The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-10 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY 111:ORNIN-Gt, APRIL Ibs 1847

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

think that the parties who have been engaged either
in promoting or opposing any private Bill, and who
object to the charges of solicitors or agents, should
be at liberty within six months from the termination
of the session of Parliament in which such Bill may
have passed, or within six months next after the
Bills of such solicitors or agents shall have been de-
livered to the parties, to apply in writing to Mr.
Speaker, who shall then give the requisite orders for
the taxation of such charges.
" Your committee also think that the parties should
have power to obtain from their agents and solicitors
the delivery of their bills of charges within a reason-
able time; they recommend, therefore, that at the ex-
piration of six months from the close of any session of
Parliament. it should be open to any party who has
not received the bill of charges to be claimed from
him for service in respect of any private business
in that session, or of proceedings preliminary
thereto, to apply to Mr. Speaker ; that Mr.
Speaker should have power to give such directions
ai he may think fit with respect to the time vtithin which
such Bill shall be delivered ; that Mr. Speaker should
have power from time to time to alter such directions.
and to enlarge the time originally directed, or, under
special circumstance., altogether to relieve the agent
or solicitor from the operation of the rule, if he shall
see fit to do so ; and that, subject to such discretion of
Mr. Speaker, the original direction shall he conclu-
sive, and the agent or solicitor failing to comply with
the same shall have no power of recovering his charge
against the party.
" Your Committee is further of opinion that the
costs 4nd expenses attendant upon Bills promoted
or opposed by corporations, and public bodies, how-
ever constituted, in trust for and on behalf of the
public, should in all cases be taxed.
" Your Committee, therefore, have requested their
chairman to ask leave of the House to bring in a Bill
to carry those purposes into effect.
" FORMATION OF COMMITTEES ON PRIVATE BILLS.
—Your Committee having taken evidence as to the
present working of Committees on Railway Bills,
and finding a general approval of their efficiency, are
of opinion that all Committees upon opposed Private
Bills should be appointed and constituted in the same
manner as Committees upon Railway Bills.
" Your Committee having had before them the
Bill intituled ' A Bill for consolidating in one Act
certain Provisions usually contained in Acts for
Paving, Draining, Cleansing, Lighting, and Improv-
ing Towns,' referred to them by the House, are of
opinion that the measure is not of a character to be
satisfactorily considered by them, and they have,
therefore, requested the Chairman to submit to the
House, whether the order of reference may not be
discharged."

I(From the Shipping and Mercantile Gazette.)
We have received advices from the Cape of Good
Hope many days later than previous accounts.
They announce the arrival at Cape Town of Sir
H. Pottinger. The Haddington, steamer, witi
the High Commissioner on board, arrived in Table
Bay on the 27th of January, and having been duly
sworn into office, he immediately proceeded to busi-
ness, by issuing a proclamation, which we give below.
The state of affairs on the frontier is represented to
he anything but satisfactory. It will be seen from
the extracts, which we give below, from our Cape
contemporary, that three officers had been murdered
by the Kafirs. The subjoined letter from our cor-
respondent at Cape Town will be read with interest :
"Cape Town, South Africa, Feb. 2, 1847.
"Sir,—lt is impossible to arrive at anythin:: like a
satisfactory account toe the state of things and parties
on the frontier, so much party spirit seems to exist for
and against the late Government measure, and such
diversity of opini -in as to what has been done, sod what
ought to be done; at a time, too, when but one common
feeling ought to pervade the minds of the whole cum
munity of colonists in the Graham's Town and frontier
districts, that it appears anything but creditable to
subjects dependent upon the protection of the British
Crown.
" The recal of Sir Peregrine Maitland, the resignation
of Sir Andries Stockenstrom o 4 his fipp )'ntment as com-
mandant neral of the Burgher Force of the Eastern
Districts of the Cape Colony, in consequence of some
political dissension ; the sudden departure of Sir P.
