The Sun.
London, England, 1841-02-12 00:00:00

NIGER EXPEDITION.

(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)
It is a fact established by long experience that dew
exerts a most injurious influence on the human frame,
and in degree proportioned to its amount. But its
most deadly effects appear when contaminated with the
miasma of marshy tropical regions. Under such circum-
stances exposure is generally fatal. The conducting
power of damp air to that of dry being often, in these
cases, as that of 300 to 80, the functions of the air
cells of the lungs become deranged, and the tempera-
ture is thereby reduced. These consequences are justly
attributable to a surcharge of electricity. According
to Farraday, not even the lightning flash contains more
electricity than the gem-like drop of dew. Now it has
been ascertained by experiment that a silk covering
of the common texture possesses the peculiar
property of resisting the noxious influence of
malaria, and of neutralising its effects. If, as is sup-
posctt, the poisonous matter is received through the
lungs, it may not be difficult to account for the action
of this simple preventive. Silk is a powerful non-con-
ductor, and in the form of a gauze veil may prove a
sufficient impediment to the transmission o: any delete-
rious particles in their passage to the mouth. It is
therefore respectfully suggested that among the other
precautions adopted by Government to insure the
health of the enterprising individuals engaged in the
Niger Expedition, a supply of respirators, constructed
of silk, be included, which may be procured at a trifling
cost ; and, should the trial produce the results antici-
pated, many valuable lis es may be preserved, and the
risks incurred from insalubrity of climate materially
diminished.

COURT CHRISTIAN, NORWICH.

FEBRUARY 1.

BILLINGS V. DAWB.-DEFAMATION.
A new case, held over to next Court.
THORP V. ICING.-DEFAMATION.

A new case, in which the defendant, a married woman,
was called, but did not appear.

MANN AND GOWER to. CIIILDS.

Mr. Rackham put in the personal answers of the plain-
tiffs to the additional articles of the_ defendant, and a term
probatory (that is a period for adducing evidence to the
avermeets of his allegation) was assigned to the defendant.
Mr. Childs then applied to have the new Church-rate,
and the accounts and vouchers for the old one, brought
into the registry, as he had moved at the last Court. This
Mr. Rackham opposed; alleging that such a course was
not authorised by the practice of the Superior Courts:
The Judge, however, without calling on the defendant
to support his motion, said he believed the Court had
power to make the order required by him, and the plain-
tiffs must be assigned to bring in the documents in ques-
tion. If they neglected to do so a monition would issue.
The defendant said he did not wish to put the plaintiffs
to needless trouble, and he would now consent to what
he had offered before the question was decided in his fa-
vour, that instead of having the books brought into the
Registry he would inspect them at Bungay. The plain-
tiffs might name their own time and place, but he must
require that they should not, as on a similar previous occa-
sion, oppose obstruction and delay to his inspection of do-
cuments which they could not withhold. He might take
the liberty of adding that he would not have troubled the
Court with this motion had he not been advised on the
highest authority that it was in strict accordance with ec-
clesiastical practice.
Ur. Childs further stated that it appeared to him need-
ful, once in a while, to recapitulate the facts of a case,
or there was danger that in those Courts they would be
wholly lost sight of. A year had now elapsed since he
first attended in this place, at the slit of the plaintiffs.
During that period he had travelled hither and back very
nearly 500 miles, and it was at least presumable that he
had incurred other expense beside the cost and time of
mere attendance. The suit requiring such a sacrifice was
instituted by the plaintiffs to recover the sum of 3s. 4d. ;
and, while remarking on the delay and expense attending
its progress, he did not assuredly complain that he was in
a worse condition than other suitors, for, since he at-
tended the Court, he was not aware that a single cause
had been decided ; neither did he complain of the officers
of the Court, but of its laws and constitution—that there
was absolstely no other tribunal which could entertain this
subject, or before which he could resist a demand as ille-
gal, as he believed this to be, and that a year should be
consumed before the formality of the suit was half
cencluded.
NEWMAN V. NEWMAN—CONTESTED WILL.

Mr. Hansen prayed publication of the evidence, but
Mr. Rackham objected, alleging that the plaintiff had
died the day previously, and there was therefore an
end of the suit.

Mr. Hansel! contended that as there was only the un-
supported assertion of the Learned Gentleman opposite
on this point, the Court could not have knowledge of it,
but as it appeared a person at hand was ready to depose
he had been present at the plaintiffs death, the case was
held over with a view to its being withdrawn.

