The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-15 00:00:00

IRELAND.
THE CROPS.

sion, not only to lay before your Majesty this' our na-
tional protest against the injustice which has been in-
flicted upon our innocent fellow-countrymen, and against
the violation of our own rights and liberties, but also to
record the fixed and irrevocable determination of a large
majority of the Irish nation to persevere—until success
8114.11 reward their perseverance—in their efforts to ob-
tain the restoration of the Parliament of Ireland.

DUBLIN, AUG. 12.—Although the rain continues, the
reports from the country are still favourable. It appears
that the wheat crop was too far advanced to be seriously
injured by the quantity of rain that has yet fallen. Much
of that grain has been laid; but in this state the farinrs
are cutting it, and in some districts reapitig is pretty
general. Wheat is likely to be a eery good crop, pro-
bably more than an average in the yield, and the quality
of the grain generally excellent. Oats, according to the
latest accounts, will turn out better than had been ex-
pected, but perhaps much under an average. Barley
will be a fair crop; but there is a much less breadth
than heretofore. Potatoes, notwithstanding a consider-
able failure of those early sown, are described as an
abundant crop. The price of potatoes is now very mode-
rate all through the country. Altogether, if the ,veather
fur the next three or four weeks should prove at ad
favourable, the crops in Ireland will be excellent and
abundant.

" Relying, then, upon your Majesty's gracious desire
to promote the happiness of your Irish subjects, we
implore your Majesty to assist our endeavour to obtain a
repeal of the Act of Union, as the only effectual means
of protecting us from those wrongs, legislative, admi-
nistrative, and judicial, which we now endure.
" That our gracious Queen, assisted by the councils
of an Irish Parliament, and of Ministers who shall
possess its confidence, may soon a itness the prosperity
and contentment of the Irish nation, and long live to
contemplate that happy sight, is the fervent prayer of
the undersigned, who, with all the respect which is due to
their Sovereign, subscribe themselves your Majesty's
loyal and attached subjects."
Mr. H. GRATTAN, M.P., seconded the motion in an
emphatic speech, and on concluding was loudly cheered.
Mr. SMITH O'BRIEN mentioned that the number of
signatures to the document amounted to 1,084,938, and
he had the gratifying fact to announce that a large pro-
portion of these came from the northern counties.
On the motion of Mr. M‘Nevin (barrister), seconded
by Mr. Mackay (barrister), a committee was appointed
to inquire into the facts of the recent disturbance in
Cork, which had arisen out of a religious cause.
Mr. O'CONNELL concurred in the propriety of this
step, and expressed his conviction that the statements
respecting this affair had been greatly exaggerated.
After some further business had been gone through,
Mr. SMITH O'BRIEN announced the rent for the week
9461. 17s.—The meeting then adjourned.
DEATH 01? WILLIAM O'REILLY, ESQ.
We regret to announce the death of William O'Reilly-,
Esq., which took place at the family mansion, Knock
Abbey Castle. county of Louth, on Saturday evening
last. Mr. O'Reilly was lineally descended from the head
of the Sept of O'Reilly, in the county of Cavan, who,
having followed the standard of the ill-starred James,
were parties to the treaty of Limerick, and by its viola-
tion their hereditary estates passed out of their hands,
like many of the Irish then deprived of their domains.
On the relaxation of the penal code the father of Mr.
O'Reilly purchased considerable estates in Louth, Gal-
way, and Limerick ; and on the death of his elder brother,
in the year 1840, he became possessed of the estates in
Louth and Galway, and expended the income derived
from them in giving extensive employment to the inha-
bitants of their localities

