The Sun.
London, England, 1850-05-07 00:00:00

TUESDAY EVENING, MAY 7, 1850.

INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION OF 1851.
Mr. ARKWRIGHT asked the President of the Board
Of Trade whether he intended to ask Parliament to
interfere in any eay with respect to the Exhibition of
the Works of Industry in 1851, and whether he could give
an assurance that no application for an advance of public
money in aid of thati Exhibition, will, under any cir-
cumstances, be sanctioned by her Majesty's Government?
Mr. LABOUCHERE said he certainly did not antici-
pate that it would be his duty to ask Parliament to in-
terfere in an exhibition which he thought would entirely
depend on the voluntary contributions of individuals.
The only way in which ho might ask Parliament to in-
terfere would Le in order to amend the Act of Regis-ra-
tion of Designs, with the view of protecting from piracy
those articles Which might be shown at the exhibition.
With regard to the second question, having the honour
to be one of the Commissioners, he believed nothing
was further from the intention of the Commissioners
than to apply for any advance of public money, except it
might for some ordinary and trivial incidental expenses.
INCUMBERED ESTATES COMMISSION.
Lord NAAS asked the Secretary for Ireland, whether
the notice appended to some of the advertisements of the
Incumbered Estates Commissioners, stating " that the
Commissioners will give the purchaser the option of
raying, fur the present, half the purchase money, the
remaining moiety not to be required until Sir John Ro-
milly's Bill shall be disposed of," has been issued with the
consent of her Majesty's Government; whether a Parlia-
mentary title will, under such circumstances, be given by
sis
vaery ne.
the Commissioners to the purchaser on the payment of the
first
,moiety ; and, if so, what security the Commis-
sioners will require fur the payment of the remaining
half.
Sir W. SOMERVILLE said with respect to the first
question he was not aware that the consent of the Go-
vernment With regard to the other
questions
hew was necessary,
information on the subject.
GOVERNOR BARKLEY.
could nerg
nes
In reply to a question from Mr. G. BERKELEY,
Mr. LABOUCHERE said the dispatch of Governor
Barkley from British Guiana was to be found in the
blue-book containing the various reports of the Gover-
nors of Colonies to the Colonial-office, page 343.
CAPTURE OF A SLAVE FRIGATE.
In reply to a question from Mr. G. BERKELEY,
Mr. HAWES said, he was able to state from in-
quiries made that morning at the Admiralty, that in-
formation had been received at that department, of the
capture of a slave:steam frigate on the coast of Brazil,
called the Providentie and she was found to be empty.
PUBLIC PETITIONS.
In reply to Mr. H. HERBERT, ~
The SPEAKER said that the signatures attached to
public petitions ought to be attached to the sheet on
which the petition was.
Lord CASTLEREAGH raid he thought the
public ought to be put in possession of that informa-
tion, as he himself often received reddens, the signatures
to which were on several slips of paper, and before pre-
senting it he was obliged to paste them together.
Mr. NEWDEGATE inquired whether there had been
any alteration in the course taken by the Committee
of public petitions.
Mr. THORNELY said there bad been no alteration
whatever. Honourable Members were entirely unaware
of the very irregular manner in which the petitions
presented to the House were got up being in many cases
signatures which might be the signatures torn from
letters, and often many different signatures written in
the same hand. Above F,OOO petitions ha) been pre-
sented to the House during the present session, of which
8001 had been printed.
Mr. HUME hoped it would be made known publicly
that no person had a right to sign the name of another
to a petition.
Mr. THORNELY said the Committee had referred
to it a petition hem a grand jury to which the names of
all the jury were affixed by the foreman in his own
hand writing, and the Committee had it printed as a
petition coining from the fsreman.
The matter then dropped.
EXTRAMURAL INTERMENTS.
Lord DUDLEY STUART wished to put a question
to the Secretary fur the Heine Department, with respect
to the Metropolitan Interments Bill. That Bill stood
on the paper for Friday next, and as it was one in
which the public took the greatest possible interest, it
would be a great convenience to Hon. Members if his
Right Hon. Friend would state whether he thought he
could really bring on his Bill on that day or before the
Whitsun holidays.
Sir G. GREY replied that he found it would be im-
possible to bring on the Bill before the Whitsuntide
holidays, but he would proceed with it at the earliest
possible period after then.
ROBBERY AT DUBLIN CASTLE.
Mr. HUME wished to know if the Government had
received any information that an official in Dublin
Castle had decamped with a considerable sum of public
money?—(A laugh.)
Sir W. SOMERVILLE—I would rather answer
the Hon. Gentleman's question to-morrow.—(Laughter.)
REPEAL OF THE ADVERTISEMENT DUTY.
Mr. M. GIBSON presented several petitions praying
for the repeal of the advertisement duty.
Mr. EWART (presented petitions to the same effect
from the Worcester Chronicle, the Wilts Independent, the
