The Sun.
London, England, 1836-09-13 00:00:00

AQUA TICS.

The watermen at Westminster-bridge rowed their annual
match yesterday, and both in management and prowess it de-
serves considerable praise. Stairs wages, however good the
competitors may be, can rarely boast of a good attendance;
but as regards the contest of yesterday, it was but a sorry
affair. The few gentlemen remaining in town did not think
it possessed sufficient interest to induce them on such an un-
propitious day to order their boats out. William Campbell
had been entered, but he and Charles, his brother (the cham-
pion), had started on Friday with Mr. Thynne, the backer of
the unvanquished, in his cruise round the coast. William
Campbell's place was taken by Hancock, a very indifferent
exchange. The distance rowed was from Westminster-bridge
up, round the beacon ; down, round the Port Mahon ; and back
to the bridge. After a very well contested heat they came in
thus:—

1. George Campbell and Joseph Kennett Yellow
2. Edward Howell and William Spratt Green
3. John Jones, jun., and John May Purple
4. James How el and W. May ...White
. .

The stem of the second boat at coming in was up to the aft
stretcher of the leading boat. The match was rowed in two
heats, although three were named in the announcement; and
two scullers, Whitelaw and Elliss, were withdrawn.

GREENIWICII REGATTA.—The contest fora wherry and other
prizes announced for yesterday is postponed.

REGISTRAR OF BIRTHS, &c.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SlR,—Allow me to express the great doubt I entertain as
to the propriety of the advice which the Poor Law Commis-
sioners have volunteered to the Guardians, as to the ap-
pointment of district or sub-Registrars.

Under the Act it is clearly contemplated (and it is ob-
viously convenient), that the Clerk of the Union, as a
known and, generally speaking, legally educated officer,
should be the Superintendent Registrar. But, of course,
the working, or sub-Registrars, must, for convenience, have
smaller, or subdivided districts, generally perhaps corre-
sponding to the parishes, of which there are twenty or
thirty, or more, in the Union.
Now, the Commissioners have volunteered their advice
to the Guardians to make the medical men, the district, or
sub, we may almost say the parochial, Registrars—whose
office it will always be to be on the spot to receive and enter
the births, and deaths, and marriages, where (as will no
doubt for obvious reasons of convenience be generally the
case), they will also be appointed by the Superintendent to
be Marriage Registrars.
Now, the Commissioners have no authority to issue such
advice, and they should, at least, be sure that they are not
doing mischief.
In the first place, it may be observed, that it is hardly
likely that medical men will take such an office ; which
may add a few pounds a-year to the salary of such a man
as a collector, but can never compensate a medical man for
the trouble, confinement, and annoyance it will give.
In the next place, the medical men cannot supply more
than a fractional part of the number wanted. They reside
in the towns, and the parishes round have nothing of the
sort resident in them—yet surely the sub-Registrar should
be on the spot.
The only alleged qualification of the doctors is their
aptitude for stating the cause of death accurately. But
this is a mere statistic matter of curiosity, quite incidental
and collateral ; and surely should not interfere with the
substance of the Act to be executed. Moreover, the
Union Doctor will only in a few cases perhaps know, ex-
cept by hearsay, what was the cause of death, and his re-
port will be, therefore, little, if at all, better than another's.
Against, however, any fancied aptitude in the medical
man for this minor part of the duty, is to be set the obvious
inaptitude of t/'.• habits and occupation of a country doctor
for any se:11 office. The man wanted is surely a steady
man business of the middle ranks, conversant with books
and accounts, known as an officer of the district, always in
it, mixing with all ranks in matters of business, and to be
found, with certainty and regularity, at some known time
and place ; with a small income to which a few pounds may
be an object of importance.
Can any one who knows what the medical officer of a
Union is, visiting perhaps half a score parishes, and always
on the wing (and in most cases making an income, to which
the paltry profit of a Registry can be nothing compared to
its annoyance and trouble), consider him a proper person
for a parochial Registrar, even in his own town ? And even
if he could or would act there, what is to become of all the
other parishes or districts of the Union ?
It is quite cle2r that the. appointments never can be sup-
plied to any extent by this class of men ; that uniformity
in the sort of officials is very desirable ; and therefore that
the suggestion of this ridiculous and impracticable specula-
tion is only leading the people astray to whom it is ad-
dressed. I can only hope that it will be either withdrawn
or disregarded, as it deserves. Wherever I have been it
has been received with shouts of laughter, at such a notion
emanating from Cockney-Land.
I have adverted to the obvious propriety of the Sub-
Registrars being also the Deputy-Registrars for attending
marriages. This function in particular requires a person of
punctual and regular habits and occupations. But can
any one conceive that the matter can be managed with any
sort of regularity or convenience, if the marrying couple
are to be dependant on the attendance of the doctor from
the neighbouring town ? His aid may be wanted in due
time afterwards ; but surely it was reserved for modern
days of intelligence to make the doctor a necessary atten-
dant at the nuptials of his neighbourhood.—Yours, &c.
A WARM ADVOCATE FOR THE REGISTER BILL.

Mr. Charles Evans, of Manchester, the banker,
has failed; his liabilities, chiefly to small tradesmen, arc about
60,0001.

By an Act of Parliament, passed on the 19th
of May in the present year, it is enacted that masters of ves-
sels arriving from foreign parts, at any port in this kingdom,
must report to the chief officers of the Customs whether he
has any and what aliens on board, under a penalty of 20/.
CHURCH RATE.—We congratulate the inhabitants
of Berwick on getting for ever rid, as they have recently, of this
odious tax.

Saturday morning, a fellow went to the door of Mr.
Cooksey, undertaker, No. 52, Amwell-street, Pentonville, to
ask charity, and while Mr. Cooksey turned into a back room
to procure him a trifling sum, the rascal snatched up a coat
that was upon a chair, and was out of sight in an instant. In
the pockets was a banker's bill-book, containing one 201., two
5/. ; also 124/. 14s. 9d. in bills of exchange.
The Greenwich Railway Company have commenced
lighting their line with gas. Its appearance from the Old
Kent-road is very brilliant, and, when completed to London
Bridge, it will certainly be one of the most splendid displays
of gas in Europe.
The Russian men- of-war that have arrived from the
north, came to an anchor on the Bth at Copenhagen.
A project, we hear, is on foot, for a railway from
Halifax to Leeds, by way of Bradford.—Leeds Times.
"ADVENTURES OF A GENTLEMAN IN SEARCH
OF A HORSE."—We cannot do better than direct the attention
of that numerous class of our readers mho arc interested in
tl:e choice and management of horses, to that excellent little
work, which has already reached a Second Edition, under the
above title. It is evidently the production of a gentleman of
sound judgment and extensive experience, and conveys, in a
most lively and yaplup style, information which may be the
means of enabling the reader to f9rm a correct judgment on a
subject which is often a source of much unavoidable expense,
as well a frequently of personal annoyance. The cost of the
volume is trifling, but the value of possessing it may prove
invaluablq,