REPEAL ASSOCIATION.
The usual weekly meeting of the Association was held
this day in the Conciliation Halt.
On the motion of Mr. S. U'BniEN the chair was taken
by Richard O'Gorman, Esq. The Chairman briefly re-
' turned thanks for the honour conferred upo'i him.
Mr. S. O'BRIEN commenced the business of the day
by handing in several remittances.
Mr. DANIEL O'CONNELL acknowledged the receipt
of several remittances, and then said he had to make his
usual weekly return from the prison. He was happy to
be able to inform the Association that the imprisoned
martyrs were in good health and most excellent spirits,
enjoying the glorious fact of the perfect tranquillity
of Ireland throughout its entire extent. They were
likewise rejoiced to find that the spirit of per-
severance, in looking by legal and constitutional
means for the repeal of the union, still pervaded Irish-
men, of every class and persuasion. Peace an.: perse-
verance, and the union would necessarily be repealed.
He could state to the Association, of his own knowledge,
that when the account reached Mr. O'Connell, of the
speech made by Mr. Sheil on the subject of the State
trials, he expressed his regret that any such speech
should have been delivered, a regret not unmixed with
some indignation. Mr. O'Connell totally disavosied and
repudiated the matter of that speech ; tee thought it a
highly unbecoming one as proceeding from any friend of
of his, and he considered it anything but a friendly act
on the part of Mr. Sheil. He could also state, that as
Mr. O'Connell at the close of the proceedings in the
Queen's Bench soleennly protested against the injustice
done to him, lee continued firm in that protest. There
had ire: 'oeen upon his part, and there never would be,
anY ",nrinking or compromise, and he could not consider
>a :,y man his friend who talked of compromise or shrink-
ing. Mr. O'Connell had now, and long had had, but one
political object, the restoration of the domestic legislature
of Ireland—a restoration which, in his judgment, was
merely a question of time. Come it should—the only
question was when. He deemed the period not distant,
he desired to be at large only that he might the more
actively pursue all peaceable and legal means to restore
the native legislature of Ireland—he did hope, as ha did
anxiously wish, that his imprisonment might arouse
every patriot that is out of prison to increased peaceable
exertion fer the repeal of the deleterous union. It was
the duty of those who were at large to redouble their
efforts for that patriotic and eminently useful purpose,
the repeal of the statute of legislative union. There
had been an assertion attributed to Sir Robert Peel, by
the public papers, to the effect that the Government had
intended to issue a proclamation against the holding
of the two meetings prior to that of Clontarf, but
that the meetings were abandoned. He had made in-
quiry, and he could now state to the Association
that if Sir R. Peel made any such assertion he did so
upon false information ; the assertion being in itself per-
fectly untrue, as there were no meetings agreed to be
held, and then giren up, prior to the Clontarf proclama-
tion. The falsehood of the assertion of course is not at-
tributed to Sir Robert Peel, but to the base men who
misinformed him. The assertion, however, itself was
perfectly false. He had reason to know that Mr. O'Con-
nell was exceedingly anxious to have all the liberal elec-
tors for the municipal elections prepared, by having paid
their taxes before the 31st of the present month, in order
to be put upon the burgess roll. These taxes would be
paid sooner or later—the electors were not asked to pay
a sum of money which they could avoid paying by delay.
The only difference was, that if they were paid before
the 31st of August the ratepayers would have a right to
vote ; 'whereas they lose that right by deferring the
payment. There was an instance before Mr. O'Connell,
as Lord Mayor, upon the revision of the burgess list, of
no less than six persons in one of the wards having paid
their taxes on the Ist of September, and who, therefore,
lost their votes—votes which they would have retained
if they had paid those taxes a day sooner. :he only
method of proceeding satisfactorily with the preparations
for the municipal elections was to have committees of
repeal wardens meet in each ward, and make all the ne-
cessary arrangements, and in particular to ascertain
what taxes were due, and to procure the electors to dis-
charge those taxes in time ; that is, on or before the 31st
of August ; for it should always be kept in recollection
that every other exertion was useless, and went for no-
thing, unless the taxes were paid in time. Finally, he
had to state his perfect conviction that if there were any
Irishman who desired to mitigate the imprisonment of
Mr. O'Connell, he could do so in one way alone, and
that was. by redoubled exertions, legally and peaceably
to achieve for his native land the greatest of political
blessings, namely, the repeal of the legislative union.
Dr. NAGLE moved a resolution having for its object
the extension of repeal reading-rooms throughout the
country.
Mr. SMITH O'BRIEN seconded the motion, and said
that nothing could advance the cause of repeal more
than the establishment of repeal reading-rooms through.
out the country. The object of the Association was to
promote the political, intellectual, and industrial educa-
tion of the people of this country, and the expense at
which this desirable object could be accomplished would
be comparatively trifling.