Maitland, es commander-in-chief, from the scene of
action, before the arrival of his successor, and
the devolving of the entire command on Colonel
Somerset, K.H.—tended not a little to increase the deep
dejection which prevailed in the m nds of those in
Cape Town more immediately and directly. interested
in the issue of affairs on the frontier. But,
early on the morning of the 27th of January,
it was announced that the Peninsular and Oriental Com-
pany's steamer Haddington, had arrived in Table Bay
during the night, having on board Sir H. Pottinger,
Bart., and suite ; also Lieutenant General Sir George
Berkeley, K C. 8., Commander-in-Chief of the forces.
His Excellency landed under the usual salute, at eleven
and proceeded to the Government-house in Sir P.
Maitland's carriage. The streets through which he
passed were thronged with spectators;, and the cheering
was deafening. He was immediately sworn into office
by his Honour Sir John Wylde, Chief Justice, and he
immediately proceeded to business, by issuing the fol-
lowing proclamation :
" Her Majesty has been graciously pleased to appoint
me to be her High Cemmissioser for the settling and ad-
justment of the affairs of the territories in Southern
Africa, adjacent or contiguous to the eastern and north-
eastern frontier of this colony, and to authorise and en-
join me to take all such measures, and do all such
matter and things, as by me may be lawfully and discreetly
done, for preventing the recurrence of any irruption
into the said colony of the tribe inhabiting any of the
territories aforesaid; and for maintaining the said colony
in peace and safety from invaders, and for promoting as
far as may be possible the good order, civilisation, and
moral and religious instruction of the tribes aforesaid.
Sir Henry would hold a levee on
form Wednesday,hiajudgment
d3gdniFe
tie t
thereby.
braary. and, it was expected, almost directly proceed
with the new commander of the forces to the frontier,
toseeand to hear for himself,and
We make the following extracts from the Cape of
Good Hope Shipping and Mercantile Gazette of the
21Ith of January :
" We are gratified to announce the arrival, on Wednes-
day last, of our new Governor, Sir Henry Pottinger,
and the Commander of the Forces, Sir George Berkeley.
This arrival, so long and so anxiously looked for by the
colonists generally, will, we trust, be productive of last-
ing
good to this continent. From the extended powers
with which we believe that Sir Henry has been invested
as her Majesty's High Commissioner for the adjustment
of affairs with the native tribes, and from his well-tried
and known ability, we are led to expect that our relations
with the natives on our eastern and north-eastern
border will be placed on a sound and solid basis. But
we would advise our fellow-colonists to wait with
patience the development of any plan which may be sug
gested, even though it may not be exactly the one to
which they are most attached—remembering that car-
rying nut the object proposed is attended with difficul-
ties all but insuperable, and requires all the ability and
all the calm consideration which any man can bring to
it. We understand that his Excellency intends pro
ceeding to the frontier almost immediately. c.
The intelligence from the frontier brought by this
week's post is not of great impo tance. It appears, how-
ever, from the accounts given by the local press, that
there is still much of an unsatisfactory and unsettled
character in the state of our Kafir neighbours. The
most painful occurrence since our last is the melancholy
death of three officers, killed by the Kafirs, and the acci-
dental death of two of the Mounted Riflemen, and Ser-
geant-Major Ritchie, of the 7th Dragoon Guards. The
following are some of the particulars extracted from a
letter, and inserted in the Graham's Town Journal:—
"We have nothing hut disasters of late. While we
were out towards the T'Somo, Colonel Somerset sent out
a party of 200 men to hold the Kei wilt. These, finding
themselves getting short of supplies, sent a patrol to get
cattle for slaughter. After marching for some time, on
reaching the summit of the Kei hills, some cattle were
seen about two miles a head. Three officers and four
Hottentots galloped off in pursuit, and succeeded in
reaching the cattle, the infantry follBWing slowly behind.
The latter saw the former plainly bringing on the
cattle, but there were several h allows or necks to pass
through, in which stood thick clusters of thorns. On
gaining the first of these the infantry heard sharp
firing and proceeded onward, but on reaching the
spot found only a horse and three or four Kafirs dead,
but neither the officers nor cattle. 'The) returned the
Rifle
ecamßprio4andeea:tearntahemort.heerhtehte:::::c7d3a:
same evening. Two of the Hottentots came into
and a party
was sent out in search of the missing party. The
three officers—namely, Captain Gibson,. Dr. Howell,
were found
killed, but the Hottentots have not been discovered.
