The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-11 00:00:00

THE FUNDS.

1853. 1854.
Consols
Three and a Quarter per Cents 102.j 86i

RAILWAYS.
Amount paid.
Eastern Counties 2O 33 11
Great Northern lOO 814

Great Western lOO 91 72,
North-Western lOO 118 94
South-Eastern lOO 76 58
South-Western lOO 91 75
INSURANCE SHARES.
Albion (Life) 5O 90 92
Clerical, Medical, and General
(Life)
County (Fire)
Crown (Life) 5 17/ 201
Imperial (Fire) 5O 335 370
Law (Life) lO 50 574
Provident (Life)

Our hypotheses are thus wrought out by facts. The
funds have been depressed from 14 to 15 per cent. Rail-
way property has suffered with but ons exception—that
of the Great Northern, which has become developed
much since the quotation of 1853. All, however, are at
a discount. With insurance shares, the case is far dif-
ferent, Throughout the whole Stock Exchange list
there are no insurance shares at a discount. There is
nothing even at par. The prices antecedent to the war
have been maintained, and in the instances we have
quoted have most materially advanced. Some of these
shares exhibit an enormous increase on the amount ori-
ginally paid. But the whole result proves forcibly our
position, that even in time of war and difficulty, as in
time of tranquillity and peace, first among monetary
investments stand the shares of life and fire insurance
companies.

THE ROYAL SURREY MILITIA.—The Ist Regiment of
the Royal Surrey Militia, under the command of Colonel
William Holme Sumner, is appointed to be trained and
exercised for 28 days, at Richmond, the head-quarters
of the regiment. The training will commence on the
Bth of May next, and all men enrolled in the corps are
directed to attend at nine o'clock in the morning of that
day. The 3d Regiment, under the command of Lieut.-
Colonel C. B. Challoner, will be called out for training
on Monday, April 24, at Kingston-on-Thames. All
men who do not attend as directed will be arrested and
dealt with as deserters.

BOOKSELLERS' PROVIDENT INSTITUTION.—The report
of the directors—which has just been issued to the 520
members—states that during the year the sum of 6241.
has been distributed in permanent and temporary assist-
ance to 18 members and 13 widows of members. The
receipts during the year for subscriptions and donations
were 4521. 10s. 3d.; balance from last year, 1061. 95.;
cash and interest from invested capital, 4051. 14s. 11d.;
the expenditure was 6241. 4s. 6d., in relief as above ;
sundry expenses, 821. 16s. 10d.; balance, 257/. 12s. 10d.
The total amount invested up to the present tune is
20,9041. ss. 10d.
HAS EXECUTION BY HANGING BEEN SURVIVED !—I
have heard vague and indiscriminate tales of persons
who, as criminals, have undergone infliction of the
punishment of hanging without total extinction of life ;
but I have always been disposed to look upon such ac-
counts as mere fables, till lately, in turning over some
newspapers of the year 1740, I found a case mentioned,
under such circumstances that, if it were untrue, its re-
futation might have been easily accomplished. By The
Craftsman, of Saturday, Sept. 27, 1740, it appears one
William Dewell had been concerned in the violation,
robbery, and murder of a young woman in a barn at
Acton (which place has so recently been the scene of
another horrible crime). The Craftsman of Saturday,
Nov. 29, 1740, states that Dewell having undergone
execution, and being brought to surgeons'-hall to be ana-
tomised, symptoms of life appeared, and he quite re-
covered. This strikes me as a most unaccountable
story ; but perhaps similar ones may have been met
with in the reading of some of your correspondents,—
From "Note; on 4 quoliv.7