FROM OUR EXCHANGES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 166, 2 August 1879, Page 2

FROM OUR EXCHANGES.

Sonne interesting experiments have lately bb'ia made in raising sunken vessels, or otherwise submerged objects, by a plan invented b/ a Yiannese engineer. The Berlin ' Tribune ' says that the agent employed to lift the sunken objects is carbonic acid gas, generated below the surface of the water. In an otherwise empty balloon a bottle of sulphuric acid is placed, embedded in a quantity of Buller's salts, and an arrangement is provided by which the bottle can, be broken at pleasure. The balloon, empty with the exception of the bottle and the salts, is taken down by a diver and securely attached to the objuct to be raised. The bottle is then broken, and the sulphuric acid thus set free perco'ates the salts and generates carbonic acid gas, which inflates the balloon, and after a time causes it to rise to the surface, bringing with it the object attached to it. The trials which have been made with this new apparatus have as yet been only on a comparatively small scale, but they are stated to have been, so far, eminently successful. A small vessel, weighing several hundredweight, was sunk in GO feet of water, a diver was sent down and attached the balloon to it, and in a very short time the machine appeared on the surface of the water, bringing the vessel with it. On another occasion live sacks filled with sand were thrown overboard in 50 feet of water, and in a few minutes were similarly recovered.

A slow, but most perceptible, wasting process is, according to the Irish Tablet, going on in the Romish Church in the

United States. It estimates the loss at eight or nine millions, which exceeds the population of Ireland, and anticipates that this will be substantiated by the census of 1380. Those who have discarded Rome are Irish peasants Celts—of all people, the most superstitious and tenacious of old traditions. We can assure the Tablet that it is a perfectly natural result, that whenever the light of liberty of Protestant America is reached, the revolt against priestly tyranny is quickly completed.—The Christian at Work.

Considerable indignation is felt at the following sentence which has appeared in a Eomish publication called the Catholic Mirror. It is reprinted in many of our Protestant newspapers": —" Let it be your first duty to exterpate heretics ; but be cautious as to the ma ner of doing it. Do nothing without consulting the bishop of the diocese in which you may be located, and if there be no bishop there, advise with the metropolitan bishop. He has his instruction from Rome, and he understands the character of the people. Be sure not to permit the members of our holy Church who may be under your charge to read the Bible. It is the source of all heresies. • Let the land be purchased for the Pope and hi 3 successors in office. Never yield or give up the divine right which the he;id of the Church has, by virtue of the keys, to the government > of North America as well as every other country." The Ultramontane party in France is apprehensive, not without reason, of the results of a measure now before the Legislature, making new arrangements for the higher education cf the youth of the country. It is introduced by the government, and strikes directly at the heart of the priestly policy. One provision is as follows: "No o e is allowed to take part in public or free teaching, or to direct an educational establishment of any kind whatever, if he belongs to a non-authorised religious com--niunity." The Jesuits engaged in educational work in France about one thousand, and the.bill proposes to disqualrfy;them and other's, in all about 27 religious bodies, with about two thousand rehgious tdachers. .Already the civil authorises of the capital are in motion in this matter, and are preparing for the action of the Legislature. M. Herold, Prefect of the Seine, has sent a letter to the Archbishop of Paris informing him that the direction, of the Communal schools will soon be removed out of the bands of the priests, and placed in the hands of laymen. This announcement has fallen like a bombshell in the midst of the clerical party. The cry of "Persecution" is raised. The daily papers have taken up the matter, and write strongly in favor of the transfer. One well-known journal tries to console tho "Catholic" party by quoting the example of other nations, and innocently refers to Holland, where they say, the Roman Catholics themselves have desired the transfer ! It would be difficult to overestimate the importance of this change. The long distance championship contest for the Astley Belt began at the Agricultural Hall, London, on June lGth. Four contestants appeared, viz., John Ennis, of Chicago, Blower Brown, of Turnham Green, Harding, of Blackwell, and Weston, of New York. Powell, the cham-

pion, did not enter, on account of an injuivd foot, and he forfeited his Btake and the belt. On. the start the betting was six to four on Blower Brown. Harding went oft' the track on the 16th, used up. Ennis was seized with cramp on the 17th, and retired, narrowing the match down to Blower Brown and the American Weston, the latter winning in grand _. style by making the 550 miles with five "Z minutes to spare, and winning the belij r the championship of the world, and his bet for five centuries with Sir John Astley. Blower Brown made 453 miles to Weston's 550. Powell says ho will challenge AYeston immediately.