The Press.
London, England, 1855-12-22 00:00:00

Ittropolitan.

THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL'S RETURNS show a mor
tality for the last week of 1,271 ; while the births of
781 boys and 791 girls, in all 1,572 children, were
registered in London.
Tait WHITECHAPEL GUARDIANS have pushed their
system of harshness and neglect to such a length
that the Poor law Commissioners have commenced
a rigorous inquiry into the circumstances of the
various cases lately appearing before the public.
THE BOARD OF TRADE have awarded a gratuity of
501. to the widow of Thomas Cable, jun., an extra
boatman in the service of the coast-guard at Ald-
borough, for the conspicuous gallantry displayed by
her husband on various occasions, and especially on
the occasion of the wreck of the Swedish brig Vesta,
near Orfordness, when, after great exertions, he
saved the life of a Swedish lad, but lost his own life
in so doing.

A DEPUTATION OF LICENSED VICTUALLERS had an
interview with Lord Pantnure on Wednesday, on the
question of billeting the militia permanently upon
the trade. The deputation having explained the
notorious grievance they suffer under, Lord Pan-
mure replied that, as soon as Parliament assembled,
it was the intention of Government to ask for means
to provide barrack accommodation for the militia ;
and promised that until that point was accomplished
steps would be taken to ensure a wore general dis-
tribution of the men in fature.

SATURDAY,

THE MINT is now busily engaged in preparing
800,000 Crimean medals, for presentation to the
French, Sardinian, and Turkish soldiers engaged
with us in tho war, above the MAN) prepared for
our own troops. The decoration will be nearly the
size of a crown piece, and of virgin silver. On the
reverse of the medal is executed the representation
of an ancient Roman soldier in classic costume and
equipments, and whose brow Fame is depicted as
encircling with the victor's wreath, while " Crimea"
is inscribed at the side. On the obverse side thin
is a large medallion bead of Queen Victoria, the et-
namental work of whose crown is delineated with
great artistic finish.

THE COMMITTEE OF THE STOCK EXCHANGE, with
reference to the new Russian loan of 13,tXX;,000t.,
have refused, either now or at the restoration of
peace, to recognise any transactions in, or allow any
quotation of, * loan raised by a power at war with
Great Britain.

THE WESTMINSTER PLAY was performed for the
last time on Monday before a crowded audience, in.
eluding M. Muslims and his wife, the Earl of Devon,
Dean Milman, Dr. Colquhoun, and others.
A DEPUTATION OF MEDICAL MEN, including Sir C.
Hastings, M.D., Dr. Brady, Dr. Lankester, (Sze., and
accompanied by Mr. Hewllam, M.P., waited upon
Sir George Grey on Thursday, for the purpose of
ascertaining the intentions of the Government with
respect to the introduction next session of a Medical
Reform Bill. Sir C. Hastings explained to Sir
George Grey the claims of the Medical and Surgical
Association against the Universities, which insist
upon a right to regulate admissions into the medical
service, and urged upon the Home Secretary the
necessity of the Government taking the matter up,
and of restricting the power of licensing medical
practitioners to the medical prcfession itself. Sir
George Grey, in reply, regretted that the business of
the session would be so heavy as to preclude the
possibility of the Government taking the matter up;
and suggested that the deputation should leave the
case in the hands of Mr. Headlam, who should a 4
permission to reintroduce his bill. Mr. Headlam
thought that he should rather retard medical reform
by reintroducing his bill; as he should at once be
met by the objection that the matter was one which
the Government alone should take up. It was finally
suggested 'dist the bill shou:d first be introduced to
the Lords, and the deputation withdrew.

Ma. H. BRADBURY delivered a lecture on Nature
Printing at the London Institution on Wednesday.
Mr. Bradbury entered at great length into the sub-
ject, disputing the right of the Austrians to claim
the priority of invention, as the art was known and
practised early in the seventeenth century. The
lecturer then pointed out the distinguishing features
of the process ; which consist, firstly, in impressing
natural objects, such as plants, mosses, tea•weeds,
and feathers, into plates of metal, so that they en-
grave themselves by pressure; secondly, in taking
such casts or copies of the impressed plates as can
be printed from with the ordinary copper-plate press'.
The advantages of which were rapid and economic
production, the means of unlimited multiplication,
and unsurpassed resemblance to the original. Mr.
Bradbury then proceeded to explain the various
methods introduced since 1833, and concluded his
lecture amidst hearty applause.
LORD MAYOR SAMMONS, with respect to the move-
ment for a Christmas holiday on the 24th December,
has published a letter, pointing out that that day
has hitherto been one of the heaviest bu-iness days
in the year:—" This year it falls on Monday, a
double-post day, and a day when some of our prir •
cipal London markets are held. To provide before •
hand for three consecutive days' consumption by the
inhabitants of all classes of the great metropolis of
whatever they require, appears to me not very easy;
if, therefore, your proposed holiday were general,
it would inconvenience more than it would relieve;
and, should it not be general, those who did not
keep the holiday would gain a profit at the expense
of those who did." The Lord Mayor thinks it would
be better to make the 20th, the day after Christmas-
day, a general holiday.

