The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-20 00:00:00

THIS DAY'S SHIPPING.

LONDON, May 20.—Wind this day at noon—N.E.
moderate breeze, with heavy rain and occasional sun•
shine.

PORTSMOUTH, May 19.—Wind N.NE. to N.W.—
Sailed—Sultzneo, for Freemantle.
POOLE, May 18.—Wind W.—Sailed—Hearts of Oak,
for Newfoundland.

QuEENSTOWN, May 18.—Arrived—George Edward,
from Aux Cayes. Off port—Fanny, from Barbadoes for
Bristol; Cluny, from Belize, and then sailed for Liver-
pool.
SHIELDS, May 19.—Wind N.N.E.—Sailed—Maria, for
Rio Janeiro.

SOUTHAMPTON, May 20.—Arrived—Ariel, steamer,
from New York ; left on the 7th ; has no specie for Eng-
land.

(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)
SOUTHAMPTON, Friday Morning.

Wind, E
Arrived.—Llangothland and British Lady, from New-
port ; L'Etoile, from Carentan ; La Pouk, from Cher-
bourg; Edith, from Llanelly.
Sailed.—Ondine, steamer, for Dublin ; La Poule, for
Cherbourg; L'Etoile, for Carentan.
LIVERPOOL, Friday Morning.

• Wind N.N.W.
Arrived, May 19.—Sarah and Emma, from West Point ;
Joseph, Fish, St. James, and Susan Hinks, from New Or-
leans ; Freedom, from Havre ; Hannah, fromi Caen ; Quil-
lota, from Islay ; Ann Duncan, from Buenos Ayres ; Beren-
dina, from Antwerp ; Eppingham, from Kooria Mooria ;
Luisella, from Villa Royal ; Esther Sophia, from Mara-
caibo. ,

Arrived, May 20.—Cluny, from Belize; Morden, from
New Orleans.

(BY SUBMARINE AND BRITISH TELEGRAPH.)
GRAVESEND, Friday Morning.
Wind, S.E. ; light, one hours' flood, cloudy. Arrived, May 19.—Adelaide, from Mauritius ; Hero,
Gfrom the Cape of Good Hope ; Michelena and Pelen, from
othenburg ; Asken, Gipkelina, from Konigsberg; "Pros-
pero, from Nevis; Anne, from Memel.
G uernse
Arrived, May 20—Spring, from Dunkirk; Bertha, from
bur y; William, from Caen; Tapperleto, from Gothen-
g.
Sailed, May 20—Planet, steamer, for Hamburg; Jeddo,
_. for Rio Janeiro ; Lord J. Russell, steamer, for Dunkirk.
DEAL, Friday Morning.

Wind N.B. by N., light.
Passed—Espoir, from Ostend, for Cardiff; Nicholas
Wood, steamer, for Genoa ; European, steamer, for
Limerick; Kofdon, for Cardiff—all from London.

ELECTION INTELLIGENCE.

KILKENNY COUNTY-CLOSE OF POLL.

Ellis .
Green
Moore
Shee .

.. 2507
.. 2036
.. 1774
.. 1610

The eight large steam-vessels of the European
and American Steam Company have at length been defi-
nitively purchased on specuiation by Mr. J. 0. Lever,lM.P.
and Mr. Thomas Howard, of Manchester.
PEMBROKE DOCKYARD.—The building of the
various ships now in progress at Pembroke Dockyard is
carried on with the greatest despatch and energy. Never ,
during the Russian war was there more activity displayed
than now. Not only are all the shipwrights employed on
job and task work, but they labour from five in the morning
to seven at night, with only half-an-hour at dinner instead
of the customary time. A portion of the Hampshire Militia
Artillery, 100 strong, have arrived at Pembroke, and been
quartered in the fortified barracks ons
sent
te t
n Alderney,
heights,
in the
room of the Royal Artillery,recently •
CHILD MURDER BY A SISTER.—An inquest was
held on Tuesday, at Sedgley, near Wolverhampton, on the
body of a child aged one year and a half, named James
Slater, who was murdered by an elder sister aged seven
years. From the evidence adduced it appeared that on
Sunday week the deceased was entrusted to the care of the
efforts.Vh e ptooosraevhei child s 1 ilinfg ee
wre lrea Lew.
sister, who from some motive or other threw the infant into
e
da
alya
sr gi en pgorte
aotf
ani innyfg
bwnattkarll.
availing, and it' expired on the 14th inst. The jut), re turned
a special verdict, the tender age of the sister exeludi; ug the
law from taking cognisance of the offence.

