The Sun.
London, England, 1862-10-24 00:00:00

the dead, and often mutilated bodies of infants just
newly born. The metropolis is perpetually literred
with these miserable evidences, first of all, of: profli-
gacy, and afterwards of deliberate homicide. In the
majority of instances, no doubt, of seduction, and
in every instance of cold-blooded murder. Mr.
DUNCOMBE'S paper having been moved for long ago,
duly ordered, and eventually published—is nothing
more to be done ? Since then, as we have said, as
we are perpetually observing, as the authoritative
assurance of the principal coroner of the county most
conclusively informs us, there is a regular and alarm-
ing increase of this woeful, and pitiless, and devilish
crime of infanticide. Child murder being one of
the most inhuman of all kinds of murder, at once
from the innocence of the victim and its utter help-
lessness ! Can nothing further be done, if only in
the way of an attempt to ensure a diminution of
the number of infanticides. There are several
things obviously that might be attempted to this
end. Are none of them worth even a temporary
trial ? Our boasted system of detective police might
be challenged to give the public fresh evidence of its
utility, by the devotion of a large proportion of the
and experience sup-
posed
t,
oo fbtehl
oensgk i
tl 10,
ista,gta: itthye,
investigation of the
evil sources of this plague-spot in the capital, to the
tracing out of this particular kind of guilt, and the
consequent diminution of the number of instances
which but for some such alarm would be perpe-
trated. The detectives should be put in this matter
upon their mettle. They should be called upon, if
only in vindication of their high repute (a repute
jeopardised in a great measure by the constant re-
currence of a crime so dreadful and so flagrant in
its character) they should be called upon, in vindi-
cation of their once high but diminishing reputa-
tion, to co-operate with the regular body of police,
in endeavouring to trace out some of the perpetra-
tors of this constantly recurring crime of infanti-
cide.

Again, there is a well known system, for
years and years adopted in France, in con-
nection with the beneficent edifices set apart
there for the Infants Trouves. The simple device
of the bell and the turn table ! In Paris the cases
of infanticide during the use of that system were
far less frequent than they have for a long while
been here in London. Objections might be raised,
nay, objections have been raised before now against
the importation to England of this very simple but
very ingenious device of the bell and the turn table
—upon the score of its being an encouragement to
licentiousness ! Objections as valid might apply to
the benevolent designs set on foot by generous
and gentle hearted philanthropists like that humane
Old Salt, Capt. CORAM. So long as the noble insti-
tution of the Foundling Hospital is flourishing
down yonder at Bloomsbury, it is idle to talk of the
mere fact of provision being made for bastard chil-
dren—being an injudicious, nay, more, a positively
pernicious species of benevolence, insuring the ac-
cordance of aid and encouragement to profligacy.
While the Foundling Hospital remains extant
among our charitable institutions as a Foundling
Hospital, it is idle to raise that kind of objection to
the adoption, at any rate the experimental adoption,
of little adjuncts like the bell and turntable. What-
ever else might be said as to the effect of its being
brought into operation here in London (if but for a
while), it would quite clearly and for an absolute
certainty render inevitable the diminution of the
number of cases of infanticide. As to the closing
of those nightly haunts of vice, which afford
beyond all denial such frequent opportunities for
seduction, the dancing saloons and similar places
of public entertainment—worse than whitened
sepulchres, gilded lures to guilt—that is a wider,
ampler, and more comprehensive precautionary
measure, upon the advantages of which it is
not in any way necessary here to dilate. Enough
for our present purpose, for the enforcement of
the ideas that have thrust themselves upon our
attention, if we add not another word to what we
have already here written to the end that something
at least may be attempted, with a view to diminish
in future the number of annual instances of infan-
ticide in the cities of London and Westminster.

