The Sun.
London, England, 1850-07-06 00:00:00

pieces of cannon. The Viennese
and call it the Misfile. There

regard it with horror,
is a famine in Istria.

POST-OFFICE DEBATE ON TUES-

DAY N EXT.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sin,—The following is a cep) of a letter I have just
dispatched to a Literal Member of Parliament, whe
was not present in his place when Lord Ashley and his
miscellaneous band c•srried the late Address to the
Crown on the subject of the Post-cffice, and which ill-
coosidered move on their part, as developing itself in
practical results, should be designated, " A Scheme for
the more Effectual increase of Labour, Toil, and Vexa-
tion on the Sabbath Day—for causing 'letters, hitherto
written on a Saturday, to be penned on the Sunday; and
for promoting disaster, losses, heartburnings, and
every day of the week." I am, &c.,
J. J.,
Barrister-at-Law.

Inner Temple, July 5, 1850.

(Copy Letter.)
My Lord,—May Ibe permitted, as one of your con-
stituents, who had the pleasure to vote for you at the
last general election, to express an earnest hope that
your convenience. and inclinations also, will permit you
to be present in the House of Commons, on Tuesday
next, the 9th current, and then and there to assist in
procuring the revocation of one of the most atrocious
and ILLEGAL orders, with ri spect to the non-collection
and non-delivery e f letters by the Post-office on a Sun-
day. that the foolhardiness of a Minister ever caused
the Crown to issue, contrary to his own convictions of
such order's utility, in excess of the Crown's power in
the special case; and from both these causes, in deroga-
tion of its dignity.
I am, my Lord, your obedient servant,
J. J.

THE WATER IN THE SERPENTINE.—At the meet-
ing of the Botanical Society of London, held at the society's
rooms, 20, Bedford-street, Strand, last evening, Mr. J. H.
Wilson, F.t .S., in the chair, a paper was read by Dr.
Arthur Hassell, " On the Colouration of the Water of the
Serpentine." In this communication it was shown that the
periodical and coppery green colouration of the water of the
Serpentine is due to the presence of a minute plant belonging
to the tribe of Algw, of which the writer gave a detailed and
critical description, and which he named Thonipsoni. The
development of this plant takes place early in the spring,
out of sight and at the bottom of the water, and it is only
on the approach of the warm weather of summer that it
diffuses itself through the water, deeply colouring it, and
that part of it rises to the surface, forming a scum or pellick
of a bright seruginous or coppery green colour, The whole
of the water of the Serpentine is not usually coloured at one
time, but different portions of it at, different times, according
to the strength and direction of the wind, which drives the
plant before it. At one time it is found to collect at the Hyde-
park extremity ; at another it is present in the Kensington
division; sometimes in the north and at others on the south
shore—the remaining parts of the Serpentine being entirely
free from the plant. This variable distribution, which unex-
plained would, be apt to occasion surprise, accounts for the
tact that the observer may sometimes visit the Serpentine
and not see a trace of the plant in question, and hence he
might be led to form an erroneous conclusion as to the condi-
tion of the water. The observer, tilt refore, who wishes to
come at its real state should make the tour of the whole of
the Serpentine. Considered in a sanitary point of view, Dr.
Hassell is of opinion that the plant, when actually intro-
duced into the system, as when swallowed in bathing, would
not be productive of effects injurious to health, and regards
it as a test of impurity and as an evidence of the very bad
condition in which the water of the Serpentine now undoubt-
edly is. Dr. Hassell concluded the communication by ob-
serving that the coloration of large pieces of wafer by means
of confervH is by no means unfrequent, and cited as a re-
markable instance of it in the Red Sea, which (leaves its
name and colour, from the presence of a minute plant diffused
through the water of a blood red colour.
A LARMING EXPLOSION OF FIREWORESe—MIRACIP.
LOtre ESCAPE. —Last night (Friday) the neighbourhood of
Brunswick-square was thrown into a state of considerable
confusion in consequence of a most fearful explosion of fire-
works taking place on the premises of Mr. Page, a pyro-
technist and dealer in birds, carrying on business in Cromer-
street, leading into the above square. The disaster occurred
from some unexplained cause in the front shop, in which a
large quantity of fireworks and gunpowder was deposited.
So sudden was the shock and so fearful the explosion that
the whole of the front of the shop was blown into the street,
and the goods in the window were sent completely across
the road. Several families were at that time in the upper
floors, and owing to the dense vapour which ascended and
filled the several apartments it was with the greatest dif-
ficulty that the various persons were enabled to escape ; as it
was they were nearly suffocated with sulphur. Owing to
the combustible nature of the stock in trade but few minutes
elapsed ere the whole of the ground-floor became enveloped
in flames. Mr. Page, in his endeavours to subdue the fire,
was badly burnt over the bards, and so were two or three of
the neighbours who volunteered their assistance. The fire
was extinguished, but not before the whale of Mr. Page's
stock in trade was destroyed and serious injury done to his
furniture, &c. The sufferer, unfortunately, was not insured
for a single penny.