DERBY AND LEGER SWEEPS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sin,—The public, no doubt, will view with sur-
prise and disgust the machinations of the common
infbfmers to suppress these harmless speculations,"
estab!ished and tolerated for the last ten years.
Suddenly have these despicable beings pounced upon
the licensed victuallers, and are now sueing them for
penalties, in some instances amounting to 2001., for
permitting the drawing of Derby and Leger Sweeps
in their houses. This interference is abominable. A
friend of mine was served with a writ on Monday
last, and the informer had no less than twelve or
fourteen others in his possession. In many cases
these sweeps have been productive of great good, and
have been the means, to my certain knowledge, of
establishing several fortunate members in a respect-
able way of business. These "harmless speculations"
are not attempted to be suppressed upon public grounds,
but by the aid of those despicable beings, common
informers. No work is too dirty for them; but I
wish to impress upon their memory the fate of the
" Qui Tam" actions. The perusal may teach them a
salutary lesson. I am credibly informed that they
have obtained no less than 100 or 150 writs against
licensed victuallers ; in fact, they intend issuing
writs against every person who has suffered those
sweeps to be drawn in their houses. Upon a certain
party remonstrating with the informer, he had the
effrontery to tell him that he had no occasion to find
fault ; that his neighbours were in the same predica-
ment ; and intended, after they had finished their
rounds in London, to pay a visit to Manchester,
Sheffield, &c. This is a pretty consolation for our
country friends. The press is a powerful organ
when it devotes its energies for the protection of the
public, and you will confer an inestimable good upon
the country, and obtain the thanks and support of
the community at large, by calling attention to the
subject. Again, I would propose a society to be
founded for mutual protection, upon the principle of
that excellent one, " The Licensed Victuallers' Pro-
tection Society," and subscriptions raised to exonerate
the landlords of all sporting houses from loss ; to meet
the actions upon fair and open grounds ; also to em-
ploy the first legal talent in England, if necessary, to
defend these actions. Thousands would respond to
the call. I am secretary to one of the clubs, and
hundreds have expressed their determination to sub-
scribe. I would recommend no party to compro-
mise the matter, for by compromising you " furnish
the enemy with the sinews of war." I question whe-
ther these persons will have the audacity to appear in
a public court of law. In my opinion that is not
their object, but extortion. I am sorry to add, they
have succeeded in one instance. Will any gentleman
of the bar condescend and lower himself in the esti-
mation of his brethren and the public by advocating
the cause of these despicable prowlers? I appeal to
the licensed victuallers of England, as a powerful, in-
telligent, and influential body, not to succumb to
these abominable doings, but unite and be deter-
mined to frustrate the designs of common informers.
I inclose my name and address, also that of the in-
former, for your satisfaction.
I am, Sir, yours respectfully,
Lambeth, Aug. 14, 1844. J. M.

Mr. O'Reilly had been a distinguished member of the
Catholic Association. On the passing of the Reform Bill,
he was elected Member for the borough of Dundalk, in
opposition to the brother of Lord Roden, the owner of
the town. The close attention to his Parliamentary
duties undermined his constitution, and to it may be
traced his early demise. As a landlord he was kind and
indulgent; as a country gentleman and a magistrate he
was unremitting in the discharge of his duties, and none
were heard to dispute his judgments, for they were
always founded on justice.
He is succeeded in his estates by his only son, Miles
O'Reilly, Esq., a distinguished student of the London
Un iversi ty.
Mr. O'Reilly was brother of the late Colonel O'Reilly,
husband of the Dowager Duchess of Roxburgh, and
of Mr. Dowel O'Reilly, the present Attorney-General of
Jamaica.

