The Sun.
London, England, 1839-08-29 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON. THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 1839

authorize any constables belonging to the police '
force appointed, or hereafter to be appointed, by
virtue of an Act passed in the 10th year of the
reign of King George IV., entitled " An Act for improving
the Police in and near the Metropolis," to act within the
city of London and the liberties thereof ; and in every such
case the constables of such police force shall be under
the command of their own officers, and shall have all such
powers, authorities, privileges, and advantages, within the
said city of London, and the liberties thereof, and be lia-
ble to all such duties and responsibilities as any constable
duly appointed now has or hereafter may have within his
constablewick, by virtue of the common law of this realm ;
and the said Lord Mayor may, at the request of the Se-
cretary of State, in any case of special emergency, autho-
rize any constable to be appointed under this Act, to act
within the Metropolitan Police district under the command
of their own officers ; and in every such case such consta-
bles shall have the same powers, authorities, privileges, and
advantages as if they had been appointed under the said
Act passed in the 10th year of the reign of King
George IV.
46. And be it further enacted, that it shall be lawful
for any constable belonging to the said police force, and
for all per sons whom he shall call to his assistance, to
take into custody without any warrant any person who shall
unload, put, or throw any rubbish, earth, ashes, dirt, or
soil into any part of the River Thames, locally situate
within the limits of the said city of London, or the liberties

thereof.
55. And be it further enacted, that the said Mayor,
Aldermen, and Commons in Common Council assembled,
shall and may appoint such clerk and officer, and clerks
and officers, for the purposes of this Act, or any of them,
in such manner and with such salaries or other allowances
as the said Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons in Common
Council assembled, shall from time to time think just and
reasonable. _ _ _ _

56. And be it further enacted, that it shall and may be
lawful to and
.for the said Mayor, Aldermen, and Corn
moss in Common Council assembled, from time to time
to appoint one or more Committee or Committees to ma-
nage and transact all or any of the matters er purposes
which they the said Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons is
Common Council assembled, are hereby required to do,
execute or perform ; which Committee or Committees
shall have such or so many of the powers and authorities
and discretion by this Act given to and reposed in the
said Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons in Common Council
assembled, as the said Mayor; Aldermen, and Commons
in Common Council assembled shall think fit or proper to
delegate to such Committee or Committees.
57. And be it further enacted, that the Mayor and
Commonalty and citizens of the said City of London shall,
and they are hereby required to, pay and apply, in every
year, from and out of their revenues and possessions, one
equal fourth part of the expenses of the said police force.
58. By this clause provision is made for raising three
equal fourth parts of the said expenses by assessment on
the inhabitants, the rate not to exceed eightpence in the
pound.
70. And forasmuch as it is reasonable that all public
buildings (cathedrals, churches, churchyards, chapels,
meeting-houses, prisons, and hospitals for sick persons ex-
cepted), and all vacant spaces of ground, should be rated
and assessed in a due proportion towards the expense of
the said police force; be it further enacted, that it shall be
lawful for the alderman of each ward within the said city
and liberties, or his deputy, with the major part of the
Common Councilmen of such ward, and they are hereby
required, at such time as the rates hereinbefore directed
to be made by them shall from time to time be made, to
rate and assess towards the purposes aforesaid all public
buildings whatsoever, and all vacant spaces of ground,
situate, lying, and being within their ward (other than
and except the cathedral church of St. Paul, London,
and the churchyards and ground within the iron rails en-
compassing the said cathedral church, and all parish
churches, churchyards, chapels, meeting-houses, prisons,
and such hospitals as aforesaid), at such rate as the said
Committee shall order and direct, for every square
yard of such public buildings and vacant spaces of
ground, not exceeding the rate of 4d. per square yard ;
and such rate so to be from time to made upon any
public building (not being a cathedral. parish church,
churchyard, chapel, meeting-house, prison, or hospitals
as aforesaid), or upon any vacant space of ground shall
be paid by the owner thereof; and in case the owner of
any such v. cant space of ground shall not be known or
cannot be found, then the said rate to be thereon made
shall be advanced by the Chamberlain of the City of Lon-
don for the time being out of the cash of the said City in
his hands, and the said ground shall be and remain a secu-
rity to the said Chamberlain and his successors for repay-
ment of all rates so to be by him advanced: provided
always that meeting-houses, not licensed, and meeting-
houses used for any other purpose than Divine worship,
shall be rated and assessed in the same manner as other
public buildings.
83. And be it further enacted, that. the Mayor, Alder-
men, and Commons of the said city, in Common Council
assembled, shall, and they are hereby empowered and re-
quired, between the first day of October and the 20th day
of November next following, in every year, to order and
appoint what number of beadles they shill judge necessary
and proper to be kept within each of the several wards of
the city and the liberties thereof, for one whole year, corn
silencing from the 25th day of December next ensuing th(
seid order, and shall direct what wages and allowance.,
shall be given for their attendance.
87. And be it further enacted, that it shall be lawful for
the said Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons in Common
Council assembled, to make such allowances .to superan
nuatcd watchmen, beadles, and patrols, as they shall think
proper; and such allowances shall be raised and paid as part
of the expenses of this Act.
92. And be it further enacted, that there shall be year!:
laid before each H 01132 of Parliament a true account of the
receipts and application of the sunis of money which shat.
be received and paid respectively by virtue of this Act;
and in every such account the sums which shall have
been levied and paid for the purposes of the police fore,
established under this Act shall ke shown separately from
all other sums hereby authorized to be levied and paid a,
part of the expenses of this Act, or under any of the
powers of this Act.
94. And b it further enacted, that from and after the
passing of this Act, and until this Act shall be repealed,
he ancient right or custom of electing ward constables in
e city of London shall be suspended.

