buoy at the shore end
was. This, as we have said, was about 30 miles to
sea, and was quite out of sight of land. There were
two buoys—one a very large one, equal to a weight
of seven tons. It was moored by what is called a
mushroom grapnel, which was attached to the buoy
itself by 120 fathoms of stout chain. This was
only placed a little east, or nearer land than that
which upheld the end of the cable itself, for if
the buoy holding the actual end of the wire
pitched about much in rough weather the cable
is very certain to fray through its fastenings or
break off, and in either case, it, of course, sinks im-
mediately, and, no particular bearings being taken,
is often difficult to find. For this reason a mooring
buoy is always placed inside the supporting buoy
and exactly over the cable, so that if the rope breaks
loose its place is known at a glance, and can be
raised in such shallow water in 10 or 20 minutes.
The second and outer buoy which held the wire was
of nearly the same size as the mooring one, and to
this, by powerful slip ropes, the cable was securely
held with about a quarter of a mile of its end length
hanging down in water. To landsmen it may ap-
pear a very simple task to find these conspicuous
beacons floating at a given place in the sea. Yet, in
reality, the work is one of no ordinary difficulty and
delay. The swell so frequently conceals them that
a ship may actually be within half a mile of them
without making them out ; and, with no bearings
to guide them, a continued succession of short tacks
across the place where they are supposed to be is
often necessary for hours and hours before they are
discovered. This was actually the case with the
buoys of the cable picked up this morning. As soon
as the first gleam of daylight shone, the Terrible,
Albany, and Medway all went in search of them,
in the confident expectation of an immediate find ;
yet, after two hours close search, they got no trace
of them, and even when the Great Eastern hove in
sight were obliged to signal "Buoys not yet found."
Within ten minutes after this they lighted upon
both of them, and the great ship was at once sig-
nalled to come up. As she did so, all the accom-
panying vessels of the squadron gave her a wide
berth, for as on her lay the duty of grappling for
and lifting the cable buoy, her movements were
likely to be both quick and uncertain. This, in fact,
proved to be the case. Several times she steamed
down with her grappling iron and ropes astern just
over the line of the buoy, and it seemed impossible
to those not on board of her that she could have
missed it. Miss it, however, she did so repeatedly
that it was after 10 o'clock before a great strain was
seen to come upon her grappling ropes, and the buoy
itself began to follow slowly, dodging and dipping
about in the foam of her track. Directly this was
noticed her paddles were reversed, and the great
ship was brought to a standstill, and after a deal of
shouting and directions the end of the wire was safely
noosed and brought on board the vessel, and so on
through the hauling in machine. When this was
perfectly secure, and a tight grip had of it, the fas-

tenings to the buoy were cut away, and the huge,
red monster rose more than half its length above
the waves, and went tossing about at random. No-
body, however, troubled himself about this, for
buoys, though costly, are as nothing when compared
with submarine cables, and it was wished to make
the splice at once. This was rather a long operation,
and though done with every speed consistent with
safety occupied nearly four hours before it was com-
pleted. Before it was begun the shore end was put
in connection with the batteries on board, and a
message at once despatched to Mr. Glass at the tele-
graph house. At the latter place Mr. Glass, with
Mr. Varley and all the staff, had been waiting since
dawn for the first signal that the shore end was found.
The marine galvanometer had been watched with
impatient eyes for the long-expected signals; but it
was mute and gave no sign till at about 20 minutes
past 11, when its stationary light began to move in
strong, rapid signals of dash and dot from right to
left, which were read as they came with ease, and the
message was, " Got the shore end—going to make
the splice—everything is right." To this Mr. Glass
replied with a few words of congratulation, and for
a little time a rapid conversation was kept up be-
tween the house and the ship at sea, and then sud-
denly the light stood still and mute, for the work of
making the splice had begun. This, with a cable of
such length and importance as the Atlantic Tele-
graph, is a labour which involves the utmost scien-
tific and mechanical skill, for a faulty joint might
delay the working of the wire for weeks. How it
was made on board the Great Eastern may, how-
ever, be very simply told. The end of the cable,
stowed in the aftermost tank, was brought out, and
about six fathoms' length of its wire and hemp cover-
ing untwisted, and while this was being done the
same operation was going on and to the same ex-
tent with the shore end which was picked up from
the buoy. In this manner the gutta-percha insu-
lator was quite laid bare, and the gutta-percha itself
was cut away for a considerable length of both por-
tions. The strand of copper conductors was next
unwound from each end, and the two joined together
by close plaiting. Every copper wire plaited toge-
ther was- of a different length to that to which it
was bound, so that at no one place were any two
joints near each other. Every junction, too, was
firmly bound round with fine wire, and further se-
cured by strong soldering. When the conductors
had been thus, as it were, welded together to the
perfect satisfaction of the electricians, another class
of workmen came upon the scene—the men who in-
sulate with gutta-percha. This is the most important
work of all, and every step in its long process is
watched with the most careful scrutiny. 'With fine
bands of softened gutta-percha, about as broad and
not thicker than an ordinary tape, they envelope the
conductor in fold after fold, each laid transversely
to the other, and each as it is wound round having
its edges melted firmly together by the flame of a
small spirit-lamp. As the operation progresses the
insulating compound is laid on in thicker bands till
the whole core is covered with a perfectly homoge-
neous mass as impervious to water as granite itself.
When this was effected this morning the splice was
lowered overinto the sea, and the huge coils in all the
tanks having been previously joined together, the
whole was tested through to ascertain the perfectness
of the splice by a series of messages to and from the
telegraph-house. An ordinary conversation was
carried on with very rapid signalling, and the result
was that in a short time the joint with the shore-
end was pronounced absolutely faultless. The light
signals were as strong and as distinct to follow as
those which would be made by a common Morse-
needle, and even those least versed in telegraphy
would be able to read them easily after a day's in-
struction.