On Tuesday we got down to the Kei Drift, but the
river was too much swollen to cross. On Wednesday
it subsided a little, and on Thursday we crossed the
cavalry,wetw eah
infantry, iner which Sergeant-Major Ritchie, 7th Dra-
goon Guards, two C.M.R. and two horses were drowned.
Two mule waggons were also washed away. The guns,
and
all 6
having,Othe O 0
no
e f
, ree of
dhcattlea,e exceptbwieernheeoleeuct.,
wo, on theha v otherhave
had
side. Besides

ENCOUNTER BETWEEN SET-
TLERS AND BLACKS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA.
On the 19th August we were enabled to furnish a brief
account of a collision between a small overland party
and a tribe of blacks on the hanks of the River Murray,
in which rencontre a man belonging to the overland party
was 61* n. We are enabled more fully to state the
par-
ticulars. Mr. Thomas Johnson, the "one armed
.man"
formerly mentioned, long resident at YAS3 in New South
Wales, and to whom 14 horses and 51 head of cattle of
the overland herd belonged, has been kind enough to
furnish us with the following interesting recital. The.
party of six, including the narrator, Henry Jervis,
George Jervis, John Jones, George Bridges, and Herbert
Elder, were travelling in charge of cattle, horses, and a
provision dray, belonging to himself and Elder, and
bound to Adelaide, when on the morning of the 27th of
June, 11. Jervis and G. Jervis rode away from the party,
and were expected to return in vain all that day and
night. On the 28th the reduced party encamped at a
place called Mount Dispersion, whence they could. hear
the sound of an encampment of blacks at some distance
off, on their line of march. On the following morning
Johnson intimated his desire to George Bridges that
they should not proceed until his father-in-law, Henry
Jervis,- and his brother-in-law, George Jervis,
.had re-
joined them. Bridges said he would net wait, and
"hoped they would get a good starving, as they had no
business away." They started accordingly, and soon
arrived at the blacks' encampment. Four or five natives
only were perceptible, and these they passed. without
speaking to. They travelled three or four miles along
the bank of the Murray, followed by the blacks, the
river being on one hand, and a thick scrub on the other.
On crossing a creek, they stopped for a few minutes to
see what the blacks were following them for. In a little
time they started again, when the blacks cooeyed, and
there arose forty or fifty more from the bank of the
river and the creek, making a terrifying roar or shout.
Upon this Elder, Bridges, and Jones took their arms, and
stood alongside the dray; Mr. Johnson was with the
cattle in advance, and all he could see, on looking
round, was, that the blacks with their spears and war
implements had advanced to within about ten rods of
the dray, where they maintained their terrifying
roar without advancing nearer. Mr. Johnson walked
from the cattle towards the dray ; but before he could
reach it Jones had fired a shot, which, however, he said
was an accidental one. Bridges having expressed his
determination to proceed, Mr. Johnson returned to the
cattle, and caught his horse, which was the only one
saddled. By this time Elder had joined him alongside
the cattle, which some dogs belonging to the blacks were
attacking ; but they were not got rid of without scat-
tering the cattle. Ott looking round towards the dray,
Mr. Johnson saw Bridges handing some beef to the
blacks, and observed that as he turned from them they
speared him in the back acd under the right arm, and he
fell to the ground. Elder and Jones were no longer
visible, and he concluded they had been speared too.
