The Sun.
London, England, 1841-02-13 00:00:00

FROM THE EVENING PAPERS OF THIS DAY.

(From the Globe.)
We are not about to institute an investigation into
the causes of epidemic diseases, nor will we attempt to
define the occult properties of the atmosphere, by which
the human constitution is affected by disease or recover-
ed to health. The Marquis of Norinanby last night
availed himself of scientific investigation, illustrated by
facts, sufficiently to establish the case he presented to the
House ; and carried with him not merely the feelings but
the judgments of their Lordships, so as to secure the
adoption of the measure he proposed, not merely with-
out opposition, but with strong expressions of commenda-
tion. Every man who desires to secure himself and those
of his own house from the visitation of epidemic diseases,
should be sensible of these facts—established as they
are by the testimony of the most eminent in medical
science—that the air is often charged with noxious
exhalations. arising from the ;ltras( tan of animal
and vegetable matter. The exhalations arc generated
in low and marshy situations, or where stagnant water
contains dead vegetable matter ; and their production is
greatly promoted by heat. Their precise nature is not
known ; for they have never been obtained in a separate
state ; but it is ascertained that they are suspended in
the air ; that naturally they do not extend far beyond !
the place where they are generated ; that by currents of
wind they are capable of being carried to a great dis-
tance ; that they exert a powerful agency in the pro-
duction of' the most malignant diseases ; and that a long
exposure of them wonderfully shortens human life. Tha
ravages of the cholera in 188 1 will not be soon forgotten.
The statistical inquiries to which that fearful visitation
gave rise, afford a powerful illustration of the necessity
of some sanatory regulations, to be provided by the Le-
gislature, and guarded and enforced by the penalties of
law. The writer of this article was at that time resident
in a town where the number of victims was very great, in
proportion to the number of the inhabitants. A committee
of health was appointed. As the disease was principally
confined to one part of the town, a searching investigation
was instituted, in the hops of discovering some peculiarity
in the locality by whien the pestilence might possibly be
caused. An old drain, leading to the river, was opened ;
and such was the pestiferous exhalation which issued im-
mediately upon its covering being removed, that quick-lime
in large quantities was required to neutralize the foul ex-
halations which arose, before the workmen could com-
mence the necessary operations. The main channel
was found blocked, and the smaller drains from the
houses which communicated with it were also clogged.
Along the sinuous course of the main sewer, extending
through a considerable district, the disease raged. The
cause of the pestilence was detected ; a lime-kiln was
built for the purpose of purifying the atmosphere ; the
drains were cleansed ; and.the disease was arrested
from that very hour. Not a single case of cholera oc-
curred after the cause was discovered—a convincing
proof of its origin ; and furnishing a powerful warning to
the inhabitants of that town, and to all others, against
suffering accuruulations of noxious matter, which, sooner
or latter, will not fail to generate pestilence and death.
(From the Courier.)
Lord Ellenborough, who of late years has made pro-
digious advances in the science of political economy, as
evidenced in his patronage of New Poor-law mercies,
appears also, in imitation of the Right Rev. Metropo-
litan Suffragan, to be making considerable progress
in the new Drainage philosophy. He attributes
wonders miraculous to sewerage, which the world
never dreamt of before, for the very best benefit con-
ferred by sewers, as vulgarly believed, is that they afford
convenient and comfortable shelter for the rat consumers
of garbage and other impurities out of sight, instead of
leaving them exposed, as in the streets of Lisbon and
Paris, to the pelting of the pitiless elements in the pur-
suit of their vocation. His Lordship gives us cause for bitter
regret that the following remarks were not present to
his mind on any one of the multifarious occasions when
the new Poor-law and its murderous tendencies came
before the House of which he is so active a Member.
For the reporters make him say that " he believed the
moral end religious improvement of the poor to he totally
inconsistent with their physical degradation. To build
churches, to build school-houses, and to employ cler-
gymen and schoolmasters, was in his opinion utterly
idle, while the physical wants and destitution of the poor
continued as debasing as they new were. We be-
gan too far from the real source of the evil, unless we
placed the pcor man in such a position that he might
have some self-respect--that he might have something
like a home. The object of their legislation should be
—what perhaps this Bill would do ultimately—to secure
a home to the poor man." This is generally excellent,
although we think the Noble Lord is superfluously
earnest about a " home" for the poor man, seeing that
a very secure " home" has been provided for him ;d-
-read:, in those Bastiles, denominated " Union Work-
houses." ‘Ve arc entirely of his opinion that, until the
" physical" wants of the people arc first and well at-
tended to, it is but a cruel mockery to he legislating for
their " moral and iegious iml rovernest." But when he
was so eloquent in demonstrating tne inutility of build-
ing churches and school-houses, and employing clergy-
men and schoolmasters, with a view to elevate the con-
dition of the poor socially, morally, and religiously,
instead of previously relies ing them from the
debasing degradation of " physical wants and desti-
tution," we are rather surprised that his Lordship
s'iould, as it would almost seem with purpose "afore-
thought" carefully omit from his enumerated buildings
those dungeon structures called " Union Workhouses ;"
and from the list of benefactors and instructors of the
poor, those tender-hearted souls, the Somerset House
Commissioners, their Secretary, their assistants, and
their deputed deputies, the guardians, relieving officers,
and masters of the workhouses. These are the people
for freeing the poor fully and finally from all physical
wants, which of course supersedes the expensive neces-
s.ty of churches, clergymen, schoolmasters, Drainage
Bills, and all other the array for moral and religious in-
struction, comprehended in what the Right Rev. Bisho?
of London terms " the appliances of religion." In truth,
the poor have plenty of lip-salve, whatever else more sub-
stantial they may be short of.
(From the Standard.)

