The Express. — London, England, 1847-04-10 00:00:00

NOTICE. The Proprietors of the Deily New (Morning) and Express (Evening) papvrs have been induced, is consequence of the reprseentations from various respected quarters, to open Olifittli at No. 4, ROYAL . EICHANOE-211.:ILDINOS, the miner of Conshill, and front ing the Pays' h.:change, in addition to their other offices. This arrangement will afford greater convenience to the numerous connexions and friends of these papers in the City and its eastward environs, who may desire to communicate intellig•mce of interest and utility: and a gentleman will be in daily attendance there to receive such communications. The office will be open from nine in the morning till eight in the evening (or advertisements. No. 4, Ex- MAnge-buildings, corner of CernAill, fronting the Royal Exchange. c - he prOSlii• MAILS. The weal India mails, excluding Rime for Menko, Honduras, sad Ile liannush, will be made op on the morning of the 17th April. The mail* for Vign, Oporto, Lisbon, Madeira, emits, sad utbreitar, wig be mule no ea the morning of the 17th April. Tbs overland mails for Gibraltar, Malin, Orem*, the lonian Rim*, Achy Ceylen, India, !loan -Kong, and China, ma Southampton, will M made up on the morning of the 20'b April. The crrerland elowd via Marwillee, to the Mediterranean, Egypt, Aden, Ceylon, India, Hoag Kam, trx., will be made up on the evening of the 24th April. The mails for New Smith Wales, Van Diernen's Land, and New Zealand will be mule up on the evening of the au:h April. The mails for Hellish North America, Rennie* and the United &Mee, will be made up On the evening of the 3rd May. The mails for the Brmils, the River Plate, Moots Video, remain boy% Rallis, Ma :rim, and Buenos Area, will be made op en the evening of the 4th May. HIGH WATER AT LONDON-BRIDGE. Tan ati —llfranlap, 43 an. past S ; A/Wawa, 30 man. past 9. To-aloasow—Monwast, 11 lain. past 10; Marasco, 31 mos past 10. LONDON, SATURDAY, APRIL 10. ONCE introduced to the house, the fate of Lord MORPETH'S Bill for improving the Health of Towns will lie in the hands of the public. It will depend on the pressure from without whether it passes in a mutilated form, stripped of its moat necessary powers, and robbed of its moat valuable machinery, or be comes law as the large and complete measure which now emanates from the Woods and Forests. Above all other classes, the poor have the greatest interest in such a bill. It is framed with an express view to their comfort and advantage, in the first in stance. To secure these, private and local interests may appear to be disregarded or postponed, to a degree unusual in English legislation. But it is not to be concluded that these interests, properly under stood, will suffer from the measure. The commis sioner may be also a town councillor : the share holder in a gas or water company is, at the same time, a contributor to the rates. If the former find himself superseded in his place at the existing board, he may acquire in creased, importance and a wider field for his ener gies as a member of the corporation. If the latter has to'complain that his profits are limited to six per cent., he will find himself more than compensated by reductions in his poor and police rates. His pocket will be assailed by less frequent drains in the shape ef contributions to local charities, his comfort en hanced by the removal of the sad sights and sadder effects of immorality, filth, and suffering. The philanthropist who does not require, as his condition of supporting a measure, that it can be proved advantageous to him in point of hard cash, will need no other inducement to act strenuously for this bill than the increase of health, comfort, and decency which it will bring within reach of the lower class. In fact, we can anticipate little opposition to the act unless from the numerous and partial boards of local jurisdiction which it will supersede and consoli date. The most intelligent members of these, how ever, must see that they can serve their town more effectually in the mode of action which the bill pre scribes, than under the present system. Now, each department has its authority, or authori ties; conflicting among themselves where more than one exist for the same thing, and with each other where each has its own apparatus. Paving commis sioners are arrayed against their brethren of the sewerage ; the above-ground operations of the one clash with the subterraneous workings of the other; gas leaks into water-pipes, and water corrupts the gasman's plumber work ; street levels are planned without reference to sewers, and houses jotted down without regard to the symmetry of streets. The bill places all these concerns under one and the same control—that of the corporation. It con templates not the destruction of existing functions, ' but their consolidation, in order that each may be carried on with reference to the others. With each an harmonious machinery, we shall never again see, as we may see now-a-days, sewers which cannot rid themselves of their contents for want of outfall, and whole districts, whose want of sewerage and drainage makes them perpetual forcing halms of fever, from which the grim guest distri butes the seeds of corruption and death even to the richer and more favoured abodes lying round about. We shall not have different localities in the same town in which the per oentage of mortality differs as much within an area of two miles, as in the most and least healthy parts of the empire. Nor must we mea sure oar gain by the deaths alone which sanitory re gulation will prevent. Dr. PLATFAIR calculates 28 cases of unnecessary sickness for every unnecessary death. And who can reckon all the cast, and demo ralisation, and misery, implied in the wasting sickness of a labouring man ? But the interests of towns ander this bill, besides the advantage of consolidated jurisdiction and unity of operation, will be further secured by the opera tion of the inspecting Board of Health and Public Works. The plane of the local surveyor, and the precautions of the local health officer, will be super vised, confirmed, improved, and corrected, where neces sary, by men the most eminent for engineering and medial science. Nothing will be left to hap-hazard, nor even to the ordinary chances of miscalculation. There will be a sifting process from the surveyor to the common council • from them to the general inspecting officer; f rom him, again, to the central board. We shall have local activity, originating, planning, and executing, with the advantage of aid and guidance from the soundest and most extensive knowledge that can be made available. At first eight the bill may appear to confer too much initiatory power on the Commissioners of Health and Public Works. But every such measure must provide especially for the cases in which local wisdom and eaergy are wanting. Its powers, to be operative, must be calculated to overcome the dead weight of sloth, selfishness, and ignorance. Where there are men on the spot to plan and to execute the initiatory work of the inspectors, the commissioners will be a sinecure. Of course they . must first satisfy themselves that there are those in the place able and willing to do what is to be done. They will, even is these cases, give their advice and aid. But local energy, where there is local energy, will be the originating, no less than the executive power. We have only to think what some of the worst districts in England would be if it were left to their inhabitants to begin the work of sanitory reform. Manchester, and Liverpool, and Glasgow, have scientific doctors, and benevolent manufacturers to undo the doings of selfish and blind years. But many of our rural parishes are studded with noisome hamlets and fever-stricken villages where there is neither resident knowledge nor resi dent activity to effect what must be e ff ected before we can substitute decency for brutishness, comfort for filth, and health for disease. Any sanitory measure without powers to meet such cases would be maimed and worthless. In short, we believe that, so far from superseding local activity, this bill will supersede local inactivity. It will not check a thought or paralyse a band that