96 



MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE 



[1852. 



that all fi)ims of physical enpvgf, whether visible motion, heat, light, 

 maiTiicti,*!!!. fleotricity, chemical action, or other forms not yet uiider- 

 stnnd, SVC mutually co'uTcrtible ; that the total amoimt of physical energy 

 ill tlic uuiverso isimchaugeable, and varies merely its condition and 

 localitv, by conversion from one form to another, or by transference 

 from o'ue portion of matter to another. P)-of. W. Thomson has pointed 

 out, that in the present condition of the kno'svn Tvorld there is a pre- 

 ponderating tendency to the conversion of all other forms of energy 

 into heat, and to the equable diffusion of all heat ; a tendency which 

 seems to lead towards the cessation of all phenomena, except stellar 

 motions. The author of the present paper points out tliat all heat tends 

 ultimately to assume the radiant form ; anil tliat, if the medium which 

 sun'ounds the stars and transmits radiation Ijetwcen them be supposed 

 to have bounds encu-cling tlie visible world, bevond which is empty 

 space, then at these bounds the nuliaiit licit will be totally reflected, 

 and wiU ultimately be re-concontinliil inli. tuci ; at one of which if an 

 extinct star arrives, it will be resolved into its elements, and a store of 

 energy re-produced. 



7th. ' On the Causes of the Excess of the Mean Temperature of Rivers 

 above that of the Atmosphere, recently observed by M. Renou,' by W. 

 J. M. R.\XKixE. — M. Renou having for four years observed the tempera- 

 ture of the River Loire, at Vendome, as compared with that of the 

 atmosphere, has found, that the mean temperature of the river invaria- 

 bly exceeds that of the air, by an anlouiit varying from II3 .to 3 centi- 

 grade degrees, and averaging" 2°.24 centigrade, and a similar result has 

 been deduced from observations made by il. Oscar Valin on the Loire 

 at Tours. M. Renou and M. Babinet account for this fact by the re- 

 radiation of the bed of the river of solar heat previously absorbed by 

 it. Mr. Rankine thinks this supposition inadequate to account for the 

 facts ; because the excess of temperature of the river over the air was 

 considerably above its mean amount in November, and very near its 

 maximum in December ; and because the mean dimnal variation of 

 temperature of the river was much less than that of the air. He con- 

 siders that friction is more probably the principal cause of this eleva- 

 tion of temperature ; for if water descends in an uniform channel, with 

 an uniform velocity, from a higher level to a lower, the whole power 

 due to its descent is expended in overcoming friction ; that is to say, is 

 converted into heat, as the experiments of Mr. Joule have proved. This 

 must cause an elevation of temperature, which will go on until the loss 

 of heat by radiation, conduction, and evaporation, balances the gain by 

 friction, and at this point the temperature of the river will remain 

 stationary. 



8th. ' On Graphite Batteries,' by Mr. 0. V. "Walker.— After referring 

 to the unfitness of copper, and the too gi'eat cost of tlie superior metals 

 for the purpose of batteries, Mr. Walker said he had early sought a 

 substitute tnr both purposes, and had found one which seemed to pro- 

 mise all that was required in the deposite cf carbon fi-om gas, or 

 graphite. 



Tte Planet of August 22nd, 1852. 



To the Edi'or of the London Times : 



Bm, — Having been deputed by Mr. Bishop to find a name for the 

 Planet which I discovered on the 22nd of August, 1 propose to call it 

 " Foi-tuna." The foBowing elements of the planet's orbit have been 

 calculated by Mr. Vogel, assistant at this obseiTatory. In addition to 

 our own observations, other taken at the Royal Observatory, Green- 

 wich, and at Cambridge by Professor Challis, have been used in the 

 computations : — 



Deg. Min. Sec. 

 MeBn anomaly, counted from the perihelion, 1852, 



September 10, at Greenwich, noon 321 13 12 



Longitude of the perihelion 30 23 29 



Longitude of the ascending node 211 35 25 



Inclination of the orbit 1 32 13 



Eccentricity, 0.157564. 



Mean distance from the .sun, 2.44093. 



Period of revolution, 1.393 day.s. 