Mr. Johnson rode a little way to the right, and could
then see the blacks had full possession of the dray. He
now saw an unarmed black coming towards him, but
seeing he was followed by two others with a spear each,
he turned his horse's head to cross a creek; but before he
had accomplished the passage, a spear passed over his head
and lodged in the ocposite bank. Thence he looked again,
and saw the former contents of the dray upon the ground,
also the speared man, whose dying groans were audible,
but could see nothing of Elder or Jones. Mr. Johnson,
being utterly at a loss to determine what he could do,
remained where he stood for some time ; and having
prayed to God to direct him, he resolved to retreat to a
station forming by Mr. Ross, fifty or sixty miles further
back than where he and his companions had encamped on
the previous night. He was proceeding on his journey in
that direction, when he heard a noise behind, which
alarmed him much ; but he was agreeably surprised at
being overtaken by Elder and Jones, whom he had
given up for lost ; but who had succeeded in catch-
ing two of his (Johnson's) horses, and had taken a
like determination with himself, to retreat towards
Mr. Ross's. They, too, had given up Mr. Johnson for
lost ; but meeting with the track of the mare he was
riding, rightly concluded he had escaped, and that
they might overtake him. Having agreed to go back
to Mr. Ross's station, they had ridden only two or three
miles in that direction when they met H. and G. Jer-
vis, who said they had lost themselves ; which was
almost impossible, as they had the river on one hand,
and a beaten track on the ot.ter. On b ing told that
their relative (Bridges) had been killed, they wanted Mr.
Johnson and the others to turn back ; but as they had
only one gun between them, in the hand of' Jones, the
proposal was declined, and they all agreed to go back to
Mr Ross's together. That night they passed in the
bush, on the bank of the Murray, without food or shel-
ter,
and on the following morning, having caught their
horses, they mounted and rode as hard as they could
towards the station of Mr. Ross. Most fortunately. on
their way they fell in with a Mr. Maury and a Mr. Cart-
wright, with their party, provision dray, and cattle, and
got a present supply for their wants. Having learned
that Mr. Tooth's party was coming behind, Johnson and
Elder went to tn• et them, and upon asking the assistance '
of Mr. Tooth's superintendent, Mr. Newman, the ser-
vices of an armed and well-mounted man was granted,
and Elder was left with Mr. Newman. The armed man,
who had served in the British cavalry, and was very
properly called " the trooper,* carried his musket in
" a boot," acd bad plenty of ammunition. John-
son, too, was furnished with a brace of pis-
tols. When they got back to the encampment
of Messrs. Maury and Cartwright, they found George
Jervis, and learned from him that his father, ac-
companied by Mr. Maury, Mr. Cartwright, Mr. Ross, a
Mr. Walker, and two or three other gentlemen, accom•
panted by two blacks, and all well armed, had just gone
oft tor the scene of the murder and dispersion. Mr John-
,am and the trooper determined to overtake them, and
did so after about four miles' travelling. They journeyed
together all that day, and encamped on the bank of the
river at night. Next morning they set out again, and
reached the place where Bridges was murdered about
half an hoar before miet. One of the dogs left with the
dray was still there; the two leading bullocks were missiniz
but the other four were found entangled in the scrub;
and it was now time to eneamp for the night. In the
morning. (July 3) all the party went to look for the
Forams of poor Bridges, except Jervis, who r de out
in search of the dispersed cattle. After some time they
found a clay mound, which was removed, and a little
below was discovered the naked body of the murdered
man, covered first with long grass, and then with pieces
of wood, the clay being put over all. On taking up
the body it was found to have been speared through and
through. After giving H. Jarvis an opportunity of
seeing the body of his son-in-law, it was again interred
in aneth,-r grave. After this, the kind gentlemen as-
sisted in recovering the dispersed cattle, and succeeded
so well, that Mr. Johnson recovered all his horses (14).
Next morning he returned with the party to Mr. New-
man, who kindly undertook to supply him with provi-
sions, to attempt the recovery of his remaining cattle,
and to conduct him to Adelaide with his own party.
To this gentleman's kind assistance he was indebted for
the recovery of all his cattle, except five, and for the
benefit of a safe convoy as far as the settled districts
on this side of the River Rufus.—South Australian Re-
gister.

