The Express.
London, England, 1853-11-11 00:00:00

THE CHOLERA.

(Prom the General /Ward of Ikelth. Nov. 10.)
METROPOLIS.

The returns from the divisions I),K, M, I', and S of
the metropol.tan police for the 9th inst., g:s e 1K 1
cases of clailera, and 10 deaths. In one house in
Devoeshire-place, Maryiebone, three cases occurred,
of which two h Ivo proved fatal, and the remaining
one is dangerously ill. With reference to a death ,
that took place at Ro. 9, Albion.plece, Bermondsey,
on the 7th inst., the police state that the yard of this
house is small and close, and that the inhabitants
complain of offensive smells from a long open ditch
running on the southeast side of this place. In front
br No. ;:etai'ord.road, wince a death
occurred, there is a drain, the smell from which is
very offensive, and at the aack of the house there arc
three very dirty privies, occasioning much annoyance
to the inhabitants.
On the 9th inst. Dr. Milroy had an interview with
the guardians of St. George's, Hanover-square, and
lit James's, Westminster. In the former parish the
services of an inspector of nuisances lure been em-
playedeversince 191 J, and,upon his complaint, various
outward sanitary evils around the dwellings of the
poor have been more oriess effectually remos ed. One
of the most fruitful sources of disease, especially during
an epidemic season like the present, is that arising
from the overcrowding of rooms, very generally
ill-ventilates'. It requires, of course, to have
the certified opinion of a medical man before the
parochial authorities could properly exercise the
powers which they now possess over this important
matter. The guardians of St. Janyw's have already
put in force with advantage the requirements of the
4th Supplemental Direction of the General Board of
Health, which has reference to the point in question,
an order having been granted by the sitting magis-
tilt') to carry them into effect. The order in Tice-
tion is as follows :—" That where any medical officer
engaged in carrying our regulations into execution
shall certify in writing that any dwelling.house or
room is so overcrowded as to threaten danger to the
health of the inmates i t the occuresce of cholera or any
epidemic disease, and shall specify in such certificate
tho number of inmatt a which shall not be exceeded
in such house or room, the owner or occupier having
the control of such house or room shall forthwith
reduce the number of inmates as specified in such
certificate, notwiths anding any measures may have
been taken to ventilate, purify, or cleanse the house
or room." Great complaints were made at the meet-
ing of the guardians of St. George's respecting the
present state of the great Itanelagh sewer. The
board has recently memorialised the Home office
upon the subject.
During the last week, independently of five fatal
cases of sholera in St. James's, there was a consider-
able increase both in the frequency and severity. of
bowel complaints in some districts of the parish.
The parochial authorities have therefore most judi-
ciously appointed extra medical assistants to afford
relief in all eases of threatened sickness.
MERTON AND MITCHAM.

There have been four attacks of cholera in this
district, and three deaths. The fatal cases have run
their course with extraordinary rapidity. In two
instances death occurred within ten hours from the
attack, the patients having been previously in a state
of apparent health. In the third instance, the man
had been slightly ailing for some time, but ho was in
his usual health the evening before the attack, and
slept quietly during the night. About 8 o'clock he
had symptoms of diarrhoea; he went to work, but
he remained only a very short time, and returning
home, be took some brandy. He again ventured to
go out, but was constrained to come back, and forth-
with the alarming symptoms set in, and proved fatal
at 11 p.m. He has left a widow and three children.
Dr. Milroy, who had been requested to examine
into the circumstances connected with these fatal
cases, states that the house is a decent and cleanly
foar-roamed one, in the main road, but that in the
rear there is more than one source of insalubrity,
which, taken in connection with the ailing health of
the deceased, may fairly be regarded as the predis-
posing and favouring cum of the attacks. At the
end of the short garden behind is an open sewage
ditch, which receives the contents of the closets of
this and of the adjoining houses, as well as other
sorts of refuse. The smelt from this ditch is at times
very offensive, and it appears that just before the
occurrence of this case of cholera the stench

was so great as to inconvenience the out-
side travellers of the coach along the high-
way. There is, however, a worse nuisance neater the
house, viz. the state of the closet and the cesspool,
with the drains attached. The late heavy rains hav-
ing tilled the ditch, there had been • reflux of the
water into these receptacles, stirring up their con-
tents, and causing them partially to overflow, and
saturate the earth around with putrescency. This
had occasioned a most foal smell, not only in the
closet itself, but also in the adjoining washhouse,
from a sink ; the offensive effluvia the deceased had
vainly attempted to correct with chloride of lime.
The drainage of Mitcham and Merton is entirely
by open ditches—a state of things which is evidently
productive of unwholesomeness in a variety of ways.
Until within the last 12 months there does not
appear to have been an underground sewer in
any part of the district. During that period a large
bnck sewer has been contracted for, about a mile and
a quarter along the highway, to supersede the open
ditch which separates the parish of Merton from
that of Wimbledon. This work has been executed
by a private company, called the Church of England
Freehold Land Society, under the supervision of the
Commissioners of Sewer,. • As yet very few of the
houses have drained into the sewer, and there does
not appear to be any power to compel landlords to
connect their house property by suitable pipe drains
with the sewers.

