The Sun. — London, England, 1846-12-25 00:00:00

THE SUN, 1,(,) , Na10N, FRIDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 25, 1,1 r), LITERATURE. THE GOOD GENIUS THAT TURNED EV El?I'IllING INTO GOLD. A Christmas Fairy Tale. By the Brothers Mayhew. The Ettrick Shepherd used to say that whoever disliked children wls cursed with a bad heart. If the aphorism had embraced fairy tales as well as children, it would have been much " nearer the mark." We remember in his immortal Carol, that Dickens exclaims, ° It is well to be a child sometimes!" And so it is. The authors of the present little offering are convinced of this noble truth, they are conscious that, on the average, " men are hut children of a larger growth;" they know well enough the fascination which the superna tural always possesses over the minds of the multi tude, and they dream day-dreams, and write allegories accordingly. Since the "Rape of the Lock" was first published, no more fanciful or more aerial sprite has been imagined than the little gossamer of a fairy, hight "the Queen Bee," in this Christmas story. • A bee she is, notwithstanding her voice ; and a lady-fay she is notwithstanding her propinquity to the workers of the honey- comb. Wonderful is the preservation of the incongruous identity and individuality of this fanciful being by the pencil of the peerless Cruikshank ! Indeed the etchings scat tered through this volume by that artist are in their way masterpieces. In one a forest is resolving itself into a fleet, a stray bough still clinging to a bowsprit, or decorating one of the yards with an unusual cover ing of leaves. In another a rock is being transformed into a:palace, sculptured architraves appearing on the brink of rugged precipices, the fragments of a forest still growing on the half-formed roof, columns and arches and arabesqued designs bursting out of the shapeless granite. In another a magnificent viaduct has just spanned a valley, a tunnel has just scooped through a mountain, and a monster dragon—in truth a steam-engine and a railway train—is just rushing into the foreground. And in all, the quaint and antic form of the Queen Bee is visible, hovering —like a dainty " lady-bird"—with her full-blown garment and gossamer wings in mid air. The em bellishments indeed are immeasurably the most valuable and graceful portions of the book ; the letter-press is rather illustrative of them than they of the letter-press. They are suggestions of splendid reveries to the most matured imaginations ; even the wood-cuts afford food for contemplation, from the one representing the Good Genius, as she first appeared on the stump of an oak tree, to the one pourtraying the fountain of gold "glittering in the light like a liquid sunbeam, and dropping pieces of money that tinkled against each other as they fell." The story of itself inculcates a noble moral, namely, that the good genius that turns everything into gold, is none other than patient industry ; nevertheless it is written so much in the words-of-one-syllable style, as to become absolutely nauseous to a lover of our master writers. It reminds one of the musical adver tisement, which must be familiar to everybody, "Pretty Little Changes for Pretty Little Fingers." Messrs. Henry and Augustus Mayhew have composed just such another piece in a literary way :—PrettyLittle Chapters for Pretty Little Readers. There is a wisdom in the book, we must admit, but it is diluted down by the verriest prattle ; it is a mere spoonful of brandy in a hogshead of plum porridge. For the pantomi meats this little story-book will be a mule mecum. BRITISH GUIANA. (From the Colonial Gazette ) An address, of which the following is a copy, was Presented to Mr. Young, the Government Secretary of British Guiana, on his recent departure from the colony for this country. The address describes Mr. Young to have been the confidential officer of successive " Admi nistrations"—meaning those of Governor Light, the present Governor, and of his predecessor, the late Sir Carmichael Smyth. These periods include the abolition of slavery, te aprenticeship, entir emancipatin, and t the enactmen h t of p the local civil list : e settlements o of the highest importance, peculiarly susceptible of exciting Political strife and animosity —as, indeed, they did actually produce contests of great local magnitude, as bell as of embarrassment to the Home Government. It is therefore highly creditable to all parties—to Governor Light, to his secretary, and to the inhabitants—that after the lapse of time, from 1834 to 184 G, the services of a c onfidential officer of the Local Government during the ;thole of this eventful period should be acknowledged by the colonists in the terms of the farewell address to Mr. Young. The address is also of interest as containing a brief but specific enumeration of the claims of British Guiana on the mother country, arising out of the recent withdrawal of protection on colonial sugar, and the consequent copetitin with slave grown reign ro -sluee. 'I here c m laims o resolve themselves in fo substan p ce, Luto—lst. More copious emigration from Africa ; 2d. Equalisation of the duty on British colonial rum as .° l llpared with British spirits ; 3d. No protection to mritish refiners as against British colonial refiners. In short, the colonists claim the practical extension of free trade principles to the colonies. The address was forwarded to Mr. Young with the followin g letter from Mr. Rose, an elective member of Court of Policy:— " Georgetown, Demerara, Oct. 19, 1846. "My dear Sir,—l have been requested by the elective 11l ambers of the Court of Policy, of the Combined Court, cf . the College of Electors, and other inhabitants of c ?eorgeto wn , t o p resen t y ou with the accompanying ad l eess. It has been my lot to be opposed to you in local Politics perhaps more than any other individual in the colony; it is a consolation to me to be able to record that our polical strife never interrupted our social inter course ; the causes which gave rise to our differences of opinion on local measures have long since passed away, and it affords me great pleasure to bear testimony to our unwearied zeal in the discharge of the various pub e duties you have been called on to perform. I can confidently assert that her Majesty has few servants in her colonial possessions who possess your ability, and l lone of greater powers of mind or more conciliator.) m anners.—Wishing you a pleasant voyage, I remain 111 .7 dear Sir, yours sincerely, " PETER ROSE. " To the Hon. H. E. F. Young, Government Secretary." ‘c "Georgetown, Demerara, Oct. 19 , 1846 . TO THE HON. H. E. F. YOUNG, GOVERNMENT SECRETARY. Sir—We, the undersigned elective members of the C ourt of Policy, of the Combined Court, of the College oQ Electors, and other inhabitants of Georgetown, b ating heard with regret that the colony is about to be te mporarily deprived of your services, desire to convey t ° You a record of the public esteem which you have „_. `uquii-ed during your long residence among us in an numerously capacity, a record which would have been more iodination subscribed had the public generally had any 4, l tiniation of your intended departure from the colony. . 11 e length of time which embraces the period of your 4 7,cial employment has been such as, perhaps unavoid ou!3', to preclude anything like a constant coincidence of PRion or action between us and the successive Local Ad ministrations of which you'have been the confidential c)4 neer. On one point, howeVer, we can proclaim a uni .ersal assent, viz., that of 3oui zeal, diligence, and coin tteaey for the ffices Oxiany of them purely honorary, h i lt not o n th a t accoun t th e l ess l a b or i ous ) w hi c h you olin,,te usefully filled in this colopy. We trust that your :chi! knowledge and your luettl'ex:Rerience may gib. h i rte the int eres t s o f G u i ana during your Erig lig• The lapse of years has pi-oduced many new helssitudes of immense moment to the colony.. Our 44%earious condition is a matter of notoriety. t l n our present arduous struggle to regain and exceed t forme r capacity as an exporting and useful depen of ttil,the empire, not only are the advancing civilise and welfare of our own population at hazardous ee but in our fate is involved also a weighty inflou i_ over the d forein neighborin ,,,s which have n ti ot nies yet of entere g d OD. theusame p trying 1 4 ;.` We confidently claim the fulfilment of those expec tel°4 tee th Hom Govrnmet has recently re- t ea rated of relief to our pressi e ng needs ; our confidence hi t! : on the wing opinion of not h public that thttt ert o them West Indies have not hnd fair play, and b tile policy adopted towards them has been one of a t Z / L g li ng, vexatious, and unjust restraint. We ask for ti o „"". more efficacious, and more economical applica sio" of the funds of the British Treasury to the suppres of 1 1 „ il r, the slave-trade ; exchanging the enormous cost Af r E, L raPerfect or mischievous blockade of the coast of for the lesser expense of supplanting slavery 'll the African continent by well-regulated and co us emigration from thence to all colonies where free- Prevails. 111,..