Edinburgh Weekly Register, the Newcastle Chroni-
cle, the Renfrewshire Advertiser, the Illustrated
London News, the IVews of the World, Belt's
Weekly Messenger, the Atlas, Reynold's Miscel-
lacy, the Farmer's Herald, the Derbyshire Advertiser,
the Sheffield Free Press, the Bath Journal, the Kent
Herald, the Nenagh Journal, the Nottingham Mercury,
and a number of other metropolitan and provincial journals.
The petitions presented showed the deep interest that
was taken in this motion by the class to whom it re-
lated, but he brought it forward upon public grounds.
He considered this tax was one of the most objectionable
taxes which could possibly be imposed on the comthu-
nity; it stood in the same predicament, though it had
stronger grounds for its abolitiou, as the auction duty
which the Right Hon. Baronet the Member for Tam-
worth repealed. The Right Hon. Baronet repealed that
duty because he considered it was a duty on transactions.
He held with the Right Hon. Baronet that no duty
could be more objectionable in a political, moral, or com-
mercial point of view than a tax on transactions. He
held a duty on advertisements to be a tax on transactions
between man and man, and, therefore, strongly objec-
tionable. He objected to it on general grounds more
than he objected to the taxes on knowledge which his
Right Honourable Friend the Member for Man-
chester brought forward the other day, though
he participated with him in his hostility to
those taxes, but this tax on advertisements was more
than a tax on knowledge, it was a tax on commerce, on
agriculture, on literature, and the wants of the commu-
nity. Could any one of them take up any commercial
newspaper without seeing how fettered were the inter-
communication between merchant and merchant—the
buyer and seller, by this very tax on advertise-
ments. Do not let Honourable Gentleman, who
made the agricultural interest their great care,
think that he advocated the repeal of this tax on
commercial grounds alone, for to-night he had had the
honour of presenting petitions, signed by the proprietors
and publishers of newspapers, which were almost con-
fined to the promotion of agriculture, in favour of this
motion, and therefore those Hon. Gentlemen who so
zealousy supported the agricultural interest would do
well to supper!: this proposal. This duty, moreover was,
was a tax upon literature; indeed, Mr. McCulloch
proved that the advertisement duty was the
heaviest cf all taxes that pressed upon the lite-
rary men. It was tax too upon religious communication
and he had also presented petitions from the printers
and publishers of religious newspapers, and even their
circulation was affected by this prohibitory duty.
It
was a tax also upon art and such publications as the
Illustrated News and the Art Journal severely suffered
from the operation of this duty. It was a tax too upon
wit, since it affected such publications as Punch, but he
and
objected to it principally on general public grounds
the unjust principle upon which it was levied. Why
should the poor author who published a sixpenny
pamphlet, or a sempstress, pay the same advertisement
duty that was paid en a wealthy man selling large
estate. In a word, the tax was objectionable
had
religion.
The all grounds, no matter whether
it
reference to commerce, agriculture, or
The advertisement duty was almost as bad as ft they
were to tax people going to a corn or a stock-exchange;
in
it was the same thing in principle, though different
degree. Not only was this tax so generally
objection-
able, but it was one of great inequality. It was levied
only on advertisements in newspapers, and not on ad-
vertisements in books, or in Bradshaw, for instance, and
other works of that kind. There was another
hardship attending it—that a newspaper propri.
etor sometimes paid as much for one lino
as he did for a column and a-half. It gave ris to
.all
those advertising vans and that unfortunate class of in-
dividuals called walking advertisements whom they met
in the streets. Some years ago Mr-
Poulett Thompson
stated in the House that whilst there were 10,000,000 of
advertisements in America there were only 1,000,01)0 in
England. In 1837 there were in England, Ireland, Scot-
land' Wale,' and the Channel Islands 565
innewspapers ;
in the same year there were 1,700 America.d.
Before the 3s. duty was reduced in 1833 to
the number of advertisements amounted to
about one million in the three kingdoms,. and
since then they had increased to two millions
the amount of the duty levied amounted to about
170,0001., and since the reduction the amount was
157,000/
So that it was pretty evident that the
amount would speedily mount up
to the original
sum. He proposed the total repeal of this duty, and not
wishing to weary the patience of the House, he
should conclude by denouncing this duty as one of the
worst ever imposed, and one of the first which
the Chancellor should have taken off as it was one
which equally pressed upon all classes of the commu-
nity. The Hon. Gentleman then sat down, after moving,
in the words of his motion, that it is expedient that
the advertisement duty should be repealed.
Mr. M. GIBSON seconded the motion.
Mr. TRELAWNY opposed the motion as being in-
consistent with a motion which he himself had upon the

