The Sun.
London, England, 1862-09-17 00:00:00

THE CHICKAHOMINY BA7TLP,S.

The order of General Lee, commanding the Con-
federate forces, issued immediately after the seven
days' battles before Richmond, has not yet appeared
in this country. The following truscript, recently
received here, is part of the authentic history of the
war, and may not be uninteresting to the readers
of the Sun. .

" (ORDER. No. 15.)
" Richmond, July 0,
" On Thursday, June 26, the powerful and tho-
roughly Equipped army of the enemy was in-
trenched in works, vast in extent and most formid-
able in character, within sight of our capital.
To-day the remains of that confident and threaten-
ing host lie on the James River 30 miles from
Richmond, seeking to recover under the protection
of his gunboats from the effects of disastrous de-
feats. The battle, beginning on the afternoon of
June 26 above _Mechanicsville, continued until the
night of July 1, with only such intervals as were
necessary to pursue and overtake the flying foe.
His strong entrenchments and obstinate resistance
were overcome, and our army swept resistlessly
down the north side of the Chickahominy, until it
reached the rear of the enemy and broke his com-
munication with the York river, capturing or
causing the destruction of many valuable stores,
and by the decisive battle of Friday forcing the
enemy from his line of powerful fortifications on
the south side of the Chickahominy, and driving
him to a precipitate retreat. Our victorious army
pursued as rapidly as the obstructions placed by the
enemy in his rear would permit, three times over-
taking his flying column, and as often driving him
with slaughter from the field, leaving his namerorm
dead and wounded in our hands in every conflict.
The immediate fruits of our success are the relief
of Richmond from a state of siege, the rout of the
great army that so long menaced its safety, many
thousand prisoners, including officers of high rank,
the capture or destruction of stores to the value of
millions, and the acquisition of thousands of arms,
and 51 pieces of superior artillery. The service
rendered to the country in this short but eventful
period can scarcely be estimated, and the General
commanding cannot adequately express his admi-
ration of the courage, endurance, and soldierly
conduct of the officers and man engaged. Those
brilliant results have cost us many brave men ; but,
while we mourn the loss of our gallant dead, let us
not forget that they died in defence of their coun-
try's freedom, and have linked their memory with
an event that will live for ever in the hearts of a
grateful people. Soldiers, your country will thank
you for the heroic conduct worthy of men engaged
in a cause so just and sacred, and deserving a
nation's gratitude and praise.

" B. H. CHILTON, A.A.G.
" By command of General Lee."

---
INFANTICIDE AND CRINOLINE.

-
Yesterday an inquest was held before Dr. Lan-
kester, at the Huntingdon Arms, llemingfold-road,
Islington, on the body of a nev-4 born male child,
found by a bricklayer OR a e-oor-step in Tollington-
place.

Mr. James H. Mitchell, M.R.C.S., said he be-
lieved it had. beer, born alive, and that its death
might be attributable to want of attention.
The Coroner observed that he felt he must call
the attention of the legislature to this fearful in-
crease of infanticide and concealment of birth. On
the average he held an inquest of this kind every
other day.

A juror wished to know if the coroner did not
think that the present fashion of wearing crinoline
was not an incentive to this crime, as women were
thus afforded greater facilities for concealing their
condition ?

The Coroner certainly thought that if that arti-
ficial style of dress was abolished facilities would
not be so easily afforded for concealing the condi-
tion of females, and when the eyes of other people
were upon them the crime would be avoided in a
great measure. As a proof, he opened an inquiry
the other day of a serious nature respecting the
death of a newly-born infant, where the mother by
aid of the pres,•!nt style of dress, was actually en-
abled to conceal her condition so as to be waiting
at table up to the moment when she was taken
with the pains of labour. Crinoline was objection-
able in many respects, and it was especially so on
this ground and:on that of danger to life from fire.
The jury returned an open verdict.

