The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-23 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 23, 1853..

and he, therefore, felt himself bound in honour to resist
this motion.
Mr. FORTESCUE was glad that this was not a mo-
tion for inquiry, but a; direct proposal to withdraw the
grant, as it would enable the house to come to a direct
vote upon the subject, and. at once put a stop to this
Anti-Maynooth agitation. The granting of a committee
would only have increased the excitement, and the cries
of "No Popery" from the Rotunda and Exeter-hall,
would have been unceasing. A stop ought to be put to
such eccasion for the display of religious intoler-
ance, and he almost regretted that something like
a statute of liinitations could not be passed to
determine at what point the Lord George Gordon• argu-
ments, which were usually imported into discussions of
this nature, Should be brought to a final close. Vast
changes had taken place since the Ma,ynoothl grant was
increased in 1845. Famine and pestilence had visited
Ireland--sedition had overtaken some of heryounger sons;
while, lastly, a cry of Papal aggression had spread diisMay
from one end of her shores to the other, but none of
these evils were attributable to the resistance of this
grant. They were rather to be traced to a system of
misgovernment ; but Ireland was now entering upon a
new state of things, and he therefore regretted the more
the introduction .into the legislature of topics of a
polemical character. Such discussions could lead
to no good result, and since it was acknow-
ledged that, for a time at least, the act of 1845
settled the question, he hoped they should hear very few
such speeches as that which they heard last night on
the introduction of this motion. ►The feelings of the Ro-
man Catholics must be respected ; and if .the house
wished to extend the blessings of a liberal Government,
and to cement the union that existed between the three
sections of the United Kingdom, viz., England, Ireland,
and Scotland the house must set its face against the
sentiments of religious intolerance which these debates
were calculated to inspire.
Lord STANLEY thought it was desirable that this
debate should close to-day, because every day and every
hour that this question was kept open tended to incense
those feelings of religious animosity which the establish-
ment of the Maynooth grant was intended to allay. He
could not, however, allow the debate to close without
expressing his opinions upon the motion as a
member of the late Government. He felt bound to give
the motion his reluctant opposition. The grant was
adopted as a compromise in 1845, and it would be an
act of injustice to abolish it now. Since before that
period the grant was made annually, but from the time-
of the Union down to 1845, no Parliament undertook to
refuse it, and the Legislature, in his opinion, did right
in placing the grant upon such a footing as to prevent a
recurrence to those angry and irritating discussions
which generally attended the annual vote Of the grant.
The Maynooth College was the same now that it was in
1845, but supposing that it was not so, there was no
condition attached to the grant. The grant was made
upon the understanding that it was not only to be un-
conditional, but that it should be permanent, and for his
part he was bound to confess that as yet he had heard no
good reason why he should now vote for its absolute and
unconditional repeal.
Mr. LUCAS expressed his opinion most decidedly
both against the amendment and the original resolution.
No Roman Catholic could vote for either ; but at the
same time that he said this, he was bound to add that
the temper of the speech of the hon. member who moved
the amendment was in far better taste than that of
the hon. member for North. Warwickshire. It was
a feeling of bigotry, however, which dictated both the
amendment and the original motion, and the same op-
position to Catholicity as much pervaded the one as the
other. The amendment did not put the question of the
Maynooth grant. The honourable member who
proposed it talked of the grant being a beg-
garly grant of 30,0001. a-year, and called upon
the Roman Catholic members to reject it, be-
cause it was, not worth the gratitude which it en-
abled this country to claim of Ireland. But for his part
he for one denied that any gratitude was due ; the grant
was only an instalment of a great act of justice which
the British Legislature had so long denied to Ire-
land. Do away with such grants as the Re-
gium Donum, and that gigantic robbery, the
Established Church of Ireland, and he should be
quite ready to give up this Maynooth grant. Those
who proposed motions of this nature, it appeared to
him, went upon the principle of taking what they could
get, and sticking to it when they got it—(a laugh)—
but such a principle "was rotten at the core,
and sooner or later must break down. (Cheers.)
The Maynooth grant was not conceived in a
spirit of liberality, but of State policy ; and as this mo-
tion for its repeal came from the tail or fag-end of a
party, it was impossible that it could pass. One object
of Sir Robert Peel in making this grant permanent was
to put a stop to angry discussions like this. In
this respect the object had failed but those
who proposed such a resolution as this knew
very well that the legislation of the country could
not be carried on. He had, therefore, no fears of the