We are requested to state that the new work, enti-
tled " The Popular Member," by Mrs. Gore, author of
" Mothers and Daughters," "The Dowager," &c., in
three vo's. post Bvo., will be published by Mr. Bentley,
of New Burlington-street, on Monday next, the 19th
inst. Orders received by all Booksellers.
EXTRACT OF A. LETTER FROM ADEN.—" On the 4th
(July), at 10 P.M., a succession of blue lights and rockets
announced the approach of the Hindostan, with the Go-
vernor-General on board. She was soon after in the
harbour, when a party of us went on board with offers
of bed and board.' We are all to he in full fig' by
the Turkish wall at four A.M., to-morrow, for the in-
spection of the works, with which the Governor-General
already appears to be as well acquainted as any one
amongst us. It will be a very good thing for Aden, as
the present uncertain limits of the cantonment prevent
the merchants and others from building. The ex-Go-
vernor is expected in a few days, so we shall have an
opportunity of basking in the rays of the setting as well
as those of the rising sun. We are buttoned up to the
chins, and the thermometer stands at 105 in the shade."
BRIDPORT.—CHURCIPRATES.—On Monday last,
ten of the leading Quakers and Dissenters were sum-
moned to appear before the borough magistrates, to
answer the complaint of the churchwardens for their re-
fusal to pay the church-rates demanded of them. On
their continued refusal to pay, distress warrants were
ordered for their recovery.
THE NEW COMET.—The comet discovered by M.
Mauvais may now be seen with the naked eye in the
direction of the east. Its tail appears to be about one
foot long, and its light is rather dim. Round the comet
is a circle similar to that which surrounds the moon when
the weather is about to change.— Courrier Francais.
CALEDONIAN RAILWAY.--We understand that at a
meeting of the Directors of this railway, held at Glas-
gow on Friday, an arrangement was concluded with the
promoters of the Clydesdale Junction Railway, for the
use of the latter line, upon terms mutually advantageous
to both companies. The Caledonian Company have
thus secured the shortest route to Glasgow, and the ad-
vantage of a connexion with the harbour and with the
Greenock and Ayrshire lines.—Glasgow Constitutional.
GREENOCK.—Wednesday night, a small boat was
hired at the Mid Quay by two gentlemen, who were a
little intoxicated, for the purpose of taking them to
Helensburgh. The party started, and yesterday morn-
ing the boat was found floating, bottom up, with the
lug-sail set, about a mile and a half from Helensburgh.
The two boatmen and the two gentlemen have, doubt •
less, been drowned.—Greenock Advertiser.
THE WEATHER.—The brittle and uncertain wea-
ther so prevalent for weeks past, has, we regret to say,
not entirely left us. The forenoons, however, have,
during the past week, been marked by a genial sun-
shine, which has tended to ripen the crops considerably,
but they have been kept somewhat back by the frequent
and heavy rains, and in many places a good deal
laid. In various quarters patches of barley have been
cut down, and with' a few days of fair weather,
many fields of wheat will yield to the sickle in
this neighbourhood during the week. From Inverness-
shire, and the north generally, we learn that harvest
would also be begun this week. From the west the
rain still continues, and of course, excites some uneasi-
ness. For several days past Irish reapers have been tra-
velling eastward in great numbers. An excellent field of
barley was cut down on Friday by Mr. Hadden, at
ha
the village of Long
full crop of barley, niddry, parish of Gladsmuir. A
smallßrevie
'r7,l dwba es l oenegti negn toth
eEllis
Dudgeon, Esq., Belhaven on a n
inst. It is completely ripe, and is of excellent quality.
Another field was cut last week on laverleith farm. In
Yorkshire the harvest has partially commenced ; the
wheat crops are described as both abundant and excel-
lent.—Edinburgh Advertiser.
INSCRIPTION ON THE COFFIN OF DR. DALTON.—
" Within this coffin are the mortal remains of John
Dalton, D.C.L. LLD. F.R.SS.L. and E. ; M.R.I.A.
Member of the Institute of France, President of the Li-
terary and Philosophical Society of Manchester, &c., &c.,
ke. ; the illustrious philosopher, who, amongst his many
brilliant discoveries, first developed, by the power of his
exalted genius and profound scientific investigations, the
law of the arrangement of the ultimate atems of matter,
and of their uniting in certain definite proportions, which
compose that great variety of bodies existing in nature.
—He was born at Eaglesfield, in Cumberland, on the sth
day of September, 1766, and died at Manchester, the
27th day of July, 1844, where he had lived 51 years."
LORD ELDON.—" On one occasion," relates his
Lordship, " I heard Lee say, I cannot leave Fawcett's
wine : mind, Davenport, you will go home immediately
after dinner to read the brief in that cause that we have
to conduct to-morrow.' Not I,' said Davenport ; leave
my dineer and my wine b read a brief ! No no, Lee
—that won't do." Then,' said Lee, what is to be
done ? Who else is employed ?' Davenport—' Oh !
young Scott.' Lee—' Oh ! he must go. Mr. Scott you
must go home immediately, and make yourself ac-
quainted with that cause before our consultation this
evening. This was very hard upon me ; but I did go,
and there was an attorney from Cumberland, and one
from Northumberland, and I do not know how many
other persons. Pretty late, in came Jack Lee, as drunk
as he could be. I cannot consult to-night—l must go to
bed,' he exclaimed, and away he went. Then came Sir
Thomas Davenport: We:cannot have a consultation to-
night, Mr. Wordsworth, shouted Davenport, don't you
see how drunk Mr. SCott is ? It is impossible to consult.'
Poor me, who had scarce had any dinner, and lost all
my wine, I was so drunk that .1 could not consult! Well,
a verdict was given against us, and it was all owing to
lawyer Fawcett's dinner. We moved for a new trial,
and I must say, for the honour of the bar, that those two
gentlemen, Jack Lee and Sir Thomas Davenport, paid all
expenses between them of the first trial. It is the only
instance I ever knew, but they did. We moved for a
new trial (on the ground, I suppose, of the counsel not
being in their senses), and it was granted. When it
came on the following year the judge rose and said'
Gentlemen, did any of you dine with lawyer Fawcett
yesterday ? for if you did I will not hear this cause till
next year.' There was great laughter. We gained the
cause that time.,,___Life of Eldon.
WE'RE A' is singular how seldom
the astute conductors of our diurnal journals commit
themselves by anything like an oversight of an impor-
tant fact. If one, in the multiplicity of cases,:and some
slight imperfections in its system, should perpetrate an
error, the others are prompt to correct it ; but it very
seldom happens that all are so oblivious of public pro-
ceedings as to repeat the blunder, even where a trifling
matter is concerned. We have, however, an instance of
this rare forgetfulness in the papers of the past week.
The Herald, of Tuesday, stated, on authority, that the
Government had it in contemplation to dispatch the
mails to India once a fortnight, instead of once a month.
The Chronicle and Pest copied the article as a piece of
news ; the Times did the same, adding that " the story"
had been repeated at intervals for the last two years.
Now, it appears to us passing strange that all these
journals should have overlooked the fact of the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer having distinctly declared, on
Friday week last, that this increased communication
with India should take effect from January next. He
stated in his place in Parliament ; the different daily
papers reported his announcement in two places—the
debates and the summary in the leading column ; the
Atlas repeated it, and we dare say that other weekly
papers did the same. Yet, two days afterwards, it is
given by all the diurnals as an original piece of news !
" Even the great Homer some times nods."—Atlas.
CHEAP FRUIT.—On Saturday night cherries were
cried in the streets in Shoreditch at one farthing per
pound.