is now at work for the material improvement of the empire. Who have most earnestly advised its introduction? Who have principally suggested its provisions ? The very men who are now most active for sanitory reform, and whom those who oppose such a measure contend it would reduce to cyphers. Is it likely that Dr. SOUTHWOOD SMITH would be struggling and striving for an act to impair the activity of sanitory reformers in London, or that Dr. DUNCAN would be fighting heart and soul to annihilate his fellow-workers in the same cause in Liv ? We should not be surprised to find those who depr sate the bill, as destroying local activity, the most inactive characters in their several neigh bonrhooda The men who have never stirred a finger In such improvements will be loudest in exclaiming, " This measure ties oar hands'." But besides all the sanitary advantages of the measure, there is an extra-sanitory effect which we may anticipate from the novel powers bestowed in it on the corporations. In their present state it is political partisanship which generally determines the composition of our municipal bodies. But once assign to these local bodies duties so important as the paving, lighting, cleansing, ventilating, sewering, and draining of their respective towns, and a class of persons od will at once take their place at the council who now hold aloof from it. The man of science and the man of humanity will be anxious to have a voice in matters bearing so closely on the pursuits of each and the good of all. - • There will be a new field of operation opened, into which neither sectarianism nor partisanship can de cently intrude. Party feeling is visibly weakened in parliamentary warfare. 'Phis measure would do much to propagate through the country the improved feel ing which has mule whig and tory almost empty shibboleths in the capital. When we set against all these advantages the one counterweight of narrowly comprehended private in terest, we can hardly doubt of the result. But to se cure the victory will require as much activity from the friends of the measure as is likely to be shown by its opponents. The pettier the interest, the more active. A cur is a much noisier animal than a New foundland dog. Governments are impressible bodies. They must be guided by public opinion, and can only learn what that opinion is by what reaches them from without. Let the friends of sanitory reform—in other words, all that is wise, and foresighted, and humane in England—make their feelings, their hopes, and, if necessary, their demands, known to the government in every consti tutional way. Once let the ministry which has brought in this bill feel that it may count upon the support of the community, and it can then afford to disregard that small section of it whose erroneous notions of their interests, whose fears, and whose pre judices, will doubtless urge them to a clamorous, and therefore formidable, opposition. OUR readers are aware, from the communications of our Edinburgh correspondent, that a very went, and not very scrupulous, agitation is in pro gress, north of the Tweed, to defeat the LORD ADVO CATE'S Registration and Marriage Bills. A perusal of the bills themselves—carefully pre wed abstracts of which are given in another column of this day's publication—will be found inadequate to suggest any explanation of the clamour that has been raised against them. The Registration Bill is simply what it purports to be: a measure for conferring upon Scotland (what it has been sadly in want of) such a record of birth', deaths, and marriages, as may subserve the purposes of the political arithmetician and the statesman, and (what is of much more im portance) diminish the number and complexity of a numerous class of law suits, together with the uncer tainty respecting property and status, and the unprofit able expense which they entail upon society. The mar riage bill contemplates a restriction on the facilities for contracting those irregular marriages, which cer tainly have not rendered Scotland more moral, and which have destroyed the happiness of many respect able and even distinguished English families. The registration bill supplies a machinery simple, yet efficient, for recording all births, deaths, and marriages, that take place in Scotland, and imposes penalties, to afford a guarantee that this ma chinery shall not be slovenly worked. It is unnecessary to expatiate on the importance of this machinery, as ancillary to the census taken at the close of every ten years, for the purposes of statistical inquiry. Uncontrovertible though the value of the materials supplied for this purpose by the registry will be, its tendency to diminish or simplify litigations arising out of disputed in testate successions is in our estimation much greater. Many of our Scotch readers have had pain ful experience of the procrastinated vexation and pecuniary loss, which may arise from the difficulty of proving satisfactorily that one person is dead or alive, that another was born in or out of wedlock, or that of two persons one stands in a nearer grade of relationship to the deceased than another. And any of our northern friends who may not hare had opportunities of profiting by the lessons of experience in this branch of knowledge may convince themselves, by turning to the pages of Morrison's Dictionary of Decisions," and the Faculty's, or Shaw and Dunlop's Reports, of the extent to which the annual litigation of their country is in creased by the occurrence of such dubious questions. A simple, comprehensive, and efficient system of re gistration is the best—the only means of diminishing the amount of precarious personal and proprietary rights, of abridging the labour of the courts, and of saving the money of clients. Such a system the LORD ADVOCATE'S bill offers, and such a system Scotland has never hitherto possessed. Registers of births, deaths, and marriages, kept by the subordinate officers of an ecclesiastical establishment from which fully one half of the community arc in a state of open and avowed dissent, must, of necessity, be very imperfect. They must be imperfect from the inability of the registrars to command the necessary informa tion, and from the reluctance to give it. Besides, the official upon whom this important trust devolves has, in too many cases, been glaringly incompetent. The marriage bill takes advantage of the other measure to impose a restraint on the license of the Scotch marriage law without encroaching on its liberty. Marriage, in the eye of the law of Scotland, is a civil relation, in which two parties stand towards each other in virtue of a consensual contract. So lemn espousals in facie ecelesife are one means of proving that a marriage is contracted ; but the law of Scotland admits of other modes of proof. If the par ties declare themselves man and wife before compe tent witnesses, the marriage is held to exist; the testimony of the persons who heard the declaration establishes its existence. Nay more, when one or both of the parties is dead—a written declaration on the part of the man that the woman was his wife, the testimony of neighbours that they . were " repuied " man and wife, and other corroborative circumstances, have been received in courts of law as sufficient to prove the existence of a marriage. In the view taken by the Scotch law of the nature of marriage no change is made by the LORD ADVOCATE'S bill: that measure will merely save the law courts from the painful and degrad ing necessity of receiving a great deal of gossip ing and suspicious testimony. The oath of a drunken blackguard, who makes money . by being the hired witness of declarations of marriages by run aways from across the border, will no longer be suffi cient to establish a marriage. The half-crtilotis, half mercenary testimony of chandler, laundress, and lodg ing-keeper, will be equally unavailing. All who by their mutual consent to become husband and wife to each other have in the eye of the law of Scotland become husband and wife, and who for any reason, trivial or substantial (the fear of the cuttie-stool it may be), are reluctant to invoke the church to become witness of the fact, may accomplish their end by . in voking the registrar. The liberty