The Sun.
London, England, 1849-12-17 00:00:00

THE SIIN, LONDON,

child. The next morning I gave the box and its con-
tents to a policeman.
Edward Smith, the policeman, deposed to receiv-
ing the box from the last witness. The box and the
wrapper now produced are the same I received. It
contained the dead body of a male child. The direc-
tion I found on Gingley-hill, about a mile and a half
from the residence of the last witness. The child was
naked, with a handkerchief round its neck tied
tight. There were bruises on the left tem-
ple and left ear, which must have been
inflicted by a severe blow. The clothes which I now
produce were found in the box. They were all shown
to Mrs. Johnson, and are the same that she has sworn
to to day. The child was quite fresh in appearance.
Mr. Francis Blagg, surgeon, of South Retford,
deposed as follows :—I am a surgeon, and have been
in practice since 1830. On Monday, the 3d of Dec.,
I was called in to see the body of a child at the Royal
Oak, North Leverton. The body was lying
on a table. It was a male child, from eighteen
months to two years old. It appeared
to have been dead but a very short time ;
I think it could not have been dead more than a
week, and perhaps not so long. I examined the child.
I observed great lividness in the face, particularly in
the eyelids, which were swollen ; also the tongue, the
breast, and between the teeth; the hands were
clenched ; the nails were blue. I observed a contu-
sion on the left side of the forehead; there was also
a bruise on the left ear. I performed a post mortem
examination, and on the scalp I discovered extensive
blows or bruises on the upper portion of the left
side of the head, which must have been
inflicted by violence with some blunt instrument.
On removing the skull I discovered corresponding
marks on the left membrane of the brain. On turning
back the outward membrane I found a considerable
quantity of extravasated blood on the left hemisphere
of the brain, and the brain generally was congested.
I then opened the body, took out the stomach,
and found rather more than half a pint; of fluid in it
resembling gruel ; also several small portions of meat
undigested. The stomach was perfectly healthy, as
where the whole of the abdominal viscera. On
opening the chest I found the right lung completely
collapsed ; the left lung, with' the exception
of the lower portion, was in the same
state. In the lower portion of the left lung
I found a small quantity of air. A hand-
kerchief was tied round the neck which inflicted
some injury on it. These were all the appearances I
observed. The violence on the head, no matter how

it was produced, was in my judgment sufficient to
cause death. The state of the neck, in my opinion,
indicated that such a pressure had been used in tying
the handkerchief that might have produced death.
Sergeant Whitcher deposed to having found on
the premises in Harley-street some white handker-
chiefs, marked in ink S. Drake," which correspond
with the one found in the box. He had also received
a bunch of keys from the prisoner, one of which
unlocked the box.
Mary Ann Wignell identified the box and wrapper
as belonging to the prisoner, having seen them in her
room. She slept with the prisoner.
The prisoner was then remanded till Saturday next.

THE ARMY AND NAVY.
(From the United Service Gazette.)
REDUCTION IN THE ARMY.—The plan proposed
for a diminution of the strength of the troops is, we
hear, to abandon the West India colonies as military
stations, which will relieve and place at the disposal of
the authorities at home, six regiments of the line. We
strongly deprecate such a measure, and trust that it
may never be carried into effect. The local colonial
Governments might find the means of forming colonial
corps for the protection of their lives and property ;
but this would be inadequate to meet any sudden broil
or commotion which might occur amongst the black
population, or on the occasion of a practical attempt
to land and plunder the inhabitants. Buccaneering
in full force would return to those shores, and the
islanders would be in a perpetual state of excitement
and alarm. _ _ _

Major-General Thomas Banbury and Major-Gen.
J. W. Aldred have respectively succeeded to the
Unattached Pay of twenty-five shillings per diem.
The services of the former were limited to Surinam,
Holland, and the American war. The historian is
silent as to the war service of the latter officer.
THE COLONELCY 01 THE 80TH FOOT.—As no
one really knows who is to succeed to a vacant
Colonelcy until the Commander-in-Chief an-
nounces it himself at the Horse Guards, we
make a point of abstaining from lending our-
selves to the idle rumours born of the wishes of
General Officers and their friends. We cannot,
however, shut our ears to the current on dits, and
therefore, we may mention that club gossip and cer-
tain convictions of what ought to be, point to Major-
General Douglas Mercer, C. 8., as the probable suc-
cessor to Sir E. K. Williams.
Captain Tulloch, lately returned from an inspection
of the pensioners resident in North America, is at
Tilbury Fort forming the local companies as convict
guards for embarkation to Australia. The ship Eliza
sailed from Gravesend on Thursday, with the first
company for that colony.
STAFF OF IRELAND.—Major-General his Royal
Highness the Prince George of Cambridge, having
proceeded on leave of absence to attend the funeral of
the Queen Dowager, Colonel Cochrane, the
Deputy-Adjutant General, has taken the com-
mand of the Dublin District. Major-Gen. Wemyss,
C. 8., having arrived in Dublin on leave of absence,
Colonel Sir Michael Creagh, K.H , has assumed the
command of the Athlone district. Captain Seton,
74th Highlanders, Deputy-Assistant Quartermaster-
General, has proceeded from Dublin to England, on
leave.

