The Sun.
London, England, 1854-02-07 00:00:00

DENMARK.

From Copenhagen, Jan. 31, we learn that war:
like preparations continue on a large scale. The
War Minister (Hansen) has made inquiries of the
town authorities whether they can accommodate
10,000 men and a large number of horses in Elsi-
nore ; and questions of a similar kind have been
asked in other towns. Orders are said to have
been issued for the armament of three frigates,
three corvettes, three brigs, and five armed
steamers. The news from Sweden becomes daily
more distrustful of the Government, and full of
defiance against the Russian Autocrat. The Island
of Gotland will receive an additional force of
15,000 men, and another army will be drawn to-
gether on the west coast.

ALARMING FIRE IN NEWINGTON-CAUSEWAY.--Last
night, about nine o'clock, a fire, which caused consi-
derable alarm, broke out in the premises of Mr. Watson
Lemon, house decorator, blindmaker, &c., No. 4, Bridge-
house-place, Newington•causeway. The discovery wAs
made by police officer 238, of the M division, who, seeing
smoke issuing from the basement, immediately sounthed
an alarm, and sent off for proper assistance. In a
very short time the Royal Society's escape attended,
and it being reported that a couple of children were in
the upper floor. Smart, the conductor, mounted the
escape, and searched every room, but fortunately no one
was therein. The engines of the London Brigade and
West of England were remarkably early in arriving,
and the Lambeth Company's mains having afforded a
bountiful supply of water, the firemen, under the direc-
tion of Messrs. Henderson, Connorton, and Hamblettm,
went to work in admirable style ; but in spite of their
efforts the fire could not be extinguished until the lap se
of upwards of an hour, and not until considerable
damage was done. The origin of the fire, or whether
the sufferer was insured, could not be ascertained. The
police, under Mr. Superintendent Haynes, and Me.
Inspector Barry, kept a crowd of some thousands out of
danger.

CUSTOMS' AFFAIRS.—A correspondence has bisen
printed between Baron Rothschild, on behalf of a b. xly
of London merchants, and the Lords of the Treasutry,
regarding the recent complaints of an insufficiency of
officers in the landing department of the Customs. It
shows that as soon as the complaints became knoevva
both the Treasury and the Commissioners of Castor ns
attended to them with promptitude, and, moreovcer,
that the causes in which they originated were in son is
cases capable of explanation on temporary grounds. On
the other hand, the existence of many of the alleged in-
conveniences, as well as of some singular contradictions
in practice, is established in the statements actudlly put
forth by the Treasury as a sweepir!g vindication of
commissioners, the old bureaucratic fault being lil re-
wise committed of interpreting every represen Ca-
tion against existing methods, as so many persoi sal
attacks upon the officers by whom they are introdur )ed
or carried out. Like ahnost every correspondence on
Customs affairs, it is also impossible to derive from. )t
any satisfactory conclusion, owing to the complete dile.-
s partiesaron whosimilarity of the respective statements of the several
ce is appealed to—an evil for wh
Rothschildevidence
eZghtly suggests an open court to b 3
the only remedy.
Beevd
Meanwhile, it is to be admitted as .t
the Customs occupy in the present case the advanta -
geous position of resisting an increased expenditure, anti
although that plea would not be tolerated if obtained b I
delays to commerce and an overworking of the existin.i
staff, it will necessitate stronger and more extensiv
proofs of an alteration being imperatively demanded that t
have been produced on this occasion.
Tall CITY OF LONDON LYING-IN HOSPITAL.—The a •
nual general meeting of the friends and subscribers to
this benevolent institution, founded in 1740 for the r !(e-
-ception and delivery of poor pregnant married women,
was held in the board-room of the charity, City-road,
for the purpose of receiving the report, and upon other
business ; Sir J. Tyler in the chair. The report, re:
by the secretary, stated that there had been examin,
and passed as fit to be admitted, 396 poor women duri
the past year. Of this number there had been delivered, :
since the Ist of January to December 31, 1853, no. less !
a number than 346, of whom five had twins. The )
number of children born last year was 179 sons, and.
172 daughters. The number of children still-born war:
9, viz., 3 boys and 6 girls : and during the same peri odi
there were 9 deaths, viz., 5 children and 4 women. Title.
number of children who had been restored was 12, Vitt,
report stating that "it is an important part of t ho
matron's. habitual practice, by her own personal exe r--
tons, to endeavour to recover life to those infants who 1 ire
apparently still-born." Mrs. Harcourt Morris had p re-
sented the hospital during. the past year with a donati on.
of thirty guineas, and 301. to renew the bed furnitu re
of the ward. The report concluded by making a rn< rst •
energetic appeal to the public for support, the late sev ere
weather having caused a large increase in the expendi-
ture. The balance-sheet showed the total receipt a f,t,
amount to 2,226/. 9s. 5d., and the expenditure to 2,0)52 1.
108. 11d., leaving a balance in hand of 1931. 18s.. 5 a.
The report haying been received and adopted, and ti be
committee and officers for the year ensuing appointed,
the meeting separated.