MISCELLANEA.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume VI, Issue 430, 12 August 1851, Page 3

MISCELLANEA.

Ceylon. — The reader will bear in mind the lofty indignation with which Earl Grey announced that he should be ready to make good at all points the conduct of his nominee "whenever the proper time should come/' and the histrionic and perfonctionary agitation with which Mr. Hawes rusMd to hold his little shield between the delinquent and the public j he will also remember how the witnesses who were withheld were dragged forth with their evidence — how the marshalling of the evidence failed to pervert its

real effect —how the episodical weapons of calumny which were prepared against the characters of the independent members of the Committee only exploded in the hands of their concoctors, and shattered the reputations they were intended to defend; accustomed to official discomfiture and deceit, when he beholds the complete failure of the official defences in the open Parliamentary field, he will not be surprised to find that some farther dodges of 1 transaction" are attempted, to hide the defeat that could not be prevented. The sequel is of this consistently honest sort. After a severe struggle, and the rejection of many draft-re-ports, a report was agreed to by the Committee, calling the serious attention of Government to the evidence which 1 the Committee had taken, and again recommending that a Royal commission should be sent out, "unless some step should forthwith be taken by the Government which might obviate the necessity of further investigation." This was the coup-de-grace. Lord Grey never came forward with the proffered defence) the "proper time" never came, and now it scarcely ever can come j the little shield of Mr. Hawes must be lowered in silent, unacted grief. The officers who were summoned over here to upset, but who fatally established the almost incredible charges made against the local Government, have been allowed by the Colonial Office to return to Ceylon, and resume the execution of their responsible duties. Sir Emerson Tennent is despatched to succeed the worthy Sir Patrick Ross in the secluded government of the ocean rock of St. Helena. Viscount Torrington is quietly dismissed I —Spectator.

Mechanical Discovery.—The new discovery that has been recently made at Bordeaux, occupies general attention at this moment. The attention of manufacturers of all descriptions is busily occupied at the present moment with the immense advantages promised by this new invention, and artificers are hastened to assure themselves by personal examination of the powerfuTfa* culties which man can produce with the aid of this ingenious invention. The pressure of the weight of one man to cause a rotary motion of 400 ewt., placed at the extreme end of a bar of 1 metre 20 centimetres in length, carrying with it all resistance, forms the basis of the power. Its velocity is double that of the rotations of the steam-engine, according to the comparative condition of equal diameters; but this velocity may be augmented at will, because it increases according to the pressure produced by the man-; it is the same as regards the power, which increases according to the length of the bar and the weight placed at its extremity. The machine in question has boen submitted to the appreciation of practical men and to a number of visitors : who were all equally surprised at the reality of this discovery, for the terms of speed and power are found by the results produced in the following report:—The speed of the assistant mover and of the principal mover is in the proportion of 1 to 32, and the power produced of 1 to 21. By this discovery steam will be totally suppressed or reduced to such a degree that it can no longer be considered, as formerly, to claim the first rank amongst power machines known to the present age. The dangers of the steam-engine, together with the ruinous combustible necessary for the production of its power, will disappear with the machine. The weight of the steamengine, its accessories, its fuel, the space they occupy on board ship, in manufactories, and on railroads, will be replaced by a weight only equal to that of a boiler, and in space of four metres in length by two in breadth, being the maximum for machines of great power.—Courier de VEurope.

Discovery oe a Great New Motive Power.—The ' Germantown (Pa) Telegraph' says, there has been just brought to light the application of a power which is to supersede the present steam power of the world! The discovery lias been made by an eastern man, who has completed his models; one of which will be deposited at Washington as soon as patent rights shall be secured in the different European countries. The machinery is entirely completed ; the power, is a motive one, and steam has no part in creating it. So simple and economical are the principle and application, that two tons of coal will be sufficient to drive the largest ship-of the-lioe round the world I The ' Telegraph' is quite enthusiastic in its predictions.—New York Herald.

Exhibition of all Nations.—Amongst ishe articles to be exhibited, we notice from France an enormous decanter of cut crystal without a flaw. This wonderful thing is of such dimensions, that three persons of ordinary Jieight may sit with ease inside, and eat a^dinner on a round table a yard in diameter. A double ladder serves to bring people up and down out of this decanter, which, if it have its glasses to match, must also possess a larger person than the Spanish giant, or Mr. Cams Wilson, to drink out of them Lest this may seem to be a story, we hasten to state that the piece of glass has been manufactured at the glass foundry of the Rue St. Sebastian, in Paris; that internally its height from the base to the shoulder is three yards, and the circumference at the paunch nine yards. The stopper weighs 40 lbs.j and the- whole decanter 12 cwt., and- it is capable of containing no less than eighty hectolitres and a half, of wine. Some .curious experiments have been made with the voice inside this .

glass receptacle: The effect of a song on the people outside is described as something unearthly.

