The Sun.
London, England, 1855-09-19 00:00:00

HEALTH OF LONDON DURING THE WEEK.

At the late investment of Knights of the Bath
which took place in the Crimea, a discourse was
pronounced on the history and nature of the
Order. The substance of the address we have not
learnt, but feel sure that it made no allusion to a
subject which may have been in the thoughts of
more than one who received the honours of a
grateful country in that impressive ceremony. We
publish a list of fees payable on the nomination of
a Knight Grand Cross, the emoluments of the offi-
cials on the appointment to the two lower ranks
being of course proportional. It appears that an
officer on being admitted by the Sovereign to the
highest class of our military Order of the Bath is
mulcted in the sum of 1641. 13s. 4d. This amount
is divided with great appearance of impartiality be-
tween seven officials. The Dean of the Order finds
his benediction rated at 221. 6s. 81, which we should
probably be inclined to deem sufficient, but for the
fact that the GontlemanUsher receives precisely the
same sum, while the Messenger is recompensed
with 181. 13s. 4d., or hot 41. less. Bath King of
Arms and the Secretary are, however, the indivi-
duals who receive the most substantial proofs of
the value which our distinguished warrior are ex-
pected to place on their hard-earned honours. We
have first Bath King of Arms, 221., and then Bath
King of Arms " for book of the statutes,"
61.135. 4d. The Secretary also is recompensed with
this double sum, tho latter being for notice of
election." The larger amount seems in each case
due to the recipient absolutely from the mere fact
of his existence ; at least, that is the conclusion
to be derived from seeing that for what ha does he
makes an extra charge.
We feel that this is one of the abuses of a former
age, and survives only through the unwillingness
of those who attain distinction to object ungrace-
fully to customary payments, or to expose the
organisation of the Order to which they have just
been admitted. It is for the Government, or, ini
its default, the public at large, to interfere and
put an end to exactions which dim the brightness
of the honour conferred, if they do not even lesson
the eagerness to obtain it. Within a few days the
nomination of several new recipients of this distinc-
tion will probably take place. How they have
earned the dignity the nation is well aware. The
toils and dangers of a twelvemonth, the courage
and devotion which won eventual success, the
anxiety of friends, the actual loss of limb or health,
will, in more than one case, be rewarded by this
mark of the Royal favour and esteem. The only
Order which in this country is the recompense of
merit awaits the worn and weary officers whom
battle, disease, and hardship have spared to return
to their country, or perhaps only to commence uew
exertions on fresh and equally fatal fields. Are
such men to be called upon to fee genealogists and
gentlemen ushers ? Their deeds may well stand
them in stead of a pedigree; the fame they have
achieved is a sufficient introduction to their Sove-
reign. Whatever may be the worldly resources of
these brave men, it is equally unworthy of the na-
tion and the statutes of the Order to exact such
payments. We wish to make no reflection on the
officials who receive these customary gratifications.
Although all the fees are excessive, and some ludi-
crous, these persons have, no deubt, accepted their
offices in the belief that the emoluments would be
permanent, and may possibly have given considera-
tion for the appointment, either directly or by
abandoning other pests. Whether the pay-
ments should bo discontinued with or with-
out compensation, or whether they should
continue at the national expense, are mat-
ters which a proper inquiry would easily
justice,s
(01er csi
udceh sumshbount
honour,
one thing
from
andt hed
eiaoslinfficc nalceueeay:l
necessaryee clear—that
onehbrtxobuihmteti
taehdo,
itnntidsaasthhehtl
efldeoeodfuuefec
uendxrlldtidl
Ipno
esfrgnaretsr,etti
olhtcoitlneefahes-e
duties be necessary, it is for the public to see that
they are properly rewarded ; if useless, or actually
of
let
otherthe s i
nmeactutreers
.b eldheea dealt
much
largeraf t after
nottf
ehees Prearifd° precedentrbmyetdh o'e
noble and wealthy Knights of the
Garter are, we believe, always dispensed with by
Royal command when a foreign Sovereign is ad-
mitted. It would seem that where a Power can
drnmiesepnnetatnorsfye•tsihatnecetavinoanrialobuseso claims, we trust that in the
casesehmayor
neces-
sary
o2otoufoafr tnsfphdoorerefesCniwegorrhuitymi heroeseepebhotaehtnseehwnatilatlht
ehbs
withheld
dignity th e
of
tCrownh e country
uw
ni will
y usei n thatthe
rigThitleof
qspueecstiajolninotferfaermenorc
ai rbblfreoa
vlboeyrwyeyr
nag:
any
aadtftratohimne
in
rank, is one which has received some attention,
andand on which
c opinions are divided. The Legion
of Honour, recalling memories of a heroic
excites the emulation of every rank name
koef
the French army. Its cross is worn with a just
pride by the General in his council of war and
by the corporal who is toiling in the trenches. It
is conferred by the Commander-in-Chief almost on
the field of battle, and it is not an exaggeration
to say that a feeling of fellowship unites
all those who have gained it in war. Though
perhaps widely and unworthily conferred in
a past reign among the supporters of a Minister
and a ,system, its popularity with the army has
never waned, since with the soldier it has always
been the reward of real services. A medal is too
general and two dependent on accident to give
equal gratification to the wearer and those whose
happiness it is to be proud of him. A fourth class
of the Bath, or'a new Order which should date from
the era of a great achievement and the reign of a
respected Sovereign, might well give public testi-
mony to the courage which now is only known to
comrades. An objection to such a scheme must be
based on some supposed inherentdifference between
the soldiers of the two allied nations, who, as far
as can be judged, are animated by equal courage,
devotion, and sense of honour, or it must proceed
merely from a dislike of rendering distinctions too
widely mattered, though, if bestowed with care