What is the use of Mr. Joseph Hume ? is a ques-
tion often asked, but a question which cannot be long
doubtful to any reflecting man. Nothing is created
in vain, though we cannot alivars reach the pur-
pose with which some animals are called into
existence—many reptiles, for example, and some
familiar vermin. Much as we may be perplexed
to discover the use of these things, the analogy
of nature assures us that they have a use. In the
case of Mr. Joseph Hume the inquiry is the re-
verse of difficult. He is created and permitted to
exist as the representative of a principle—if we may
dignify with the name of principle, the enmity to what-
ever is reverent, generous, and amiable. We have men
who hate a Church, and hate pure religion—the reli-
gion of Protestants—we have too many of such men ;
but as they are generally persons of mixed character,
the manifestation of their hostility does not produce the
proper effect in showing why the Church and the
Protestant religion are hated. Again, we have more
than enough of Malthusians, free traders, clippers and
parers of the salaries of soldiers, sailors, and humble
officials, new Poor-law admirers ; but these men, too,
are of doubtful conduct in other respects. There are
some amongst us, too, so eaten up with envy and
spite as to regard every man with abhorrence who has
earned the affections and gratitude of his country by
splendid public services.. These persons, however, are
often wanting in the qualifications of a pcifict mold.
Whit is necessary for the information of the public
Rued is a meeting in one of certain qualities, until,
as Junius says, " their combined sweets torture the
sens Every one knows that Apelles fornied his
ideal of consummate beauty by a selection from the
charms of all the fairest of the fair daughters of
Greece ; and it is only by a similar selection,
though on the side opposite to moral beauty, that
kve can have a perf, ct repreentative of the anti.
Conservative. It will not do that we have here an
anii-Churchman, who may be a generous and fair man
in other respects ; or there a pro-papist, who may be
distinguished by some good qualities ; or in another
place a Malthusian free trader, who may respect the
constitution and laws ; or
.beside him an envious, who
may not be an ungenerous, pers'on. Such distributed
qualities prove little ; but when we have them united
in one, the tpe of all the classes, there can he no
nnst:ike as to the true source of each distinguishing
characteristic ; and all of them we have united in the
lion. Member for Kilkenny. Let no man then say that
Mr. Hume is not of use—his merale, as a means 01

public instruction, is beyond all price. Last night s
exhibition of Mr. Hume, the Miniterialist, in 'con-
tact with Sir Robert Peel, the leader of the Oppo-
sition, is of great value. Ministers proposed a pen-
sion to Lord Keane. Mr. Hume objected to the grant,
upon the pretext that tho Noble and Gallant Lord
lies under an unexplained charge of murder! au-
thenticated by the nan,es of his accusers. Sir
Robert
.Peel indignantly defended the absent Noble•
man—showed that the charge of murder amounted
to this :—A marauder had been wounded by a
vidette, posted by Lord Keane's order to protect the
peaceful agriculturalists of a part of AfTghanistan occu-
pied by her Majesty's troops : the fellow bad died of
the wound ; and the regiment to which he belonged
having misbehaved in the face of the enemy twelve
months after, thought fit to trump up this fable of
murder, as an apology for their cowardice. Mr. flume's
assertion that the charge had been authenticated by
names proved to hare been an utter falsehood, as it is
impossible to doubt that it was a deliberate one. Lot
any one read Sir Robert Peel's splendid speech, and
then say, if he can, that the person these conduct
called for that speech is (f 710 use.

