The Sun.
London, England, 1850-05-03 00:00:00

GERMANY.

The Vienna papers of the 27th ult. mention cer-
tain plans which the Emperor is asserted to entertain
respecting the increase and efficiency of the Austrian
fleet. It is intended within the next 10 years to
raise that fleet to six vessels of the line, six frigates,
and a proportionate number of smaller craft, and to
establish dockyards at Pola and Trieste. The ex-
perm of this plan is estimated at 80,000,000 florins.
The latest calculations show that, notwithstanding
the large sales of the last year, there are no less than
120,000,000 of Austrian stock in the hands of foreign
holders, chitfly in Holland, Frankfort, Basle, and
Augsburg. Holland especially has large quantities
of Austrian paper, for that country sells tobacco to
the Austrian Government.

From the Austrian and Italian papers we learn
that the members of the Order of the Society of
Jesus have been publicly and officially recalled to
the Austrian dominions. The Verona papers publish
Itadetzky's brevet cf installation which he granted j
to the members of the order ; similar measures
are taken in the other provinces. A large college,
like to that of Freiburg, is about to be established
in Bohemia, and missions, chiefly for educational
purposes, are being founded in Prague, Oimutz, Bud-
weiis, Linz, Wiener Neustadt, Gratz, Salzburg, Cilli,
Innsbruck, Bregenz, Trent, Gorz, Agram, Zara,
Arad, Pesth, Lemberg, and Krakau.
Tha Berlin papers of the 28th ult. assert that the
Prussian Government has informed the other mem-
ber: of the League, that on the whole it sees no
objection why it should not assent to the resolutions
cf the Erfurt Parliament, respecting the revision of
the Constitution of the League, and that it is left to
the other Governments to prefer any objections they
may have to make. Baron Radowitz, it is asserted,
is instructed to in:le a similar declaration to the Ad-
mi&strative Council.

The National Zeitung of the 29th ascerts that a
general order has been issued, instructing the soldiers
to take off the German cockade, and threatening
them with arrest if they should venture to disobey
the order. It is stated by other Berlin papers that
the soldiers divested themselves of the German cockade
amidst loci cheering and various other signs of satis-
f3(2,ion. The same news of a general order abolishing
that cockade has reached us from Hanover.

The Berlin papers endeavour to establish a con-
nexion between this general order, between the pro-
rogation of the Erfurt Parlilment, and the simul-
taneous !'withdrawal of the Russian and Austrian
troops from the Prussian frontier.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
COURT OF
.EXCHE UEI,, May 2.
(Sit!in4s at Nisi Priu3, at:Westanuster,before Mr. Baron
ALDERSON and a Common Jury.)
lIARMSWORTH V. SOLOMON&

This was ar-k---a;.ion to recover compensation in,
damiges for false. imprisonment.
Mr. Martin, Mr. E. James, and Mr. Bramwell ap-
.peared for the. plaintiff, and the defence was conducted'
by Mr. M. Chambers and Finn.
Mr. MARTIN Atared the case to thekiry. The plaintiff
was a young girl, aged 16, and the chleldant, Abraham
Sotornons, was a furrier, carrying on business at 3,
Li..tic Britain, and the action was bought to re-
cover danaas for false imprisonment on the Ist of
110.1ritary bat, when the plaintiff, at the instance of the
deienrlarsr, warn taken into custody, and detained at the
station.-h' nse ell night, but was riischarged on being
br.ught before the Alderman, at Guildhall, on the fol-
lowing morning. If the fscti which he should state
were proved in evidence, this would turn out to be one
of the grossest proceedings which had ever been dis-
clo:,eJ in a court of justice, more especially as it had
been taken und:x the guise of the law. The plaintiff,
who was an orphan girl, had lived in Hampshire
until the end of last year. She then came to London
an 1 entered the service of the defendant as a domestic
aervAnt, and 'lon afterwards his son Joseph commenced
making suit in ber; and on a Sunday night, or on a
Idenday morning in that month, she found him in her
bedroom. What took place there was not material, but
she complained next day to two famale friends on the sub-
ject, but by their advice the matter was allowed to pass
over, an 1 she-remained in defendaLt's house until that day
week, when, aceording to her statement, he again entered
her rood at night, stupified her by plsciag something over
her mouth, and succeeded in violating her person. She
coinmunicated the circumstance to his mother. The
jury would see in what way she was treated. The next
step in the transaction was to call in a policeman named
Web), to whom the son, it seemed, went and said
his father required him to take a young woman into
cust )dy who had stolen a quantity of bank-notes.
The police officer attended at the defendant's house;
and a(ter some conversation, which would be detailed
in evidence, she was given into custody for stealing a
ens fur victerine, which the defendant valued at 3s.
The iinfortunite girl hereupon fell down oaler knees

