The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-02 00:00:00

LIVERPOOL COTTON MARKET-MARCH 31,

The sales since the 23rd instant are 60,000 bags, of which
28,000 are taken on speculation and for export. To-clay's
sales are 25,000 bags, 15,000 of them being taken on specu-
lation and for export. Prices are advanced this week
nearly id per lb. The arrivals are 17 vessels from the
United States, 5 from Brazil, 1 from Egypt, and 2 from
Bombay.

MEXICAN MODE OF TEACHING HORSES TO STEP Our.
—I was consoled by watching the beautiful horse-,
mostly high stepping Brazeadors. They were prancing
al mz, looked as conceited as any maot, and twice as
handsome. I have been positively assured that they
teach them to raise up their fore-legs immensely high—
which they almost all do—by putting on them magni-
fying spectacles when young, by which means the stones
on the road are made to appear like large blocks in tl e
way, and they lift up their legs in order to step over
-
them, and so acquire the habit.' I dare say 'that the
reader will laugh incredulously, but I tell him what was
told me as a fact; and I am further informed this is also
constantly practised in South America. --llistory of
Mexico.

RAILWAY ACCIDENTS..

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SIR,—To venture to give an opinion as to the precise
cause of the most lamentable, and too frequently called
" unaccountable " railway accidents, which have so re-
cently come under the public notice, would seem to be a
task that would involve considerable difficulty, as the
testimonies adduced, and great attention paid by the
most eminent engineers, seem materially to confirm the
fact that great negligence and mismanagement exist on
the part of railway authorities.
From evidence given, and the essential service most
willingly rendered by the press (whose voice is always so
instrumental in these searching inquiries), the public
would naturally infer that the most stringent measures
would be instituted by directors themselves to insure the
public safety, for otherwise, in truth, they have no will
of their own in such matters—they are utterly destitute
of all control, and totally incapable of providing the re-
quisite means ; consequently, having no power of them-
selves to help themselves, these " far-reached intellects,"
instead of directing merely sanction their engineer's pro-
positions, who, on his part, will see that the necessary
orders are rigorously enforced, and thanks the Board for
its valuable suggestions. What, then, is the result ? A
superficial remedy on such occasions is immediately re-
sorted to ; precautions are taken professing to counter-
act existing evils, which in reality have never been dis-
covered. If they had, why so many conflicting opinions ?
Engineers and servants under their employers tender
evidence so obscure and abstruse that the public are led
to suppose it arises more from a fear of their directors
than from love to their fellow-creatures ; it thus seems
they are actually encouraged in this unwarrantable sys-
tem in baffling every effort to discover truth. This may
be substantially correct ; for, from a statement made by
one of the plate-layers, at the recent examination at
Manchester, the witness would have reluctantly with-
held certain particulars from fear of being dismissed ;
the substance of which, however, was, that there were
only two persons, and in some instances only one, per
mile for the repairs of the permanent way.
Lord Harrowby justly remarked that one great cause
why railway accidents were so numerous, was chiefly
owing to " excessive economy on the part of the com-
panies." Thus the lives of passengers are to be endan-
gered through the gross neglect and imprudence of these
specimens of ability. Is it because the railways are not
in so prosperous a condition ? If so, I beg to state that
whether they are or not,a large number of labourers ought
to be appointed to maintain in order that part of the
permanent way which is curved.
The accident which occurred only last year on the
Kirkham curve, on the York and Scarborough line,
which resulted in the express running off the line, would
probably not have happened if an efficient staff had been
employed ; in fact, it seems to be a general rule amongst
engineers to employ the same number of men per mile
irrespective of the curvature of the way.
Again, another cause proves the inattention of railway.
directors. Lord Malmesbury makes mention of the
complaints brought forward by Mr. Spence relative to
the dangerous state of the bridge on the North Shields
Railway. The result was an accident only eleven days
after that negociation took place. Probably if Mr.
Spence had been residing near the Whitby Railway, he
could have foretold the unsafe state of the bridge, which
was totally swept away during the floods of last year.
In 1847, the Dee Bridge over the Chester and Holy-
head Railway (an iron structure) gave way, when a
frightful loss of life ensued. The bridge over the Ouse
on the Scarborough line is similar in construction, but
the officials, happily, in this instance, took the neces-
sary precautions, by having its defects rectified, or, pro-
bably, it would have shared the fate of its predecessor ;
for, in their construction, no attention was paid to sta-
tical pressure and impact ; in fact, previous to the ma-
tliematical investigation which subsequently took place,
their construction seemed to be regarded more as an expe-
riment than as a means of conveying our fellow-creatures.
While the repairs at this bridge were in progress, through
engineering negligence it seems no attention was paid
to the two bridges between the Hutton and Malton sta-
tions, on the same line. These bridges, the first from
Malton, are subject to considerable deflexion, especially
when engines of a heavy construction pass over tkem ;
they will no doubt be considered to be in an efficient
state of repair until the engille drivers dare prove to the
contrary, without the danger of dismissal.
In the House of Lords, on the 15th ult., their Lord-
ships appeared to be unanimous in their opinion, that,
should Government resolve to take the responsibility
from the railway companies, it would be transferring
the biirden from those who were capable of carrying out
a judicious system of management to those who were
not. They certainly could not make the present system
worse than it is, for by enforcing the various companies
to appoint an inspector at every terminus, to examine
the arrival and departure of all trains, the claims of the
public would be satisfied, their
,lives ensured, besides a
source of gratification to think that Government had so
readily interposed. Moreover, by increasing the staff
of labourers at certain points, and by authorising the
engine drivers and others connected with the trains to
notify to their engineer should any irregularity occur,
these means being strictly adhered to, the high speeds
might still be maintained without any visible increase in
the expenditure ; on the contrary, a mutual benefit would
accrue both to the proprietors themselves and the public
at large.
By calling your attention to these statements, your
readers will be made fully aware of the present system
of management, the continuance of which will be fraught
with the utmost peril.—l am, Sir, yours obediently,
ROBERT CHAMPLEYS.
Scarborough, March 22d, 1853.

