The Sun. — London, England, 1849-04-06 00:00:00

NATIONAL SOCIETY FOR THE ABOLITION OF BURIALS IN TO WNS. A. very largl public meeting, called at, the instlnc? this society, was h e r d on 'Wednesday evening &t ta r Whittington Club, the Strand, to petition rari4,•rni for the hum :dit.te clo s i ng o l b ur i a l p l aces i n cities ant: towns. Upon the p' - .Vorm we observed Lord Dudley Coutts Stuart, Lord Cochrane, W. A. Mackinnon, Esq., M.P., John Abel Smith, Esq., George Thompson, Eel., M.P., James Wyld, Esq., M.P., George Alfred Walker, Esq., George Goodwin, Esq., Mr. Simpson, Mr. Bunter, Mr. Ross, Dr. Aldis, Mr. Briscoe, and a number of other gentlemen who are known to have always taken a warm interest in the progress of this society. On the motion of Mr. MACKINNON, seconded by Mr. Goo"sweet, Lord D. STUART was unanimously elected to the chair. He said—l regret extremely that the lion. Gen tleman who was originally announced as chairman of this meeting is unavoidably prevented attending here to night. Mr. Benjamin Bond Cabbell—(Cheers)—v.-ho is exceedingly well known in the metrop o li s , an d i n the country at large, for his charitable disposition, has par ticularly directed his attention to the subject which now calls you together. I, therefore, regret deeply the absence of one who is so well able to do the suhjeet jus tice, and above all do I l ament t h e cause of hie absence, which is no other than that he is at present stretched upon a bed of sickness, and of course unable to fulfil the engagement which he had made.—(Hear.) Lament !fig his absence, I h ave not t h ought i t proper to hesitate in agreeing to the wishes of those gentlemen who are deeply interested in the cause, and who have requested me to fill his place this evening.—(Cheers.) Before saying another word I will call upon the secretary to read the advertisement convening the meeting. The SECRETA RY , M r . C. J. Thicke, then read the advertisement, together with letters from several noble • men and gentlemen apologising for their non-attend- ante, but all concurring in the object of the meeting. Sir Benjamin Hall, Bart., stated that cantinued illness prevented his attendance, but he liopfd ere long that the practice of burying in large and pope lows towns would be discontinued. Mr. Horsman, M.P., said he was obliged to leave town, but that he would be most happy to co-operate in any proceedings in Par. liament to put an entire stop to practices so grievous to civilization and religion. The Marquis of Northampton and Lord Ebrington also concurred in the desirability of prohibiting interments in towns, and gave their hearty wishes for the success of the society's efforts. Letters were also read from the Earl of Carlisle, the Lord Mayor, Baron Rothschild, and a number of Members of Par liament. The CHAIRMAN then rose and was received with loud cheers. lie said, Ladies and gentlemen, you see by the state of the platform that the object which we have in view has many friends, and you will perceive also by the list of letters, which the Secretary has just read, that we have a great many supporters who are not present. I don't wonder at that—l don't wonder that wo should have supporters—my only wonder is that there should he any one who does not feel that this subject is one of the very greatest importance; that the evil is one which calls aloud for a remedy; and if there be persons who are not impressed with that belief, I am corn inced that they are only those who have not had an opportunity of giving to the subject their serious attention. I do believe that no man who has had the means of acquainting himself with the practices which prevail with regard to inter ments in this metropolis, and who has had access to the real sources of information, can for a moment hesitate, or does hesitate, in saying that interments in large cities like this ought immediately to be put a stop to. Persons there may be who do not agree with us, and who, per haps, do not feel the necessity of something being done; but who are they? They are persons who have not made themselves acquainted with the facts of the case— persons to whom the mass of evidence which has been collected by Committees of the Houses of Parliament, by those who, to their great honour, have devoted themselves to this subj, ct, is nothing but a sealed book. Occupied with other subjects and engaged with other facts, they are not aware of what is actually going on in this metropolis—they pass through the streets daily and they do not know—they do not even suspect—that in many streets, and I will say, emi hatically , also in this street, they are in the immediate vicinity of graveyards a here bodies are piled up in heaps, which are at once the cause of ill heath and disease to the population, and where scenes are enacted that are degrading to humanity.—(Cheers.) I do not hesitate to say that this practice in crowded cities is in the highest de gree conducive to immorality.—(Herr, hear.) It has a tendency to blunt all the finer feelings, and to make men careless of paying that tribute of resp ct to the departed which appears to be implanted in man's heart by nature —(Cheere.) Who is there who does not feel the greats st desire to render all tribute of respect to rela tions and friends who are departed? Which of us is there but contemplates without horror and without a shudder, which it is impossible to describe, the idea of the remains of any dear and beloved relative not meeting with a proper and decent interment, whose blood will not run cold at the thought of the bodits of those dear and beloved persons meeting only with a mock in torm( nt, being only placed a few inches under the ground, and being afterwards removed by unhallowed hands to make room for other bodies?—(Cheers.) Yet scenes like this take place, and are taking place every day, for it is in evidence that in some of these receptacles fur the dead such things are continually practised. The space in large cities which can be devoted to interments is of course smaller It costs a large sum of money to obtain an area, and those who undertake the burial of the deal, I am sorry and ashamed to say, do so in many iustar ces for no other purpose than to make money.--(Hear, hear.) It is therefore an object to them to bury as many bodies as possible in the smallest possible space. They dig deep holes, for they are nut worthy the name of graves, and pile one body above another to the depth of a great many feet, until at last they come to the level earth, and then a thin coating of earth is thrown over them. Another grave is then opened immediately by the aide of it, again to be filled up, and as there is frequently not room to bury all the dead that are brought, it is con stantly occurring that the pickaxe and the shovel of the gravedigger breaks in upon the coffin and violates the dead body which was laid there by sorrowing le latives. —(Hear, hear.) Arid those sorrowing reletives who have made it their business to inquire into these prac tices will tell you that they have seen bodies mangled by the tools of these gravediggers, and pieces of dead bodies and limbs thrown about with the spade as if they were so much earth. T 1 ese things are indeed revolting to contem plate—they are degrading to the population e here they take place, but still they happen in the greatest, the richest, and the noblest city in the whole universe.— (Cheers.) Wo are proud of our riches, of our talents, of our civilization, and of our progress in commerce and in all tho arts and sciences, and we should be offended if any person presumed to say that this country was not the most moral and most re ligious in the world, and yet, gracious Heaven! we suffer such things to he in the midst of this great metro polis.—(Cheers.) But when I mention to you the shocking state of things to which I have alluded, and which is of a nature to harrow up your feelings, and as I must think, to blunt the sensibilities, and make men careless of the respect to the dead, and also irreligious.— when I mention these things I have not told you all, for a very great .deal remains behind. If burials amidst crowded cities are injurious to the morals, they are also fraught with deadly poison to the public health.— (Cheers.) No subject has engaged the attention of the public or of the Legislature of late years to a greater extent than that of the public health. Sanitary measures have engrossed much of the attention of Parliament, and have occupied the minds of men throughout the country, writings have been poured fourth from the press on the subject, meet ings have been held again and again, and information to a great extent has been supplied with the hope of im proving the health of the public, but it may be said that all these endeavours will be in vain as far as regards the health of towns as long as the system of burying in the heart of towns is permitted.—(Cheers.) You say let :us have good sewerage, let us have good ventilation, let us have fresh air and a good supply of fresh water, and I say so too. I know nothing more important, but, alas! it is in vain to have improved sewers, good supplies of water, and fresh air; it is in vain to make the attempt which has been made, and will bra renewed, to give poor people an unstinted supply of light by the repeal of the window-tax—(Lo u d cheers) — if with those advantages we did not also succeed in rooting out and drawing away all interments from the heart of the metropolis.—(Cheers.) For what would be the use of breaking open the small cramped- up windows of the poor to let in light and air, if that air brought in with it poison?—(Cheers.) Men say give us air—aye, but give us fresh air—don't give us polluted air, charged with miasma and poison from reeking bodies in a state of putrefaction, which are heaped up at our very doors. Men of science who are acquainted with this subject tell you that a certain space is neces sary for every dead body—that a man when he dies and is put into the earth must have'a certain amount of earth around him in order that his body may be decom posed, and it is calculated that in an acre 136 bodies may be properly interred. Now, what is the state of things in this city? Why there are grave yards—notoone 1 but many—i n w hich instead of 136 there are ,00 aye 2,000 bodies—cramned into an acre.