THB SUGAR DUTIES.—It is the cause of the mil
lion and not of the few which we advocate. The largest and
best customers of the grocer are unquestionably the lower
classes—the artisans and labourers, domestic servants; and
those of the operative ranks of society generally, in 1856
it was shown officially that the poorer, or working classes,
consume about 40 per cent. of all the sugar used, the
middle classes 38 per cent., and the upper classes but 22
per cent. The proportionate average carried down to the
present date would be found even more in favour of the
working classes. The total annual consumption per head
of the population in the Kingdom, which in 1856 was a
little over 281b5., in 1861 had increased to 351bs. The con-
sumpton of sugar has certainly not yet reached its limit,
and is largely dependent upon price.-71w Grow.
A. telegraphic despatch received for Barcelona,
and dated yesterday, says :—" This morning at nine a
waterspout burst over this city. The streets were almost
instantaneously transformed into torrents: Many horses
and vehicles were carried away, and men were forced to
swim in the streets. The water was several feet deep in
the shops, and some houses fell to the ground. The damage
is immense."

SUSPECTED ARSON NEAR CHESTER.-011 Satur-
day morning a fire of a very alarming character was dis-
covered at Cotton Hall, near Chester, by Mr. Roberts, the
occupier. About 3 o'clock in the morning Mr. Roberts was
awakened by a great glare, and on proceeding to 'his bed-
room window he saw that three or four stacks were on fire,
all of which appeared to have been lighted simultaneously.
Everything was done to subdue the flames, but in vain, as
far as the stacks of oats, wheat, hay, and straw were con-
cerned, the whole row, which consisted of 10 or 12, being
completely destroyed. The fire also communicated itself
to the farm buildings, which form a square, the greater part
of which were consumed by the fire. Fears were enter-
tained that the hall would also fall a sacrifice, and, had not
a breach been made between it and the farm buildings, there
is no doubt that it would have fallen a prey to the flames.
The building is the property of the Marquis of West-
minster, and is insured. Mr. Roberts is also insured, but
not sufficiently to cover the damages, which is very greats
It is thought that the fire was the act of an incendiary.
The lettere received from Russia regarding the
Nishni Novogorod Fair state that the trade has been good
generally, and particularly for overland tea, the price of
which has been from 103 to 119 silver roubles per chest (84
Russian pounds), 50,000 chests first quality Baichovoy
having been sold, while not more than 1,000 chests of that
imported from England have been disposed of. 20,000
poods of Gotten, Kiva and Bokhara, were sold at 12 to 13
silver roubles per pood, to be shipped to England.
DEATHS FROM NEGLECT OF PARENTS.—Yester-
day afternoon Dr. Lankester, the Central Middlesex coroner,
held inquests at the Barley Mow, Cromer-street, St. Pan-
cras, touching the death of John Robert Charles Bruce.
aged ten months, and Sarah Jane Augusta Badham, aged
four years, whose deaths had taken place under similar cir-
cumstances, It appeared that each child had been suffering
from the measles, and that its parents did not consider its
illness of sufficient importance to procure medical assist-
ance. The surgeons, in their evidence, stated that if they
had been medically attended death might not have ensued.
The jury, in each case, returned a verdict of " Natural
causes," and added to their verdict that the deaths were
accelerated by want of proper medical treatment.
THE LEE BROOK MYSTERY.—The inquiry into
the death of John Hughes, who, it will be remembered,
was found in a dying condition on a heap of stones and
broken glass, at Lee Brook-bridge, on the morning of Tues-
day, the 26th ult., was resumed on Monday evening, at
Wednesday, before Mr. Hooper. Mr. W. H. Fellows, soli-
citor, of Horseley Heath, again attended on behalf of the
family of the deceased, instructed by the Foresters' lodge,
to which the unfortunate man belonged. Major M'Knight
was also present. On the names of the jurymen being called
over it was found that Mr. Stevenson, the foreman, was
absent, and subsequent inquiries showed that he was out of
town. The proceedings were thus brought to a standstill.
The coroner regretted that the time of the jury, the wit-
nesses, and the other persons engaged in the case had been
so trifled with, and said he should inflict a fine of £lO upon
Mr, Stevenson, for he was determined to put a stop to the
practice, so common in this parish, of neglecting
th
oeusrnumed
mouses to serve on juries. The inquiry was then adj
to the 24th inst.—Birmingham Post.
THE BAXTER MEMORIAL CHAPEL AND SCIICOLS.
—The foundation stone of this structure
viaslaid yesterday
City of Lon.*
by Mr. Benjamin Scott, Chamberlain
of the
;tibe of -
don. The building, which is situated
Islington, in
ulwci Baxter-street, a
Lower-road,
new thoroughfare leading
off h
capableschoolsaccommodatunderneath
the vicinity of Ball's-ponhdetre'swill be
ing 1,000 persons, and
which will accommodate t
600 children. The
coutnot cos*
of the edifice is WOO,

