The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-08 00:00:00

INFANTICIDE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

In conclusion, I have the pleasure to inform you
that a society is in course of formation to grapple
with the increasing evil of infanticide, and I trust
it will meet with such support from the public, as
to enable it to try if it is possible to remove the
present stigma attaching to us as a civilised nation.
—I remain, Sir, your obedient servant,

EAGLE EYE.

Islington, Sept. 5.

An influential preliminary meeting to deal with
,he increasing evil of infanticide was held yesterday
;the 3d inst.), at 16, Craven-street, Strand, whe❑
;he following resolutions were unanimously carried :

" That this meeting having considered with painful in-
terest the various causes which conduce to the commission
of the crime of infanticide, is of opinion that a society should
be formed with a view to devise means of checking an evil
which is now prevalent to a degree loudly calling for imme-
diate remedial measures.

"That a committee be appointed, consisting of those now
present, with power to add to their number, and that the
names of a president and vice-president be submitted at the
next meeting; and that a draft of the rules and regula-
tions for the management of the society be prepared and laid
before the same meeting.
"That the prospectus (which described the causes which
led to infanticide and the probable remedies) embodies
many of the views of this meeting; but that it will conduce
to the objects of this society if gentlemen wi,l come to the
next meeting prepared with papers containing their ma-
tured sentiments upon this most important subject.
" That a ladies' committee be appointed at the next meet-
ing,and that ladies be earnestly invited to co-operate in this
beneficent movement.

" That a subscription of 10s. 6d. annually, or a donation
of £•5 ss, constitute the subscriber or donor a member of the
society.

" That the Bank of London be requested to receive sub-
scriptions.

"That the next meeting be held at 16, Craven street,
Strand, on the 17th inst., at four o'clock p.m.
" That the cordial thanks of this meeting be given to
George Greaves, Esq., for his able conduct in the chair."
The meeting was exceedingly unanimous through
out, and the suggestion made by Lord Raynham,
that it be amalgamated with a kindred institution,
was well received, and will be considered at a future
meeting. Standard, Sept. 4, 1863.

THE LATE SIR FREDERICK SLADE.—With refe-
rence to the paragraph that has gone the round
of the papers we are informed, on unexceptional authority,
that it is a tissue of invention, unfounded in fact. The late
Sir Frederick Slade was married once, and only once, to
his wife Barbara, only sister of Lord Vaux, of Harrowden,
at George's, Hanover-square, openly ana publicly. His
eldest son, Captain Sir Alfred Slade, Bert., has succeeded
to his estate and title, and is prepared to defend them.—
Western limes.
SNOW IN HARVEST.—Snow fell in Nottingham
on Sunday morning, and in the afternoon rain
set in and continued to come down heavily during the night.
There is still a considerable quantity of corn ungathered in
this district.--INotlingham Guardian.
MEMORIAL TO ISAAK WALToN.—The inhabitants
of Stafford are making an effort to obtein subscriptions to
erect a memorial to their townsman, Isaac Walton, of pis-
catorial celebrity.
THE SEWING MACIIINE.—A periodical has now
been issued with the strange but explicit title of the
Sewing Machine.

A :JUDGMENT, it has been oddly remarked, has
just befallen Mr. Lush, for using such a
superabundance of eloquence in the late case of Woolley
versus Pole. He lost his portmanteau immediately after
the trial, with the whole of his scenic decorations as Q.C.,
wig and gown. The former is worth at least ZlO, the latter
£2.0. What is more, there was a court suit, with the collar
well greased with white powder, within the portmanteau,
and a lot of legal kickshaws.

Several wealthy Mexicans in Paris are said to
have been ruined by the Paebla confiscations. Ono family,
recently possessing nearly £60,090 a year, is d2-scribed as
being now in such kgraitened circumstances that its members
are compelled to live in a small cottage.
Prince Metternich, the Austrian Ambassador at
Paris, will remain at his chateau, Johnannisberg, on the
Rhine, till the Emperor Napoleon's return from Biarritz.
HOPE FOR OLD AIDME. SAQUI !—Mdme. Poitevin
is about to make an ascent at Madrid on a horse, and
another on a bull. The balloon which is to carry up the
strange pair was expected from Paris.
The Czar's brother, the Archduke Constantine
(late of Warsaw), is reported to have received an invitation
from St. Cloud to join the autumnal shooting party in the
forest of Compiegne.
The wing of the Tuileries called Pavillon Marson
is getting ready for the reception of King George I. of
Greece, who is expected in Paris next week.
THE Sou'ruEr.:m CORRESPONDENT OF THE TIMES.
--The announcement recently copied into our columns
from a Scotch newspaper in reference to the identity of the
above admirable writer, might, it would appear, quite as
reasonably have declared him to be the notorious General
Butler as that he was Lieut. Butler, the heroic defender of
Silistria, the latter having, years ago, been dead, buried
away in an honoured soldier's grave.