—(Cheers.) They throw forth noxious gases which produce every ki n d o f di sor d er, b ut man y persons are wholly ignorant of thi s . I t o 'd a ge ntleman to-day that I was going to attend a meeting on the subject of interments in towns, which I thought ought to be abolished; and he said " Weil, I never experienced any bad effects from them." " I dare say not," said I, " but have you never been unwell—have you never had any illness without being able to account for iti" " Aye." " Then bow do You kno w t h at it has not been occasioned by the vicinity se r eg r aveyards to your h a bit at i on ?" M any men are se ized with sickness, with typhus, and with all kinds of dis orders 'which ' medical men can clearly trace to the prac tice°f_boji” being i n t erre d in graveyards where there is are toZttiectent space for them, and where they Besides this the habitations of the living.—(Cheers.) it is to op en .t frequently occurs that those whose duty is the rniaan!araves often fall down suddenly dead, such in evidence thatwhich comes out from them. It is also foul air which ini order to bear the horrible stench and scantly obliged to e y ill h d ave to encounter they are con es hich in its turn proudlife in the use of ardent spirits, health. Only think of of h l ` a fatal effect upon their a ceremony as the burial of the dead—only think of thaatlposset beautiful, most touch ing, and:most consoling of in the presence of sorrowing relatives, being performed if ever, must be exalted Emi rs, whose feelings, raised to things above, and to the most holy co ntemplati on , and then think of that service being comp l eted by wretches in a state of inebriety.—(Cheers.) These thinks would cer tainly be put an end to if burials in the heart of large towns were no longer allowed. Strange, indeed, is it that this practice should be continued in a city which is the very centre of civilization. In other countrie s it is not so. The fi et Chsistisn Eatueror prohibited interment near the leihitations of the living. They were prohibited in the last century in Fi ance, end in the present century NOVe Yolk 11 id prohibited those, and ehy sl (add this; country he the last to follow so good an exar.ph ?—(Cheers.) cens!arely hear a grew. deal Aura the sister countr:e. Irel aid, and of the debased state in w hich the Irish people are. I went last Autumn to visit that country, and to Dublin, and there I saw,—not, as we see here, grave-yards in the roiiidle of our crowded streets and thoroughfares,—bat I wits taken by an lion. Friend of mine, the Member for Dublitt, where I hope to see here ' this evening -1 mean Mr. Reynolds—(Chedar)--to see a burial-are tuei in the vicinity of the Irish capital. He was himself the person who cetsthlished the berlal• ground of Glessnevin, which is of large extent; and in fact, it is ornamented with so much taste, with flowers and shrul.s, that it is a beautiful thing to see, where all sectarian animosities are dismiss d—(Applause)—and where re rsons of all grades rest side by side, and that for the first tune, for until that burying-ground was es teblished, burials were the occasions of those feelings to which I have alluded, and which are so much to be deplored; but now, when people die in Ireland, they art tali, n out of the own, and buried in the burial-ground it Glitssauvire There are to be found the graves of O'Cennell and of ,all those persons of distinction who died in Ireland. I very much wish we had some thing of that kind appertaining to London, and I do not see why we should not, nor why that improvement should be any longer drlayed.—(Hear, hear.) We have had already Committees enough on the subject, and I think it is seven years ago since the first Committee sat. We have had the Committee of which my Hon. Friend the Member for Leamington was the Chairman; but we hare had no practical measure. Now, I think the time has come when it behoves the Government to bring in some practical measure. Sir George Grey a few nights ago, stated in answer to a question from Lord Duncan, it was their intention to bring forward a measure of the kind. I hope they will carry out that intention, but sure I all that meetings of this kind are the most effec tual means of preventing the Ministers forgetting, ere the session closes, what was their intention at its begin ning. —(Applause.) I don't know of any objection to the removal of graveyards out of London, except three, which occur to me. The first is, if we do away with those burial grounds, it is said wo deprive the clergy who perform the service of their fees. Now, of course, however generous, however high-minded those clergymen may be it is impossible to suppose that they can give, without compensation, a great portion of that which forms their living; and sorry I am to think the working clergy are not in a position to make any considerable sacrifice, because I think those in the Church who work the hardest, are those who are exceedingly ill-paid.— (Applause.) Some time ago it was supposed—the clergy generally were adverse to the change. I do not believe that to be the case now. I believe the clergy feel well disposed towards this measure. That, I think may be concluded from the evidence given before the Committee by the Bishop of London. And as I have no doubt that other meetings after this will be held, I hope that it will not be long before we see some of the dig nitaries of the Church coming forward to answer for themselves in this respect.—(Applause.) There is no doubt that measures may 1 e devised to compensate to those clergy for what they would lose by this change ; and I have no doubt those pious and reverend men will be found exceedingly willing to give every facility that they can to this great improvement. Therefore I don't think that objection is one which ought to stop us. The next objection is, that if you prevent by law burials taking place in towns it will be necessary that the dead should be carried to some distance, and that will increase the expense of funerals to the poor. Now, I am not at all insensible to that objection, because I know that much to their honour, if there is any thing on which the poor of this country in general have deep feelings and about which they are anxious, it is to he able to give a decent burial to those relatives of whom death deprives them.—(Ap plause.) I think that is very much to their honour; and I think these are feelings which ought by all means to be fostered and cherished; and when I know that a poor family will strain every nerve, and even for a season subject themselves to every kind of privation, in order to be able to render in a manner satisfactory to their feelings the last tribute to their departed friends; really, I think nothing can be more honourable, nothing can deserve greater respect. But pro bably without much difficulty measures may be arranged for the removal of bodies with all decency, and with very little, if any, increased expense, to ceme teries without the town. Then there is a third objec tion, which is, if you increase the expense of funerals in any degree, you increase th t expense to which the parishes mu.t be put in burying paupers, and you there by do that which must gave a tendency to raise the burial rates. Now, in these times when rates are so extremely heavy, when they bear so hard upon the rate-payers, I am quite aware that that objection would I be a serious one if it was to extend to any great degree; but I beg on that subject to remind the parochial authorities of this, that if there is any thing which has a tendency to increase the number of paupers, and I therefore to swell the parochial rates, that thing is sick- I ness among the poor—(Hear)—and whatever measures you can adopt which can promote the health of ' the working classes will inevitably have a ten dency towards diminishing the amount of the I poor rates.—(Loud applause.) For what is the I course of life occurring every day? A poor man has to work, and by labouring hard and performing that duty which requires the whole strength of a vigorous frame, he obtains barely enough to support his wile and family; I he is overtaken by sickness—he does not know why— very likely it is sickness occasioned by the vicinity of one of those horrible graveyards, and he very soon becomes ' incapable of supporting his family; and if his illness lasts any time, the inevitable consequence is, that he and his family must go to the workhouse, and in that manner ' I have no doubt the rates are increased very much more than they would be by any little increase which would take pltce to the cost by burying those who must be burl, d by the parish, supposing cemeteries to be placed beyond the limits of the town. I think, therefore, that the objection is not a real, but only an illusory one, and I am satisfied that a little coo- 1 sideration of the subject would suffice to I convince those who are interested in it that such is the case. Now, I have already detained the meeting at ' much greater length that I intended to do—(Applause) ' —and I will haste to give place to those other gentlemen who will have the honour of addressing you. I am quite sure they will place the subject before you much better than I have done, and will show to you the neces sity and the great importance of this subject; and I have no doubt they will lay before you reasons which shall fully convince you that the time is come that something ought to be done by the Legislature ; and before you leave the meeting you will agree on some plan that will convey your opinions and your ideas on this subject to the Houses of Parliament. I shall now call on my Hon. Friend Mr. Mackinnon to move the first resolution.—( Applause.) Mr. MACKINNON, M.P., said when he beheld the meeting before him, and considered the object for which it was assembled, and when he had paid attention to the speech of the Noble Lord who had last addressed them, he could not but be convinced that the holy cause in which they were engaged was likely to be brought to a satisfactory termination.—(Applause.) Previously to his entering on the subiect, which he should do in a very few words as he was fully aware that he saw around him on the platform, gentlemen of high talents and great expe rience who would address them rauch better than he could; he could not but congratulate them on the good fortune which they had experienced that day, in having the amiable nobleman who had just addressed them to take the chair on that occasion.—(Applause.) His amiable qualities, and the zealous manner in which he had per formed his political duties during the time he had sat in Parliament, was very different from that of many Members of the House of Commons who held a seat in that House only for political purposes, or who wanted some job. His Noble Friend in the chair had the most philanthropic feelings; his kindness in favour of the Polish people was well known, and the prominent part he took in every work of charity was notorious; and both by his friends in particular and the public at large, Lord Dudley Stuart was held in the highest es timation.