The Sun.
London, England, 1868-03-25 00:00:00

MISCELLANEOUS NEWS.

(From the Anglo-American Times.)
Professor William Gibson, a distinguished physi-
cian, of Philadelphia, died at. Savannah, Georgia, on the
2d instant. He studied medicine at Edinburgh, where be
graduated, and succeeded the celebrated Dr. Physick in
the chair of surgery at the University of Pennsylvania,
with which institution he had been connected, far nearly
half a century.
The wife of ex-Congressman Alexander H. Rice,
of Boston died Sunday night, March 1, of paralysis, on
the passage from Havana to New Orleans. Accompanied
by her husband and daughter she was travelling in south-
ern latitudes to benefit her health.

John W. Dana, Governor of the State of Maine
from 1840 to 1850, died near Rosario, Brazil, December
22, of cholera, caught in visiting Mrs. Barker, also from
Ilaine, an old acquaintance, who sent for him because she
was unwell. She died during his visit, and in 48 howl
thereafter Governor Dana and four other•visitors had de-
parted this MI.

William Cole, who died at Hartford on the Ist
March, was 110 years of age. His father had lived to 112.

Daniel Lord, the well-known lawyer, has jug
died in New York. He was one of Jacob Astor's trustees,
and treasurer of the Aston Library.
Ex-Lieutenant Governor Ford, of Ohio, and es'
representative Portus Baxter, of Vermont, have died al
Washington.

Notice has been given by the British Post-office
Department that on and from the Ist of March the single
rate of postage between the United States and the En
Indies, via England, will-be 28 cents per half-ounce when
forwarded for transmission via Southampton, and 36 cents
when intended to be sent via Marseilles—prepaymel!t
compulsory. •

The following is supposed to be the longest over"
land telegraphic circuit ever made. The Chicago Tribllne,
of Dec. 16, says:—" An unbroken circuit was made, and
messages sent without repeating, between Houston, Texas,
and Salt Lake City, via New York. The Houston opera'
tor sent, Houston sends greeting to Salt Lake. We' Sit
with coats off and windows open.' Salt Lake promptly
replied,.' Weather beautiful here, but have a snow stomp
in Montana. Brigham Young has just martyred another
heifer.' Houston replied, 'Don't touch the brass in your
key, or you'll get yellow fever.' After this, Helena, Mow
tana, 550 miles north of Salt Lake, was put on' and con'
versed a few moments. The circuit worked cver the
following route—Houston, New Orleans, Mobile,
Washington, New York, Chicago, and Salt Lake.
Had the San Francisco operator not been out of the oface
he would have been drawn into the circuit, and the length
extended 1,000 miles more. This is a rather remarkable
performance, since Houston is 1,800 miles from New York,
which is also 2,436 miles from Salt Lake City. The we
ther was very favourable and the wires in good condition.
It is not generally known that one and the same
telegraphic alphabet i 4 used in Great Britain, France,
Belgium, Holland, the German States, Italy, Spain, Por-
tugal, Malta, Switzniand, Denmark, Norway, Sweden'
Russia, Persia, Greece, Turkey, Africa, and India; ale°
for the Mediterranean, Persian, Gulf, and the Atlantic
cables. This alphabet was originated by the German&
On the Moose river Inter, Maine, 475 men, 125
horses and 70 oxen are engaged in cutting and liaulia;
lumber.

The nucleus of a military museum and library Pr
New York city has just been formed, under the patrol"
age of the board of officers of the 37th Regiment, be-
tween 35th and 36th streets. The collection is a
curious one, and comprises an assemblage of weaP°l39
.:
and projectiles used during the recent war. The:
are all varieties of rebel shot, shell, and torped°_,l
a number of newly invented projectiles, weapons capture"
from the Confederates, surmounted by the colours of the
37th Regiment. This unique collection is in the custody
of Mr. D. Edwards, the armouror of the regiment.
Patents for new and useful inventions are now
granted in the United States for 17 years. The first, hi:
stalment of the Government fee is $l5, which aunt 0
payable in advance on applying for the patent; and 0
additional are due to the Government when the letter'
patent are allowed. The Government fee on a destg°
patent for three and a half years is $lO ; seven years, sls,'
fourteen years, $3O. No models of design are requiredui
but duplicate drawings or photographs must be furnish°
On the occasion of the Garibaldian invasion °
Rome the American Consul in that city espoused the,
cause of order, shouldered a rifle, marched out with the
Pontifical troops, and bore a share in their conflicts Wil"h'
the Garabaldini. The American papers state that the
Consul has, in consequence, been called to account by 31P
Seward for his undiplomatic conduct, and that his exPhy,
nation, that he merely marched out with the Pontifiee'
troops for the purpose of collecting early and
curate information for his Government, and the
he only shot ono Garibaldian who was about t°
shoot him, has not been accepted as satisfactorP
Mr. Seward has replied that no instructions from his G°'
vernment required or authorised the Consul to attend the
Pontifical army to the field either as a belligerent or
spectator, that no interest of the United States could be
served by such a proceeding, and that had he been Plll'
dent he would have avoided the condition of finding 131°.
self unexpectedly under fire, and would have saved bill:
self the necssity of considering the question of a retreat
The Secretary winds up the "wigging" with the foil°si
ing significant sentence :—.4 Your .conduct is for the;
reasons entirely disapproved. It will depend in part IW%
your own better conduct hereafter, and in some part 111:1°,,
circumstances not yet fully understood, whether the
partment can be content to leave the case with the re'
primand."

A petition has been recently addressed to Coll;
ll
gross, praying for the passage of a law " declaring tb
the purchase of a painting of work of art does not cony.%
the copyright thereof, which inheres, and shall inhere,
the artist, unless specially conveyed to the purchaser." 0
DECISION OF THE SUPREME COURT BRCTIS
AMERICA RELATIVE TO THE PROPERTY OF A DECO6,-,d
AMERICAN CrrizEN.—San Francisco, Feb, 26.—The
preme Court of British Columbia has decided that 'l3O
property of Isaac Humphreys, an American citizen/
died intestate in Victoria, must revert to the Crown W:11'0
there be no heirs to the same. The chief justice said for
office of consul, which the deceased held, was created
commercial purposes only, no ministerial duties or Priv
leges attached. Consul Francis appeared in behalf of tt,
United States. The property in question is of a conside
able amount.