passing of-this resolution. With regard to the opinions
which the hon. member for North Warwickshire ex-
pressed last night, it would be treating them with too
much respect to condescend to answer them. One
would suppose, fi`om the tone of the hon. member
for North Warwickshire, that the Roman Catholic
religion was a thing which had recently dropped from
the moon, but he was too obedient a child to that church
—(a laugh)—to lower himself so much as to answer to
the aspersions which had been so freely cast upon her in
the course of this debate. (Hear, hear.) Let
there be a case made out against the
administration of the Maynooth grant, he should be
quite ready to vote for a committee of inquiry, but until
then he must resist all motions of this nature. (Hear.)
Mr. DRUMMOND said his constituents had re-
quested him to vote for this motion, but he should
do no • such thing. (A laugh.) He would be
no party to an act of injustice ; but though
lie could not vote for this motion, he thought the
people of this country had a right to complain of such
men as Paul Cullen and hiq master, the Pope. The religion
which they preached was this—they said there was no
other true religion but their own, and that all other
forms of worship but their own was heretical, and every
means used for suppressing it would be perfectly justifiable.
Now, for a man who professed such a doctrine as that to
talk about religious toleration, was little better than a
fraud, and he hoped the house would treat the liberalism
of such speakers as the last with, the disregard that its
sincerity merited. He found just as much fault with
the doctrines .taught by the Jesuits ; he denied
that so far as this part of the question was
concerned, that it partook at all of a religious
character, it was a question not only of religion, but of
liberty, and one which affected the freedom of thought
throughout the world ; and since the doctrines of the
Jesuitss, which were so inimical to civil and religious
freedom, were taught in Maynooth, there ought at
least to be an inquiry into the mananage-
ment of that establishment. (Cries of "Hear, hear.")
Lord CLAUD HAMILTON, amidst some impa-
tience, moved the adjournment of the debate.
Mr. MOORE said the hon. member for Meath had
curtailed his remarks upon the understanding that the
division was to be called to-night. •
Sir R. H. INGLIS said if the motion for adjournment
was carried, he must take the opportunity of protesting
against the language which the honourable member
for Meath had applied to the Church of England as by
law established.

Mr. LUCAS disclaimed any intention or desire
to hurt the feelings of any follower of the
Established Church. What he said 'he meant to
apply to the Irish Church as an establishment, and not
to the doctrines which it taught.
After a few words from Mr. CLAY, _ _ _

Mr. Sergeant SHEE said he agreed with the hon.
member for Meath in many questions • but he begged
it to be distinctly understood that the hon. member did
not express his own and his friends feeling upon the
matter, when he declared that the Established Church
of Ireland was a robbery conceived in fraud. (Cheers.)
The motion for the adjournment of the debate was
then put from the chair, and negatived without a division.
BlThe house then divided on the original motion, when
there appeared—
For the motion
Against it 192

Majority against 3O
Mr. Spooner's motion was accordingly rejected, but
there was no time to put the amendment, it being past
six o'clock.
The house then adjourned at a quarter past six. '

STATE OF TRADE.

(From the Manchester Guardian of this day.)

