The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-24 00:00:00

30 10
25 70

TII BA,EL 0 T SCtCIE J;I:

The Allowing remarks on a lea:du-4 article in
,Xloyd's Weekly Newspaper have been refused ad-
mission into its columns, and we have been re-
quested to insert them :
Sir,—ln answer to the question contained in
your leader of the 14th inst., " Why is not the Bal-
lot Society more active than we find it ?' " Why
has this society not familiarised the public with
the advantages of the ballot, and fortified its posi-
tion by apt illustrations which have been derived
from the ballot-box in America and Australia ?"
I beg leave to reply as follows :--
Ist. As to want of activity, I am happy to bo
able to quote the contrary opinion of an Anti-
Ballotist. In a pamphlet, eititled " A few Remarks
on the Ballot, addr?ssed to all who value the
security of property and the maintenance of order
and good government," recently published at
Exeter by a gentleman who, oddly enough for an
opponent of secrecy, chooses to keep his name
secret, it is said—" With unaltered zeal and perse-
verance, with an increasing addition of strength
from the accession of many persons of high in-
fluence and important social position set-
ting forth arguments and assertions which
have been refuted and proved to be un-
founded so repeatedly and so clearly as to
render the subject stale and nauseous as twice-
boiled cabbage, the ballot-mongers hold their
meetings, deliver their lectures, and make their
annual motion in Parliament. By dint of sheer
hard work and ceaseless agitation slowly but
steadily increasing in numbers and importance."
" The agitation, in its favour is no mere bugbear.
The minority in Parliament includes many men of
immense wealth and influence. This clearly proves
the immediate and absolute necessity of prompt
and vigorous resistance on the part of its oppo-
nents."

The anti-ballotist does us more justice than the
editor of Lloyd's, although we are proud to rank
him amongst the advocates of the ballot. Tracts
exhibiting the necessity of the ballot, the arguments
in its support, the opinions of eminent politicians
in its favour, and " fortifying our position by apt
illustrations of the benefits which have been derived
from the ballot-box in America and Australia,"
have been and are circulated by the thousands in
every Parliamentary borough, and also in the
counties, as opportunities are afforded.
I may add that the communication on the work
ing of the ballot in New South Wales, which ap-
peared in your paper of the 14th, was forwarded
by this society to each of the London daily papers,
and the leading Liberal papers in the provinces.
Meetings in the following places have been re-
cently held, and attended by members of the com-
mittee, who addressed them on the question of the
ballot :

Cirenoester
Cheltenham
Greenwich
Gloucester
Launceston
Portsmouth

Godalming
Helaton
Monmouth
Reigate
Truro
Exeter

Sheffield
Woburn
Folkestone
Fenny Stratford
Hackney
Itiswich
Newcastle-on-Tyne
Taunton
Woolwich

Tewkesbury
Devonport
Deptford

Frome

Harwich
Horsham
Norwich

Doer

These deputations receive no remuneration for
their services. I may further add that since the
formation of this society the supporters of the bal-
lot in Parliament have increased from 176 to 238.
No election passes without a movement, public or
private, as is judged most efficient, being made for
the ballot.

The committee fully acknowledge " they should
be as active as eloquent, and as persevering as the
Anti-Cora Law League," but that they may be so
they must be as rich. The League expended in
their agitation (if I recollect rightly) £200,000.
This society has not, at, present, had the means of
expending for our movement £lO,OOO.
I trust you will insert this letter, and that it may
to an increase of the society's means of pro-
ducing additional subscribers amongst your readers.
If that be the case, our activity will increase also.
The above was written and sent to your office
before I saw your paper of the 21st, with your
further strictures on our proceedings. With this
letter in your possession it is strange you should
repeat your mistaken assertions. I need only add
that one, whose competency to judge you will not
question, Mr. Cobden, in his speech at Rochdale,
speaking of the Ballot Society, said, " That Society
is worthy your support, and will, I hope, go on
advocating the Ballot, and adducing, as it is ad-
ducing, the best possible arguments to show its
morality and efficiency."

I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
WM. WICKHAM, Secretary.
The Ballot Society's Offices, Gaildhall-chambers,

Aug. 19, 1859.

LONDON DISTRICT TELEGRAPH COM-

PANY.

Yesterday the first half-yearly meeting of the
above company was held at the London Tavern,
Mr. Robert Taylor, vice-chairman of the board of
directors, in the chair.

The report has already been published in The
Sun.