Mr. LAPEL Powxtz, M.P., moved the adoption of the
following address to her Majesty :

" TO THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY.
" Most Gracious Sovereign,—We, the undersigned in-
habitants and natives of the kingdom of Ireland, being
deeply aggrieved and incensed by the acts of those who
misuse your Majesty's name to sanction their aggressions
upon our rights and liberties, and confiding in your Ma-
jesty's benign disposition towards your loyal Irish sub
jects, venture to approach your throne with this our
appeal for redress.
"An event, most gracious Sovereign, has occurred,
which has caused to the Irish nation intense sorrow,
alarm, and indignation. The most illustrious of your
Majesty's subjects, together with six others of our fel-
low-countrymen, are now inmates of a common gaol—
having been convicted by means which we believe to be
unconstitutional, illegal, and unjust, for having performed
acts, deserving not of punishment, but of the highest
commendation.

"Desirous to unfold to your Majesty the course of
circumstances which have brought to pass this event,
never to be forgotten by the Irish nation, we beg re-
spectfully to represent to your Majesty, that your Irish
subjects claim to be a free people, and to be as much
entitled to the enjoyment of free institutions as the most
favoured inhabitants of your empire ; that for several
hundred years they possessed, under the Crown of Eng-
land, a national Parliament ; that, by a combination of
wickedness, almost without parallel, they were, in the
year 1800, deprived of this their ancient birthright and
inheritance; that they have since learned, by the sad ex-
perience of forty-three years, how great a loss their
country had sustained in exchanging self-government
for provincial dependency ; that in the British Parlia-
ment Irish interests are negketecl, Irish feelings find no
sympathy, Irish opinion possesses no weight ; and that
the fruit of British legislation for Ireland has been the
prostration of all those resources, moral and material,
which can give dignity, prosperity, and contentment to a
nation.

" One man had sufficient penetration to discover the
cause of our stiff.-rings, and sufficient energy to rouse his
countrymen to assist him in the almost hopeless task of
recovering our Legis!ature. His mission was peaceful.
He announced, that no triumph which we could achieve
was to be accepted, if won by the effusion of a single
drop of blood. He reliel upon the irresistible influence
of opinion, sustained by consciousness of the force of his
reasoning, and of the righteousness of his cause. He
called together his fellow-countrymen—they assembled
in peaceful array. He asked them whether his opinions
were confirmed by their concurrence ? They answered,
with a voice almost unanimous, that there was no hope
for Ireland, save in the restoration of her Legislature.
"Such is the offence of Daniel O'Connell. For having
sought to secure to the land of his birth the protecting
influence of self-government, our aged patriot now in-
habits the a`mde of a felon.

