The Sun.
London, England, 1852-09-09 00:00:00

EVENING, SEPTEMBER 9, 1852.

By an order of the Minister of War, in 1843, made
with the view of preventing officers of the army
from contracting marriage, with a danger of bringing
upon themselves additional charges which they would
by uoable, to meet, it was declared that no permission
would be given to an officer to marry unless the lady
should possess an income of at least 1,200 f. a year,
which is not to be a life income, but in full right, so
as to profit to the husband or children in the event of
her death. The present Minister of War has, by a
circular to the generals of divisions and subdivisions,
directed that they shall look strictly to the execution
of this regulation, end not permit any officers to
marry until the Minister himself shall have examined
as to the validity of the deed by which such property
is secured.

We read in the Moniteur de l' Armee :—" The
Minister of War, struck with the inconvenience that
result: from the ignorance of horsemanship which is
sometime 3 shown by infantry offi,.:ers in command,
and being desirous of putting an end to a state of
prejudicial to dignity and duty, has de-
cidedafter the general inspection of 1853, cap-
tains
e a db e
things
oalike
that,
infantry susceptible of becoming chefs de
b
proposed for this grade until
theytil aiitll have
shall
manage
satisfied the inspector-general of their
y to
na
horse in presence of the troops."
aabo

STATE OF TRADE.
(From the Manchester Guardian.)
MANCHESTER, TuEsruy.
—We learn by the Africa
tbat the New York cotton market was dull, with a
small concession in price, whilst that of New Orleans
continued
to
3 steady though quiet. The total receipts
amounted ,008,553 bales against 2,322,921 last
year. The reports of the new crop were still in the -
highest degree favourable. It would seem as if specu-
lators on both sides the Atlantic were becoming more
wary in their proceedings ; for, in some instances,
buyers are able to supply themselves, in Liver-
pool,better terms than they could
last week. And that ready sympathy with any cir-
in diminish
point
of
hrie'nt G:nelleed
curnstances Calculated to excite caution, which on slightly
pre-
vails here, has been so far called into action as to
and goods. But tlatitigh business has lost something
of our market both in yarns
hold back than before, there is yet a great steadiness
in prices; a Ya4nrl:l7the buyers are more inclined to
prevails. Tne advantage which, in some instances,
, in most articles the utmost firmness
buyers had last week in certain things, such as the
lower counts of warps, and the Indian qualities of 40's,
50's, and 60's mule, is rather more marked and gene-
ral to-day; and the improvement then showing itself
is dornestiC3
hosves hold off Isom
appears to be retarded. The India
purchasing shirtings as well as
yaras. In 7.Bth, 9.Bth, and 5-4th printing clothe,
however, there is as much firmness as ever.
ROCHDALE, MONDAY.—We have had a rather
heavy and sluggish market tcaday, with a limited
attendance of buyers, but little change in prices.
Thee ore no new features in tho wool market to
report, either in price or demand. Toe dealers are
out of sorts, and they say that broke wools are be-
coming very scarce.
MACCLESFIELD, TUESDA.T.--Business in manufac-
tured ,
goods has made further progress, nearly the
whole of the existing stocks having been cleared
off ; and buyers are anxious to make contracts
of some descriptions for delivering as they are
produced. Oa the whole, the prospects for the
coming
winter appear favourable. Thrown Sill :
The market has been less active than of late ;
but as manufacturers have had free sale for
their good!,
and as their stocks of silk on hand are
understood to be unusually light, there is every.
prospect of an active demand ere long. The ac-
counts to hand this morning from the continent speak
of prices for Italian throwns having a hardening ten-
dency, which may have the effect of bringing over
further orders for our home throwns. Raw Silks—
The market latterly has been much unsettled by the
circulars freely sent out by the leading brokert,
which have been of a very contradictory nature, and
have tended unnecessarily to alarm the trade at a
time when business appeared near at hand. On the
wh'Ae)looking at the various chops put forward, the
reduction appears to be one of quality as well as
price.

HALIFAX, SATURDAT.—ltathtnr more fancy goods,
chiefly of low quslity, have been disposed of i❑ our
piece hall to-day than for s,)rne weeks past, but the
general condition of the worsted trade hiss experi,,nced
no a-nendrn,...ut. In yarns and wools there is no ma-
terial change, except perhaps that there is some what
more languor in the demand, prices remaining the
same.