The CHAIRMAN, in moving its adoption, ex-
plained the absence of Mr. Samuel Gurney, M.P.,
the chairman, who was spending his holiday in
the Channel Islands. He had been induced to join
the company, because he felt that the metropolis
required such an undertaking, and having paid
great attention to it, he had no hesitation in saying
that in a short time the company's wires would be
almost as much appreciated as the post-office. Few
companies had received so much support from the
public, and he believed the bulk of the shareholders
had joined not as a matter of speculation, but with
a view to investment. No free shares had been dis-
tributed ; all the shares had been paid upon, and
before the allotment took place every precaution
was taken to ascertain the prospects of the under-
taking. Accordingly the directors put themselves
in communication with bankers, insurance com-
panies and others, and the result of these inquiries
satisfied them the company would supply a want
which had been long felt in the metropolis. In
carrying out theworks the directors had observed the
strictest economy, and he was convinced that no
body of directors could have more zealously devoted
themselves to the duties they had undertaken. It
had been under consideration to appoint a general
manager of the future business of the company, but
it was found that a person competent to discharge
such duties could not be obtained for less than
£4OO a-year, and it had therefore been proposed to
manage the business by a sub-committee. The
wires would be worked by females, and the number
of repectable and educated young persons who had
applied for employment had quite surprised and
grieved the directors. The terms upon which the
staff would be employed were these ; those who
could manipulate three or four words a minute
would be paid ss. a-week ; eight words, Bs. ; and
after that 10s. per week. At present the company
had 45 young persons under the instruction of a
competent instructress; and when the staff began
to work the strictest rules would be laid down for
their guidance. Any male clerk found talking to
any of the female clerks would be subject to instant
dismissal.

After a short discussion the report was adopted,
and the directors, the whole of whom retired at this
meeting, were re-elected.
The CHAIRMAN then informed the meeting that
the next business was to consider the amount they
would set aside as a remuneration for the directors.
Mr. RENFRAY suggested that they should be re.-
compensed by a per tentage on the profits.
The CHAIRMAN remarked that the profits for the
past half-year had been but small, and cautioned
the meeting against expecting a large dividend
until they had had time to make the public familiar
with so novel an undertaking. The directors had
held 88 meetings during the past six months ; and
by way of placing a tangible proposition before the
meeting, he would move that they be paid at the
rate of £l,OOO, commencing on the Ist of January
last. (Cries of " No, no," and " Too much.")
Mr. EAMES thought that the sum named was a
very reasonable one. If equally divided amongst
the eight directors it would only yield them £125
each, which was surely not too much for gentlemen
of such standing as they had been fortunate enough
to secure for the hoard. (Hear, hear.)
The motion was then put, and was apparently
lost.
The CHAIRMAN was afraid it would be necessary
to vote by the number of shares held by the gen-
tlemen present.
Mr. RENFRAY would move an amendment.
Mr.
The CHAIRMAN said that, strictly speaking,
Renfray was too late ; but as the directors would
greatly prefer a unanimous vote, he would receive
his proposition.

Mr. RENFRAY moved that the sum be £BOO a
year.
A PROPRIETOR thought it was hardly worth
while to press so paltry a reduction. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. FARQUHAR said it would be bad policy to
refuse the directors a fair remuneration for their
labours, considering how much would depend upon
their exertions.
Mr. RENFRAY then withdrew his motion, and the
majority.
The proposition was carried by a large
1
The auditors were re-elected, and a vote of 5
guineas to each per annum wa
Thoheamirmeeatinngandterminatedthe withe agreed
re
oteedoth*
of thanks to
the
board.

TILE TELEGRAPH.

TO Tilt \thlT bit OF TILE SUN.

Sir,-1 beg.to forward hereunder a copy of a re-
porf from Mr: R C. Webb, C.E., who is well known
as having had considerable experience in the test-
ing and examination of telegraphic cables, and
who has just returned from Valencia, to which
place he was recently deputed by the directors to
proceed for the purpose of affording them the
necessary information as to the present eleettical
andrnechanical state of the cable.

• My absence from London has prevented it from
being sent to you sooner for the information of the
public.—Yours truly,

GEORGE SAWARD, Secretary.
Atlantic Telegraph Company, Liverpool, Aug. 22.