711 E MEMBERS FOR OXI ORDSMIRE AT we must all sink or swim together. (Cheers.) That
W OODSTOCK. lis the principle to go upon, "Live and let live."
This sentiment should pervade all classes. If we
honestly give effect to it, we need have no fears for
the prosperity of all classes of our countrymen.
The right hon. gentleman concluded amid cheers
by again thanking the company for the manner in
which they had received him.
Colonel NORTH, M.P., next returned thanks, and ,
observed that the hon. baronet who filled the chair
had only given utterance to the feelings of the
county in speaking so highly of the right hon.gen-
tleman who had just sat down. He had had some
opportunity of observing the right hon. gentleman's
conduct in the House of Commons, and he believed
that no county was more honestly and more ably
represented than was Oxfordshire by his right hon.
friend Mr. Henley. (Cheers) Those whom he
now addressed should not forget that when he (Mr.
Henley) was the distinguished member of the Go-
vornment he did not hesitate one moment to give
up office rather than assist in carrying a measure
in which he could not honestly agree. (Cheers.)
In the House of Commons there were constantly
brought under consideration questions the details of
which it was not easy to master, and in respect of
which there was considerable difference of opinion.
On such occasions he had always found himself able
to adopt the course taken by his right hon. friend ;
because he found invariably that the conduct of
Mr. Henley was dictated by honour and honesty,
and was such as tended to promote the best interests
of his constituents. (Cheers.) He had once more
to thank the company for the kind manner in which
they had responded to the toast of his health as one
of the county members. (Cheers.)
Col. PANE, M.P., expressed his concurrence in all
that had been said of the public services of Mr.
Henley, and joined in the hope that the other mem-
bers for the county would endeavour to deserve as
well of their constituents. He had been much gra-
tified by the show of that day, and trusted that the
exertions of the society" would tend to promote a
general improvement in agriculture, and in the con-
dition of all classes connected with the agricultural
nterest.

WOODSTCK, TUESDAY NIGHT.
The annual show of the Woodstock Horticultural
and Agricultural Society was held in Blenheim-
park to-day. The Duke of Marlborough, the pro-
prietor of Blenheim, the members of Oxfordshire,
and other gentlemen visited the show and were
present at the ploughing matches also. This even-
ing the members of the society dined at the Town-
hall ; Sir H. W. Dashwood presided. There were
also present the Right Hon. J. W. Henley, M.P,,
Colonel North, M.P., Colonel }lane, M.P., Captain

Thornhill, Mr. G. H. Barnett, Mr. H. Barnett, Mr.
11. L. Gaskill, Mr. R. B. Hawkins, (Mayor of
Woodstock), the Rev. W. S. Brecknell, the Mayor

of Oxford, the Rev. Mr. Bartholomew, &c.
The usual loyal toasts were given and drunk amid
much cheering.
The CHAIRMAN, in giving " The Army and Navy
and the Volunteers," said that it was a matter of

satisfaction for the country that we had a magni-

ficent force under pay, who gave up their entire

time to the service of Great Britain. (Hear, hear.)