PRIVATE BILLS,
The following are the principal portions of the
Second Report of the Commons'
Select Committee
appointed " to continue the Inquiry into the Private
Business of the House, the expenses attending the
obtaining of all Brivate Bills, including all the ex-
penses of the opponents as well as the promoters of
Bills, and the taxing of expenses relating thereto,"
just printed by order of the House
Your Committee have made considerable progress
in their inquiries ; and having obtained full informa-
tion on the subject of fees paid to the House, on the
taxation of costs, and the formation of Committees on
Private Bills, have agreed to the following report
upon these points, reserving the other subjects of their
inquiries for a future report :
FEES OF THE HOUSE. It aPPearS
that the fees
consist of a great variety of small items, charged on
every stage of the proceedings on Private Bills. There
fees are so complicated as not to be easily understood,
either by the clerk who has to collect them, or
by the parties who have to pay them.
" Since of late years all the officers of the House
have been remunerated by fixed salaries, and all fees
have been carried to the credit of Commissioners
appointed by Act of Parliament to receive them, there
are now no persons individually interested, as for-
merly there were, in the number or amount of these
fees. The House, therefore, is perfectly at liberty to
make any alterations regarding them which it may
think fit.

" The subject has been for some time under the
consideration of Mr. Speaker, and by his desire Mr.
Dorington, the Clerk of the Fees, has laid before the
Committee a table of fees, constructed upon a diffe-
rent priciple, by which it is contemplated to abolish
the present. system of charging a great many small
'ees on the various proceedings of a Bill, and to
substitute a few larger fees, to be charged on the
principal stages—viz., one tee on presenting the
petition for a Bill, one on going into the Committee
on the Bill, one for each day in Committee, and one
tn each o f thean d readingsregat
ionfn
s ther
and
these suggestions Bill, with other minor
alterations)
have received the decided approbation of your
Committee.
Your Committee
" Your Committee have also called for an estimate
of the fees to be collected under the proposed new
scheme, and of the income likely to arise from such
fees, calculated for an amount of business annually
tht
on such a scale as,
with the assuaied amount of business, to product., as
torie n that at
that
a oft
ehe fees yearbel
fixed
x 4
e4d.
nearly as possible, the amount
.received in orditta-y
equalreco
years. They, therefore, submit to the House, that
Mr. Speaker be requested to cause to be prepared a
table of fees based on the principles above stated,
with a view to such table being adopted by the
House, and brought into operation, either from the
commencement of the. present session, or as soon as
may be.
—Y
"TAXATION OF Cos Ts. our Committee have
taken evidence upon the subject, and are satisfied
that no time should he lost in establishing an efficient
taxation of Parliamentary costs and charges in ac-
cordance with the opinion above expressed. In order
to effect this object, it will be necessary to pass an
Act in the present session, enabling Mr. Speaker to
appoint a taxing officer or officers, who shall have
all the powers possessed by the taxing masters of the
Court of Chancery, and shall examine and tax, as
well all preliminary expenses__ incident to applying
to Parliament for Private Bills, as all charges for
soliciting or opposing the same. "
Your Committee are of opinion that the fee to
be charged upon the taxation of costs should be as
moderate as shall be compatible with the due per-
tornince of the duty : and further, that every facility
should he nfforded both to the promoters and oppo-
nents of Private Bills, or par!tes liable to pay such
costs, for obtaining the relief which such taxation
will afford.
" In accordance with this view, your Committee

Songs, insulting to the King of the French, having
been a great deal circulated of late in the wine-
shops of the Barriers, the police ascertained from a
drunken man, who possessed. a copy of one, that they were
sold by a man named Guitton, and a negress named
Barbet, who frequented such places under the pretence
of selling nuts. These persons have been arrested, and
a number of the songs were found in their possession, as
was also a hat or individuals of glod standing in ,ociety.
The songs which bad been circulated were all in manu-
script.
The German newspapers state th t Professor
Schonbein, the inventor of the cotton powder, has dis-
covered a new composition which produces the same
effects as the inhalation of ether, without causing
danger. The nature of the new invention is not de-
scribed.

MAIDSTONE FARMERS' CLUB_ . the health and comfort of the publ.
