The Sun.
London, England, 1865-02-18 00:00:00

Wim.

IMOII.

We have been requested to publishing the follow-
ing correspondence :

Althorp, Jan. 31, 1865.

Gentlemen,—l have had under consideration the report
of the committee which at my suggestion was appointed to
consider the proposal with regard to Wimbledon Common.
I have desired Mr. Foster to answer your report in de-
tail, vied voce or by letter, and to furnish you with the copy
of a letter which I wrote to him, containing the decision I
have arrived at after considering the various objections
which have been made to the scheme.

You will observe that I have made two important modi-
fications in the bill—one with regard to the management,
and the other with regard to my reserved rights.
Though they do not entirely coincide with the sugges-
tions made by you, they will, I think, to a great extent
meet your objections.:

I am of opinion that the enclosure will be an advantage,
and on that and other points of my scheme I should prefer
leaving the decision in the hands of Parliament.
I do not wish, from personal motives, to press the ques-
tions on which we differ, but I wish the public to have an
opportunity to select the scheme which will best suit their
interests.

I shall be glad to meet the committee, and discuss any
points of detail, as to the land proposed to be sold, or as to
the roads (which are not in the deposited plans laid down
according to my intentions), or on any other points about
which they may wish to speak to me.
If I can meet their views it will afford me much satisfac-
tion.—l have, gentlemen, the honour to remain, yours
faithfully, SPENCER.
To W. Williams, Esq., and others.

32, Lincoln's-inn-fields, W.C., Feb. 14, 1865.

. •
My dear received your letter of the 4th inst., and,
as you aro aware, I have, with the other members of the
committee who signed the report, had the opportunity of
since meeting Lord Spencer and discussing with his lord-
ship the points on which the committee had the misfortune
to differ with him.

These differences are by no means trifling or unimportant.
It is true they relate only to the mode in which Wimbledon
Common can be best dedicated to the public, but they in-
volve very serious consequences both to the public and tho
neighbourhood.
The most important points in difference are the follow-
ing :

1. The enclosure of the common by means of an exter-
nal fence.

2. The sale of parts of the common for the general pur-
poses of the scheme, including the extinction of the rights
of the commoners, and payment of compensation to them
in money.

On both these points the committee continue to entertain
very strong objections to the scheme ; and they trust, on
its being brought before Parliament, there will be an ex-
pression of opinion in the House of Commons in accordance
with the views of the committee, and that Lord Spencer
will bo induced to amend the bill so as to give effect to
these views, and thereby secure, as the committee believe,
the largest possible amount of enjoyment by the public
without injury to the commoners or residents, and without
any diminution of the privileges which the public have

rom time immemorial exercised over the whole common
—I am, my dear sir, yours very truly,
W. S. Forster, Esq. WILLIAM WILLIAMS.

INCREASE OY PAY TO THE SERGEANTS AND
CONSTABLES OF THE METROPOLITAN POLICE.—
The Commissioners of Police have granted the following
increase of pay to the sergeants and constables of the
metropolitan police :—Sergeants—The present number
(130) of Ist class are to receive 28s. a week, being an in-
crease of 2s. 6d. a week. The whole of the remaining
number to receive 265. a week, being an increase of ls. 6d.
a week. Constables—Those of the Ist class will receive
235. a week, and 283 are to be added to this class. Those
of the 2d class, an increase of ls. a week, receiving 225. a
week, an addition of 134 is to be made to this class. Tho
third class are to receive Is. a week increase, making
and addition of 783 is to be made to thisslass. The pay
of the fourth class will continue as at present, 195., but as
the number is not to exceed 900, 1,000 will be at once ad-
vanced to the third class, with an increase of 2s. a week.
ACCIDENT ON THE GREAT EASTERN RAILWAY.—
A rather singular accident occurred on the Great Eastern
Railway on Wednesday night. A goods train on its way
to Norwich was descending the steep incline from Ilether-
sell when one of the waggons was thrown off the rails. It
ran in this state for a considerable distance, until, coming
to a level crossing, it was singularly enough thrown on the
rails again. About 400 of the " chairs" supporting the
rails were, however, broken, and a large number of men
had to be set to work to repair the line, and on Thursday
one line of rails was only used for some hours.
THE PUBLIC EXECUTION IN JAPAN.—The two
men said to have been implicated in the murder of
Major Baldwin and Lieutenant Bird were executed on the
16th of December, and it is hoped that through their
revelations the other murderers may be detected. ' The
authorities endeavoured to keep the matter quiet to prevent
a crowd, but it somehow oozed out on the preceding even-
ing, and a large number of forbigners assembled. A corres-
pondent of the North China Herald gives the following con-
cise sketch of the proceedings :—" The door opened, and a
man bound with cords and blindfolded waaled through the
crowd, and made to kneel down on a mat placed before a
hole dug to receive his blood and head. The attendants
drew his clothes down off his neck, and gave a few preli-
minary brushes with the hand upwards, as if to stroke the
hair all one way. The executioner was one of the Tycoon's
soldiers, who had purchased a new sword blade, and had
asked permission to do the duty, and thus try his weapon.
After securing the linen round the handle, and carefully
whetting the blade, he took up his position deliberately on
the left side of the victim, and raising the sword high above
his head with both hands, let it fall with a swoop which
severed the neck completely. The head was held up for the
inspection of the chief officer present, who signified his
approval—' I have seen'—and it was then thrown into the
bole. The other man was carried in, and they appeared to
find some little difficulty in getting him to kneel in a con-
venient position ; but when his knees had been properly ad-
justed and his neck laid bare, the other executioner, who
had also petitioned that he might fill the office, advanced,
took his place by the prisoner's side, and, drawing the
sword over his head with an elegant flourish, inflicted the
blow as effectually as his predecessor." These men aro be-
lieved to have been members of an association sworn to as-
sassinate foreigners whenever occasion offers. They were
traced through having entered the house of a countryman
and extorted money and food by threats, exclaiming that
they were on their way to Yokohama to punish foreigners.
The proclamation posted up by the authorities after their
death mentions the crime as the groundfor their execution,
saying nothing about the murder; but it is understood that
they, together with others of their fraternity, were con-
cerned in it.

