The Sun.
London, England, 1852-01-30 00:00:00

EVENING,

The Constitutionnel contains an article on the recent
decree of the Government relative to canals, in which
it, is stated that the fifteen canals the formation or
termination of which was authorised by the laws of
the sth August, 1821, and the 14th August, 1822,
are 2,515 kilometres in extent ; and that 2,818 kilo-
metres of them were executed by the State, at an
expense of 284,903,286 f. The estimated expense of
execution was, it appears, only 126,000,0001., which
was authorised to be raised by loan. That sum being
found insufficient, credits had to be opened, and that
caused delay in the execution. The total expense, how-
ever (on an average 130,000 f. per kilometre), did not ex-
ceed that of other canals in France or those of foreign
countries. The canals have been of great service in
facilitating the communications of the country, espe-
cially in the coal districts. The receipts from them
in 1844, were 3,382,566 f. ; in 1847, 5,167,4881.;
in 1848, they fell to 3,193,024 f.; but in 1850, rose
to 4,251,8251. The net revenue, after deducting
extraordinary expenses, has averaged during the
last six years, 1,209,0001. • but taking a favour-
able year as the basis of calculal ion, it may be
estimated at 2,245,0001. The receipts are much
larger than they were some years ago, and this is
owing to the adoption of moderate tariffs. Indeed,
it is calculated that if the original heavy charges
had been maintained, the traffic would have been in-
considerable. One fact will show the importance of
moderate tariffs :—During the last few years the
Government fixed the tariff for the conveyance of
coal, on what are called the Quatre Canaux, at lc.
per ton per kilometre ; the Canal Company demanded
that it should be fixed at 2c. ; but if this had been
granted, the cost of coals from the centre, delivered
in Paris, would have been 2f. 50c. per 1,000 kilo-
grammes more than Belgian coals. The consequence
would have been that the French coals could not have
supported competition with the Belgians. It is ex-
pected that now that the canals have passed into the
hands of Government, important improvements will
be effected in them.

About two months since, says the Journal de
Chartres of the 25th, the gossips of Chartres were all
put on the qui rive by a report that a young work-
woman in that town, named LCtonie Lehoux, whose
parents were well known there, had suddenly inherited
a considerable fortune, and this was borne out by
seeing the father give up his situation as conductor
of a diligence, the mother dresed out in the gayest
attire, and Leonie assuming all the airs of a fine
lady, and walking out attended sometimes by her
femme-de-cbambre, and at others by a footman
in livery. According to some accounts the gros lot
in the lottery had been gained, while others at •
tributed this sudden fortune to a legacy made to the
demoiselle by some rich Russian or Englishman
from a feeling of paternal remorse. All accounts,
however, agreed that the fortune was an immense
one. At length it was announced that the lucky
heiress was about to be married to the son of a rich
farmer in the neighbourhood ; all the tradesmen in
the place were put into requisition to furnish dresses,
jewellery, &c., a grand banquet was ordered for
the 27th instant, and cards of invitation were
already issued, when suddenly the scene changed.
The grandfather of the intended husband appears to
have suddenly entertained some suspicion, and on
Thursday last, he called on the Bishop to ascertain
the genuineness of two letters which had been re-
ceived by the family, said to have been written by
that dignitary, relative to the marriage , and to the
sudden fortune which the bride elect had inherited,
and which were immediately declared to be for-
geries. It then became clear that a grand system of
swindling had been carried on, and information
having been given to the police, a domiciliary visit
took place, when a number of letters, all pretended to
have been written by the Bishop of Chartres, and
giving a sum of 200,000 f. to Leonie Lehoux, were
found. The mother, daughter, and the two servants,
were all arrested, and, after a preliminary examina-
tion, committed to prison.
A few years since, says the Siecle, a robbery was
committed in an apartment in the Rue St. Honor 6,
occupied by a M. de L--, an attache to an em-
bassy. Among the articles stolen that which the
owner most regretted was a snuff-box, set with
diamonds, a present from a foreign prince. That
circumstance, and the intrinsic value of the article,
were not, however, the only motives of regret for
its loss. The box had a double bottom, which
opened with a spring, and beneath which were
concealed a note and medallion. At the beginning
of last week M. de L-, being at a soiree in a
diplomatic saloon, was thunderstruck at seeing the
identical snuff-box in the hands of a distinguished
personage. He approached the group of which this
gentleman formed part and related the history of the
snuff-box. He afterwards borrowed from the gentle-
man the box which he thought was his, and, as if by
accident, let it fall. The snuff being thus thrown
out, he touched the secret spring and produced the
note and the medallion. The gentleman in whose
possession the box had fallen offered immediately to
restore it to him who had so clearly shown himself to
have been the original owner of it, but the latter re-
fused, being satisfied with recovering the valued
objects which it contained. The gentleman gave the
name of the jeweller from whom he had purchased it,
and by the exertions of the police it has been traced
in its various peregrinations in France and England,
and the robber discovered among the men taken during
the razzias recently made by the police.