Mr. MACAULAY.—The Right Hon. T. 13. Macaulay,
with his sister, Laiy Trevelyan, and her daughter, remained
in Inverness over Thursday last, and proceeded on Friday
morning by the steamer to Foit-William. The party t.t-
tended divine service in the High Church here on hursday
forenoon ( it being a fast-day), and in the afternoon drove to
the battlefield of Culloden. In this Highland tour Mr.
Macaulay has witnessed the scene of some important events
that will fall under his review as an historian, namely, the
Pass cf Killiecrankie , where Dundee received his death-
wound ; the field of Culloden ; and the rugged valley of
Glencoe, connected with one of the darkest and least defensi-
ble actions in the reign of William the Third. To one who
is no less felicitous in brief sketches of local scenery and
manners than in the higher and graver duties of the historian,
these personal visits will be as valuable as the out-door
studies of the artist. —lnverness Courier.

ELECTION OF SHERIFFS OF LONDON AND MIDDLE•
SEX.—Andrew Caldecott, Esq., who was on Midsummer day
elected, with Alderman Carden, to fill the office of sheriff of
London and sheriff of Middlesex, having intimated his in-
tention of declining to fill the office during the ensuing
year, several candidates have already been named to be put
in nomination at the next Common Hall, and yesterday
morning the Town Hall as well as Guildhall were exten-
sively placarded with the names of Henry James Coombes,
Rich citizen and ironmonger, and George Edmund Hodg-
kinson, for sheriff. No day has yet been appointed for the
election, as no official announcement of the refusal to serve
can be made, Mr. Caldecott having fourteen days from the
day of election to appear before the Court of Aldermen, who
then, on failure of appearance or sufficient excuse, order the
fine of 500/. to be recorded, and the Lord Mayor issues his
precept for another election. Had Mr. Caldecott refused
before being chosen, the fine would only have been 400/.

ROYAL PuLI TECHNIC INSTITUTION —llia Excel-
lency the Nepaulese Ambassador, his brother, and suite,
visited this institution yesterday afternoon. The visitors
were accompanied over the different departments by Mr.
Longbottom,the sezretary, who explained the mode of ex-
hibiting the Dissolving Views. Their Highnesses were much
pleased, and immediately requested to hare a similar appara-
tus constructed for them. The boat-cloak of Lieutenant
Halket, R.N., for preserving life, which was exhibited on
the water, also attracted attention. Their Highnesses then
visited the chess-rooms in connexion with the Institution,
and the ambassador gave a position of the game which will
puzzle our best players to unravel.
OFFICIAL CHANGES —Mr. Tuffnell retires from
the Treasury; Mr. Hayter takes his po.ition. Mr. George
C. Lewis, now Under Secretary for the Home Department,
succseds Mr. Hayter, and the Hon. Ed. Bouverie, the Mem-
ber for Kilmarnock, goes to the Home. office.
GREAT EXHIBITION OF 1 85 I.—Yesterday a nume-
rous meeting of the City Committee took place at the Man-
sion-bouse. Sir Moses Montefiore, Bart., in the chair. Mr.
Wire read the report of the deputation and sub-committee
upon the protection of designs. It stated that the princi-
pal feature of the proposed measure was the privilege of
provisional registration, which it conferred on all parties de-
sirous of the opportunity of exhibiting publicly their designs
or inventions without forfeiture of their copy or patent-right
therein. The report was agreed to. A paper containing
the particulars of a conference held on the 27th June with
tbe Reyal Commissioners was then read. It related to a
great variety of matters, amongst which were the appoint-
ment of juries to award the prizes for objects in each branch
of trade, the combination of price as an element in the esti-
mate of excellence, the price of admission, which was not in
any case to be gratuitous, &c. &c. The paper concluded
with the announcement that a resolution approving of the
site of Hyde-park for the buildings, was signed by a large
majority of the delegates present. A resolution approving
of the selection of Hyde-park for the site of the building for
the Exhibition was adopted, and the meeting separated.
THE Moons.—We have further accounts of tbe
appearances on the Moors. Grouse and Aser are plentiful,
but some of the gamekeepers state that, riaring,to the snow-
storm in May, one-half of the birds valbelitein arriving
to maturity Courier. -