paper relative tothe;iional debt.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER also op-
posed the motion. He could only repaat what he
had: sail on former occasions when this sub-
ject. was brought before the House ; that the question
was; not whether the tax was a burden on the class who
hadl to pay it, but whether our whole system of taxation
was; unjustly imposed. Many objections might be urged
to particular taxes, which be should be happy to remit
if possible, but he had not arrived at that happy state,
nor had any of his predecessors in office, whch would
en: able him to carry on the Government of the
coy entry without money. The Government had made
all -those remissions in taxation which they were enabled
to do,
and which they thought advisable, and he should,
therefore, call upon the House to resist any further
attempts for the reduction of taxation.
Mr. HUME said the Right Hon. Gentleman's ob-

nervations amounted to an appeal to this effect--" I
have math.) up my mind, I 7.-on't li.itcn to any 6 ch0.:,,,T,
I consider what I have already done in the way of the
reduction of taxation the best, arid therefore
I will not answer the particular objections
to this tax." Now he (Mr. Hume) objected, in the first
instance, to the remissions which the Government had
made, as not being necessary, and be would remind the
Right lion. Gentleman that it was the duty of
the Government to repeal those taxes which pressed
most heavily on the community.—(Hoar, hear.)
The Chancellor of the Exchequer having a surplus
ought to be told that he had made a wrong selection, and
this tax was the one that had the strongest claims
upon the House for its repeal. But why could they
not reduce the expenditure so as to relieve the products
of the country from all those objectionable taxes? He
could see no reason why they should not pursue that
course, snd he called on the House to adopt it.—(lloar.)
Mr. EWART replied, stating that he had brought
forward this motion because he objected to the tax on
principle, and all he now called upon the House to do
was to express an opinion that, on principle, the tax
was wroug.—(Hear, hear.),
The House then divided, when there appeared—
For the motion ... ... 39
.Against it ... 208
Majority against the motion... 169
The motion was consequently lost.
SLAVE LABOUR.
Mr. G. BERKELEY postponed his motion respecting
the exclusion from our markets of the produce of slave
labour, to Friday, the 31st inst.
JOURNEYMEN BAKERS.
Lord R. GROSVENOR then rose to move fir a Select
Committee to inquire whether any measures could be
taken to improve the sanitory condition of the journey-
men bakers, and was

(LEFT SPEAKING.)