TAXATION IN AUSTRIA.—At the sitting of the
Australian Chamber of Deputies on the 18th the Minister
of Finance presented a new bill based on the one before
withdrawn for increasing the taxes for three succes-
sive years. In deing so he stated that the deficit for
1862 would be twenty-five millions less than was at
first calculated. The year 1863 would commence with
22 millions in hand, and no recourse would be had to a loan
to cover the deficit, particularly if the proposed increase of
the taxes and the bill on the Bank should be approved of
by the Chamber of Deputies. According to the new bill,
the extraordinary addition to the direct taxes established
by Imperial ordinance on the 13th May, 1359, would ba in-
creased as follows for 1863, 1864, and 1865 :—The land tax
to be carried to five-twelfths of the ordinary imposts, and
the tax on houses, trade licences, the contribute arsi e con-
mereio of the Lombardo-Venetian kingdom, and the income
tax, to be doubled.
Major Bruce, of the King's County Rifles, was
nearly lost in a gale on Lough Dearg last week. His
yacht Lurline, caught in a tremendous gale on Thursday
night, was driven aground and abandoned. The Major,
Mr. Hutton, and the crew got into the small boat, and
after an hour's hard rowing amid the billows reached a
small island, where they were obliged to remain all night.
Some valuable articles were left behind in the yacht and
lost.

SUSPECTED MURDER AND MUTlLATlON.—Consi-
derable excitement has been caused in the usually quiet
district of the Thorne Levels, during the past week (says a
Manchester contemporary), by the discovery of the body of
a female in a ditch, under very suspicious circumstances.
On Thursday last, as some children were gathering black-
berries on the edge of a ditch which separates the farms of
•Mr. H. W. Godfrey and Mr. Charles Makins, on the Low
Levels, in a very lonely spot between the Low Bank and
the Hatfield Waste Drain, they saw an object which caused
them to call the attention of some labourers in a field ad-
joining, and, on their reaching the place, they were horror
struck to find the body of a female in a very advanced stage
of decomposition. She was lying in the bottom of the ditch,
with both her arms cut completely off, and they were no-
where to be seen. No weapons of any kind were found
near her. Information was at once given to Sergt. Gibson,
of Hatfield, who proceeded to the spot. Mr. J. J. Little-
ood, surgeon, of Thorne, was also summoned to make a
professional examination of the deceased. Her name and
address are at present unknown. An inquest was held at
Black Bull Inn, Levels, un Saturday last, before Mr. Mar-
ratt, the district coroner, but, after hearing the evidence
that could be produced, it was adjourned to the 4th Nov.
next. From the depositions taken, and from certain other
facts which have come to the knowledge of the authorities,
very little doubt is entertained that the deceased met with
her end by foul means. The police are taking steps to find
out her name, and where she comes from, and also the
whereabouts of the suspected murderer, and it is hoped
their efforts will be successful.

DESTRUCTION OF A BARGE BY FlRE.—Yester-
day morning, between the hours of two and three o'clock, a
most destructive fire broke out in a barge belonging to H.
Dudin and Sons, Springall's-wharf, Bermondsey-wall,
which caused a general alarm. The barge was laden with
a cargo of spirits and lucifer-matches. A man named Henry
Steed was so severely burnt in cutting away the ropes that
his removal to Guy's Hospital was rendered necessary. The
barge was eventually removed and fastened to a buoy in the
middle of the river, but the fire could not be extinguished,
and the cargo was therefore destroyed and the barge sunk.
EXHIBITION SALE.—A sale took place yesterday
at the Auction Mart, by order of the Imperial Commission
of the French department, of a choice and remarkable
assortment of wines, spirits, and liqueurs, from all the de-
partments of France and Algeria, which have been selected
from the finest vintage of the last 50 years, and comprising
above 300 dozens of Maconnais, Beaujolais, Bordeaux,
Rhenish, ins du Midi, and other superior wines of every
description. in Maconnais, the prices ranged from 13s. to
445. per dozen. In Beaujolais, from 265. to 368, and in
Bordeaux, from 28s. to 365. The sum per dozen in each
case was exclusive of duty and all other charges, which
have to be paid by the purchaser.
THE AMERICAN WAR, NEW YORK, OCT. 4,
R. A. Wittlians, of this city, received a letter from an
officer of Garibaldi's army, tendering the services of 4,000
or 6,000 soldiers and 200 officers, *o fight for the Union,
Tanhdey"ckain ivngarirfte in New
the State of
YorkN readyewYo equipped.rkwoul Theydengage will
have no difficulty in leaving Italy, as they have taken no
part in the late demenstrations.-2oronto Leader,