Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-02-01

the Law OF Grsvitatioa. He commenced bv u'
Illustrating In what manner the Earth had become
nattened at the poles-rzpidly revolving in
plant state originally, or In an elastic state a.
present, as suggested by the vibrations Of earth
quakes, II bulged out by the force Of pravitv =,
the equator and contracted at the poles, as did
an elastic globe Of brass straps which be ranidlv
revolved on an axle before the audience
The revolutions Of all heavenly bodies In their
orbits depend upon the law Of efavitation The
force OF gravity is in inverse proportion to the
human mind frst began to soar Above The a,,,S
aho inquire into the mee hanism Of the Universe
II was believed that light and heat was sunnIisd
20 sne EARN ana other planets by means of crys
tahzed spheres revolving around them while
they themselves remained stationary Tbis ~
the doctrine Of Aristotle and Pythagoras e
pernicus was the irst man to study ont the trn.
solar system kempler was the first to under
take 70 soiVe the laws OF planetary motion. All
ORBITS OF heavenly bodies are elipticaI with Az
sun in one OF the foci-the ancient idea wa, that
tne oiolts Were circular; this idea being more in
H. oanee Win the abstract idea Of perfection
The periods Of revolution, aud the mean dis.
tances OF the planets are connected by harmo-
nous and fnvaIiabte laws KpmpIef,s yaoue
Idea was that there was some principle in the
sun tnat iePt the planets in motion in their
Nature MIL ~"
Another idea advanced was that the plsnets
Were animated by spirits that guided them in
their celestial courses. the same as anim,Is arc
guided in their peregrinat,ons ON the e.,th
u.
Even Newton, the great minister and interpre-
ter OF Astronomy, had in bis earlier theories AZ
uionted hgh and heat to the influence of comets.
About the time OF the rise of Newton n was the
common belief among scientific men that the
lorce which kept the planets in their course.
resided In the sun, Newton formed the theory
that the force Of the planets was In inverse pro.
portion TO the square Of their distances which
with the centripetal force Of the sun wonld nro
ouce their orbitual motion. Testing the theory.
IN .ns case oI the earth and moon, on erroneous
SaIculduohs OF French astronomer In regard to
distances, &c, II would not come ont riobt and
was consequently abandoned for the space Of 10
years, when he became cog infant of the crane
BUSINESS Of the Calculations upon which he had
teSue1 ms theoly, set to work and made out new
calculations OF his own, and fiually had the sat
isfactlon OF realizing the truth of his theory and
establishing the law Of celestial prayitation I,
Is related OF him, that on making this grand dis
coVefy In astronomical science be was so over
come by his feelings, that he had IN smnIov .
friend to finish his calculations
rms doctrine OF Newton's was at first rejected
lne continental astronomers, but its protective
PoweIs III computing the periods of comets soon
established its truth beyoDd the nosSihiIitv ~
doubt or cavil One OF the greatest achieyements
OF astronomical science by means of this perfect
Jaw OF sravnatlon has been the discovery Of the
new planet URANUS. The perturbations Of the
planet herschell FIRST excited suspicion of its CT
lstence and Its locality was so accurately arrived
a.. oy astronomical computation under the beau.
tlful and harmonious law Of celestial orayit.tion
that the very hrst dip Of the telescobe info the
deep blue vault Of heaven brought 10 light an
other world In the boundless realms of snace srd
added another planet to the map Of our solar sys-
tenn. ~
sVPRtGz couRT.-Yeste7day, Claikson n.
r er anu n. De Forest, Esqs., ofNew Yo K,
anu non a. Leonard, Of Missouri, were admit
tea attorneys and counsellors Of this court.
No 81 Frederick l.. Barreda IL Brother. plain.