MEDICAL STAFF.—Staff Assistant-Surgeon Touch,
embarked in medical charge of the detachments in the
ship NVaverley at Cowes, on the 14th instant, to
Malta. Assistant-Surgeon Deakins, 3d West India
Regiment, having exchanged with Staff Assistant-
Surgeon Manners, that officer will embark in medical
charge of the detachment of the 97th Regiment, in the
ship Prince Albert for Jamaica, and afterwards join
his regiment in the West Indies. Staff-Surgeon
Mapleton is on leave of absence from the depot
battalion at the Isle of Wight, to 30th Dec., 1649.
ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT.—Lieutenant Oxenden,
late of the 43d Light Infantry, has been appointed
barrack-master at 'long Kong.

MINING INTELLIGENCE.
(From the Mining Journal.)
The share market continues firm, and an active in-
quiry is still made for most of our leading mines.
Several negotiations, which were pending last week,
have since come off. The present prosperous position
of the mine generally, and the apparent firmness of
the metal market, with the advance in tin and lead,
affords every encouragement for safe and remunera-
tive investment. _

Devon Great Consols continues in request, and
business doing in them.
Condurrow, South Frances, South Tolgus, Tre-
hane, Mary Ann,
,Cam Bren, and East Wheal Rose
are among the several mines in request.
Tincroft is represented to have improved since our
last, both in the shaft and 90 end, which is now worth
401. per fathom. Several transactions have been
done. Tamar Consols is increasing her returns; the
profits from the mines and the smelting department
averages nearly 1,0001. per month. A dividend of
11. per share may be anticipated next month.
Heignston Down is reported to have improved,
especially in the 35 fin. level, where they have a lode
worth full SO/. per fm. Shares have been dormant
for some months, and buyers are now to be found at
an advanced price. The profitable and improving
position of Bedford United, and the progressive im-
provement in South Tamar have caused several large
transactions during the week.
Fortescue shares have also been in demand at a
considerable advance, in anticipation of cutting the
lode at a very important point.
By Wheal Basset report we find, the mine is in a
highly productive position. A new and more power-
ful engine is to supersede the present one.
At Wheal Seton account a dividend of Si. per share
was declared. The operations in September and
October gave a profit of 6231. 9s. 6d., which, added to
balance from last account, allowed the above dividend,
leaving to credit 2221. Bs. The mine has consider-
ably improved of late, with every probability of
further improvements being made. During , the last
two months about 1,220 tons of ore have been sold,
and the profit anticipated for the next account is esti-
mated at about 1,8001.
At Wheal Tremayne account meeting a dividend
of 103. per share was declared, leaving a balance in
hand of 4171. 13s. 11d. The mine is looking re-
markably well.
At the Mineral Court meeting the accounts showed
balance against the mine of 4281. 12s. 2d. during the
operations of five months, ending in October. A call
of 3/. per share was made. Lady Greville, with her
usual liberality, has signified her consent to reduce
the dues to 1-18th. The reports of Captains Webb
and Dale represent the mine in a very promising
position.
At the Tavy Consols meeting for September and
October the accounts showed a balance against the
mine of 2301. 16s. 41. The ore bills due, and not
yet at maturity, were more than sufficient to discharge
the debt, but to meet the expenditure of the current
two months it would be necessary to make a call of
53. per share at the next meeting. A vote of thanks
was passed to G. Strode, Esq., the freeholder, for his
generosity in remitting the balance of dues. The
report presented by the agent encourages the share-
holders to entertain a hope that the mine would soon
be in a position of meeting the costs.
At the Wheal Mary meeting the accounts showed
a balance against the mine of 9121 16s. ld., and a
call of 10s. per share was made.
At Wheal Concord meeting a resolution was unani-
mously adopted, that the purser furnish an account