and. begged the son who had so ill-treated her not to
allow her to go to prison, but she was taken to the sta-
tion-house, and as he had already stated, was locked
up in a cell ail night. When brought up at Guildhall
next morning she gave her account of the occurrence,
and the consequence was, that she Wa: acquitted
of the charge, and the yonng man was placed
at the bar for having attempted to violate her person.
The ease was adjourned until the next Friday, and the
prisoner was liberated on bail. The girl was placed in the
charge of a Mrs. Bradshaw, and in the meantime re-
peated applications were made to her to settle the mat-
ter; and it appeared that a meeting of the parties was
held et a public-house in Ilatton-garden, where a
written agreement was executed to the effect that,
by the. payment of fifty pounds to the girl, she
should exonerate the defendant from all claims in
respect of the occurrence, and should not appear again
at Guildhall against his son. It eppeared that the 50/.
was paid to Mrs. Bradshaw. The girl accordingly did
not go before the, magistrate at the adjourned examina-
tion.. but went to Gravesend or Deptford to be out of the
way,und the defendant's son took advantage of the op-
portunity to go abroad, and had not since been heard of,
and his recognizances had accordingly been entreated.
The brother of the plaintiff, Charles Ilarmsworth,
bad seen the report of the examination at Guildhall in a
Sunday newspaper, and was determined that the case
should be farther investigated. but, as the young man had
absconded, he had instituted the present action as her
guardian, to recover compensation fur the injury she had
sustained in consequence of the false imprisonment. The
defence which would be set up was, that the defendant had
released himaslf from all liability by entering into the
agresaient with the plaintiff, who received the 501. in
full satisfaction of any claim in respect of the false im-
ptisoument, bat as she was under age she was incom-
petent to be a party t, the agreement, which, therefore,
became null and void.
'tlenry Went), one of the City police officers, proved
having been requested on the 11th of Fsbrusry, by
Joseph Solomons, to go to Ne. 3, Little Britain, as his
father had 1 ,st some five-pound notes, and suspected the
servant. lie asked him why he suspected her, and he
said, lheause she was going to leave their service. On
Ping to the house in question, he there saw Mr.
Solomons, his wife, his daughter, and his son. The son
appeared to be about tw .nt four 'ears of age. They
said they had lost a silver spoon,- which 3. they suspected
the girl had taken. The girl was called into the room,
and, on being asked h, the defendant where the spoon
was, she declared• to God she knew nothing about it.
Mrs. Solomons said thespooniecDo
was marked •' Abraham
Solomons," and she replied, you think if I was go-
ing to steal a spoon I would take one with a name on it.
when there are plenty without any
had seen the notese names upon them?"
The defendant then asked her if
which were in the pocket-book, and
which his
hd it
ere
declared that
she had not. Ile next alluded to, a victi r o
son bad found in her room, and wished to know
stet. The girl said she had found it in the
hole, and thinking that it might be of some use,thatd•
taken it up to her room, but as it toned out to be
worthless, she placed it again where she had found it.
Witness examined the dusthole, and there found the
article in question, which he now produced. The vic-
tOrine,' which was a miserably small ono, and full of
boles, was here exhibited, and excited some amusement
in the court. The defendant then gave her into
Custody for stealing the victorine . The girl ei-
' • t, this would not havehappened had it
naitleJ,
npt been for Master Joseph." Witness asked her
what she meant, and she said " he came into my bed-
roomeffected my ruin." When witness
at night and --- he went down on her
waa about to take her away,
sknees to the son and said, "For Gods sake, Master
'Tv,""ePh, don't Ist me go to prison after seducing me."
ate replied, " Oh, you Will do anything," and put his
handse behind
-
-- his back and walked up stairs. She
added to her
herb, pat his
me, that about a week ago he came into _
hands over her mouth, and endeavoured
to effect her rain, hut she screamed out. and his sister,
who slept close
by inquired what was the matter, and
he replied that he
also said that on t was only calling up the servant. She
be Sunday previous ' to this conversa-
tion he came again to her bedroom, put something over
her nose, which took
tax.),
her ruin ; and on her senses, and then effected
happened,she onlyobseraleng his mother of what had
yew When witness
wria was
ad, " suppose he has not killed
nt to take her away she re-
galed a little, and he obliged to carry her down stairs.
The age of the plaintiff was
ftphaarently about 16 years.
She was locked up in a cell with
be-
cause all the other cells were nnoectidr'unken woman,
el:ad, and she seemed
of a drunken
Sc) agitated that it was thought the
woman was better than none at alluiP"t
) The
at the
of
thi; police-
witness then detailed the proceedi4A. I"
able to hear of
court, and said he had a warrant for the:
the defendant's son, but had not yet been
him.