A genuine Jonathan, who had long been paying
attention to Farmer C—'s daughter Sally, invited his
dearly beloved to ride to the store with him. They ar
rived, and after looking at all the pretty things, said Jack,
" Mr., draw me a glass of gin and sweeten it well with
molasses." It was done, and Jonathan swallowed it at a
draught, then smacking his lips, he turned around and thus
addressed his dearly beloved, " I say, Sal, that was darn
good, why don't you buy a glass yourself?"
MAGNIFICENT TRIUMPHAL ARCH. The
most remarkable object in all Africa, is a splendid tri-
umphal arch in perfect preservation, at Djimmilah. The
sculpture of the cornices, capitals and friezes, which are of
the Corinthian order, remind me of the finest works of Rome.
The inscription, which remains entire, informs us
that it was dedicated to Caracalla, and Julia, his mother,
in the third century of the Christian era. A few paces
from this are the remains of a temple, with four
pedestals, each supporting a statue, one of Severus
and one of Venus, but the other two are unknown.
Opposite to this triumphal arch, is a circus, still in
good condition. Sepulchral inscriptions abound
here, as in all parts, and everything concurs in
proving that Djimmilah, the ancient Culculum Colonia,
was an important Roman station, and in fact a capital city.
Near the ruins at Mons was found a fragment of sculp-
ture representing Roman soldiers, wrought in a pure
style. Not far from this were observed a number of
tombs, close to each other, four or five of which ap-
pear to be perfectly uninjured. The upper stones alone
have been removed, merely to admit of a search to the con-
tents, the Arabs having been satisfied with opening without
destroying them. On arriving at Serof, our notice was first
attracted by the ruins of a citadel, forming a triangle,
about two hundred yards by one hundred and fifty
yards. We counted ten towers on the wall, placed at un-
equal distances, and in positions to flank each other. The
stones with which this citadel was built, were evidently
taken from some more ancient structure, and we hence
infer that it was not erected by the Romans. Among the
ruins we turned up several capitals of a rude and irregular
order. There were, in fact, three generations of ruins. Some
of the towers have been converted by theßeys into silos. Every
opening in the sides is closed up, and the-corn-4a let down
from an aperture in the roof, which" when the silo is full,
is closed up, and when the corn is wanted for consumption
a new opening is made at the bottom, by which it is taken
out.—Recent Travels_ Nero York Paper.