MANCHESTER, TUESDAY.—We have had a continu-
ance to-day of that indisposition to operate, on the part
of buyers, which characterised our market last week, in-
creased in some degree, no doubt, by the non-arrival of
the New York steamer, whose intelligence seems to have
become necessary to the imparting of any 'decided cha-
racter to a Tuesday's business. The feeling of uncer-
tainty about prices has therefore been more marked
thax before, and the sales of the day unusually limited.
As compared with this day ,week, we should say that, in
yarns, there is an advantage on the side of buyers of
fully la. per lb. on the average of counts from; 50's
downwards. Pincops and warps are more affected than
bundles. Good qualities of finer numbers continue quite
firm. In the department of cloth there is a somewhat
morn favourable tendency. This is more perceptible in
India fabrics than any others. Shirtings have now re-
ceded 3d. per piece from the late highest rates—other
descriptions lid. Domestics are more difficult of sale ;
and printing cloths are less keenly sought for—the
wider ones not so firm as they lately were. The Liver-
pool cotton market is quoted Ad. per. lb. below the rates
of Friday week.
ROCHDALE, MONDAT.—We have had little change in
the flannel market to-day ; prices have been steady, and
the demand has been tolerably good. The wool market
hats been much the same as .that of the previous Mon-
day.

HALIFAX • SATURDAY.—In our piece hall to-day
there has been a very slender attendance of buyers,
and scarcely any "rmods, either plain or fancy, have
been disposed of. The yarn tnarket is firm, but not
active. The manufacturers purchase somewhat readily,
but the export houses are very shy of giving out
or:hers. Wools are very stiff.' Lincolnshire . wethers,
Which are greatly in request, have realised higher prices,
but for other sorts there is no change in the quotations.
HUDDERSFIELD, TUESDAY.--Our market .1.14$ . been
quite as brisk last week, and low goods of any kind go
off well.' •Manufacturers continue well- employed to
or.ler. We have had a good many foreign bto.tr.-; in
toun to-day for Continental orders.

swith all faults).nearjLthe whole found buyers at full rate*,
The market closes pieny firm to-day.. . .
COFFEE has been operated in to some extent during the
week, the sales consisting of fully 2,000 bags St.' Domingo,,
chiefly at 42s Gd to 445, 200 bags Laguayra at 53s 6d '
57s 6d, 100 bags old Java at 48s, and 150 bags Rio, to ar-
rive,. at 46s per cwt.
Sugar has continued in extensive request, particularly
East India and foreign descriptions, at stiffer prices ; the
transactions comprise 150 hhds. chiefly Demerara, at 34s
fd to 40s 6d for vacuum pan, with Jamaica and Barbadoes
within the same range; 7,000 bags Bengal, including.
Benares, at 35s 6d to 38s 6d ; dates, at 35s to 36s 6d ' • new
Khaur at 295, and Madras at 32s 6d to 34s 6d. Also,
11,300 bags Pernams and Paraiba, chiefly at 17s to 18s, up
to 22s 6d for white ; 500 bags Ceara, at 21s ; and 650 boxes
Havannah, at 20s per cwt. Of molasses no sales.
Of rum, about 250 puncheons Demerara have been taken,
at about previous rates.
RICE. 700 bags fine table realised at auction to-day 13s ;
and 1,100 bags Arracan have been disposed of at 10s per
cwt.
DTEwooDs.—The market keeps very firm, and only a
moderate business has been concluded since our last report.
DEYSALTERIES.—Of argols the supply being small, pre-
vents.business ; onlylimited sales of berries, without change.
The transactions in madders and roots are only small, at pre-
vious rates; 25 bales Bombay roots are reported at 43s 6d,
and 800 bags Palermo sumac taken at 14s to 14s 3d per cwt.
Higher prices are asked for brimstone, and 200 tons have
brought 6/ to 6/ 7s 6d per ton. Of saltpetre scarcely 100
bags have-been sold, at 26s 6d to 29s ; 100 chests shell Inc
are reported without change ; 100 bags sago flour, at 22s ;
250 bags Baltimore quercitron Bark, at 9s ; 40 bags gum
ciedda, at 31s 6d • a few casks of tartar, at 74s 3d to 83s ;
400 slabs Strait; tin, chiefly for arrival, at 107 s 6cl to
110 s Gd in store ; and 150 tons nitrate of soda, at Hs, with
a small lot at 18s Gd per cwt.
OILS.—For olive oil there is rather more inquiry, and
50 tuns taken at
i very,- full rates. Only a moderato busi-
ness has been doing fish, at last prices. Linseed has
realised 33s 6d, and spirits of turpentine 65s to 67s per cwt.
TALLOW.—The market remains quiet, with P.Y.C. rul-
ing at 45s 6d ; 220 pipes South American are reported, at
40s up to 455. American lard is nominally worth 60s to 62s
per cwt, but there is very little doing.
JUTE.—Holders keep very firm, and require advanced
prices, consequently no sales. 50 bales Manilla hemp are
reported, at 411 lOs per ton.
150 bags black pepper have brought 34d to 33d ; 300
bags pimento 5d per lb, and 50 boxes pearl sago 19,3 per
cwt. -

