The Sun.
London, England, 1852-09-08 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON,

should be undertaken at the expense of the State, and I
under the superintendence of competent persons. All 1
the arguments which induced the Government to order
the publication of the Angle. Saxon and Welch laws
might be used in favour of this measure. In 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
Rebus Hibernicis, published a few extrects 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 ha undertaken by auy
individual. It requires a long “me, a considerable out-
lay, and much co-operation for its proper execution.
Persons possessing a vernacular knowlege 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, juriiprudence,
arehmslogy, 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, occupying a large folio volume, which
would possess but little popular interest, and would be
consulted only by a limited class of historical readers.
Taking all these circumstances into account, we aro con-
vinced that, 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 labourers 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-
ingtha t inth theehabits
eyes
of
ff politician.tthheenht
and
actiont isp
prevailing
ltbg am improbableebg
the native Irish are reflected in the laws which they
framediereiga
infofiruentheeesna,seenlvdeate before they
they
yy were affected
clingby
with obstinate tenacity, even for centurieseont u continued
afterto the y
had been compelled to submit to British rule. The
Brehon Laws were actually appealed to so late as the
reign of Charles I. We must not, therefore, bo sur-
prised to find florae traces yet remaining of their effect
upon society.
" We would also suggest that good results would be
obtained by exhibiting the real state of this country at a
remote
period of its history. It would then be found
that false or exaggerated notions have been entertained
of the well-being of society and the advancement of
civizilation in early times. Ireland 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 dissatisfaction 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 Excellency's attention to
the accompanying copies of letters on this subject from
Mr. Hallam, M. Guizot, Professor Ranke, and Professor
Grimm. (Appendix A.) Other English 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 tho sum of 2001. placed at our disposal
by the Lords Commissioners of her Mojesty'a Treasury
for the purpose of enabling us to defray the charges ne-
cessarily incurred in the preparation of cur report. It
will be observed that the greater part of the money has
been spent in making the analytical catalogue, the ma.
nuscript of which extends to 538 folio pages.
" Repecting the several matters briefly touched upon
in the present communication, we propose to fay before
your Excellency more ample details in a report founded
on the mass of information we have gathered. It is our
desire to confirm 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, end to signify the latest time at which
you could permit us to present i' We entertain a hope
that your 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, &c., -
" JAMES EL TODD, D D.

"Feb.l9, 1852." CHARLES GRAVES, D.D.
" Note.—The Earl of Clarendon having resigned the
office of Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland a row days after
the preceding report had been presented, a copy of it
was laid before his successor, the Earl of Eglintoun,
together with a letter requesting his Excellency's in-
struction. To this the Commiss:oners received the fol-
lowing reply :
." Dublin Castle, April 27, 1852.
" Sir,—With reference to your letvr of the 22d inst ,
enclosing a copy of a report on the publication of the
Brehou 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 Lards Commissioners of her Ma-
jesty's Trec3ury. I am, &c.,
"`JOHN WY NNE.
" To the Rev. Charles Grams, 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, here its invariable companion; and
having been joined on Tuesday evening by two other
gentlemen with the same intention, we determined to
try the ascent the following day. Accordingly, we
left Caamounix at eight o'clock, our party consisting
of Mr. Sargent, Mr. B. 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 Boissons
and Tacconay, 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,
since 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
foour party, diminished to 17, left the Mulets, the
re party,
guides carrying lanterns. The tracing of
the
- path was rendered exceedingly difficult by the
81:1°1v being frozen over, but not sufficiently to bear
our weight.
mortification, The great Crevasse du Dome was reached at half-past
three o'for We sank nearly three feet at each step.
Exited,
earlyoverff which an avalanche falling in
spring
the only passage. To our
unspeakabl
lanche no longer
discover some othere we found that this ava-
lanche and that we should have to
, the most
success, when
parties, we examined „r°llte• Dividing into small
doable for nine hollers
place that seemed when
Michael
pasthiaogaet daring of our
Michael Irene Coutet
being
guides,
said he thought
a littler?ute thither,
preceding, advanced,
rceuv ta sis ne
the wall of the Dome de eeoutii
Inlghthtebce
avoided altogether. We then traced ati'led
and by that time, the evening
hour as
we returned to the Mulets, which We lett
the
nest
morning at the same the .xt
700 feet, one of the guides, Having
shortly afterwards reached the terrible Dome. g, and
ascended about
with ropes, commenced cutting. a groove in the ''
lying horizontally. This per-
pendicularopera-
tion, wall of ice, of just width and height enough
to admit the body
tion, changing the guides every five minutes, occupied
about two hours, in wbich 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 peaks appearing above them were distinctly
visible.

Opposite us were the St. Bernard range, and to
our right Piedmont and the endless plains of Lora-
brd3r. 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
to reach
as quarter of a mile. It was then about 10 o'clock,
nd, havin,
on,y
i ten minutes more walking
in breathin
thce summit, we stopped a few mo-
ments to rest. I experienced some difficulty
g, but neither my companions nor
the guides seemed to suffer much incon-
venience. I
all our ho Rejoicing en in the speedy accomplishment of
. -, we again put ourselves 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 darlcness and such was the
violence of the wind that cur footsteps in the soft
snow were no sooner made than they were effaced.
We waited a few moments, and then made a
desperate effort to advance iia the teeth Qf ti

storm, but in vain ; after a fair fight we were de-
feated, and obliged to retreat. In a short time
we again renewed the bard contest, but with the
same result. The tourmente raged with awful vio-
lence ; we could scarcely keep our feet, bolding on
by each other ; and the guides, suddenly exclaiming,
" Si les traces sont effaces nous serons tous perdus,"
best 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 ifin triumph, for the remainder of
the day, and we sulkily bent our course towards Cha-
mounix, where we arrived at nine o'clock the same
evening.
Aug.vari d 28.
fromj °9114N i nUtshs eusEURn. a t
a nTo
dubnemi xtuh,
ieSertamat utoamr dbeaetyleo,rw
zero near the summit.
theePhG.Sarn:

MORTALITY in the METROPOLIS.
NUMBER OF DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES REGISTERED IN
THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, SEPT. 4, 1852.
Epidemic, Endemic, and Contagious Diseases ...*2.52
Diseases of Uncertain Seat ... 43
Tubercular Diseases ... ... 169
Diseases of the Brain, Nerves, and Senses... ••• 1.12
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 Digestion... ... ... 63
Diseases of the Kidneys, &c.
Childbirth, Diseases of tho Uterus, &c. ... 3
Diseases of the Joints, Bones, and Muscles ... 9
Diseases of the Skin, &o. ... 2
Malformations... ••• ••• ••• ••• •• • 5
Premature Birth ... 32
Atrophy
Old Age ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• 34
Sudden ... 5
Violence, Privation, Cold, and Intemperance 56
Causes not specified ... 4

DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES ...

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
6outh Districts.. 616,635 ... 273 ... 255

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