This orbit is remarkable for its small inclination to the earth's path. 

 I remain, Sir, your most obedient servant, 



J. R, HIND. 



Mr. Bishop's Observatory, Regent's Park, Oct. 5. 



under the old system, £1.659,509 ; 1840, including one month of the 

 fourpenny rate. £1,033,764; 1841, under the new system, £.500,789; 

 1842, £.^61,249; 1843, £600.641; 1844, £640,217; 1845, £719,957; 

 1840, £761,982; 1847, £82.5,112; 1^48. £984,496; 1849, £740,429; 

 1850, £840,787; 1851, £803,898 ; 1852, £1,118,004. 



Public Revinne and Expendilnre of Great Britain. — The state of the 

 public revenue and expenditure from the year 1822 to 1851, inclusive, 

 may be seen at a glance by reference to a return, printed by 

 order of the House of Commons. By it, it appears that in 1822 the 

 total revenue, after deducting drawbacks and repayments, was 

 £59,823,835, and tlie expenditure £55,079,316, leaving a surplus in- 

 come of £4,744,518. In 1824 the revenue exceeded tliat of 1822 by 

 the sum of £5857, but the e.Kpenditure was nearly £1,000,000 more. 

 From 1824 the public income gradually declined, until in 1835 it fell 

 to £50,408,579, showing a deficiency, as compared with 1824. of no 

 less than £9,421,112. The expenditure, however, in 1835, was the 

 lowest during the last 30 years, the amount being only £48.787,633 

 while there was a surplus income of £1,620,092. The revenue and 

 expenditure have .steadily increased since 1835, until in 1851 the reve- 

 nue reached £56,729,390. and the expenditure amounted to £54.002,994, 

 leaving a surplus of £2,726,396. In the 30 years from 1822 to 1851, 

 inclusive, there was a surplus in 19 years, and a deficiency in 11 years. 

 The years in wliich the expenditure exceeded the income of the coun- 

 try were 1827, 1828, and 1832, from 1837 to 1843 both inclusive, and 

 in 1847 and 1848. Tlie surplus revenue since 1822 exceeded £50.900,009, 

 while the deficiencies did not amount to more than £16,000,000. 



Religious Census nf Upper Canada. — The following is a return of the 

 religious census of Upper Canada, as taken under the authority of law, 

 in the years 1842, 1848, and 1852 ;— 



1842. 1848. 1852. 



Church of England 128.897 106,340 223,928 



Methodists (all) 99,343 137,7.52 208,611 



Presbyterians (all) 115,120 148,182 204,622 



Church of Rome 78,119 119,810 167,930 



Baptists 19,662 28,053 45,4.57 



Lutherans 7.186 12,085 



Congregationalists 5,095 5,993 7,931 



Quakers 6,230 5,951 7,497 



Universalists 2,196 2,088 



Unitarians 678 833 



Not classed 23,582 78,461 ,70,471 



MISCELLANEOtrS INTELLIGENCE. 



The r>rilish Post Office.— In the year 1839, under the old system, 

 75,907.572 letters werejdelivcrcd, and 6.503,024 franks. In 1840, under 

 the new system, 168,768,344 ; in 1841, 190,500,191 ; in 1842,208,434,451 ; 

 in 1»43, 220,l.->0,300; in 1844, 242.091,684; in 1845, 271.410,789; iu 

 1846, 299,586,702; in 1847, 322,146,2-13 ; in 1848,328,830,184 ; in 1849, 

 337,399,199 ; in 1850, 347,069,071 ; in 1851, 360,647,187. The net 

 revenue in each of the above years, ending the 5lh of .lanu.iry.iiichid- 

 iug the charges on the Government dcpartmcnte, has been — 1839, 



Totals 486,055 723,332 952,005 



The following are the returns, according to the places of nativity : — 



Natives ofVpper Canada 523,357 



Natives of Ireland 177,055 



Natives of England 82,482 



Natives of Sco'tland 75.700 



Natives of the Untied States_ 43.360 



French Canadians 26.500 



Natives of Germany 9.721 



All other countries 13,700 



Total 952,005 



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