The Sun.
London, England, 1865-04-12 00:00:00

THE RUSSIAN PESTILENCE•

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Sir,—There seems to be an impression abroad, that be-
bause the causes of this disease are assumed to be local,
therefore the diseese itself will remain local, and cease
where its causes cease.

There is a great fallacy in this view. Local causes may
produce a pestilence which will spread over the world and
ravage the healthiest regions.
_ _

The cholera may be cited as an illustration. This plague
appears to have originated at a place called Jussore, in
India, where stagnant putrid swamps lie simmering and
seething under a tropical sun, and rank vegetation springs
up one year to rot the next, for ages together. The cholera
seems to have sprung from the poisonous exhalations
emanating from this source. Yet, when once it had be-
come developed it diffused itself all over the world, and
has even become a fixture in countries where,- scarcely
thirty years ago, it had been totally unknown.
With respect to the Russian pestilence, there is likely to
have been so much exaggeration on the one hand, and con-
cealment on the other, that perhaps we do not know a
great deal beyond the mere fact of its existence. But the
most probable and trustworthy account seems to be that
it originated in bad conditions of living, sanitary, dietetic,
and other.

Having once originated, however, and become developed,
it may not necessarily be confined to the area where those
causes operate. It may become infectious or contagious, or
both, for what we can tell. This must be learned from
experience alone. It may travel through the air indepen-
dently of transmission from patients to healthy persons, or
it may spread by means of contact, or inhaling the breath.
For these reasons every possible precaution should be
taken, not merely to be prepared for it, but to watch every
suspicious case which may occur. Anything at all mys-
terious or uncommon in the symptoms of disease in our
hospitrls, or among private invalids, should be carefully
noted by our medical men.

The best general preservative against liability to seizure
by such diseases is, to keep up the system, and prevent its
getting lowered by excesses of every kind—not excepting
over-work, and sedintary confinement too long continued.
Temperance, rest, " early to bed and early to rise," fresh
air, exercise, and generous living, are the best safeguards.
—I am, Sir, yours obediently,

OBSERVER.

ELECTION INTELLIGENCE.

Cart irmnifn:

HER MAJESTY.

WINDSOR CASTLE, April 11.
The Queen, with her Royal Highness Princess
Beatrice, drove in the Great Park yesterday after-
noon, attended by the Viscountess Jocelyn, and
walked and drove in the grounds this morning,
accompanied by her Royal Highness Princess Louise
and attended by the Hon. Caroline Cavendish.
His Majesty the King of the Belgians walked out
yesterday.

Her Royal Highness Princess Helena drove out
yesterday aternoon, attended by Lady Caroline
Barrington, and rode in the Home Park this
morning.

Their Royal Highnesses Prince Leopold and
Princess Beatrice went out in the grounds.
Her Majesty honoured Mr. Theed with a sitting
for the new coinage of Hong Kong.

-,..________

The Marquis and Marchioness of Bristol are ex-
pected to leave Pau the week after next for Paris, on their
way home for the season.

The Marquis and Marchioness of Hastings have
arrived at the St. George's Hotel.

The Earl and Countess Grey are expected home
about the latter end of next month from a tour in Italy.
The Earl and Countess Amherst and family have
left town for Montreal, the family seat near Sevenoaks.
The Earl Cowper is expected to take his departure
early in the ensuing week on his mission to Copenhagen
to present the Order of the Garter to his Majesty the King
of Denmark.

The Earl and Countess Somers were prevented
from attending her Majesty's last reception in consequence
of their absence in Italy.
The Earl and Countess of Essex have left town
for Cassiobury Park, their seat in Hertfordshire.
The Count and Countess de Flahault and Hon.
Miss Elphinstone de Flahault are expected to arrive at
their residence in Piccadilly about the second week in the
ensuing month, from Paris.

Viscount and Viscountess Palmerston are ex-
pected to leave town to-day for Brockett Hall, Herts.
Lord Brabazon left town yesterday for Brighton.
Lord Henry Lennox has left London to pass the
Easter. xecess at Torquay.
Lady Evelyn Bruce, who has recently been on a
visit to the Earl and Countess of Cardigan at Deene Park,
has arrived in town to join Mr. Bruce, who has returned
from the Continent.