ANNUAL DINNER IN AID OF THE WESTERN
JEWS' FREE SCHOOLS.

The annual dinner in aid of the funds of this merito-
rious charity was held on Wednesday, at Willis's Rooms,
when about 120 gentlemen, chiefly of the Jewish per-
suasion, sat down to an excellent dinner. The objects
which this institution has in view are the care and edu-
catiOn of Jewish orphans, who receive an excellent prac-
tical education, and are subsequently apprenticed to
useful trades. There are two schools, one for girls and
one for boys, the former being considered the more an-
cient foundation. The boys' scool was founded in 1816,
and since that time has educated an average of 70 boys,
having, as is the case in most of the Jewish schools, a
Hebrew and an English master. The girls' school was
established in 1846, and has maintained since its foun-
dation an average of 60 pupils. , Both boys and girls
were marched round the room after dinner on Wednesday
evening, and were much admired for their intelligent
and orderly deportment. The chair was taken by Mr.
Alderman Salomous, who, on the removal of the cloth,
proceeded to give the customary loyal toasts. The
health of the Queen was enthusiastically received, after
which the National Anthem was sung, a young Jewish
lady, Miss Marian Taylor, eliciting general applause by
her manner of singing the solos. An occasional ode, in
Hebrew, composed by the Rev. M. B. Levy, was re-
cited by one of the boys, and subsequently a copy of
verses, by one of the female pupils. After these preli-
minaries,