BRITIeId .FUTUA-L LIFE ASSURANCE
0111PANY.

The sixth annual meeting of this company was held
at Radley's Hotel yesterday ; Mr. John Gover in the
chair. .

The. SECRETARY read the. advertisement convening
the meeting.

The CHAIRMAN said that life assurance might, at first
sight, appear to some minds dry and uninteresting, but,
upon closer examination, it woald be found to embrace
principles of the deepest interest to the philanthropist, and
every individual who wished for the welfare of his own
connexions and of society at large. If they looked care-
fully into the details of life assurance, they would see
that no institution could tend more to remove a large
amount of the misery unfortunately existing in the world.
Let them look to the case of a young man living to the
very . edge of his income. If he sickened and died
without having assured his life, his wife would probably
have to go into some menial situation, and his family,
if he had any, either become a burden on their friends,
or go to the workhouse. Then they might take the
case of a merchant, medical man, or clergyman in a
similar position. He died, and his beloved wife became
dependent on her elder children--the sons who were
receiving an education to fit them for liberal professions,
were obliged to take much lower situations than they
had a right to expect, and the daughters who had pro-
bably been taught every accomplishment had to become
teachers, or perhaps sempstresses, or even to accept me-
nial situations; whilst all these evils might have been pre-
vented by life assurance. Now, he would take another
case, one.that really occurred in that office. A young
man keeping a shop in the south of London assured his
life for 1001. He could not afford to pay the annual
premium in one sum, but he agreed to pay 10s. a quarter.
He had only just paid his second quarter's premium,
when he was seized with cold and died ; his widow came
to the office, received her 1001., and was now getting a re-
spectable livelihood in her shop ; and yet it was not until
after repeated urgings the young man had been induced
to make that trifling sacrifice which had since been instru-
mental in preserving his family from ruin. Though he
considered they could not buy life assurance too dear, he
thought it highly important that they should obtain it at the
cheapest rate. That could be only done through the means
of a mutual office, which divided all its profits amongst
the. assured. Their office was absolutely and totally
mutual—and they had no interest to pay on capital
which they did not want, and for which they had no
use. In fact, all the capital they possessed arose from
the accumulated receipts of the premiums paid on
policies. Last year had been very trying to life assur-
ance—the north was pitted against the south, and the
old offices against the young. He was happy, however,
to say that they had come well out of the examination,
and the result of all the trials to which they had been
exposed was to do them good rather than injury. All
that had been written and all that had been said had had
no effect against them, as they were enabled fearlessly
to appeal to what they had done, and the integrity of
their management. (Cheers.) Theirs was no ordinary
institution—the excess of their new business of 1852
was very far over that of 1851; and, though they had
just completed their sixth year, they were doing an
amount of business that would bear favourable com-
parison with many offices that boasted of their antiquity.
He felt assured that, let what opposition would come,
they would continue to go on prospering. In six years
this society had attained a position which others had not
done in 30. The fact was the British Empire, though
young in years, was old in business ; and they only
wanted every member to use his best exertions to extend
the business, when this would become a really national
institution. He believed that . their future prospects
were such as to completely eclipse all that had gone
before, and that they must become, what their name
denoted, really the British Empire Mutual Life Assur-
ance Office. He would now call on the Secretary to
read the report.
ThTebSesyC
eRaErT AlnBvs2thbeansrebamthesigfoslalobwseindgbya f
report:—ree and
