The Sun.
London, England, 1849-09-20 00:00:00

ARRIICEA

BIRTHS IN THE WEEK.

* In this number are included 1,682 cases of death by
Cholera, 24 by Scarlatina, 66 by Typhus Fever, and 260
by Diarrhoea.

--- -
BURIALS IN TOWNS.
THE CITY BOARD OF HEALTH.
The Lord Mayor attended the committee, and after
reading the reports, Mr. Barkley, the chairman, in-
formed the committee that he had been himself wit-
ness, on the previous day, of the overcrowded condi-
tion of one of the burying-grounds of tl.e City. Al-
derman Finnis, who was likewise present at the
interment of the late Deputy Silson, had desired him
to call the attention of the Lord Mai or and the
committee to the fact, in order that some steps might
be immediately taken to redress the evil. When the
corpse had arrived at the place of interment the grave
was found too small, and although they were kept
waiting upwards of twenty minutes, to the outrage
of the feelings of the mourners, they were obliged to
leave the ground, and, as he afterwards heard, they
could not deposit the coffin without disturbing the
body in the adjoining grave.
The Loan MAYOR observed he was quite certain
that, unless rigorous means were immediately taken
to prevent intramural interments, the Government and
the Legislature would, as soon as Parliament as
sembled, bring in some sweeping measure to effect an
object which had now excited the greatest public
interest. It was quite evident, now public feeling had
been excited, that the practice would not be permitted
to continue.
Mr. C. PEARSON said that the feeling against inter-
ments in the City was as strong in 1832 as at present.
There were two great difficulties in the way of sub-
urban places of interment for the ninety-seven City
parishes—one was, the vested interests of the parochial
clergy and the inhabitants ; the other was the great
cost to the poor which the removal of the dead to a
distance would occasion to the parish or to their
families and friends. The first of these difficulties he
saw his way through in 1832 ; but the last was a
stumbling-block which subsequent events had now
removed. He had proposed that the board of health
at that time should take advantage of the prevalence of
the epidemic to provide a place of general interment,
and that the corporation should obtain an Act of
Parliament to confer upon the inhabitants of the City
parishes and all the parochial functionaries the same
rights, privileges, and fees, in respect of the interment
of parishioners in the corporation cemetery, as at-
tached to them in their several parish grounds. He
had many conferences with influential individuals,
both clergy and laity, who approved of the project,
and with the authority of the committee he at that
time purchased twenty-two acres of land for the pur-
pose of a corporation cemetery at Holloway ; but
the cholera happily departed, and when the excite
meat had subsided, the other objection was held suffi
cient to prevail, particularly in the case of the poor
who, it is well known, would feel as sensibly and
acutely as the rich, if they were prevented by the
expenses attendant upon distant burying from paying
the same tokens of honour totheirdeparte d relatives as
were bestowed upon them by those to whom fortune
had been more kind. The advantage of cheap and
expeditious locomotion which railroads had intro-
duced would now remove this objection to suburban
interments. One or two hundred acres of ground
might be purchased in a suitable situation upon one
of the metropolitan railroads, say within ten or fifteen
miles of the City, where a proper receiving house
could be erected, to which all bodies might be con-
veyed by the undertakers during the night, and at the
hour fixed for the interment the mourners, poor or
rich, at a small expenditure of time or money, might
assemble to pay their last tribute of respect to their
departed friends.
A report was then read from Mr. Simon, detailing
the plan of procedure adopted by him for carrying
out the system of house to house visitation in the City.
Mrs. Signol, wife of Bernard Signol, of 47,
Monkwell street, appeared before the committee in a
very distressed state. She stated that she had seven
children residing at home; on Sunday last a grave
was dug in St. Olave's churchyard for the interment
of a female who had died of cholera in Winchester-
court close by ; they had commenced digging the
grave before six o'clock in the morning ; the grave
was not sunk sufficiently deep, and in consequence of
the interference of Police-constable 186, the sexton
was obliged to dig it deeper, and did not
finish it till half-past four r.m. ;at about two
o'clock Mrs. Signol was called by the servant
to look on ; she then saw four human heads,
which had been disinterred ; they were "in a
green state with the hair visible," and other parts of
human bodies had been thrown up. In consequence
of some remarks from a gentleman who came in the
ground, these remains were covered up with earth.
Mrs. Signol said the smell arising from the church-
yard when graves were being dug was most offen-
sive and compelled the inhabitants of the neigh-
bourhood on those occasions to keep their windows
closed.
The CITY SOLICITOR recommended that Mrs. Sig-
nol should be sent to the Commissioners of Sewers, who
were then sitting. The committee could not legally
interfere, beyond making a further representation to
the General Board of Health.
Mr. YOUNG—Are you willing to make a depo-
sition of the facts you have stated to be verified by