HUDDERSFIELD, TUESDAY.—We have no change
to notice in our market ; i; continues dull, with the
exception of the woollen fancy branch ; rather more
has been done in that, with new patterns for the
winter season.

LAWS AND INSTITUTES OP IRELAND

The following is the report of the Commissioners
appointed to inquire and report concerning the ancient
laws and institutes of Ireland :

" May it please your Excellency,—The principal ma-
terials necessary for the preparation of a report on the
ancient Irish laws being uow collected and arranged, we
have thought it our duty to lay before your Excellency
a brief statement of the results at which we have al-
ready arrived; and to solicit some instructions respect-
ing the time and manner of completing the ta4le which
your Excellency has been pleased to commit to us.
"The first object to which our attention was directed
was the formation of a catalogue of all the .manuscripts
of the Brelaoa Laws which arc known to exist in the
United Kingdoca. A numerous and valuable collection
made in Ireland by the
eminent Welch antiquary and
of these documents, originally
philologist, Edward
the library of Trinity
CL
eh
lwl
e)gele,, is
pnaoherl i
hp, r e
tahe r v
We dh i
club
it was presented about
sixty years ag°, by Sir &
e John bright. In
thus disposing ot it, ee appears to have been influenced
by the advice of the celebrated Edmund Burke, who
manifested on that occasion a lively anxiety to have the
materials of Irish history placed within the reach of
scholars
recordsby• the o
ft translation lea:
hi ohnt r and p publication of all the
ancient
Y. esesie4es the Trinity Col-
lege MSS., and a few belonging to the Royal Irish Aca-
demy, wo have ascertained Out transcripts of various por-
tions of the Brehon Laws are to be found in the Bodleian
Library at Oxford, in the library of the British Museum,
and in the Stowe Collection, now the property of Lord
Ashburnharn. All these MSS., except the last men-
whaevheabyeeennoctlescribed at great length in
as yet been so fortunate as
men-
tioned,
ei o
en
he dt
a, i tuo w
access,hic h
an analyticalpr.o,p
catalogue,onora a
and r-extard. ezauc,,ceohre Curry,
in gu
rtroy o.
andur directions
by
contain-
ing
notices of their respective duties, and of the general
nature of the subkets they treat of.
rhe dates of the existing MSS. of the Brehon Laws
vary from the early part of the 14th to the close of the
16th century; bat the authority of some is enhanced by
the fact that they were transcribed by persons in whose
for several generations. judge, had been heredi-
taryfamiFliros Lbrthe ofefilacwesof brehon, or
themselves a much higher antiquity
may be eeely asserted. So far as we have external
evidence to guide us, there h no reason to suspect that
any material change since the
they
ofla Cove o r
mu ea, d er
e
Mao Cuillenain, King and Bishop of
gone
Cashel, who died A.D. 90S. Ile was a man of great
learning and energy' who certainly promoted the
ex cation of considerable literary works, and under
whose influence it i 3 not improbable that a systematic
compilation
may have been effected. Of
we have no distinct record. On the other
hand, we find scattered through all parts of the laws al-
lusions to a general revision of them in the fifth con-
,phileawtieovnero,f th© laws
tury, at the instance of St. Patrick, who, in conjunction
with certain kings and learned men, is said to have ex-
punged from them all those institutions which savoured
of paganism, and to have framed the code called the
parts of
Seanohus Mor. These same documents assert the
existence of still more ancient written laws, the greater
part of which are ascribed to Cormac Mac Art, monarch
of Ireland, in the middle of the third century. How-
ever slow we may be to acquiesce in statements of the
ri,a ilyThadeymietntuhmatertahtee
s variousillli ect
kind, which contradict what we have learned concerning
aleteiedp.rmalintivenature of the
Western progress Europe, °llwegeismlaatyion ind. the remaining
society antiquity,in
matter of many of the laws demonstrates their great
the
.atesrevt spite of the at.
washieiht inthdeiyc
tempts to efface it, truces of heathenism are still discern-
ible in many parts of them.
which
ordeals of a pagan character, vv. are expressly termed
occasions on which a „
magical, and specify the resort to
them was prescribed. There are also provisions in the
laws of marriage, which prove that Christianity could
have exercised but a feeble influence at the time when
they were enacted.
the Brehon Laws are w •
" The language in which fatten
is a convincing proof of theirantiquity. They are
composed in a peculiar dialect, tl,smany writers have
if their style
maintained; but, style differs from that of the
vernacular Irish of the present day, as Anglo-Saxon
does from modern English, this dissimilarity is to be h
as-
cribed mainly to the effects of time, y which the ortho-
graphy and grammatical forms of the language have
been modified, and legal terms and phrases of constant
recurrence hese become obsolete. The antiquity of the
language of the Brohon Laws being once established, it
must be apparent that th© publication of d
orthtera would
promote tho study of philosophy in no nary
Way.
From no other source could such abundant and precious
engaged in analyzing
materials be obtained by the scholar
a theirrelationthe Celtic languages, and determining to
other branches of the Indo-European language.
" Apart from their mere antiquity, these laws are pos-
sessed of considerable interest to the historian and jurist.
They lay down the privileges and duties of persons of
all classes; they define the tenure of land and the rights
of property of all kinds. In a word, they furnish a per-
, feet picture of the society which they were designed to
regulate, from the constitution of the kingdom, and the
relation subsisting between the sovereign and the pro-
vineial kings, down to the minutest details of domestic
life amoeg the serfs.
"Such being the esti' ete which an examination of
these documents has led U 3 to fern" of their age and
Contents, we feel that we are fully warranted in recom.
mending to your Excellency that the publication of them
should be undertaken at the expense of the State, and
under the superintendence of competent persons. All
the arguments which induced the Government to order
the publication of the Angle-Saxon and Welch laws
might be used in favour of this immure, Ih fact, the