Here it may not be out of place to mention that
the system of signalling employed is entirely through
Professor Thomson's marine galvanometer. The
principle of this is merely that, instead of a needle
oscillating on a dial to right and left, a small, but
exquisitely burnished, mirror on which a light is
thrown is made to move. This fine reflected ray of
light is thrown upon a graduated scale, about 3 feet
distant from it, so that with its movement its sig-
nals range over an area of nearly 2 feet each way.
Thus a rapid passage of the ray of light to the right
or left means, as they pass over the divisions of the
scales in front, different letters, and these are called
dashes, while a pause upon any particular degree
for a second or so means dots, and so by dots and
dashes of this flashing ray the signals are read, the
work being much facilitated according as the light
passes to the right or left to the centre of the scale.
By means of this beautiful apparatus the slightest
battery power would be sufficient to signal through
an insulated wire of 5,000 miles in length, even
though some serious faults might exist in the cable.
As soon as these bright, dancing little tokens had
given their last answers this morning the submerged
splice was raised out of the sea and its iron covering
plaited on and round it till the whole work was
finished. When this, like other parts of the splice,
had been supervised and reported upon by the
mechanical engineers, a message was sent through
to Mr. Glass, saying, " Splice all, 0. K. • we are
going off." The answer was, " God speed you,"
and on the receipt of this the fastenings of the
joint were cut adrift and it went down in the
waves under the Great Eastern's stern. As it sank
the first movement .of the paying-out machine could
be observed, and in another minute the Great
Eastern and her consorts steamed slowly out into
the fog and mist and rain which covered the Atlan-
tic, and, with a parting salute of one gun, the Ra-
coon turned her head inland, and brought her
visitors ashore this evening. Since then the
signals between shore and ship have been incessant.
If possible they improve in character and clearness
every hour, but this is always the case as cables
become immersed in the perfectly equable tempera-
ture of a deep sea. The weather since the ship
started has been very squally, with storms of heavy
rain. When last heard from, at about 9 o'clock this
evening, the ship was nearly 80 miles from shore,
steaming a little over five knots an hour, the cable
running out smoothly at about six. Everything
was going on perfectly, the wind and sea rather
abeam, the ship rolling, or we should rather say
moving slightly, and reported as altogether astonish-
ingly steady. During every hour of the day and
night these signals will be kept up, stating weather,
depth of water, position of the ship, distance run,
and amount of cable paid out. Until fairly out of
deep water, however, nothing can be safely said as
to the result of the enterprise, and it will be a week
at least before the cable can be said to be entirely
beyond risk of loss. By that time the Great East-
ern will be iu little more than 1,000 fathoms of
water, when a fracture of the cable might be re-
garded with comparative indifference.

