The Sun.
London, England, 1871-01-18 00:00:00

THE ST. PANCRAS GUARDIANS.

The guardians of St. Pancras display a morbid although
not unintelligible dislike to inquests. It is not likely to
be shared by reflecting people generally. It is not
yet forgotten that the inquests on Daly and
Gibson led to the revelations on which the
labours of the Workhouse Infirmaries Association
were founded, and were the direct moving cause of
such legislative improvements as have since been effected
by the bills of Mr. Hardy and Mr. Goschen. The real griev-
ance appears to be that at recent inquests some very

unpleasant evidence has been made public as to the ne-
glect of the sick at night ; it is, however, much better
that the guardians' feeling should be hurt, even to this ex-
tent, than that we should lose the benefit of the light
thrown upon workhouse interiors by the coroner's lantern.
A death may be perfectly " natural " and yet attended by
circumstances of aggravated cruelty. An inquest is held
on every case of death in prisons. The dying inmate of
a workhouse is hardly less helpless and dependent upon
public authorities than the dying convict ; and there is
no valid reason why greater precautions should be taken
to ensure adequetely humane treatment for the one than
for the other. Pauperism is a great offence ; but a sick
pauper is not necessarily a great criminal. The coroner's
inquest is by no means a useless safeguard, and it might
perhaps be well if it were applied more instead of less
extensively.—Pall Mall Gazette.

Mr. Stansfeld, M.P., is at Halifax. On Thurs-
day evening he will address a meeting of his constituent.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer and Mrs. Lowe
are visiting the Marquis and Marchioness of Salisbury, at
Hatfield.

The vicarage of Scampton, near New Mahon,
Yorkshire, has become vacant by the death of the Rev,
Simon Sendall.

Mad. Agnose Schebest, once a very popular
dramatic singer, and afterwards the wife of Dr. Fr.
Strauss, died lately at Stuttgart.
It is reported that the people of Boston (Massa-
chusetts) have decided upon holding another " Monster
Musical Festival" in June, 1872. The band and chorus
are to number 20,000. The hall to be erected for the
occasion, is to accommodate 100,000 persons.

A. marriage is said to be arranged between W. H.
Walrond, Esq., of the Grenadier Guards, eldest son of J.
W. Walrond, Esq., of Bradfield, Devonshire, and grand-
son of the late Lord Bridport, and Miss Pitman, only
daughter and heiress of the late W. Pitman, Esq., of
Dunchidedock.

The First Lord of the Admiralty was visited pro-
fessionally on Sunday and Monday by Mr. Robert Ellis,
at Bedwell-park, Hertfordshire. The medical report
pronounces Mr. Childers' general health to be somewhat
improved by the country air and repose. But it expresses
the opinion that a complete abstinence from all official
duties for at least a month would be of the greatest value
to him, and decidedly advance the prospect of his complete
recovery.

The Belfast correspondent or the Pall Alall Gazette
telegraphs that the Belfast land sessions opened on Mon-
day, before Mr. John Hastings Ottway, Q.C., chairman
of the county Antrim, when the first case under the
Ulster Tenant Right custom was disposed of. The
claimant was a widow named McKeer, residing at Bally-
carry, county Antrim, and the respondent was Joseph
Bigger, of Belfast. His worship granted 2450 as com-
pensation, the claimant to remain in possession of the
farm till November, 1871.
AMATEUR DRAMATIC ENTERTAINMENT IN AID
OF THE POOR OF NOTTING HILL.—A successful amateur
dramatic entertainment in aid of the poor of
the district was given at Notting Hill on Mon-
day evening. Though the weather was unfavourable,
the Ladbroke Hall, Ladbroke-grove, was well filled.
Three pieces were put upon the stage, being " The
Loving Cup," " Turn Him Out," and " The Happy Pair."
These were presented in a manner that was thoroughly
appreciated by the audience, and if in some instances
there had been a little more preparation in the
parts and in others a little less obtrusive straining after
effect, the performance would have been deserving of still
higher praise. As it was, it reflected much credit upon
those engaged in it.

MIDDLESEX SUICIDES.--fn analysing the statistics
of inquests held as Coroner of Central Middlesex, Dr.
Lankester points out, in his seventh annual report just
prepared, that the proportion of suicides to the popula-
tion in England and Wales is 1 in 12,000 of the popula-
tion, while the proportion in Central Middlesex is about
lin 13,000 of the population. The figures seem to spew
that of all causes of death suicide is the most constant.
The proportion in which the sexes commit suicide is
nearly everywhere the same. It may be stated that
the proportion of male to females is as five to
two. The ages at which suicide is committed are for the
seven years nearly the same. One in twelve are young
people under 20 years of age ; a larger proportion amongst
people above 60; and the remainder, nine-tenths of the
whole, equally divided amongst people from 20 to 40 years
of age. A further analysis of the cases shews that, as a
rule, women prefer taking poison and drowning them-
selves. Of the twenty-three cases of female suicide in
1868-9, six were from poison and ten from drowning.
Women seldom cut their throats or hang themselves,
whilst of the sixty-six cases of male suicide, exactly half
chose these methods of self-destruction. Men are also
more given to jumping out of windows and from the tops
of high places.—British Medical Journal.
TIIA CKERAY'S AMERICAN OYSTER.—iII London
he had been very curious in his inquiries about American
oysters, as marvellous stories, which he did not believe,
had been told him of their great size. We had taken
cane that the largest specimens to be procured should
startle his unwonted vision when he came to the table,
although I blush at the remembrance of it now, we
apologised ih our wicked waywardness to him for what
we called the extreme smallness of the oysters, promising
that we would do better next time. Six bloated Falstaf-
fian bivalves lay before him in their shells. I noticed that
he gazed at them anxiously with fork upraised, then lie
whispered to me, with a look of anguish, " How shall 1
do it?" I described to him the simple process by which the
free-born citizens of America were accustomed to accomplish
such a task. He seemed satisfied that the thing was
feasible, selected the smallest ono in the half-dozen, and then
bowed his head as if he were saying grace. All eyes
were upon him to watch the effect of a new•sensation
in the person of a great British author. Opening his
mouth very wide, lie struggled for a moment, and then
all was over. I shall never forget the comic look of
despair he cast upon the other five over-occupied shells.
I broke the perfect stillness by asking him how he felt.

"Profoundly grateful," he gasped, " and as if I
swallowed a little baby."—" Our Whiveriny Gulle
in the Athentie Monthl y.