The Sun.
London, England, 1857-08-15 00:00:00

THE MILITIA BILL.

Oo the m(AilntoT going into committee on this bill,
Mr. STAFFORD Nx):eßied a hope that the Govern-
ment would, at a future stage of the bill, state what they
were going to do with regard to the establishment of
hospitals for the troop sent to
The bill went through committee.
On the motion for reporting progress, the Consolidated
Fund (Appropriation) Bill passed through committee.
MUSEUMS FOR EDINBURGH.

Mr. CAIRD called attention to the injustice that had
been done to Scotland by the withdrawal of the vote for
a National Museum in Edinburgh, and expressed a hope
tat the Government would renew the vote on Monday
in the next committee of supply.
Mr. HADFIELD hoped that the Government would
not accede to the proposition.
Mr. GLADSTONE said the lion, member had only
done his duty by bringing the subject before the house,
but he thought the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in ac-
cordance with the usage of the house, could not renew
the application for the vote. He regretted the vote was
not entertained the other night on its merits, .end hoped
that early next session the Chancellor of the Exchequer
would take-steps—for carrying out a National Museum
for Scotland.
After some remarks from Mr. DE VE RE,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said
that the vote was withdrawn from a fear that it would
have been rejected on a division. The Government
would renew the vote at the earliest convenient period,
but certaicly not this session.
After some remarks from Mr. MAOARTNEY and Mr.
STEWART,
The LORD ADVOCATE expressed his regret
at the loss of the vote this session, but he had no doubt
justice would be done to this national object next
session.
The subject then dropped, and the bill was ordered to
be reported.
The Customs and Excise bill, the Customs bill, and
Jwuerriesdoircdtieornedinto be read Siam bill passedthird t
timhroeugh committee, and
on
Monday.
PROBATES AND LETTERS OF ADMINISTRA-

TION (IRELAND) BILL.
This b'll as amended was con-idered and agreed to.
CROWDED DWELLINGS PREVENTION BILL.
On the motion for going into committee on this bill,
Mr. AYRTON complained et the operation of this
bill, which would render every man's residence liable to
be entered at any time by the police to ascertain that the
dwellings were not overcrowded ; and a man who had
his relations living with him, to escape the penalties of
the act would be put to the trouble and expense of
proving it, as well as the legitimacy of his children, to
chow that they were members of his family. Since
the second reading of the bill words had been
introduced into it making it applicable to the
whole counief. The amended bill had been
delivered that morning to hon. members so late that
he doubted if half-a-dozn of them were cognisant of the
alteration.
Mr. COWPER said the bill did not emanate from the
Government, but it was rendered necessary to remedy
a defect to be found in practice to exist fn the pre-
sent L idging House Act. No new principle
was involved in the bi.l, and it would only affect
lodging.hom-es.
' After some remarks from Mr. HENLEY,
Mr. COWPER postponed the further progress of the
bill till Monday.
Mr. RIDLEY expressed a hope that the bill would
be withdrawn till another session.
The house adjourned at 5 minutes to 2 o'clock till
Monday at 12 o'clock.

A SCIENTIFIC) FANATIC'•

My friend Marston, though one of the finest fel-
lows on earth, is made a bore by
an hallucination.
He is of a noble nature, and has had
excellent
education, which commenced early, and still pro
greases, although be is now in his fiftieth year. He
has a knowledge of languages, if not profound, yet
very general ; his acquaintance with more than one
br inch of science is extensive ; his love of art is
pure and strong. He has travelled much in Eu-
rope, in the Americas, and in India ; and has al-
ways journeyed with observant eyes. He has writ-
ten much in newspapers, in magazines, and in re-
views, and his contributions have always revealed
vast knowledge, great originality and broad hu-
manity in the writer.! His physical aspect
visibly corresponds with his character. He is
tall, erect, bread-breasted, and has firm and plea-
, srint features, a piercing eye, and a bright and mas-
sive brow. His rich and shining hair crowns his
countenance with lieht. There are but few coun-
tries capable of producing a person at once so great,
so strong, so genial, and so full of clear sense, and
cheerful ife as he.
But ho has a singular notion respecting the
designing of ships, which is now uppermost in
him. Our entire mercantile and war navies are
at sea in th's respect. Neither Mr. Scott Rus-
sell, nor Mr. Green, nor Mr. White, nor any
other constructor of hips is of the smallest profes-
fessional worth in my excellent friend's estiation.
They know how to fine a bow here, and flattenm a floor
there, and lengthen a run elsewhere. They will
pull the frame of this to pieces to increase
her breadth of beam, and cleave another through
amidships to bring in an extra 20 feet of length ;
but produce a vessel that will exceed in speed a
score of knots per hour they cannot. And the secret
lies in this : they build ships that swim through the
water like a fish, whereas a ship should glide over
the sea like a skate*. This is his discovery. Of
course be is aware that a vessel at rest in a fluid
will displace a body of it that weighs the same as
itself. It is the motive power that is to bring the
new vessel to the surface, and carry her long it.
Place his patent inclined planes under her bows,
and give her engines steam, or her sail wind, and
up she will rise, and away she will career over fifty,
eighty, or even a hundred knots an hour. In a day
you may be in America—in four or five at Aus-
tralia. These results, accord, he avers, with the
laws of nature. Certainly they accord with what
appears to have become a law of his nature, notwith-
standing its nobility. I have plied him with
mathematics in all appropriate forms, but in vain.
the hour with the
I have played upon him by
artillery of syllogisms, but without result. He
still believes in his theory, and he still troubles ma
with it beyond measure. The eye of his faith be-
holds the skating ship, as other eyes have beheld
other phantom ships ; and I verily believe that
when be conies to gaze upon the waters of death
themselves he will see a swift ship skimming across
them,—Mechanics' Magazine.

DIRECT CADETS.—The following gentlemen, having
obtained nomination as direct cadets for the Indian mi-
-1 tart' service, passed their required exatningtion on the
4th iest. :—J C. Berkeley, H. W. H. Cox, T. W.Hogg,
C. Wharton, F. C. W. Drummond, J. S. Irvine, H. B.
Webster, R. Milne, F. J. Granville W. F. Bartleman,
W. ,T. Brereton, L. B.
Fitzgerald, W. L. S.
WBy.a Ns pN. L. BBe.atEtireli
Erskine,
Bsvi r.cHh ,
H.
B.
Elatrison, R. C. Kinchant, A. P. Martin, G. E. Martin,
H. K. O'Grady, G. Raneell, H. U. Smith, Cr. C. Swiney.
—Allen's Indian Mail.
B ARVEST IN ALGERIA. —The Zeramma of Philippeville
speaks as follows of the harvest in Algeria :---" The ex-
port of new %heat to the mother-country continues with
great activity and not less than 665-847 kilogrammes
bays been carried away from this place within the last
month. Thus the great hopes entertained of this year's
harvest will be fully realised. Independently of a very
abundant crop, the grain is of fine quality, and so heavy
that the weight of the hectolitre easily attains 80 kilo-
grammes. On the other hand, the business transacted
in flour is brisk, and our millers continue to send large
Iquantities to Algiers and Oran. Under such circurn-
,tances tie variou3 steamers will find a ready frcigbt
during the whole of Oaa fine semen.",