(From the Report of the Registar-General.)
The mortality of London, as shown by the returns for
last week, differs little from the average for the second
week of September, or from the mortality that has pre-
vailed in the previous three weeks. The number of
persons who died in the week that ended on Saturday
is 1,033, of whom 523 are males, and 510 females.
About a half of the entire number died under 20 years
of age ; 40 had lived SO years, or had attained a greater
age ; and one person, a female, is reported to have
reached the age of 101.
Diarrhoea or summer cholera continues to show a de-
crease, a circumstance which is probably due to the
coldness of the season. The fatal cases of diarrhoea have
been in the last five weeks 154, 127, 134, 107, and 96.
Only 4 deaths are returned as caused by cholera, two of
which are those of infants ; of the other cases one oc-
curred to a sailor on board ship in the New Crane Dock,
and one described as " Asiati?, cholera " to a plipnber
Market-street, London-road, who died after 24 hours'
illness. The season which is most favourable to an
eetbieak of cholera has nearly passed, and it seems not
premature to hope that London wilt tor this year escape
a scourge with which other parts of Europe are afflicted.
Besides 33 deaths from scarlatina, 60 occurred last
week from typhus and other fever ; and in Bailey's-
court, Liberty of the Rolls, a house is reported where
three cases of typhus occurred lately, one of which
proved fatal. The house is defective in drainage, and
in other respects is said to be in bad sanitary condition.
Last week the births of 816 boys and 734 girls, in all

1,550 children, were registered in London. In the ten
corresponding weeks of the years 1845-54 the average
number was 1,379.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 29.943 in. The
mean temperature of the week was 56 deg., nearly the
same as in the preceding week, and 1 deg. below the
average of the same week in 38 years. The mean tem-
perature of Saturday was only 52'5 deg., which is 4 deg.
below the average of the same day. The highest tem-
perature occurred on Wednesday, and was 72 deg. ; the
lowest on Monday, and was 42.5 deg. The mean dew-
point temperature was 51.6 deg., and the difference be-
tween this and the mean temperature of the air was 4.4
deg. The temperature of the water of the Thames was
60.1 deg. The wind was generally in the north-east.
Rain to the amount of 0.46 in. fell on Thursday and
Friday.

MORTALITY IN THE METROPOLIS,
NUMBER OF DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES REGISTERED
IN THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, SEPT. 15.
Z—ymotio Diseases
Diseases of Uncertain Seat
Tubercular Diseases
Diseases of the Brain, Nerves and Senses
Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels 43
Diseases of the Lungs and other Organs of
Respiration
Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs
ria

of Digestion
Diseases of the Kidneys, &c.
Childbirth, Diseases of the Uterus, &c.
Diseases of the Joints, Bones, and Mules
Diseases of the Skin, &c.
Malformations
Premature Birth and Debility
Atrophy
Old Age
Suddel
Violence, Privation, Cold, and Intemperance
•
Causes not specified

DWLTHS FROM ALL CAUSES

Population Deaths in corre-
,
' Enumerated. spouding week
I i 11,01.. of 1554.
West Districts
NorthlDistricts 490,395
Central Districts 393,256
East Districts 485,522

South Districts

Totals
Males
Females

2,83 G

1,033
Deaths
in the
Week.
155
219
175
226 `.
253

1,033
523
510

...1,550