The Sun.
London, England, 1865-07-31 00:00:00

nufacture for unhealthiness, are actually more
favourable than the average of the kingdom. But '
in contrast to these cities we have Liverpool with
an annual death-rate of 3F25 per 1,000, Glasgow
with 30.65, and Manchester with 29.31 per 1,000
The annual average throughout the country has
been only 22.2 per 1,000 during the last ten years,
so that these three cities fall very far short of the
general rate of health. The local authorities would
do well to examine a little more closely into
the causes of this marked difference. If
the mortality of London can be brought so near
the average, and that of Birmingham is actually
less, Liverpool and Glasgow can plead no excuse
for their heavy death-rate. The marriages give, as
usual some curious revelations of the whims and
vagaries of the votaries of Hymen. The marriage
of septuagenarians seems to be coming into fashion,
177 men and 242 women over threescore years and
ten having undertaken the cares of wedded life ;
in 14 of these cases the bride or bridegroom was
over 80, and in one instance the gentleman was
92, and the lady had reached the suitable age of 81 !
Equally extravagant on the other hand are the mar-
riage of boys and girls under sixteen. And it is no
great matter for national congratulation that so
many absurd and unsuitable unions should have
taken place:at both ends of the journey of life ! It
is a curious fact for the readers of enigmas that the
gloomy autumn season is by far the most frequently
chosen for the splendours of wedding favours and
the delights of bride cake. In opposition to the
French theory of the English November, there are
15,000 more marriages in the December quarter than
in the March quarter. This can hardly be explained
by the favourite theory that the number of
marriages shows the prosperity of the working
classes, since the summer season of the year is far
more favourable to employment. The births in
the June quarter were 262,367, and it is another
curious fact that they are generally more numerous
in the first half of the year. The Registrar-General,
with his army of figures, continues to enforce a good
many morals, and the statesman reformer, the
doctor, the philanthropist, and even the meterolo-
gist, will find a good deal to ponder over in his
suggestive pages.

-- -
The Surrender of the Stonewall•

The following is the text of the correspondence
between the United States Government and the
Spanish Minister at Washington in reference to the
Stonewall :

MR. TASSAIL, TO ME. SEWARD.
Washington, July 14, 1865.

The undersigned, Minister Plenipotentiary of her Catholic
Majesty, has the honour to bring to the knowledge of the
honourable the Secretary of State, that agreeably to official
communications which ho has received from Madrid, the
order has been given to the Captain-General of Cuba to
deliver the war vessel Stonewall to the person whom the
Government of the United States may commission, the
due formalities intervening. In thus acting the Govern-
ment of her Majesty judges that the reasons adduced in the
note of the 30th of May last are not sufficient to found
the right of revindication which that of the United States
believes it has over the forementioned vessel. Animated,
nevertheless, by the same noble and loyal sentiment which
it has shown during the four years of the war happily ter-
minated in this country, it omits entering into a discussion
without object, and the Stonewall is placed at the disposal
of the Government of the United States. 'With reference to
the security for the expenses to the commander of the Stone-
wall of $16,000, which sum having been considered as the
sole and special cause of the surrender of the vessel, it is
to be believed that the Government of the United States
will not refuse to reimburse it ; it being understood, never-
theless, that this is not a condition for the delivery of the
Stonewall, which delivery is and must be considered abso-
lutely unconditional. The undersigned avails himself of this
occasion to reiterate to the hon. Secretary of State the as-
surance of his highest consideration.

CiABRIEL G. TASSARA.
To tho Hon. the Secretary of State of the
United States.

MIL SLWARD TO MU. TASSAItA.

Department of State, Washington, July 17, 1865.,
The undersigned Secretary;of State of the United States
has the honour to acknowledge the receipt of a note which
was addressed to him on the 14th instant by Mr. 'l'assaia,
Minister Pienipotontiary to the Queen of Spain. In that
note Mr. Tessera informs the undersigned that her Catholic
Majesty has ordered that the armed steamer called the
Stonewall, which has been the subject of previous corre-
spondence between the two countries, shall be delivered up
to the Government of the United States, and that this deci-
sion has been made with a waiver of discussion upon the
questien whether the demand of the United States for the
surrender could be maintained upon strict principles of in-
ternational law. Mr.iTa.ssara has been pleased also to assure
the undersigned that the surrender has been ordered on the
ground of the mutual goodwill whichhas prevailed between
the two countries during the period of the insurrection which
has heretofore so greatly disturbed the relations of the United
States with many of the foreign Powers. The undersigned
is still further informed that while Spain will receive from
the United States, as they heretofore offered to pay, an in-
demnity of 16,000 dollars, the amount of the expenses which
the Captain-General of Cuba incurred in obtaining posses-
sion of the Stonewall, yet that the surrender is tendered
without making it dependent on such reimbursement as a
condition. Mr. Tessera's communication has been sub-
mitted to the President of the United States, and the un-

dersigned has now the pleasure to inform Mr. Tasea.rathat
orders will be promptly given for the bringing away of the
Stonewall from Havannah, and the reimbursement of the
sum of 16,000 dollars to the Spanish Government. It only
remains to be added that this Government appreciates
equally the promptness, the liberality, and the courtesy
which have marked the proceedings of her Catholic Ma-
jesty's Government on this interesting subject, and that the
proceedings will have a strong tendency to confirm and per-
petuate the ancient and traditional friendship of the two
nations.

The undersigned avails himself on this occasion to offer
Mr. Tassara renewed assurance of his highest considoration.
WILLIAM 11. SEWARD.
To Senor Don Gabriel Garcia y Tassara, Minister
Plenipotentiary, &c.