Accommodating Judge. —The following anecdotes are told in Governor Ford's History of Illinois: —"In those days (from 1818 to 1830) justice was administered in the courts without much show, parade, or ceremony. The judges were men of sense and learning, who held their courts mostly in log houses, or in the bar rooms of taverns fitted up for the purpose, with a temporary bench for the judge, and chairs and benches for the lawyers and jurors. At the first CircuitCourtinWashington county, by Judge John Reynolds, on the opening of the court, the Sheriff went out into the court-yard and said to the people, 'Boys, come in, our John is going to hold court.' This was the proelamation for opening the court. In general the judges were averse to deciding questions of law. They did not like the responsibility of offending one or the other parties. They preferred to submit everything they could to be decided by the jury. 1 knew one who, when asked for instructions to the jury on points of law, would rub his head and the sides of his face with his hands and say to the lawyers, * Why, gentlemen, the jury understand it; they need no instruction; no doubt they will do justice in the case.' This same judge presided at a court in which a man named Green was convicted for murder, and it became his unpleasant duty to pronounce sentence upon the culprit. He called the prisoner before him, and said to him, ' Mr. Green, the jury say you are guilty of murder; and the law says you are to be hung. I want you and all your friends down on Indian Greek to know, that it is not I-who condemn you. It is the jury and the law. Mr. G., what time would you like to be hung ? the law allows no time for preparation.' Mr. Green said, 'May it please your Honor, I am ready at any time; those who kill the body have no power to kill the soul. My preparation is made, and lam ready at any time the Court pleases.' The Judge replied, • Mr, Green, it is a very serious matter to be hung; it can't happen to a man but once in his life; and you had better take all the time you can get. Mr. Clerk, look at the almanac and see whether this day four weeks comes on Sunday.' The Clerk looked as directed, and reported that that day four weeks came on Thursday.—' Then,' said the Judge,' Mr. Green, the Court will grant you until this day four weeks.' The case was prosecuted by James Turney, the Attorney-General, who interposed and said, * May it please the Court, on occasions of this sort, it is usual for Courts to pronounce a formal sentence ; to remind the prisoner of his perilous condition ; to reprove him for his guilt; and to warn him against rthe judgment in the world to come.' To which the Judge replied, • Oh, Mr. Turney, Mr. Green under stands the whole matter; he knows he has got to be hung; you understand it, Mr, Green, don't you?' 'Yes,' said the prisoner. ' Then. Mr. Sheriff, let the prisoner be remanded, and adjourn the Court.' " Heki on the Multitude op Churches. —A parliamentary blue-book containing additional papers on the affairs of New Zealand, has lately been issued, in which we find a curious document in regard to the native complaints. It is a letter from John Heki, addressed to the Queen, explaining his views on the question, and in the course of it, occur the following remarks on the various churches that divide the faithfnl and puzzle the newly-con-rerted, from which he very astutely draws an example in favour of his own political courses. He says: "Madam the Queen, this is4he simile which I draw from the churches ; we thought that the Church of England was the only true one, yes, amen ; but then there are two other churches, the Wesleyan and the French, and we are perplexed from the multitude of churches ; in a similar way are all the thoughts of the white people and Maories, which prevents their being all agreed upon the determination ; therefore, I say to you, open the key of truth, and I will give you my oath, and do you also give me your oath, and then it will be finally settled. Amen. Should this letter reach you, write to me. Speed this letter across the sea to my sister, to Queen Victoria ; this is the first token of my love to you/— From John William Eehi, of New Zealand. The Porcelain in China.—Porcelain, by which is designated a dense body too hard to be scratched by a knife, translucent, sonorous, and white, was manufactured from an early period in China; the remote antiquity of this manufacture is proved by the discovery of bottles of China porcelain, with inscriptions in that language, in the tombs of Thebes. The porcelain tower, near Nankin, was built a.d. 1827, but as- early as 163, 8.C., it is stated that porcelain was common in China. Marco Polo, the Venetian traveller, penetrated into China in the thirteenth century, and he describes with much accuracy the mode then, as now, employed by the Chinese in the preparation of their clays —"They collect," he says, "a certain kind of-earth as it were from a mine, .and, laying it in a great heap, suffer it to be exposed to the wind, rain, and sun, for thirty or forty years, during which time it is never disturbed. By these means it becomes refined and fit for being wrought in vessels above mentioned. Such colours as may be thought proper are then laid on, and the ware is afterwards baked in ovens .or furnaces."