of Scotch marriage is nowise curtailed ; but the facilities of getting up sham marriages, or contracting inconsiderate marriages, afforded by the present loose state of the law, are done away with. As we have hinted, therefore, it is not in the bills themselves that we are to look for the grounds of oppo sition to them. The ostensible reasonsof the hostile agi tators may be counted on one's fingers. The bills are said to be calculated to promote clandestine and irregu larly contracted marriages; to be a blow levelled by an enemy at the vested rights of the established church; to be degrading to medical gentlemen, by the penalties which in certain contingencies they impose upon them; and to be unjust to parish school masters, who are declared incapable of holding the office of registrar. Only one of these allegations deserves a moment's consideration. As for the pariah schoolmasters, if their exclusion be deemed a hardship, let the clause enacting it be struck out, as it may be without affect ing the principle of the bill. Only, if the parish schoolmaster is to take upon him the office of regis trar, it may not be unadviaable to pass an act empower ing the heads of families in any parish to dismiss their schoolmaster, if, while pursuing other avocations, he neglects his scholastic duties. A cor respondent of the Scotsman illustrates the hardship of this clause, by stating that a schoolmaster in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh already holds the o ffi ces of session clerk and inspector of the poor, and that if the bill passes without the clause, he will stand a fair chance of being appointed registrar. If so, it is dif fficult to conceive what time this Caleb Quotem of Lib berton will have remaining to teach in. The vested right which the church claims in the management of registrations is a vested right in an abuse ; the church has failed to provide a sufficient registry, and there fore the state has a right to employ other instru ments. Besides, is it consistent with justice, that a free kirkman, burgher, quaker, or anabaptiat, may not be born, or marry, or die, without paying toll to the church, as by law established, under the name of a registration fee? The ease of the medical gentlemen is quite on a par with the cases of the schoolmasters and established clergy. If the penalties are not required to compel them to do their duty, they will be a mere name ; if they are, they ought to be im posed. Parsons, dominies, and doctors, may pair off with a class who have a deeper stake in the rejec tion of the bills than any of them, but who have kept a modest silence on the occasion—the amiable and accomplished makers of runaway marriages at Graitney and Coldstream. The only argument against these hills that has even an external appearance of weight, the allega tion that they will promote clandestine and irregular marriages, is refuted by their tenor. More form and regularity will be required to establish the existence of a marriage than at present. More time will be given to the young and heedless to reflect upon the nature and consequences of the step they are taking. So far from enabling profligates to deceive innocent girls by sham marriages more easily than at present, the LORD ADVOCATE'S bills will render such rascally tricks more difficult. At present, a girl has a vague idea that any two witnesses, or that " marriage lines" may prove her marriage. She may therefore trust to evidence which a villain may bribe off or destroy. But under the provisions of the LORD ADVO CATE'S bill she will be aware that unless the ceremony has been performed by a clergyman, or the contract duly registered, no marriage will be held to exist, and she will be on her guard. Many a tottering virtue that would yield on the chance of regaining its ground, by being perhaps able to prove a mar riage, will be fortified by the increased risk. And there is one gross abuse to which these acts will put an end : the getting up of false evidence after a man's death to make bastards appear legitimate, and defraud the lawful heir. Under the existing loose system, such a thing may be done, and has been done. Even where the attempt has ultimately failed, as far as the clients are concerned, a rascally pettifogger has some times made his gains out of the litigation. STEAMERS are fast losing their character for security, and are unfortunately found to fail precisely in those positions, in which the use of them might be expected to redace all chance of danger to a mini mum. Coasting along a lee-shore, which in tempes tuous weather was ever an awful risk for the sailing-vessel, seemed as nothing to the steamer, until repeated wrecks of large steamers off the coasts of Spain and Portugal, and the still more frequent disasters of the powerful West India steamers, have come to reverse all calculations, and seem to restore to canvas the superiority which it once ceded to steam. _ . Yet, when we come to examine into the cause ofeach disaster, we are struck by the complet. similitude, in all cases. The rate of speed, the direction ran, is always miscalculated. The log is always in perfect order, but the vessel and the log never agree. The force of currents, or of some wayward power, unfelt to the same degree, and unappreciated by sailing-vessels, drifts the steamer sut of her course, and she bumps ashore off Cape Finisterre or the Alacranes, finding herself between half and a whole degree out of her course. _ . . There really ought to be courts of inquiry into such acsidents, befalling all vessels, whether com mercial or military. This need not be with a view to vindictiveness or punishment, though they at times would not be misplaced, but for the sake of scientific and general information. The loss of steamers has been attributed to the greater hardihood and risk incurred by making short cuts through passages which sailing-vessels would not attempt; and many other causes have been assigned. But such inquiries ought not to be left to the chance curiosity or inquiry of the individual. Some better rules and organisation are required for our merchant service, both to test the competency of officers, to whom the lives and property of so many are committed, and to improve and extend nau tical science, especially in a time when a new ele ment pertaining especially to science, has been intro duced as a motive force. . Comment would be thrown away upon the melan choly disaster of the Tweed, nor could any touch heighten the painful and vivid description of the Passenger who has sent home an account of it. The conduct of the Spanish captain, BERNARDINO CAMP, and his mate, ought not, however, to be allowed to pass into oblivion without some mark of national gratitude. What the French would do in such a case we need not say : and we trust that England will not limit her gratitude and sense of such generous courage to a paragraph. FRANCE.—HAvaE, APRIL B.—The gives an account of the wreck of a French brig, the St. Pierre, bound from Lisbon to St. Pierre, Miquelon, and the loss of 18 men of the crew. The brig was laden with salt, and on the 19th of March, having been twelve days at sea, she shipped a heavy sea, and shortly after sunk, carrying down with her 18 out of 20 men forming the crew. * The two survivors, Lepelletier and Duchet, remained sixty hours clinging to the spars left by the wreck; they were picked up on the 20th of March by the Swedish brig Experiment, the captain of whom (Carina) landed them safely, on the 30th ult., at Dover, where they were left in charge of the French consular agent. GERMANY.—BERLIN, APRIL 2.—The official organ of the government has just published a royal decree, declaring that ships of war belonging to foreign nations, in the ports of which Prussian vessels of a similar description are not subjected to harbour and navigation dues, shall enjoy the same privilege in Prussian porta. With respect to pilot dues, the sum to be paid is fixed at one thaler for every sta tion, and for each foot of the depth to which the ship's keel is sunk. BAVARTA.—MUNICH, APRIL 3.—Fresh changes are about to take place in our diplomatic Corp.. Count Leufft-Pilsach is, we understand, to become ambassador at Naples instead of Prince von Schwartzenberg, and Mr. von Gist is designated as the person likely to succeed Count Leufft-Pilaaeh at Frankfort. —Cologne Gazette. DENMARK.