COMMON PLEAS.-(THIS DAY.)

(Sittings at Nisi Prins, before the LORD CHIEF JUSTICE
and a Common Jury.)
MILLAR V. THOMPSON.

The plaintiff is a tradesman carrying on business at
Dorking:, and bringa this action a4,,,inst one of the direc-
tors of the " Joint Stock Trades Banking Company,"
to recover 100/., the amount of a promissory note
signed by the Manager on behalf of the Company. It
appeared that the note was put into the hands of one of
the Directors, named Francis, to be put into circula-
tion for the purposes of the Company, and he
applied it to his own use, paying it over to the present
plaintiff in discharge of a book debt. The defence was
that the Company had been defrauded of the bil), and
that Millar knew it ; and secondly, that there had been
no consideration.

The LORD CillEF JUSTICE was of opinion that the
defendant faded to prove that there was no considera-
tion, or that the plaintiff knew of the fraud cAnmitted
on them.

Verdict for the plaintiff.

LONDON AND BIRMINGHAM

RAILWAY.

BIRMINGHAM. FRIDAY Nion.r..—The half-yearly meet-
ing, of the London and Birmingham Railway Company was
held this d at the Queen's Hotel, in this town. GEORGE
Cann Gcis, , Chairman of the Board of Directors,
presided.
Some preliminary business having been disposed of, the
Secretary ( Richard Creed, E;ig the following Re-
port of the Directors, which was witysimously adopted :
".-February 12, 1841.
" The Directors have to !nod that the traffic for the
six months which ended on the 31st of December last, has
considerably exceeded that of any preceding- half-year.
The accounts which have been laid before the Proprietors
at the present meeting show a receipt on the revenue state-
ment (I)), under the usual heads ef passengers, &c., par-
cels, merchandise and cattle, of 405,040/. 14,., being
61,8461. 7a. 91. more than for the six months to 30th
June last, and 61,1301. Ils. 6d. more than for the same
period to 31st December, 1833; a result which is the more
satisfactory, that it is not accompanied by any correspond-
ing increase of charge.
" Maintenance of Way,' which, in addition to the con-
tract price for keeping the road in good working condi-
tion, comprises all extra expense for slips, and for repairs
of station buildings, is 6,228/, 18e. 83. IC3S than for the
preceding half-year ; a reduction of charge which is due
to the generally,improved state of the works, and rspe-
c;ally of the principal embankments, which, by their in-
(leased stability and consolidation, have presented an ef-
fectual resistance to the heavy winter floods.
" The per centage of the locomotive and other charges,
as compared with the receipts, is, in every case, less ; and
the gross charge on the trafiic (including the mileage duty
to Government and parish rates) will be found in the last
half-year to be as 301. ss. 7d. per cent. to the cross re-
ceipt, instead of 341. 163. per cent., which it was in the
preceding half-year.
" Deducting from the net profit of 186,6891. 11,. Bd.
the sum of 20,8221. 141. lid., which was taken from the
reserved fund, pursuant to the resolution of the last gene-
ral meeting, there remains a disposable balance of 165,866/.
161. 91., on which the Directors recommend that a divi-
dend he declared of 41. per 1001. share ; 11. per 25/.
share ; and 19s, 2d. 2.stlis on 241. ; called before the
31st of December, and paid on each 321. share ; leaving
a sum of 10,866/. 16s. 9d. to be carried to the credit of
next account.