—(Great applause.) The difficulty which he (Mr. Mackinnon) felt in addressing them on the present occasion arose, not from the paucity of subjects which he would bring before their notice, but from the multiplicity of opinions which he would lay before them, to show what was the present extraordinary abomination of the practice of burying in towns. He had travelled almost over Europe ; and he agreed with what his Noble Friend had said with regard to the practice of in terment in Ireland; and strange it was to say that in that country, which was certainly not equ ,1 to England in pint of civilization, there was no interment in towns. He had travelled in France, and there he had seen the greatest decorum shown towards the dead. He believed that Napoleon decreed during his Consulate that no cemetery should exist within a mile, or two thousand feet from the outside of a town ; and they invariably found whenever they travelled in France, that the cemeteries were always to the north of a town, and at a certain dis tance out of it.—(Hear, hear.) The atrocities which were committed in the burial of the dead in this city would harrow up their souls, and would only excite feel ings of disgust without answering any purpose. lie would not dwell on such horrible d e t a il s; b ut h e wou ld just tell th em of was a churchyard onenot° instance , and of on o a l one . Th ere yards from th e s p o t where Overlookingthewere. tha°tgurtavherard:fo lived an unf or t unate and horribleone daughter.b tailor who had nothi ng When he was asked why he liveedso replied, that in consequence of th e i mpurity of tlatespLt,thee lodging was so very cheap as to be within the compass of his means. His medical advisers recommended him strongly to leave that neighbourhood ; but the scanti ihnitserwreidfe, justw was a ill un k d n er nose, wi ti h t e " ness of his means preven t e d him doing so. Within si x weeks from the time of his died, go anding therewas Mackinnon) might say. A few days afterwards he less his daughter also. Now that taken typhus, having no friend in the , daily and seeing the wretched individual was sca rcel y able to obtain work, world witnessing to the disgust and annoyance grave where his wife and daughter we c r e e l o a f id, was sub jected face by the dur , up and cut to pieces before 1 shortly afterwards the remains of hi., his face and daughter digging Ought such be low his window.—(Great sensation.) inhuman brutes who were civilised things to be tolerated in a c graves in Enon country?—(Ap plause.) They knew what had taken e placeand he would Chapel, not 300 yards from that not rfec'l • was not one individual present who was perfectly pass over all those details, being pe p rfe ac ctl ; y satisfied there . e (Ar.plause,) So far convinced in his own mind, that such abominable prac tices ought to be done away with .—(Applause,) as their feelings went, there could be no doubt on the subject; but there was a touch graver anl more impor tant question than their feelings , and that was their ' health. He had had an opportunity as Chairman of the Committee of the House of Commons of examining any t Imedical man whom be thought fit in this mighty tnetropeli F. The evidence of Dr. Cu ors , hers, Dr. Brodie, end of many other ineivelte.ds of I high cheractar, showed that i hey, one and all, easae to a clear end distinct concleei fir, that it is-as mo-t delete rious to the heal:'.. of the conateueity to have the bur i of the dead in the midst of the livieg. There could be no dou'it as to the fact. Many who were in the enjoy ment of good health might s they had constantly , passed that place in the Strand where those bodies were interred, and they had felt no injury from the miasma arising from the catacombs beneath them. But that did nut follow. The medical men said that it tiid not follow that people felt the injury at the moment, nor that a man in perfect health and the full etijoyntent of his spirits would he seized with illness; but if a person was in a particular state of body, he was the person to take disease from ti e gases, and a serious Biro ss might ensue, without the man's knowing whence it arose. Was it not the case in this great city, that when they entered a place of worship, where their feelings ought to be di reetsd to the contemplation of the goodness of the Al mighty, and their thoughts to the reformation of their future manners, that they were offended by the noisome smells which circulated round the sacred building? In the Bill which lie had the honour of preparing for the House of Commons, there was a particular proai,ion that clergymen should have the same fees paid to them whether the poor were buried in the parish or out of the parish. Consequently, the individual most sensitively alive to the welfare of the clergy would agree with him that the clause in the Bell which provided that the fees should be paid in the same menner as before would answer every purposs. With regard to the expense consequ e nt upon t a king the dead without the town for interment, there were many schemes presented to the Committee, by which it was shown that the poor c,tuld be interred out of town at a cheaper rate than they wero at present.—(Applause.) Two plans had been suggested to him as chairman of the Committee. It was (and it would be done with much greater decorum and much greater respect to the feelings of the poor) by a steam-boat constantly plying up and down the riaer, into which the dead bodies of the poor might be deposited, and carried either up or down the river ; for example, to the Isle of Dogs, where some de cent place of interment could be provided, or at some other place on the river. By so doing they would occa sion a great saving to the poor-rates, for it was perfectly clear that if they allowed those poor creatures to catch disease, and very often to meet their deaths from the impurity of the atmosphere, when they were confined to those localities where the dead were interred, the parish would be saddled with a great expense in maintaining those poor persona during their illness, and that by adopting a contrary practice, a great saving of money to the community and of the population itself would be the result. He could not, therefore, think otherwise than that the ob ject which they sought to accomplish would indeed be a great benefit to the nation. A French medical man had of late published a treatise, in which he stated that after having visited Egypt, and investigated fully and dise tinctly the cause of plague in Egypt, he came to the conclusion, which he was ready to prove by the evidence which came before him, that the plague in Egypt never broke out till after they had ceased to embalm their dead, and had begun to inter them near inhabited places. —(Cheers.) That was a most singular fact. Now, not less than five different reports had been made by five different authorities on this subject, and those five different authorities had uniformly pronounced in favour of the advantage of removing the dead from the pre cincts of large towns. Those constituted authorities, including the Ecclesiastical Commission, which was chiefly composed of clergymen and gentlemen belonging to the Church, had one and albunited in making:a report that the practice of interment in large towns ought to be done away with. The first was the Ecclesiastical Com mission; the next was the commission that was ap pointed by the Secretary of State for the Home Depart ment, and was entrusted to that very talented gentleman, Mr. Chadwick, the Secretary of the Poor-law Commis sion. Mr. Chadwick, after patient investigation, in a work which did him infinite credit, stated distinctly that it was impossible to arrive at any other conclusion but that interments in towns wes a practice that ought to be done away with altogether.—(Cheers.) Three official reports were reade by the Committee of thellouse of Commons, of which he was chairman, and that Committee distinctly reported, that after all the evidence which had clue before them it was absolutely necessary that some legis• lative enactment should take plat a Two other reports from two other constituted bodies arrived precisely at the same conclusion. Now, he left them to judge what could possibly be the reason, when they found the reports of Committees and Commissioners made up by the most industrious and talented men, who had access to every sort of information, why that enact went was not brought firward,—(Applause.) What was the cause? Was it that the Government was sluggish on the occasion ? ID sincerely believed not; he had re ceived an Assurance to the contrary.—(Applause.) It was the duty of the meeting to push this matter to an extremity. They ought not to allow a few private in dividals, for their own private interest, to tell them (the meeting) what they should do or should not do. A change they would have; they would have the interment of the dead out of the precincts of large towns; they would have " a long pull, a strong pull, and a pull altogether." He must make one observation of one individual en his right, who had taken infinite pains, who had already laid out a good deal of money, who had bestowed a great deal of his talents and a great deal of his time, which a-as as valuable as his money, and who was the first in dividual who had pointed the attentive of the public to the subject. On his representations his (Mr. Mackin non's) attention had been attracted to the subject, and he was induced to bring it before Parliament. He meant Mr. George Alfred Walker.—(Loud cheers.) Amongst Englishmen " fair play was a jewel," and fair play ought to prevail in this case. Mr. Walker was really the individual who deserved all the praise and who first gave a spur to the subject.