The CHAIRMAN proceeded to give " Success to the
Western Jews' Free schools." In doing so, he called
attention to the important fact, that nothing was so
important a consideration in every civilised country
as the case of the destitute poor, and the more
civilised the country, the greater was the amount
of solicitude evinced on the subject. In furtherance
of that object, they met there for the first time
round the social board to strengthen, by their pre-
sence, the cause of the Western Jewish Free Schools.
(Cheers.) The worthy Alderman having given the de-
tails respecting the schools (which we have mentioned
above), proceeded to remind the meeting of the contrast
there was exhibited between the past and present con-
dition of the Jewish nation. The prejudice and tyranny
of the dark ages had driven them to Holland and to
England, where, although they had found shelter, they
were still obliged to live in one neighbourhood, for
mutual counsel, for consolation, and, it might be, for
defence. (Cheers.) During the greatest part of the
last century they had been confined within the city of
London, and even there they did not enjoy the ordinary
privileges of citizenship, nor were they allowed to learn
handicraft trades, because the trades of the city of London
were then all close corporations and admitted none to their
privileges except members of the Established Church.
Even dissenters were excluded, and what chance had the
Jews ? (Hear.) How different and how much better
was the position of the Jews at the present moment;
(Loud cheers.) Jews held office all over the country,
and he was on the present occasion supported by several
members of the corporation of the city of London. It
behoved the Jews to show that they were worthy of
their improved circumstances, and they could not do that
better than by attending to the charities of their respec-
tive districts. There was now a large Jewish population
in the western districts of London, and he trusted the
poorer members would not be neglected. The Legisla-
ture had long turned a deaf ear to the educational
wants of the people, but at last they had attended
to the prayer of the Jews, whose schools were
now assisted by a portion of the Parliamentary grant.
This was a great encouragement, and he hoped would
induce those who heard him to 'perform their duty
more efficiently, as it is well known that the schools
of the western districts were insufficient for the purpose
intended. Much, however, had been done, and among
the most zealous of the supporters of the schools, he was
proud to reckon the Baroness Rothschild. (Cheers.) It
was a trite subject to dilate upon the value of education,
but he believed that, after all, there was nothing that
would prove so permanently useful. A traveller who
had seen the magic celerity with which the Americans
regularly rebuilt San Francisco after its weekly confla-
gration, attributed all the energy and confidence of our
transatlantic brethren to their early education, and the
completeness of their intellectual development. (Cheers.)
He believed there was something in that, and he hoped
it would form an additional argument to induce the com-
pany to support an institution with which education was
the great if not the sole object. (Cheers.)
The SECRETARY then read the list of subscriptions, and
a collection was made, the total amount of both being
nearly 5001.
The CHAIRMAN next gave the health of the Chief
Rabbi, the Rev. Dr. Adler, with a high eulogium on
that gentleman's piety and scholastic attainments.
The CHIEF RABBI returned thanks.

Mr. C. PEARSON gave the health of the Chairman,
humorously reminding him that forty years before they
had both, as boys, met at Mr. Richardson's shop, and
prophesied the great advances in toleration which had
since come to pass. Having sketched the exertions of
the chairman in promotion of the great cause .
of Jewish
emancipation, Mr. Pearson concluded by again propos-
ing his health ter the company:
The CHAIRMAN having returned thanks, the remaining
toasts were disposed of, and the company separated.
We are requested to state that the dinner was pre-
pared by Mews, J. Myers and Son.

EXTRAMURAL SEPULTURE FOR THE

CITY OF LONDON.

The following extracts contain the prominent parts of
the report of Mr. Haywood, the surveyor to the City
Commissioners of Sewers, ordered to be printed by the

court en the 28th of February :
Pursuant to your instructions I beg to submit to you a
report giving an outline of the preliminary considerations
involved in the important question of providing a place of
extramural sepulture for those lying within the jurisdiction
of the City of London or having present right of burial in
the churchyards, &c., situated within its limits.
I will at once proceed to submit to, you an outline of Oise
considerations which occur to me as those immediately
concerning the question of providing a place of extramural
sepulture for the inhabitants of the City of London.
The primary considerations appear to be—First, the
site ; secondly, the area.
As to the site-1. The situation or site for the proposed
cemetery is, to a certain extent, defined by the 9th clause
of the Interment Act, which is to the following effect :
No new burial-ground or cemetery (parochial or non-
parochial) shall be provided and used in the metropolis, or
within two miles of any part thereof, without the previous
approval of one of her Majesty's Principal Secretaries of

State.
By this clause it appears that it is possible that objec-
tions may be held to apply against every site within two
miles of the metropolis. Now for the purpose of the Inter-
ment Act the metropolis is clearly defined by its interpre-
tation clauses, and includes a district of large area, and a
radius of three or four miles from the centre, although I
apprehend, whatever that interpretation might have been,
your committee would have preferred a site well placed
beyond existing houses, as well as removed from the pro-
bable encroachments of the metropolis for at least two or
three generations to come. The existing cemeteries, which
sprung into existence by the commercial enterprise of our
people, and which, deficient in their management and sys-
tem, as they may seem when tested by any imaginative
standard of perfection, certainly made a vast stride in the
right direction, and paved the way to the improved and
now universal ideas upon the subject of sepulture, illus-
trate the necessity of adopting a site at a considerable dis-
tance from the metropolis, for the whole of them, with the
exception of that at Kensall-green, are already surrounded,
more yr less, by dwellings, and some of them closely sur-