publication of the Brehon Laws appears to us to be
essential to the completion of the works already put
forth by the Commissioners of Public Records.
" About 70 years ago Vallencey, in his Collectanea de
Rebus Hibernicis, published a few extracts from them,
accompanied by translations. But both text and version
were so full of inaccuracies, arising from the incapacity
of the editor, that the value of the documents was not
fully exhibited in these specimens. In truth, the work
was too difficult and expensive to be undertaken by any
individual. It requires a long time, a considerable out-
lay, and much co-operation for its proper execution.
Persons possessing a vernacular Innowlege of the Irish
language, and accustomed to transcribe Irish MSS., must
be employed in the work of copying and translating.
These again would require the superintendence of ac-
complished scholars, versed in history, jurisprudence,
stroke alogy, and philosophy. Moreover, it would be
necessary to procure copies or collations of MSS. in
remote places. The work, when completed, would be
an extensive one, occupyieg a large folio volume, which
would possess but little popular interest, and would bo
consulted only by a limited clogs of historical readers.
Taking all these circumstances into account, we are con-
vinceethat, notwithstanding its intrinsic importance, the
publication of the ancient Irish laws could not be effected
in the ordinary manner, and must be undertaken by the
Government, if it is ever to be accomplished at all.
The present time affords facilities for the execution
of the design now proposed. During the progress of
the Ordnance Survey of Ireland, several persons ac-
quainted with the Irish language were employed to
collect information on matters of topography and ancient
history. Under the direction of the officers conducting
the survey these persons became well instructed and
disciplined scholars. In a few years more this advan-
tage will be irretrievably lost. The taste for antiquarian
scholarship among the lower classes in Ireland is nearly
extinct, while death and emigration are fast removing
the few individuals who possessed the qualifications just
mentioned. Without the aid of such la pourers the task
of transcribing and translating the Brehon Laws would
become one of extreme, if not hopeless difficulty.
" There are some circumstances which would render
the publication of these ancient laws peculiarly interest-
ing in the eyes of the politician. It is not improbable
that the habits of thought and action prevailing among
the native Irish are reflected in the laws which they
framed for theine.elves before they were affected by
foreign influences, and to which they continued to cling
with obstinate tenacity, even for centuries after they
hid been compelled to submit to British rule. The
Brehon Laws were actually appealed to so late as the
reign of Charles I. We must nor, therefore, be sur-
prised to find some traces yet remaining of their effect
upon society.
" We would also suggest that good results would be
obtained by exhibiting the reel state of this country at a
remote period of its history. It would then be found
that !alio or exaggerated notions have been entertained
of the well-being of society and the advancement of
civizilation in early times. Iceland never enjoyed a golden
age. It would be more easy to say, that she suffered for
many ages under an iron feudalism, which administered
essentially different laws to the rich and to the poor.
Ignorance on this head has certainly created in some
minds an unreasonable dissatisfactieu with the present
order of things, and a perverse disposition to thwart the
efforts of those who are doing their utmost to ameliorate
it. Nothing could be more efficacious in dispelling such
morbid national prejudices than a complete publication of
the ancient Irish. laws.
" Lest it should be supposed that any national par-
tiality has affected the opinion which we have ourselves
formed, we beg to direct your Excelliney'd attention to
the accompanying copies of letters on this subject from
Mr. Hallam, M. Guizot, Professor Renke, and Professor
Grimm. (Appendix A.) Other Eaglish and foreign
scholars of the highest eminence have in similar terms
expressed the deep interest with which they regard it.
" We also annex a statement (Appendix B.) of the
expenditure of the sum of 2001 placed at our disposal
by the Lords Commissioners 01 her Majesty's Treasury
for the purpose of enabling us to defray the charges ne-
cessarily incurred in the preparation of our report. It
will be observed that the grower part of the money has
been spent in making the aualytical catalogue, the ma-
nuscript of which extends to 538 folio pages.
" Repectiog the several clatters briefly touched upon
in the eresent communication, we propose to lay before
your Excellency more ample details in a report founded
on the mass of information we have gathered. It is our
desire to coufiren the general statements here made by
extracts from the Irish laws and records of all kinds. But
the preparation of such a report must be attended
with considerable labour, and could not be accomplished
very rapidly by persons having other official duties to dis-
charge. We therefore pray your Excellency to inform us
whether it is your pleasure that we should draw up such
a full report, and to signify the latest time at which
you could permit U 3 to present it. We entertain a hope
that you Excellency, having the case fully set before
you, will see sufficient grounds to warrant you in recom-
mending the application of public funds for the purposes
here contemplated. At the same time we apprehend
that the materials for the decision of the Government
must be furnished by us at an early period, if any
grant for the publication of the Brehon Laws is to be
included in the estimates for the present year.

