The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-30 00:00:00

T.HE LAW OF MARRIAGES.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Sr,—lt has for some years been too much the habit
of English writers to stigmatise the law of marriage in
Scotland as unsatisfactory, and productive of injurious
cxisequenees ; and I observe it in your leading article
in yesterday's Sun on the Mountgarret case. The
monstrosity there does not pertain to the Scotch law,
but to the English jury, which could decide against the
validity of the English marriage on such evidence as that
produced to prove the Scotch ; and if the laws of mar-
riage obtaining in the two countries are examined, it
will be seen that the English law gives value to the for of marriage, while the Scotch disregards the form, and
attaches value to the essence of the contract. The
essence of the Scotch law is present consent to live toge-
ther as husband and wife ; but the essence of the English
law is the form in which the marriage ceremony is con-
ducted.

An instructive instance is now the subject of judicial
investigation. A girl complains that she thought she
was married, but found she was not, because the cere-
mony was performed by w Romish priest, without the
presence of the Registrar. In her evidence the girl says
—" He promised marriage, and after that we became
more intimate, and found myself pregnant." Now, Sir,
had this case happened. in 'Scotland, a marriage would
have been constituted by the promise of marriage, and
the consequent connection, and the woman could have
proved the marriage by the evidence on oath of the man
—a mode of proof of old. standing in Scotch law, thlough
but lately introduced into England.,—l am, Sir, your
obedient servant,

LEX SCOTUS.

PRIVATE AND JOINT-STOCK BANKS.

- The Banker's Magazine furnishes the returns of circu-
lation of the private and joint-stock banks in England
and Wales for the four weeks ending the sth of August,
1854, and gives the following as the average weekly cir-
culation of those banks during the past month, viz. :
Private banks
Joint-stock banks 2,883,243

Average weekly circulation £6,433,735
On comparing the above with the returns for the pre
ceding month, ending the Sth of July last, it shows—
A decrea,t3 in tho circulation of the private
banks of
A decrease in the circulation of tbo joint-stock
barks of

R 53,709

47,249

Decrease on the month i',100,951
and, as compared with the return for the corresponding
period of last year, viz., August 6th, 1853, it shows—
A. decrease in the circulation of the private
banks of
A decrease in the circulation of the joint-stock
banks of

Decrease on the year £252,783
On comparing the above with the amounts of the fixed
issues, the following appears to be the comparative state
of the circulation :

The private banks are below their fixed i55ue5...21,036,963
The joint-stock banks arebelow their fixed issues 442,614

Total below their fixed issues 21,479,577

CITY COMMISSIONERS OF SEWERS.

Yesterday the Commissioners assembled in the Guild-
hall for the first time since the holydays ; Deputy _Pea-
cock in the chair. Thew were but few members present,
and the paper of business was a blank.
It was stated that during the last month the officers
of the commission had been most actively employed in
surveying the crowded localities of the city, and that,
under the direction of the Medical Officer of Health,
much work of cleansing and purifying had been accom-
plished.
Mr. Daw, chief clerk, stated that be had obtained the
content of the New River Company to supply water for
purposes of cleansing courts and alleys during the present
season, on demand of the inspector of nuisances. That
consent had proved extremely advantageous, and had
been acted upon vigorously, especially in the poor and
crowded districts. •
It was stated that the slaughter-houses had been care-
fully examined, and Mr. B. Stubbing, of Leadenhall-
market, and Mr. Sawtell, of Newgate-market, bad been
summoned before the magistrates for non-compliance
with the rules of the commissioners, and severally fined
in penalties and costa.

CHOLERA.
The Medical Officer of Health reported the cases
of cholera, 61 in number, which had occurred in the
whole city during the four weeks ending Monday, the
28th instant, and stated the gratifying fact that, in
consequence of the vast exertions of the commission,
the dreadful disease had not appeared in a severe
form in any of the districts of the city, where on
former occasions it had assumed the very worst
features. The Medical Officer also stated that he had
felt it to be his duty to adopt measures by which, in
cases where owners of property in the city had not con-
formed to the orders of the court to amend their houses
and put them in proper condition, the neglect might
undergo investigation before an inquest jury in case of.
a death from cholera on any such premises, and the
responsibility be fixed upon the party answerable for
such preventable evils.
The commissioners most warmly expressed their ad-
miration of the vigorous and skilful zeal of the Medical
Officer of Health, and congratulated their fellow-citizens
upon the comparative sanitary condition of the populous
districts within their jurisdiction. Several parties,
whose premises had been neglected by themselves, and
repaired by the commission, were ordered to be sued for
costs.

The Blenheim, Indiaman, sailed frpm Spithead yester-
day, at five p. m., for Calcutta, full of passengers.
THE MILBANK CONVICTS AT DORCHESTER. excitement in Dorchester on the subject of the recent re-
moval of the healthy portion of the convicts from Mil-
hank prison to the vacant military barracks in that toNAn
is gradually subsiding, and as the prisoners all continue
healthy, and many of the local tradesmen have received
extensive orders for provisions and other necessaries, the
Government decision is regarded rather as a boon than
otherwise to the inhabitants. In the establishment it-
self operations are going on quietly. Some extensive
buildings are in contemplation, for which the plans and
sections have been approved by the Government. The
high wall at present entirely surrounding the barracks
is to be immediately carried considerably higher ; and
other alterations, it is said, will be made with the view
of forming the buildings into a permanent convict es-
tablishment, auxiliary to the Government depot in thel
Isle of Portland. The warders from Milbank have
been accommodated within the establishment, and a
number of the Cpastguard have been billeted at the
various public-houses in the town. The only additional
precautions at present adopted for the safe custody of
800 convicts are the erection of perpendicular iron bars to the outside of the windows, and the removal of
the partitions from the passages leading to the apart-
ments over the stables. There is, however, a
purpose
kept at each entrance, for the twofold
the
preventing the convicts escaping
andTe convicts are ath admission of
strangers into the establishment. gua guard
present exercised, by circular parades, under the inspec-
tion of the warders, but, as more active and profitable
occupation is imperatively needed, a mat weaving apps-
ratus has been ordered.