current of the receipts and payments of the mine
from the commencement of workings, and the meet-
ing was adjourned until it be ready for consideration.
At the Herodsfoot adjourned meeting, the mine
was divided into 512 shares, instead of 256, as for-
merly; and a call of 2/. 10s. per share was made, to
pay off the liabilities.
Shares of the following mines have changed hands
during the week :—Devon Great Consols, East Wheal
Rose, Tincroft, Bedford United South Tamar, Devon
and Courtenay, Trethevy, Tamar Consols, East
Buller, ITrelawny, Treviskey and Barrier, South
Basset, Tremayne, Mary Ann, Trehane, Stray Park,
Bwlch Consols, Heignston Downs, East Tamar,
Wheal Russell, Wheal Fortescue, West Wheal Jewel,
and Treleigh.
In foreign mines the transactions have been chiefly
confined to United Mexican, Copiapo, and St. John
del Rey shares ; but some few bargains have been
effected in Imperial and National Brazilian, Alten,
Linares, Australian, and North British Australasian
shares.
From the Barossa Range Mines, letters have been
received, dated 11th June and 9th July, reporting
operations as progressing very satisfactorily ; 40 tons
of ore had been raised at the Bremer, and 15 more
would be ready for shipment in two months. The
per centage of copper was 25 for 25 tons, and 16 for
15 tons ; the latter would be smelted there. The
wet season made the roads all but impassable, and
rather delayed work at the mines. At the Lyndoch
Valley Mine, the ground was hard, and recourse was
had to blasting. The quantity of ore raised there was
above 30 per cent.

COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL.
The Court met on Friday, and after the transaction
of some routine business the following report of the
Committee of Health was read :