R` INFALL IN
COUNTIES.

Mr. J. Bailey Denton, writing to the Gardeners' Chro-
nicle, makes the following observations on, this subject:—
" It has been proved by Mr. Dickinson in a practical and
convincing manner, and is believed by meteorological
observers generally, that the water supply of the coun-
try during the summer mouths, i.e., from April to
September inclusive, depends almost wholly upon the
rainfall of the winter months of November, Decem-
ber, January, and February, which replenishes the
spings and subterranean reservoirs in the water-
bearing strata. These four winter months are essen-
tially non-evaporating' months (if the term may be used
in a comparative sense) as) Mr. Dickinson has shown
by the valuable records kept by him in showing the proportion
of the rainfall Which filtrates the soil and passes down to the
subterranean water-level to be discharged by springs at the
surface. The two months of March and October are those
in which evaporation is much in excess of filtration, and
the proportion of the rainfall which then descends to the sub-
soil is frequently inappreciable, whereas in the four winter
months specified as 'non-evaporating,' the mean per centage
infiltrated in eight years was 83.5. A wet October suc-
ceeded by a wet November and December nevertheless
affords the greatest security that we shall have a plentiful
supply of spring water' during the following summer.
In the sunnier months—i.e. from April to September in-
clusive--the proportion which descends is very small.
About 90 tons of water per acre reaches the subsoil out of
1,300 tons, which is the average weight of rain which falls
on the surface of England in those months ; evaporation and
vegetation intercept and dispose of the rest. If these as-
shat not only are the rivers dependent in summer on the
rainfall of preceding winter, but
any scarcity will be
precedingincreased, summer after summer, if the preceding winters
are successively deficient in infiltrated supply. This deduc-
tion has a very pertinent bearing on the present condition of
the eastern counties of England. Taking the rainfall at
Chiswick as the mean quantity of the eastern side, from
Oxford to Harwich, we find the average quantity for 18
years of the four non-evaporating" months to have' been
61 inches :--1.841-2, 7.91 in. ; 1842-3, 8.77 in. ; 1843.4,
7.23 in.; 1344-5, 7.35 in.; 1845-6, 9.04 iu. ; 1846-7,
5.29 in.; 1847-8, 8.35 in.; 1848-9, 7.18 in.; 1849-50,
4.80. ; 1850-1, 7.15 in. ; 1851-2, 4.95 in. ; 18.52-3,
. in. ; 1853-4, 3.91 in. ; 1854-5, 4.03 in. ; 185.5-6,
4.83 in. ; 1856-7, 5.23 in. ; 1857-8, 3.71 in. ; 1858-9,
3.39 in. By these figures it will be seen that every
winter's rainfall since that of the very wet winter of 1852-3
has been deficient, the greatest quantiV having fallen in
1856-7, when 5.23 inches were recorded, and that the
supply of the last two winters barely exceeds the average
fall of one winter. Last summer and autumn were
remarkable for the scarcity '-of NValer In the eastern
counties. The labouring poor were paying for it by the
,pail, and the farmers were cartinc, it from a distance into
the fields for the use of their stock.° What are we to anti-
cipate fer the ensuing autumn ? ' February fill-dyke' has
failed to fill even the ponds in the fields, and we look
anxiously though in vain fora seasonable illustration of the
Wiltshire truism, that 'As the days lengthen, so the springs
strengthen.' So insignificant, in fact, is the rise of sub-
terranean water in the wells throughout the eastern counties
that the daily draught has exceeded the influx, and the
consequence is the majority of wells in the less favoured
districts are now dry that were never dry before. If this
be so at the heginning of May, when the subterranean
supply is gaining its maximum height, what will be the con-
dition of the eastern counties in July, August, and Sep-
tember, when the springs are rapidly declining, evaporation
is active, vegetation is thirsty, and infiltration nil ? While
this state of things has prevailed in the east of England, the
rainfall in the west and northwest has been plentiful. While
in Essex the fall was only 14in. and in Kent only 17in.,
in the whole year of 1858, the fall in Lancashire was above
59 inches, and in Devonshire 40 inches in the same period.
This great difference existing, it would indeed be interesting
to discover how far the dip of the water-bearing strata serves
as a means of eonducting the water absorbed in the higher
grounds of the northwest to the lower districts of the south-
east. We know that art has done and is doing much to
overcome, by boring through one stratum into another, the
deficiencies of certain localities, such as Bourne, in Lincoln-
shire, where an Artesian well is constantly disgorging its
many thousand gallons per minute, but it is a problem yet
unsolved whether or not the eastern and lower districts
derive any of their subterranean water supply from the
higher districts of the north-west. If nature by some hidden
means, by (faults' or by omissions of strata,, such as we
have recently been told occur under the metropolis, makes
good our deficiencies we cannot be too grateful, but
under any circumstances the whole subject, with the consi-
derations involved in it, demands the attention of the
country. It is a common remark, that the prevalent scarcity
of water arises from the drainage of land, which has
extended lately with such marvellous benefit to agriculture.
It is hardly necessary to expose this popular delusion.
Careful experiments have proved that no water can be dis-
charged by underdrains until the subsoil is surcharged (i. e.,
that no water can flow off by the drains until the soil be •
of underdraining is to diminish evaporation, and thereby
neath is replenished by descended water), and that the result
increase the water actually discharged after the subsoil is
replenished. It is, however, more than possible that, by
reducing evaporation, the rainfall itself may be slightlS, re-
duced, even in this sea-girt island, but if it be so, the loss,
whatever it may be, is more than equalled by the propor-
tion of the rainfall rescued from evaporation by drainage,
which, it need hardly be said, renders the soil capable of
absorbing and of discharging that which in undrained land
is retained on, until evaporated from the surface. But as it
will require some disastrous inundation to induce inquiry
into and to bring about a reformation in the arterial drain-
age of the country, now daily beComing more urgent as
underdraining extends, so it will require some calamitous
suffering by drought to make the landed interest appreciate
the value of those drainage-waters so heedlessly discharged,
but which might be impounded at little cost and turned to
profitable uses if attended to."
A: S M