HEALTHOF LONDON DURING THE WEEK.
(From the Registrar-General's Report.)
In the week ending last Saturday 1,061 deaths were
registered in the districts of the metropolis. In the two
previous weeks the numbers were successively 1,111 and
1,096; the last returns therefore show a continuous
decline, though not to any considerable extent.
In the ten corresponding weeks of 1842-51 the average
number of deaths was 1,089, which, if a certain amount
be added for increase of population, becomes 1,198. On
this corrected average the mortality of last week shows a
decrease of 137.
The present return compared with that of the pre-
ceding week exhibits an increase in the mortality from
zymotic or epidemic diseases taken collectively, and a
continued decline of fatal cases arising from affections of
the respiratory organs. As regards epidemics, it
appears that typhus (with continued lever, 84c.),
small-pox and scarlatina produce at the present time
about the same amount of mortality, the first num-
bering 41 deaths, the second 39, and the third 37.
Small-pox shows a disposition to increase, and the
number of fatal cases actually recorded in the re-
gister books last week, which are about double the ave-
rage, concurs with the personal observations of the
Registrars to prove that the disease is widely diffused
amongst the London population. llooping-cough car-
ried off 49 children, but measles has fallen remarkably
low, the number of deaths now attributed to it being
only 5, while in corresponding weeks it ranged from 11
to 43, and the corrected average is 29. Besides the
above, there are 5 from croup, 6 from thrush, 3 from
influenza, 1 from purpura, 3 from remittent and infantile
fever, 1 from rheumatic fever, 6 from erysipelas, .1 from
syphilis, 4 from
puerperal fever (besides 2 other cases of
death after childbirth)
Last week 18 persons, of whom
13 were children, died of diarrhoea; and in Heston Old
Town, at 3, Whitmore-street, the daughter of a crape-
dresser died on the 29th January, at the age of 11 years,
of "cholera, after an illness of 7 days."
It was stated above that the mortality from diseases
of the respiratory organs in the aggregate has declined;
but it deserves notice that this result is observable
chiefly in pneumonia, and that out of the 198 deaths
enumerated under this class, 102 are caused by bron-
chitis, and only 59 by pneumonia (or inflammation of the
lungs), a number exceedingly low compared with those
of corresponding weeks.
The following cases were registered in the Small-pox
Hospital:—
On the 11th January a porter from Wardour-street,
Soho, aged 19 years, died " small-pox, confluent, un-
protected (20 daysy,
On the 21st January, an upholsterer, aged 25 years,
" small-pox, confluent, unmodified (18 days)." He was
vaccinated in
cicatrix, infancy at Strasburg—one very imperfect
In Islington, East sub-district, at 3, Greenman's-lane,
on the 20th January, the daughter of a labourer, aged
one year, died of " small-pox (4 days from the appear-
ance of eruption), not vaccinated." Three children in
the same family, who have been vaccinated, are recover.
ing from small-pox. Mr. Butterfield adds, that small-
pox increases in his district. In the sub-district of St.
1515tolPit, at 35, Sun-street, on the 21st January, the wife
of a cattle dealer, aged 32 years, died of " small-pox
and bronchitis, two days after labour." She was a fo-
reigner, and had been vaccinated abroad about 18
monthsiln ago ; another female, also a foreigner,
dd n the 'same room of the same disease, and a
short time after labour. At Rose-alley, Bishopsgate, a
child,
aged 8 months, died of " small-pox (15 days)."
Spencer states that " vaccination had been neglected
in this case from ignorance; in this alley, which is
crowded and close, several children are ill." Princes-
street, Aldga,te, where a child died of confluent small-
pox, is described by the same registrar as " an unhealthy
place and much crowded." At 4, Hammond-place,
_Lambeth, on the 21st January, the daughter of a brick-
layer, aged 3 years, died of " variola, confluent (14
days), Pneumonia (2 days)." Mr. Mears was informed
by the mother that the child had small-pox when two
years old,attack o a ad was marked with it, and this was a second
t nE aural small-pox. Two other deaths of chil-
dren
occurred in the same sub-district (Waterloo-road_
first part), in one case vaccination having been performed
after the infection was caught, and in the other per-
formed twice or thrice ineffectually and without leaving
marks.
Mr. Diver, the registrar of Lambeth, Waterloo
sub-district, second part, has addressed the following
letter to the Registrar-General:-
"In Lamb, all-square the mortality has of late been
excessive I have registered since the 21st of May last
24 deaths, one of which was that of an adult, and all the
rest occurred :under 9 years, viz., 5 from small-pox, 10
from scarlatina , 2 from typhus, 4 from hydrccephalus, 1
from fever, 1 ft om convulsions, and 1 from hooping-
cough and measles.
" The la milady being anxious to ascertain the cause
has solici' ;ed the Buard of Health to inquire into the
facts, ane t one of their officers this week visited the
houses. ale informs me that be found several cesspools
in a scat a very injurious to health, but it does not ap-