general public discussion of the fundamental require-
ments of the age regarding life assurance offices. The
discussion has resulted in an unanimous public convic-
tion that life offices, which unite in the highest degree
the convenience, the advantage, and the safety of the
public, are entitled to the largest share of public favour,
and will acquire the greatest accessions of public business.
This conviction has been followed by a demonstration
the most unanswerable, in favour of those offices which
unerringly secure these vast benefits, by being based
upon the following great principles :—That each assured
member has of inalienable right a complete participation
(in the society to which he belongs) ; in the receipt of
the entire profits ; in the knowledge of the affairs of the
society ; involving the management of the society. It
is the satisfaction of the members of the British Empire
Mutual Life Assurance Company that these are the
principles on which this society was founded, on which
its operations haavveebejein
been carried
e society during out,ando
nwh which
the s Iya
, e40r.0
new members have
European
rfehonour-
ableo offices.
The steady progress of the company s business, unchecked
It is peculiarly gratifying that so searching an ordeal
should result so unequivocally in favour of this society,
the amount of new business being much greater, both in
numbers of new members and amounts of sums assured,
'
tlla
cionmpanayrifsoornmr with
year,
the
from the outset, is shown by the fact that in the first
year, 1847, the number of policies issued was 257, as-
and
first such
of op
as
ur will
ean
as-
suring 49,998/.; in the second year, 1848, the number of
additional policies amounted to 311, assuring 48,0391.;
in the third year, 1849, there were 708 new policies,
assuring 107,6291., in the fourth year, 1850, the new
policies amounted to 809, assuring 136,3651. ; in the
fifth year, 1851, the new policies amounted to 1,065, as-
suring 211,272/. ; and in the last or sixth year, there
were issued 1,400 new policies, assuring 281,687/. ;
snaking a total of 4,550 policies issued, and assuring
834,9901. The new business of the year consists of
1,400 life policies, assuring 281,6871., the annual pre-
miums thereon being above 9,1001. 51 annuities have
also been issued, of which eight have been immediate
annuities, on which 1,3801. 18s. id. have been received.
By the last year's new business the annual revenue of
the company, from premiums on life business, has been
increased, after deducting for lapsed policies, about 8,3581.,
and the amount assured by the new life policies in 1852
is above 33 per cent, more than those of the year 1851.
The division of profits declared at the early part of the
year has given complete satisfaction, and has, doubtless,
contributed to that highpublicfavour with which the office
is regarded. The members are already aware, by the public
papers, that, in accordance with the wish of the
members, expressed at the special meeting, held in
November, 1851, the Legislature granted a special act
of Parliament, by which various important privileges
have been conferred upon this society. Thirty-sl.x mem-
bers have died during the year, and the sums payable
for assurances and bonuses under their policies have
amounted to 6,5441. 9s. 2d. It is satisfactory to ob-
serve that this amount is much less than the sum pro-
vided for the current deaths by the tables. The num-
ber of life policies in force on December 31st, 1852,
after deducting those which had terminated by lapsing
or death, was 3,955, assuring the amount of 732,605/.,
the annual income thereon being about 23,809/. 13s. 3d.
After payment of all expenses and claims, the company
has accumulated the sum of 45,8311. 12s. Bd., the
whole of which (the balance in hand of course excepted)
is invested on approved securities. The directors feel
they cannot too forcibly impress upon the members that
the one vital characteristic of this society is, that it is
the members own society, and it is they who must ex-
tend it till its benefits are a household word throughout
the British empire, and it is their living co-operation
with the directors which must place it in the first and
foremost rank of life assurance institutions."