10 In error, VS. Benjamin ii. Silsbee ct al In
80 ~
the district OF Maryland. Mr. Justice Clitf,d
delivered the opinion Of the Court fiirming the
JUG eht OF the said Circuit Court in this cause,
with costs and interest
No. b Lessee of VIM q French ,na ,,,,.
plaintiffs in error, VS.. VIM ii Spencer. III. Of al
In error TO the Circait Court of The limited atss
LOT lot, Tue district OF Indiana: Mr. Justice Catron
delivered the opinion Of the Court afa rming the
Judgment Of the said Circuit Court In this cause.
with costs.
No; 36 McKinlay, Garrioch & Co, appellants,
ship 1.Pons Aelii," &c. Appeal from the Cir.
CUT Court OF the United States for the district of
California. Mr.. Justice WAYNE delivered the
OPINION OF the Court, Affirming the decree of the
sald circuit Court in this cause, with costs
No 269. The Insurance Company of the Val
ley OF Virginia, plaintiff in error, agt Moses C.
Mordecsl. In error to the Circuit Court of the
Uni'e9 states ior the western district OF Virgil
ma Mr. Chief Justice fancy, delivered the
opinion OF the Court, dismissing this cause for
the want Of Jurisdiction
NO So Robert Campbell ct al plaintiffs in
error, agt. Clement BOyreau In error IN the
Circuit Court of the United States for the soutb.
ern district OF California. Mr. Chief Justice
fancy delivered the opinion of the Court, attn rm
ing the Judgment OF the said Circuit Court in
this cause, with costs
No 2S9 The United States appellants, act
Slneente Conner. Appeal from the District
Court OF the United States for the southern dis
tric, OF California. On motion OF Hon. d. T.
Siekles, OF counsel for the appellee, this cause
was dockeied and dismissed
NO *; The White Water Valley Canal Com
panY, plaintiffs In error, agt Henry VALERIE
&c argument OF thls cause was continued by
error. :"
Mr.. Chief Justice fancy announced TO the Bar
that after the argument in tue case now before
,1e Sou', Is closed the Court, la order to devote
w ednesday to conference in the cases now under
advlsement, will adjourn over TO Thursday next
">~
rlkK AT The CAPITOL Yesterday afternoon
considerable alarm was experienced at the Capt.
tol, by the officers of the building, in con,e-
quence Of sudden and mysterious smell. AZ Of
burning material, which peryaded the Rotunda.
ana adjacent passages and rooms The officers
were Instantly In search OF the causr of alarm
and the clerks within hf airing were Summoned
10 aia IN discovering and assist In extinpuishino
tue names which were er pected to burst forth
ION some unexpected quarter at any moment
ihdlIy, small wry curl Of smoke discovered
ITSELF In a direction perfectly unexpected 10
everybody, aad an officer rushing I'D 10 a GENTLE
man who was cooliy examining the pa n inps in
the Rotunda, seized hold of the tail of his coat
ana drew therefrom a lighted cigar, which with
iaudaDie economy, the stranger had on entering
The building, placed in his poke TO be resumed
when he should 20 out. The stranger was in
vited TO put his coat tail out. which he did i'm a
double sense, by first extnguishins the fire. and
then oY walking of for repairs.
AORAND BALL The entertainment last niyt,
at the hosPitable mansion Of Postmaster General
Brown, was, perhaps, the most crowded that
ever came of In the Federal Metropolis. heinz
attended, In the course Of the evening bv nearly
all those among us noted for their position In oay
and fashionable society; ladies resident and
from all quarters Of the country; the diolomatic
corps, Senators, Representatives, Cabinet Minis.
tiers, &C &c. "i '"''-
Nae band (Weber's) enlivened the scene and
induced much dancing, the density OF the throng
teonced the space occupied by each set on the
moor TO some six feet square The utbanitv of
the host, ard the grace aud geniality of the fair
hostess and her 50 intelligent and lin society
here popular daughter contributed greatly to
make all present suPremely happy for the nonce,
AN USFoRTUSATE-A female, named Eliza
hail EaN1