The Sun.
London, England, 1852-09-17 00:00:00

THE SUN,

hours at Bethnal-green, another in four days at
Bromley, and another by the " cholera infantum" at
K•msineon These were the eight C4SeS within
seven days, and in the catalogue it will be perceived
that we have particularly it incised. two of the
localities because we could not but be struck
with their juxta-position in the Registrar• General's
Report as in the highest degree significant. It is
another evidence, if any additional ore be required,
that the cholera finds equally ready access into St.
Giles and into Belgravia.
In the same Report, from which we have already
quoted, the Registrar-General mentions a variety of
details in regard to the mortality in the capital,
showing the urgent demand of sanitary improve-
ments. Besides the eight cases of English or
Summer Cholera before enumerated, we find the
record within the same week of upwards of a hundred
deaths by diarrhoea—sixteen adults and eighty-nine
children l Referring to three out of the fifty-three
deaths by scarlatina already specified, the Registrar-
General remarks that these three deaths occurred in
one house at Raton, and adds, " In that house there
are frequently very offensive smells, arising from im-
perfect drainage, and having a tendency to produce in-
fectious disease. The above cases were in a state of
collape when the medical attendant was first called
in. The fatal results might have been prevented by
proper attention to cleanliness and seasonable medical
aid." At Walham-green, again, where one of the
fatal cases of diarrhcei bad occurred, it is stated that
the houses in the locality " are crowded to excess ;
each room in nearly every case is occupied by
a family of from four to six or seven individuals,
There is no drainage, and
the smells are
most offensive-
Diarrhoea is very prevalent
there now"
—the local registrar adding," The medical
officer of the Walham- green district informs me that
the whole of his district is suffering severely from
Aiarrhass and a low sort of fever, which he attributes
to preventable causes, such as the overcrowding of cot-
tages, want of ventilation, and deficiency of sanitary
arrangements.'' Unfortunately the same ghastly
tokens of the want of these neglected improvements
are discoverable in almost every lane, and nearly every
garret in the metropolis. Testimony
of this, we re-
peat, is contained, week after week, in the important
sad impressive returns of the Registrar-General.

Hitherto we have looked, but, alas ! in vain, to the
Legislature for the desired improvements. Now that
3 Cabinet has been formed that stands in need of ex-

tending its popularity by patriotic efforts in the way
of innovation, perhaps we may count somewhat more
confidently upon receiving the boon of a new and
adequate sanitary organization from the hands of her
MAJESTY'S Government.