—(Applause.) tie was only doing justice to his respected friend, and he (Mr. Mackinnon) trusted he would see his great exertions crowned with the success which they deserved. In many of the cities of the continent they saw gorgeous palaces, but they scarcely ever saw there any of those habitations for the poor, the infirm, the sick, and the diseaaed which were to be seen in the city of London. The first thing which foreigners saw after passing Greenwich was the Dreadnought hospital ship, " supported by the voluntary contributions of all nations;" and when an individual entered Hyde-park he saw St. George's Hospital, open to all men who had met with accidents, and " supported by voluntary contributions." In ovary part of England they saw buildings with similar inscriptions. Ile (Mr. Mackinnon) never saw such inscriptions in foreign countries; and it only showed how superior in good feeling was this happy island, though in saying that he meant no disparagement to other nations. Now Eng land, being the most prosperous country in the world, looked up to by foreign nations, as well as envied by them, for our wealth and civilization, was it not a shame and disgrace that we, having all that wealth and civilization, and happiness, with the bountiful donations which were given yearly, monthly, and weekly for the poor, should allow so crying an abomination as that of the interment within the pre cincts of towns to exist in this country?—(Cheers.) If they did not remedy that crying evil, he should not be surprised if some plague should sweep through the land, when nothing would remain but regret at not having put a stop to the shocking desecration of the dead amidst the living at an earlier period. Let them, therefore exert themselves and sign a petition to Parliament. In this country, whatever the influence might be that existed in the Government or the Houses of Parliament, it was nothing when compared with the influence of public opinion.—(Cheers.) The Hon. Gentleman concluded by moving the following resolution:— " It having been repeatedly demonstrated that the practice of burying the dead in the midst of the living produces the most deplorable consequences to the health of the community, by poisoning the air we breathe and the water we drink, this meeting deeply regrets that a question involving the disposal of some 600,000 bodies, the annual mortality of the United Kingdom, should not have taken precedence of all others in the sanitary mea sures passed in the last session of Parliament. That more especially at the present time, when cholera is among us, the constant disturbance of dead bodies, in every stage of decomposition, and the exposure of human remains in consequence of the incessant upturning of the soil for the purpose of making graves in places long since filled to repletion—ought to be instantly abolished. That this meeting also protests most strongly, on the ground of the utter worthlessness of the protection thereby afforded to the public health, and for other cogent reasons, against the practice of depositing bodies in vaults, or other re ceptacles, under churches or chapels, whether in leaden or pitched " coffins; and therefore it records its unqua lified condemnation of clause 112 of the City sanitary measure, which in the year 1848 legalized this most ob jeetionable and destructive custom."—(Cheers.) Mr. WALKER said—My Lords, ladies, and gentlemen, if the two sanitary measures passed during the last ses sion of Parliament had recognised the importance of the question which we have met to discuss, we should not have been here to protest against the continuance of a practice which I believe to be disgraceful to our age of civilization.—(Elear, hear.) Amongst some 400 clauses in these two Acts, there are only six which give the slightest attention to this question. It is true that clause 112 of the City Sewers Act provides that at least five feet of earth should be placed over each coffin. Now I scarcely know on what ground that legislation has been performed, for the predecessors of these men, in the time of the great plague in London, ordered, imperatively ordered, that at least six feet of earth should be placed over each coffia.—(Cheers.) Therefore, I say, I can scarcely understand why, in the y om 'e fi a sa r nLomon l ed B ro 4 ; B, they shoull think fi ve feet o f earth sufficient. B u t th e t erm " eart h " i s a not n l g n ra e v e e d .3. ar d t i e s ] 1 composed ) - ou I think o i n f k humanthat the earth remains w t with —that its in re f l a l t ( a c p h a e t e t . l ) e of l n t h e recklessorigi na defiance l mould coheres of re peated c oh e r e warnings and predicted consequences, in the very face of unmistakeable figur es and in our facts, ro centuries, n t heaping uries, y body et o fre graveyards, many of whiePtho°,llatihtheoduac in h our vaults and r generations of thep h un i ct e7 ht' i g v h e e e rs b o ee f n th in e in the midA m o t t e w u see go on present "last resting places," incom pletely decomposed debris of Graves can only be dug by and through the of the boring rod, the hatchet, the sa:v, agency at peat. sledge-hammer and the crow-bar.—(hear,) Christian men's graves do not require implements and tools like these, yet they are daily, hourly used (I say this ad visedly), and I repeat they are hourly used in these con secrated grounds—these sanctuaries—these resting places of our ancestors! (Cheers.) Putting out of the question for the moment, the folly and wickedness of interring the dead in the midst of the living, I wou ld wish to observe that there are facts on record which will satisfactorily prove to every indivi dual present the absolute necessity of prohibiting at QUO this praet i ee ,—(Uear, hear.) Thi s h uge, this overerewn coinglomeration of bricks and mortar, consti tuti,-.g the modern Babylon, has entombed Within its nil, t, in is streets and thoroughares, in its plsees of common resort, het stewed away in cellars and blind alleys, eithie a hundred ;veers, five millions of dead bodies.— (.','Lete e.) One wonticrs hew the practie 3 of mingling the liiiog with the dead originatel, but one marvels much mere how a Protestant Christian country ehould permit it to continue—(lle4r.) I have witnessed the religious ceremonial of the dea l solemniz3d in the pre. sone° of scenes and acts that were disgraceful to our very humanity.—(Hear, hear.) I have seen the el. ep grave receive " the important trust, and heard the itnie.. ssive sentence, Duet to dust," uttered in the [elitist of a throng of pedestrians, amidst the clutter of coaches and various conveyances on the one side, with the elergyman—the robed clergyman—reading the burial service over the dead on the other.—(Cheers.) There are gentlemen present who accompanied me, some weeks ago, try a pl ice in this town which came under the notice of Mr. Mackinnon's Committee. We were introduced by a stranger to the place', which, by the way, was guarded by a policeman, who, it appeared, had keen called in to protect men in the exercise of what I shall venture to term, my lord, illegal acts.—((►ear, hear.) Now, my, eve being perfectly well practised in the mys teries of these m fitters, instantly caught sight of a grave over which a mound of earth had been raised, and I co tld see from its appear.ince that it had been violated to ascertain if the full price of money ILA been paid for it. —(]fear, hear.) I saw at once that the centre of the mound had been pierced by the boring rod. The iron instrument had gone through the centre of the bodies.—([fear, hear.) Within 14 or 15 feet of this grave I counted 27 similar holes made through a mass or human remains, all these holes passed through the centre of many similar remains to the one I first observed.—(Hear, hear.) This graveyard I shall unhesitatingly state belonged to an undertaker. His object in making these holes, which pierced the bodies deposited there, speaking f ro m my knowledge of these matters, was in the first instance to dis sipate the effluvia produced from the putrefaction of the bodies, and next to promote rapid pu trefaction, so as to make every inch of ground a source of perpetual gain.—(Shame.) This graveyard, I must tell you, contains barely three-quarters of an acre—certainly not more—and i n that ground, and un derneath the chapel, I am told there have been deposited not less than 25,000 bodies.—(Shame.) To make the subject a little clearer to you, I may inform you that an acre of ground contains 43,560 square feet, and that 136 adult bodies might find sanitary burial annually in an acre of ground.—(Hear, hear.) Now, what are the facts? Why, instead of 136 bodies—adult bodies—being deposited annually in au acre of ground, there are places in this town where they bury from 2,000 to 3,000 bodies per acre per annum.—(Shame.) Now earth and air have limited appetites. A graveyard can digest so much and no more. There is no example that I am aware of of such places expanding themselves. It is generally admitted, and I think you will agree with me that bulk must occupy space and I ask, how is it then that, instead of 136 bodies be ing buried in an acre of ground annually, they dispose of from 2,000 to 3,000 per acre per annum ?—(Hear, hear.) That is a problem which I would desire you to solve for yourselves.—(Hear.) We know perfectly well how Spa fields was managed. I am aware that the coffin surround ing the dead offers little impediment to the grave digger, for tne fire of Spa-fields' bonehouse was constantly fed by dead men's coffins, which were at first ignited by the coffins of still-born infants.—(Shame.) A fire was kept burning continually, night and day, and the ashes of the coffins were thrown over the denuded dead bodies to consume them, and in this place, which should have held little more than 136 bodies,annually, they had contrived to dispose of 1,500 per acre per annum.— (Shame.) I am now coming to the particular part of the question, which, in fact, it concerns me most to speak of, namely, the influence of this practice on life and health. I think we may leave the moral portion of the question to those who may better understand it.—(Hear, hear.) Now as the blood must be and is influenced by the purity of the air we breathe, it is therefore of the utmost importance that the atmosphere we take into our lungs, and cense• quently into our blood, should be in a pure and uncon t iminated condition. Now an adult breathes about 28,000 times in 24 hours, and the heart, beating about 75 times a minute, propels through the lungs about two ounces of blood each time, and thus the enormous quan tity of about 13,000 pounds of blood passes through the lungs in 24 hours.—(Hear, hear.) This, I think, is an important consideration for you to dwell upon. It con cerns you quite as much as it concerns me. I have stated simply the circumstances of the case, and you can determine whether I am right or wrong in my conclu sion of the effect it has upon the health of the vast population inhabiting the metropolis.