— KIEL, MARCH 28. Authentic news from Copenhagen informs us that the council of state have come to the determination of going earnestly to work to settle the entangled question of Schleswig-Holstein, is a manner satisfactory to the prejudices of the people. The four aasemblies of the states and the legislative assembly (A:thing) of Iceland, will be extraordinarily convocated in their usual places of meeting in a few days. Seven dele gates will be sent from them to Copenhagen, to give their sanction to the proposed measures. It is said to be under stood that the peculiar political circumstances of Holstein especially deserve attention, but that, on the contrary, Schleswig is to continue to remain a dependency of Den mark.—Nuremberg Correspondent. THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING, APRIL 10, 1847. COLONIAL WEST INDIES.—As supplementary to the sum maries compiled from the colonial journals, which we published yesterday, the following extracts of private letters from Trinidad and St. Lucia possess interest : Tamtmo, MARCH o.—The plan of rending out young men from an agricultural whool Is excellent, if gulteiently educated to keep the estate's books and wow** I think we could give them about 201. sterling per annum, and band with the manager in board and lodg ing. Title would he 401. making than to coat 601. for the firs= If they conduct themselves well, they might then hare 400 or HI. per mints, as overseers, and afterward, depend upon them eaves Or rimmemmaat to trautagerahlpa I would not Mende totake three we bar pie insmi, as 1 would make int:natio= for them. Lord Deere tarns Hanlis lawn are =vended Vmmequenes of mote remota an Las In Om Home or Commons. The coolie. were for a tame WO*be antlitmation of the sew law, bat they will now again be ou thumps, eameedne should be dine about them: It is not teeming the planters Addy. Sr. LUCIA, Mown 12.—We have kat our good Col. Tonna. Our new governor-in -chief, Col. Reid, us a visit last week. Ho slatted aim Union and the estate. in Otos-Wet," after which be proceeded to Canarre by water and rode tram thence to Soufriere, and on as far so Vim fort, but time would not allow him to go further to windward. He l ardit delighted with the island ; awake highly of its capabili ti es appears dammed to do on all the good in his power ; bat unfortunately there Is • party already formed against him, which I fear may in some measure diegoat him with Bt. Lucia. I hope if government send. m a permanent 'mentor a pro per one will be relented. It would he fortunate for on should Col. Tenors be the one selected. It is what his enemies expect and her, and what the majority of the Inhabitants and peopi in sea al most sincerely wish. tot &EL WINDSOR, FRIDAY. The Queen and Prince Albert took their usual early walk this morning. Their RR.HH. the Prince of Wales, Prince Alfred, the Princess Royal, and the Princess Alice, rode on ponies and took walking exercise to-day in the grounds around the castle. In the afternoon her Majesty and Prince Albert rode out in apony phaeton and pair, the Prince driving. The lady in waiting, the Countess of Mount Edgecumbe, the maids of honour in waiting, and Lord J. Russell, followed in another Wrongs. The equerries in waiting, Major-general Wemyss end ent.-col. Seymour, were in attendance on horseback. I The royal dinner-party at the castle this evening is expected to include H.R.H. the Duchess of Kent, the lady in waiting on the Duchess of Kent, the Baronets de Speth, the Earl and , oountem Grey, Lord J. Russell, the Rev. Lord and Lady Wriothesley Russell, the Provost of Eton and the Hon. Mn. Hodgson, and Mr. G. E. and the Hon. Mn. Anson. H.R.H. the Duchess of Cambridge, attended by Mr. Edmond Mildinly, honoured the performance of the French plays with her presence yesterday evening. H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge visited H.R.H. the Duchess of Gloucester yesterday at Gloucester Howe. The Right Hon. Edward Strutt (First Commis sioner of Railways) and Mrs. Strutt arrived in town yester day from Kingston, new Derby. Lord Adolphus Fitzelarence has left his residence in St. James's Palace for Paris. The Earl of Clarendon left Combe Abbey, Co ventry, the sea: of the Earl Craven, yesterday, for his resi dence, Orove-park, Herts. (From last night's Gazette.) Sr. JAMEY'S PALACE, APRIL I.—The Queen him, on the nomination of Lord Foley, appointed Major P. Neville, h. p. 12th Foot, to be one of her Majetty's Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arme, vice Ogilvie, retired. WAR-OFFICE, Aran. 9. 4th Drag. G is—Capt. J. Ralston, from Payee. of 6411 F., to be paym. ' vice A. C. Lhuwater, who rel. on b.-p. loth Lt. Dr La.—Lieut J. P. Smith, from ICU. Lt. Drag., to he lieut., vice Shrlley, who exch.; Licut W. R. Orme, from b..p. 161 LL Drugs., to be teat, vice Lord J. Browne. dec. UN Lt. Dra to—Capt. W. Wilmer, from 16th LL Drags, to be capt„ vice Tong; who etch. 16th U. De. ts—Capt. J. 11. Tongs, from 14th Lt. Drags, to be rapt., vice Wilmer, who exch.; Loot E. shelley. from 10th LL Drags., to be dent., vice Smith, who etch.; A. 11. Cherry, to be vetnurg„ vim Hurbrd, app. to oth U. Drage. In F.—Cept. It. J. Elton, from h..p. Coati.. to be mot, vim A. H. Ormsby, who etch, teems. dlf.,_ Lieut. D. Green to be apt, by per., vice Elton, who ret; Ens. W. H. S. Sharpe to be lieut., by pur.; J. F. Webster to be ens., by par. 3rd P.—A. E. Ellice to be ens., by pur., vice Lysaght, app. to Stith F. 13th F.-414;.t. A. St. Leger Whlabon, from h.-p. tnatt., to be rapt., vice F. 44. Christie, who exch. • Lieut. J. W. COI to be apt., by por„ vice sl'Mahon. who eel ; En.. M. Browne to be that., by pur. ; Ens. A. Somerset, from 52nd F.. to be cos. 25th P.—Env. H. Veitch, from 91at F. to be mu., vice P whose app. hu.- been canc. • . Ambit-thug. J. B. Carr, M.D., from m, F., to be assist.nurg., vice Swift, who exch. 20th F.—Ens. the Hon. A. E. CI. sinclair to be Heat., by par., vim Campbell, prom. to 2nd W. I. Rcpt. ; C. 11. Itinckliff to he ens., by pur. 37th I.—F. 11. Douce to be ens., by pur., vim Pollard, app. to 57th F. 41st P.-13erj.-Maj. T. Toting to be quart-man, vim J. Gil Lin, who ret on h.-p. 44th P.—Ena. J. Colpoys to be edit., vioe Howard, wbo resigns adjOsey. only. 49th I.—Lirat. 11. S. Michell to be parman, vice A. Ware, who ret as h.-p. 52nd I.—A. F. Lloyd to be ens., by pur., rice Somerset, app. to 13th F. 5501 F.—Livut. D. M'Coy to be apt, by pur., vim Chaproniere, wbo at.; Ens. A. Cure to be lieut, by pur. ; R. Hume, to bo ens„ by 57th P.—Lieut. W. Ahmuty to be rapt, by pm., vi..* Brer..Maj. Saunders, who rm.; its. E. J. B. Brown to be lieut., by par. ; Ens. W. Pollard, from 37th F., to be ens. 1.4n1 P.—Arsid..Burg. B. Swift, M.D., from 2ith F., to be assist: sure., vice Carr, who exch. 66th P.—Ens. M. W. Bell to be heat, by pm., vice Gilder, who ret. • Cl. Watson to be mu., by par. 144th F.—Env. W. C. Baird to be beat., by pur., vice belly, who rct.; El3l. the Hon. W. H. Lysight, from 3rd F.. to be IMS. 91n. I.—E. G. Mainwaring to be ens., without pur., via Veitch, app. to 25th frith F.— Li-at R. F. W. Cumberland to be edit., vim Roney, who resigns adjtney only. Ist W. I. Rent Capt. R. W. Dell., from h..p. 14th F.. to be rapt-, vice Deverell, prom.; Lieut. It. D. Fletcher to be met, by por., vioe Dallas, who ret.; Ens. J. T. Ling to be heat., by pur. ; J. W. Thompson to be em., by par. 2nd W. 1. Refit—Lieut W. IL Campbell, from 26th P., to be cafe, by lra r i 7 rrat. C. ho rel. M.D., to be mist. g. to the forcer, vice &Aland, who mt. on b.-p. Braver.