The Sun.
London, England, 1855-08-23 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, AUGUST 23 1855

but, if it could not he adopted, then an independent de-
partment, with autboriiy in all r»atteze affer ting the
conflicting
ip3ehxytsibcaesitc.oLlth,i,tioounldofprtelfr:rttr,h)eopfis would perhaps
rot,toavoidco he
nfl
jurisdictions.
"Another element of evil should not he overlooked :
our great mortality from epidemics arises among the
young unacclitnatised troops. The men have to change
rapidly their country, climate, habits, and food, as well
as their occupations, and a large per tentage must in.
evitably perish.
"War at best is, in one word, 'misery.' We cannot
gild it ; it is an abrogation of civilisation for a time, and
those engaged in it have to return to primitive habits,
and to unlearn the lesson of ages—l mean physically.
hence to have an army furnishing the smallest per cent-
age of deaths, we must begin military training early. If
England will go to war, she must cons( nt, to study and
prepare for it, or to be ready for it. Had we recozeised
this necessity more we should not have had to pour out
so many unavailing reereti and urije-t recriminations.
"Thank you, very much, for your inquiries, snout my.
self. Commissioners are peculiarly unfortunate ; of the
two seat by France, one is a prisoner and the other is
dead of cholera. The Tinter hospital commissioner is
dead of dysentery. The Commissariat Commissioner,
Sir John McNeil and Colonel Tahoe'', were both ill be-
fore they loft. Of our cornmiesion, poor Gavin, as you
are aware, was shut accidentally by his own brother,
who is since dead of cholera. Mr. Rawlinson has re-
turned home disabled by a slight wound inflicted by a
40 lb. cannon shot. lam the only commissioner, I be-
lieve, in the Crimea. I have had fever, diarrhoea, and
threatenings of dysentery ; but still Providence ha., pro-
tected me, and I manage to get on very well. I may,
however, be obliged to return at any time. I find the
active horse exercise I undergo very good for me, and I
have no doubt it saves me from illness.

" I bad almost forgotten about the peat charcoal you
refer to.

"We use three deodorising substances—charcoal,
lime, and sand or gravel ; we have tried them all. Peat
charcoal acts extremely well, and in small quantity. It
is, therefore, the beat for certain pu►poses, as, for in-
stance, for deodorising is the trenches and in the camp,
where carriage is an object. Damp or wet immediately
destroys its qualities. Lime acts very well, and I think
best when wet.

" Saud or gravel, for certain purposes, is as good as
either. Dr. Paris first suggested it to me. A large
quantity is required, and therefore its use is limited by
carriage.

"We used it alone for the worst nuisances—namely,
the horrible marsh at the head of the harbour. Six inches
of sand spread over it entirely deodorised the soil.
"Any of these substances would, I believe, act as dis-
infectants, if a proper quantity were used, or, at least, I
presume so, but I suspect that bulk has more to do with
disinfection than chemical composition. Peat charcoal
in any ordinary quantity is certainly not a disinfectant.
It stops smells, and that is all.
"I may give you the following conclusive experi—
ment :—The steam-ship Chester arrived here several
weeks ago laden with charcoal, she lay some weeks in
t►ie harbour, close to the wharf, and not far from 'arse
accumulitions of foul matter, which had beencovered up.
She began to discharge her cargo in sacks which were
piled up close to her stern, so as to form a lofty wall, on
the quay. The surface of the quay was covered with
charcoal dust, the same dust pervaded the slip and
covered the men ; so perfect was the deodorising effect,
that there was no smell either i❑ the ship er near it,
although usually the air ws.s very foul there. In ttvo
days six cases of cholera appeared on board, of which 5
died. We sent the ship outside at once. There were 5
subsequent cases of diarrhoea, but all recovered ; a ship
lying next to the Chester hail no disease,
" The fact is certain and curious, and is confirmed,
though not in so striking a manner by all our experience
hers. It would, I think, be safe to disuse the word dis-
infectant,' hi cause it leads to undue expectations, and
might lead to neglect of other measures.
" Aid now in regerd to your questio❑ as to what you
can do in the way of assisting are,
" If you can devise any means for insuring that our
recommendations will always be attended to as they are
now, I should be tolerably satisfied.
" I do not require personal help, for I have always
found that I can do several times the work without it.
Personal help would be row-t useful if we could under-
take the work of the military authorities, in which case
a waft ef camp inspectors would be very desirable, but
to do this the military system would have to be changed.
A military, not a civil, ca-np inspection, independent of
the adjutants and quartermasters, and communicating
with the Commander-in-Chief, might do good, but even
in this case, such an appointment would infer want of
ct nfidence.

" I believe the course taken by the War•office to hay?
been the best practicable, namely, to send out persons
conversant with the subject, to examine independently,
to report and urge the adoption of measures, and to
see that they are carried out. Past that you cannot
go with civilians, and I have a very strong opinion
that, having done this, we shOtild retire and leave
the army to manage its own affairs. The great
good we may effect is future. We have all learned
much, perhaps more than we have advised. I feel
that a meeting with the authorities in London about the
winter is urgent, and that is one reason why I desire to
return. .1 can comp out again if necessary. They would
be glad to see me here if I came back, and the very
leaving of them formally would infer confidence in their
executing the required measures.
" I have sent you a long, rambling letter, just as it
has occurred to me. My mind is full of the subject, and
I may as well stop now as write twice as much. So,
with every good wish, I am, &c.,

" J. SUTHERLAND,

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE..