C --
1
ross-examined by Mr. CHAMBERS—I attended se'Ve-
':7-i7>_,... nil times at Guildhall. On the first and second occasion
--!,-=•,0,-.4r •," plaintiff' was present, bat she did not make her ap.
:'nigr,
'' .% :-.- - - -,a '-4,?.if • •s_raece afterwards. I was sent in search of her, and
•<.,Y "7:Nsut -,q CAW found her staying with her sister, Mrs. Graves.
?•:•.,..-
.?',,-.-1 ~i
i..i ~,;,,p.,, ::7- 'he Was on the 24th February. I had been looking for
-<,f,..
t6bout a week. I had some conversation with her. I
-; :',.....NH'':',...Y ty - f,ked Fei where she had been, and she said to Gravcs-
',,N• ;till ti4th ' Mrs. Bradshaw, who is the landlady of the
,1; 7.:'17;',2,V V - "'ST, where Mrs. Graves live. I asked her why she
Zftt,,,,431.4 81, ' . Znt t'ere, and she said in order to get out of the way
•-•-' r." of her brothers, who came and wanted the money
,;{ -t
• ' she had got. She said she had received 501. from Solo-

mons' people, because she should not bring an action for
false imprisonment. I told her it was wrong to take
the money. I requested her to attend at the police-
court, but she mid she did not wish to prosecute. She
came on the following Tuesday to Guildhall with Mrs.
Bradshaw, but as young Solomons was not present, the
case was adjourned.
Evidence in corroboration of the proceedings at the
station•house and the police-court having been given, the
case for the plaintiff concluded.
It was admitted, on the part of the defendant, that the
plaintiff was under age.
Mr. CHAMBERS, for the defence, said the real plaintiffs
in this action were the brothers of the young girl, and
the defendant complained of the extortion which they
were attempting to practice upon him after he had al-
ready amply compensated the plaintiff. That their
only object was to get money was placed beyond
doubt, because it appeared that the plaintiff herself
had gone to Gravesend in order to avoid her
brothers, who wanted to get a share of the SOL
which she had obtained from the defendant.
The statement as to the defendant's son having made
her insensible with some drug, and then violated her
person, was a pure invention for the purpose of exciting
the prejudice of the jury against the defendant; but as
the defendant had suffered great anguish of mind in
consequence of this action, and had given the girl 501.
with the view of being exonerated from further liability,
he trusted that the jury wuuld not sanction such a pro-
ceeding
as the present by giving a verdict for the
plaintiff.
The Learned JUDGE having summed up,
The jury retired, and after being absent for a consi-
derable time, returned into court with a verdict for the
plaintiff —Damages, 501.

SHERIFF'S COURT, May 2.
(Before Mr. Under-Sheriff BURCHELL.)
PAYNE V. PLOWMAN—SEDUCTION.

This was a writ of inquiry to assess the damages in an
action brought in the Court of Exchequer to recover
compensation for the loss of the services of the plaintiff's
daughter, by reason of her seduction by the defendant.
Mr. Tetomle appeared for the plaintiff; and in stating
the case to the jury, said that his client was Mr. Joseph
Payne, a master plumber, glazier, and painter, carrying
on business at Bedford, and the defendant was Samuel
Plowman, a boot and shoe maker, carrying on business
with his father, also at that town. In 1847, the plaintiff's
wife died, and he was left a widower, with seven children,
of whom the eldest was Emma, the subject of this
inquiry, who was then but sixteen years of age;
and, upon the decease of her mother the whole
care of her brothers and sisters, and of her father's
house, devolved upon her, and her services in
these respects were of great value to him. Shortly after
her mother's death the defendant became acquainted
with the family, and he visited ber, avowedly to pay his
addresses to her, and afterwards he formally became her
suitor, professing the most honourable intentions and the
greatest affection, and he regularly visited her at home,
with her father's sanction. This continued until 1849,
when the plaintiff, to his great grief, discovered that
his daughter was eeciente by the defendant, who had
overcome her scruples, and accomplished her seduction
more than twelve months before, and tie then made great
exertion to induce the defendant to marry her,
but he continued to make promise after pro-
mise, disregarding them all, until, on the 7th
of December, she gave birth to a child. The defen-
dant, his mother, and sister visited her during her HI-
DE se, and the defendant repeatedly hoped that she would
soon recover, in order that they might be married ; and
when she was well, fully expecting that the defendant
really intended to marry her, she actually took the pre-
limirary steps for the performance of the ceremony at
the registrar':. Perceiving that the defendant held
back, the plaintiff again urgently request3d him to fulfil
the pledge, and the defendant sent him the following
letter, which the Learned Counsel characterised as one of
the most cool and insolent epistles that could he written
under such circumstances, and, considering that it was
addressed to the father of the girl he had seduced cad
abendoncd, one of the most heartless ever perused.

