The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-29 00:00:00

303 106

264
46f
11791

441/

51
42}
239 k

31
630
259}
714
44

4101
10791
9
254

138
394
754
305

575 453
88,829 80,665
1,617 1,50
16,953 17.C92
13,897 14, 40
3,625 2 661
rOO 270

984 1,022
18,255 14 240
1,242 1,013
1,305 1,405
2,014 2,253
41,140 37.765
3,9 2 4,13J5
1,623 1,636
2,586 2,055

11,447 10.,63
50,914 47.851
3,149 2,976
8,461 7,914
1,109 869

.983 924
2,070 2,065
4,468 4,267
4,950 4.746

-24
1671
161 k

541 336
2.975 2,',98
15,49) 17,751
6,738 5,443
2,321 2,016

141 151
2,381 1.826
3 8 345

930 1,065

800 798
1,079 3,435

676 5,5
1,053 933
1,034 801

1,163 1 697
30,0 e 1 27,764

,
3n 217
3,066 1,772
2,433 2,3:4

108/
110
1302 52,334 53,703
6411 19,042 1&,902
1090 18,136 19,553
495 10,624 7,717
• 134 3,799 4,213

4,730 3,809

79 701 355
315 13,399 11,959
447 5.243 3,703
490 16,101 16,121
91 1,784 1,925
697 46,549 48, 27
4 44 622 489

48i 387 321
1713 117,688 120,467
1494 60,679 66,288

68 1,288 1,250
1468 44.000 44,008
680 22,8+3 Z 0,671.
105 9,60 0,320
25 25

75 1,022 897
813 38,709 31,171

CONSUMPTION OF SPIRITS, &c.—The quantity of
home-made spirits retained for consumption in the United
Kingdom as beverages only, in the year 1863, amounted to
19,118,092 gallons; in 1862 the quantity was 18,836,187
gallons. The quantity of brandy imported and entered for
home consumption in 1863 was 1,916,434 proof gallons; in
1862, 1,700,156. Of rum the quantity was 3,419,756 proof
gallons; in 1862. 3,420,356. Of foreign and colonial wine
10,478,401 gallons in 1863, 9,863,028 in 1863. Of malt
44,638,893 bushels were charged with Excise duty as re-
tained for home consumption is the year 1863, 39,823,172
bushels in 1852. Every item was larger in 1863 than in
the previous year.

Tuu MALT•TAX.—The agitation against the
malt tax isbeing actively continued in the Eastern counties.
On Saturday Mr. W. Fisher Hobbs was the moving spirit
in a meeting at Colchester, and on Friday the members of
the Hinckford Conservative and Agricultutal Club made a
demonstration at Castle Hedingham, a locality which is
now during the Parliamentary Session at a comparative
discount, although is the autumn it periodically attains a
certain notoriety asa focus of Essex politics. Further meet-
ings are also announced for next week at Braintree, Chelms-
ford, and Saffron 'Walden. At Ipswich last week an im-
portant meeting was held, at which Sir F. Kelly, M.P.,
the originator of the present agitation, delivered a stirring
address. In Norfolk arrangements have been made for a
demonstration at King's Lynn, to which various notabili-
ties have been invited.

PHOSPHORUS AND CIVILISATION.—Consider for
a moment; every adult human being requires at
least four pounds of phosphates to build up his bony frame-
work, quite apart from the quantities used up in his softer
parts. This amount is sequestrated from the earth, and
never returns to it, Yet the earth without phosphates re-
fuses to grow plants. Think of the millions upon millions
of pounds which are drawn away from the primitive stock,
and you will understand why vast stretches of Asia Minor
are barren, why parts of Sicily, Palestine, Arabia
Felix (once so fertile), and the plains of Babylon, are
deserts. These lands have been robbed of their phosphates.
If Egypt still preserves her ancient fertility, it is because
the annual inundation of the Nile renews the precious phos-
phates. Philosophy considers this, as requested, and straight-
way begins to theorise upon it. She bids us remark the law
of history (she is fond of such " lawa"), that nations after
emerging from barbarism into civilisation, after growirg in
wealth, skill, luxury, and populousness, are always submerged
by some fresh wave of barbarism. The puny citizen, ener-
vated by luxury, cannot withstand the stalwart barbarian.
So it has been—so it will over be. All the skill and all the
appliances which make men formidible to beasts, fail to
make men formidable to barbarians. With knowledge and
wealth has come the corruption of luxury. It is that which
has destroyed the rude and manly virtues of an elder
time; it is that which makes man dissolute,
selfish, timid, without fervour, without patriotism.
Are you quite sure of this, 0 philosopher ? Is Luxury
so universal in civilised communities that nations no
less than individuals are enfeebled by it ?
Have the millions
been accustomed to Capuan indulgences? Let us abandon
rhetoric for a moment, and see whether the enfeeblement of
nations may not be traced less to the excess of civilization
than to the deficiency of phosphorus. It is a paradox I
set before you, no doubt ; but it is not less likely to be a
truth because it contradicts your opinions—which is the
meaning of a paradox. Did the barbarians always conquer
because they were ignorant? No ; because they were strong.
They were truly the " sons of the soil," and of a soil not
robbed of its phosphates, like the soil of old and crowded
nations. The civilised Roman trembled at the presence
of the gigantic Gaul; but the descendant of that
Gaul is so little of a giant that he now boasts of his
stature when he is four feet six I It was remarked by Pliny
that the Romans were rapidly degenerating in stature, and
that sons were rarely so tall as their fathers; but he attri-
buted this degeneration to the exhaustion of the vital sap,
not knowing that a Liebig would oome to proclaim the ex-
haustion of precious phosphorus.—Cernhill Magazine for
Ittarch.

MURDER AT FELSHAM.—An adjourned inquest
was hold at Feisham, near Bury St. Edmund's, on
Saturday, respecting the death of Frederick Browne, aged
three years, the illegitimate son of Julia Browne, a single

woman about 20 years of age. It appears that Browne
lived at service in Brettentam, a village two miles from
Felsham, and that she went on the previous Wednesday
week to the latter village to see her child, who resided there
with its grandmother. On the Thursday morning, before
leaving, she went into the child's room to bid him good-
bye. Soon after, the boy was found to bo very sick, and a
doctor was sent tor, but the child got rapidly worse, and
died the same afternoon. Mr. W. E. Image gave evidence
to the effect that death was caused by the administration
of sulphuric acid. The dress which the woman wore on
the day the child died was produced, and the front of it
showed that oil of vitriol had been spilled down it. The

jury returned a verdict of " Wiful murder" against Julia
Br3wno, and she stands committed for trial.

A NEW BRIDGE is to be built over the Thames at
Hatnptou Court.