" From among the millions who coincide with him in
opinion, and who so coinciding share his guilt, without
partaking his merit or his doom, eight were selected as
instruments to effect his conviction. For whatever im-
prudent words they may have spoken, written, or pub-
lished, he has been held responsible. We are told, most
gracious Sovereign, but we believe it not, that this is the
law of the land. Our reason tells us it is not the law of
nature, or of God !
" The course of his trial has been consistent with the
nature of the charge, and with the means by which it
has been sustained. We have been accustomed to be-
lieve that trial by jury was instituted, in order to secure
to the accused an impartial tribunal. In the case of
O'Connell, we have seen the jury laws violated, and
every expedient adopted which could insure his con-
viction, by the intervention of political and religious
prejudices.
" In your Majesty's highest court of criminal jurisdic-
tion, your Attorney-General has been allowed, during
the progress of this trial, with impunity to violate the
laws of God and of man.

" Your Chief Justice has been seen to take upon him-
self the office of advocate against the accused.

" Thus, by a perversion of law, and by a denial of jus-
tice, the greatest man of his age has been convicted on a
charge of conspiracy, and has been consigned to a goal,
even before the process is terminated which questions
the validity of his trial.
" In addressing your Majesty, we do not use courtly
phrase, or the customary formularies of adulation. We
address you as our beloved Sovereign in the language of
the heart. We fear that truth seldom reaches a Royal
ear ; and being sincerely desirous to preserve to your
Majesty unimpaired, the afl'ectio❑ of the people of Ire-
land, we may not cokceal from you our conviction, that
the proceedings of your Majesty's Ministers have
greatly tended to alienate the minds of your Irish sub-
jects from the laws, institutions, and government which
they adminster, and to engender animosities between
the kindred nations which acknowledge your Majesty's
sway. . . .

"'To us, this event brings an additional proof that
Ireland can neva- be wisely or. safely governed until we
possess a native Legislature, and, under the pressure of
this conviction, we think it right, on the present occa•

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY MORNING, AUGUST is 1844

THE PROPHETIC ALMANACS AND
THE WEATHER CYCLE."
(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)
The period is approaching for the announcement of
the almanacs for the ensuing year, and presents a fit
opportunity for devoting a few passing observations
on a subject universally canvassed, and on that ac-
count alone entitled to attention—namely, the weather.
What may be advanced in these observations is in-
tended by way of caution to the public—caution
against those moon-and-star struck impostors, the
weather prophets and astrologers, who still infest the
community, and endeavour, by artfully playing upon
the natural disposition of all men to pry into the
future, to abuse the public mind with absurd specu-
lations as regards the weekly or daily weather, and
with debasing superstition as respects astrological
predictions.

- Any explanation, however, on the subject of the
coming seasons, simply yet philosophically treated,
certainly ought to command more serious attention
than seems to be bestowed upon it. It is a matter
highly interesting in itself, and there is little doubt
that when stripped of all mystery, it may, upon
further investigation, be rendered familiar to the
most ordinary capacity. It is worthy of considera-
tion, if on no other account than that it is impossible
for any one, learned or unlearned, to live through the
year, or even through the month or the day, without
feeling the influence which the weather has upon his
own comfort, and upon the state of all things around
him. In this country, where the changes are so fre-
quent, and the contrast so striking, the subject is con-
stantly before everybody; and be it in the city or on
the common—in the palace or in the farm-house--in
the garden or on the wide-extended moor—the weather
of the season or the day forms the sure preliminary
topic of conversation.
No observation is more common, and on no oc •
casion, perhaps, is the almanac so frequently consulted,
than in forming conjectures on the state of the
weather; but the general remark goes no further
than this—that changes from wet to dry, and from
dry to wet, usually happen at the changes of the
moon. A reliance upon such a theory would lead to
the supposition of the moon having some influence
upon the currents in the atmosphere, as well as on the
currents and tides in the ocean ; but to say the least
of it, this subject is involved in great doubt and ob-
scurity, and is one which can only be elucidated—if
ever it can be proved—by long and careful ob-
servation.