(‘ We ask that B r iti s h plantation produce be admitted 4t) breweries and distilleries in Great Britain on the 1.4 0 , h o " terms as British grain is admitted into them at ; and that no higher duties be levied in Great d t _tain on pr o d uce re fi ne d i n t h e co l on i es th an on p ro - L ue refined i n G reat Br i ta i n ; and that the d uty on rum "equali se d . e 1. .; To wh atever degree these, our just and reasonable b 41131 3, can be furthered by your supp ort i n E ng l an d , ° ll Will have added to your own claims on our high estimation of your public services to this colony with Which it may be said, on account of your highly re spected father's services, you are hereditarily as well as Personally connected. IRISH DIAMONDS By John Smith., A capital addition to the immortal work of Joseph Miller is this little volume, grotesquely entitled " Irish Diamonds," and most grotesquely illustrated by " Ph 4." Mr. Smith has endeavoured to explain a certain theory of Irish wit and blunders, which he concocted many years ago. We have ex amined that theory, and regard it as somewhat ingenious, nut so much in its exceeding the definition of the Edinburgh Reviewers, or of Mr. and Miss Edgeworth, as hi its forming a species of skeleton upon which to hang a multitude of vagrant anecdotes and witticisms. The book, indeed, is little more than Joe Miller redivivus ; hut, as Major Bagstoc k would say, it is more pslateable than Joey M., Sir— it has more individuality than J. M., Sir—it is better than Joseph, Sir, by far. Unconsciously, no doubt, the writer has pilfered here and there from different sources, and, among others, we detect many tid-bits from " Reilly's Reminiscenses." Phiz's embel lishments are delightfully droll, the frontispiece being illustrative of the anecdote of the English traveller dropping into a Chinese tavern on the frontiers of the Celestial empire, and regaling him self with some delicious potage of an unknown de scription. John Bull, pointing to the dish and look ing at the attendant, says to John Chinaman (inter rogatively) "Quack ! quack! quack !" Whereupon John Chinaman, shaking his head, saith to John Bull (expla natorily) " Bow-wow-wow-wow !" The disgust of the Englishman on hearing this horrible piece of intelli gence is wonderfully pourtrayed by the draftsman. The title-page again is inimitable with its grotesque figures of Hibernians, with potatoes for heads, and one unfortunate wretch with another man cooly standing on his face. The distant landscape with an extinct volcano in the form of a bottle, topped by an empty , glass, is a sly hit at that partiality for the " crater, ' which has been so mar vellously diminished by good Father Mathew. Then there is a laughable etching of the Irishman who has been hauling in a rope for a full half hour, and at last cries out in desperation, " 0 begorra, I do be lieve somebody's cut the end of it OM About the richest anecdote in the collection is the following of a bull about a bull. Surely Teddy must have have been born when the sun (and his father's son too) was in Taurus. Here, however, is the jeux d'esprit. " A merry evening party, in an English country-town, were bantering poor Teddy about his countrymen being so famous for bulls. " Wishing you every prosperity, we subscribe our tives your most obedient humble servants. (Here follow the signatures.) i " Kingston, Demerara, Oct. 20, 1846. tt e , i tt ,!aY dear Sir,— The frank and frie ndl y , but too tcpv;lng, manner in which you have expressed yourself - 1..,me in your note, enclosing the numerously :. Pc: 4 8 81 . - "b,dress of the inhabitants . of Georgetown,. has, i e eeiv e enhanced the gratification with which I have oar. — So handsome a testimonial—my sense of which th e - e ndeavoured to convey to them, ' co ll e ctively, in e ae ire .usea rep l y . rY sncerely Peterhe l lion. Rose." 4 " Kingston, Demerara, Oct. 20, 1546 . G g ra ,ent' emen,—l hasten to a ss ure you that I am very me ",eollly sensible o f th e h onour which you have paid to the lo ut iz o o r u d r i kind an flattering letter of ths date. In res t d pate situation to which my official s duties are t ric e , would be manifestly improper for me to Presume, with out authority, to advert to the important te-i p cs of public policy which ter. I can only say that onleh are embraced in your let in any occasion when, without rnmentthe immense Presumption, it may be in Yd) o o r wer to urge on the con sideration of her Majesty' s ell Pabilities and the inadequatedevelopment of the re tiources of this noble province, ,the perseveran Pri se, and activity of its intelligent inhabitants under shall ce, enter- Mitical and discouraging circumstances, nil pleasure do my utmost to make th t hebetter known and appreciated, esne ecia„se 117 wants and wishes of t he proprietary y ti wants well aware that in thus acting I shall -I;e: colltably adopting that spirit of zeal for the welfare of th e 4 11 1011 3' which has ever characterised the conduct of my to mediate c hi e f, G o vernor Light, in necessary obedienc e h is w ipna every word and act of my official career; duri ng r e - ad ministration, have been guid ed and re g ulated. W ith Illevved assurances of the pride an d p leasure with whi ch "e received your letter, and requesting that you will a l obligi ng as to ma k e my feelings known to the other e 1 41 ' 41 :leo who have signed it in commo n with y ourselves, have the honour to subscribe myself, "Your very faithful and obliged servant, I, p h • " H. E. F. YOUNG. TO the " • Hon. P. Rose, J. Croal, Jas. S tuart, and J. • Wm. Davison, C. Simson, J. Alexander, J. l k i l lie• W. B. F erguso n, C. Conyers, A. Wishart, and • Steele, Esqs." qt " By my faith,' said Teddy, 'you needn't talk about that same in this place; you're as fond of bulls as any people in all the world, so you are.' " Nonsense!' some of the party replied; how do you make that out?' . " Why, sure, it's very airy, it is; for in this paltry bit of a town you've got more public-houses nor I ever seen wid the sign of the bull over the doors, so you have.' " ' Nay, Teddy, very few of those; but there's some of 'em, you know, in every town.' " Yes,' said Teddy, obstinately sticking to his text, for he had laid a trap fbr his friends, but you've more nor your share, barring that you're so fond of bulls, as I say; I'm sure I can count half-a-dozen of 'pm.' " ' Pooh, nonsense!' cried the party; that will never do: what'll you bet on that, Teddy? You're out there, my boy, depend upon it; we know the town as well as you, and what will you bet?' " ' Indeed, my brave boys, I'll not bet at all; I'm no better, I assure ye,—l should be worse if I wur.' This sally tickled his companions, and he proceeded. But I'll be bound to name and count the six.' " Well, do, do,' said several voices. " Now, let me see: there's the Black Bull.' " Yes, that's one.' Then there's the Red Bull.' "H. E. F. YOUNG. " That's two,' " And the White Bull.' " Come, that's three.' " And the Pied Bull.' " So there is; you'll not go m uch further.' ' " And th en there ' s—there ' s —there s— the Golden Bull, in --what's it s t ree t?' ugh: but " Well done, T e dd y; that's five, eno sure you're sho r t yet.' - " Ay,' said a li ttle letter-carrier, who sat smirking in the corner, and he will be short, for there is'nt one more, /know.' And then, remirnber,' co n ti nue d T e ddy, carefully pursuing his enumeration, there's the Dun Cow. " At this, a burst of laughter fairly shook the room, and busy hands kept the tables and glasses rattling amidst boisterous cries of A bull! a bull!' Looking serious at all around, Teddy deliberately asked,— " Do you call that a bull?' NERAL COURT-MARTIAL ON LIEUTENANT GRANT, AT CHATHAM. SECOND DAY. e Court re-assembled yesterday. no i,ptain Bull w as th e fi rs t w itness, and deposed t hat th e " night of Major Sh a dforth's arrest he had ordered e a ae-e_ used to ob e y hi s or d ers un til the authorities at the tr had taken cognizance of the case. the leut enant John H. Chads, on questions being p ut b y co n , P r isoner, said—l considered that I was under the aut r illa ," of Captain Bull on the morning of the 10th of rae,1 3 ; 84 6, on board the barque Mary Ann,' and I board • the t „ t „Ila circumstance of meeting the officer on • no ,'`th of July. It was about eight o'clock in the ite rt n i. h - ' 4l ' I had just returned on board from the brig and was standing on the quarter-deck, when h i t Or hadforth came on board, dressed in uniform, with Gran le t ter ja his hand, and the major called for Lieutenant de :it to assemble the officers in the cuddy, which was Po rt ' and Mr. Grant called over their names, and re- - f or „ed to the major they were all present. Major Shad - ()f then read a letter, which cleared himself and other a r ,, E 'rs from arrest, and placing Captain Bull in close a h''st, until the decision of the C o mmander-in-Chief ould he known. Major Shadforth then turned round qranmtutenant and Adjutant Grant, and saying, " ' I Place you in close arrest, on my own . respoi!si h is Y, for aiding and abetting Captain Bull in placing fo rt rultnandin g officer in arrest." That Major Shad atte sent the Acting- Adjutant, Mr. Grant, to me to ke lid the major. I did so, and Major Shadforth showed b e „„ tl _e Pass-o r d er b oo k , an d i nqu i re d if the book had to ur ought to me. I acknowledged it had, and refused sa v ign it under the circumstances that had taken place, Ar a : 4 g I Was b oun d t o o b e y the orders of Captain Bull. k e J or . Shadforth sa id th a t h e s hould certainly have placed r in th e same predicament as t h at C aptain B u ll and r ant for. Gr ant , wer e placed in, but as I had done my duty e o ✓ `° ll g, he would not put me in arrest, but should de l) : t r l y t me a to the H ors e-Guards, and added, it was evi e planned thing for Captain Bull to assume the Li lb e , 4l , and of the reg i men t, and to give the adjutancy to mare o f e nant Grant, and the authorities at the Cape were eaicuten'a'nt-Colonel George E. Jones, of the 57th, and 1 30 3 1 t a10 George Edwards were called to character, and p rig officers gave the hi g h es t opinion possible of the offi o : r 9 r, as a man of honour, as a gentleman, and an Th e . th e , COrt Prisoner will make his defence tc-morrow ; and adjourned. ~ ' To be sure, it's a bull!' exclaimed several voices at once. " Then,' said Teddy, that's the sixth!' " Here an unavoidable defeat in the direct was con verted into a victory in the antipodean, by the cleverly obtained admission of the vanquished part 3 themselves." In the postscript to the letter quoted in page 132, th e writer has purloined a facetious notion which was si milarly introduced in one of the opening numbers of " Master Humphrey's clock." Delightful as the book is when consumed sectionally, it palls upon the appetite when devoured at a sitting, like every other jest-book. Fora ten minutes' glance, a jest-book is as pleasant a companion as Tom Sheridan could have been. Yet we would as soon hobnob with a