THE PRICE OF MAGNESIUM.—This remarkable
• metal, which has lately proved of such singular service to
• photography, has just fallen at one drop from 255. per oz.
to 12s—a reduction of more than 50 per cent. In quantities
of five ounces it may be purchased at 10s. per oz. It may
be presumed that the increasing demand had enabled the
company which works Mr. Soustadt's patent to produce the
metal on a larger scale at a cheaper rate. Its employment
for other purposes than photography may be considered
near at hand. Manchester Courier.
Mr. GLADSTONE AND FATHER MATHEIV.—A
people's edition of Mr. Maguire's " Life of Father
Mathew "is announced. Messrs. Longman mention in
their " Quarterly List " that the following letter has been
received by Mr. Maguire from the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer :—" I have enjoyed an unmixed pleasure in per-
using your biography of Father Mathew. lam ashamed
to think that before you thus instructed me I had, in com -
mon perhaps with many others, but a vague idea of his
great excellence, and I did not know the great height of
virtue and of holiness to which he had attained. The
pledge' must, I think, be judged not so much upon its
abstract merits as with reference to the frightful evil it
was designed to meet, and thus Father Mathew himself is
to be regarded, with reference to the chief cause of his
public celebrity, rather in the spirit than in the letter of his
acts. Nit so regarded and so understood, what a glorious
career it was of apostolic labour and self-sacrifice ! And
even apart from the whole subject of temperance, what a
character have you shown us, in its simplicity, its earnest-
ness, its deep devotion, and, above all, in that boundless
love which caused him to show forth in deed and truth the
beauty of holiness,' and to present to his fellow-creatures
so much of the image of our blessed Saviour. I can truly
congratulate you on having known and loved him, of hav-
ing been been able to write of him in a spirit of such in-
telligent sympathy ; lastly, let me presume to say, on hav-
ing composed your able book, from ono end of it to the
other, as a true continuation of his living work, and in the
very temper as towards God and men which he would have
himself desired."
A LITTLE WANDERER.—Last week a child, about
two and a half years old, son of Mr. Walter Mac-
dougal, steward, Crookston, North Mains, was with his
mother on a visit to her parents at the shepherd's house,
Old Brock-house, a few miles distant, on the opposite side
of Gala. On Friday afternoon the child left the house, but,
being missed soon afterwards, search was made for him,
but he was nowhere to be seen. The house, we believe, is
situated in a somewhat lonely locality among the hills.
Intelligence was, however, speedily sent to Brockhouse,
also to the father at Crookston, and throughout the neigh-
bourhood generally. A large force turned out to search
for the boy. The search was continued throughout
the night, but without success. On Saturday, notwith-
standing that this is a busy season, Mr. Stewart, of Brock-
house, and Mr. Tully, of Crookston, North Mains, joined
in the search, along with all their hands. When the search-

ing party were about to give up all hopes of finding the
child, the shepherd of Corshope said he would give another
look over his grounds, and in going over a dyke he found
the object of their anxious search standing behind it in a
very pitiful condition. How the little fellow got there and
how he passed the night will not be easily ascertained.
The distrance from his grandfather's house would be about
two and a half or three miles, and the time he was missing
was from 4 o'clock on. Friday afternoon till 5 o'clock on
Saturday. Scotsman.

BUSINESS IN INDIA.—With regard to the Indian
telegraph and to the general course of business in
India, Messrs. Joseph Travers and Sons observe as under:—
" The commercial news hitherto received by the Indian
telegraph, dull as it seems, must, on the whole, be re-
regarded as favourable. Every one expected to hear not
only of a total suspension of business, but of a large num-
ber of disastrous failures, which would compromise houses
on this side, and also inflict heavy losses on some of the
least prudently managed banks. Thus far, however,
there has not been a single stoppage publicly announced
through this medium, and as the chief blow of the reac-
tion has now fallen, there is good reason to hope that the
period will pass over without any general difficulty. It
is true that this is nothing more than should be
witnessed, since although the last six months at
Bombay and Calcutta must have been fraught with
many serious changes of fortune to individuals, India
herself has sustained no losses. All that she has
experienced has been a sudden cessation of great gains.
For three years she had been making profits such as were
without parallel in commercial history, and, all at
once, these profits cease, or are brought down to some-
thing like an ordinary standard. She is not called upon
to refund even a portion of her previous gains, but
simply, as regards the immediate future, to be content
with such as would satisfy the trading classes of any
other region of the world. No one can suppose that the
present price of cotton at Liverpool is not such as to
afford an ample remuneration and an encouragement
to the Indian producer, who has also the guarantee that
even if peace should be proclaimed to-morrow, the devas-
tation wrought in the Confederate States, the loss and de-
moralisation of the negroes, and the feeling engendered
among the vanquished population, must be such as to de-
lay for a long time anything like a return to the usual rate
of production of cotton."

TOBACCO STATISTICS.—Tobacco was last year
brought into this country to an extent unprece-
dented in the annals of the customs. Of unmanufactured,
the quantity was 60,092,7681b5—an excess on that in
1863 of 81 million pounds, and on that in 1862 of nearly
201 million pounds. Ten years earlier the aggregate im-
ports were not more than 33,185,0351 b. Within the last
12 years there has been an increase in the supply of this
commodity equal to 80 per cent. Of manufactured the
quantity was 6,522,408 pounds, which is 21 million pounds
beyond that in 1863, and 44 million pounds in excess of
that in 1862. The computed real value of both descrip-
tions last year amounted to £3,360,490. The quantity
on which duty was paid in 1864 was, of unmanufac-
tured, 37i million pounds, being an augmentation on
tho amount in 1863 of 441,309 pounds, and on that
in 1862 of 24 million pounds. Ten years prior to the

last-mentioned date the total scarcely reached 28i
million pounds. Thus, in the interval of twelve years an
increase in the consumption has taken place of 32 per
cent. Of manufacthred the quantity was 164,3451 b., being
181,9661 b. more than in 1863, and 430,1951 b. more than in

1.862. Turning to the year 1852, the total was only
199,7111 b. ; so that this description of tobacco, mainly
Irough the reduced rates of duty which came into force

in March, 1863, exhibits an increase of a very remarkable

character—the quantity entered for duty in 1852 having
been nearly quadrupled in 1864. The actual sum received

as duty last year on tobacco of all sorts was £6,091,759.
The exports last year were of unmanufactured,
13,879,5661 b., against 10,413,3271 b. in 1863, and against
12,595,1551 b. in 1862 of manufactured, the quantities in

1864 were 3,448,4731 b.,. against 2,102,2981 b. in 1863, and
against 946,8651 b. in 1862 ; so that the augmentation last
year was very considerable. In the bonding warehouses
of the United Kingdom there remained, on 31st Dec. last,
771 million pounds—an amount greater by 9i millions
than in 1863, and by 141 millions than'in 1862.