FRANCE.

The Constitutionnel says :
"On Saturday evening, when the last of the fire-
works were being let off, the President of the Republic
proposed to the Ministers of Finance, Justice, and Com-
merce, who were with him on business, to accom-
pany him in a walk which he wished to take,
in order to witness the rejoicings of the day.
In a few minutes after the Chief of the State,
arm.in-urm with M. Rouber, and followed by M. Fould
and M. Dumas, was i❑ the thickest of the crowd. They
first went to the Arc de Triomphe, and afterwards pro •
ceeded through the side alleys of the Champs Elys6es to
the Place de la Concorde, which they went through in
order to view the splendid illumination in all its details.
It was nearly midnight when they returned to the
Elys6e. The sentiments and feelings which the Presi-
dent heard expressed during the promenade, contrast in
a singular manner, with what he every morning reads
in the journals of a certain colour. The President several
limes stopped before the stalls in the Champs Elytess,
and it was not without emotion that he saw them filled
with portraits and emblems calling to mind an epoch,
the remembrance of which is as dear to him as he is to
the whole nation."

We find the following in the Constitzttionnel:—
" Letters from Saint Louis, Senegal, state that our
colony is threatened with a war by the Moors, who
have already committed some acts of hostility in the
neighbourhood of it. The banks of the Senegal are
inhabited by tribes who are continually in a state of
open rupture one with the other, and who are, be-
sides, often agitated by internal commotions. In the
midst of these conflicts, and of the anarchy which re-
results from them, our trading vessels are frequently
placed in danger. Sometimes they are subjected to
heavy exactions, and at others are pillaged. There
has never been a governor at Senegal that has not had
to obtain reparation for some misdeeds of the kind,
and the present one, Captain Baudin, has been
obliged in his turn to resort to force to bring
to reason certain chiefs, who have been guilty
of acts of violence against our merchants. An
expedition which was undertaken last year on the
upper part of the river appeared to have put an end to
the acts of rapacity exercised against our merchant-
vessels. The tribes on the banks of the Senegal,
alarmed at the chastisement which had been inflicted
on one of their fellow tribes, made their submission,
and engaged to pay an indemnity to the victims of
the exactions and pillaging which had been com-
mitted for a certain number of years. In order to
give complete security to our commerce, the Governor
a Senegal has considered it his duty to seek to put
an end to a civil war which divided one of the most
considerable tribes on the banks of the river—the
Bracknas. In his idea, the re-establishment of a
single responsible and recognised authority would he
a means of securing from that tribe respect for
the treaty which they had concluded with us,
and of guaranteeing the property of our merchants.
He therefore went in person, at the head of a military
force, to the territory of the I3racknas. Taking ad-
vantage of the absence of the Governor, the chief of
another not less important tribe, the Trarzas, attacked
the establishments formed by the colonists in the
neighbourhood of Saint Louis, and devastated and pil-
laged them. Several murders were, it is said, com-
mitted by the assailants. This unexpected act of ag••
gression brought back the Governor in great haste to
St. Louis. On his return, the; Trarzas had disap-
peared with their booty. M. Baudin was obliged to'
leave again soon afcer to seek the troops, who were
engaged in another expedition in Upper Senegal. It
is not known whether the Trarzas will confine them-
selves to the outrage they have already committed,
but in any case they will have to be called to account,
and reparation obtained from them. It is to be hoped
that this unfortunate event will not long interrupt the
trade on the river."