MEETING OF THE BRITISH AS-

SOCIATION IN BIRMINGHAM.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
BIRMINGHAM, TUESDAY EVENING.
The general meeting of the Association was held last
night in the Town Hall, which was about half filled,
when the President, the Rev. W. Vernon Harcourt,
delivered, at the request of the Local Council, a very
masterly address to the audience. He adverted to the
thin attendance of Members of the Association in Bir-
mingham, but observed, as far as the efficiency of the
Sections were concerned, this circumstance would pro-
duce no injurious effect upon their proceedings.
Mr. MURCHISSON in opening the business of the
evening, referred to the address which the President
was about to deliver, and observed that it was the lumi-
nous, comprehensive, and masterly discourse which that
gentleman delivered at- the first meeting of the British
Association at York, which was the origin, as it had
been the mainspring, of the success and prosperity of
the Association.
The PRESIDENT then rose, and was received with
loud cheers, after which he proceeded to deliver his
address, only occasional passages of which, however,
were heard by the greater portion of the audience. He
alluded to the recent death of Mr. Corrie as an irre-
parable loss to the Association, and passed a high
eulogium upon the character and distinguished talents
of that gentleman. With respect to the present
meeting of the Association, he believed he was justi-
fied in saying from the manner iu which the business of
the Sections had proceeded that day, that the Birming-
ham meeting would not prove inferior in importance to
any which had preceded it. The President, after
alluding to the splendid triumphs achieved by science,
entered at great length into a vindication of the objects
and character of the Association from the charge of
irreligion, which had been brought against it. The
Rev. Gentleman then referred to the apparent
contradiction between the discoveries of geo-
logy, and the declarations of Scripture, observing, if
they looked at the truths of Revelation and the science
of Geology, each in its true character, they would find
that the utmost harmony existed between them.
The address, which occupied nearly two hours in its
delivery, was followed by repeated bursts of applause.
Professor PHILLIPS announced some alterations in the
arrangements of the meeting. On Wednesday evening
the model room would be lighted up for the admission
of members ; on Thursday, the General Committee
would proceed to decide the important question as to
where the Association would meet next year ; on Friday,
the excursion to the Dudley Caverns (those extraor-
dinary works of art which, by the kind attention of the
Noble Proprietor would be lighted up on the occasion),
would take place ; and on Saturday, the final meeting
of the Association would be held at one o'clock, instead
of in the evening, as had been originally announced.
, The meeting was then adjourned until one o'clock on
Saturday.

I\IECHANICAL SECTION.—There was rther a better
attendance of members this morning than yesterday.
Dr. Lardner took the Chair. The first paper was read by
Mr. Beart, on a new mode of filtering liquids, by means
of a perforated piston. By the usual mode hydrostatic
pressure was, with few exceptions, used ; but this was a
tedious process, especially when applied to the purpose
of infusing coffee ; besides which there was a consider-
able loss of heat. The present apparatus would remedy
this, by making the piston itself the filtering medium.
The packing of the piston, he observed, was capable of
being regulated in its quality and density in propor-
tion to the state of the fluid to be filtered, and the
fineness required. Mr. Beart did not arrogate to him-
self the discovery of any new principle in his apparatus,
but merely the application of one long known to useful
purposes. He exhibited the working of the machine,
as applied to the infusion of coffee, which seemed to
effect, in a very complete and satisfactory manner, the
object intended, the liquid being brought out in a very
pure state, free from the smallest particle of sediment.
Dr. LARDNER next occupied the meeting, by detail-
ing at great length the result of experiments made on
the Grand Junction and Liverpool and Manchester
Railways, with the view of determining the resistance of

railway ttains. At the time these inquiries were insti-
tuted, it was, he said, assumed by engineers that the re-
sistance of railway trains had no dependence on their
velocity. Their experiments were, therefore, directed
to the solution of this question ; and after numerous
trials they arrived at the conclusion, that the atmos-
phere played a more important part in the question than
was imagined, and that the resistance had a material de-
pendence on the velocity of the train. Dr. Lardner

gave some curious and interesting results of his experi-
ments on an inclined plane of 1 in 89, showing that the
velocity of a train of carriages of twenty-seven tons,
started at a velocity of upwards of thirty miles an

hour, was less and less the longer it continued
to move. He took that opportunity of acknow-
ledging the kindness and assistance he had experienced
in his investigations from the Directors of the Grand

Junction and Liverpool and Manchester Railways, who
had placed men, carriages, and engines at their disposal,
and without whose aid it would have been quite im-
possible to have brought their inquiries to a conclusive
termination.

GEOLOGICAL SECTION.—This morning the sitting of
this section was resuming, Dr. Buckland presided,
when the discussion of the subject of the sand tubes
found in the chalk hills near Norwich was resumed.-

The PRESIDENT read a very interesting paper, in
which he agreed in the main with the theory of Mr.
Lyell, but d.ffercd as to the mode in which the dis-
solving power entered into the sand-pipes. He was
inclined to think with Mr. Delebeche, that the
excavations or pipes had been caused by the fall of rain
charged with carbonated acid.
Mr. DELEBECHE exhibited his ordnance map of
Cornwall and Devon, and stated that the slaty rocks
of those counties had been proved to be equivalent to
the new red limestone. He explained the manner in
which granite was forced up through the slates, and
pointed out the nictiliiferous veins which intersected
the latter.