_LL AINTS, iiIARGARET-STREET.—The beautiful
church in Margaret-street, the opening of which has been
so long expected, is to be consecrated on Saturday, the 28th
inst., when the Bishop of London will preach the sermon.
THE CHANNEL ISLANDS TELEGRAPH.—Tele-
graphic communication between England and the Channel
Islands was restored yesterday by Mr. W. H. Preece, the
company's engineer. The cable, which had parted a few
miles from the Portland coast, was undernin and fully
repaired, ready for splicing, soon after the break down, but
the strong tides and. rough weather had up to.yeste'rday
morning prevented the connexion being completed between
the two ends.
APPLICATION OF ELECTRICITY TO THE DOCK
CLOCKS AT LIVERPOOL.—A discussion took place upon this
subject at the Mersey Dock Board yesterday, Mr. Bold
moving a resolution in favour of the application of electri-
city to the clock on the summit of the Victoria Tower, in
order to ensure more perfect accuracy in the dropping of
the time-ball on the top of the same tower. The resolution
was adopted.

VALUE OF LAND AT BIRKENHEAD.---The Mersey
Harbour and Docks Board, at their meeting yesterday,
sanctioned the purchase of 2,460 1-3 d yards of land on the
margin of the Morpeth Dock at Birkenhead for the sum of
£5,538, being at the rate of £2 ss. per square yard. Mr.
Boult, one of the members of the board, questioned the ex-
pediency of the purchase, and said the terms were high.
•Nlr. Brocklebank, chairman of the Works Committee, re-
plied that the land was bought on the best possible terms,
and was very much wanted by the engineer for the purpose
of widening the Morpeth Dock, and carrying out the
scheme for improving the dock accommodation at Birken-
head.

