The Sun.
London, England, 1849-09-03 00:00:00

THE PENINSULAR MAILS.

SOUTUAMPTON, SUNDAY, 10 P.M.—The Peninsular
and Oriental Steam Navigation Company's packet
has arrived here with the usual Spanish and Portu-
guese mails, in charge of Lieutenant Inglis, R.N.
She brings a large cargo of grapes and lemons, and
a small quantity of specie.
Our letters from Lisbon, of the 29th ult., mention
that the resignation of the Duke of Saldanha, as
Ambassador to Paris, had been accepted by the
Government.

The special committee and general assembly of
shareholders had voted the necessary authority for
the required loan to the Government. The
principal clauses appear to be that 600 contos
of Treasury-bills were to be created, the Bank
being authorized to issue or negotiate them to
the extent of 400 contos, at the rate of 20 contos
a week, these bills to be paid on maturity by the Bank
out of two thirds of the current decimal tax of 1849.

Investigations into the various fiscal establishments
were still the order of the day in Lisbon, and many
irregularities bad heen detected. The vexatious re-
strictions upon the transfer of foreign goods from
Lisbon to Oporto had been taken off, and henceforth
merchandise thus closed can be received under bond.

Portugal was perfectly tranquil ; the Court was at
Cintra. The exchanges on London, for three months'
bills, were quoted at 53 to with a good demand on
the part of private houses as well as the Board of
Public Credit. Government securities continued in
fair demand. The Five per Cents. were selling at
from 57 to 58; Four per Cents. at 47 to 48 ; Lisbon
Bank notes, 38; per cent. discount.
Advice from Oporto of the 30th ult. quote the
rate of exchange on London, at three months, 54i,
with a good many transactions.
Brazilian bills were offered freely, and much paper
remained over.

London wine freights, 225. 6d.
Indian corn was likely to be abundant, but
olives less plentiful.
Two Sardinian war steamers had arrived to con-
vey the body of the ex-King Charles Albert to
Genoa.
The Mediterranean Peninsular and Oriental Steam
Navigation Company's steamer Erin, Captain Olive,
has just arrived from Civita Vecchia, Leghorn, Genoa,
and Gibraltar. By this steamer we have advices from
Gibraltar to the 25th ult., three days later than
brought by the Pacha. Exchange on London, 90
days' date, was quoted 501.
Her Majesty's steamer Janus was at Gibraltar.
Steam-ship Ripon, with outward India mails, ar-
rived on the 26th, and sailed the same day from
Alexandria.

LONDON FEVER-STILL —lt has been fallaciously
argued that no ill effects arise from burials in vaults, in
consequence of the bodies being encased in lead, and
some say that they would think it a great hardship to
be prevented from being placed after death among their
family. Although the crypt of Bow Church is by no
means the worst in London, still its atmosphere is a
proof against the above assertion, and Mr. Walker and
others have given evidence on the point beyond contro-
versy. Wishing to obtain another opinion in addition
to those already recorded and our own, we wrote to
an able surgeon and chemist to the following effect :
"It having been stated that the practice of encasing
bodies in lead previous to interment will prevent
poisonous gases from being dispersed throughout the
vaults in which such bodies are laid, will you in-
form us if you think it is possible by any such
process to confine the gases which are generated
by decomposition?" In reply, he said—" They would
be completely confined by such cases made of lead
' until by their accumulation the case would no longer re-
sist the pressure; the result would be either the sudden
rupture of the case, or the production of a small fissure
allowing a gradual escape. As to the production of such
gases, there can be no doubt that they are always
produced by the gradual decomposition of animal bodies,
and a case must be far stronger than is ever used to
resist their pressure. The simple fact of exclusion from
the air could not prevent their formation." We have
also put the following question to a person who is ex-
tensively employed as an undertaker:—" Do you think
that the lead coffins at present in use are capable of con-
taining the gases which are generated by decomposi-
tion ?" Ho said:—" I do not think they can answer any
such purpose, and it is a common practice among the
trade t.) make certain holes, which are partly concealed
by the coffin-plate, for the purpose of preventing the
coffin from bursting." We can from our own knowledge
speak of coffins in these London vaults bursting with a
report like a pistol; and it is not unusual for the sextonto go round with a long iron spear and puncture such
coffins as he thinks suspicious. There canebier
poisonous
character, and that to continue to manufacturen wo
of the escape of these gases, and also of h
them in
the vault of a church is not only fearfully dangerous ,t o
tthueilcur.congregation, but the whole neighbourhood.— 7he
i
E.
SEPT. 2.—The nomination of
KIDDERMINSTER,
KIDDERMINSTation of candidates ior the vacancy
caused in the representation of this borough through the
death of the late Member (Mr. Godson) takes place on
Tuesday next (to-morrow), and the polling on
ti
The parties in the field remain the same. Mr.
John Best is the candidate in the Conservative interest,
r tnbiegehnt
finished
ebde been
on obf
and Mr. Gisborne on the Liberal side,
cfbarnythases pastlongfo
and thereinterest.
The
P
remain the usual average number of um
edg electorst
who in these small constituencies have always a
difficulty in " making up their minds "
until the actualgrea
day of election. On the present occasion there has been
ample opportunity afforded them of weighing the merits
of the two candidates, who have now been before the
electors for some weeks. Meetings of electors and non-
oth
electors have been held in the borough almost nightly,
little
ihdee 81 r o e proceedings
di
and the candidates have addressed the electors over and
over again in iteration of their claims to support; still
there is a sufficient number of electors (as at Leominster)
who decline to promise either party left to turn the
scale in the balance of parties here, and it would be
difficult to prognosticate which will be the successful
candidate.
A SEA MoNsTan.—ln the early part of the week,
some fishermen brought up the river (Wisbeach), as far
as Pauper's Cut, a bottle-nosed grampus, about 20 fee
long, which was taken dead on the sands. The state of
theblu b
bfies
rh.
was
se
very
yr
otffheenlilnsieve, and it was cut up for
took it to Boston, in the
first instance, but the authorities of that town orders
them to take it book to eette

• r►+E WEATHER.—SUN OFFICE, SEPT. 3.
TIIERMOMETER, Lowest, 56; 'sighest, 71; Noon, 72.

BAROMETER, 30 03.
Wind s.E.—fine weather.