AT A COURT OF ALDERMEN held on Tuesday, Mr.
Lawrence, son of the late Alderman Lawrence, was
sworn in as Alderman for the Bread-street Ward.
The necessary oaths having been administered, Alder-
man Lawrence took his seat on the bench, and the
court shortly after adjourned.
THE METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS held their
first preliminary meeting on Wednesday at Burling-
ton-house. The first act was to agree to the salary of
the future chairman, which was ultimately flied at
1,5001. a year, the minimum settled by Parliament,
with power to raise it to 2,0001., according to the act.
The question of the election of a chairman was then
brought forward. A proposition that the election
should be by ballot was superseded by a resolution
that it be by open toting, and that the choice of the
board should be narrowed to two candidates, Tbo
ObAlnUita Wilk.kt) elected this dab

No

'I

~~

DECEMBER 22, 1855.

AT AN INQUIRY, held before Mr. Wakeley, on Fri-
day, to investigate the circumstances attending the
death of a person wile had suffered from a peculiar
affection of the lungs, in some points similar to the
alleged disease of which the Emperor Nicholas died,
the coroner, in remarking upon the case, observed :
In the case of the Emperor Nicholas, his death was put
down to paralysis of the lungs and bronchitis, which, ac•
cording to the symptoms described, was known by us medi•
cal men to have been impossible, and to have been stated
only to deceive the public mind. The official document
describing the Emperor's death stated that, at the last he
took leave of his family with a firm voice, a proceeding
physically impossible if he was suffering from the disease
stated in the certificate of death. The belief, therefore, on
the minds of the medical men in this country was, that the
Emperor was poisoned ; and that is my own opinion—not,
at the same time, that he was poisoned by those about
him, but that he committed suicide.

AT A MEETING OF THE STATISTICAL SOCIETY OD
Monday Mr. Guy, surgeon to King's College Hos-
pital, read a paper on " The Benefits Conferred by
Hospitals to the Working Classes." From a want of
system, it appears, accurate statistical returns of the
number of persons relieved by the London hospitals
during the year are not generally obtainable ; but the
records of the King's College Hospital having been
faithfully kept, Mr. Guy proceeded to prove that the
larger proportion of patients attending were not from
the poor and destitute, but from working men and
women in receipt of good wages. Upon this fact
Mr. Guy, regarding hospitals as institutions only for
the relief of the poor and destitute, proceeded to
argue in favour of making some slight charge for
medicines supplied to out-patients in work, and
stated his intention of making the trial at King's
College Hospital, which trial, he was assured, would
not be regarded unfavorably by the persons
rAieved.
THE EAST INDIA COMPANY held their usual Quarterly
Court of Proprietors on Wednesday at the India-
house, Mr. Macnaughten in the chair. In the course
of the proceedings Mr. Lewin moved :
That, in the opinion of this court, the present system
of Indian government is unsuitable for its purposes ; that
it assures neither efficiency, responsibility, nor redress ;
that under it the grossest abuses are permitted to exist
unchecked throughout our Indian territories; that the
sole medium of placing our Indian administration on an
intelligible basis is a perfect transfer to the Crown, by
which the jumble of two authorities (being, as respects
each other's powers, unknown quantities) will be abated,
and the needless expense of the Leadenhall•street este:)•
lishment saved to the territorial revenues of India.
Mr. Lewin described the present position of the
directors as one without power or influence • they
served only "24 a cloak to the irresponsible des-
potism of the Board of Control." They redressed
no grievances, but committed aggressions, and ob-
tained by this system of double government a
secrecy which escaped responsibility. After a brief
discussion the motion was negatived.
AuitimisravrivE TtEFORM was the subject of a lec-
ture given by a Mr. Moore, under the patronage of
the Rdformers at Crosby-hall, on Monday night. Mr.
Moore commenced by reviewing the conduct and
cost of the present war, and quoted the Civil Service
commissions to prove that men are not appointed
to their places from ability but from interest. Mr.
Moore then expatiated largely upon the evils of such
a system, and proposed an open competitive exami-
nation as the best remedy for the Administrative Re
formers to support. In the course o 1 his remarks
Mr. Moore read a long list of names of grocers,
carriers, cutlers, bakers, and others, inhabitants of
" Happy Wells," who, in return for their electioneer
ing support, had lately received appointments from
Mr. Hayter.
FATHER GAVAZZI delivered a lecture on the Aus-
trian Concordat at SL Martin's-hall on Monday.
He said that the Emperor of Austria, by this Con-
cordat, had voluntarily renounced all the religious
freedom gained for the Austrian empire by her an-
cestors, in the hope of renewing the moral supre-
macy of Austria in Germany. Referring to the
various provisions of the Concordat, the lecturer
pointed out their ultimate debasing effect upon the
growth of Europe, and ended with a passionate
exhortation, strongly condemning the policy of Lord
John Russell and Lord Palmerston in Italy, and
entreating his audience to narrowly watch every
attempt of the Romish Church to spread its influ-
ence in this country.
THE NORTH-WEST LONDON REFORMATORY was
opened on Wednesday by a public meeting, at which
Sir Benjamin Hall, M.P., the Hon. W. F. Cowper,
Mr. Sergeant Adams, and many gentlemen interested
in the cause of juvenile reform, were present. The
meeting was addressed by several gentlemen. Mr.
Sergeant Adams observed that he believed society
was now taking a correct view of the question of
suppressing crime and reforming criminals. The
system of tickets of leave he regarded as monstrous
and absurd. Statements of the progress of the
i istitute were read showing that the institution, from
commencing in 1852 with six inmates, contained at
present thirty-five. Since 1852 fifty-five hod left the