—(Hear.) The Hon. Gentleman who last addressed you, and who spoke too highly of my bumble merits—(No, no)—and deserts, has allluded to facts in reference to the origin of the plague. The other day I saw a gentleman just re turned from Constantinople, who told mu that the plague invariably broke out in Turkey, in the neighbour hood of burial-grounds. Madden, in his travels Pa lestine, says that plague miasma originates in the putre faction of animal, matter; and decidedly the best authority who has ever written on this subject, M.Pariset, . whose name is well known, and possesses an European reputation, says that with pure air and water, with healthy food in moderate proportions, none of these singular mutations, productive of death, in man and animals, could exist.— (Cries:of " Hear, hear.") He says, as the result of his long experience and ob servation in the Levant, that there is only one country in the world in which plague is permanent, and that country is Egypt. He states, further, as the result 01 his observation, that he believes its origin is entirely due to the emanations from human and animal corpses, but especially from human bodies.—(Hear.) Now, without going so far for facts, we are in a neighbourhood which abounds with remarkable confirmatory proofs. We have in the Strand the graveyard of St. Clement Danes; on the left of St. Clement's-lane:we have, a little higher up, in th at narrow thoroughfare, what i t ca ll ed the pauper gr oun d, while a little higher up is that hor rible place, E non Ch apel. Many of you have h ear d of that abomi na bl e place, and its clearance out. It may net be out of pl ace or i rrelevant for me to pu bli c l y re turn thanks t o t h e proprietors of the Norwood C emetery for having been goo d enough to g i ve me a grave fo r remains found in th a t c h ape l w hen other cemetery companies had d ec li ned to do so, the ex cepting at a price which I would not pay,—.(Cheers.).) I called upon Mr. Baggaly, who, i n t h e kindest manner, sa id h e wou ld undertake to give me the ground on his own responsi bility, if, perhaps, I would not object to pay for the digging thereof. This monster grave, measuring 12 square feet by 20 feet deep, received the bones and remains of the army of dead buried in Ellen Chapel.— (Hear, hear.) But to return to the question, we need not, I say, go to E gypt for facts, we have abundant evi deuce, even at our own doors, to test the truth of state ments which I most earnestly desire to impress upon you. —(Hear.) It is only some five or six months ago, and a gentleman in this room can verify the fact, that a poor fellow was employed to remove the remains of about sixty bodies from under an auction-room in Leicester square. This poor man while engaged in his occupation was seized immediately after he had entered upon it with inflammation of the lungs, and eventually died a miserable death from the worst form of corruption; adding another victim to this system.—(Hear, hear.) I believe that the man's wife has since died, I believe also that the bricklayer, who assisted at the work, has since died, and I think I shotild not be wrong in stating that the bricklayer's labourer has died also.—(Hear.) Now I think you will agree with me that it would be much better to lay the axe to the root of the cause of disease than to establish hospitals and other places to treat it.--(Hear, hear.) It appears to me to be the wildest and most insane policy to create and to per petuate disease by perpetually adding to its cause. I c.n hardly believe that my countrymen are in possession of their proverbial acumen, for which in other matters they are so remarkable, when they are dealing with this question, or they would put a stop to the practice at once.—(Hear.) It seems to me so strange that when a man knows that at least twelve-thirteenths of e L v ti e l r e y r dead body must dissipate —must go soulelhereebreathes into the water he drinks, or mix with th e —that he does not at once insist up on its abolition,— (blear.) As I have before stated, if the in proportion earth cannot dis solve or absorb these dead men's materials as the bodies are laid in our overcharged church yards, just in the same proportion are in creased all the risks we run of contracting various forms of disease.—(Hear, hear.) Before sitting down I may remark that we have facts to prove that consump tion is clearly traceable to this cause. We have facts to prove that typhus fever is cl. , arly traceable to this cause; and I will prove this to you by just mentioning an incident which occurred at Minchinarepton, in Glou cestershire, to Mr. Smith, which is, perhaps, one of the most striking examples of this nature on record. About three years ago some alterations were made in the church of that place, and it was deemed necessary or thought expedient to alter the sur face of the graveyard, and upwards of 1,000 loads of this earth were removed. This earth was thrown partly on the rector's garden, partly on the patron's garden, and partly on the fields. In fact it was used as manure. — (Hear.) Now the results in this case were clearly trace able to the original causes; and I think you will agree with me that I am right, in drawing the following con clusions. Mr. Smith, previous to the disturbance of this graveyard, had, during the 14 years in which he had been in practice, scarcely mien a case of fever in the same village. The results were so immediate, so evident, so distressing, that Mr. Smith, having had his attention drawn to some writing on the subject, published the facts through Dr. Southwood Smith. re some inquiries I made, he replied that my re marks very much confirmed his previous impressions; that he had had upwards of 200 cases of measles and scarlet fever in children, with anomalous eruptions, which lie was unable to characterise. Now, I hold that these are material facts, because the corollary is, that the same poison that was capable of producing disease in 200 children, produced typhus fiver in the adult; for the rector's wife was attacked by malignant fever and died, the rector's daughter was also attacked and died; the gardener alio died, while there were 14 other deaths from typhus fever.—(Hear.) So that you have, at once clearly traceable to one cause-200, affections in children, and 17 deaths from typhus, all I say clearly traceable to the disturbance of the churchyard earth.—(Cries of " Hear, hear.") It is hardly necessary that I should adduce any further examples, but I will men tion one other case, to which I beg to direct the special attention of your Lordship, and the Honourable Members of the House Commons who aro present. Some few years ago William Green was employed in digging a grave in St. Margaret's churchyard, Westminster: This Lean while digging the grave was seen to stagger and fall ; he was dragged out, taken home and seized with a malignant disease and died. In a few days Mr. Babkerville, the surgeon, caught the disease and died; his 'housekeeper Om had attended him also perishel.—(Tlaar, hear.) This vEs a Line days' wender, which son passed over and was f'orgc)uen ; en we shall go on, unless we have a ciccidcd, putt ve, and :Li equvocal expreisian of public opinion. Tl.ere is no question clearer to my mind than this. it has often been said, and I will repeat it, that there is a power Letitia' the throne which is some times stronger than the throne itself. I should like to know exceedingly how our Legislators should so far have forgotten their duty in passiug a Bill for the sanitary ire. provement of this and every large loan, as to give only six miserable paragraphs to this which I hold to be the most important questiun of all.—(clear.) Before concluding, I are desirous of mentioning a fact or two in reference to a neighbourhood with which I am better t c quainted than most others.—(Hear.) Saint Clement's lane, of which I have before spoken, contains, on the side next to the graveyard, 47 houses, and a dead body is taken out of each house every year. That will make 47 deaths in 47 houses a year.—(llear.) One day I was accampanied by a gentleman to cue of there dwel lings —a place I remembered quite well. It was this house that first excited my attention and led to my subsequent inquiries on this sutject, which have been continued from 1835 until now. —k I Lear, he :r.) I remember seeing in the back room of this iniserable house a poor creature there lying, as it were, cheek by jowl with the dead, while the filth from the dead bodies in the ei green ground"—a very proper name in deed for the place —was running through the wall within a few inches of his nose. 1 asked myself then, and I a4r you now—is it honest, is it just, is it equitable in you to come here to attend this poor creature, perhaps visiting the place at the risk of your own life? Looking fire or ten;rninutes at the horrid spectacle, and returning home to send a box of pills or a bottle of me dicine, which might mitigate the sufferings of the pa tient, but could not remove the cause—(clear, hear) — I thought not. 1 have since had repeated instances of that kind, and the more I see of them the more am I satisfied that until the system is entirely abolished—for we have arrived at that point when we intend to accept no compromise—(Cheers)—this frightful misery and suf fering can never be removed.—(Hear, and cheers.) I say, in conclusion, that until this system is totally and entirely abolished, we shall neither enjoy health for ourselves nor secure repose for the dead.— (Cheers.) I have very great pleasure in seconding the resolution. The Doctor resumed his seat amidst re peated cheers. Mr. ROGERS supported the resolution, and mentioned that in St. Anne 's churchyard he discovered, some years since, that 114 bodies were interred in each grave, amounting in the whole to 95,000, and, indeed, at that time, the church was heated on Sundays by the burning of old coffins. There were 210 churchyards in London, 33 of which were twice as bad as St. Anne's, 17 much worse even than that, and St. John's, Clerkenwell, in a much more lamentable condition than all put together. After thanking the meeting for the manner they received him, ho sat down amid cheers. The resolution was then put and carried. Mr. J. A. SNITLI, M.P., in proposing the second reso lution, said—My Lord, Ladies, and Gentlemen, I imagine that many of those I address share with me the feelings which the dreadful and horrible details we have listened to have pro duced. I came here knowing only in a most general and incomplete manner the extent of the evil of which we are here met to complain, but I confess that the details we have heard have filled me with a sense nut only of horror but of shame, not only as one of the community who have patiently endured such atro cities, but shame as a Member of the House of Com mons that I have not befora raised my voice, or exerted my efforts for the removal of so vast an evil.