" We have,
" JAMES H. TODD, D.D.
"Feb. 19, 1852." CHARLES GRAVES, D.D.
" Note,—The Earl of Clarendon having resigned the
office of Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland a fecv days after
the preceding report had been presented, a copy of it
was laid botere his successor, tho Earl of Eglintoun,
together with a letter requesting his Excellency's in-
struction. To this the Commissioners received the fol-
lowing reply :
Dublin Castle, April 27, 1852.
_ .

" 6 Sir,—With reference to your letter of the 22d inst.,
enclosing a copy of a report on the publication of the
Brohon Laws, I am directed by the Lord-Lieutenant to
inform you that his Excellency, having before him the
information therein contained, does not think
it necessary that you should at present draw up such a
full report as the Commissioners propose. In the papers
already submitted to him he sees sufficient grounds to
warrant him in recommending the publication of those
laws; and his Excellency has accordingly forwarded the
report, with the accompanying papers, for the favourable
consideration of the L)rds Commissioners of her Ma-
jesty's Treasury. " I am, Bm,
",JOHN WYNNE.
" To the Rev. Charles Graves, D.D.' "

ATTEMPTED ASCENT OF MONT BLANC.

Although ascents of Mont Blanc are now of more
common occurrence than formerly, perhaps the fol-
lowing account of an attempt which, though fated to
be unsuccessful, was of more than ordinary difficulty,
may interest your readers :—Having long waited for
fine weather, I was at last gratified- by the arrival of
the north wind, hero its invariable companion; and
having been joined on Tues'lay evening by two other
gentlemen with tie same intention, we determined to
try the ascent the following day. Accordingly, we
left Chamounix at eight o'clock, our party consisting
of Mr. Sargent, Mr. R. H. Bulwer, myself, and
26 guides and porters. We arrived at the Pierre
d'Echelles at twelve o'clock, where the guides break-
fasted, and, having crossed the Glaciers des Bohsons
and Taccone.y, reached the Grand Mulets at half-past
four. Three of the guides were then sent out to
trace some of the next day's route—very necessary,
'loco we were obliged to leave the Grand Mulets
at midnight. The sun set without a cloud, and,
wrapping our blankets round us, we lay down on the
rock full of hope for the morrow. At twelve o'clock
our party, diminished to 17, left the Mulets, the
foremost guides carrying lanterns. The tracing of
the path was rendered exceedingly difficult by the
show being frozen over, but not sufficiently to bear
our weight. We sank nearly three feet at each step.
The great Crevasse du Dome was reached at half-past
three o'clock, over which an avalanche falling in
spring formerly affarded the only passage. To our
unspeakable mortification, we found that this ava-
lanche no longer existed, and that we should have to
discover some other route. Dividing into small
parties, we examined every place that seemed prac-
ticable for nine hours, without SUCCOSS, when
Michael Irene Coutet, the most daring of our
guides, said he thought a passage might be cut in
the wall of the Dome de Gouts, and the Crevasse
avoided altogether. Wee then traced the route thither,
and by that time, the evening being a little advanced,
we returned to the Mulcts, which we left the next
morning at the same hour as the preceding, and
shortly afterwards reached the terrible Dome. Having
ascended about 700 feet, one of the guides, firmly tied
with ropes, commenced cutting a groove in the per-
pendicular wall of ice, of just width and height enough
to admit the body lying horizontally. This opera-
tion, changing the guides every five minutes, occupied
about two hours, in which time we had cut through
about 40 feet of ice, and having then descended
on the other side of the Crevasse, we reached the
Petits and Grands Plateaux in six hours, without