" We, whose names are hereunto subscribed, your
special committee, appointed on the sth day of July last,
to consider the means necessary to be adopted with rela-
tion to the cholera, do hereby certify that on the 13th
day of September last we were summoned by the Right
Hon. the Lord Mayor to attend his Lordship forthwith
at the Mansion-horse, for the purpose of receiving a
communication of urgent consequence from the Board of
Health appointed by her Majesty under the authority
of the Act of Parliament conferring upon the Board the
general superintendence of arrangements in respect of
the public health, during the prevalence of cholera, or
other epidemic, or contagious disease. Your committee
immediately obeyed his Lordship's summons, and were
informed by his Lordship that having received a very
forcible representation from the Government Board of
Health concerning certain arrangements they deemed
necessary to be adopted within the city, he had, by
the advice of the City Solicitor, requested the Board
in a matter of so much moment to put the communica-
tion, which had been orally delivered,: into writing,
that it might be laid in official form before your com-
mittee ; and your committee do further certify that a
written communication from the Board of Health was
laid before us, in which a system of house to house
visitation within the city was strongly pressed upon
the corporation, and the committee was likewise attended
by Mr. R. D. Grainger, the medical superintending in-
spector of the General Board of Health, by the orders of
the board ; and that gentleman, in very forcible lan-
guage, and by arguments the most convincing, supported
by facts within the range of his own personal observa-
tion, and others to a similar import, verified by medical
men of high authority, placed the subject before us in
such a light that your committee concurred with the
Lord Mayor in opinion that we dared not encounter the
serious responsibility of delaying, for a single day, to
carry into execution, to the best of our means and judg-
ment, the duty which this communication bad cast upon
us. We immediately gave direction to Mr. Simon, the
officer of health, instructing him to retain the assistance
of a sufficient number of qualified medical men to under-
take the required service; and having regard to the im-
portant benefits conferred upon the public in the year
1832 from the unity of action produced by combining in
one body the medical men attached to the board
with the medical officers connected with the various
parishes within the city, the Officer of Health laid before
us a scheme for this purpose, which we thought expe-
dient to adopt, as uniting a large amount of efficiency
with a due regard to an economical expenditure of the
corporation funds. By this arrangement, which was in
force from the lath of September to the 12th of Octo-
ber, when the cholera was reported to have sub.ided, the
constant service of eleven competent medical officers was
obtained, whose duty it was daily to visit the inhabitants
of the several houses within their allotted district, under
the immediate superintendence of the medical officers of
the respective unions, and subject to the general super-
vision of the Officer of Health of the city. Upon the
medical officer of the union the duty was devolved of
visiting at all hours of the day and night all cases of
cholera and choleraic diarrhea, which were brought to
light by the system of domestic visitation within their
respective districts; they likewise prescribed for and
supplied to the poor all requisite medicines, and they
also made up the prescriptions of the medical visitors
and furnished every applicant with all necessary 'men
clines, free of cost, to the parties visited. In
order to secure unity of action, and to obtain accurate
information upon every point necessary to be known to
enable the Officer of Health rightly to direct the powers
and agencies placed at his command, the medical officers
of the union daily attended him in consultation, to com-
pare the results of their experience, and to devise means
the more effectually to discharge their respective duties
under his superintendence. And we do further certify
that we caused a notification of these arrangements to
be made to the inhabitants throughout the city; and
being anxious to avert any exaggerated apprehensions
which this unusual step might otherwise occasion, we
caused an address to be issued to the inhabitants, in
white we familiarly explained the causes and objects of
the course about to be adopted, and invited the co• ope-
ration of all classes. And we do further certify that at
our weekly meetings we were attended by several inha-
bitants of different parts of the city, complaining of
nuisances prejudicial to health, and tending to the
spread of cholera and other epidemic diseases; and this
committee not having neen invested by law with
similar powers to those v<hich were devolved upon
the City Board of Health during the visitation of
the cholera in the year 1832 we were unable to
grapple with those evils in the manner we should have
desired to do if they had fallen within the scope of our
authority. The clearing of the shores of the Thames at
the outfall of the several sewers within the limits of the
city having been specially committed to us by your
Hon. Court, was duly executed under our orders; and
we annex to this report a certificate of the City Archi-
tect as to the cost of constructing works permanently to
abate the noxious and offensive nuisances occasioned by
the discharge of the fetid contents of the sewers upon the
shores of the river at low water. From the information
we received during the progress of our labours, we are
of opinion, and do recommend, that it should be com-
mitted to one of the committees of your lion. Court to
abate the nuisances in the way suggested by the City
Architect, or in some other effectual form. We do fur-
ther certify that we have had our attention especially
directed by the Officer of Health to the injurious influ-
ence of the crowded state of the burial-grounds within
the city upon the health of the inhabitants; wo are
deeply impressed with the necessity there exists for
the application of an effectual remedy for this evil,
which we believe can be no otherwise removed than
by a legal prohibition of further interments in the
city. We have been invited to consider a project,
suggested some years since, for the corporation to
provide a suitable piece of land, in the vicinity of
London, which (as has been since effected by the city
of Oxford) might be rendered available for all the city
parishes for the interment of their dead, to which the
canon law rights of parishes might attach, subject to all
the privileges of the parochial officers, both lay and
ecclesiastical. This subject of intramural interments is
very fully and ably treated by Mr. Simon, in a report
laid before your committee, which was also submitted
to the Commissioners of Sewers, who have caused it to
be printed. We abstain from doing more than invite
the attention of your Hon. Court to an early considera-
tion of the matter, being of opinion that its speedy set-
tlement is of deep importance to the health and comfort
of the inhabitants of the city. We do further certify
that the insufficiency of the water supply, the existence
of ill-ventilated slaughter-houses within the crowded
parts of the city, and the wretched state of the
dwellings of the poor, have been shown to us to
be the fruitful causes of disease amongst the
inhabitants, which, though commencing with the
humble, who are more immediately subjected to their
influences, are propagated and extended to all classes of
the community. All these topics are likewise treated
with great force and ability in the report of the Officer
of Health, to which reference has been already made.
Your committee would have rejoiced if it had been
within the scope of their powers to have applied even a
partial remedy for some of these evils, which it is the
opinion of your committee may be, and ought to be,
mitigated, if they cannot be entirely redressed ; but your
cousmitte were advised by the City Solicitor that the law
did not give them any jurisdiction in these . matters.
Your committee are, however, happy to find they are all
under the investigation of other bodies connected with
the corporation, and your committee hope that this in-
vestigation will lead to a partial remedy, and give rise to
legislative measures for their entire removal.
"In the course of your committee's operations they
have expended 6131. 15s. 3d., for which they have from
time to time drawn upon the Chamber. This sum does
not include any remuneration for the professional ser-
vices of the eleven medical officers of the union engaged
in the visitation. In the absence of all knowledge as to
the amount and duration of the labours that might be
required of them, we were unable to make any previous
arrangement as to the quantum of remuneration to
which they would be entitled; but since notice has been
inserted on the summons for this Hon. Court recom-
mending an allowance of 20 guineas to each of the
medical officers, other facts have come to our knowledge
which have induced us to recommend the sum of 30
guineas.
"Your committee have further to express their un-
qualified admiration of the conduct of Mr. Simon, the
Officer of Health of the city of London, who, without
professional fee, and without your committee having any
official claim upon his services, spontaneously devoted to
their uses his valuable time and energies from the first
day of their appointment to the close of their labours.
" To the personal assiduity and professional character
and ability of Mr. Simon the public are indebted for the
admirable arrangements for house to house visitation, by
which the personal and local knowledge of the medical
officers of each union, in combination with the labours of
medical men specially appointed for that service, were
productive of the most beneficial results.
" Among the numerous reports made by Mr. Simon to
your committee, there is one general report which has
obtained our earnest attention, but as this report was