—(Loud cheers.) But I shall leave this room with a strong and determined resolution that as far as in me lies I will endeavour to put an end to t his evil and filthy abomination—disgraceful to us as men— disgraceful to us as Christians—and doubly disgraceful to us as Englishmen, who pride ourselves in showing the way in the advance and progress of civilization.— (Cheers.) Your time has been so long occupied that I cannot venture long to intrude upon you, but it is the less necessary because the resolution I hold in my hand points not to the past but to the future, and it alludes to that course of conduct which is thought the best con ducive to the early and complete removal of this abomination. The resolution which I hold in my hand expresses the opinion that the removal of this evil must be looked for from the House of Commons and the Legis lature of the country, and that the legislation to take place on the subject, to be effectual, must originate with and be supported by the Government.—(Hear, hear.) In both opinions I entirely concur, and I hope you who are around me, and more especially those Members of the House of Commons who are present, will unite with me in doing that which, if firmly, temperately, and consistently carried out, will ultimately convince the Government of the necessity for putting an end to this abomination.—(Hear, hear.) I conceive, with my Hon. Friend the Member for Leamington, that the members of the present Government are heartily disposed to take a wise course in this matter, and I think it but just to them, as it would be just to any Government with whom I might not be so much disposed to support, that nothing but the pressure of public business has prevented them from taking up the question and paying proper attention to a subject of most vital importance to the best interest of the country. — (Hear, hear.) But the present Government has given us a pledge upon this particular subject, and I think when they have an opportunity they will not be slow in grappling with this question, which is of great and vital consequence to the people who inhabit large towns. As far as Government had already gone in this matter of sanitary reform it is a great step in advance, and they had succeeded in carry ing their measure in the feed of a most determined and vexatious opposition.—(Hear, hear.) But lam pre pared to say, here or elsewhere, that if they were sincere in the principle they then commenced, they cannot re fuse what we now demand.—(Hear.) And wbat is more, they cannot delay it, because I must say that I have heard with some pleasure the rea.arks which fell from my Honourable Friend with regard to the objections which had been made against concessions of this kind— righteous and calm objections, which appear to me to deserve no such name.—(Hear, hear.) What! are we all to perish because the poor lates are to be somewhat increased? Are we all to perish because the mi nister's burial fees would be diminished?—(Hear, hear.) I am a Church of England man, I am a devoted friend to the Church, but what are all these things, what are fees upon burials, what are poor-rates, what aro all these things ? Nothing more than means to an end— nothing more than means taken to secure the moral and physical welfare of the community.—(Hear, hear.) Surely such horrid details as these we have heard to night would justify the abandonment of anything. I can't conceive that any man can possibly, in face of such facts as these we have heard to-night, stand up and arraign any moral argument in their favour.—(Bear, hear.) Can any one be found hardy enough to defend these filthy nuisances?—(Hear, hear.) I hope not, in deed, I believe not. No man can openly support them in the face of day.—(Hear, hear.) I will not take up more of your time, but I must be allowed to repeat that have learnt a most painful, but I trust useful lesson this evening. I hope you will share the benefit without sharing the pain; but I hope above all you will with me determine, as I said before, both here and elsewhere, to spare no effort in the furtherance of this most just and holy cause. (Hear, hear.) I hope that you will join with me in giving utterance, as Ido most unfeignedly to the feelings of gratitu de a n d f respect with which I view those men who, in the face o n dragging this subject under public; predict, is not only victory in their cause, I venture to _have great plea ' certain but immediate.—(Cheers.) I opposition, obloquy, and d d er an p g u e b r ii. h n av o e tice P , cr a se n v d er w ed hos i e Majesty's interringetT y That after otvheer Government. dead, elon nt .g can aTnhodan That patient ant beitehnetremoved year ear 1 investiga tion, sroulrleo,wminygLroesrodinatniodnl:alies and gentlemen, in moving the " That this meeting believes that the many injurious consequences unavoidably resulting from the present bas:ry:fet Parliament,heg system r sl legislative ve enactment, originated with, or supported a Committee of the House of Commons reported to they could not arrive at any other conclusion than that the nuisance of interments in large towns, and the injury arising to the health of the community from the practice, were fully proved. That the evils of inter ment in towns and populous places had grown to such a height, that no time ought to be lost by the Legis lature in applying a remedy. That this custom had desecrated the repose of the dead, and injured the health and feelings of the living, could not be denied. That it had also exhibited the singular instance of the most wealthy, moral, and civilized community in the world, tolerating a practice and an abuse which had been cor rected for years by nearly all other civilized nations in every part of the globe.' That these views of the Parliamentary Committee of 1842 were affirmed by a majority of the House itself in the year 1845. That universal mischiefs require remedies, and, therefore, a General Act, for the establishment of Cemeteries in suitable localities, should be passed, as a measure of wise Legislative economy, and of simple justice to the nation." Mr. GEORGE THOMPSON, M.P., rose to address the meeting, and was received with vociferous cheering. He said—My Lord, ladies, and gentlemen, I will occupy your attention but a moment. I congratulate my friend, Mr. Walker, in having at his command to-night a superfluity of help —a, perhaps, somewhat novel position for him to be placed in, one at least that must encourage him, more especially after the very earnest assurance he has received to-night from gentlemen of in fluence here and elsewhere, that their co-operation shall be from this time forth given for the attainment of the object he has in view. I had come prepared to make a speech, but as we have had - more than enough to-night, both in the way of argument and illustration, and appli cation and exhortation, I shall carry my speech home with me—(Laughter)—and whenever Mr. Walker shall stand more in need of coadjutors than he does to-night, he has but to command me, and tho speech I intended to make to-night, I will give under cirumetances when it will be more acceptable than at a quarter to eleven o'clock at night.—(Cheers, and laughter.) One thing must be ob vious to all who are here, that we have in our midst a stupendous nuisance. Any other nuisance o f a similar kind would not be tolerated for twenty-four hours.— (Cheers.) Bills of indictment would i lodged n every parish in the metropolis. Why then is —a nuisance, perhaps, unparalleled in the b y got rid country—suffered to exist , and how is it e rid of? It exists because t here is a general ignorance of this h. nuisance the extent of the evil. and of the dreadful c.,nsequence , the prejudices and customs that have grown up among feeeli t n h g at s. Lvr a ld ear d . o he vi a o r. l ) enc l e t t w o o t u h ld e n te o n t d i e n r t e e s r t fe us ; and yet the re moval of this nuisance would not b e resu lting from ft. — aka r. ) It is tolerated because of a course or re w i t h the decorous stud siplemu performance of those finest rites which accompany the burial of the dead. On the contrary, were the most sanguine hopes of dr. Walker realised, so far from there fe.2in3. rely coneornitant evil with the measure that ha recommends, privacy, security, the decent and hecom'eg performance of the funereal rites, and the adjuncts that are suitable to the sepulture of the human body would all be attained by the passing of such a measure as that which he desires. I am sure every one who has attenaed this meeting to-night must have received valuable light on a subject of incal. culable importance to the health of the commuuity. I should scarcely be surprised to hear of every individual attending this meeting to-night resolving never to enter a pariah church in the midst, of a graveyard until an end has been put to the abomination which new exists.— (Cheers.) If the facts that have been stated to-night be correct, why then I can imagine no atmosphere more deleterious than that which we are likely to breathe within the walls of the sacred edifices where we go from Sabbath to Sabbath to worship our common Maker. In the midst of accumulated corpses, penetrated day and night by a subtle and pernicious efflavia, impregnated and pervaded throughot by ad that is noxious and fete!. I cannot conceive any place in the world more likely to prove injurious, if not fatal, to the human frame than those edifices, which, while they are decent in their external appearance and suitable in all their appoint. menis, shetild also be at least paces that are not de structive of health.