resurrectionist as read the consecutive pages of that same jest-book to the end. Such is the partial merit of the present volume. THE FIRESIDE. By Percy B. St. John. The fireside is welcome always, more particularly is it welcome at Christmas, and not the less welcome is the " Fireside" to which Mr. Percy St. John wel comes us, because it is an American fireside. Not among the vast prairies of the south-west, not in the scarcely yet settled land of Texas, not among Bag-A woodsmen and Indians and Mexicans is the scene of the present story laid, but in the city of New York, and Mr. St. John depicts American domestic scenes, and American civilization, with the same graphic power with which he has hitherto depicted the wild life of the pioneer of civilisation amid the un cultivated tracts of the New World. The story is a simple one. The hero, Alfred Somers, is a physi cian in New York, living with his mother, who, albeit our author does not state the fact, is, there can be no doubt, a lineal descendant of " one of the old Pilgrim Fathers"—there is the same high principle, the same worship of the sterner virtues, the same in tolerance of " amiable weakness"—because in her estimation " amiable weakness" is but vice disguised —the same undreading spirit in Mary Somers which were the distinguishing characteristics of the Pilgrim Fathers, and which enabled them to become the founders of a mighty nation. Alfred Somers marries Eugenia Lawrence, a girl of admirable dis position, but spoiled by the precepts and the example of the worldly -minded, tricky, extravagant ac l C lot of railway scrip shares," says the Limerick hronicle, "bought in this city last week, were sent off _o London for sale at the Stock Exchange, whence th e y were return e d, marked forgeries. ' " . of d.eing so has not only not been afforded, but has been positively denied, to them, by the impolicy of bolstering up railway shares to a nominal amount beyond their reach. Railway investment has been made a sort of tabood ground, upon the sanctity of which no one must intrude who carnot approach it at least with the air of a capitalist. The money of the bumbler producers and distributors of wealth is proscribed as if it were too ple beian to associate with that of the aristocracy who monopolise the entree to Cape! Court. Bur, non old. If it comes from the till of the viilage tradesman, or the hard hand of the mechanic, it has the same purity, the same virtues and uses, as if it had come from Coutts's, Drummond's, or Glynn's. " Why are the middle and lower classes to be debarred from the profitable employment of their savings in any way not injurious to the community, and more especi ally in a way by which the interests of the commnnity would be so largely promoted, as facilitating and ceono miring the internal cotntnunications of the kingdom? The aggregate of their myriads of small savings should not be repelled from, but invited to, railway investment! as it would be, if the nominal amount of railway shares were brought within the scope of their means. Re ducing them to 51, we repeat, and paying the usual in terest upon deposits so small as 55., would accomplish this ; and the property and control of railways would then be in the hands of the ge neral community, instead of the hands o f a f ew, who both injure and defy the public, and laugh at the Legislature into the bargain!" The theory of Mr. Ward is novel and startling, yet we can see no reasonable objection that can be urged against it; awl if the railways afford a safa means of investment to the middle and lower classes for their savings —if railways will afford them as great security as saving banks, with a higher rate of interest, and with greater power over the disposal of thoir capital, then is Mr. Ward's proposition worthy of serious consideration. mother. The husband is minted by the roguery of the mother-in-law. Believing r the wife has deceived him, he separates from her. Ce nvinced of his wife's truth—convinced that she has be en the victim of the fraud of her mother (who dies mm td), he re-unites his fate with her's, retrieves his faller t fortunes, and in the society of his wife and his mother, is once again happy by his own fire-side. This story gives Mr. St. John opportunities of giving us some .admirable sketches of American society. The following description of a ball in New York is admirable : - The ball was such a ball as is to be found perhaps nowhere else but in New York, whore, whatever may be the faults existent in society—An d society has faults enough everywhere imputed to it, as if civilisation were a horrid monster, spreading mis ery and sorrow—there is more of that cordiality, and di -termination for enjoy ment, than is found in the drat ring-rooms of the old world. There is much of the sa roe love of display, of shining beyond the rest—of idle, ;foolish gossip, about nothing—which is wicked waste of one of God's greatest gifts, time—but still there is more of heartiness. Refinement is, of course, however Local writers may pro pitiate and flatter the Broadway br dies, not expected have reached, in a new country, t hat pinnacle which it has in the old ; and when we krno•w what refinement often hides—the courts of the Lotfa were in one sense refined—we may be pardoned if are wish that America may retain its juvenility. And is not this juvenility, this, :rough, hearty, some times coarse state of being, a thi 7 rather to be envied and admired, than to be made the subject of satire and burlesque by flippant travellers, w'ho see as much of the country as did he, who, passing thr yugh Alsace, and only catching a glimpse of a being rif each sex, reported thereupon that all the men were ref 1-haired, and all the women squint-eyed—or something- 'equally veracious." Neither is this tale deficient in. .poetry:— "A smile is as the dew ; wheni2e it riseth, and how it cometh, must be known, ere its wail e be appreciated. As the dew of the bituminous swa mir t is of the Amazons, pregnant with rank vegetation, is in ' - ectious and destruc tive to life, so is the smile of the s.sai 'Gil heart and guilty soul poison to all around ; but as, the dew rising from healthy soils is surcharged with qualities favourable to life, so is the smile of the pure and:good delightful to the observer. The philosophy of Mr. St. john is sound and healthy, and, as worshippers of the truth, we thank him for the energetic manner in Ywhich, in the follow ing passage he has entered his. protest against the mawkish sentimentality, detestaN e in point of taste, worse than detestable in point of morality, which has of late polluted what we were h sr etofore wont to con sider the pure fount of English u.n defiled literature : " Alfred,' said Eugenia, sudde'nly, 4 why not come with me ? It would give me so ma ch pleasure.' " Thanks," replied the husban if, with an affectionate and gratified smile—for little atte unions are great to the sincere—' but duty calls me henc e. I have many calls to make this evening, and must match a few hours for reading. " This compelled denial and abs( ►nce from home would, in the eyes of certain fashionable• and popular roman cists, doubtless excuse any amour it of legerete and aban donment of domestic duties in the woman. But is it a sure truth that man has no duties ibut those of home ? Is man to be nothing but a pivot mound which a narrow sphere of occupations are to turn ? We think that the world, society; and the good of our lellows, demand much of our time ; and that woman— ref ►en her character is noble and elevated, as it should e.v( , r be—looks with de light and pride on him, who, a tender and affectionate husband and and father, is also a good citizen. The stern calls of a profession, be thnt profession that of a statesmen—even a popular member '—or a mere money compelling one, such as law or physic, are of course without appeal, and yet we have ;se en them unsparingly satirised by the hands either of ;ignorance or malevu ence. A PRACTICAL COMPENDIUM OF THE LAW AND USAGE OP MERCANTILM A CCOUNTS. By Alexander .Pulling, Esq., of the Inner Temple, Barrister-at-Law. In this little work the author hi is given us a com plete exposition of the law and ris age relating to ac counts in any way connected with trade. Thework is divided into three chapters. In his first chapter he treats of various points in the law of debtor and :reditor ; partnership, principal and agent; bank ruptcy and insolvency. In the second chapter he pescribes the system and routine of book -keeping and accounts, adopted among the trading community; and in the third chapter, which is. devoted to the sub ject of the investigation of merovntile accounts are collected the rules of pleading, evidence, and practice. for the investigation of disputed ace ►unto; under the various forms of proceedings at cot nmon law, in equity, bankruptcy, and insolvency, and by arbitration. This is a work which will be found equa Ily useful by the lawyer and the trader. The form will acquire from the perusal of the second chapter much practical knowledge, a subject on which he is but too often lamentably ignorant, viz., the system and routine of book-keeping as actually practise& in the counting houses of merchants and traders ; while to the latter, the knowledge which he will acquire of the law and merchants' accounts, from the perusal of this va luable little treatise, cannot but prove eminently useful. MR. ITTLD'S RAILWAY MAP OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAIVD. Mr. James Wyld, of Charing Cross, has published two beautifully executed railway maps, for 1847, the one of Great Britain, the other of Ireland. These maps are drawn on a large scale, and with that accu racy and neatness which characterises every publica tion of Mr. Wyld's. They show the lines of railway at present completed in the respective countries—the lines in progress, and the projected lines to be proposed to Parliament in 1847, plans of which have been de posited in the Private Bill -office. The number of plans for new railways deposited at the Private Bill office, and on which Parliament will have to adjudi cate in