" Jail. 29, 1850.
•
'' Sir,—ln answer to your request of last night, con-
cerning either from me, or trying other means, I suppose
by that you mean to bring it into court. If you have
any regard for your daughter you would not think of
such an exposure. As it regards marrying, I decidedly
shall not, and for this reason, I am too find of a single
life ever to think of such a thing. Without any fur-
ther treuble on your part or mine, I propose to pay two-
and-sixpence a week for the child.
" I am, Sir, yours,
" SAMUEL PLOWMAN.
" P.S.—An answer tc-morrow in writing will oblige.
" To Mr. Payne."
The plaintiff's answer to this communication was the
writ in the present action, and no correspondence or
conversation had taken place between the parties since.
The Learned Counsel concluded by commenting rather
warmly on the defendant's conduct.
Emma Payne was then called—She proved the faots
stated by Mr. Thomas, and the handwriting cf the letter.
She stated that it took nearly the whole of her time t,)
attend to her baby, and she was entirely dependent upon
her father. tier father had had to engage a person to
perform the domestic duties she discharged after her
mother's death.

Evidence was given as to the expenses incurred.
The defendant did not appear.
The Learned UNDER SHERIFF, in Rimming up, re-
marked that the defendant's letter was certainly au ag-
gravation of the conduct Ile had been guilty of, and told
the jury that they ought to take, as an ekaaent in their
estimation of the dam3ges, the outraged and injurv.;.l
feelings of the p. rent at tile less of the services of a
good and virtuous cLughter.
The jury gave a verdict for 601

INSOLVENT DEBTORS' COURT, May 2.
The insolvency business of this court to•dsy was 110 t
if a nature to intereJt the public.
(113 fore Mr. Commiiiioner PHILLIPS.)
BUCHANAN V. TURNER.

This was a summons under the Small Debts Act,
calling upon the defendant to show cause why he should
not be committed for non-payment of 21. 13s. debt, and
111. 13s. costs. The plaintiff is an attorney.
The plaintiff's clerk asked that the summons should
be adjourned, that he might represent to his employer
the distressed condition of the defendant, who, he be-
lieved, was not in a position to pay anything.
Air. Commissioner PaILLIPS asked why the plaintiff
had not brought his action in the County Court, where
the costs, even if the case had been defended, would not
have been one-third of the present amount?

The clerk said that Mr. Buchanan had the right, and
used his privilege, to sue in the Court of Common Pleas,
to avoid the bother of the County Court. The costs had
been increased by the defendant's conduct in pleading to
the action.