It is matter for surprise and regret that other
Chambers of Commerce have not followed the ex-
ample set them by that of Belfast—of actively taking
measures for the reduction of the foreign wine duties.
The countries—France, Germany, Spain, and Por-
tugal—from which we principally import wine, un-
fortunately and unwisely maintain tariffs hostile to
the produce of British industry and skill. We fear
that, while they do this, our Government will not feel
called upon to reduce the duty on wine. It is now
five shillings and sixpence a gallon, and a duty of
one shilling, with the increased consumption which
would certainly follow, would speedily make the re-
duction no loss to the Treasury.
In the course of last Session the House of Com-
mons appointed a Committee to inquire into, and to
take evidence upon this question. The result of the
inquiry is embodied in the following :—First : The
high duty now imposed encourages adulteration, by
~, hich the revenue suffers. The public pay dearly
for an impure article, and the general health is im-
paired by the use of deleterious compositions sold for
wines. Second : A low duty would prevent those
evils ; the revenue ( judging by analogy from.all former
experience) would speedily recover itself, and in-
crease. Third : A diminution in the consump-
tion of spirits would ensue, and a conse-
quent improvement in the moral condition of the
working classes, who would thus enjoy, at a cheap
rate, sound and wholesome beverages. Fourth : A
large export of British manufactured goods would
take place to the wine growing countries, it being a
sine qua non in granting the reduction of the duty
upon foreign wines that the countries so favoured
should at the same time admit British manufactured
goods at a corresponding low duty. This sine qua
non, by the way, involves the whole question of
reciprocity.
It is unjust that, the rate of duty being the same
upon good as upon inferior wines, the rich man, who
can afford the first cost of seven francs for a bottle of
the best wine, has to pay no more duty upon it than is
payable upon a bottle of drinkable yin ordinaire, the
cost price of which is sixteen sous, and which ought
to be sold in this country at about fifteen-pence. The
large and uniform duty has the effect now of making
adulteration almost inevitable ; and it is a curious
fact that whereas the vendors of other taxed
articles are generally anxious for the reduction of
duties, on the natural expectation of increased profits
from larger calls, the wine trade neither ask nor
want a reduction of the duties on wine—for more is
made by the present mixings, and adulterations, and
"adapting the wine to the English palate," than they
could expect to make in the regular course of business
without " these means and appliances to boot."
If foreigners expect that we shall reduce these
duties, without their admitting British manufactures at
corresponding low rates, they cherish a vain expecta-
tion. Mr. DISRAELI has authoritatively announced
that be will consent to no such thing. If foreigners
want to multiply their wine exports by ten or twelve,
they must commence by making their tariffs friendly
to us. Of all the wine producing countries, Portugal
alone has an idea of entering into a liberal system of
commercial policy. It is stated that several impor-
tant modifications of ber tariff are proposed, one
of which would reduce the export-duty on
port wine from 6W. per pipe to 63., which
would speedily lead to the total abolition of that
duty. But more than this must be done. The
"protective" duties, in Portugal, against British
manufactures and produce, range at from 50 to 100
per
to the
Contraband trade is the inevitable result,
great loss of the Portuguese revenue. We
recommend Portugal to be " up and stirring" in this
matter of reduced 1
where it is insao popular in
on imports to and exports
from Great Brit
course o
by French wines. Port wine, however "tawny,"
is by no means
puflar in this country as it was,
It may
fraudulently supplanted
anxiousma to
become the policy of
France—avowedlyliberal
oconciliate and stand
well with England—to
adopt a
system of com-
mercial policy, which would
is w a
and produce.
French wines forißritish manufactures
Toe 44 English palate," too,fair exchange of
ceasing to relish the
"full flavour" of the brandied port-wine which we
receive from Portugal. In a few years, the
purer
wines °Mance will have been substituted for "the
intoxicating dark fluid" (immortalized by gitummzes
significant description), which has so long been sup-
plied to us by Portugal.

and
stronglycon
n beenbss
dernlnnterdam. upraulbbliucrioapl
opinion
a scectu
is
ne ds,
o tried,v very
ry
against it, that even the Legislature, always slow in
its onslaught against proved abuses, and always tardy
in measures of reform, has solemnly denounced it by
indeed require,
Statute. The health of the living does
and even demand, that future interments shall take
place out of town. With the unhappy probability of
a visitation, next year, from the Cholera—which has
been among us, like a devastating plague, twice dur-
ing the last twenty years—it especially behoves the
Public to see that proper and efficient means of
extz amural burial be supplied ; and we are happy
to find that great desideratum judiciously pro-
vial Jul. The London Necropolis and National Mauso-
leu rn A4sociation have purchased 2,000 acres at
W"king Common, in Surrey, about six-and-twenty
mLles from town, and accessible, by the South-
We stern Railway, in five-and-twenty minutes from
London.
Of this, one thousand acres will imme-
diately be set apart for the reception of the mortality
of the metropolis.
On Tuesday a numerous company, chiefly consist.
ing of the represkntatives of metropolitan parishes, to-
get, 'ter with clergymen of various persuasions, went to ,
wo king, on the invitation of the above-named Asso-
ciat. 1,:ln, to inspect the site of this proposed Necropolis. i
An is lea which had got abroad, that the low awampy
grow, ad opposite the Woking station was the site of
the. it tended burial-ground, was speedily removed,