THE PRESS.

institution, of whom one only was dismissed, while
forty two were living by honest means ; and of the rest
there was no actual account.

FOUR CHILDREN are believed to have died of star-
vation last week in Bethnal-green. The mother,
who was wretchedly poor, saw her children die one
after the other, in the space of ten days, without
apparently making much effort to save them. The
first died on the Bth and the last on the 17th, and
as they died she kept the bodies in a corner of the
room. The case is under the consideration of the
authorities.

Vtabintial.

THE TENANTRY OF MR. GEORGE LANE Fox lately
offered that gentleman an increase of ten per cent..
upon their rents, in consideration of the reduction of
ten per cent. they received from Mr. Fox during the
last period of agricultural depression. Mr. Fox, in
reply, expressing his belief in peace, refused the
offer in the expectation of more moderate: prices,
and exhorted his tenants to improve their farms, and
thanking them for their consideration. The tenantry,
not satisfied with this refusal, requested Mr. Fox to
sit for his portrait, to be presented to Mrs. Fox as a
mark of gratitude and esteem. Mr. and Mrs. Fox
acceded to this request, and the portrait is to be
painted by one of our first artists.
THE STRIKE AT MANCHESTER still continues. On
Tuesday the operatives held their seventh weekly
meeting to conLider the refusal of the masters to
couple Ashton with Oldham in giving an average for
working wages. The secretary addressed the meet.
ing at some length, remarking that the men were
disposed to arbitrate, but their employers feared
arbitration, wishing rather to pitt the minders and
piecers one against the other. Exhortations to
sobriety and good conduct were given by several
members, and the meeting dissolved till after
Christmas.
MR. EDWARD OLIVIER'S ESTATE, Which it was lately
announced would only pay 2s. 6d. in the pound, will,
it is now stated, pay a much higher average to the
creditors.
HOLYROOD PARK is about to undergo considerable
improvements: a new approach leading from Abbey
Hill, extended gardens, and the formation of a small
loch, near the Duke's Walk, below St. Anthony's
Chapel, are to be procee led with at once. Other
improvements are in comemplation, to the extreme
sansfactiln of the peoi le of Edinburgh, who hope
that Holyrood may, und3r these circumstances, in
the annual visit to the Highlands, le considered
worthy of a more extended stay than at present by
the Court.
A SOCIETY IN THE POTTERIES has been formed
for the purpose of obtaining from the English
Government a remission of the duties on French
wines, in order to induce the French authorities to
modify the restrictions on English earthenware. It
is called the Anglo-French Free Trade Association.
A Taemesnous ExeLosiow OF GUNPOWDER, by which
three houses were blown up and four persons killed,
besides several severely injured, occurred last Friday
at Sedgeley, Wolverhampton. The facts of the case
are simple. A butty collier, David Millard, in the
habit of keeping a quantity of powder in the cellar
of his house, sent a boy home from the colliery to
procure some. The son of Millard, a boy of nine
years old, coming home, met the boy with the powder,
and returning home at once is supposed to have
gone down with a light into the powder-cellar, for
some purpose or other, for he had not been in his
own home a few minutes before the explosion took
place, killing his mother, brother, and sister, as well
as himself, destroying the houses on each side, and
severely injuring the occupants. The case is now
undergoing investigation, and has excited a great
sensation in the neighbourhood.