SUBSTITUTE FOR, ANI) PREVENTION OF at which the most adequate surejtc, oe
DISEA-eE IN, J'OTA eoEs. provided was one of the most tr. • ternOunt in
(Fr.,in the Maidstone fournll) comparson w:•11 the blessing it conf and the
At the menthly meeting of the Maidstone Farmers' event of tire, the importance of havin siaterin every
at war in every place available, wes''' matter if the at the Mitre Inn, on Thursday evening last,
which the attendance was more numerous than usual, highest moment, and one which demande Illeyr9nlPt-
an interesting conversation took place on the above attentimn of every member of society. &lecturer,
important subject. The cultivation of root crops was in conclusion, quoted the opinions of several writers
the subject under discussion, but as its consHeration of eminence as to the vast importance of the matters
was not concluded, but adjourned until the next to which he had referred, in connexion with the
meeting, we defer the general report till then. Just comforts, the health, and the well-being of society,
as the meeting was about to separate, and trusted the facts which the narrow limits of a
. Mr. E. P. HALL begged to call attention to a mat lecture had permitted him to bring under; their at-
ter of some consieerable importance, particularly at tension, vi.ould not be I,iot,huiimethetl-e,ersir.) effect in aiding
the present moment, since now was the time when the great cause of sanatory reform, which was now
alone it could be of any practical utility. During the happily in progress.—
(
whole of the proceedings, although the subject was the The CHAIRMAN said, that after the able disecurse
cultivation of roots, no one had mentioned that im- which had been delivered l:y Dr. Gavin, it might op-
important root the potato, in the cultivation of pear unnecessary that anything more should be added;
which so serious a difficulty had arisen. Ilis but as the matter was of much importance, he should
object in rising was to mention a substitute tor be glad to hear any gentleman who had any infor-
the potato which had been recently much recom- mrion to communicate, or who had any opinion to
mended, in crder to ascertain before the club sepa- offer ft r their consideration.—(Hear.)
rated, whether any of the inewbers could support that Mr. Geonee said that the object of their me( ting
rye )mmendation, or discourage it, from the result of that evening was: one i,f tie on which the public
their own experience. lie alluded to the Jerusalem seemed to require a red deal ~tit' information, and
artichoke, the proeer season for planting which was which was a vast deal t o much neglected by them.
now rapidly passing hy. Mr. Hall then read the Any frivolnus sutj"ct would find ready attention, and
following statement:—" The Jerusalein artichoke is vet what euestien so much concern, d ti.e well-being,
a very productive and v4luaele vegetable root, re- the health, and the heepuiess of them all, as the one
sembling the potato, and may be cultivate d in the they had that evening under discussion ?---(Hear.)
same manner. The tubers should be planted six- He had listened with much interest to the excellent
teen or eighteen inches apayt, in rows three lecture which had been delivered to them ; hut there
feet apart. The price of the seed is about 4s. per was one subject which had not been adverted to, and
Winchester bushel. At a time when the potato was .to which he conceived the attention of the public
not very extensively cultivated, this root was pretty should be incessantly directed—he meant the exist-
largely used as food for man. Few plants are more ence of burying-places in the very heart of this
hardy, and they will succed in almost any situation, immense metropolis.—(Hear, hear.) Having been
and will come up, year after year, without planting, himself the witness of scenes in those places of
as enough tubers are accidentally left in the ground so demoralising and so destructive a character,
to stock it. A patch of ground should be set apart he could not help, at the present moment, al-
for the growth of this root, as there is an objection to lading to this horrible grievance, closely connected
its introduction in a regular rotation. Kade states as it was with the question of the public health.