" To THE CHAIRMAN AND DIRECTORS OF THE AT-
LANTIC TELEGRAPH COMPANY.
" Valencia, Aug. 10.
" Gentlemen,—According to your request I have
made from Valencia a careful examination of the
electrical state of the Atlantic cable. I made some
tests for comparison on the various pieces of Atlan-
tic cable in Messrs. Glass's premises at Greenwich
during July 31 and August 1.
" I arrived here on the 4th inst., and, assisted by
Mr. Collett, made experiments during the sth, 6th,
Bth, and 9th inst.
" I find the lowest resistance shown to be 278
statute miles.
" I find it is possible to increase this resistance
up to 589 miles by_ sending a copper current for
some time from six 12-plate Daniel's batteries.
" By experiments I have made on various kinds
of constructed faults I find that a fault which could
be thus oxidized so as to give (by reversal of the
current) a difference of resistance equal to the dif-
ference obtainable on the cable—viz., 311 miles,
must give a minimum resistance of about 16 miles.
" When the fault is large, and thus gives little
resistance, no great change can be obtained by re-
versing the battery ; and, indeed, it is evident that
when the connection between the line and earth is
increased beyond a certain extent of surface no dif-
ference in the resistance of the circuit can be ob-.
tained by reversing the battery.
" When the fault is very minute it can be almost
perfectly sealed up by a copper current, but the re-
sistance will still be very great, even with a zinc
current.
" My experiments show that a fault of about 16
miles' minimum resistance can be varied with cer-
tainty by reversal of the battery to the same
degree as the fault on the cable, and that if the
fault gives less resistance than 16 miles it cannot be
varied to that extent, while, if it gives more resist.
ance, the variation cannot be produced with the
same certainty, nor quite to the same degree.
" Taking, therefore, the resistance of the fault
and cable beyond the fault to be equal to 15 miles,
this would bring the fault to about 263 statute miles
from Valencia.
" As I have no information of the return current
due to different lengths of the Atlantic cable, which
might have been observed and tabulated during the
paying out of the cable, it is impossible to check
the resistance tests accurately by the observed re-
turn current.
" Comparing it, however, with the return current
on the Cagliari and Malta and Corfu cables, and
making, roughly, allowance for the increased size
of the gutta percha in the Atlantic cable, I find it
to be about what is due to the supposed distance of
the fault.
" I also made experiments on the return current
with a wire leading to earth from the cable, and
by placing reslstanees in circuit in this wire I could
represent a fault close at hand and of varying re-
sistanerz.
" I found that in such an arrangement, when the
artificial fault gave a resistance of 300 miles, the
return current was only reduced about 22 per cent.
"If the real fault, therefore, was close at hand,
the return current of the whole length of perfect
cable beyond the fault would be only reduced about
22 per cent.
" I am of opinion that the return observed cur-
rent is much less than 78 per cent. of the return
current due to the whole cable, as it would be if the
fault were close at hand and of a resistance of about
300 miles, and that it coincides, as nearly as I can
judge, with that due to the length shown by the
resistance.
" Again, when the artificial fault was made to re-
present a resistance of 260.milei and then increased
to 580 the return current only increased about 17
per cent., whereas when like real fault is increased
to the same amount of resistance (by sending a
copper current for some time) the return current in-
creases about 80 per cent. This shows also that
the return current is more influenced by the partial
healing of the fault than it would be if the fault
was a small one near at hand, and consequently
tends also to confirm the supposition that the fault
is distant, and offers, when at its minimum little
resistance.
"I am of opinion, therefore, that a serious fault
exists about 263 statute miles from Valencia, mea-
sured along the cable, and that the cable between
that spot and this shore is comparatively perfect.
"No tests from here can now decide whether the
cable is mechanically severed, since all attempts to
detect the reception of the most intense currents
from the opposite shore have long since proved
fruitless.
" Still, from the various circumstances attendatg
on the decline of the insulation, there is every
reason to believe that the continuity both of the
cable and the conductor is perfect.
" Whether any other fault exists besides the oae
alluded to it is impossible to ascertain by tests
from Valencia.
" The fact that the signals received at Valencia,
were always better than those received at New-
foundland proves, undoubtedly, that the worst in-
sulation has always been near Valencia ; and
therefore it seems probable that if the fault which
exists on this c..,ast, and which, very likely, forms
the principal cause of leakage, could be removed,
the insulation would be so far improved as to
render the cable again available forsignalling, pro-
vided the fault which is said (by those who have
tested from Newfoundland) to exist in Trinity Bay
was also repaired.
" I have the honour to be, Gentlemen,
" Your obedient servant,
" F. C. WEBB."