—Lieut..CoL J. M'Douall, 2nd Life Gds., to be sot. in the army; Capt. R. W. Dallas, let W. I. Rcpt, to be maj. in the army; Capt. A. St Leger M•Mahon, 13th P. to he maj. in the array ; Capt. It. J. Elton, lat. P., to be msj. in the army; CaPt. J. Jamb, Bombay Artil., to be maj. in the army in the East ladies. BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. A meeting of the members of the above society was held lust evening, at their rooms, 20, Bedford-street, Covent garden ; E. Doubleday, Esq., F.L.S., the president, in the chair. The minutes of the ast meeting having been read and confirmed, Mr. REYNOLDS, the treasurer, in a highly complimentary speech, which was warmly responded to by all present, an nounced that their zealous, e ffi cient, and unremunerated secretary, Mr. G. E. Dennes, had presented to the society, to be hung up in their rooms, the portrait of himself, which the members bad subscribed for, and determined on giving him, as a testimonial of their gratitude and appreciation of his disinterested services on behalf of the interests of science, in that particular branch to which the society was devoted. The intimation of the secretary's desire to leave their gift in possession of the society was received with applause, and the portrait, which is an excellent likeness, of which it is sufficient commendation to remark that it was painted by _ rhich that admirable actin}, Mn. Carpenter, and had been previously suspended on the wall of the apartment, was regarded with considerable interest by those present during the evening's proceedings. Mr. DESNES, having briefly addressed the meeting in reference to the subject of the establishment and progress and utility of the society, proceeded to read the following letter on the subject of the potato disease, from Dr. Perkily: " Sir,—Accompanying this is a work lately published by me on ' The Prevention and Treatment of Disease in the Potato and other Crops,' which I have to request you will present to the Botanical Society, in my name. "Allow me, at the same time, to state that my object in publishing this work has been to show that the different forms of carbon powers the property of preventing the ravages of the potato pestilence. Agreeing, as I do most fully, In the conclusion drawn by so many writers, that the potato has been too extensively cultivated, particularly in Ireland, still, when we remember the valuable properties possessed by this root, and the impossibility of supplying its place by any known esculent, it becomes an object of the most vital importance to ftwertein if any mesas exist capable of arresting the progress of this modern pestilence at this vegetab e creation. " Although I have considered it necessary in that work te state the premises from which my deductions are drawn, in order to explain the mocha operandi of the agents recom mended by me, I deem it right to add, that unless my views had been supported by practice as well as theory, I should not have presumed to recommend to others the adoption of means intended to remedy an evil of such magnitude. In dependently of the evidence there advanced in support of the efficacy of charcoal in preventing the ravages of the disease, it has been my object to show that the employment of those substances which liberate carbonic acid gas has not only been sufficient to save the crop, but that it is to this circumstance, or the liberation or non-liberation of the gee, we must attribute the apparent anomalies and contradictory reports respecting the application of the different prepara tions of lime, and the muriuto of soda, or common salt. "When the land has been dressed with salt and lime • double decomposition takes place, according to Sprengei and Bounsaingault, the acid of the salt uniting with the lime, and forming muriate of lime, while a portion of the carbonic acid will unite with the soda, and form carbonate of soda. As, however, a small quantity only of the gas can be combined with the soda, and as the remainder will be liberated, to the action of the gas I have ascribed the benefit that has been derived from the employment of salt and lime, when the latter has been a carbonate. As in order to pro duce such a result it is necessary to employ a car:a:mate of lime, we have an explanation afforded 01 the cause of the failure of these spats at other times and under other circumstances. " The same circumstances afford an explanation of the cause of the success and failure of these substances when used alone. Thus, when the lime has been in the form of a carbonate, and adds existed in the soil to which it was added, the same liberation of carbonic acid gas would take place as in the former instance. If; however, acids or neutral salts were not present, no decomposition would take place, and no gas would be liberated. So, again, when salt has been employed as a manure—a practice co nstanly fol lowed on the greater part of the coast of England—the same extrication of gas would occur if chalk or lime existed in the soil, while none could be effected if the latter substances were absent. Hence the contradictory accounts that have been given of the success and failure of these agents when I employed separately, the same as when used in combination. Believing that these different results from the employment of the same agents, and their failure under the circum stances pointed out by:me (and, as far as my inquiries extend, the want of success can always be traced to the causes now assigned), confirm the truth of my deductions more than those direct experiments with a particular substance, the result of which has been invariably the same, I have been induced to call the attention of the society to this subject in the hope that more evidence may be collected in confirma tion of my views, as there at few farmers who, in certain parts of England, have not employed one or other of these agents. On a future occasion I purpose offering for the con sideration of the society a few remarks on the cause of the failure, and which time does not allow me to do now.-1 have the honour to be, your very obedient servant, "J. PARKINS. " The Secretary of the Botanical Society." At the conclusion of the letter the following remarks, by Mr. Taylor, F.L.S., were read to the meeting " Various opinions have been given respecting the ' po tato disease.' Some say it is owing to a deficiency of ' starch,' others say that it is consequence of the bulbs being stored up in ' pits, which produces fermentation, and canoes the ' tubers' to throw out radicles or wasters, u they are termed. Now, as far as physiology is concerned, it is per fectly absurd, because all succulent bulbs, such se the potato, tulip, hyacinth, and onion, are naturally full of watery matter. This being the case, they will vegetate io any place, whether dry or damp, hot or cold ; and, independent , of all this, their vegetative powers are still going on, pro ducing fibres or' wasters,' which nature has deemed right and roper. fhe ' solanum,' or wild potato of the woods in America, has been diseased in the same way as our cultivated ones, which have never been subjected to pits, nor allowed that privilege. This is evidently a sufficient proof the disease does not arise from the bulbs being put into pits; not only the potato has become diseased, but the olive plantations, Indian corn, apple and pear crops, culmiferous and legumi nous planet, oleaginous plants, as well as forest trees. " The author considered that the disease arose principally from atmospherical changes which have taken place during the last two years, and had caused a peculiar Effluvium to arise in the air ; ' the celluliferous,' or cells of the bulbs be. came impregnated with this noxious vapour, consequently, the cellular tissue became ruptured and overcharged with , a mem of inorganic matter. " There cannot be any cause for indicating, in theleast, that the potato disease should arise from the bulbs bringing forth ' radicles' or shoots, before they are planted, because all bulbifirous plants are full of water, which compel them to vegetate ; for instance, culmiferous and leguminous seeds will never have the power of vegetating, without they ' oome in cants= with air and earth. Now, it appears the potatoe was first ictroduoed into this country by Sr Walter It:1h, in the year 1697. More th an years hare away without hav ing the slightest appearance of disease. (Mind you) if the seed of the disease had been planted 100 or 20 years ago, it is very evident it would have made a much more rapid progrew than it has hitherto done. It is only two years since the crop has become almost a total failure." . . The -- The Chatham!' begged to obese that that society en tirely discountenanced the notion, which was so industriously put forward, that the potatoe disease was owing to the pre valence of a particular description of insect; and from va rious communications which he had had with the most eminent scientific men, both here and on the Continent, the idea that the disease was attributable to any such cause ap peared to be equally repudiated by them all. A short discussion on the subject of the potato disease then ensued, in which Mears. Perkins,yres, Hassell, and Ward took part; after which the chairm an; announced their next meeting for the 7th of May. PARISH OF ST. STEPHEN, WALBROOK.