The Rev. Dr. WILLIAMS read a notice of the strata
of South Devon and Cornwall, combatting the views of
Mr. Weaver in the Philosophical Magazine for August

1839.
A paper was next read on the fossils of South Devon,
showing the great analogy between the fossils of the
Eifel on the Rhine and of Devon, regarded of the same
age.
Mr. GREENHOUGH exhibits the new edition of his
map of England, and expressed his pleasure in agree-
ing with Mr. Murchisson on the last question.
Mr. DELEBECHE complimented Mr. Williams on his
industry in exploring Devonshire. He estimated the
thickness of the slate series of North Devon at 30,000
feeri. The fossils from the limestone
resemblingtcontainhigfossilsslightlyo
i South the Silurian
fonDevon
are all different from those of North Devon. He con•
eluded by expressing his opinion that the lime-stones of
when
t
the
MATHEMATICAL
attendancefollowing
atbusinessKSi
nE gCT to: I.—
Edward's
0k place
al
Schooliceere was
a this
:—Mr.J.
S.
nume-
rousaumorning.s
South Devon were younger than the slates.
Rus-
sell read the Report of the Committee on Waves, which
evinced the superiority of the plan of building vessels
upon the system of least resistance, and gave indica-
tions of the advantage which the mercantile world
derived from the improvement. He also gave a long
dissertation upon the nature of tides.
ProfissorWHEWELL brought forward the Report of Sir
J. F. M. Herschell, on meteorological observations,
during which the learned Professor elucidated some
very abstruse problems relative to the tides, which the
scientific world had been formerly unacquainted with.
The following papers were also read :—Professor
Forbes, on the use of mica in the polarization of light.
Mr. Goddard, on the use of the oxyhydrogen blowpipe
in experiments on polarization of light. Colonel Sykes
on the meteorology of the Ghauts of Western India ;
Mr. Addison's meteorological observations at Great
Malvern ; Mr. Smythies on motion of free points;
Professor Whevvell's remarks on the tides of the Frozen
Ocean, by Lutke ; Professor Whewell's remarks on
Captain's Fitzroy's views respecting tides.
MEDICAL SECTION.—At the Medical Section the
following papers were read :--Dr. Middlemore on Arti-
ficial Pupil ; Dr. R. D. Thomson on Alkaline Dis-
pepsia ; Dr. Macartney, F.R.S., on the Modes of sup-
pressing Hmmorrliage ; Dr. Blackiston on certain sounds
heard in the Chest during Respiration and speaking ;
Dr. Folville on the Brain.
CHEMICAL SECTION.—At the Chemical Section the
following papers were read :--Mr. Spencer on Electric
Currents in Metallic Veins ;
H. L. Patterson, Esq., on
the same subject; Professor Graham, F.R.S., on the
Chemical Theology of the Voltaic Circle ; Professor
Hess on an apparatus for conducting organic analysis ;
Professor Schonbein on galvanized iron.
STATISTICAL SECTION.—Mr. Hallam, Esq., F.R.S.,
presided. Mr. N. R. Greg read a Report on the
state of education in Rutlandshire, from which it ap-
pears that in Rutlandshire there is a parish Church for
every 400 inhabitants. There is no Roman Catholic
population in the district, no place of worship or Sun-
day schools connected with that denomination having
been met with. Estimating the members of other de-
nominations by the 'number of Churches and Chapels,
and the number of Sunday-schools, which will probably
afford a fair criterion, it would appear that about two-
sevenths of the population belong to various sects of
Protestant Dissenters, the Wesleyan Methodists pre-
ponderating, while the remaining five-sevenths are con-
nected with the Church. In Lancashire, on the other
hand, the members attending Dissenters' Sunday-schools
decidedly preponderate over those attending the Church
schools. The return of schools obtained by the Go-
vernment in 1833 was very accurate, with the excep-
tion of one error ten infant schools were reported,
whereas there was not one found by the persons
who examined the county on the part of the Society.
;
The ten schools in question were only Dame Schools.
Taking the scholars of all ages, 1,119, or about five-
sixths of the population attend day ; and 1,920, or about
nine-sixths of the population rittend evening ; 1,276, or
about six-fourths of the population attend Su ic'ay chco's
only. The following comparison between the state of

education in Rutlandshire and other places, shows the I
advanced state of education in Rutlandshire, as a rural 1

istrict :--

SUNDAY SCHOOLS.
Manchester and Salford l7
Rutlandshire
York l2
Liverpool 6
DAY AND EVENING SCHOOLS

