thunder storm; for what are all the telegraphic wires that have yet been erected, or that ever will be erected in any country in the world, to the prodigious quantity of iron rails and posts contained within any square mile of this vast aggregate of iron-fenced houses and streets? Professor Olmstead's ideas on this head are much at variance with those entertained by other men of science. Professor Leslie quite derides the idea of any non-conductor exerting an attractive influence at a distance of even fifty or a hundred inches.

PARLIAMENTARY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

BOTH Houses of Parliament have a telegraph of their own, communicating with the offices of clerks, cloisters, and committee-rooms. As a specimen of the information conveyed from the House, we have the following: "Committee has permission to sit until five o'clock;" and among the questions sent down from the committee are the following: "What is before the House?" "Who is speaking ?" "How long before the House divides?" This will supersede the old form of ringing a bell, and the startling and stentorian announcements by the messengers to wearied wights in committee, of "The Speaker's at prayers!" There will be no complaints for the future in the newspapers, by members indulging after dinner at Bellamy's, of being "barred out" of a division. A"call" of the House may be known in a twinkling of time throughout the country. His

constituents may know in a moment when the Hon. is "up;" when the "perpetual motion mem

Mr.

ber" is in pendulo.

Accommodation has been afforded to an agent of the Electric Telegraph Company, in the reporters' gallery; and his business will be that of communicating the results or the progress of debates and divisions up to the rising of the House.

THIEF CAPTURED.

A PERSON entered the Wolverton station of the London and North Western Railway, and took a third-class ticket for Birmingham. The train started, and had nearly arrived at Blisworth, a distance of ten miles, when a police-officer inquired of the station-master at Wolverton what persons had taken tickets at that station by the last train. On the information being afforded him, the officer was led to believe that a person suspected of a robbery, committed in the neighbourhood on the previous evening, had proceeded with his booty by that train. The electric telegraph from Wolverton to Blisworth was immediately put into use, and the necessary information sent thither. On the arrival of the train at Blisworth, the carriages were inspected, and a person answering the description found. He was apprehended, and the stolen goods were found among his lugore. He was brought back by the next train to same evening in t

and safely lodged the

TRICKS UPON TELEGRAPHERS.

A BUFFALO dealer purchased 10,000 bushels of wheat from the agent of a house in New York, conditionally that no intelligence of the state of the European markets had been received per the Cambria; he paid for the same, but instituted a suit against the party who sold, on the ground of alleged fraud in the transaction.

A great many amusing incidents occur in the market, and as no one seriously suffers, the trade have been disposed to enjoy a laugh over the results. A joke is told of a dealer, who never admits it possible for a neighbour to be in advance of him. On one occasion, when a packet with later news was announced at the telegraph office, two of his friends conspired against him. One was to invite him for a turn upon the Troy road, while the other was to remain for the communication of the news. If the intelligence was favourable, the parties were to meet on the road and exchange signals, when the victim was to be drawn into a sale. If unfavourable, it was to be indicated, and a purchase was to be induced. The news proved favourable—the signal was given—and a bargain closed (while the pet nag was making his mile inside of three minutes) for a thousand barrels of "Genesee," at the ruling prices of the morning. When the victim reached his office, he found the telegraphic report of an advance, but he suspected the trick-took an unusually large quid of tobacco-and vowed perpetual vengeance against fast nags, and drives on the Troy road, during business hours.

WIRE-BREAKING PIGEONS.

THE Buffalo Express says, it is assured that numerous breaks in the telegraph line, near that town, have been caused by the pigeons! In their low flights they come in contact with the wires in such masses as to carry them away!

THREE MEN SWEPT AWAY BY A WIRE.

THIS accident is the first to our knowledge yet occasioned by the electric telegraph, and is altogether of a most extraordinary nature. The telegraph wire at the Western Railway Depôt in Charlton, U. S., blew down one night where it crosses the track, when the wire caught on the engine of the down freight train, pulling over one of the posts, and sweeping from the train three brakesmen. One was killed, one had his leg broken, but the other was not injured. No damage was done to the train.

The American papers also relate that a young gentleman in America recently rode against the wires of an electric telegraph without seeing them, by which his throat was cut, and he fell down dead. (?)

THE TELEGRAPH IN THE HANDS OF A TROJAN. THERE are two wires between New York and Buffalo -one for communications going east, the other west. A communication can be made to all the stations on

the line at the same moment, or to any single station, at the wish of the operators.

It is highly amusing to watch the progress of business at the station. Persons wishing to send communications bring them in writing at length, no abbreviations being permitted. The clerk counts the number of words, receives the cash, and places each slip on a file, from which they are taken, and sent on in the order in which they come in.

The characters of the communications are amusingly diversified. The majority of them are business matters, and it is difficult to realize the extent of the benefit which such a trading generation as the New Yorkers derive from it. One gentleman hurried in, while we were in the office, about sun-set, exclaiming

"Mr. Wells, can you send on a communication to Troy right off?”

"Yes, sir, at once."

"Well, but it must be instanter; I want to send directions to my clerk at Troy, who leaves the office about this time. If you wait a moment, he will be gone home, and it will be too late in the morning." "It will be there in three minutes, sir."

And sure enough it was there, and an answer back, "all right," in six or seven minutes after. Troy is 330 miles from Buffalo. The order was, to go immediately and charter a canal boat-freight as low as possible, but at any rate to charter one-put on the steam, have her loaded with a cargo of coal, and dispatched at once. The sharp Trojan had probably