the course of the ensuing session, amounts, as appears from Mr. Wyld's map to three hundred. CHRONOLOGY OF STAMFORD. By George Burton. It is not often that we notice -works of merely local interest. We are, however,, induced to notice the present publication, because Mr. Burton deviating from the usual forms of such works, adopted an alphabetical arrangement. That form being deemed the most advantageous in a work the primary object of which is tc► present in a con venient compass an epitome of all the remarkable events pertaining to the locality." The plan is an admirable one, and we would advise the adoption of an alphabetical arrangement for the future in all works of a similar character. The book itself is an amusing and instructive little work, and will be found very serviceable as a book of reference concerning all matters of local interest. The illustra- tions are numerous and well designed, and the typo graphy and getting up reflects great credit on Mr. Bagley, of Stamford, by whom it is printed and pub.. lished. RAILWAYS FOR THE MANY AND NOT FOR THE FEW. By James Ward, Esq. This brochure fully answers its title. Not only would Mr. Ward secure to the many the use, at a low rate, of railways as means of Locomotion, but he would adopt, as the most efficient means to that end, the throwing open of the railway trade, so as to make the many the great proprietors of the railroads. At present, the large capitalists corm nand the rail ways because railway property is divided into shares of large value. lie would encourage small capitalists to invest their savings in railways by making the shares of small amount. Instead of having the capi tal for a railway raised in shares of 100/., 501., or 251. each, he would have it raised in. shares of Si. If this plan were adopted, it would, according to Mr. Ward, " Keep the market in a healthy state, advance the pro gress of the system by bringing to it the aid of capital, which is available now to no other process in the pro duction of wealth ; promote economy and industry among the humbler classes, by affording a profitable field for the investment of their savings ; and diffuse amongst the nation at large the beneficis.l interest of the of the grand economical invention of the day, which, as already pointed out, the commonwealth should never have abandoned to the few. " There is a large class of persons in this country possessed of property varying from the amount of 101. up to 200/., with which they have no opportunity of em barking in any speculation in which they feel an interest, or of which they have the capacity to form a judgment of. Consequently, the less wealthy of this class deposit their savings in the savings bank, which allows them rarely more interest than 2 per cent., while the wealthier invest theirs in the funds, which afford .about 3 per cent. Of course, a man possessed of less than the price of 100/. stock is deprived even of this trivia: advantage ; and e t s has er t l o o f a g s beenafe anda desideratum transferable that sec n r itheresecurity i n should which if our sugge of reducinc , the sums under 100 b / e . c i o n ul a d be put t b o a a n mor ß e a p ii r w o a fi y ta a b li le .e u ni s d e 51. were adopted for the ine'vest the • would no doubt become ment of small amounts; 9moreOver, interest of 4 per cent. than hbeen they scoem i can . - lion a a ff m ( e )r u d n s t u e c f h a sb m ar e e d s in t m o ) guaranteed until the ex ceedingly popular, i , completionupon e f labourers of almost every ters, masons, mechanics, the remunerative description —are perfectly aware of undertakings. They advantage, of these great •` The class who possesasndtbese small shares--carpen ters, as well as public a the a w le o w rk e s s . 55. were they create bosoms ;' for the demand for labour which a cement of wages is sensitively felt by them in the advancement . wages which sufficient of which it produces. They know, come home to `their business and losers rresultembarkingof those p i r n o jec any ts similar, m h i i l c a h r , have already been enter tained, and honestly conducted project completed, to feel assured that they ar•e not likely to be while, on the other hand, they are fully alive to the almost certainty of considerable gain which they present ; and this im rieasonably pression cannot fail to become stranger as the financial statistics of railways come to be more popularly under stood. The assumed difference, therefore, on the scare of safety, between a railway security and a Government ci s wftvahn e rehie c eslti v atmehmts r hoee. i el t is security rstnnhet dtfre i eaae s wtvde v indodie e anue: r tlmrh y d a- they littlefrnyrnwado could er 0 twuhrfsa u olaeedyr p tpl snore -interest enrrabsni increase be i s; nerattadhfirubnseoagur; ffimegu I : d:e n , the: and t eityht a ui adntlf t r aw,a a vtnpo i arei l rloanit % evilbffijdrdaiulyci mobile nhi i ii bnet n aoybe i tt thus their means of subsistence are improved." He contends that these small shareholders would keep down fares, and keep down expenses; that they would, from their position and their numbers, be enabled to keep a check upon profuse expenditure ; and that, under such a system, engineers and solici tors would, instead of being the tyrants, be 'reduced to their proper position as the servants of the compa nies. He thus concludes his argument : " The doctrine of experience teaches us that the doc trine of cheapness of construction must be consulted by us ; for if we do not consult it, it will certainly force it sell upon us. But economy we shall never have in the construction of railways until the really economical part part of the community—the productive and saving classes, can invest their savings in them. But the option COURT CIRCULAR. WINDSOR, THURSDAY.—Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, and the Princess Ali3e, took walking and pony exercise this morning on the Eastern Terrace of the Castle and slopes. His Royal Highness Prince Albert, attended by the Earl of Listowel, the Hon. Colonel Phipps, Colonel Bouverie, and Mr. G. E. Anson, enjoyed the sport of shooting this morning. The Royal dinner party at the Castle this cv'ning will include her Royal highness the Duchess of Ke!a, the Lady in Waiting of the Duchess of Kent, the Baroness de Speth, Mr. G. E. and the lion. Mrs. An son, Sir George Couper, and Captain Francis Seymour. The band of the Ist Life G uar d s w i ll attend during dinner ; her Majesty's private band afterwards attend in the Castle. Mr. William Blamire had an interview with the Chan cellor of the Exchequer yesterday, at his official resi dence in Downinag•street. Dispatches were sent off yesterday evening, from the Colonial-office, for the Governors of Hong-Kong and Ceylon, and also for the Governor of the Mauritius. Sir William Somerville (Under Secretary of State for the Home Department), arrived in town on Wednesday night, from Ireland. CASE OF MRS. SHUTTLE WORTH. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. SlR,—The judgment of Lord Denman in the case of Mrs. Shuttleworth has been discussed in so ample and in so masterly a manner in your journal, that it may appear to be presumptuous on the part of any of our correspondents to attempt to add to what you have written. As, however, I am acquainted with a few facts which may throw a little light upon the subject, I yen ture to address the following observations to you. Ido not think it impossible that Lord Denman may hare misinterpreted, as other judges have ofren done in other matters, the law on this subject, and I think his Lord ship has been surprised into a wrong judgment on this occasion, by Mr. Parry, the counsel for Dr. Quail, having, as I have been informed by members of the Alleged Lunatics' Friend Society, who attended to watch the proceedings, unfortunately argued as if he admitted Mrs. Suttleworth's insanity, and not only her insanity, but that she was also a proper person for confinement; for our law very properly distinguishes between these two states of mind, as there are many persons, who are imbecile or subject to harmless delusions, who are not on that ac count dangerous persons, or incapable of taking care of their own persons and property. The whole tenor of Lord Denman's judgment was, therefore, that it was most proper for the safety of the supposed lunatic, and for the safety of society, that she should, and that society should be protected. He seems entirely to have lost sight of the necessity of protecting the liberty of the subject, for which the law is also de signed, and of another important point, the injustice which has been done to Dr. Quail in depriving him of a patient and of his character, which I know is exposed to these infamous aspersions, without his having an oppor tunity of defending himself, which be would have had, had the law, as I still believe it does, required that she should not have been incarcerated without previously being brought before a magistrate. Those who have held the worst opinion of the present law have been surp r i se d at the hideous deformity of it, which Lord Denman's judgment has given to it, and which I still think is a caricature of that law. We knew that the relations and friends of any person might prove his unjust confinement with facility, but we never supposed that it was in th e power of perfect strangers to take such a step without bringing the person before a magis trate • and though th e Act of Parliament states t h at t h e individual signing the order for a person's seizure should state his degree of relationship (if any) with the alleged patient, still, from the nature of the informa tion which the law directs that such order should con tain, we supposed, and I still suppose, that the law pre sumed that he should b have acquaintance with the patient. With regard to what the Learned Judge stated, and Dr. Millingen writes respecting the clause which requires the fact or facts to be stated upon which an alleged luna tic is certified to be insane, and a proper person to be con fined which latter words prove the necessity of the facts being accurately stated—l do