York..
Rutlandshire.
Liverpool
Manchester and Salford lO
According to this calculation, the palm must be con-
ceded to York and Rutlandshire, over either Man-
chester, Salford, or Liverpool ; for although inferior to
Manchester in the number and efficiency of the Sunday
schools, they supply a more general day school education
than is found to exist in Manchester, by at least fifty
per cent. and although not more than twenty to thirty
per cent. better than Liverpool in the relative number
of day-schools, yet the Sunday-school instruction is
more than double the proportion. The above calculation
is, of course, in accordance with the various popula-
tions. The proportion of superior private, and boarding
schools in Rutlandshire is small, compared with Man-
chester or Liverpool, or York. They bear a larger
proportion to the total population than in either of the
two former towns. The Dame and common schools
are attended in Liverpool by 5-17ths of the population ;
in Rutlandshire 6-25ths ; in Manchester and Salford
6-52. There are as many endowed or charity schools
in Rutlandshire as there are parishes.
Mr. SLANEY, M.P., said the subject matter of the
Report was of great importance, because it enabled
them to draw a proper conclusion relative to the state of
education in an important agricultural district, as com-
pared with the manufacturing district. It was most
satisfactory to find that 15 per cent. of the population
were daily receiving instruction. It was a very good
proportion, although by no means so extensive as they
could wish. The Report stated that there was a great
deficiency in books in the schools. He wished the Re-
port had stated the nature of the books used, and that
in any future Reports which might be supplied, the
nature of the books used would be specified. Another
omission he wished to notice. It was not stated what
accommodation there was for the children in the way of
play-ground. He considered it of the first importance
that all schools should have attached to them ample
play-grounds.—( Hear, hear.)
Dr. TAvLo a was happy to be able to state that a
great improvement had taken place in the quality of
school books used in his country (Ireland). Formerly
the children had only the " Seven Champions of Chris-
tendom," " the Irish Rogues and Rapparies," consisting
of some 19 volumes, with 19 volumes of a Supplement.
He had lately visited Ireland, and could hardly find a
copy of the above distinguished works.
The Rev. Mr. NL'NNS, in reference to the Report of
the Birmingham Educational Committee, said a Report
had been prepared, but as it had been hastily drawn up
it would not, he feared, exhibit the real state of educa-
tion in the town.
W. R. RANSON, Esq., delivered a most admirably
compiled document containing an inquiry into the cri-
minal statistics of England and Wales, from which we
give the following brief extract :
The average annual number of persons committed or
bailed to take their trial before the Quarter Sessions,
Assizes, and Local Courts, held in England and Wales
during the last five years was 22,174. The difference
between the highest and lowest annual number during
he period was 147. For the reasons previously stated
,he annual increase or decrease is no index of the pre-