If the moon be supposed to have such influence,
why not the sun ? This point has been started and is
maintained by Lieutenant George Mackenzie, of
Perth, in his " System of the Weather," who has
discovered, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that there
is a cycle of the weather—that there always has been
such a cycle,—and that there ever will be correspond-
ing cycles. We require no further evidence of this
fact than the personal knowledge of many living in-
dividuals, of the periodical recurrence of dry summers
and wet summers, and of mild winters and winters of
long-continued storm. Mackenzie affirms that no
conclusion as to the character or the state of the
weather can be arrived at by lunar periods, and
although he seems disposed to admit that the moon
may be the source of a certain quantity of the wind
that blows, yet he insists that the weather of itself is
a solar, or rather a magnetic effect. We are gratified
to find that the discoveries of Lieut. Mackenzie, and
his frequent explications on this very interesting sub-
ject for upwards of twenty-five years, have recently
been adopted and followed up by the British Associa-
tion for the Advancement of Science. Upwards of
forty years ago, when he began to record his obser-
vations—which are highly valuable, and founded es-
sentially on the magnetic principle—that gentleman
fixed upon the Ist of November as the commencing
point of the weather year; and Sir David Brewster,
in a communication to the Secretary of the Associa-
tion, published in the Atheneum, on the 31st of
August, 1839, states, " that at the new stations ap-
pointed for observing the weather, the observations
commenced on the Ist November (preceding), the
beginning (as he then called it) of the meteorological
year." Professor Whewell, while in the chair at the
Plymouth meeting of the Association in 1841, seemed
so strongly impressed with the importance of the new
light thus thrown on the system of the weather, that
be stated in his address "we ought to have me-
teorological observations and observers distributed
over the face of the globe"—a suggestion, by the way,
which has been only partially adopted. Of late years
a magnetic apparatus has been erected near the Royal
Observatory at Greenwich, under the able superin-
tendence of Professor Airy and Mr. Glaisher and
besides several other stations throughout Great
Britain, we have similar establishments in North and
South America, the Cape of Good Hope, &c. Some-
thing ought to be elucidated from the united observa-
tions thus in progress at a vast expense ; but if the
results be not placed before the public in a popular
form—a form adapted to the reasoning faculties and
understandings of the people—then the inevitable
concluson is, that the parties entrusted with this im-
portant duty have not succeeded in discovering the
elements of the subject of inquiry ; and persons are
thus unfortunately compelled, for want of anything
tangible or authentic, to fall back upon the usual
predictory schemes of the weather-almanac-makers,
though there are unquestionable grounds for believing
that these are altogether unfounded and absurd.
With regard to the analogy between the lunar in-
fluence on the tides of the ocean and on the atmos-
pheric currents insisted on by some writers, we are
in possession of one fact worth a hundred disquisi-
tions—namely, that M. Bouvard examined more than
100,000 observations made at the Royal Observatory
of Paris, embracing a period of eleven years, and he
found beyond question that the tides caused in the
atmosphere by the action of the moon were so small,
or rather so imperceptible, that it is utterly impossible
to reckon upon them for any purpose of experimental
or practical application. Thus, our scientific friends
must look elsewhere than in the influence of the
moon for a solution of the phenomena producing the
weather, and account in some other way for the cer-
tain and periodical recurrence of favourable or un-
favourable seasons. On this subject, we have seen a
private communication from Mr. Mackenzie, wherein
he says—
"l am very curious about the keen pursuit upon
the subject of magnetism, because this property of
the earth is the sole foundation of the weather, for,
without it, there would be no weather whatever. Its
first sensible effect is to operate upon the loadstone or
compass needle, which is sensible to the sight; the
next step, or property, is on the winds, which is
sensible to the feeling, but not to the sight; then
come the clouds, rain, and all the phenomena belong-
ing to the weather. Perhaps the professors expect to
discover the laws of the weather from continued ob-
servations upon the mechanical (so to say) variations
of this recondite principle upon certain bodies. In
this, I believe, they will be disappointed, since the
cycles of the winds embrace every moment of time,
arid every part of the surface of the globe, and fully
explain the coming changes on all these periods (of
time), and in all places. When I mention that the
magnetic principle is the foundation of the weather,
I should have stated that this property is wholly de-
rivable from the solar action. It may be true that
half the winds are produced by the lunar body ; yet
the weather has no reference to lunar influence. So
far, this is certain ; and as the weather recurs in
cycles by the solar, or calendar months, the influence
of the moon is so far settled."