DIE Aumon OF ROBINSON CRUSOE.—The stone 6
mar ,ing the head and foot of Daniel Defoe's grave iu Bun.
hill-fields had become almost buried in the ground, and the
inscription, except one letter, obliterated. They have re-
cently, says the City Press, been raised and repaired, with
the addition of a suitable epitaph, at the cspense of Dr.
Rogera of Dalston.
GREAT Wi:STERN RAILWAY.—Mr.C. A. Saunders,
the present secretary and general manager, retires from
office, on a pension of 5.,1,250 per annum, which the direc-
tors have agreed to recommend for the sanction of the
shareholders. The secretary and manager's duties will
form distinctive departments under the new 'Vt./JIG —it
being understood that Mr. F. O. Saunders, the general
manager of the South Wales division, will succeed his uncle
as secretary to the amalgamated companies, and that Mr.
Grierson, the Great Western Company's goods manager,
will be advanced to the post of general manager of the
united systems.

FOREIGN VISITORS AT WOOLWICEI DOCKYARD.

rzi.raobne-t
—Admiral Mustapha Pasha, of the Turkish hope-
Tial Navy, yesterday visited the dockyard, and inspected
the cliafs,ecl screw frigate Caledonia and various depart-
meats
.of the establishment, accompanied by Commodote-
S,uperintendent Sir F. W. E. Nicolson. The Marquis of
fcidtiaaltyinLetißozopnrovviodned IwioitffhegAanthatei,rattitnydorodtehresr,
foreigners
also visited the dockyard,

will be more amenable to the claims of a large por-
tion of the community, or that some other Minister
may fill his place, more alive to the demands and
desires of the classes referred to, and also more im-
pressed with the necessities of the case. No mis-
take that a Statesman makes can be more fatal
to his reputation, or more hurtful to those under
his rule than to ignore the interests of the humbler
classes. There is no reason 'why they should not
be equally th 9 objects of his solicitude, and the re-
ceivers of his services, as the greater or more opu-
lent members of society. They constitute an im-
portant branch in the aggregate, and it is a dis-
grace to the management of the exchequer that so
many taxes are made to press heavily and unequally
on them, the injustice of the case making its hard-
ships the greater.

Snt,—l trust you will allow me space for a few
remarks upon the leading article in last evening's
(i. e. Friday's) impression of your journal relative
to infanticide. It was in consequence of my atten-
tion having bsen attracted to the painful subject of
child murder by the public sympathy for Anne
Padfield on her trial for this crime, that I was in-
duced to think the returns of coroners' inquests on
infants under two years of age might throw some
light upon the subject; and upon writing to the
late Thomas Duncombe, Esq., and urging him to
move in the House for the returns in question, he
very kindly did so, and I was enabled by an analysis
of their contents, published in the columns of many
of your contemporaries, to rouse peiblic attention to
the defects of the present bastardy laws, besides
other causes in operation productive of child mur-
der. In this I have been greatly assisted by the
present popular member for this borough, William
Cox, Esq., who has not only obtained further im•
portant returns bearing on this subject, but has had
the courage to bring the question before the House
of Commons, previous to the prorogation, and
elicited from Sir George Grey his opinion that the
" moral improvement of the people" was the best
remedy for infanticide; consequently he could not
promise that the Government would take the subject
into consideration during the recess. Therefore your
lament that no member since the death of Mr. Dun-
combo had taken up the question, bears an appear-
ance of injustice towards our hardworking and use-
ful, though not yet perhaps influential member, W.
Cox, Esq., and I feel sure you will, by giving pub-
licity to this explanation, assist to give merit where
merit is due.