The Rev. C. 11: KEEN moied the a,doptiiiii of the re-
bilancelheet, and congratulated the members
on the.proiperous state of the society. ' ' •
Mr. W.?.. CooPEn,,Mayor: of Oantqrbpry, s'eeonded
th& motion. He wai! satisfied that the time would come
when the Britislitrapire Mutual Life Assurance Office
would becomsothe Most successful and important in the
kingdom. Their society had arrived at its present posi-
tion without the aid of aristocratic names, purely by the
energy and business habits of plain business men. The
importance of life assurance and the uncertainty of life
was recently shown by an event which took place in
the city with which he had the honour to be connected. A
young man, the partner of his nephew, proposed to assure
his life for 1,0001., and passed the medical examination,
when his father stepped in and said, "Postpone it for a
year, you may want the 20/. in business." In three months
after, the young man was thrown from his horse and
killed on the spot. Fortunately he was not a married
man, but the 1,0001. was lost to the father—as, luckily
for the office, in consequence of that father's advice the
policy was not completed. They had now issued 4,550
policies ; and numberless were the persons who might
have to bless the British Empire Mutual Life Office for
saving them from destitution, through their fathers and
mothers having been induced to become members of it.
(Cheers.)
The Rev. J. WIGNER, of Lynn, supported the mo-
tion. He had attended that meeting, having been de-
puted to do so by a meeting of the Lynn members, held
on Friday last, to see how things were going on, though
they had no distrust of its position ; and he should go
back to his constituents at Lynn and tell them, in a Nor-
folk phrase, " that everything was fair and above-
board." (Cheers.)
In reply to questions from Mr. Hill, it was stated that
the borrowers were generally well satisfied by the easy
terms on which they could get money from that office.
The terms were pretty well the same as those of building
societies—the borrowers being much better enabled to
pay back the loans out of their income by instalments
than they would be to put it by so as to pay the whole
amount at once. In the first year (1847), when money
was scarce, it was so lent as to produce to the society
from eight to nine per cent.—taking into consideration
the advantage obtained by loans being returned by in-
stalments. On the following years it was calculated in
such a manner as io return them about seven per cent.,
and last year the directors had advanced it so as to re-
turn them only five per cent. The premiums paid for a
policy of assurance was not, in point of fact, additional
interest, as, even when the loan was paid off, the bor-
rower could, and generally did, continue his policy.
Independently of which, a borrower was not compelled
to assure his life excepting in cases where the security
offered was purely personal.
The report was then unanimously adopted, and votes
of thanks given to the chairman, directors, and other
officers.

BURNING OF WHITBY THEATRE.—The inhabitants of
Whitby were aroused from their slumbers on Thursday
night last by the outbreak of a destructive fire on the
premises known as the theatre, situate in Baxter's-gate,
which, with a tavern connected with it, soon fell a prey
to the ravages of the flames. No amusements have, it
seems, been enacted in the theatre for several weeks ;
the fire there is no doubt originated in the bar of the
tavern. The property burned down is insured in the
County Fire•office.

' HEALTH OF LONDON DURING THE: WEEK.

The effect of increased coldness of the weather is
visible in an increased mortality amongst old and young.
The mean temperature of the air in the second week of
January was 45 deg., and the deaths of London were
1,001; in the week that ended last Saturday the mean
temperature was only 29.8 deg., and the deaths regis-
tered rose to 1,328. Since the ormer week the weekly
temperature has declined according to the following
series :-41.9 deg., 37.7 deg., 36.5 deg., 34.8 deg., and
29.8 deg., and the mortality has concurrently risen
according to the following numbers :-994, 1,011, 1,220,
1,235, and 1,328.
In the ten corresponding weeks of the years 1843-52
the average number of deaths was 1,098, which, with a
correction for increase of population, becomes 1,208.
The deaths of last week, therefore, exceed the estimated
amount by 120.