oath ?
Mrs. Signol said she was, and left the room for
that purpose.
A brief conversation having taken place on the
subject, a resolution was unanimously passed, calling
upon the City Solicitor and the officer of health to
report their opinions as to the interments in the City.
—Adjourned.

LARGE EARLY CABBAGE..--ALNWICR, SEPT. 18.—
On the 17th inst. a cabbage was cut in the allotment 01
Mr. Brankston, ironmonger, Alnwick, weighing 321b5.,
all usable, the stalk having been left in the ground to
produce seed; the kind is Ilarrison's Imperial. This
beautiful cabbage when growing measured nearly 5 feet
across from tip to tip of the leaves. his Grace the
Duke of Northumberland having caused a quantity of
land to be divided into small allotments for the accom-
modation of the inhabitants, has conferred a great benefit
upon them, as they prove to be exceedingly usetul to
families, and by raising a spirit of emulation amongst
the parties, are going on rapidly improving.—From
Correspondent.
We understand that Mr. Sheriff Gordon has ad-
dressed a communication to M. D'Estremont de Mocroix,
commanding the French ship of war Psevoyant, express-
ing, in strong terms, his deep sense of the services ren-
dered by the party of officers and seamen belonging to
the corvette, on the occasion of the fire at Gaonton
Mains. His Grace the Duke of Buccleucb, through his
agents, also transmitted the handsome sum of 101. for
distribution among the men who rendered such effective
service, as some acknowledgment of their promptitude
and activity. This sum, however, it appears by a letter
from the commander of the corvette to Mr. List, the
superintendent of the county police, has been placed by
the French seamen, in the moat generous manner, at the
disposal of Mr. List, for distribution among the poor.
Edinburgh Evening P 0.4.
PUNISHMENT OF A THIMBLE RIGGER..—On Thurs-
day a noted thimble-rigger, named Satnuel Main, ws
brought to the police•effice upon a charge of disorderly
conduct, and on being searched previous to his being
locked up for the night in one of the cells, there w. re
found upon him two pieces of board, and two sets of
thimbles. Yesterday tie was brought before Bailie Tait
in the police-court, at the inbtance of Mr. Moxey, on a
charge of being a well-keown thimble-rigger, and of
having in his possession, in contravention of the New
Police Act, the articles mentioned above, being " imple-
ments or articles for practising games 01 hazard." The
charge having been fully substantiated, be was sentenced
to sixty days imprisonment. It is rare indeed that
punishment reaches swindlers of this description, as they
always contrive to carry en their nefarious transactions
without the bounds of the city, where, owing to the
defective state of the law, they enjoy a complete immu-
nity.—Edinburgh Witness.
CIRCUIT COURT OF JUSTICIARY.—At Glasgow, on
Friday last, sentence was pronounced on A exander
Holmes anti Dugald Walker, convicted of stealing notes
from the Union Bank under circumstances detailed in
our last—the former to eighteen and the latter to twelve
months' imprisonment. There were no other cases of
any interest.—Scotsman.