Northern Times. — 1857-06-11 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

WAAT COMETS ARE VADS OF. —That the entire mass of most  comets, and nearly the entire mass of the rest, is composed of far distant and infinitely minute particles, is proved In various ways. The comet of 1832 is one of the few which panne a r,gular course round, tits sue; like the planets; and it .ts the only one which at t'its 'same time encroaches upon the path of the earth. It travels throtgh an elliptic (elongated oval) orbit once in ebrnt sit years and three quarterS;.- and once in this.period, therefore, the earth and the cornet arrive respectively at a point-where it is possible they might rivet: --In 1832, the panic was m occasied by the fear that thesli bodies would meet at this point. - This, however, they did not. Thecometpassed it on the 29th of October, the earth On the 30th November,, when a distance of fifty millions of miles separated them. In 1805, when,there was no panic, the distan_e betwaen them at this point was only_ five millions of miles. As calculated by rago and expressed by Lardner --‘.• It has been shown that a rstun! n g the numb or of comsis which pass within the earth's orbit to be the greatest that it can be imagined to be, and that the magnitudes orthese amets ba :Asot the greatest that they can be conceived to be,, the chances against a collision of the earth with aay Indic:l6nel csmct would be 281 minims to one." conclusion, which IS bated upon strict mathematical re issn'ng, wi 1, we pr ..sume, be sufficient to reassure the timid on the subj act. The comet which appeased in- 1811 was followed by a train 130 millions of miles long; while thatof 1843 had a tail twice the length of that of 1680—namely, DO milons of miles. This is so large a proportion of the entire space comprising the solar system, that the event of the earth'ilnamersion In a comet'sbrnsit does noteeem hivhly improbable, as it Is nevertheless said by mathematicians to be, The -conse7 quences ofsnch tut event it is impossible to foreknow, strictly !speak( ag. —lllustrated nines. .  re • • eren Mee CiC:DR.—i suicide of a meet determined nature took-plate on Saturday last, on board a vessel lying in tee Peol;inamed the Grimsby. It appears that the 'vessel kid cleared' the thistomhouse on yesterday, enid was ready for sea. About flint o'cloek this Morning the mate was on deck, waiting for the captain to leave- the cabin, as' he had te tiered a boat to bring him to tows. He was, however, sudden y alarmed by the report of fire-arms in the cabin, and on going:down. he was horrified to find the captain (Ilartly) lying On the fitter dead, with the roof of thenvouth and the tippets part of the face completely blown away. A•naun wis lying beside him witli which it is supposed he committed fhe frightful' act, by placing the mltaleof it in hiarieouth. 'He had lately taken charge of the vessel, and was a young max, P_yelrs of. age.. The constabulary at once noteedee no the vosel, toed en buyer'. tell be hod as 50011.43 the coroner arrnree—S!igo Independent. . . • • rti6ii- BEildirte,V AGAsoNDs.-1 em tarormed, on good autherity, that not a day' had pared over einpo Hr. O'Bren's return that he has not received one or more letter; from parties applying for money, One fellow writes to say that he got -a "prod" in the badk at Rabingarry, and wants the " loan" of lepound to buy a plaster—another evs he loitt ff siatistlon in 1848-efn account of having:" boldly avowed his opinions''—eaen atenioant has. his story, whether true or false it matters not. 'These 'creatures are for the most part utter strangers to ;O'Brien—net one of them has a particle of. claim upon him. Do these ereantreseivhoeeer they ark, reflect for ar instant upon all that Smith O'Brien has endured—his trials, his !sacriecel, his penal exile `With its-theasand unheard of tortures and hninillationee Do they consider that he has suffered -enorrnenny in property—lo an extent that.thatitibilc know not 'of?, iSerelyi if they didithey would mot be so mean as nowt° , fellow inns hie•quietehonatnand;disture, with their lying importunities, the piece of mind of one who has already made the largest aserifice,forteounttrynad. hopourtha: the.hietore of. patriot tiena records.- I. an; sorry to. say that, _With .his ninal etteets of geed , nature,,Cintrien,. ate r.roat peronal ieconveuience, has-responded t 6 manyof ;these fraeduleet :appetite. To have heerkerted .te there all would iieve required not only its ewnestete bnnhis.brother's to boot. It is sad o. think that thereeee num theres.elvee Irishmen, who would stoop to ;such ;nommen'. eel I, have described, The mitten-4Y 7conviets lit Van. Dieman's,Laail would live been asliseped.oficalch conduct.- , tknow of only oee inetonce where •an attamtinof nib nature to impose on Mr. O'Brien was mede in ;Trsiaania. Ealering one day kite conversation with a et Act wozkinan, Mr: O'Brien( observed , that he was sorry to see auy hies countrymen 'in teat situation, and inquired fo7 what cense ho :hal- beeettrensportad " Ole,, thin, just for nothia -at. all, yer bonen," replied tee man.. ," Well, bat, the authoritiep, I dare ,ay," said O. Brien, `• had same exonse.for punishing you?" " Troth they had, yer honour,'; said teefellow, e't stole is triftle—helf-a-crowa or so." '* Teat vies .wrougrsettl'O'Brien." why did yon do-co " Arra, thin," replied the 'camp, Pif I didn't do It, how the devil could I get the gun to join yer heaonr, at eiallingarry?" Nearly•-ae trustworthy en the; :sad convict, and Tete tta moan, are the parties who now f or Smith O'Brien with • their begging lettere.— New Ilferit Irish