The following table exhibits the mortality at three
periods of life during the last four weeks ending—

Ages. Jan. 29. Feb. b. Feb. 12. Feb. 19.
From birth to 15 years 451 ... 550 ... 479 ... 534
From 15 years to 60 324 ... 391 ... 452 424
At 60 and upwards 235 .... 278 ... 293... 370
Hence it appears that while persons of all ages have
suffered, the severity of the weather has been most fatal
to persons in advanced life. Well-heated apartments,
warm clothing, and comfortable lodging at night, at all
times necessary in this climate, are indispensable at this
season to the aged, who find it difficult to support life
when the temperature has fallen below a certain point.
The deaths from bronchitis in the last five weeks have
been 83, 91, 110, 168, 184 ; those from hopping-cough
rose last week to 66; those from consumption to 167.
Taking the last six weeks, and comparing the facts of
the former half of this period with those of the.latter
half, it is observed that the mortality in the West Dis-
tricts has increased 36 per cent. ; in the North 31 per
cent. ; in the Central. 17 per cent. • in the East 30 per
cent. ; and in the districts south of the Thames 19 per
cent.

Mr. Clark, deputy-registrar of Peckham, says :
" From the want of proper drainage, the bad state of
cesspools, &c., fever is never absent from Hill-street and
the surrounding neighbourhood."
In the Green sub-district of Bethnal-green' at 2,
Paradise-place, the daughter and son of a labourer,
aged respectively, 6 months and 2 years, died on 15th
February of " rubeola, pneumonia, convulsions, the
former after S days', the latter after 21 days' illness.
Four deaths have occurred in the same house in the
short space of 11 days." The bad sanitary condition of
this place has been already described.
Last week was fatal to two centenarians :—On the
15th February, at the workhouse, Chelsea, ,an army
pensioner died of " natural decay" at the age (as stated)
of 102 years. Mr. Lamer, registrar, mentions that
" this was a man of colour, who had been for many
years cymbal player in one of the regimental binds ; he
was admitted into the workhouse from Mermaid-yard
about three months before his death ; it is ,stated that
he was married only six years ago." At 24, Duke-
street, Aldgate, on 19th February, the widow of a
fruiterer died from " decay of nature" at the great age
of 104 years. Mr. Spencer says :—" She came from
Mentz in Germany to England in the year 1770, at
the age of 21 years. She retained her factilties till
the last, and never had medical advice previous to her
last illness." At the Royal Hospital, GreenWich, six
pensioners died, three on the 12th instant, two on the
14th, and one on the 16th, whose ages averaged 78 years.
The oldest was a man of 93 years, who, according to Mr.
Waller, the registrar, " was formerly a messenger in
the cashier's office at the hospital, a situation which he
held for many years ; of late he was in the habit of walk-
ing straight up the Holiday-hill to the Observatory daily,
and continued this practice till a very short time before
his death."

As may be supposed from the generally advanced age
of the persons who inhabit them, the mortality in work-
houses has been great ; the number of deaths amongst
their inmates rose last week to 164,' though it has
been frequently not more than half of that amount. In
military and naval asylum the deaths were 9, in general
hospital 51, in hospitals for special diseases 3, in lunatic
asylums 12, in military and naval hospitals 3.
Last week the births of 850 boys and 731 girls, in all
1,581 children, were registered in London. The aver-
age number in eight corresponding weeks of 1845-52
was 1,464.
_ _ -

At the Royal Obgervatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was only 29.585 in.
The mean temperature of the week was only 29'8 deg.,
which is 9.1 deg. below the average of the same week%
38 years. The mean daily temperature was lowest on
Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, when it was about
28.7 deg., or about 10 deg. below the average. On all
other days it was 7 deg. and 8 deg. below the average.
On Saturday the highest temperature was 3d.2 deg.,
and the lowest only 20.5 deg. The mean dew point
temperature was 22.9 deg. The wind blew from tho,
north or north-east throughout the: week.

FROM THE LONDON GAZETTE of YESTBRDA Y.