Hitherto there has been no connected structural
water supply in any part of the district; it is only
now that this indispensable requisite is about to be
obtained by the extension of the mains of the Lam-
beth Water Company.
As usual, the domestic conveniences in the lower
class of houses are nuisances both to the inmates and
to their neighbours. For example, three houses
fronting the public road have but one common privy,
the contents of which, after heavy rains, overflow
into another house in the rear. Great complaints
are made by many of the poorer tenants of the ex-
ceeding offensiveness of their cesspools, and of their
inability to rid themselves of the abominable nui-
sance in close proximity to their dwellings. In con-
sequence of the quantity of rain of late, the land in
most parts is very wet, obstructing vegetation, and
at the same time rendering the walls of the cottages
damp and unwholesome. A few deep trenches
would greatly remedy this evil, but nothing
is done, and everywhere one sees the vege-
tables rotting on the ground, and the land lying
unprofitable from the mere want of a few hours' active
work with the spade. Great good would be effected
by the resident gentry taking an interest in these
matters, and granting small allotments of ground at
small rents, on the condition of its improvement, as
tested by its increased productiveness.
Swisu (Csmnutig,t.siiiiir).—Nov. 9. Deaths—
Cholera, 2; diarrhces, 1.
DUNDEL—Nov. 8. Deaths—Cholera, 5.
Cu PAR ANGUS, N.B.—Nov. i to 9. Death
Cholera, I.

AMERICAN PoLrrENESM. The coarse language
which, in some reports of the Belau affair at Smyrna was
put into the mouth of the American Captain Ingraham, has
called forth a letter from that officer, in which he ezpresees
his surprise and regret that such " ungentlemanly lan-
guyge' should have been attributed to him. He says that
the whole intercourse of Captain Schwarta, of the Hussar,
and himself was of the most courteous and gentlemanly
character, and no unpleasant word passed between them.
Subsequent to the affair, on the 4th of July, the Aus-
trian idEcer saluted the Rag of Captain lagraham, who
returned hie salute, and went on board the Hussar and
returned thanks far the courtesy. Captais Schwartz re-
turned the visit, and there was no unkind word or feeling
exhibited during their entire intercourse. Each thought
he had done his duty, and gave the other credit for acting
on patriotic motives. The only remarks about the denial
of Koesta being on board was at the house of the Consul-
General of Austria. After his refusal to say anything upon
the subject, Captain Ingraham asked him directly if Moots
was not on board, when he admitted that he was. Captain
icgraham then remarked, " it is very strange, Mr. Consul,
that the officer on b :ard should have denied his being
there." in short, it appears that Captain Ingrabam's con•
duct throughout the whole affair was as courteous as it was
heroic.
Ina Oat.r.txs F.tatits.—The ex-Queen of the
French and the princes of the family of Orleans arrived at
Oenoa on the 4th, and alighted at the Hotel Feder. The
Spanish steam frigate Francisco d'Assisi arrived in poet on
the following day to take them over to Slain. The JOldelbla
de Frasrfore states that the Oust ds Paris has bout for
moo time iadispeoul at likoasob.

3intelitgence.
COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH.—YEsTELDAT.

tID k, WIUWIIII4II. •AY 11:111.14

STOESSIGIII C. THZ SOCTIt EASTZRN ILtILWAT COXPANY.

/LAILWAT LIABILITY.

In this ease, which bad been tried before Mr. Justice
Crompton, is the Bail Court. the verdict had been entered
for the plaintiff for 91. 12s. The action was brought against
the defendants to mover the value of a small parcel which
they bad undertaken to convey to Liverpool, but from'
which the contents had been 'Detracted before its arrival at
that place. The parcel, betides property to the above
amount, contained a Bill et Eschange for 111. 10s., to
which no drawer's name was attached. The company de-
fended the action on the pound that the valacet the parcel
was elrove 101., and no declaration hieing balm suds of its
value, the; mere roles:.' ci from liability by the Carriers
Art, 1 Witham IV., c. 68.
Mr. Willes moved for a rule to enter the verdict for the
defendant on the ground th►t the instrument or bill of ex-
change in the parcel came within the operation of the Car-
riers Act.
The court panted a rule nisi.

COURT OF EXCHEQUER.-YESTERDAT.