—(Cheere.) It may be said fey some here, " I have gone backwards and forwards to and from church for years, and am not sensible of any injury de rived from this habit." That may be so; it may be that the high blessing ofd strong constitntion—(tlear)—the consciousness of any derangement never occurring for an instant—it may be that a comparatively slight indisposi tion may not be ascribable to the tainted atmosphere breathed in the church—it may be possible that an in dividual has no idea of that danger; but remember there are thousands and tens of thousands walking the streets of this great metropolis every day_ that carry with them a predisposition to receive infection, and though we may have gone again and again for years to that church without being sensibly affected by the impurity of the atmosphere, scores of others may have been carried away in the bloom of youth, smitten down by this in visible foe, to which frequent reference has been made to night. I shall attempt to state no facts in further illus tration of the subject now before us; but we have certain difficulties to overcome, and they must be overcome. We have had a good meet ttenight, and a large amount of intelligence among us; but what are we among the teem ing thousands sod millions of this great metropolis? lie who would serve this cause must become a missionary in it—(Hear, hear)—he must infuse throughout the circle in which he moves the facts and information he gathered up to-night. We have a great deal of ignorance to dis pel ere we can create that public opinion which has been justly styled to night the most potent instrument in ef fecting any great social change. We have an overworked House of Commons to deal with, and when there are so many measures, all important in their way, consigned session by session to " Tim tomb of all the Capulets"—(A laugh). we cannot expect, though the Hon. Gentleman who has addressed you is so sanguine on the subject, that the measure which is now recommended will meet with a cordial acceptance and concurrence unless it be backed by a visible and unequivocal manifestation of public sentiment out of doors.—(Cheers.) And then there are interests to be conciliated; and I do not wonder that the Noble Lord stood somewhat in fear of an army of grave-- diggers, pickaxe in hand—(Cheers) —and undertakers in the distance, and mutes too, and a number of other worthy personages who are all mixed up with this great subject—(Laughter)—and, above all, with his respect for dignitaries and " the powers that be," that he should stand in awe of the recipients of fees for burials in our various parish churchyards; but I do agree with the last speaker that these interests are not for an instant to be considered in the presence of those unmitigated evils arising out of the present system. If there are interests that ought to be considered, let them be con siJered ; but let the object we have in view be attained, and I shall be the last person in the world to deny the claims which can be reasonably set up, or compensation to whom compensation is due. Then we must put our shoulders to the wheel, if we would effect the reform that is so much required, and when it is effected there are no feelie h es which animate the breast of a human and religious be.ing which will not be gratified by the accomplishment of the end we have in view. —(Loud cheering.) Such revelations as have been made to night are sufficient to carry the thoughts of all who are here back to ti,ose sad events in their history when they have been called upon to consign to their last resting place the bodies of !hose whom they have loved; and, lest a repetition of those sacrilegious violations of the tomb shall occur—lest again there shall be witnessed the horrifying spectacle of Enow Chapel and Spa-fields burying-ground—and even where most decency is ob served, in a repetition of the scenes of the best con ducted burial grounds there was much to grieve the mind—l say, if we would not witness a repetition of this, let us endeavour to accomplish this most wholesome and desirable object. We have ground enough round the me tropolis—roads enough round the metropolis leading into all the suburbs of this great city; we have the means of conveyance ample, and, as for the matter of expense, every shilling of thel extra expense, if there were any, occasioned by the burying our dead out of the immediate precincts of the city, would be more than realised to the common fund at last by the preservation of health, by the diminution of the pour, as by the saving from pre mature widowhood those who are deprived of their husbands, as we have been told; and in a variety of ways we shall be actually relieved from our burial bur dens, instead of augmenting them with almost contemp tible trifles which may be added to the expense of burial under those altered circumstances. I know there is one impediment to the creation of a strong public opinion on this subject, and which I think is this, that our considerations have reference to the human bcdy. Now, lam disposed to respect the human body. I know how tender are the feelings that are called forth in re ference to the dead bodies of those who while living have become the objects of love. I would see that body treated with decency and respect, both on account of the associations connected with it in the minds of others, bu because it has been the tenement of a soul of deathless and illimitable powers.—(Cheers.) Bat if; instead of those corpses being those of men, women, and children, they were the dead bodies of any other animals the system would not be tolerated for a day.—(Cheers.) And yet remember that once de posited a few feet below the surface of the earth, the exhalations arising from the decomposition of that body are not less, but more pernicious than would arise from the decomposition of any animal that you might deposit in your midst. Let us, therefore, look at the matter in connexion with this age of improvement, and through the light of those facts which medical science and che mistry have put in our hands, and with whatever is de corous and solemn, and we shall come to the conclusi m that the measure is demanded, and should at once receive the respectful attention of the Legislature. This is all that I have to say tonight on the subject. I shall cordially co-operate to the best of my humble ability in the exertions now being made, and I have only to say that I cordially second this resolution, and fully agree with the opinion which it records that to the Legislature we ought to look for a remedy—a remedy not simply applicable to the evil as it exists in this metropolis, but throughout the United Kingdom, on this important subject.—(Loud cheers.) The resolution was then put and carried:with accla mation. Mr. WYLD, M.P., in moving the third resolution, said ho had no idea of carrying his speech home in his pocket, because he wanted to get rid of the abominable system of accumulating dead bodies by millions in the metro polis. What must the foreigner think when be passed through some of our noble streets, to see them obstructed by great mounds of human putrefaction, and yet when the subject was broached in the House of Com mons the Honourable Member for Lymington and himself were the only parties to raise their voices against it.—(Hear, hear.) They were told then that sufficient petitions had not been presented against the system to justify the House in interfering with it, but he hoped, when the question was next agitated in the Legislature, no such objection would be raised up against them. — (Hear, hear.) He did not agree with those who thought they were likely to meet with opposition from the clergy, for at a recent meeting of the vestries of St. Clement's Danes, the Russell-court burial-ground was ordered to be abolished. A VOICE—It has not been abolished yet. Mr. WYLD said it was to be closed forthwith, and in order to get rid of the difficulty of removing the nuisance the Rev. Mr. Denham, the incumbent of St. Mary-le- Strand, had consented to forego his burial fees.—(Hear, hear.) But independently of that circumstance, let him remilid the meeting, that in all Cemetery Bills provi sion was made to reserve the payment of fees of clergy; and he thought, therefore, in discussing this question, they were not likely to meet with much op position from the clergy.—(llear, hear.) But in carry ing out this great measure of sanitary reform, if they wished to make it acceptable to the poor man, they must, at the same time, endeavour to got rid of the horse tax, which yielded to the revenue about 20,0001., for if the poor man had to pay that tax, it was not likely that they could remove their dead to a distance.—(Hear, hear.) He trusted, therefore, that this measure, which he heartily supported, would be accompanied by some such suggestion of that sort.—(Hear, hear.) He concluded by moving the following resolution:— " That, in accordance with the foregoing resolutions, the following petition be signed by the chairman on be half of the meeting; and that he be respectfully requested to take charge of its presentation to the House of Com ' mons, and that the metropolitan Members be also re quested to support the prayer thereof. " To the Honourable the Commons of the nid Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in tePar liament assembled, " Sheweth—That your petitioners have,. during many _arising not only years, had just cause for complaint, from the number, but the overcharged state of the me tropolitan and other burial places. Th at your petitioners have a firm conviction that th e numerous and incalculable evils inseparable from a state of things at once destructive to health, degrading to re ligion, and insulting to humanity, will never be remedied unless your Honourable House interposes its authority. .6. That your petitioners desire to express their un feigned satisfaction that this national grievance was the subject of inquiry by a Committee of your Honourable House in the year IS-12, who rep orted, that, "after a long and patient investigation, your Committ acacne of not arriv arrive at any other con e l us i on than that the nu i sance inter ments in large towns, and the injury arising to the health of the commr.uity from the d p ractice, are Cully proved." That, from evidence a dd uced bef ore the Committee, and many subsequent exposures of the terrible conse quences resulting and necessarily arising from the pre sent sy stein of interment, your petitioners venture to ex press their earnest desire, that the burial of the dead in the midst of the living may be instantly and for ever prohibited, by the closing of all burial-places in cities VA tons, and by the adoption of such immures its may N - secure the public !roar the ;njurc - is and debasinetracas ticos at pr.( sea t exist:nga And tour petition eYet j pray.' That, for the purpose of carrying out • ibieCf .t the petition, and of obtaining full and I: • ii , a'••- / port, a fund ba immediately raised by sub-. • 0 donations, which a ill be received by thei IN;fc/`-' cretary, Mr. Charles James Thicke, 17, • a74sy street; by any member of the committee - l ulters - X 0 6.. fillowiug backers : —Messrs. Courts and ; Messrs. Dlasterman, Peters, Mi?dred, and Co., 35 , cholas-lane; Messrs. Spooner, Attwood, and Co., Grace church•street ; and the Commercial Bank, Lothb'ury." Mr. GEO. Ross, surgeon, seconded the resolution- He stated that the shameful condition of the St. Vride's burial-ground, at the back of Farringdon-street, w hick had already been stigmatised by the general reprobat of the public press, evidenced she abs o lute necessity 01' comprehensive measure of legislation for the purpose of abolishing thess evils. The City Sewers' Act was totally incompetent to check the atroci,les perpetrated under till plea of burying the dead. By a clause in that Act it was rtgaired that at least five fect of soil should be between the surface of the ground mad the top of the coffin, and the gravedigger attached to that burial ground, in order to meet the requiromen is of the Act, had baen actually obliged to dig through su ccfssive strata of dead bodies, arid to toss up their Wens. ye remains, for the purpose of fresh interments, dui leer lying the evil the Act was intended to rernedy.