—A meeting was held yesterday, in the vestry-room of the parish of St. Stephen, Walhrook, pursuant tr., the following notice: " biotice is hereby given, that a meeting of the select vestry of this parish will be held in the vestry-room of the church of St. Stephen, Walbrook, on Friday, the oth inst., at eleven o'clock in the forenoon precisely, for the purpose of electing churchwarden" and other officers for the said parish, for the year ensuing, and on other affairs. Dated this 3rd day of April, 1847.—William Alexander, churchwarden; Joshua Ramsay, overseer.”—Before eleven o'clock the Rev. Dr. Croly, rector, and his solicitor, Mr. Crosby, were in attend ance in the vestry room. Shortly after eleven o'clock Alder man Gibbs and three other gentlemen entered the room. Alderman Gibbs announced th►t the vestry was a select sae, and that strangers could not he present. He was asked if the press were to be excluded, and the reply was in the affir :native. The reporters accordingly withdrew. The follow ing proceedings took place after strangers had retired Mr. Crosby observed that he attended as Dr. Croly's solicitor; that Dr. Croly was anxious only that the legal right should be speedily and fully ascertained; and that in the spirit of peace he was willing to give every suitable op portunity to effect that object. Mr. Crosby then retired. Dr. Croly then said that Mr. Crosby had only expressed his sentiments with respect to offering no obstruction to what ever proceedings might be proposed to bring the parish diffi culties to an end. But that he attended on the present occasion merely to apprise the meeting of the vestry law as laid down in Steer's Parish Law, and in Dr. Phillimore's opinion, which be held in his hand. Both were to the same effect, namely, that churchwardens were merely ministerial, and that they could not call a vestry without the consent of the minister of the parish. Dr. Croly was then asked to take the chair, which he declined to do. Mr. Alderman Gibbs then took the chair. Mr. Atkins read a paper, gating that, having been summoned as a select vestryman, he had attended to do whatever he was required by law to do in that capacity. The appointment of Mr. Alexander as senior churchwarden was then moved and carried. The appoint meet of Mr. Ramsey as junior churchwarden was then moved and carried. Mr. Phillips was re-appointed vestry-clerk. The meeting then adjourned. SEAMAN'S HOSPITAL SOCIETT.—A quarterly meet ing of the members was held yesterday at the office in King William-street. Mr. J. lAbf uchere presided. The report stated that during the list quarter 724 patients had been admitted. The receipts from all sources, including the last balance, were 3,7901. ; and, after paying all expenses, and purchasing 2,0001. stock, a balance remained of 4WI. 14s. 6d. the society was generally in a very flourishing condition. The usual complimentary votes concluded the proceedings. WESTMINSTER COURT OF SEWERS.—A general court of the commissioners of sewers for the city and liberty of Westminster was held yesterday, at the Sewers Court, Greek-street, Soho-square. Capt. Geo. Bague, R.N., in the chair. There was a very full attendance of commissioners to consider Lord Morpeth's Bill for the improvement of the health of towns. After the transaction of some routine business, Mr. Smith, the solicitor to this commission, detailed the effect of the various provisions of the bill. The clerk announced that he had received a letter from the City of London commission of sewers setting forth that, as it seemed desirable that the united energies of the metropo litan commissions should be used in opposition to the pro visions of the said bill, they invited the cooperation of the Westminster commission therein. A resolution was then adopted to the effect that a committee be appointed to take into consideration the bill for the improvement of the health of towns. After some formal business, the court adjourned. COMMISSIONERS OF SEWERS, GUILDHALL.—LORD HORPRTH.I4 HEALTH OF Tows BILL.—On Thursday, • special general meeting of the commissioners of sewers for the City of London took place at the Court of Sewers, for the e. purpose of adopting such measures as would tend to exempt the City of London from the operations of Lord Morpeth's Health of Towns Bill. The Richt Hon the Lord Mayor, on taking the chair, said that, in thus calling their early afien tion to the measure of Lord Morpeth and Sir G. Geer, it was to prove that the City of London did not require such an en actment; for, so extensively had the commission carried out the objects for which they had been appointed, that upwards of forty miles of sewerage had been made in the City of Lon don alone within the last sixteen years; and that at an expense of only 200,0001. There remained not above half a mile to be completed, when the whole of the City of London, including every street, court, and alley would possess an effi cient sewerage. There was another point to which he was anxious to direct their attention, and one to which he most certainly attached the greatest importance—it was, that the bill went to affect the rights lad privileges of the City of London.—Sir Peter Laurie fully concurred is the opinions which had just been expressed by the Lord Mayor; and unless a firm and determined stand were made on the present occasion, their rights and privileges would be lost. The ob ject of the bill was to give the entire power into the hands of tho government, to do away with all popular institutions, and ,to crush for ever everything like local government.— He should, therefore, recommend a strong and united oppo sition to be made by all boards and trusts of every parish that would be affected by the proposed measure—Mr. Law rence conceived the hill to be one of the most atrocious measures that had ever been introduced into parliament; but afterwards declared he was willing to admit that some points of the bill were good, if the power were to be vested in the inhabitants instead of a central board, and he should, therefore, call upon them to appoint a deputation to wait upon Lord John Remelt, to request him to use his strenuous opposition to the measure.—Mr. R. L. Jones was of opinion that the City of London ought, in the first instance alone, to oppose the bill, and that they should ask Lord John Russell, as one of the members for the City of London, to get a clause introduced to exempt the city from the operation of its enactments—Mr. Masterman, M.P., remarked, that the powers which the proposed bill sought to vest in the government, were sufficient to alarm the citizens of London, and, at the proper stage, he should give the measure all the opposition in his power, as regarded its effect upon the City.—Mr. Patteson, M.P., also expressed his determination to oppose the bill, unless the City of London were exempted from its operations.—lt was unanimously resolved that , the Lord Mayor and all the members of the two courts who were members of parliament, together with Lord John Russell, Meters. Masterman, Lyall, and Patte son, the four representatives of the City of London, should wait upon Lord Morpeth and Sir G. Grey, to request them to exempt the City of London from the operation of the bill.—A vote of thanks to the Lord Mayor, for calling the present meeting, was then passed, and the meeting broke up. MEDICAL REFORM.