LOFTUS V. LOFTUS-DIVORCE.
Two witnesses were sworn on the part of the defendant,
to give evidence.

EVERITT AND CRESSWELL V. BINGO AND NINE OTHERS-

CHURCH-RATES, ST. ➢IAROARETS, LYNN.
Mr. Steward, for the plaintiffs, had alleged to put in a
counter-allegation, and he stated that as all the facts of
the case would then be before the Court, he should pro-
pose to the other side to take the decision of the Judge
thereon without proceeding through all the usual forms.
THE SAME V. REED AND TWO OTIIERS.-THE SAME SUBJECT.

Mr. Steward offered to consolidate this suit with the
preceding, but as Mr. Skipper repeated that the defence
in this case was different from the other, it was agreed to
consolidate the three, if Behar, one of the defendants on
whom the plaintiffs had not been able to serve a citation,
would consent.

WIIITTAKER AND WIFE V. REEVE.
ALLPRESS AND WIFE V. THE SAME.
TOWNLEY AND WIFE V THE SAME.
Three suits for defamation. Advanced a stage.
HAMMOND AND WIFE V. QUAILES.-DEFAMATION.

A new case brought into Court.
DODSON AND SHELDRAKR V. BARKER -CHURCH-RATES,
ST. ANDREW'S, NORWICH.

This case stood for hearing and judgment. Mr.
Barker and Mr. S►eward were heard on their re-
spective 'sides, the former maintaining that as it
had been proved in evidence that all the parishioners were
not assessed, the rate was invalid, and Mr. Steward con-
tending that several of the alleged omissions did not exist,
and the others were legally made.

The Judge summed up the whole case, and remarked
that whereas the suit had been commenced in October,
1838, it had been removed from that Court by the de-
fendant, who moved in the Queen's Bench, for a prohibi-
tion, the proceedings on which occupied fifteen months;
and further, the defendant had, as he was entitled to do,
rejected a proposition from the other side to bring the case
to a speedy settlement. He went on to say, the defence
rested on seven alleged omissions of property from the rate,
the whole rateable value of which was proved by the de-
positions to be about 71. 103. In the first of these cases
it appeared from the witnesses that the property alleged to
be omitted was includedin the assessment of the occupier.
In the second, the occupier was so poor as to be unable to
pay, and it was therefore lawful to omit him. The third
and fourth related to certain charity schools, which it had
always been the custom, and the legal and praiseworthy
custom, of the parish to excuse from rates. The
fifth and sixth were tenements valued at ten shil-
lings, and these it was lawful to omit, as it had
uwere decided
much more strictly than as to Chureh-retes,
been decided by Lord Denman that parish officers were
not bound to insert assessments. in the Poor-rate which
sumwere collected.srn al
Questions so l that
asc ol
to h
1 etct
et° ki
Poor-rateas greater than the
and that deci-
sion would therefore apply to
the present case. The whole
defence, then, rested on a single instance, in which it was
alleged that property of the value of 30s. per annum was
omitted. The depositions did not entirely bear out the
fact, but left it doubtful whether the occupier was not
rated for this in the amount of his assessment. But even
supposing it had been proved, as no fraud nor wilful mis-
conduct was charged upon the Churchwardens, he was
not prepared to gay the omission of 303, was sufficient to
invalidate a Church-rate, and he most therefore condemn
the defendant to rsy the rate sought to be recovered, and
also the costs of the suit.
(Next Court, Feb. 22.)

for the relief of the sufferers by the in-
undations, was litost numerously and brilliantly attended,
BA LL IN PARIS. The ball at the Opera, on
Tuesd aye v
including many po sons of distinction, French as well .as
foreigners. Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and.
fi 3,000 tickets were issued, and as great taste, and the effect of
Dancing was kept up till a
Duchess of Orleans honoure I the assembly with their
presence. The decorations of the house and the spacious
lt
late saloon
tee s
he oe wereunre. w a i
Upwards
p magnificent.arrangedwa rds o
with
the expenses will not exceed 12,000 francs, there will be
a clear profit of about 50,000 francs for the charitable pur-
pose in which the idea of the ball originated.
GOTTINGEN, JAN. 26.—The Rev. Mr. Sander
who was elected by Gottingen last summer as its eleventh
deputy, has been fined 50 dollars for publishing an article
in the Nuremberg Political Journal, a penalty which is
to be inflicted on any one who answers anything, " how.
over, triflio it may be," that is printed out of the kingdom.