The Sun.
London, England, 1837-08-10 00:00:00

SWITZERLAND.

CASE OF MR. MATHER.—The Helvetic, of the 4th inst.,
publishes the following reply of the Government of Zurich
to the note of the British Minister relative to the succes-
sion of an English 'subject, Mr. Mather, lately deceased, in
that canton :

" The undersigned have the honour to acknowledge the
receipt of the letter your Excellency addrct,Fed to them,
under date the 4th of June last, with 'regard to the late
William Mather. Our Financial Council has enabled us
to give your Excellency the information you desire ; and
from the expose which it has laid before us, it would ap-
pear that the case stands as follows :

" Mr. Thomas Mather died in Zurich in 1536. He pos-
sessed at the time considerable property in the canton,
having resided in it for many years, and obtained, under the
name of Jacob Van Matter, the rights of a naturalized
Swis citizen. As such he enjoyed the protection of the
country, and the Government, whose duty it is to attend
to the execution of the existing laws, thought it incumbent
on it to take the legal and necessary steps, bath for the
security of the heir and the payment of the duties accruing
to the State.

" The sequestration of the succesion, and the handing
over the administration' of the property to the tribunals
until the adjustment of the affair, was a measure founded
in law ; and so natural that it was instantly ordered and
executed by the Court. The measure, besides, was the
more indispensable, as, at that time, there existed no au-
thentic act to prove, in an unquestionable manner, the va-
lidity of Mr. William Mather's title thereto. Having, how-
ever, from recent communications, ascertained that those
n o proofslonger
zaer n
re
pressov
tiNhleatwhiciro,lewe shall
oftile
itnhetheelapimossoefss theion State the
succession ; but then, according to our laws, the inheritor
is bound to pay a duty of 10 per cent.
" The said Mather, in his quality of testamentary heir,
has entered an opposition against all claim on the part of the
State. According to our Constitution and the organic laws
which form the complement thereof, all differences with re-
gard to the claims or rights of property being left to the de.
cision of the tribunals, which alone are competent, without
the interference of any other foreign or domestic power,
the State, from the commencement of the suit in question,
placed itself in the situation of a private individual, and the
revenue, like any other interested party, bound to abide by
the decision of the Courts conformably to the principle set
clown by your Excellency, and to the above statement, it
is obvious that it cannot be the wish or in the power of our
Government or any other Government to encroach on the
legal jurisdiction of our tribunals, who alone are called
upon to institute an inquiry into the matter, and afterwards deliver a definite judgment with regard to the claims of the
state, on the succession of M. Jacob Van Matter, deceased
in this canton.
" Though we might allow the judiciary operations in the
case to follow their course, we nevertheless deem it in our
power (inasmuch as M. Mather may be desirous from pri-
vate motives, to dispose of the fact of the inheritance which
lies in our canton), to modify the decisions, of our tribunals
respecting the guarantees required for the execution of their
decrees. We consequently offer to raise the sequestration
laid on the property, the moment M. Mather shall have given
the necessary bail, or obtltined the security of some respect-
able citizens of the canton for the amount of the duties ac-
cruing to the State out of the said property,in virtue of the
decision of the tribunals.
" We hope that these explanations will place in their pro-
pel. light the question at issue between us, and we avail our-
selves of the opportunity to convey to your Excellency the
assurance of our distinguished consideration.
" Zurich, July 22. " Signed."
The Con3titutionnel Suisse of the Ist inst., announces that
the English Minister replied to this note on the 25th.

THE CHOLERA AT NAPLES,

BULLETIN OF THE CIIO]
Cases. Deaths.
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15

.ERA AT NAPLES, 1837.

July

We have no further returns,
decrease. There were only 61

Cases. - nenths.
July 16
17
18
19
20 243 1 8
21
22 159 112
23
24
25

, but the disease continue 3 on the
;0 cases on the 26th.

ROME..
M E.
Extract of a letter from Rome of the 22d ult. :—" Al-
though the cholera is [milting little progress on the frontier,
the Government has taken all necessary measures for stor-
ing the magazines of the city. Great cleanliness is ob-
served in the streets, the drains are cleansed, and there is
a talk of opening the Ghetto, where the Jews live, and
where the population is so dense, that great mortality might
be expected if the disease should break out here. Seine
troops set out last n'ght to reinforce the sanatory cordon.
At Benevento, where from the 13th to the 16th inst., 33
cases of cholera and 17 deaths have occurred, the Cardinal
Archbishop has ordered prayer 3 to be offered up for the
staying of the malady. Accounts from Palermo, received
to-day, are rather more satisfactory, and the cholera there
has nearly ceased from its ravages. Several personages of
distinction have been carried off by it ; among others the
Cardinal Archbishop Gaetano. At one time there were 200
deaths in a day at Palermo. Persons of the upper classes
and medical men fled from the town, and the unfortunate
population were left to themselves. Some noble instances
of private charity are said to have been witnessed, and
they mention an English gentleman as having peculiarly
distinguished himself by his courage in attending upon the
sick with the kindest assiduity, both by day and by night.
This true philanthropist, whose noble conduct reflects ho-
nour upon his country, is a Mr. Cottrell. It merits to be
made public."

Accounts of the 26th ult. from Palermo confirm the
statement of the cholera being on the decline in that city,
not more than 80 or 100 deaths per day having occurred
within the five or six days previous. Every family in Pa-
lermo has lost one or more of its members by the malady,
which has attacked both old and young, sickly and robust.
On the 4th, sth, and 6th of July the number of deaths
was 4,550. The wife of the Governor Luogotenente and
the Minister San Martino's wife arc dead. The report
that the Governor was massacred, and that etesses were
committed against persons and property, is stated to be in-
correct. All the inmates of the madhouse died, and also
the director and six individuals of his family. At present,
however, a great improvement has taken place ; the streets
are no longer deserted, the shops are once more open, and
business has resume] its course. It is at the same time
stated that an extenvive mortality prevails in the country
parts, especially at La Baghiera, Abate, Coiini, Alcamo,
and other adjacent places,