rounded by -them.
The objection may be started of the difficulty and ex•
pense of reaching a place of sepulture so far distant from
the place of death, but this objection will to a great extent
fall to the ground, when it is considered that any site that
can, under any circumstances or considerations, be selected,
even if the 9th clause of the Burial Act be interpreted in
the least restricted sense, cannot well be less than upon a
four-and-aehalf or five miles radius from the centre of the
metropolis, and that probably the cost or difficulty of pro-
curing suitable ground may place it at the least a mile
further -off. This, indeed, determines the mode of con-
ducting funerals of every description for the future. Walk-
ing funerals for all classes must be abandoned. Funerals
can be effected by vehicular transit alone, and the cost of
conveyance a mile or two more or less, after the working of
the system for a year or so, and when all the economies
which may be expected to be gained by time and expe-
rience have been realised, will, I submit there are fair
grounds to imagine, be an insignificant item in the general
expense, whilst the advantages of the further distance will
be felt to be greater and greater every year as the popula-
tion increases, and approaches the place of sepulture with
its dwellings.
2dly. The selection of the site may be in a degree influ-
enced by considerations of the street traffic upon the route
to it, - It is manifestly advisable, if possible, to select a
site which will enable the funeral processions to reach it
without encountering or being interrupted by a dense and
concentrated traffic. If there is truth in this, crossing the
river by the bridges would be most objectionable, and the
question of site for a City Cemetery appears to be so far
narrowed by the northern districts being thus at once in-
dicated for the purpose. A very considerable range of
country is nevertheless still left open to choice, even with
this restriction. The evidence collected by the Board of
Health is in favour of a north-eastern situation and a high
level (provided the soil is suitable), and that the higher the
elevation of a cemetery the nearer it may be permitted to
be to a city, the reasons given being that "S. and S. W.
winds being usually moist hold the putrefactive gases in
solution more readily than the W. or N. E. winds, which
are dry;" but with adequate area, and with well-devised
regulations in other respects, I submit this point is not a
primary essential.
3dly. The nature of the soil is, however, next to that
of the distance from the metropolis, the most important
consideration in the selection of the site ; as it not only has
the most direct bearing upon the sanitary consideration in-
volved in the subject, but as it determines almost entirely
the rate of decomposition of the human remains, so it re-
gulates largely the area of ground that will be required,
and upon the area required so will the first outlay for
ground, fencing, and planting, &c., depend.
After quoting evidence advising a gravelly soil, not too
compact in its nature, and reasonably dry, Mr. Haywood
proceeds—" Clay appears to be a soil the worst adapted for
interments. It is stated that in a metropolitan cemetery,
where there are ' two kinds of soil,' clay and marl, coffins
which have been interred 8 years in the former are sound
and undecayed, whilst coffins interred in the latter are en-
tirely decomposed, and their contents dissolved, except
part of the bones."
But the objections to a clayey soil, or a most boggy soil,
are various. Not only do such soils appear to retard de-
composition, but they are subject, like receptacles herme-
tically closed, to retain, and under certain circumstances to
evolve rapidly, quantities of concentrated and dangerous
gases, the products of decomposition.
As to the area. Firstly, this depends upon whether it is
needful to provide space for the whole number of those
wbo upon an average of years the within the City, or in
addition thereto to provide also space for those having
right of burial within the City, whether they die in the
City or not ; or whether it is needful to provide space only
for such a number as, from an average of past years, may
be shown to have been buried within the City, upon the
assumption that it presents a fair average of the inter-
ments that may be expected to take place annually in the
new cemetery, From the tables prepared by your officer
of health, and given in his last annual report, it appears
that the total number of deaths-in the City were-
-1848-49
1849-50 2,752
1850-51
1851-52
Average, 3,139 per annum.
It may, I think, safely be inferred that nearly the whole
of those dying, and included in the average annual number
of 3,139, had right of burial within the City, and would
have the same right in the new place of sepulture. The
number dying out of the City, but with a right of burial
within it, as in vaults and family graves; &c., must neces-
sarily be very limited. I have at present no means of ascer-
taining this number. From the return furnished you by the
Board of Health, showing the number of interments within
the-City for the seven years ending 1848, the total number
of interments was 12,669, the average number per annum
being 1,810. Thejexcess of the number dying within the
City over those actually buried there' it will be seen is as much
as 736 per cent. These figures do not give perhaps a strictly
correct proportion, as the returns of the burials are for dif-
ferent years from those of the mortality by your officer of
health, but for this purpose they approximate, I have no
doubt, sufficiently close. I have heard that certain parishes