not know what in legal language constitutes a directory clause; but this I know, that that clause is not to be found in the Bill introduced into Parliament by Lord Ashley and the Commissi oners i n Lunacy, that it was introduced into the Act by Mr. Thomas S. Duncombe, the Member for Finsbury, and that it was introduced by him at the request of the members of the Alleged Lunatics' Friend Society, with the express view that it should be compul sory on these three grounds:_ First, that the visiting authorities of any asylum might at once be a bl e to examine a person appea li ng to them on the nature o f the charges made against him, and release hi m if t h ey found the facts brought aga i nst him were untrue, or that he co u ld satisfactorily explain them, without the cruel delay of at least six weeks, and perhaps as many months inquiry, by writing or otherwise. Secondly, to prevent the alleged lunatic being kept in agonising suspense, as to the nature of the charges allm made shaken, against o hirNn3v4 waswhichin a prone person to delusions, whose aught ( was 1 e lead to his ascribing his confinement to some fanciful cause —which to any person is most unjust, and which pre vents, or tends to prevent, any person unjustly confined from proving malicious motives, and from having his remedy in law against any party for a libellous con spiracy. Thirdly, to prevent as far as possible collusion both be tween the medical men, who are compelled to visit the person they certify separately, and between them and the individual signing the order. It may be more delicate towards a person who is de cidedly insane, that a certificate should not be shown to him, or registered against hitn, which is founded on facts of an indelicate nature; but it is both indelicate and cruel to confine any person on a general charge of indecency, without giving him an opportunity of proving the false ness of the charge, and the injustice of his detention. I have the honour to be, Sir, your much indebted and obedient humble servant, JOHN PERCEVAL. Hon. Secretary of the Alleged Lunatics' Friend Society. MADAME A. Bismor.—Our accomplished native vocalist leaves town at the end of the month for an ex • tensive provincial tour, to fulfil a great number of en gagements long since entered into. She goes in the first instance to Cheltenham and Gloucester, where she will devote four days ; then to Brighton for a week ; thence for three weeks to Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, and other places in that neighbourhood. The first week in February will be divided between the two University towns, Oxford and Cambridge. On February the 80 s he proposes going to Dublin, where she performs until the 22d, and thence to Belfast and Cork. On the Ist of March she takes Edinburgh for a fortnight, and Glasgow for three:days, returning scuth again to Bath and Bristol for four days, and during Passion Week she will be at Exeter, for the sacred concert there. In short, the British syren has not a day disengaged between this and the beginning of April.—Observer. Loss OF A FRENCH WAR FRl GATE.—Advices re ceived from Mulgrave Island, dated August 3, announce the total loss of the French corvette La Seine, 20 guns ; which took place on the night of the 4th of July, on a sunken reef of rocks, near Balade, on the coast of New "Caledonia. The ship, it appears, on striking, heeled over on her larboard side and partly filled. Fortunately, preserved, amo untin g b i y n all whichto nearlythe w2hooole persons,of tlie e th re e w b a o n a d ts w officers,ere were saved. Every exertion was subsequently used to save the vessel. Her guns and heavy ammunit i on were thrown overboard, and her masts cut away, with a view of floating her off, but all to no purpose ; cons e quently she became a complete wreck. DRUNKEN LOGIC. — A man of Wellingborough, being b r ought up for drunkenness denied th e c h a rge, inasmuch a 3 he knew what he was about. If I vrar drunk," said he, ‘‘. know'ti I war drunk, then 1 warn't drunk; but if I war drunk, and didn't know I war drunk, then I war drunk."—Boston Herald. humid season ? And would you recommend the removrl absent, soon sent a protest agaiest m --1' e ,: -14-1-- aten '-'- e of all the c h urc h yar d earth ? I shall feel truly obliged have a parochial division, and I am - i!aleintlitai" and grateful for yOur opinion on these matters, and your ' there is no immediate prospect of the rem! ra, ' of the further remarks as to the duties of medical men may be source of the malady. Since I first addressed yoga I have productive of much good in influencing an investigation. bad important additional confirmation of the vie- ws w e " With my renewed apologies fur thus again trespas- both entertain. Wherever this earth has been taken sing on your valuable time, - fever bas followed. The patron had some taken. to his " Believe me, Sir, with much respect, garden, and the only son of the gardener near was " Yours very faithfully, attacked. The result at the rectory you are alreindy (Signed) • " DAN: SMITH." aware of, and there are two en three more instances. li No. IV. '- ' - young man who paid his addresses to a young woman " London, 38, Finsbnry-squareeNoV. 27, 1846. , living in the street between the rectory and the heaps, went " Sin,--The facts contained in youlnee e n n e t e e ter g . ve h ome a distance of three or four miles, sickened with fever an additional importance to those state Tin your first, and and died. from both together, it appears that earth has been re- i "Children living an a distance, who attended on Sun moved from a great portion of achurchyarel 500 year:, old, day and day schools, went home, sickened, and felt vice densely crowded vvithgraves,—thatmany bodies were dug time to the malady. Yet .:ta no instance has it been. up with this earth and again reinterred—that the earth is communicated to the remaining family ; but when all, of a dark colouraand,still containing bones, although the fear of contagion and a certain iiiine had elapsed, c hile larger bo nes h ave b een collected by . hand-picking,' and i dren of the same family were again admitted to school, have been re-interred—that a large quantity of this ; and in a shun time they sickened ant? were sent home ; earth has been: used on pasture l and close to the town— this had b een th e case in many instances ; i n none have that many cart lo a d s o f i t h ave been lit in tren c h es , by I I seen it communicated by contagion. the side of the ,walks, in the garden of the rectory— I ." Again a young girl is d with fever , I that the new g roun d', w hi c h has b een added to the I attend, she recovers ; while seize in a weak condition she severely at-. church yard lace heed" Coated' - with it f rom it s f ert ili z i ng tends her school, a few days after she is seized with low effects in hastening the rapid growth of grass, and taat i fever and sinks. Many slight cases have occurred, such two large banks of it .still remain within fifty . yards of as rigors, headache, and sudden and great prostration of the town—the one mixed with " rubbish,' containing 500 strength, which have continued only r two. Two loads, and the other consisting exclusively of church- or three instances I have seen more resembling a paroxe yard earth, _being one yard in thickness, and seventy ysm of insanity.. Take the following instance :—I was. yards in length, containing at least 500 loads more, and called to a lady of a most amiable disposition ;in the exposing a large surface to the atmosphere. You fur- morning she had been seized-with rigors ; I found her ther describe the present state of the church-yard to be with slight congestion of brain, pulse quick, torgue ' sliced down' to within a loot or two of the remains of clean, bead cool ; I found her throwing objects at her the dead, some bodies having been actually exposed husband, and she accused me of robbing her of her and re-interred, it being, you state, still necessary occa- child. I attributed this state cf plied to the poisoned sionally to cover in others, to keep them from view, and condition of the blood, that is, the brain, I cons id ered this part you s a y i s d ense l y crowded with graves, being supplied with imperfect blood; rendered the func "From the account it is obvious that, independently tions of this organ imperfect also. , The. patient re of what has been used on pasture land, in the garden of covered in a few days under my simple treatment. the rectory, and in the new ground of the churchyard, "One of the most leading symptoms is excessive pros one thousand loads of earth, highly charged with animal :ration of strength. I nearly lost &lady by the applica matter, being in fact the progressive accumulation of tion of four leeches to the foreheadond was compelled the bodies of the dead for five centuries, have been ac- to give her wine liberally ; also another young person tually exposed to the atmosphere; and the question is nearly sunk from the same cause. ' I.ordered two, and whether it is probable that this earth can now give off four leeches were applied ; she became insensible for emanations capable of producing in those who inhale t hours. Also the eldest son of a gentleman, who lost a them disease and death, dessert spoonful of blood from the nose ; the tongue be "ln the evidence given by Mr. J. Dean,* before the came dry, and insensibility followed • wine only saved ; Health of Towns Commission, some facts are stated him. In all cases the blood is very daik, I presume from which will help us to answer this question. This wit- excess of carbon. I could generally foretel the condi ness enters into a detailed consideration of the dif- tion of my patients by walking Lite at night on my ter ference in a sanatory point of view, as well as in the race (an elevated position). If I found a warm, close, productive value of manure, diluted with water, and used moist atmosphere, with no wind, so that the exhalations as a liquid, and of the same manure applied in the solid remained in the lower stratum of air, the delirious symp form as top dressing. The thought is revolting, but it toms were generally aggravated, and vice versa. is not the less the fact, that practically the whole of the " I sincerely hope that the ensuing Parliament will churchyard earth which has b-sen exposed to the atrnos- provide some legislative enactment so as to remedy such phere, whether th a t a ppli e d on t h e pasture land, in the a dangerous state of things ; for it is a lamentable fact, trenches of the rectory garden, on the new ground that the cause of epidemic is not likely to be removed. I added to the churchyard, or that which still remains in have already brought upon myself severe obloquy and heaps close to the town, must be regarded as top dres- prejudice. I hope the time is not far distant when every sing. According to the evidence of Mr. Dean, the pro- county will have its Sanatory Commissioners, to visit per dilution of manure with water, and the application of and report periodically every teen, and who can always it to land in a liquid form, while it increases the produc- be accessible as reference and authority.