... ...... ... .. 15

valence of crime, but it may be taken as evidence o
the operations of the laws. In this point of view there
was a considerable decrease in the number of commit-
ments in 1825 and 1826 compared with 1834 amount-
ing in the average of those two years to 8 per cent.,
while in 1837 and 1838 there was an average in-
crease of 4 per cent. compared with 1834, and of 12
per cent. compared with the two intermediate years.
But it is worthy of remark that this variation was only
different in the two sexes. The decrease during 1835
and 1836 occurred entirely amongst the male sex, for
the number of female committals slightly increased, and
the increase in 1837 and 1838 was more than four
times as great among the females as among the males.
The average increase of males during the last two years
of the quinquennial period compared with the average of
the first two was 39per cent.,while,among the females,it was
19.2 per cent. In consequence of this the relative propor-
tion of females to male offenders has increased two per
cent. during the five years. In 1834 it was 15.9 per cent
to 84.1 per cent., and in 1838 it was 18.1 to 81.9 per cent.
The average of the whole period was 7.2 per cent. females
to 82.8 per cent. males. The variation has also been
very different in the several classes of offences. In the
present tables the offences are divided into six classes,
which have reference exclusively to the Acts of Par-
liament under which the offenders are tried. They
consist of-
1. Offences against the person.
2. Offences against property committed with violence.
3. Offences against property committed without
violence.
-I. Malicious offences against property.
3. Forgery and offences against the currency.
6. Other offences, not included in the above classes.
A slight examination of their divisions will show that
the principle upon which they are founded is highly
defective ; and this has been ably demonstrated by
Mr. Symonds, in a paper read before the Statistical
Society of London, and published in its proceedings.
Another paper, upon the subject, by Wm. Henry
Romilly, of Manchester, appeared in the last miscel-
laneous publication of the Statistical Society of that
town. That gentleman's views, however, do not accord
with those of Mr. Symonds. The first defect
of the present classification consists in the defi-
nition of the offences, which is legal and conse-
quently technical. The same category, and some-
times the same term, embraces all qualities and degrees
of criminality. An assault may mean either a violent
attack by which the life of an individual is seriously
endangered, or the mere act of laying a whip on a
persons' shoulders without the infliction of a blow.
Attempts to injure or murder by stabbing, shooting,
and poisoning, are all classed together although they
severally indicate very different offences both in mode
and in degree of criminality, but the classification of
the offences is still more defective for the purpose of
usual investigation. It is based indiscriminately upon
the principle of the effect produced and the means
used, adopting sometimes the one and sometimes the
other, and not upon that of the motives which induce
the commission of crime, on the tendency of which
the act is the evidence. Mr. Symonds has suggested
a new principle of classification which we have adopted.
It appears that the number of offenders against the
person committed for trial has gradually decreased to
the extent of 19 per cent. on the average of the last two,
compared with that of the first two years of the period.
Malicious offences against property, compared in the
same manner have decreased 36 per cent. while offences
against property with violence, have increased 7 per cent.
and offences against property without violence, together
with forgery and offences against the currency, have in-
creased 19 per cent. The latter two classes are those i
which the proportion of female offenders is greatest,
and the forer of the two includes more than three.
fourths of the whole number of offences ; hence the
proportionately greater increase already noticed in the
number of female committals. But this comparison
must not be received as testimony with regard to the
general increase or decrease of particular classes of
'crime, for it is precisely that upon which the recent
changes in the criminal law has had most influence.
Many grave offences have lately been brought within
the jurisdiction of Magistrates, and the establishment
or remodelling of Local Courts and Petty Sessions has
afforded increased facilities for the speedy trial of less
serious cases which Magistrates were formerly unwilling
to send to the Assizes or Quarter Sessions.
CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENCES.—The first great
devision of the subject which deserves our notice is, the
nature of the offences committed. The classification
adopted in the official tables has been already described,
and its chief defects explained. Mr. Symonds, in his
amended outline, has classed the offences comprised in
those tables, according to the motives from which they
may be supposed to spring,andreduces them to four heads,
under which all conceivable crimes may be comprehended.
Ist—stealing, which he subdivides into three heads :
A, simple without force—B, by fraud—C, by force.
2d—Sexual offences, or offences arising from sexual de-
sires. 3d—Malicious offences. 4th—Offences against
the State, including A, stealing, as in other cases—B,
evasion of the State authority—C, breaches of the
peace and defiance of the State authority. This clas-
sification has been adopted in the following inquiry, with
some modifications of slight importance. Mr. Symonds
makes stealing the first of his division, because it is the
most frequent crime, and prevails at all ages and in all
situations. A different order has been adopted in the
accompanying tables. Several offences have been placed
first because they arise from a more simple motive than
any other class of crimes. They spring from a desire
to gratify a mere animal passion without reference to
any other person or object.
In theft, which forms the third class, the offence arises
from a desire to obtain possession of an object by which
some passion may be gratified. In the two preceding
classes the act affords only the means to that end. These
distinctions may appear to be too finely drawn, but if
they are correct in definition and in application they
canner, be unprofitable in investigating one of the most
subtle objects, the nature of crime. The fourth class
is the same as in Mr. Symond's outline, and includes
offences against the State, such as stealing ; by fraud,
as coining ; by force, as smuggling and resisting officers
with violence ; defiance, or evasion of the State autho-
rities ; by fraud, as perjury ; by force, as riot, and re-
sisting peace officers.
In order tc, afford a fair average for statistical de-
ductions, the returns for England and Wales of as
many years as the official tables have been prepared
with uniformity upon the present system, have been
-thrown together.. in most of the particulars this has
been done for five 7,-ears, but with respect to the de-
gree of instruction, the necessary information has only
been obtained during four years.