SOUTH AMERICAN OR JERKED BEEF.—The Lancet
of this week contains an instructive article on the
subject of South American jerked beef, which is just
now attracting so much attention. It discusses the
question of the mode of curing the beef of its composi-
tion, its nutritive qualities, of the best mode of cooking
it, and of its wholesomeness and freedom from taint.
For the sake of comparison it gives full analyses of
English fresh and corned beef. It appears that the
American beef is imported in three states, the dried, moist,
and the pickled. As it is chiefly the dried beef which
reaches this country, our observations will refer principally
to it. This kind contains about twice as much nitrogenous
matter as is found in fresh beef, and hence one pound of it
may be said to be about equal to two pounds of the latter.
This consideration reduces the cost, virtually, from three-
pence, the price at which it is sold, to three halfpence per
pound. The comparison of this beef with fresh beef is not
however strictly correct, since it is really dried salted beef
containing on an average about 20 per cent. of salt"; it is
rather with English corned beef it should. be contrasted.
It has been stated in some of the published analyses that
the dried beef contains less. than 20 per cent. of water,
whereas the mean quantity found in the analyses given
in the Lancet is about 32 per cent. In some analyses also
the amount of nitrogenous matter is set down at 57 per
cent., whereas it is only about 40 per cent. This quantity
would doubtless have been greater had it not been for
the large °mount of salt used in the preparation of
the samples, and which occasions a considerable loss
of nutriment, especially of albumen in the brine. The
further loss of nitrogenous matter in consequence of the
steeping of the beef in water necessary to render it soft
before it is in a condition fit to be cooked, occasions a re-
moval of between 5 and 6 per cent. additional of nitro-
genous matter, reducing the amount actually present in
the articles when consumed to about 31 and 35
per cent., as compared with about 21 per cent. present
in fresh or unsalted beef, the latter also containing
a much larger proportion of that valuable constituent
of meat, namely, albumen. It appears that the steep-
ing removes about 14 of the 20 per cent. of salt pre-
viously contained in the charqui. These particulars
and figures afford important data whereby the value
of this description of meat may be estimated. First,
being salted, it does not possess the same valuable
nutritive properties as fresh meat ; second, one pound
of it is not equivalent, as has been stated, to
three pounds and a half of fresh meat, but rather to
ono pound and thi ee-quarters. Still, looking at the
price charged for it, practically but little more than
three-halfpence per pound, it constitutes a very
valuable and much desired article of food, for
the consumption of which an enormous field exists even
in this great metropolis alone. It is adapted especially
for soups, which may be prepared either by boiling out the
soluble nutritive constituents of the meat, rejecting the
fibrous portion left ; or by grating the moat into a coarse
powder, and preparing the soup from this material,
the whole of the meat being consumed. To the
taste of the stewed meat we fear that very many would
object, unless the dried article can be sent over in better
condition.

FATAL ACCIDENT ON BOARD SHIP.—On Thurs-
day Joel Burns, a seaman on board a schooner,
making for London, was blown overboard about ono
o'clock in the morning, while assisting to jib the mainsail.