Mr. Commissioner PHILLIPS thought that was all
sophistry; the costs were monstrous in proportion t) the
debt. It was not a case in which he felt inclined to ren-
der much assistance, and, therefore, as the plaintiff was
not personally in attendance, he should dismiss the
summons.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MANSION-HOUSE.
Matthias Martinez Debrio was brought before Alder-
man Gibbs for final examination upon the charge of hav-
ing stolen a 501. note, a 301. note, and a quantity of gold
dust, the property of Mr. Strutt, purser in the Royal
Mail Steam-packet Company's service. Mr. Hobler at-
tended for the prisoner.
The following was the additional evidence adduced
upon the occasion:—
Richard Adye Bailey, clerk in the Accountant's-office
in the Bank of England, said—l produce a 501. Bank of
England note, dated the 6th of September, 1849, No.
17,449. It was paid int) the Bank of England on the
22d of April, 1850, and has the name of Carter, 61,
Cornhill, upon it.
Henry Christie, assistant to Mr. Carter, chronometer-
maker, of Cornhill—On the 22d of April the prisoner
came to our shop and bought of me the watch, chain,
and key produced ,s_ also the ring and breast-pin pro-
duced. The cost of the whole was 19/. Is. The prisoner
offered me a 50/. note. I asked if he had not a smaller
note, as he was a stranger. He said he had not, but
asked me if I would take some gold-dust. I objected to
do so, not knowing the value of the article. I therefore
took the note, and wrote on it ",J. Carter, 61, Cornhill."
I got it changed at the Bank. It is the note produced
by the last witness.
Mr. C. H. Ilingeston, clerk to Messrs. Brown and
Wingrove, of 30, Wood-street, Cheapside, refiners, said
—On_ the 30th of April the prisoner brought to our
factory 4oz. 17dwt. of gold dust for sale. He said he
brought
it from California, and said he was going that
day to Canterbury, and wished to have the money. We
17/. I3s. 10d. for it. assay the gold-dust,
therefore did not as '
into an ingot, which theof and I paid him
oetcer produces.
gold has since been melted
iookt
Inspector Brannon, ehG division of the.afetropo-
Tuesday evening, in Finsbury litan Police, said—l prisoner into custody on
name was Debrio. I told him
gentleman
oi ntlsoluacoti onnus
Y-Eiquare. He told me his
belonged to the police,
and had receiave
ttisliietake him into custody
for robbing
to Southampton of a 501. note,voyage from Mexico
some gold-dust. He replied, ,
Ia 30/. note, and
and ignorant of the laws of the am a stranger,
is your authority?" I told him leehltry- Where
authority than the verbal instructions l
11.11 no other
from Mr. Strutt, and that I was informed bad received
50/. note was traced to Mr. Carter's, of cyorhim that a
then repeated that he was a stranger, and sairehill. He
knew
nothiug about it, and Mr. Strutt durst not come forward.
I took the prisoner to the station-house, and foun
him the watch, the chain, and the gold ring. Ille
upon
found on him a pocket-book, and in it the piece of papere
relating to the gold-dust. I found the pin in a trunk
pointed out to me as the prisoner's by the prosecutor,
and which I had traced to the Bull Tavern, Bishops-
gate-within.
The prisoner, who had taken notes during the exami-
nation, upon being asked, in the usual manner, whether
he wished to say anything, said, " As regards my guilt,
I have nothing to say.
Committed for trial.
MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
Two ;notorious characters were brought (from the
House of Detention about 10 o'clock, and placed in one
of the lock-up cells attached ti the court, previous to
their re-examination. The cell in question is furnished
which it is asserted cannot
with a Chubbs's Worst lock,
be picked. The men's names are William Haskett,
otherwise George Smith, and Duncan Mackenzie.
Plaskett, who is
o is known to the police as one of tle most
daring thieves • was charged with
having been in the reetropohs,.
of
in the house) Mr.
Hardy,.
draper, in a burglary •p7th
0,
March, when about
125, New Bond-street, on the r
en about 300/of cloths and silk goo:Is
worth . i
were carried off. .
follows: A int, The evidence against Ilaslett was as
New Bond-street
named William Simpson was in
robbery. ,_ about 6 o'clock on the morning of the
Jau MT the primer handing goods out of

THE SUN, LONDON,

Mr. Hardy's shop to a man in a light cart. The
prisoner got into the cart and drove off. Policeman
Drew, 126, heard of the robbery, and knowing the
prisoner he stopped him when in a cart with
another man and a woman. The prisoner con-
trived to get off, but was soon afterwards taken by
another constable in Thames-street. The other
prisoner, Mackenzie, is suspected to have gone
to various public-houses committing robberies. He was
apprehended on going to the Grapes public•house, and
stealing therefrom four sovereigns and other moneys,
the property of Redmond Bryan, a lodger. The princi-
pal gaoler being absent from illness, the sharp of the
cells was given to the assistant gaoler, Police-con-
stable Lester. About half an hour after the prisoners
had been brought from the House of Detention
Lester went down to the cell to have the prisoners
viewed by the detective. On opening the cell, which
was locked as usual, be was astonished to find they had
just been let out by a man who had opened the door with
a key, had called them by nameas if he were the gaoler,
and had taken them out by the back entrance. These
particulars were furnished by three prisoners who were
confined in the same cell and who witnessed the whole
proceeding. They described the pretended gaoler as an
(Veil), man with grey whiskers under his chin, which
description answers to that of a man who was seen
lounging about the door of the court in the early part of
the day.
The general insecurity of the lock-up cells has been
long known, and, though several alterations have been
from time to time made after important prisoners have
escaped, they are still as insecure as ever.

INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS

On Tuesday, April 30, 1850, William Cubit-, Esq.,
President, in the chair, the paper read was " On the
Absorbent Power of Chalk, and its Water Content!,
under different geological conditions," by Professor
D. T. Ansted.

After explaining the nature and extent of the chalk
rock of England, both geologically and topogra-
phically, and briefly describing its chief physical
peculiarities, the author proceeded to detail the re-
sults of some experiments made for the purpose
of ascertaining the positive and relative ab-
sorbent powers of different kinds of chalk, when
exposed to moisture under various circumstances.

Toe specimens experimented on were on small
cubes, each weighing from three to four ounces, taken
from different districts, and geological positions, in
the upper, middle, and lower beds of the chalk.

From these experiments it appeared, that the upper
chalk, when it was to all appearance perfectly dry, con-
tained about one-third of a pint of water in each cube
1)of-, which was never parted with under any condi-
tions of dryness of the atmosphere; that in the cane of
an exposed surface of the rock, the absorption from a
moist atmosphere would be unimportant, although when
water was presented to it in a liquid form, the upper
chalk was found capable of receiving into its mass a
quantity of water amounting to more than two gallons
for every cube foot of rock, beyond the quantity,
usually contained in apparently dry chalk, under or-
dinary exposure. _ _ _

A specimen of the middle chalk, when thoroughly
air-dried by six months' exposure, was found to
contain about 23 parts of water in 1.000 parts ;
three-fourths of which water were readily given off
by subsequent exposure to a perfectly dry
atmosphere, very little more than the original quan-
tity being re-absorbed on exposure to a saturated
atmosphere ; showing that the absorbent power, in
this respect, was even less than in the case of the
upper chalk. The quantity of water contained in a
cube foot of saturated middle chalk was rather more
than two gallon..
A specimen of the lower chalk was found to
contain more than 'ten parts of water in 1,000
parts, about three-fourths of which were rapidly
parted with, on exposure to a perfectly dry atmos-
phere; but the rest, amounting to more than the
quantity of water contained in the upper chalk,
in its ordinary state, was not parted with by any
exposure, short of a vacuum. On subsequent expo-
sure to a saturated atmosphere, more than 15i parts
of water in 1,000 parts were absorbed, and when the
specimen was saturated its water contents exceeded
2i gallons per cubic foot.

It was seated, that the upper chalk might gene-
rally be regarded as the conducting, and the lower
chalk as the contaiaing, part of the formation, so
far as water was concerned ; and that chalk must
be regarded as a rock, which every where ad-
mitted the percolation of water, receiving into
itself, and conveying to its lower beds, the
water that fell on, or was brought to, its surface.
This readily explained the uniformly dry appearance
it presented, and the absence of any streams, arising
from mere surface drainage; where extensive exposure
of the rock itself occurred. It also appeared that
particular bands of rock contained much more water
than others, some, indeed, being apparently, though
not really dry, when below the surface of permanent
wetness ; while others gave off water readily, and to
a large extent.

The probable effect of rain-fall upon the surface of
the exposed chalk was then considered, and it was
estimated that at least 18 inches descended annually
to what was called the surface of permanent wetness,
maintaining a general and rude parallelism with the
surface of the ground; but when the chalk rock was
perounently covered with impermeable soil?, as in
the London basin, the position of the surface of per-
manent wetness was liable to extreme variation, and
to be most seriously affected, as lateral percolation
was then the only source of wetness.
On the other hand, it was thought that a large
portion of chalk rock existed in a state of uniform
and permanent wetness, and that wherever the
gault extended, underlying the chalk and keeping
up the water, there must be, at and below, a
certain depth from the service, a supply of
water to the extent of 180 millions of gallons
for each Equare 'mile one yard in thickness; and that
the surface of permanent wetness, dependent chiefly
on the present rain -fall, was so far above this lower
surface of saturation, as to ensure a supply at least
equal to one-half of the rain falling on the imme-
diately surrounding district.

The paper announced to be read at the next meet-
ing, on Tuesday, May 7, was, " On the application
of Water Pressure as a Motive Power, for workini?
Cranes and other kinds of Machinery," by Mr. W.
G. Armstrong, Assoc. Inst. C. E. ; after which, the
monthly ballot for members will take place.