At the Court at Buckingham Palace, the 21st day of
February, 1853—present, the Queen's Most Excellent Ma-
jesty in Council—her Majesty having been pleased to ap-
point the Right Honourable George William Frederick,
Earl of Clarendon, K.G., to be one of her Majesty's Prin-
cipal Secretaries Of State, his Lordship was this day, by
her Majesty's command, sworn one of her Majesty's Prin-,
cipal Secretaries of State accordingly.
At the Court at Buckingham Palace, the 21st day of
February, 1853—present, the Queen's Most Excellent
Majesty in Council—her Majesty having been pleased, by
letters patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, to
constitute the night Hon. Stapleton, Viscount Comber-
mere, G.C.8., Constable of her Majesty's Tower of Lon-
don, and also Lord-Lieutenant of the Tower Hamlets, his
Lordship this day in Council took the oaths appointed to
be taken, instead of the oaths of allegiance and supremacy
as Constable of the said Tower, and as Lord-Lieutenant of
the said Tower Hamlets, and likewise the oath of Con-
stable of the Tower of London.

FOREIGN OFFICE, FEB. 11.
The Queen has been graciously pleased to appoint John
Green, Esq., now her Majesty's Consul at the Piraeus, to
be her Majesty's Consul at Alexandria.
FOREIGN OFFICE, FEB. 18.
The Queen has been pleased to approve of Don Placido
do Jose y Hevia as Consul at Malta, and of Don Joaquin
Gonzalez as Vice-Consul at Gibraltar, for her Majesty the
Queen of Spain.
The Queen has also been pleased to approve of Mr. Na-
thaniel Solomon as, Consul at St. Helena, for the Free
Hanseatic city of Hamburgh.
DOWNING-STREET, FEB. 21.
The Queen has been graciously pleased to give orders for
the appointment of Lord Cowley, K.C.B. her Majesty's
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to his
Majesty the Emperor of the French, to be an Ordinary
Member of the Civil Division of the First Class, or
Knights Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of
the Bath.

Commissions by the Lord-Lieutenant of Herefordshire.
John Murray Aynsley, Esq. ; Thomas William Booker.
Esq. ; William Bridgman, Esq.; Bonham Caldwell, Esq.;
EliPs Chadwick, Esq.; James Cheese, Esq.; William Tre-
velyan Kevill Davies ; Thomas Dunne, jun., Esq.; Edward
Griffiths, Esq.; Captain Charles Heywood, Esq.; Edmund
Higgiuson, Fsq.; James King King, Esq.; William Money
Kyrie, Esq.; Captain Augustus William Henry Meyrick,
Esq.; Robert Baskerville Rickards MynorS, Esq.; Reynolds
Peyton, Esq.; Captain Kingsmill Manley Power ' • Henry
Lee Warner, jun., Esq.—to be Deputy Lieutenants.
Commission by the Lord-Lieutenant of Huntingdonshire.
Huntingdonshire Militia Henry Jordan Thornhill,
Gent., to be Second Lieutenant, Feb. 16.

Commissions by the Lord-Lieutenant of Flintshire.
Royal Flintshire Militia— Lieutenant Charles James
Trevor Roper to be Captain ; Richard Pelham Warren,
Esq., to be Captain.

Commissions by the Lord-Lieutenant of Norfolk.
2d or Enstern Regiment of Norfolk Militia—Alexander
Robert Chamberlain, Gent., to be Lieutenant, vice Smith,
resigned ; Spencer Thomas Smyth, Gent., M.D., to be As
sistant-Surgeon and Ensign, vice Green, retired, Feb. 8.

Commission by the Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire.
Ist Regiment of the Duke of Lancaster's Own Militia-
Ivan Swen Andrea Herford, Gent., to be Ensign, Feb. 16.
Commissions by the Lord-Lieutenant of Hertfordshire.
Hertfordshire Militia—The Honourable Reginald Alger-
non Capel, to be Ensign ; Arthur Macnamara, Esq., to be
Ensign, Feb. 17.