—Sir,—It would seem from the reports on medical reform which have appeared in your paper, and from your notice of this day, April 7, that the Council of the College of Surgeons must be rather odd fel lows to have maltreated their brethren in the manner stated. It is possible, however, that these gentlemen are painted blacker than they deserve, and that they are not per taps such scurvy fellows as they are represented. It has got abroad that the Council of the College of Surgeons did not apply to the late Secretary of State for an alteration of their charter; that the Secretary of State, on the contrary, com pelled them, against their earnest representations, to con form to his wishes, and to accept and to ask for the charter Ihe was pleased to dictate. It is even whispered, and indeed asserted by some few people, that the leaders of the medkal association are aware of the fact. If this should turn out to be true, lied that the reel culprit, after all, is the late Secre tary of State, I will venture to hope that the members of the profession of surgery who have been insulted, and feel them selves aggrieved, will saddle the right horse with their grievances.—ANTl-HUSHISO. CAPACITY OF THE NEW OPERA HOUSE.—The number of pereons who may be seated in the house may be stated as follows : there are eight proscenium boxes, thirty in the pit tier, thirty-four in the grand tier, thirty-four in the third tier, twenty-eight in the fourth tier, twenty-eight in the fifth tier, and twenty-eight in the sixth tier, or 190 in all. Allowing six persons to • box, these will seat commo diously 1,140, the stalls hold 266, the pit 263, the am phitheatres 296, the gallery 300; making in the whole 2,256 exclusive of standisg room. Judging, however, from the number of persons in many of the boxes on Tuesday night, this may be considered under the mark.—Builder. THE GUN-COTTON.—M. SCHONBEIN'S SPECIFICA- Tio,t.—The specification of this patent (taken out in the name of Mr. John Taylor, of the Adelphi,) became due and was enrolled yesterday. The following is a correct abstract of its contents:—The patentee states that the invention con sists in the manufacture of explosive compounds applicable to mining purposes and to projectiles, and as substitutes for gunpowder, by treating and combining matters of vegetabls origin with nitric end sulphuric acids. The matter of vege table origin which he prefers, as being best suited for the purposes of the invention, is cotton, so it comes into this country, freed from extraneous matters ; and it is stated to be desirable to operate on the clean fibres of the cotton in • dry state. The acids are, nitric acid of from 1.46 to 1.60 specific gravity, and sulphuric acid of 1•86 specific gravity. The acids are mixed together in the proportion of 1 measure of nitric acid to 3 measures of sul phuric acid, in any suitable or convenient vessel not liable to be affected by the acids. A great degree of heat being generated by the mixture, it is left to cool until its tempera ture falls to 60 or 60 degrees Fah. The cotton is then ins- merged in it, and, in order that it may become thoroughly impregnated or saturated with the acids, it is stirred with a rod of glass or other material not affected by the acids. The cotton should be introduced in as open a state u practi cable. The acids are then poured or drawn off, and the cotton gently pressed by a raiser of glued earthenware, to press out the anvil, after whack it lie covered up in the vessel, and allowed to stand for about an hour. It is subsequently washed in a continuous flow of water, until the presence of the acids is not indicated by the ordinary test of litmus paper. To re move any oncombined portions of the acids which may remain after the cleansing process, the patentee dips the cotton in a weak solution of carbonate of potash, composed of 1 ounce of earbonata of potash to 1 gallon of water, and partially dries it by pressing, as befire. The cotton is then highly explosive, and may be used in that state ' • but, to increase its explosive power, it is dipped in a weak solution of nitrate of potash, and, lastly, dried in • room heated by hot air or steam to about 160 degrees Fab. It is con sidered probable that the use of the solutions of carbonate of potash and nitrate of potash may be dis pensed with, although actual experience does not warrant such an omission. The patentee remarks, that nitric acid may be employed alone in the manufacture of explosive own pounds; but that, as far as his experience goes, the article when so manufactured is not so good, and far more costly. When used, care should be taken to employ a much lea quantity by weight, to produce the same result, than of powder ; and it 1555 been found that three parts by weight of the cotton produce the same effect as eight parts l i7 weight of' the Tower.proof gunpowder. The cotton, when prepared in the manner before mentioned, may be 'amend into I piece of ordnance, a fowling-piece, or musket ; or may he made up into the shape of cartridges; or may be pressed, when damp, into moulds of the form of the he n of the piece of ordnance for which it is intended, 1 0 that, when dried, it shall retain the required Ileum ' • and it may also be placed in caps, like percussion cap., an d made to explode by impact. Lastly, the patentee gates that, although he prefers the use of cotton, other matters of vege- table origin may be similarly treated with acids to f orm an explosive compound, and that Wide of an inferior specific gravity may be employed. The patentee having thus de. scribed the nature of the invention, and in what manna the same is to be performed, states that he does not confine self to any of the details above specified, so long as the pees liar character of the invention is retained, viz., the manufac ture of explosive compounds from matters of veg e t e e4 origin by means of acids. But, to ado,-.t the patentee's owe expression, " What I claim is, the manufacture of explosive compounds from matters of vegetable origin, by means of nitric acid, or nitric and sulphuric acids."—Meeltanice Magazine. ACCIDENT AT THE HOME-OFFICE. Yesterday afternoon, while a number of men were employed at the Home-office, Charing-cross—which is now beiug attached to the Treasury—a labourer, named David nutty was stand. ing at the foot of the scaffold, when a large b r i c k suddenly fell upon him, from a height of some 50 feet lie was instantly struck to the ground, his skull fractured, and one arm and a collar bone broken. He was placed on shutter in a perfectly insensible condition, removed al quickly as possible to the Charing-cross Hospital, and was attended by one of the house surgeons, but so serious ass his injuries, that no hopes are entertained of his recovery. INQUESTS, YESTERDAY.—THE DAT OP THE WED ntao.—Before Mr. Baker, at the British Oak, Baltic-street, St. Luke's, on the body of Lucy Lames, aged 22 y ear.—On Tuesday morning lest, the demised was in exce llent health and spirits, and was married at Spa Fields Chapel. Aft er eating a very hearty dinner, her husband proposed that they should take a walk. On their return home the deemed complained of severe pains in her stomach. Mr. Mungo Park, a surgeon, was immediately sent for, win admuna tered some medicine, but she expired shortly afterwards. Mr. Park said he had made a post mortem examination of the body, and discovered that the contents of the stomach after passing into the abdomen, had produced inflam mation of the intestines, and caused death. In his (Mr. Park's) opinion, it was caused be ex citement. Verdict, " Natural death."—Btair ro Daunt.—Before Mr. William Carter, the coroner, at the Black Lion Inn, Leatherbead-road, Kingston, on the body of Elizabeth Stetow, awed 16 years. On the evening of Tuesday last, about six o'clock, whilst lighting the lire, a spark flew out of the grate unknown to her, and ignited her dues. Wheat about to leave the apartment, she felt a great heat at her back, and before she had time to ascertain the cause, her gown suddenly burst out in a blue. She called for aid, and a man who was near the bowie hastened to her, and with much difficuly extinguished the flames, which com pletely enveloped her body. The tire was not subdued until the unfortunate female was most shockingly burnt over the whole of her person. She expired at an early hour on Than. day morning, from the effects of the injunes. The coroner having remarked upon the melancholy nature of the ease, the jury returned a verdict of " Accidental death."— ACCIIMNT AT AN IRON FOHNDRY.