with oil, from which it is separated by pressure, the
tie. iseioe e:
steariue, the hard and pure portion of tallow, from
suet, was illustrated by a variety of specimens ex-
hibiting the conditions of the material in its various
stages of purification. Spermaceti was taken as an
exemplification of the manufacture of the materials
into the form of candles. The platted cotton serves
to give the wick a twist whilst burning, so as to
briug the end to the edge of the flame, by
which means it is completely consumed, and
the candle snuffs itself. The fixing of the wicks
in the moulds, the mode of pouring in the
melted spermaceti, and the extraction of the candles
from their moulds, by first giving each one a blow to
liberate the spermaceti from its adhesion to the metal,
were exhibited. In making wax candles a different
mode is adopted, for no plan has hitherto been de-
vised for casting wax candles in moulds. The melted
wax is poured over the wicks when suspended, and
thus the candles are formed by a succession of
layers of wax. Having shown the mechanical
part of the construction of candles, Professor
' Faraday proceeded to consider the manner in which a
candle burns, and the requisites in the materials for
producing the effect. The fuel which supplies the
flame must. be vaporised before it is burned, and
before it is vaporised it must be melted ; and there-
fore it is essential that the fuel of which a candle
is farmed should be solid, be readily melted,
and be convertible into gas by the heat of
the flame, in order to keep up a continuous
supply of inflammable gas through the me-
dium of the wick. The property of the wick of
drawing the melted tallow or wax, by capillary at-
traction, to the flame, was illustrated in an ingenious
manner. A cotton wick surrounded by wax was
placed on a plate containing water, and a piece of
potassium was put contiguous to the wick at the top.
When the water rose through the cotton by capillary
attraction, it set fire to the potassium. Experi-
ments were shown with pieces of candle made of
gutta percha and of camphor for the purpose of illus-
trating, that unless combustibles possess the property
of melting at a given heat, and not under, they are
unfit for the manufacture of candles. The gutta
percha candle burned like a link, as it did not
melt with the heat of the flame ; the camphor,
on the contrary, melted too quickly, and
blazed rapidly away. In an ordinary candle the
combustible is melted and held in a small revervoir,
whence it is drawn by capillary attraction to the
flame, end there the hydrogen of the fuel is con
verted into gas, and instantly inflamed. This
same is of itself not luminous, though it gives an
intense heat, and this heat enables it to burn the
carbon of the fuel on which the illuminating pro-
perty of the flame depends. Professor Faraday
exhibited several experiments for the purpose of
showing that the luminous property of flame depends
upon the solid matter exposed to the burning hydro-
gen gas. Into a jet of that gas, which was nearly in-
visible, different solid bodies were placed, when their
combustion in some cases, and their mere incadescence
in others, produced a bright light. Lime, for example,
though incombustible, gave a very bright light
when exposed to the heat of the hydrogen flame ; it
is this substance, indeed, which produces the
Drummond light, when the heat of the hydrogen
flame is increased by the addition of a jet of oxygen
gas. As the gas supplied to the flame burns only
where it is in contact with the air, the interior of the
flame is hollow, as was proved by the following
simple experiment :—A piece of white paper was
held horizontally for an instant, in the middle of the
flame of a candle, when a circular mark was
made at the back where the paper had been scorched
by the ring of flame, the interior of the ring being
untouched. As the paper was held higher the ring
diminished until it came to a point. A very well-
contrived experiment was arranged for exhibiting
the shadows of a flame, and of the gases that are burnt
and produced during the combustion. A soap-bubble
blown with hydrogen gas was held between the rays
of a Drummond light and a screen, and when the
bubble was burst, the shadow of the gas mixing with
common air was seen rising very beautifully. When
a bubble blown with carbonic acid gas, which is
the product of combustion, was shown in the same
manner, the effect was equally curious, but in
that case, the gas being heavier than air, it fell
rapidly instead of rising. The shadow of the
flame of a candle presented an interesting object; the
gas and the smoke being seen rising for a considerable
height, and producing great agitation around, all of
which actions are continually taking place during the
combustion, though invisible. This experiment, with
which the lecture concluded, may, Professor Faraday
stated, be easily repeated by holding a candle in the
rays of the sun, letting the shadow fall upon a white
screen.