—Believe me, tive value of the manure five or six fold, absolutely pre- Sir, with much respect, yours faithfully, vents the escape of noxious emanations, or at all events (Signed) " D. SMITH." renders the production of miasmata only occasional, and (No. VI.) of very short duration ; but this same manure, when " 38, Finsbury-square, Dec. 21, 1846. applied in a solid form, as top dressing, decomposes " Sir,—lf any person of ordinaryintelligence were slowly, and gives off ter an indefinite period emanations told that a thousand loads of eat th saturated with ani injurious to whoever is exposed to them. On the coast mal matter were exposed to the atmosphere close to a of Kent abounds a creature called five fingers (the As- town heretofore proverbial for health ; that not a terias), which preys upon the oyster, and which the single case of fever had previously existed in this fishermen catch in great numbers, in order to protect town at least for fourteen years ; that on diligently their oyster beds. As this devourer of the oyster is not searching for the common causes of fever, such as itself used for human food, it is often spread out as top- accumulations of filth within the town, or stagnant dressing in fields, sometimes close to villages, and when pools and ditches without it, no such causes could be this is the case, ascot ding to the state of the atmosphere found ; that soon after the exposure of this earth, in a and the direction of the winds, the poisonous products of season favourable to its decomposition, fever broke out decomposition by generating epidemic fever, have spread and became epidemic ; that ' wherever this earth was devastation in those villages. The state of the atmosphere taken fever followed ;' that ' wherever it was placed is not always favourable to decomposition, nor that of in the greatest quantity fever prevailed in the the winds to the injurious diffusion or its products, so greatest degree, and was most severe and mortal ; that that materials the must highly charged 'With poison, may wherever ' the atmosphere as warm, close, and moist, be inactive, and therefore innoxious for a considerable with no wind, so that the exhalations remained in the time, but at length will come a warm, close atmosphere, lower stratum of air, the delirium and the other symp with a sluggish .wind thawlk - aiietvlngt along the now toms of the malady were greatly aggravated ;' and that rapidly-developed poisonous gases, and then, should this in no instance did the fever appear to spread by commu wind chance to wove in the direction of houses anti vil- nication from person to person, but always in conse loges the inhabitants, who are susceptible to fever, will quence, or at least in the degree of exposure to this be sure to be seized with this disease. This appears to earth, as illustrated by several remarkable individual have been theeeaouree of events at • Miechinhampten in cases—lf any person of common sense were told these the year 1844 I ," l r tftlatattaltztepirevientsfy to that period things, even if there should exist in his mind any doubt not a single case of fever had been observed in this as to the real relation of cause and effect in this case, he town, at least for fourteen years ; you say it was pro- would surely think it prudent, as a meae matter of pre verbial for its state of health, and certainly its position caution, to remove these thousand loads of earth. After and soil are particularly favourable to health, while it the part taken by y our p atron an d your rector, in pro appears to be free from stagnant ditches, coll ec ti ons of clueing the calamity th at h as b e f a ll en your town, though, filth, and the usual sources from which fever springs. no doubt, quite unintentionally . and unconsciously, they In the autumn of 1843 the exposure to the atmosphere can hardly be expected to become at once advocates for of the church-yard earth took place ;in the following the obvious remedy ; but it is to be hoped that the in year fever broke out, many cases occur, all of them so habitants in general will not be so slow to profit by the uniform in their symptoms as to indicate their origin lessons of experience. Physicians of all ages, who have from some common cause. After a time the fever paid attention to the subject, nave been of opinion that abates, the alarm subsides, but soon the disease again the very symptoms observed in your patients, namely, breaks out worse than before; so that withia the lust two those denote a highly typhoidtype, are produced mainly months upwards of 150 cases have occurred. The in- by exhalations arising from the decomposition of animal tensity of the disease, meantime, falls on the street ad- matter. Thus Dr. Mead, writing more than a century joining the rectory, and on the rectory itself, and in the and a half ago, in assigning the reason why Grand Cairo, rector's own family, the wife, the daughter, and th e i n E gypt, i s t h e b irth place and the cradle of the plague, gardener, become its vi c ti ms and perish. which is nothing but a severe form of typhas fever, " But in churchyard earth five centuries old, still says :—" The city is situated in a sandy place at the densely crowded with graves, poisonous matter must be foot of a mountain, which keeps off the winds that might contained in a high degree of concentration. We know refresh the air, consequently the heat is rendered ex from experience that the air may become so charged tremely stifling. A great canal passes through the with animal and vegetable poiso n , as t o cause d eat h b y midst of the city, which, at the overffow of the Nile, is the inspiration of it for a few moments. This is the case filed with water. On the decrease of the river this in hot climates where there is much moisture, and where canal is gradually dried up, and the people throw into it large quantities of dead and decayed vegetable and ani- all manner of filth, carrion, offal, and so on ; the stench mai substances are exposed for it considerable time, per- which arises from this and the mud together is intolera haps in stagnant pools and marshes, to this, moist heat. bly offensive, and from this source, the plague con- It is the same in vaults in which bodies are enclosed in scantly springing up every year, preys upon the inhabi leaden coffins, the opening of which has sometimes tants, and ls stopped only by the return of the Nile proved suddenly fatal to those who have breathed the the overflowiig of which washes away the load of filth stench and vapour that have issued from them. Cases In Ethiopia, the swarms of locusts are so prodigious, are on record in which thieves aho have broken into th et they sometimes cause a famine, by devouring the tombs and forced open such coffins, with a view of truits of the earth, and when they die they create a pese plunder, instead of finding jewels, have met with tilence by the putrefaction of their bodies; this patrefacs death, and have been found dead in the vaults. don is greatly increased by the dampness of the climate, These facts show the highly -concentrated state it. which during the sultry heats of July and August is which an animal poison may exist. Your five ceetu- often excessive ; the efflnvia which arises from the im ries old dark churchyard earth must, I repeat, mense quantity of putritlying animal substance, combined contain this poison in a high state of concentration. with so much heat and moisture, continually generate The state of the atmosphere, for a considerable time the plague in its intensest form; and the Egyptians of past, has been favourable to decomposition, from the old were so sensible how much the putrefaction of dead uature of your soil, which you state to be sandy, eith animals contributed towards breeding the plague, that rock abounding everywhere ; the poisonous products they worshipped the bird Ibis, from the services it did cannot percolate through the earth, but must be exhaled in removing great numbers of serpents, which they ob into the atmosphere. If the weather should be calm, and ,erved injured by their stench w hen dead, as much as.by the wind move sluggishly in the direction of your town, their bite when alive. your present epicemic will continue ; with the change of " A quarter of a century ago there were indications the atmospheric conditions, the intensity of the emana- in this country of a disposition to call in question the tions given off from your decomposing heaps, may dimi correctness of the view taken by this distinguished /Thy nish, and, consequently, your fev er may decline and Acian and philosopher, of the origin of the plague, and even subside, but it will again recur as long as those of analogous diseases ; but the evidence of the truths heaps are allowed to remain, and, indeed, as long as since adduced has commanded almost universal assent, this extraordinary amount of poisonous matter is allowed and the most striking and irresisttble confirmation of it to contaminate a soil naturally salubrious. - is afforded, among others, by the Commissioners ap " The arrangement by which