The Sun.
London, England, 1854-03-16 00:00:00

international law—the "jus gentium"—being ne-
glected because the advocates have had their
sphere of action materially enlarged. But if such
should be the case—if competent men should no
longer apply for admission to the Admiralty
Court—an easy remedy may be devised. Transfer
that business also to Chancery, or to one of the
superior courts of common law ; and we venture
to assert that, under the influence of "unrestricted
competition," there will be plenty of competent
men ready and willing to accept briefs and to
discharge their duties to their clients efficiently and
honestly. That argument, then, merely goes to
the propriety of a further reform in these courts,
and the transfer as well of the Admiralty as of
the testamentary jurisdiction.

The great value of the change to Chancery,
however, is to be found in the fact that it is
there all questions relating to the interpretation
of a will, and the carrying out the trusts
thereof—all things, indeed, connected with its
due administration must be disposed of. If in
accordance with the earnest and most judicious
recommendations of the Commissioners, Probate be
extended to real as well as personal estate, a great
saving would be effected to the representatives of
those who left both descriptions of property, who
could not be called on to prove the will in the new-
fangled Court of Probate in Chancery, and perhaps
in a common law court, if an ejectment on the
title should be tried. But should it even be
otherwise—should the impolitic distinction still be
maintained between realty and personalty—it
will be exceedingly beneficial to suitors to
have all matters relating to the proof and the in-
terpretation of a will conducted in the same Court
without delay, and with but a trifling addition to
expense. How often have barristers handed in
Probate or Letters of Administration as far as re-
lated to the personal estate, while they also gave full
proof as to the due execution of the will. Surely
one of these proofs was supererogatory, and the
expensive proceedings might be dispensed with
without the slightest danger to the duo admini-
stration of ju,tice. We trust, then, that legal re-
formers will rally round the bill, and support the
LORD CHANCELLOR in his judicious propositions,
so as to prevent their being postponed, rejected,
or frittered away and emasculated, until they are
carried triumphantly through both Houses, and
the Royal assent make them part and parcel of
the statute law of the land.

The cholera is plainly recommencing. At Port
Greenock and several places in Scotland, and also
at Leeds, it has suddenly appeared, and carried off
a few victims in each place. Warned by these
facts, the Earls HARROWBY and SHAFTESBURY
on Thursday night most wisely called public
attention to them, and to the imperative neces-
sity of immediate preparation. Lord SHAFTES-
BURY pointed out that, according to the previous
course taken by the cholera, we stand in the
greatest danger of a speedy and fierce invasion ;
but that it is almost entirely our own fault if the
invasion be very fatal. Just as now there was a
I lull in the violence of the cholera twice before.
The first time for eight months, the next for three
months, and each time the lull was followed by
a return with far greater virulence. The lull we
have now had ; and most fearful has been the
malignancy which these scattered visitations have
just displayed. In previous years there was
generally a rather long premonitory stage of
diarrhoea—some days frequently ; but now the
days are shortened to hours, and the cramping
pains are also more rapidly fatal ; so that while
in 1848 and 1849 it was rare for death to occur
in 24 hours—it is now common in 10 or 12 !
This impresses on all the importance of imme-
diate attention to the first symptoms, also a
general diffusion of accurate knowledge of what
those symptoms are. Its chief lesson is, however,
on the duty of prevention. It is absolutely uncer-
tain what filthy locality in the kingdom may be
visited at any hour, but also quite certain that no
• cleanly locality will be visited, unless some filthy
one adjacent has attracted the pestilence first.
There is every reason to believe that absolute
cleanliness would be absolute immunity.
It is a singular fact, but fully sustained by par-
-. ticulars, that in each recurrence of the cholera in
• any town, it has attacked the same street, begin-
ning several times, always very fatally, in the same
( house. Now here is a finger-post, as it were, for
the local authorities; let it be known to every
corporation, and to all parish authorities, that
streets and houses where cholera has begun in
former years are almost sure to be the first at-
tacked this time. Let them—by all the respon-
sibility of liability, morally, to the guilt of man-
slaughter—commence at once the thorough purifi-
cation of every street and house where cholera first
appeared before, extending their efforts to the
parts successively attacked, and to all dirty parts
of each town. Not till they have done this
ought they to feel a moment's ease. The recent
appearance of the epidemic at Leeds took every
one by surprise. It may be the same in any place
where there are dirty streets, open cesspools, bad
drains, close filthy courts, pigsties close by houses,
open privies, manufactories of manure and the
like ; especially when the supply of water is short
or bad. That the author of the Letter to the
Edinburgh Presbytery will do his part we can
little doubt ; he will by Orders in Council, or by
Acts of Parliament, provide the requisite Govern-
ment powers ; but the grand work to be accom-
plished must be done on the spot. Filth and
rubbish can be at once carted away into distant
fields, houses can be cleansed immediately and
whitewashed, and offensive dangerous nuisances
removed, by merely looking after it, and by a
little expenditure of public money. In all towns
where there is a police they could generally, with-
out trouble, tell the authorities where to begin.
Medical men also could point out the spots most
liable to typhus, which are always liable to
cholera also. Handbills could invite all to inform
an appointed officer. But what we wish to im-
press on the minds of every one concerned—and
who is not ?—is, that all this ought to be done
in every place before the cholera comes—done
immediately.

We invite the attention of the Admiralty to a
very prudent suggestion, that, as the navigation
of the North Sea, but more especially of the
Baltic, is little known to our men-of-war, it were
well to select the masters of vessels acquainted
with the intricacies and headlands of those parts.
Now that war is beginning, the vessels hitherto
employed in trading to Russian and other north-
ern ports will be out of employ for a season at
least ; and many of the most expert captains of
those vessels would be found invaluable in navi-
gating our men-of-war. If the knowledge of a
disease be half its cure, surely the knowledge of
the points of attack will be more than half the
Battle, and "Charley NAPIER." will do the rest.

THE COURT.—According to present arrangements, her
Majesty and the Prince Consort, accompanied by the
youthful royal family, will return, to Buckingham Palace
to-morrow afternoon, from Osborne, Isle of Wight. The
Earl of Ellesmere, the new Knight of the Garter elect,
in the room of the late Marquis of Londonderry, is not
expected to be invested with the insignia of that illustrious
order until after Easter.

ROYAL VISIT TO THE OLYMPIC THEATRE.—It having
been signified to the lessee of the Royal Olympic Theatre
that it is intended by her Majesty and others of the royal
family to visit this theatre on their return to town at the
latter part of this, or early next week, the workmen of
the establishment have been ordered forthwith to coin-
mence the formation of a new entrance to the theatre for
the royal party.
The Duke and Duchess of Hamilton intend to dis-
pense their hospitalities to the fashionable world shortly
after Easter, at Beaufort House, Arlington-street, to
which spacious mansion their Graces are about to re-
move, from St. James's-place.
The Earl of Derby has taken the large mansion in St.
James's-square, for many years occupied by the late Earl
of Dartmouth.
The Earl of Clarendon returneel to London, yesterday
forenoon, from Osborne.
The Earl of Powis, the Countess of Powis, and the
Ladies Herbert, who are staying at Walcot Hall, near
Ludlow, come to Berkeley-square early in the ensuing
month, for the season.
Lord William Paulett and Major the Hon. J. Mac.
donald will be on the staff of Major General his Royal I
Highness the Duke of Cambridge, with the army destined
for the East.
The Hon. R. Somerset, son of Lord Raglan, has
arrived from Hanover, to take leave of his noble and
gallant father. Mr. Somerset is attached to the house-
hold of his Majesty the King of 33.anover.