But there was further cause of pride in the fact that

we had a force of Volunteers who had come for-
ward and prepared themselves to defend their coun-
try gratuitously in the case of danger. (Hear.)
He felt much pleasure in asking the company to
drink " The Army, the Navy, and the Volunteers."
Colonel NORTH, M.P., returned thanks for the
army. He said that, having spent many of the
happiest years of his life in the land service of her
Majesty, he always felt pleasure when he heard
the cheers that responded to the toast which
the chairman had just proposed. (Hear, hear.)
He had taken some interest in the Volunteer move-
ment, and, as one of the members for Oxfordshire,
he had some reason for feeling proud of the state of
efficiency into which the Volunteers of that county
had brought themselves. In the recent prize con-
test they had acquitted themselves very creditably ;
and he felt convinced that they would do still bet-
ter in future. (Cheers.) He regretted that there

was no officer of the naval branch of the war ser-

vice present ; but, as that was the case, he would
take the liberty of saying that the navy of Eng- i
land had established its pre-eminence by deeds that
shone bright in history, and that whenever battles
had to be fought in defence of our Sovereign and
our homes, the army and navy had made common
cause. (Cheers.) The only rivalry between them
had been one in which the struggle was to see
which would do most for England. (Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN, in proposing " The County
Members," said that, in the first place, they had to
thank the right hon. gentleman (Mr. Henley) and
his hon. and gallant colleague for their attendance
there that day. He need not inform the meeting
that agriculture and the condition of the farming
classes were admittedly one of the most important
questions of the day. (Hear, hear.) By a rule of
their society, politics were strictly forbidden on
occasions like the present ; but, without entering
on political topics, he could refer to the services
performed in Parliament by the right hon. gentle •
man who had so long and so faithfully represented

CITY COMMISSION OF SEWERS.

Yesterday, at a meeting of the City Commis-
sioners of Sewers, held at Guildhall, Mr. De Jersey
in the chair, their attention was pointedly called
by Mr. Green, a member of the court, to a commu-
nication addressed to them by Mr. Pontifex, clerk
to the guardians of the West London Union, touch-
ing the sanitary condition of Holborn-buildings,
and with a request by the guardians that the
matter might have the earnest and immediate at-
tention of the court. The communication was
founded upon a report by Dr. Reed, the medical
officer of the union, made on the 27th of August,
and which entered in detail into the filthy condi-
tion of the houses there, fourteen in number,
arising from the bad state of the drains and
waterclosets, and the accumulation of filth in the
cellars, beneath staircases, and in all manner of out-
of-the-way places in the general absence of dust
bins.

Oxfordshire in the House of Commons, (Hear,
hear.) They were all aware of Mr. Henley's great
ability in dealing with social topics. The right
hon. gentleman was not content with applying
himself to the general prineinles involved in any
measure submitted to Parliament, but made him-
self master of all the details. (Hear, hear.) For
that reason his assistance in the consideration of
any measure affecting the farming classes was of
the highest importance, and the agriculturists of
Oxfordshire thoroughly appreciated his valuable
services. (Cheers.) For himself, he could assure

Mr. GREEN suggested the necessity for a more
regular and efficient supervision of places of this
description by the inspectors of the commission,
even should that call for an increase in their number.

The CHAIRMAN said his attention had lately been
called to the complaints of the locality in question
and others in the neighbourhood of Farringdon-
market, and he had put himself in communication
with the inspectors, the result going to convince
him that they had not altogether neglected their
duty, and that the state of Holborn-buildings, Ely-
court, and White Lion-court, was referable to the
incurably filthy habits of the people who inhabited
the houses there, and who were mostly the lowest
class of Irish. They had no regard for public
decency, and no sooner were any of the houses
cleansed or limewashed than they began to relapse
into the same dirty condition. He complained that
the guardians of the West London Union had in
this matter not acted in a way as if they desired to
co-operate with the commissioners in preserving the
public health. They and their medical officers knew
that the commission had an office at which com-
plaints relating to sanitary matters might be lodged
and remedy speedily applied, but instead of avail-
ing themselves of it in this case they had had re-
course to a step calculated needlessly to alarm the
public mind.

the company that he felt the greatest pleasure
in giving them the toast of " The County Mem-
bers," in associating with that toast the name of
the Right Hon. Joseph Warner Henley. (Cheers.)