dead organic matter is pointed in 1844 by the French Government specially to capable of again receiving the principle of life, of investigate all the varied questions cennected with the assuming new vital forms, and of developing into new plague, and who, in the early part of the present year, bodies, is beautiful and beneficent, but when such give in an elaborate report, the result of these labours, to matter is taken from new graves and applied dine:tie he Royal Academy of Medicine in France. to fertilise our fields, the transition is t oo immediate, " There is a growing dislike in the people of this coun and cannot but shock the natural prejudices of the try to have their places of burial desecrated by common human mind. Mr. Chadwick has shown the impera and daily - traffic, and by rude and low sports, and those tive necessity of an entire revisi on o f our whole who can afford it, now seek to bury their dead in public system of interment, at least as far as regards large 'emeteries wretchedly poor and inappropriate as those towns and populous districts; but the case of Minchin- cemeteries are, compared with what national places of hampton proves that such a revision is equally necessary .epulture might and ought to be made. In the meantime for our villages and hamlets. The necessity of such a the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, Including the Arch revision appears to have been felt by the great architect bishop of Canterbury and the Bishops of London, Lincoln,. of St. Paul's—' For I could wish,' says Sir Christopher Durham, St.Asaph, and Bangor, have re c prted l ag : einst the - Wren, ' that all burials in churches might be disallowed, practice of burial in the church and us to . be in many re never is not only unwholesome, but the pavement can rice,' the? say, ' which appears cas(s be ktpt even, nor pews upright, and if the church. „p e as iru:riou!, in some by weakening or detyerio yard be close about the church, this is also inconvenient, r atin g the fabric of the Church, and in others by its ten because the ground being continually raised by the lency to affect the lives and health of the inhabitants. graves occasions in time a descent by steps into the . We are of opinion that in future the practice should be church which renders it damp and the walls g r een , a, discontinued.' One distinguished member of the ben ch , appears evidently in all old churches.' When s h a ll we :n d ee d , i s o f opinion that there is no evil in this prac 'see every parish in England with its ' God's Acre,' thus. .ice, provided it is not carried to excess : that poison in secluded places of sepulture, of which the German itse lf i s not h urt f u l , b ut only an extreme dose of it. It Protestants have set us the example ; beautified with is earnestly to be wished thst the Ecclesiastical Commis perennial flowers, with flowering shrubs, with the ,inners bad reported against the practice of burial near cypress and the willow, and with groups of other trees, the church as well as within it, were it only for the rea the favourites of our familiar fields, gardens, and sou assiffned by Sir Christopher Wren, already quoted, woods; in which peaceful retreats it may be possible that 'if the churchyard be close about the church, the to cherish those reverential and tender association: ground being continually raised by the graves, occasions naturally called up by the sight, or even the thought of in time a descent by steps into the church, which renders the hallowed spot in which our beloved dead i epose; it damp, and the walls green, as appears, evidently, in. and full of these' types of renovation and decay, which old churches." the fields and the woods offer to the notice of the serious and contemplative mind,' suggestions which are especially so precious because so soothing to the mourner and so calculated to revive in his heart resignation and hope. _ " I am, Sir, your faithful servant, (Signed) " SOUTH WOOD SMITH." ;.From the state of uncertainty in which the authori ties of your town still appear to be with regard to the cause and remedy of the calamity with which it is visited, I am afraid that time must be distant. "I am, Sir, your faithful servant, (Signed) " SOUTHWOOD SMITH. "Daniel Smith, Esq." No. V. " Michinhampton, Dec. 7, 1846. "Dear Sir,—l now hope to give you a detailed account of the epidemic with which this town has been visited, as well as the part I have taken in the matter. " An early meeting of the inhabitants of the pail: h was held to ascertain the cause of the disease, and being called upon to give my opinion, I stated that I had re sided in the town 16 years, as a surgeon, during 14 of which I had no recollection of having attended a single case of fever, that is, in the town. Two years ago I was much occupied in attending many cases, and, f rein their uniformity of symptoms, I felt assured that they arose from some specific cause. In my daily rides I en deavoured to discover this source; I looked in vain for any undrained lands or marshy bugs, which were calcu lated so throw off malaria; I found none. I then directed my attention to the physical or geographical position and condition of the town. I found here no feature calcu• lated to favour the development of fever ; but on further inquiries I found that a considerable quantity of churchyard earth was exposed to the atmosphere —earth saturated with animal matter, and which I consider was just such a cause calculated to produce the effects I had witnessed. The patron of the living, who is also the lord of the manor, together with the rector, were, I believe, the principal cause of the unfortunate churchyard arrangement. The former, who was present, appeared to receive my opinion with some pique and dis courtesy. Many, if not most, of the individuals present considered that there was something in my views. I farther stated that I recognised the same uniform symp toms in the fever of the present year, indicating that both arose from the same cause. The rector, who was PONDEROUS LOCOMOTIVE LoAD.—Last week a very heavy locomotive engine, belonging to the South Eastern, was transported by the turnpike-road from the terminus to Deal. The unwieldy machine was placed on a strong truck, and required no fewer than 30 power ful horses to draw it up the Castle hill. The novelty of the sight of so numerous a team drew together a large concourse of persons, some of whom, notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather, accompanied the truck, with its ponderous load, several miles on its way towards its destination. The engine, we understand, was about 20 tons in weight, and the truck 6 tons. On the previous day the tender, drawn by 25 horses, was also taken to Deal. * First Report, vol. 2, p. 406 et sep. CHRISTMAS DINNER CLUBS.—Experienced sales men at Leadenhall-market state, that the demand for Christmas geese has this year exceeded that of any pre vious season, and that the establishment of clubs has, within the last few days, brought upwards of 20,000 geese ~ into the market. The plan is, for a cert a i n num . iier of subscribers to a club to a pay sixpene or a shil ling per week, for some time previous to Christmas day, to rective a goose and a bottle of spirits. The publican holding the club generally enters into a contract for geese some months before, propm tionate in number to his anticipated demand, and each vies in producing birds of the largest size and best breed. It has been stated that, from this competition, the quality of geese has been very much improved, from the greater attention which the extra demand has caused to be paid to the feeding and fattening the birds. In some parts of the metropolis " plumpudding clubs" have been established. TIDE.—On Wednesday afternoon the tide rose so high as to overflow the banks of the river. The lower part of Rotherhithe was in many parts under water, and several of the houses near the river had their basement floors completely inundated. A great part of Battersea-fields, in the neighbourhood of the Red-house, were under water, and impassable till some time after the tide had subsided. Lord John Russell has received the remaining halves of a 501. and two 10/. notes, transmitted to him on account of income-tax. The amount will be paid into the Exchequer. - -- THE HEALTH OF TOWNS ASSO- CIATION. , At a meeting of the members of the association, held on Wednesday, Lord Ashley in the chair, commit:tic- Lions were received from Sheffield, and other p'acc s where branch associations have been formed. FEVER AT MINCHINHAZIPToN FROM TIIE EXPOSURE OF HUMAN ReMAINS REMOVED FROM CHURCHYARD. Dr. SoUTHWOOD SMITH, in moving the appointment of a select committee to consider and report upon the provisions of Mr. Mackinnon's Bill, for the prevention of interments in large towns, said that he had to lay before the committee some correspondence, developing the cause of an epidemic fever which had broken out and ravaged the small town of Minchinhampton. He con ceived it most important that this correspondence should be laid' before the proper authorities and the public, as it could scarcely fail to establish the conclusion, that those provisions which it was at present contemplated to confine to the larger towAs, should be extended to the smaller towns, and that to new churches, whether erected in towns, or id the rural districts, common grave yards should no longer be attached. The facts contained in the correspondence to which he wished attention to be given were most im portant in relation to the physical question as to grave yard emancipations. In his report on the practice of interments, Mr. Chadwick had adduced evidence de monstrative of the conclusion that the emanations from human remains, in a state of decomposition, were noxious in their effects on human life. He regarded this corres pondence as a striking illustration of this fact, and he thought it important to give it publicity, because the public are often more impressed by a single case than by a volume of evidence. The first letter he had re ceived was as follows—(Letter No. 1.) To this ho had sent