" In referring to the progressively-increasing traffic of
the railway, as eviccel by the halt-yearly Reports, the
areetors may be allowed to notice the gratifying fact,
that out of 1,483,123 passengers, conveyed on an average
sixty-five miles and a quarter each from the 17th of Sep-
tember, 1e39, to the 31st of December last, according to
the Stamp-office returns, not one accident attended with
loss of life or limb to a passenger has occurred, although
during the whole of this pert)d the works were under-
going those extensive repairs which are inseparable from
great excavations and embankments, and requiring the
frequent passage along the line of trains heavily laden
with materials. If, then, under these circumstances of
disadvantage, the Directors are enabled to exhibit results
which in the infancy of the undertaking could only have
been attained by regulations well considered, and, with
few exceptions, carefully observed, it must be admitted
that railways afford ample assurance for the safety of tra-
velling, and that the London and Birmingham line pos.
SeSiCS resources adequate to any ex tent of traffic.
" The Directors, having carried the proceedings of the
Harrow inquest before a higher tribunal, purposely ab-
stain from any comment on the extraordinary verdict of
the Jury.
" Reverting to the statements of accounts which are be-
fore the meeting, the Directors have to remark that the
expenditure On the stock or capital account (C) has been,
with few exceptions, for the objects to which they called
attention in their last Report, namely, extensions of stations,
and the additions to the Company's carrying stock, which
an increasing traffic requires.
" The recommendation of the Directors to create new
shares, under the powers of the Company's Acts, for the
redemution of the mortgage debt of 1,375,0001., having
been acceded to by the Proprietors individually, a resolu-
tion of approval by the present meeting will be required to
give effect to the measure.
" The Directors have to announce the resignation of
Mr. Edward Wilson, and their election of Mr. Christopher
Hird Jones to supply his place. They have also to report
the limented death of one of the original Directors of the
Company, John Sturge, Esq., and that they do not pro•
pose to fill up the vacancy.
" The following Directors go out of office at the pre-
sent meeting, and are re-elieible :—Edward Cropper,
Esq., Robert Garnet, Esq., George Carr Glyn, Esq.,
David Hodgson, Esq., Thomas Tooke, Esq., and Joseph
Walker, Esq.
A resolution was then passed, declaring a dividend at
the rate of 8 per cent. rer annum out of the profits of the
undertaking.
Another resolution was passed, authorising the conver-
sion of the mortgato debts of the Company into new
shares of 3'2/. each.

A discussion of considerable interest, arsing wet of the
following circumstances, then ensued :—The principal.
workshops of the Company •for the repairs of engines
Ste., have been erected at Wolverton, a station about
midway between the two termini of the railway. So ex-
tensive is the establishment at that place that a consider-
able village, composed of the men in the Company's ser-
vice and their families, has sprung up where formerly there
was not a single habitation. The Company has erected
houses for the men, arid allotted gardens to them, and
some time since voted a grant of money fur the erection of
schools for the infant and adult population, but still there
was no means of supplying them with religious instruction.
The trustee.s of the Ratcliffe estate, through which this
part of the railway is made, thereupon offered to build
and endow a church, and to provide a fund fo,-
future repairs, if the Railway Company would contribute
1,0601. tewards this desirable object. Accordingly, at the
last meeting a proposal that such contribution be made
was brought forward by a gentleman named Jones, who,
it is worthy of notice, is himself a Dissenter, and was car-
ried with but one dissentient voice. In the interim be-
tween that meeting and the present some twenty-eight or
thirty of the Proprietors, almost all of whom arc members
of the Society of Friends, objected to the grant, and me-
morialized the Directors on the subject. They also took
the opinion of the Attorney- General upon the legality of
any such grant when made by a Railway Company, which
opinion was against the grant. The matter now came on
for discussion. The Quakers contended that, however de-
sirous they might be of promoting the moral and religious
instruction of the Company's servants, it was not right
that they should be compelled to contribute to the sup-
port of the Church of England, from which they con-
scientiously d tiered. They proposed, therefore, that the
resolution of the previous meeting should be rescinded,
and that the amount required should be raised by volun-
tary subscription. To this it was ninv!cl as an amendment
that their proportion of the 1,0001. (about Ved. per share)
should be returned to all who dissented from its appror:ria-
tion to the purpose proposed, and after a very long discus.
sion, which was conducted on both sides with much good
feeling, a vote was taken, when there appeared for the
amendment 25, against it 17, thus confirming by a
majority of eight the original grant of 1,000/. subject to
any deduction which may be made in respect of the dissen-
tients' shares, As, however, it was understood throughout
that it was not the amount of money but the pr'neiple in.
' volved, which formed the subject of dispute, it is not
likely that the grant will be seriously diminished from this
cause, hut, it so, it wa's understood tilet the full amount
would be la ids up by voluntary subscriptions en the part
of the proprietors.

The.Dtr.ectors named in the concluding paragraph 6tf
the report having Men re-elected and other buiiness trans-
acted, a special vote of thaniza to the chairman and Direc-
tors for their able and arduous exertions behalf of the
Company, rtaa carried by acclamation, and the meeting
I..rparated.