Dr. LETHEBY said he was satisfied these com-
plaints of the guardians were due to a misconcep-
tion on their part as to the great amount of work
which devolved on the medical officers of health and
the inspectors of the commission. There were 13,000
houses and more in the City of London, all of
which were practically under the supervision of
the commission. They did not consider it neces-
sary to make any inspection of the better class of
houses, except under peculiar circumstances,
which seldom occurred; but, excluding them from
consideration, there were upwards of 6,620
houses under regular inspection, including those
occupied by the better class of the poor, which
were officially visited every three or four months,
unless when an epidemic disease broke out, and
then there was an immediate inspection, and those
used as common lodging-houses, which were regu-
larly inspected at least once in three weeks, and
made the subjects of weekly reports to the commis-
sioners. He saw no means of dealing with the evils
complained of except by increasing the staff of in-
spectors, and having a second medical officer; but
he would hesitate to adopt that remedy, because he
did not believe the condition of the public health
demanded it, seeing that there was now a higher
general state of health than there had been during
the corresponding period of the last six years.
Dr. ABRAHAM urged that in matters of this kind
the commissioners of sewers and the guardians
I would do well to co-operate in the public interest,
seeing that the latter employed a medical staff for
the treatment of sickness and disease, much of which
would be found to be remediable by the exercise of
powers vested in the commissioners. He believed,
by a little mutual
_assistance and co-operation be-
tween the two, the sanitary condition of the City
might be brought into a much more satisfactory
state than it was now. Both of them existed for
the public benefit, and were entrusted with the ex-
penditure of public rates, and each should assist the
other in the performance of its duties. He moved
that the subject be referred for consideration to the
general purposes committee, with power to confer
with the several boards of guardians, and report
the result.

thatthe oCnit
—----
London Union
City
of
f2d of June last
—the instance of Mr.Depet
At ‘,-w
.7 lIITESIDE, a re-
port of
read, o f a committeethee
eotf
there were large accumulations of filth of all kinds
in the houses in White Lion-court, particularly in
the basement stories, and that a person who had
lived in one of the houses there for the last eight
years said he could not recollect that an inspector
had ever seen her house, and she pointed to a large
heap of filth which had been accumulating for a

long period.
The subject gave rise to same farther discussion,
resulting in the adoption of Dr. Abraham's motion.
Mr. Deputy Ur
HITESIDE presented a memorial
nnanimonely signed by inhabitants of the parish of
St. Catherine
and overseen, Cree, including the churchwardens
stating that for some time past pre-
tended auctions for the sale of goods had been con-
ducted, at a place in Aldgate, in such a manner as
to be a public '
nuisance to the neighbouring inhabi-
tants, and to the street passengers, by reason of the
people in attendance on or
connected with them.
The memorialists prayed
that the commission would take the necessary steps
oa .
for the suppression of the alleged nuisance.
Dr. LETTIEBY, the medical officer of health health for
the City of London, reported on the state of 317
houses that had trzeii inspected since the last meet-
ing of the court. fie likewise reported that 386
visits had been made to the common lod i
g-ng-houses
of the City ; and he submitted a list or 186
places for sanitary improvement. The markets and
slaughter-houses of the City had been duly in-
spected, and the officers had seized 17,549 lb. of
meat, and 852 head of game and poultry, as unfit
for human food;
12,005 lb. were diseased, 3,667 lb.
were putrid, and 1,877 lb.
were from animals that
had died from natural causes. It consisted of 49

sheep, 13 pigs, 124 quarters of beef, and 73 joints of
meat. All of it was destroyed in the usual manner.
The keepers of four of the slaughter-houses in the
City had been summoned before the justices for ne-
glecting to cleanse their premises after receiving
orders from the commission, and they were each
fined. 281 births and 267 deaths have been regis-
tered during the last six weeks. The mortality re-
turns are less than the average (291) for the corre-
sponding period of the last six years. 108 of the
deaths were among children of less than five years
of age, and 43 were among persons of 60 and up-
wards. The chief causes of death were as follows :
—Phthisis, 32; mesenteric disease and scrofula, 22;
hydrocephalus, 6 ; pneumonia, 8 ; bronchitis, 10 ;
continued fever, 19 ; scarlet fever, 7 ; whooping
cough, 8 ; croup and diphtheria, 5 ; measles, 22 ;
and diarrhcca, 19, of which only 3 were adult cases;
altogether there were 60 deaths from tubercular
diseases, 18 from inflammatory affections of the
lungs, and 65 from diseases of a zymotic character.