pear just at present that there was much illness
amongst the inhabitants. The square numbers 35
houses, which, I believe, with three or four exceptions,
contain 8 rooms each, holding a population of about 434
parsons.
" Previous to May last, the deaths were far from ex-
cessive, as between August, 1849, and that month, I re-
gistered only 13, including 3 from cholera.
" I may observe, that the square is always kept very
clean, a beadle being appointed for that purpose, who
excludes all horses and carriages; it is therefore found
by the inhabitants to be a very safe and convenient
place for their children, who, when the weather is fine,
assemble in great numbers to play together, and this
circumstance, perhaps, in the presence of agencies un-
favourable to health, may help to explain why small-pox
and scarlatina have spread so widely amongst them.
" I have been looking over the progress of mortality
in other streets of my district in proportion to their
population, and find that in many of them, taking the
whole time from August, 1849 (when I first began to
make memoranda), to the present date, and excluding
cholera, the mortality stands as high as that for Lam-
beth-square.
" The officer of the Board requests me to give notice
to him of any further cases of fever which may occur."
In the sub-district Lambeth Church, first part, at 3,
Harper's-court, High-street, two daughters of a la-
bourer, aged 2 years and 9 months respectively, died
on the 15th and 21st of January, of scarlatina malign°,
after an illness of nine days. Mr. Greathead states
that " the deaths of these children were not registered
till the 23d of January, and both of the bodies were
then lying unburied in the same house."
In the sub-district of South St. Giles-in-the-fields, at
9, Great Wild-street, the daughter of a porter, aged one
day, born prematurely, died of debility. Mr. Faulkner
remarks, "This is one of the many cases of great dis-
tress I meet with in my district; the mother was con-
fined prematurely, I believe, in consequence of fever;
the husband lies ill with fever in the hospital; the
mother continues very ill, as well as another child, and
has sold much of her necessary clothing to procure fire
and provisions."
It was shown in previous weeks that deaths from car-
buncle had been lately more numerous than usual; last
week the following ease was registered:—On the 22d
January, at 47, Gibson-street, Lambeth, a dealer in
skins, aged 69 years, died of " carbuncle (4 weeks),
irritative fever (3 weeks)." There have, therefore, been
altogether 6 deaths from this complaint within the last
three weeks. One man and two women were the victims
of intemperate habits. Eleven children died of inanition
and want of breast milk; one person died from cold.

STATE OF THE WEATHER DURING THE PAST WEEK.

SUNDAY.—The sky was for the most part clear throughout
the day.
➢IONDAY.—The sky was generally clear until Bh. P.m.,
and overcast afterwards.

TIIESDAY.—The sky was overcast throughout the day.
Frequent showers of rain.
EDNISDAY.—The sky, with slight exceptions, was
covered with cloud throughout the day. Frequent squalls
of wind and rain during the evening.
THURSDAY.—The sky was clear till near noon ; three-
fourths were covered until 6h. P.M., and clear afterwards.
FRIDAY.—The sky was generally clear throughout the day.
SATURDAY.—The sky was overcast throughout the day.
Heavy showers of rain fell.
ELECTRICITY.—No electricity has been shown during the
week.

The mean reading of a thermometer placed on the main-
mast, and read each day at 9h. A.M. was 41.3° ; and the mean
reading at 9h. P.M. was 42.7°; the mean readings at the
Royal Observatory for the same times were 40.4 e and 42.2 Q
respectively.
The reading of the barometer increased from 30.10 in.
at the beginning of the week to 30.24 in. by 10h. AM. on
the 18th ; decreased to 29.18 in. by 9h. P.M. on the 22d ;
increased to 29.72 in. by 9h. A.M. on the 24th ; and de-
creased to 29.47 in. by the end of the week.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
COURT OF BANKRUPTCY, Jan. 29.
(Before Mr. Commissioner EvArrs.)
IN RE HENRY PAMMENT.

The bankrupt was a cheesemonger, of 4G, Penton-
street, Pentonville. His accounts, prepared by
Messrs. Glover and Son; shows debts, 7121.;
assets, 801.
Mr. LAWRENCE, for the assignees, said they had no
objection to the bankrupt receiving a certificate. An
offer of ss. in the pound had been refused by a portion
of the creditors.

The COMMISSIONER said that the bankrupt should
have stopped earlier. On this ground there would be
a suspension of three months; but the certificate
would then be granted of the second class ; in the
meantime protection would be granted.