—(l.lear,h,'ar, ) He (Mr. Ross) states that the inhabitants of the adjacent Houses were shocked by the gross indecencies they were compelled to witness, and petitioned the churchwciruena to close the ground. After alluding to the intelligen,ao and humane feelings of one of the churchwardens, wha desired to carry out the views of the petitioners, he said that the coil( cove wisdom of the vestry decided that the ground should be still further turned uu, to ascer tain what accommodation for burial might remain. and that they literally ordered the opening of the ground in those several places, turning out upwards of a; score of decaying bodies from one place, and in another ex posing what is termed the " bone-hole," the desecrated spot where the rotten carcases that are removed from ale graves to make room for fresh interments are deposited in one festering, putrefying heap.—(Hear, hear.) The authorities who went to visit the scene were so disgusted with the result of their own operations, that he believed they had resolved to close the ground; if they did not, he was resolved that they should hear more about the matter. Thirty years ago the inhabitants petitioned for the closure of the ground, and since that time there had been nearly 3,000 bodies deposited there. It ap peared, however, that the local powers were very in adequate to carry out the object, even if the authorities so desired, for any parishioner could demand, as a right. to bury a relative iu the parish burial-ground.—(Hear, hear.) It was, therefore, imperatively necessary that a general Act should be' passed to place these matters on a different footing. He (Mr. Ross), in advocating the institution of a central .superintending authority, by no means wished to curts ii the powers of local boards; on the contrary, he thougl kt that their powers ought to be increased; but that, for the security and well-being of the public, they should .`ie compelled to do their duty, which, considering the a •ectional interests often para• mount in these boards, coul 'd not always be depended on. Another'circumstance also , showed the urgent necessity that existed for the appointee tent of inspectors to certify to the cause of death, and the proper disposition of the dead, viz., the evidence given b -y Dr. Russell, Rector of Bishopsgate, and cited in Mr. Walker's most able and use ful lectures, to the effect, that out of 1,244 persons who died within three years in that pub •b, ony 795 was ascer tained to have been buried either in the'parish ground or in public cemeteries, a fact involving so h. Irribl e a suspicion , that it became the high moral charactOr of the British people to vindicate their humanity, and L 'o demand from the Legislature the establishment of s system that should place the sepulture of the dead under com petent and responsible control. The resolution was put and carried with act ilamati". Mr. GLADDEN directed the attention el the .nmeting to the circumstance of the corporation of London receiving the burial fees at Bunhill• fields burying groun, fa which he thought would be a difficulty in the way of tl lair co operating with the society. Mr. BRISCOE proposed a vote of thanks to Mr. Vt,li.lker who, he said, was the earliest and greatest champio.n of the holy cause which they had assembled that eve nin g to support. lie trusted that as Mr. Walker had cc 11- ferred on the people a national bene fi t he would also re m ceive a nation's gratitude.—(Cheers.) Dr. ALDIS briefly seconded the resolution, which was put and carried unanimously. Mr. W. SIMPSON moved a vote of thanks to the chair man, and said he was rejoiced to find him so attentive at all times and in all places to the welfare of the working classes and the poor, whose interests and feeling had been hitherto sadly neglected, which was also put and carried unanimously The Noble CHAIRMAN, in returning thanks, wisbed it to be distinctly understood that in mentioning that the clergy were likely to oppose this measure, he did taut mean to convey the impression that they ought to be, disheartened by that circumstance.—(Hear, hear.) A great general upon going into action always looked to the worst side of his prospects. and in the same spirit he had adverted to the opposition of the clergy as the greatest obstacle they would have to contend against. The obstacle, although the greatest they perhaps would have to contend with, was not very great, and if it were raised he had but little fears of being able to overcome it. —(Cheers.) The meeting then broke up, at about ,half.past eleven o'clock. DREADFUL OCCURRENCE AT SAINT JOHN'S WOOD. • During the last two or three days the neighbour hood of St. John's ood has been thrown into a must painful degree of excitement, in consequence of a report obtaining circulation, that four young wo men had been destroyed by inhaling the fumes of charcoal, at the residence of Miss Caroline Mann, the keeper of a boarding-school, No. 2, London road, and within a short distance of the Eyre Arms Tavern. It appears, upon inquiry, that the reports in question are not without foundation, and that three young women, in the service of the above - menti oned lady, have fallen victims to the inhalation of char coal, whi'st. the .fourth remains in a very hopeless condition. The names of the deceased parties are Elizabeth Tidd, aged twenty-vne, Fanny Carter, aged seven teen, Elizabeth Griffiths, aged sixteen. It appears that these young women, and another, had removed with Miss Mann's establishment, to the house No. 2 London-road, a few days Ago; and that one of them being taken ill, went home to her friends, and re turned to Miss Mann's e c,tablishment on Tuesday. She appeared to be very ill, sand went to lay down in a lodge attached to the house, in front, on the bed usually occupied by the page. She seemed worse to wards evening, and Miss Mann told one of the servants that she thought some of then, had better remain with their sick companion during the night. Miss Mann at the same time expressed iher fears that the place might be damp ; and there beik 11; no chimney or fire-place in the apartment, she recoconended that a patent stove, which consumed the prevored charcoal, and which was usually employed in N y arming the hall of the mansion, should be removed t‘.. the place in question, in order to air it. This was L lone, and it is supposed that the whole of the four par,'Lls above mentioned agreed to sleep in the place togL,Cher on Tuesday night. On Wednesday morning, neither of the ser‘vants making their appearance, as usual, some alarm was created, and on Mrs. Wilson, the housekeeper, opt fl ing the door of the apartment, the most appalliug spectacle presented itself. Three of the young womei lay in one bed, whilst the fourth lay in a small bed which had been made up in another corner of the apartment. The survivor lay between Tidd and Carter ; and whilst they, as well as the poor girl Griffiths, appeared quite lifeless, she was still alive, but appeared in the last agonies of death. Neither of the deceased females had their nightcaps on, their hair was dishevelled, their arms extended, and they had the appearance as if they had struggled violently. On making this dis covery, Mrs. Wilson alarmed the inmates ; and Mr. Crellin, surgeon, of the Wellington-road, was in stantly sent for. lie at once pronounced, w:ith re• gard to Tidd, Carter, and Griffiths, life to be extinct, and nearly so with regard to the fourth sufferer. He however, instantly resorted to bleeding and other remedies, and had her removed to another apartment, where symptoms of returning animation, after some hours, began to manifest themselves. WORCESTER A SEA-PORT.-011 Monday last the Two Brothers, bound for this city, from Dunkirk, ar rived at Gloucester, where the Custom -house nut ho rities would not allow her to proceed till she vrtts discharged. The consignees accordingly determined oet discharen . ; her, and having paid the duty, she will be reloaded ; the object in this instance being to show the possibility of sea-borne vethcse ssels comingfree up to Worethe ter. es- We believe that, in days of trade, Commissioners of Customs might be induced to relax t his rule in favour l o ,e f rr s i o at im vi p o o r r e t e a s n t t er a ; trading an teres ts of the city on the fact th a t a ll coasting mercantiledaui we have to congratulate the a llowed to pass unimpeded by the s s t t t i a r n i t g e a t t i r l a a e s ffi ve t c h i lo n a i t o s t em b ra ced by the Se . fre',ghting a vess e l principal ports the river. Already port of Gl ouces ter up .s‘, arrangements th are being made fo r at ,for Britain; this andcit y , therefro m is ono , c i , c f , the • • with G gu re a reason why t he T 1 ; ;'' ..,ro.tw.c. salt may not henceforth be shipped at Worcester for the coast of Ireland and else where.—Worcestershire Chronicle. DEATII OF THE HON. ANNE RUSIIOUT.—This estimable lady died at her house, Wansted G rove, Essex, on Wednesday, the 4th April, after a long and painful illness, which she bore with the greatest fortitude and resignation. She was the daughter of the late Lord Northwick and sister to the present peer. iler loss wii be long deplored by her relatioss and friends, and by' her death many distinguished families will be pl a ced in leo lining. LORD PANMURS.—Much anxiety has boon ft' during the past week regarding the state of the health of this nobleman. Ilis Lordship has had an attack of very serious illness ; and, though the fever has consi derably abated, there is little prospect of his restoration to his usual state of health for a considerable time. Edinburgh II itness. EXTRAORDINARY INCREASE. —Mr. George Smitli of At) Kettleby, near Melton, has now 36 lambs from 11 ewes, out of a flock of only 50 ; 3 ewes having yenned 4 lambs each, and 8 ewes 3 each; and they are all alive and doing well. The whole 50 ewes are rearing 109 lambs. THE SUN, LONDON, FRI 11A Y EVENING, APRIL 6, 1849.