Never on any occasion have there been so many
visitors at Valentia to witness the starting of the
expedition. Every morning has brought in fresh
groups of tourists, and every evening has as regu-
larly witnessed their departure, for there is absolutely
no accommodation to be had here on any terms.
Col. Bradford, and Lieut. Bentinck, who were among
the late arrivals, have been wise enough to bring a
bell tent with them, and are camped out on the hill,
and other visitors coming from Killarney are, we
have heard, intending to bring similar means of
shelter with them.

Yesterday a large party, conducted by Mr. Bevan
and Mr. Bewlay, came in from Dublin, and held a
very important meeting, at which prayers were
offered up for the success of the Atlantic Telegraph
expedition. Nearly all the county gentry were pre-
sent at this gathering, which was held in a store-
room belonging to the slate works. It was not en-
tirely a religious service, however, for manyspeeches
were delivered. Yet, even for most of these visitors,
mo accommodation could be found in this pretty little
village, or even at the market town of Cahirciveen
some eight miles distant. The majority, therefore:
had a wild mountain drive into Killarney, through
a night of heavy rain and keen cold wind.
None of those interested in the success of the
expedition intend leaving here till the Great Eastern
is in comparatively shoal water, and on her way to
the banks of Newfoundland.

ROWING MATCH FOR £2O.—A scullers' wager
took place yesterday morning, the competitors being Bird
and Miles, both plying at Greenwich, to row from the
Halfway House to Greenwich Hospital. It was a very
close match for some time, when Bird took the lead, main-
tained it, and won by a short distance only.

Supposed. Suicide by • a Military Officer in
a West-end Hotel.

Last evening an inquest was held by Mr. C. St.
Clare Bedford, in the board-room of St. James's
Workho use, on the body of Capt. George Gordon
Hope Jormstone, 4Q years of age, who was found
dead in be td at " Gregory's Hotel," Rupert-street,
Haymark. A, under circumstances thatled to the sup-
position tl la he had destroyed himself by poison.
The jury having viewed the body in the dead-
house attached to the workhouse,
Mr. Robert Hope Johnstone, residing in St.
James's-street,, identified the body as that of his
brother, who v zas fornierly an officer in her Majesty's
79th Highla,nC lers. Witness had also been in her
Majesty's mill- Lary service. He had not seen the de-
ceased for son le time. '

Mr. Normal' Buchanan, distiller, of Glasgow, but
at present stayiug at No. 6, Craven-street, Strand,
said he had kn,wn the deceased for the last 26
years. On Saturday morning he left the deceased
about a quarter to two, as far as he could remem-
ber, and he never saw him happier. About half-
past 12 deceased had some gin-sling, and witness
had some brandy and soda. Deceased complained
of spasm of the heart, but after taking a cigar and
some gin and water he recovered. An agreement
was made that witness should call at his hotel in the
morning at half-past ten, or deceased was to drive
down to him at a quarter to 11. When witness left
he said ho was quite well. He appeared to be per-
fectly able to take care of himself, and said he was
going to see a friend. He saw nothing more of him.

By the Coroner—Witness knew that while deceased
was in the Highlands last summer he carried a bottle
of chloridine with him in his portmanteau, and used
occasionally,to take as many as 20 drops at a time.
The brother of deceased said he knew that large
doses of medicine were taken by deceased, and he
had told him he should not take double doses of blue
pills and strong doses of salts. Witness knew no-
thing of the chloridine. From the character of de-
ceased, he did not think he would commit suicide.
Evidence was given that deceased returned to his
hotel at half-past three, and ordered the waiter to
call him at 10 next morning, and to supply him with
some rum-and-milk. The servant-girl took in the
rum-and-milk at the hour named, but as deceased
appeared to be asleep she did not disturb him. A
short time afterwards he was found dead in his bed.
An empty bottle which had contained chloridine
was found near the bed, and also a tumbler which
had contained chloridine and water, and which still
contained about 20 drops of chloridine. From the
post-mortem examination it appeared that death
was occasioned by an overdose of chloridine while
in a state of intoxication.

The Coroner, after some difficulty in attempting
to arrive at a conclusion, showed the jury that there
were, according to the medical evidence, several
causes for death, and, having descanted upon them,
left the jury to consider upon their verdict.

After a short deliberation, a verdict simply of
" Disease of the heart" was returned.

COUNTRY MARKETS.