It will have been noticed, from the facts stated
yesterday in reference to the neutrality question, that an
answer has been given by the Government, to the effect
that the chartering of vessels to a belligerent Power as
transports or storeships will unquestionably involve their
owners in the penalties of misdemeanour. With regard to
the question, if coal is to be considered a contraband of war,
the Foreign-office declines giving an answer, and would
prefer that shippers should act on their own responsibility.
This, perhaps, is the wisest course. Any Sovereign State
may, if it can show valid reason, decide for itself the nature
of articles that are to be treated as contraband. France or
Austria *ill therefore be at liberty to seize any vessel that
under a neutral flag may be engaged in carrying coal to the
other belligerent, and if, upon the matter being argued be-
fore a properly constituted prize court, reasonable evidence
vessel,o
r ol
ie Gp e
ando
vr ae tr
n i
theomn seo , itvt
emr
Our
mustyu
rb
policy
c lookoi ac y-
can be adduced that the cargo, or any part of it, was to
fi
fors c assistan t e do the
p,
rtoot
egeett enemyiho enrthihs wsea
Ilfmr withhi
obviously, is to leave the question to find a solution in this
way. We do not want voluntarily to check our trade,
while, on the other hand, as a time may come when we
shall find it expedient for
our own safety to treat coal as
contraband, there is no occasion for us to commit ourselves
to an opposite decision.
POSTAGE OF AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPERS.--A de-
putation from the Australian Association yesterday waited
on Lord Colchester, at the Post-offic, for the purpose of
urging on him the inadvisability of persevering in the
recent postal regulation, by which the postage of news-
papers to Ansi mlia had been doubled. The deputation
consisted of Mr. Stuart A. Donaldson, late Chief Secretary
to the Government of New South Wales, and member of the
Executive Council, Mr. W. C. Haines, and Mr. J. Leslie
Foster, member of the late Government of Victoria, Mr.
Edward Wilson, of the Melbourne Argus, and other influ-
ential men connected with the colonies. In laying the ques-
tion before the Postmaster-General, the gentleman who
s pokerepresented that the communication between the poorer
classes of the coloniets and their friends in England was
principally by means of newspapers, and that the ad-
ditional postage was really a heavy burden. Lord Col-
chester, in reply, said he heartily responded to the
sen-
timent exprsssed by Mr. Stephens, that the Australian
colonies formed integral parts of the mother country. The
transmission of letters and newspapers, however, from one
alo
gous
part of the United Kingdom to the other was not
to their transmission from the mother country to Australia,
tance. For some time
regard being had to the question of dis
Australia via Marseilles had been
past newspapers sent to
subject to an additional charge of one penny, and all that
was now sought was to put those
sent via Southampton on
the same footing. He ex
-d that the original intention
had been to make the proposedincrease commence from the
h, but at the request of some of the
Ist of the present mont
metropolitan news agents, who had represented to him that
their contracts with their customers in Australia ran from
year to year, he had agreed
topostpone its introduction to
the Ist of January next. He concluded by saying that he
should take the matters brought under his notice by the
before the
change
deputation into consideration question
was made.
THE WRECK OF THE POMONA.—The Wexford
constitu
• lion of Wednesday gives some additional particulars
in connexion with the late disastrous shipwreck :—" The
divers from Liverpool are busily at work raising portions
of the cargo of this ill-fated vessel, having obtained access
to the hold by the fore-hatchways. We have not been able
to communicate personally with the men so engaged, but
we are informed that the greater number of the unfortunate
passengers would seem to have met their fate in the after
part of the ship and the cabins, where their numerous
bodies are to be found in all the awful groups that
the imagination can picture as resulting from such a
catastrophe as the one that befel these poor creatures.
Yesterday the body of an elderly woman floated to the sur-
face, and having been seen by the officers sent down by Mr.
Coghlan, Collector of Customs, it was immediately secured,
placed in a coffin, and despatched to Wexford, in charge of
Mr. Goodall, tidewaiter. Upon its arrival here about five
o'clock an inquest was held thereon before Dr. W. Ryan
and a respectably jury, at the house of Mrs. Murphy, on the
Quay. The only evidence adduced was that of the boatman
who secured the body, and an immediate verdict of " Found
drowned" was returned. Mr. Coghlan was in
he lower class of attendance,
and after the close of the inquiry gave orders for the in tlr-
ment of the body at Coolcots. From the dress the de-
ceased, on whom was found nothing to lead to identifica-
tion,
it would appear that she belonged to t
life—probably a farmer's servant or something similar. The
sod, although
body did not appear to be much decomposed,
s. The
slily
having been in the water nearlythree _
money found on her was two
sovereigns, w
which had been
k
wrapped up in a piece of linen rag ail d stitched to the
stays.'