The total number of offenders annually committed
for trial on the average of the whole period was
22,174 ; of these only a small portion, amounting. to
537, or 2-4ths per cent., were several offences belonging
to the first class. All the crimes contained in this class,

with one exception, have been already concentrated.
The second class, consisting of malicious offences, is
divided into acts against property and acts against the
person. The former sub-division is identical with the
fourth class, having the same title in the official tables ;
the chief offences included in it are arson and wilful
fire-raising, injuries to cattle, and destruction of build-
ings, machinery, trees, and other articles. The number
of offenders in this class was very small, not exceeding
158, or less than 1 per cent. (0.64) of the total number.
The average annual number in the second sub-division,
which consists of assaults, attempts to maim and mur-
der, manslaughter, and murder, was 1,174, or some-
what more than 5 per cent. (5.3). This class exhibits
a striking instance of the defectiveness of the official
tables, in not separating attempts to maim from at-
tempts at murder, the object and qualities of which i
offences are wholly different. If universality gave a
right of priority in the classification of crimes as con-
tended by Mr. Symmons, theft ought indeed to be
Placed at the head of the table. It forms 17-20ths
(84.5) of the whole number of offences. This class
contains three sub-divisions. The first includes all
kinds of theft without violence such.as simple larceny,
stealing from houses, or from the person, theft and
embezzlement by servants, stealing of animals and
receiving stolen goods, and is by far the more nume-
rous, having contributed 16,663 cases or exactly 3-4ths,
(76.14) of the whole number of offences. The second
sub-division which consists of theft by fraud, viz., simple
frauds, forgery of deeds and other instruments with
the exception of Bank-notes, and conspiracy to raise
the rate of wages, contained 497 cases, 21 (2.24) of
the whole number. The remaining sub-division contains

thefts by force of which the chief are burglary and house-
breaking, robbery, or poaching. The total number of
offenders in this section was 1,579, and the proportion
to the whole was 7 per cent. (7.12) of which burglars
and house-breakers contributed 2 ads (4.54) The
fourth class, composed of offences against the State,
furnished 1,500 cases, amounting to 6iths (6.77) of the
whole number. This class includes coining, and forgery
of Bank notes, of which there were 355 cases, or

1:11 per cent. ; a few cases of aiding smugglers, riots, and
breaches of the peace, &c., prison breaking, and return-
ing from transportation, perjury, and administering un-
lawful oaths. The remaining class contains only 86
offences, or less than per cent. (0.39) of the whole
number. To recapitulate,—the proportion of thefts
was 84.5 per cent. ; of offences against the State, 6.77
per cent ; of malicious offences, 5.92 per cent. ; of sexual
offences, 2.42 per cent ; and of unenumerated offences,

0.39.
Taking the 20 principal offences in their relative
order, according to the number of persons annually
committed for each, they will stand thus :-
1. Simple larceny
2. Stealing from the person 1,539
3. Housebreaking and burglary united
4. Stealing% by servants
5. Assaults 756
6. Receiving stolen goods
7. Riot and breach of the peace
8. Resisting, or refusing to aid peace officers 579
9. Frauds, and attempts to defraud 425
10. Robbery, and attempts at robbery
11. Uttering counterfeit coin 3lB
12. Sheep stealing
13. Embezzlement .
14. Manslaughter
15. Rape, and attempts to ravish
16. Stealing from houses to the value of 51 l7B
17. Stealing fixtures, trees, and shrubs 163
18. Horse stealing
19. Poaching
20. Keeping disorderly houses
ZOOLOGICAL AND BOTANICAL SECTION.—The sec-
tion was this morning very thinly attended.
Mr. GOODSEER read a paper on the stages of the
formation of the teeth in Ruminants, and also offered
some remarks on that process in other orders of Mam-
malia, but from the low tone of voice in which the gen-
tleman spoke, we are prevented from even noticing the
result of the examinations which he made.
Dr. WILDE laid before the meeting a new method
of preparing the skins of fishes.
Dr. BELLINGIIAM produced a paper on the Entoyoa
of Ireland, under which term were included all the
animals which naturally and permanently reside in the
alimentary canal, which he observed had never yet been
arranged ; but he had detached and preserved two
hundred and forty species. He would merely produce
a catalogue.
Mr. PATTERSON brought forward a document on a
new species of Bcroe, a little marine animal of a jelly-
like aspect, and colourless, which, in the dark, pre-
sented a luminous appearance.