HOME CIRCUIT.—CBOYDON, August 22.
Mr. Jubtice WigLitman bas disposed of the following
special jury cases :

MANN Y. THE GENERAL STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY.
The plaintiff in this action is a carrier in Newgate•
street, and the action was brought to recover damages
for what was allPged to be unnecessary delay on the
part of the defendants in forwarding a parcel consigned
to them by the plaintiff to its destination.
Mr. E. James, Q.C., and Mr. Hawkins were for the
plaintiff; Mr. M. Chambers, Q.C., and Mr. Lush for
the defendantm.

The qtp,stion involved in this cause was that which
has been often before the subject of litigation, namely,
the liability of companies to carry what are termed
" packed parcels" to their deQtination. It was
alleged by the plaintiff that since the recent deci
sions in the courts of law compelling companies to
carry a large parcel containing several smaller
ones at the same rate as single parcels, the com-
panies had intentionally delayed the delivery of such
parcels to the consignees for the purpose of suppressing
the practice. The defendants had paid 101. into Court,
allering that, tt is account would euver all the lo,s that
had been sustained.

Various points of law were raised, and eventually a
veidiot was entered for the plaintiff for 151. beyond the
,rim paid it to C art, some points of law being re-erved
f r further consideration, and the defendants having
lib .rty to move the Court upon them.
MANN Y. THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY COMPANY.
Mr. E. James, Q C., and Mr. Hawkins were for the
plaintiff ; and Mr. Bramwell, Q C., and Mr, .B viii,
Q.O , for the defendants.
This was an action by the same plaintiff,. aganst the
railway company, and the circumstances were pretty
much of the same nature, as in the last case, with the
exception that it appeared, since the decisions above re-
ferred to, the company charged 50 per cent. upon all
packed parcels, and required a de=claration to be signed
by the sender, describing the contents of e,ch parcel.
On the part of the plaintiff it was contended that this
exaction was illegal ; and, after a good deal of evidence
and discussion, it was arranged that a special case
should be stated for the opinion of the superior court.
Mr. Bramwell has to-day lent his valuable assistance
in disposing of the cause list by trying some common
jury causes in the lower court. The business during the
last two or three days has been carried on in a state of
almost indescribable confusion. Notice is given that
only special jury cases will be taken on a particular day,
and when the panel of special jurymen are in attendance,
it is found that common jury cases are to be tried, and
the special jurors are detained the whole day fruitlessly.
The common jurors are then again kept in attendance
while special jury causes are disposed of, and the parties
and witnesses are in utter ignorance of the time when
their causes are really to come on. Mr. Justice Wight-
man labours hard to get through the list of causes, but
it is the general opinion that such a list ought not to have
been left to the exertions of a single judge.

NORTHERN CIRCUIT.-- LIVERPOOL, AUG. 21.
Ppsaln,tiff:and Mr. CIVIL COURT.
(Before Mr. Justice Crowder.)
Mr. Brett appeavrledY for y.
T ititioe y,roig
Ser-
geant Wilkins for the defendant.
The learned counsel, in opening the plaintiffs case,
said the plaintiff was a car proprietor and driver, and
the defendant was a contractor for the East Lancashire
Railway Company. and was recently engaged in build-
ing a railway bridge across Great Howard-street, Liver-
pool. On the 12th of January last, about 6 o'clock in
the morning, the plaintiff was engaged in driving a per-
son from one part of the town to another. Whoa he
came to the new bridge in Great Howard-street his car
struck against a log of wood, and the effect was that the
vehicle was overturned, and the plaintiff was thrown
out upon the ground. He was much injured by the fall
and was incapacitated for work for nhiut five weeks in
consequence. The damage done to the cir amuunted
to between 4/ and Si. About 30 yards from the place
where the arkident occurred there wag a small fire,
but there was no light at the place where the timber wivt
lying.

Upon eron-examination by Mr. Sergeant 'Wilkins, the
plaintiff Raid ho did not see any hull's eye lamps un.'er
the bridge ; but ha would not swear there were none.
He went on the wrong Hide of the roa 1. because his right
aide was blocked up. He was "knocked up" after the
accident ; and he didn't recollect A ha'p'orth of what
took place. On the 20,h he took a letter to the def,!.ndant
He a•iked 11. 16s. 6d. for the 'repairs if the shaft:.
,l I
The
car was not of oak --(laughter)--but it Wa . as
good at the tale of the aecieietit as Wben he bought it.
He could a mietitnes read, hut not always,
A letter,, purporting to ho from the plaintiff to the
def•rdant, was here'handed t.)
Witness (looking intently at the letter for about five
lairmtes)--,-Faith, and I can't read it now. (Laughter.)
Mr Sergeant Wilkins—Oh, this is not one of your
rine days Don't puzzle yourself any further.
Grate, a police•constahl,, proved that he saw two
balks of titeher lying in the channel under the bridge.
A space of about 14 feet was left for traffic under the
bridge.
C:0111•87A1MAIS4 tigs ougaut Traing.as siw

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