That there are cycles of the winds, and that they
have been discovered, as stated by Mr. Mackenzie—as
there are cycles in every other system of nature—we
have every reason to believe to be the case. We
know—indeed for centuries it has been known—that,
at the end of every eighteen years, the new and full
moons happen at very nearly the same times of the
year, with all the recurring phenomena of the
heavenly bodies at their regular times. The great
error in forecasting the weather seems to have origi-
nated in connecting and combining a system which is
purely a property of the earth with the planetary re-
volutions and appearances, which have as little influ-
ence on the weather as they ever had on the destinies
of man—this last being a system of gross astrological
superstitious prediction and imposition, at once de-
structive of the intellect and morals of mankind—by
which the reason and common sense of the people
were rendered completely useless—the good and the
bad depending upon an ideal destiny, no effort on
the part of the man having power to alter it—a de-
basing and delusive system, which even in these days
is helped to be perpetuated in certain almanacs and
publications, edited by persons of whom better things
might be expected.
With respect to the winds, it may not be amiss, in
concluding this notice of Mackenzie's discovery, to
advert to the opinion of M. Alphonse Blanc, who ob-
serves that the winds are mostly, if not always, caused
by the expansions on condensation of the air due to
changes of the temperature. Between the tropics
the winds are very regular, the cause being perma-
nent, and the equilibrium constant. From this regu-
larity it may justly be concluded that the north and
south winds which we have originate in the north ;
for we cannot for a moment suppose that a south
wind should come to us from a quarter where the
contrary wind is constant. On this view, the south
wind is caused by a condensation, and the north wind
by an expansion, of the polar atmosphere, and the
barometer ought to fall with south winds, and rise
with north winds—the effect, indeed, usually ob-
served. In other words—and as has been long aga
explained—it may be demonstrated that, owing to the
unequal distribution of heat upon the surface of the
globe, and the gradual decrease of temperature from
the equator to the poles, the elastic fluids of the at-
mosphere must perpetually circulate between the
colder and the hotter points, flowing from the former
to the latter on the surface of the earth, and return-
ing from th 3 latter to the former in upper opposite
currents. Owing to various causes, but chiefly to the
unequal distribution of water and land upon the sur-
face of the earth, the course of the winds is by no

means so regular as is assumed in this proposition ;
but this grand system of balancing currents is be-
lieved certainly to exist, and being governed in parti-
cular regions by varying circumstances, give rise to
minor systems of compensating currents. This is the
substance of Mackenzie's discovery; and any one, in-
deed, may convince himself that such systems prevail
in the atmosphere, by watching, as he has done, the
progress of the clouds; for in this way he will be,
able often to detect more than two such currents ex-
isting together. Upon more minute observation, it
will be found that one of these streams of the air be-
comes suddenly checked, and that the others will
continue to flow on for a time in their primary di-
rection, on account of their original impulse ; and as
a deficiency of the aerial fluid is thus produced in one
part of the atmosphere, an equivalent accumulation
must at the same time result in some other part,
which is the supposed, and indeed the only feasible
cause, of all storms, tornadoes, and other extraordi-
nary phenomena in the system of the weather. "The
wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto
the north : it whirleth about continually, and the
wind returneth again according to his circuits."—
Eccles.

We regret that it should be necessary, at this time
of day, in the nineteenth century, to notice the
new " Stellar" philosophy, propounded and lately
advocated by certain meteorological journals. This
we look upon as the revival of the follies, the absur-
dities, and superstitions of astrology; and if the in-
fatuation were to be encouraged, we need not wonder
to find the destinies of mankind subjected to the same
fertile source of imposture as they were in the darker
ages of the world. To counteract such an error, it is
imperative to repeat, again and again, that all the
changes in the moon's appearance are satisfactorily
explained, upon the simple facts of the motions of the
moon and earth ; and therefore they neither have, nor
can have, any of those influences which superstition—
the child of ignorance—ascribes to them. The
planets being all much more remote from the earth
than the moon is, and having little difference in their
appearances, saving what arises from their own mo-
tions, and those of the earth round the sun, have
nothing whatever about them that claims attention as
connected either with the weather, or the appear-
ances of the rear. Influence upon the earth, upon
the changes of the seasons, or upon anything that in any
way affects the comforts or the ordinary pursuits of
mankind, they have none whatever ; and therefore,
the explanations of their appearances and motions are
very properly left to the further study and improve-
ment of astronomical research.

We will examine the "cycle" more particularly on
the publication of Lieutenant Mackenzie's Annual for
1845, which usually makes its appearance long be-
fore its brethren—namely, about the Ist of October
—an announcement for which the public ought to he
indebted to us, as it will afford them an opportunity
of satisfying themselves on the subject of this im-
portant discovery.