the following reply—(No. 2.) The information he had received in reply afforded further illustration— (No. 3.) To this he had given the following reply — (No. 4.) And a further correscondence took place as follows—(Nos. 5 and 6.) To those who really understood the subject, there was nothing extraordinary in all this ; what was extraordinary was, that whets interments in towns had been prohibited, even in Spain, such facts should continue to be resisted in this country. The motion for the appointment of a special com mittee was agreed to unanimously, and it was ordered that the correspondent: should be referred to it, and that a copy of it should be forwarded to Mr. Chadwick for his information : No. I. " Mlnchinharnpton, Nov. 8, 1846. " TO DR. SOUTHWOOD SMITH. " Sta,—l beg to apologise tor the great liberty rain taking in addressing you; but knowing the interest you take in the sanatory improvement of our towns, I am anxious to obtain your valuable opinion for which I shall feel much honoured and obliged. Our town is situated on a considerable elevation; each shower of rain produces its little torrent, which passes through the streets with considerable power; our streets are wide, and the inhabitants tolerably cleanly; no offen sive business being carried on, and the place has been proverbial for health. I have practised as a surgeon here for 16 years, and until the last two years I have no recollection of having had a single case of typhus fever. In the latter end of the year 1844 I had many cases, uniform in their symptoms, and a disposition to assume the typhoid type. Last year very few occurred. Within the last two months we have had upwards of 150, so as to induce a general meeting of the respectable portion of the inhabitants. The fever is identical with that of the former year, but more severe. Cold rigours, con gestion of the brain, great prostration of the vital powers, blood dark, with delirium on the second or third day, are the early symptoms. "In the year 1843 our church was rebuilt; a great portion of the churchyard was sunk and removed; many bodies reinterred; an immense quantity of this earth was used on pasture land close to the town. A. large bank, more than one hundred loads, now remains within fifty yards of the town. Our church was five hundred years old; population of the parish is six or seven thou sand; graves densely crowded; some of the earth very dark on being removed. Pray are the above eircum stances, which took place three years since, likely to afford malaria, so as to account for so much disease at this time? "I am compelled to add that the street and the rec- tory, both adjoining, were the first and most severely visited (that is, this year). Our rector's family of four, the wife and daughter died, also the gardener. I regret to say that many cart loads of the dark earth was put in trenches by the side of the walks on the premises, the gardener frequently digging up bones. "As the heap of earth now remaining is the important subject of inquiry, would you recommend its immediate removal? "Again, Sir, do I beg to apologise for thus troubling you, and to assure you the favour I shall esteem an an swer at your convenience, "I have the honour to subscribe myself, " Yours obediently, (Signed) "DANIEL SMI "Our hamlet and adjacent places are free from fever." No. 11. " To DANIEL SMITH, ESQ. _ _ "London, 38, Finsbury-square, Nov. 8, 1846. " Sir,—lt is very surprising how such a plan could have been conceived, much less actually adopted, as that which you describe ; namely, covering pasture land and bordering gardens with decayed and decaying human bodies, in the shape of earth very dark,' conveyed directly from a churchyard five hundred years old, and taken from graves densely crowded.' This dark earth' must be highly charged with animal matter, for such matter has been constantly infiltrating into it for ages. The weather during the latter part of the summer, and the beginning of the autumnal quarters, has been peculiarly favourable to its decomposition. In accounting for the general spread of epidemics during the last two quarters of the present year, the Registrar-General, in his report for the summer quarter, ending the 30th of September, says:—' The rapidity of decomposition, the facility with which all kinds of animal matter run into putrefaction, enable us to understand how, in a summer like the past, in which the temperature was unusually high, the diseases referable to an impure atmosphere should have been so prevalent and fatal.' No one can doubt that a large mass of earth, highly im pregnated with animal matter, is capable of contaminat ing the atmosphere, and therefore that the bank of this earth, consisting of more than 100 loads which now re main within fifty yards of the town,' ought to be instantly removed. Still, however, I should not counsel you to re gard this earth, shocking and dangerous as it is to have placed it in such situations, as the sole cause of the dis ease which has appeared in your town. I should advise you to have a regular and strict examination made of the sewers, drains, and gutters of the town, of the state of the privies and cesspools ' and of any other collecti ons o f filth and refuse, and of the stagnant pools and ditches in the town and neighbourhood, to have all such matters removed, and thoroughly to cleanse every part of the town, the poorer parts especially, with currents of water. But if you have no sewers in your towns, and nothing but surface drainage, or if you have these, but are without an ample supply of pure water, it is not the excellence of your position and soil that will give you health, or secure you from the visitation of epidemics. Allow me to recom mend to your careful study, and to that of all persons of authority and influence in your neighbourhood, the report of the Health of Towns Association, just pub lished by Charles Knight. Without sewers, without under-ground drainage from the houses into.them, and without ample supplies of water to keep them always clean, you can never be secure from typhus fever, and other painful and fatal maladies. It is, I hope, begin ning to be perceived that it is the duty of medical men to endeavour to prevent diseases as well as to cure them; and it seems to me that the medical profession have it now in their power to perform a signal service to the public, by urging on and by directing the present sana tory movement. " I am, Sir, your faithful servant, (Signed) " SOUTHWOOD SMITH." No. 111. " TO DR. SOUTHWOOD SMITH. " Minchiuharnpton, Nov. 16, 1846. Sir,--I beg to acknowledge, as well as thank you, for your polite courtesy in replying so promptly to my inquiries relative ttt the sanatory condition of our town. I purposely avoided stating my own views ou the sub ject, and I feel much gratified to find that yours are in unison with my own, as to the imperative necessity of removing the heap of earth so contiguous to our town. I find, however, that this heap is not exclusively com posed of churchyard earth, but contains some rubbish ; and instead of being 100 loads, as I stated in my former letter, it amounts to 400 or 500 loads. It was carefully hand-picked, that is, the large bones were collected and buried. Small bones are now and then seen, which point out the nature of the stuff. Near this heap, and somewhat parallel to it, is a long patch or ridge of exclusively churchyard earth, which was intended to fill up some inequality of the ground. Tnis extends nearly 70 yards, and amounts to 400 or 500 loads also, and is about a yard in thickness ; there is, of course, much surface ex posed to the atmosphere ; 103 loads were spread about as manure, as before stated. The newly-erected part of our church was sunk, to be in unison with the archi tectt'- .tural proportion of the older, or remaining portion, and, consequently, to make a suitable and new approach much lowering of the ground was requisite ; thus a con siderable part of the churchyard was sliced down, to within a foot or two of the remains. In fact, some were exposed and re-interred, and others occasionally required to be covered to keep them from view, and this part is densely crowded with graves. The churchyard we s enlarged, and the new ground coated with the churchyard earth from its fertilizing effects, so as to hasten the rapid growth of grass. These additions I consider so serious, that I am induced to submit them to your consideration. Our parish consists of hamlets principally. The town itself contains oaly about 800 inhabitants, and is formed by four streets crossing at right angles, and has a consider able descent, which produces, after a shower, a current of water of much power, passing into the under drains w ith a velocity which thoroughly and effectually cleanses them. Much, also, is carried off by surface draining, the lower part of the town terminating with an abrupt descent. We have no ditches; our coil is shallow, and rock exists everywhere. Our church was completed in the autumn of 1843; previous to which I have no recol lection of having had a single case of idiopathic fever in the town during the fourteen years I had resided in it, although I see nearly 1,000 patients annually in my pri vate and public capacity as surgeon to the dispensary, and during the last two months I have attended 100 cases of the epidemic, or more, in the town, which, from their uniform symptoms, must, I conclude, arise from some spe cific cause. The subject has produced, and still excites, painful interest, and the inhabitants are divided in opinion as to the probable cause, and the remedial measures which should be adopted, and an imperfect committee of these individuals has been appointed ; but as this sana tory quorum is not directed by medical men, it is only partially effective. And now, Sir. may I beg the favour of your further valuable advice. Are these circumstances which I have stated capable of producing malaria,. so as to produce fever, assisted or developed by the present 1~~~~ ~~ "1/ ~~ dmi n the ,ured rself, tune, 3arto 22, ;ased effi! Irned w ith laTal 2001 2 the ver alai the The Sr US ire ite vi-