have, within the last few years, contracted with cemetery
companies for the burial of their poor, and no longer bury
within the City. For many years past, also, public feeling
upon the subject of intramural interment has induced the
middle and wealthier classes to choose their resting-place
in the suburban cemeteries ; the actual number of burials
has therefore declined of late years, but it may be a
question whether, upon the provision of a suitable
place of interment, the whole of the City parishes will not
at once choose iit as the legitimate place of burial for
their poor, as well as from its probably being the
cheapest. The middle classes might resort there as their
rightful place of burial, and also upon the grounds of eco-
nomy; and the wealthier classes might—if in the selection
of the sites, the laying out, and in the decency and order
of its regulations and maintenance, it approached the me-
tropolitan cemeteries—choose it as willingly, if not by
preference, to any other places of sepulture ; and thus in
the course of a few years the burials within the City Ceme-
tery might bear a far larger proportion to the deaths within
the City than the burials within the City churchyards now
do. This is the first point to be determined in reference
to the question of area, and I submit that the various
considerations here given would tend to show the expe-
diency of determining the area in reference to the actual
number of deaths annually taking place within the City,
rather than by the average number of those buried within
the City for some years past. The question of area
is somewhat narrowed by the City population not being
subject to progressive increase like a suburban district—
indeed, the houses within the City aro yearly becoming
numerically less, and the resident population, although
according to the decennial returns shown to fluctuate
slightly, has been nearly a fixed quantity for the last
fifty years. The recommendation given by the Board
of 'Health in their report upon extramural sepulture in
1850 was, " that it be unlawful to inter in any
burial ground more than one corpse in a grave.'
Dr. Sutherland stated to the board, after having
made extensive inquiries upon the Continent as to the
mode of sepulture there adopted—" In all the cemeteries
I visited, with one exception, it appeared to be either
the law or the practice to bury only one body in a
grave. I found the advantage and necessity of this fully
appreciated. From various reports upon extramural se-
pulture, I gather that at Stuttgard and Munich, the ave-
rage space required for an adult's grave is about 32 square
feet, and the average throughout the Continent appeared
to be from 30 to 40 square feet. The depths at which
the graves are fixed upon various parts of the Con-
tinent are as follows :—At Stuttgard, where the depths
vary according to the age of the deceased, the average is
about 5 feet 2 inches ; at Glasshulle, 3 feet 5 inches ;
at Frankfort, 5 feet 7 inches; at Munich, 6 feet 7 incliest*
in France, from 4 feet 10 inches to 6 feet ; in Austria, if
lime is used, 6 feet 2 inches ; and in somes portion of d or-
many, from 7 feet to 11 feet. The time which is fixed be-
tween the reopening a grave for interments, is fixed at
Paris 5
.years, Munich about 9 years, Leipsic about 15 years,
Prussiar' 0 years' Frankfort 20 years, Stuttgard 15 to 18
years.%lndeed, the general tendency in the evidence and
reports of competent judges is, that from 7 to 10 years is
the least time that should elapse between the burial of one
corpse, and the re-opening of the ground for fresh inter-
ment, it being always understood that the soil of the ceme-
tery is of a suitable nature. There are strong arguments to
be adduced in favour of burial of but one body in a grave;
there are almost equally strong arguments in favour of as-
signing such a space for each coffin as may prevent their
being uncovered when graves are dug adjacent to them ; the
rule which places a corp. le at such a depth which will en-
able decay to proceed gradually is for the same reason good,
and the nearer to the ate odes of men the more needful that
regulations similar to these should be strictly adhered to.
The clause 110, in your Viewers Act of 1848, which enacts
that five feet should be the least depth between the sur-
face of the ground and the top of any coffin, appears to
have been framed with the soundest wisdom, and should
be adhered to whatever way the other points may be
determined. If you sh ould determine that more than one
body should be permitt(id to be interred in a grave, then to
prevent the denudation of coffins containing human re-
mains, or the chance of,: those remains being turned up and
exposed, as is so frequently the case, it would be expedient
that at least two fee,. six inches, or three feet of earth
should remain bet-keen the top of one coffin and the
bottom of the oth,
ful registrations of every depth of grave and every in-
Jr, and to regulate this the most care-
terment that tiles place in it would be needful. But
for arinitary re.sasons, for the prevention of injurious °ma-
natio] is, and chance of the exposure of human remains, for
the si inplification in the management of the ground, faci-
litatici la of registration, and other reasons, the interment
of bu'A one body in clue grave at suitable depths appears to be
best a Irrespective of the other considerations which it ap-
pea rs to me at once suggest themselves and urge the pro-
Pri sty of 'coxing an adequate area, and one sufficient to
av9id giving • the cemetery an overcrowded appearance, in
etrtioting skilful laying out And planting will lend the