EVE ING IWITION.

DANISH CLAIMS.

RETURN TO AN ORDER OF THE HON. THE HOUSE OF COM-
MONS, DATED THE bill OF AUGUST, 1839, FOR A COPY
OF THE STII DAY OF JULY,
OF MINUTE OE TREASURI
1839, ON THE SUBJECT OF E DANISH CLAIMS.
IVIy Lords read the letter from :he Commissioners
ebruary, 1839.
of Danish Claims, dated the 6th of
in which they inform my Lords that 90 Claims have
been preferred to them for losses sustainea by the
seizure of British ships and cargoes, and for frei.,?ht
amounting in the whole to 524,747/. 18s. 11d.,
adding, that they felt themselves, in the then state 1
of the inquiry, precluded by their instructions from
proceeding to any judicial determination thereon.
My Lords advert to the address adopted by the
House of Commons, praying that her Majesty
would be graciously pleased to give directions that
the Commissioners of Danish Claims should pro-
ceed to adjudicate upon the claims on which they
have reported. The Viscount Melbourne informs
the Board, that her Majesty has been pleased to
give her -commands that such adjudication should
be made.
Write to the Commissioners of Danish Claims,
and direct them to proceed with the examination of
these several claims, and to a judicial determination
thereon ;at the same time inform the sever-al claim-
ants, that as their cases are excluded, 19: the
opinion expressed by my Lords, in conformity vv.jth
the advice of the law officers of the Crown, from
the principle affirmed in the grants already made
or submitted to Parliament, and as my Lords have
felt it to be their duty to decline submitting any es-
timate to provide funds for their indemnification, it
is to be distinctly understood that no pledge is
either given or implied by these proceedings that it
is the intention of this Board to apply to the House
of Commons to vote any sum on their behalf.

Call the attention of the Commissioners to cer-

Lain points to which my Lords are of opinion they
should advert, in whatever report they may uhi-
mately submit to this Board in reference to these
claims. It appears by the minute of the 4th of
November, 1834, that a full authority was given to

the Commissioners to receive all claims for losses
which might be presented to them, including no
less book-debts and goods ashore, for which pro- '
vision is already made, than losses sustained by
seizure of ships and cargoes. Under the latter head
it appears that claims were advanced by ten persons
only, to the amount of 19,5691. 7s. 2d., reduced by
the Commissioners to 6,6411. 6s. 102 d. ; whereas,
by the account now under consideration, there ap-
pear to be 90 claimants to a gross amount of
524,7471. 18s. 11d.
My Lords direct that the class of claimants un-
der the minute of 4th of November, 1834, should
be distinguished from the others, and that inquiry
should be made to show why the claims of the other
parties were not submitted for consideration at the
same time.
My Lords also desire that inquiries should be
made into tne fact, whether the claims are made
bona fide on behalf of the persons who sustained
the loss, or their representatives ; and, if made by
other parties to whom such claims may have been
made over or assigned, for what consideration such
transfer or assignment shall have taken place.
My Lords direct, also, that inquiry should be in
all cases made whether the ships and cargoes in
question were or were not insured ; and if they were
not insured, what was the reason for such neglect.
My Lords feel this to be more necessary, because
they perceive in the Schedule of Claims, N0..3,
where the loss sustained is stated to be the value
of the ship " over and above the insurance;" No.
33, the amount of a policy of insurance ; No. 51,
the claim of the London Assurance Company for
the sum of 2,3001. paid on the cargo of the Ceci-
lia ; and No. 82, where the payment of insurances
in 13 different cases, amounting to 2,8661. 16s. ld.,
is set forth.
In calling the attention of the Commissioners of
Danish Claims to these several cases, my Lords
wish to guard against expresSing or inferring any
opinion respecting them, or of excluding such other
matters as shall appear to the Commissioners fitting
subjects for inquiry and investigation.
Inasmuch as it is not the intention of my Lords
to submit any vote to Parliament on the subject of
these claims, and as, consequently, the remunera-
tion of the Commissioners cannot be provided for
in the manner adopted in reference to the former
payments, inform the Commissioners that my Lords
will make provision from other sources for rewarding
their services, fixing the amount to be paid in ana-
logy to the principles on which they have hereto-
fore acted, but considering this new duty as separate
and distinct from the functions with which they
have been heretofore charged, and entitled to dis-
tinct remuneration.

F. BARING.

Treasury-chambers, sth August, 1839.