The Sun.
London, England, 1849-10-10 00:00:00

INTRAMURAL BURIALS.

Last evening the National.Soc!ety for the suppres-
sion of Burials in Towns helea meeting at their rooms
Bridge street, Blackfriars, Mr. G. A. Walker, presi-
dent, in the chair. The minutes of the previous
meeting having been confirmed,
Mr. THICKE read acopy of the memorial presented
to Sir George Grey, Bart., and the Secretary of
State's reply thereto. The memorial, which was
voluminous and comprehensive, stated that the society
was convinced, from long observation and innumer-
able facts that the burial of the dead amidst the living
was demoralising, dangerous to public health, and
destructive of life, as being an active agent in gene-
rating cholera and other maladies—and that supported
in that conviction by a Select Committee of the House
of Commons in 184'2—by the House of Commons in
1845—by every enlightened person—by members of
—the:medical faculty— by a large portion of the clergy
by the press almost universally—and, finally, by the
Board of Health—they respectfully suggest to the
Secretary of State the propriety of advising her
Majesty to issue an Order in Council for the imme•
diate closing of all graveyards in cities and towns—a
measure that would be attended with the most sani-
tary results, and which would receive the approbation
of the Legislature and secure the thanks of her Ma-
jesty's liege subjects.
To which the Secretary of State gave the sub-
joined reply :

" Whitehall, October, 1849.
"Sir,—l am directed by Secretary Sir George
Grey to acknowledge the receipt of your letter trans-
mitting a memorial from the committee of the
Society for the Abolition of Burials in Towns, on the
subject of Intramural burials.
C. J. Thicke, Esq." " 11. WADDINGTON.
Upon the motion of Mr. WILLorr, the answer was
entered on the minutes.

Mr. Tatou real the following letters :—From
Mr. Mackinnon, M.P., congratulating the society
upon the public being alive to the barbarism and un-
healthiness of intramural burials ; from Mr. Wake-
field, Macclesfield, stating that. measures were being
taken and public meetings called there to close the
overgorged churchyards, as being the primary cause
of disease and death; from Waterford, announcing
that in that city all the burial places were about being
closed; and from an inhabitant, complaining of the
overcrowded, disgusting condition of St. Paul's
Churchyard, Covent-garden, which, according to the
writer, was so full that the bodies were interred
within a foot of the surface, and sent forth a most
pestilential stench.
The CHAIRMAN alluded to a communication received
from certain inhabitants of Hampstead, respecting the
non. interment of a body that was kept in a house four
months. Through the interference of the society
measures were taken to bury the body.
Mr. A. MARSHALL felt it to be his duty to expose
the disgusting, unhealthy condition of St. Giles's
churchyard, which, in 1803, was deemed so over-
crowded, that an Act of Parliament was passed to
enable the authorities to raise money to purchase
more ground for interments • which Act remained a
dead letter to the present day. It had been closed
ten years, and then re-opened. Since then 700 bodies
had been annually buried there, in a space under ten
acres.—(Hear, hear.) He bad seen grave diggers at
work there before six in the morning. It was un-
necessary for him to tell the meeting that the most
disgraceful methods were adopted to clear away and
make room for fresh bodies. Tl;e smell, at certain
times, from the burial-place, which was saturated
with human remains, wasdreadful. In 1817 the
then vestry clerk complained of its having been
kept open ; and Pennant, in his work on London,
described it as an abomination, and that he had seen
pits filled with human bodies in it, while others were
left open for new corners. He (Mr. Marshall) heard
that the Board of Health and the parochial authori-
ties were in communication respecting its immediate
closing.—(Hear, hear.)
The CHAIRMAN, from his knowledge, declared St.
Giles's to be one of the most crowded churchyards in
London. In less than ten acres of ground it contained
48,000 bodies. A witness before the Select Com-
mittee of the House of Commons was asked when it
would be filled ? He replied, "I have asked the
same question, and was told that it would never be
full."—(Hear, hear, and a laugh.)
Mr. SHAND begged to direct the:attention of the
meeting to the frightfully dangerous condition of St.
Olave's and St. John's burying grounds, Tooley-street.
They were surcharged to repletion. From 1832 to
1847 upwards of 4,500 had been buried in the narrow
space which these grounds occupied. When in office
he and his brother officers did all in their power to
close them. He had a committee of inquiry appointed,
comprising the rector, himself, and others, who
examined the old ground, and found that the bodies
were interred within eighteen and nineteen inches of
the surface, and some so close to it that they touched
the coffins as they walked along—(Hear)—yet the
villainy of sextons, grave-diggers, and others, suc-
ceeded in continuing these abominations. Within a
few years twenty-eight members of one family were
buried in one grave. The grave-diggers could, by
boring, tell the state of the coffins underneath,
and whether the bodies were fat or lean, or putre-
fying. Southwark churchyard was also overgorged.
A short time since a young grave-digger
belonging to it died. Before his death, addressing
his brother workman, he sail, Jim, bury me close
to the church. There you will not have to cut me
up." And so he was buried. But, after the fire,l his
and the bones of hundreds were disturbed. Ile
school-house, containing 250 children, was built
close to the churchyard, the effluvia from which was
so dreadful, that the police told him that, especially in
the morning, they were compelled to take it " wide
width," that ie, avoided it as much as possible.—
(Hear, hear.) He regretted that these abominations,
so offensive to the sight and so dangerous to health,
were tolerated, although they bad sufficient money to