—Before Mr. W. Carter, at the Duke's Head, Lemon-street, St. Saviour's, South wark, on the body of John Morris, aged 63 years.—The de ceased wustorekeeper in the employ of Messrs. Grissell and Co. iron founders, of Eagle wharf, . Horton New Town. Oa Tuesday week, the deceased was descending • staircase from one of the upper store-rooms, when he was seized with a swimming in the head, end fell to the bottom. A noise was heard by one of the clerks in the counting-house, who ran to the deceased, and found him lying on his back gaits insensible, and bleeding from the ears. lie died on Tuesday last. Mr. Odling, a surgeon, attributed death to laceration of the membranes of the brain, together with congestion, evi dently the result of a fall. The occurrence appeared to be clearly accidental; the jury therefore returned a verdict of " Accidental Death. " ADMINISTERING POPPY-WATER TO CHILDREN IN EDMONTON UNION. —Before Mr. Higgs, in Edmonton Union, Chase. aide, on Thursday, on the bodies of Foundling Burke, ued nine months, and Eliza Cave, aged ten months Harriet Stolworthy said that, about five weeks ego, May Ann Cave, the mother of one of the children, was admitted with her illegitimate child, and the other deceased. At that period the children appeared perfretly well, and they remained so until last Tuesday week. when they seemed in a complete state of stupor. From the symptoms witness thought they were suffering from the *Recta of some nar cotic. She immediately informd Mr. Barker, the master of the union, and a surgeon was sent for, who attended the children until their decease. Mary Ann Cave had told witness that she had given one child some decoction of poppies. The mother of the deceased child Cave, having been cautioned by the coroner, said that about a fortnight since she sent for a large poppy head, and put it into 3 pinta of water, which she boiled ontil the liquid was reduced to 1 pint. She gave two tea-spoonsfull to th.. child Burke on several occasions, to make him sleep, because she wished to wean him, having to suckle both children. She gave the mixture openly in the house, and was recommended to do so by Ca therine Bradshaw, one of the nurses. Mr. J. V. Asbury, surgeon, had opened the bodies of the children, and found that Burke had died of inflammation of the bronchial tubes and lungs ; and Cave from inflammation of the pericar dium. He could not gay that death was occasioned by the opiate taken. Verdict in accordance with the medical testi mony, and the jury expressed their abhorrence of the prsc tic* of giving preparations of opium to young children for the purpose of preventing their being troublesome to their nurses. LORD MORPETH ON EDUCATION. YORK, THURSDAY EVENISG.—This day Lord MOR PETS presided at the annual meeting of the patrons of the Yorkshire Yeoman School, for the education of the children of the:middle classes:at which a very gratifying report was read as to the state of its affairs. Hte LORDSHIP having made some observations on the prosperity of the institution, proceeded to speak as follows:—With respect to the subject of education, on a yet wider scale, considering the definite proposals which have been put forward by her Majesty's government —considering the degree of excitement, and, I am sorry to say, of difference which they have produced, it will hardly be considered out of time and place if I trouble this meeting with a few observations. I admit that the matter does not strictly pertain to our proper business. Ours is a purely voluntary undertaking. It has proceeded thus far by volun tary contributions and voluntary efforts, and I certainly do not see how, in the nature of things, it can ever expect to be supported or extended otherwise. lam in Dopes that on that account, we, the founders and friends of the York Yeoman school, do not grudge any assistance which the national libe rality may furnish to then' portions of the community whose destitution of the means of education is more hopeless and more unfriended. I do not pretind that the scheme in question is perfect, either in its principle or in its details. If I had myself the power, which some seem almost disposed to attribute to the Privy Council, of issuing an arbitrary edict, without reference either to par liament or people, I believe I should prefer a scheme which both did more and did less,—which, on the one hand, would have carried education more extensively into all our towns and villages, and, on the other hand, would have abstained more completely from any religions interference. I think it is not a time to shrink Dem possible miscorreption in the plain avowal of opinion ; but I confess that increasing tape • rience induces me to think that the state had better do more for secular and less for religious education. In the one, I think it clearly in its element ; in the other, it risks getting out of it. This, however, is a matter of strictly individual opinion. But are not individuals bound to act upon their individual opinions? Certainly, if they can give effect to them. If not, the dictate of common sense is to do the next best thing. I doubt whether the proposal that the state should give its attention exclusively to secular, without any rr gad to rel igiou ',education would have found acceptance in this room. I am sure it would not with the country at large. (Loud applause.) Indeed, it is easy to imagine a few of the soft things which would have been said about us, if we had pea duced such a e lan. We have, then, proposed a scheme, which, if it is distinguished by anything, it a by an asiliour, scrupulous, I think almost an exaggerated deference for tlle religious convictions and susceptibilities of all the WWI with whom it ran be brought into contact. It respects the liberty of religious conscience with a strictness which is sat even to be found in the educational systems of the United States. It takes what it finds. It invents no regulation lf imposes no cheek of its own, though I may myself regret that it deem not prevent others from doing so. But, Mr, we hear that though there is no professed, and even no in tended favouritism, yet, virtually and practically, there will be a good deal. Now, I have a very sincere respect, and more, I have a real affection for many of the objectors. They have, in their day, done very much for education, and no one would regret more sincerely than I should if any single means of usefulness in their hands should be ,tamed or crippled. I own I have little fear of it. Where I differ with them mainly is, in being satisfied w ith the education we have amongst us—with its quantity or its quality. (Applause.) I believe, differing from them, that its quantity is miserably deficient —perhaps not in their own neighbourhoods--perhaps not comparatively over our own broad Yorkshire, but over the width of England—and that a great part of its quality is insufferably bad. (Loud applause.) I believe this to be the impression of all enlightened . impartial travellers who have passed through the couistrli and examined this subject with an intelligent and inquiring eye. Can any one read a book like thatof Mr. Horace Mann s " Educational Tour through Europe," without a humiliate!' saws of shame ? What is there in our England which /loam make us so inferior in this respect to the United Statet—to Barony—to Holland—to Sc otlan d ? I hove come here with out statistics. They may compute the numbers renting' education, though I believe that would net make out their came. But lam content with the evidence of what I see and hear,—l am content with what passes at every plot? sessions, where the far greater part of the fine grown up young men and women can none of them wnte their own names,—l am content with the details made oat by chaplains and governors of prisons, and I cannot must the conviction that the education of the mass of our working men and women, and of that fearful multitude who Fe by the name of the poor, is glaringly, scandalously deficient. (Applause.) Then, when in such a state of things, the leaders and ornaments of denominations sod communities come forward and say, " You are interfering with oar Labours, you are interrupting our progress, you are wea kening our influence, you are subtracting from our numbers,