much difficulty. One of the guide was here over-
come by nausea, and obliged to return. We
shortly after ascended the corridor whence the first
view towards the other side of the mountain is ob-
tained, and remained for a few moments enjoying the
glorious panorama spread out before us. The Ber-
nese Oberland, with the Monte Rosa range on our
left hand, were partially hidden by fleecy clouds, but
the giant peakei appearing above them were distinctly
visible.
Opposite us were the St. Bernard range, and to
our right Piedmont and the endless plains of Lom-
bardy. The Jura bounded our view towards the
north. 'We next ascended the Mer de la Cote by
about 200 steps cut in the ice, and walked on about
a quarter of a mile. It was then about 10 o'clock,
and, having only ten minutes more walking
to reach the summit, we stopped a few mo-
ments to rest. I experienced some difficulty
in breathing, but neither my companions nor
the guides seemed to suffer much incon-
"Tillman Rejoicing in the speedy accomplishment of
all our hopes, we again put ohrseives en route, when
we were suddenly enveloped in a, dense fog, which
was accompanied by the most violent wind and hail,
'We were nearly in total darkness, and such was the
violence of the wind that our footsteps in the soft
snow were no sooner made than they were effaced.
We waited a fe w moments, and then made a
.
desperate effort to advance the teeth of the
storm, hut in vein ; after a fair fight we were de-
feated, and obliged to retreat, Ia a short time
the hard contest, but with the we again renewed
same result. The tourmente raged with awful vio-

lance ; we could scarcely keep our feet, holding on
by each other; and the guides, suddenly exclaiming,
" Si les traces sont effaces nous serons tous perdus, '
beat a most precipitate retreat. We were then mourn-
fully obliged to retrace our steps, which we had much
difficulty in finding, and return when within a stone's
throw of success. The same storm-cloud remained
on the summit, as if in triumph, for the remainder of
the day, and we sulkily bent our course towards Cha-
naounix, where we arrived at nine o'clock the same
evening. JOHN USSLIER.

Cha'M ounix, Saturday, Aug. 28.
P.S. The thermometer varied from 94 in the sun at
the Grand Mulets to below zero near the summit.

MORTALITY in the METROPOLIS.
NUMBER OF DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES REGISTERED IN
TILE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, SEPT. 4, 1852.
Epidemic, Endemic, and Contagious Diseases ...*282
Diseases of Uncertain. Scat ... ... ... 43
Tubercular Diseases ... 169
Diseases of the Brain, Nerves, and Senses... ... 112
Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels 31
Diseases of the Lungs, and, other Organs of
Respiration ... 73
Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs
of ... 63
Diseases of the Kidneys, &Q.

Childbirth, Diseases of the Uterus, &c. ~.
••• 3
Diseases of the Joints, Bones, and Muscles ••• 9
Diseases of the Skin, &c. ... ••• ••• ••• 2
Malformations... ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• 5
Premature Birth ••• ••• •• ••• ••• 32
Atrophy ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• 38
Old Age ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• 34
Sudden ... .•• ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• 5
Violence, Privation, Cold, and Intemperance ... 56
Causes not specified ... ••• ••• ••• ••• 4

DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES ... 966
Population Deaths in cone- Deaths
Enumerated, spending week in the

1851. of 1851. Week.
West Districts... 376,427 .. 143 ... 163
North Districts.. 490,396 218 ... 203
Central Districts 393,256 ... 139 ... 162
East Districts ... 485,522 ... 194 ... 183
South Districts.. 616,635 ... 273 ... 255

Totals...• 2,362,236 ... 967 ... 966
Males ... ... 489
Females ... ... 477