purchase new ground. The rector told him that,
when he read the burial service, he invariably adopted
the precaution of taking his position on the side
whence the wind blew.—(Hear, hear.)
The CHAIRMAN said that in 1839 a vestry was held
in Southwark, when a resolutisn for re-opening the
" Cross Bones" burying•ground was proposed, in
consequence of the aversion that existed to bury in
the " Irish Corner ;" a corner that had been cleared
to make room for a thousand bodies. On that occa-
sion one gentleman said that it wasa shame to bury
in such a crowded neighbourhood within 18 inches of
the surface. It was even suggested that the best
course would be to remove the fragments of flesh
and bones, with the coffin wood, if the expense was
not too great. The funds of the vestry and the health
of the living were placed on opposite scales ; the
former preponderated.—(Hear, hear.) He was not
astonished at the police being annoyed by the effluvia
from graveyards, for their dark colour and loose tex-
ture made them excellent absorbing surfaces. During
the day the superficial stratum absorbed the heat
emitted from the sun ; at night the earth lust by
radiation the heat it had received in the day, and the
gases eliminated from the grounds, obeying the
impulse of gravity, ascended, scattering themselves
over the human habitations of London; if heavier,
they remained diffused through the lower strata,
poisoning the inhabitants living close to and under
graveyards.—(Hear, hear.) He had strong hopes in
the good intentions of Government, and felt confident
that her Majesty's advisers would comply with the
prayer of the people, and put down for ever burials
amidst the living.—(Hear, hear.)
Dr. EvANs was willing to give Government the
benefit of good intentions; still, when he beheld the
Board of Health passing over their President, Mr.
Walker, and going wild chases in search of infor-
mation, he could not conceal his disapprobation of
such conduct.—(Hear, hear.) If any man could
give information upon intramural burials, Mr.
Walker, who dedicated upwards of ten years to
uprooting and exposing the abomination, and who
not only devoted his time, but also his purse to
that object, was the man.—(Hear, hear.) Why,
then, had the Board of Health thus passed over Mr.
Walker ?—(Hear, hear.) He wished to know how
the bodies of paupers were to be carried out of
London ?

The CHAIRMAN—By rail or river. A sweeping
legislative enactment—and nothing else would do—
would meet every exigency.
Dr. G. G. WATSON, of Liverpool, informed the
meeting that in Liverpool the authorities and the
Board of Health were consulting upon the best mode
of closing the graveyards, and of carrying into exe-
cution Mr. Walker's measures.
After some further observations by Messrs. Watt,
Tennant, Harrben, and other gentlemen, thanks were
voted to the chairman, and the meeting adjourned.

STATE OF TRADE.
(From the Manchester Guardiun of this day.)
MANCHESTER TUESDAY.—We stated in our last,
that there had been an increase of business, both in
yarns and goods, on the two preceding days, accom-
panied with rather snore of cheerfulness than had
previously prevailed, though without any improve-
ment in prices. We have now to state, that on Satur-
day, the disposition to purchase became somewhat
further apparent ; and the result was that the aggre-
gate business of the three days reached an amount
by no means inconsiderable. It would app( ar
that the low range of prices has been lat-
terly attracting the attention of merchants end
others, and inclining them to operate. Just as this
fact begins to show itself, the Europa's accounts from
the States, tending to strengthen the prevalent appre-
hension of a backward and short crop of cotton, give
rise to a very extensive speculative and trade demand
in Liverpool, whereby id. per lb. is added to
the value of current American qualiti€s, and
id. to 3 16d. to that of other descriptions.
The effect upon our own market has been an
exhibition of excitement to-day, which contrasts
most singularly with the apathy of buyers and the
spiritlessness of sellers, precisely a week ago. Spin-
ners have universally raised their prices ; and, indeed,
many have declined to sell at present, preferring
to wait and see what course events may take.
The transactions have, however, been on a fair
scale, at id. and, in some instances, id. advance.
In goods it has been more difficult to obtain
higher rates than in yarns, and in many kinds
the attempt has failed; but in others lid. more has
been realised. The market has, however, been a
most irregular one in all departments. We observe
much uncertainty and anxiety. as to the course which
things may now take. All parties are perplexed and
embarrassed; and although it is generally felt to be
almost impossible that yarns can now go any lower,
but, on the contrary, are likely to go higher, the
satisfaction which this impression is calculated to
afford is seriously diminished by the apprehension
that the whole benefit will be absorbed by the in-
creased price of the raw material.

ROCHDALE, MONDAY.—We have had a tolerably
good attendance of buyers in the market to-day, and
the business transacted has been much the same as
that of the previous Monday, both in price and
amount. In the wool market there is no change
worth reporting, except that prices are firm, and the
demand is limited.

MACCLESFIELD, TUESDAY.—We have still to
notice a continued &cavity: in the throwing de-
partment; and the manufacturers, in some in-
stances, are working to order for particular
classes of goods. The weavers may be said to
be fairly employed ; and in the dyeing depart-
ment we are happy to report an improvement. The
late news from China, coupled with the general
activity of this and the continental markets, is
having its effect on the prices of raw silks, and from
the tenor of the accounts, it is likely that present
rates will be fully maintained, with a probability of
advance in the finer descriptions of Chinas ; as those,
when contrasted with the prices of Italian silks, may
now be considered below their value.

HUDDERSFIELD, TUESDAY.—For the season the
market has been good. The fancy manufacturers
have not many orders in hand, but hope that, as the
season advances, business will improve. Many very
superior patterns have been shown. Wool remains
firm, but not much doing.
HALIFAX, SATURDAY.—The demand for worsted
goods, both plsin and fancy, is pretty much the same
as it has been for the last week or two ; and there is
no change in the quotations. The spinners are still full
of orders, and some sorts of yarns have realised rather
higher rates. The sales of wool are not extensive, as
the spinners are generally well stocked; but the
market exhibits considerable firmness.
LEEDS, TUESDAY.—No change since f4r last;
market flat to-day, but rather more goods delivered
to order. Prices unaltered, stocks in the Cloth Halls
light ; business in the warehouses still continues
rather quiet.