that' a square patch of Jerusalem artichokes in a gar- He complained that Lord Morpeth had not in-
den was still productive, at the end of 33 years, throve:. eluded this frightful evil in the nuisances which he
big out stems from 7 to 10 feet in length, although proposed to remedy in the Bill he had recently intro-
the plant had neither received any care nor manure duced, and he feared that the Noble Lord had allowed
for a very lasig time.'" Mr. Tweed, of Woolwich, in- himself to be deterred from effecting so great a good
formed the council of the Royal Agricultural Society of by the influences which they all knew could be
England, that he grew 32 tons per acre from a piece brought to bear in such a case. With the people he
of ground (unintentionally) manured with stable dung. was referring to, vested interests were of much more
They were twice hoed, and the stems ran twelve feet importance than the improvement of the public
high. On a piece of ground which was not manured health.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. George then referred to
the crop was only four tons: Mr. James Gwillam, the state of the grave-yard in the parish of St. Anne
of Hartlebury, says on this subject—' I last year (Soho, as we understood), and although he believed
grew, upon one perch of ground, four bags per acre. that things were much worse in this respect in some
The roots were sound and large, and an excellent other parishes, yet he could not help saying that it
substitute for the potato; and as so many unfavour- was frightful to contemplate the spectacle that was
able accounts are daily received of the existence of almost daily presented to the eye.—(Hear, hear.)
the disease this favourite vegetable has been pre- He found upon inquiry that every spot of ground in
viously affected with, I strongly recommend the cul- that grave-yard was turned over once in every three
tivation of the Jerusalem artichoke. What I have years, and before it was possible the bodies that had
disposed of has been at the ratio of 15s. per bag, or been interred could be in a state of decomposition,-
251. per acre. I have also been informed, but do not (Hear.) Within less than two months he bad ascer-
speak from my own experience, that it is a very nu- tamed that twenty-eight bodies had been interred,
tritious food for hogs and store pigs, and when ground and the coffins were sunk only a few inches under
may also be given to horses with success." Mr. Hall ground. Before it was possible decomposition could
concluded by saying, if any member had tried this take place the bodies were removed and a pyramid
root perhaps he would favour the meeting with his formed of them as a means of making room for fresh
opinion as to its suitability as a substitute for the interments.—(Hear, hear.) He declared it was hor-
potato. rible to think of such things being permitted to
Dr. PEOMLET said the Jerusalem artichoke was a occur in this city, and he urged upon every man to
plant which had excited more attention among che- exert himself to the utmost to put an end to this
mists and botanists than almost any other. Boussin- state of things so injurious to public health, and to
gault mentioned that it derived the whole of its public morality, and so contrary to that respect which
nitro fen from the atmosphere, and that although should be paid to the dead.
ammoniacal manures were useful as a stimulus, yet The CHAIRMAN briefly expressed his acquiesence in
it did not take a particle of ammonia out of the soil, the sentiments which had been expressed by the last
so that large crops might be grown of it, without at speaker.
all impoverishing the land. It was not so nutritious A vote of thanks was then passed to Dr. Gavin,
as turnips, its nutritive qualities being about the for the able lecture he had that evening delivered ;
same as potatoes—namely, about two per cent. It for which honour the Doctor briefly returned thanks,
was, therefore, a very good subtitute for the potato, And a similar vote was also passed to the Com-
without robbing the land as the potato did ; for, in mittee of the Western Institution, for giving the
fact, it had the opposite effect, and it was well known gratuitous use of the lecture-room.
that land which had grown artichokes year after year Thanks were next voted to the Chairman for his
was in a better state afterwards than it was at first. excellent conduct in the chair, and the 'meeting
Mr. BARTLETT said he could bear testimony to the broke up.
longevity of the artichoke. He had attempted to
clear a piece of' ground from it, and for this pur
pose tried to kill it with gas lime, but could not.
It grew very luxuriantly, and was a very delicious
vegetable.
Mr. HATCH said he once grew a very small quan-
tity, as an experiment, and found he could never get
rid of it

Mr. SAxnr wished to know the relative nutritive
value of wheat at 60s. a quarter, and potatoes or
vegetables of that kind at 3s. a sack ?

Mr. WHITING said, the properties of wheat and
potatoes were altogether different, and did not admit
of comparison. In wheat, nitrogen and gluten formed
the principal constituents, supplying food for the
flesh and bones. Potatoes supplied food for respira-
tion, the carbon they contained being consumed in
the lungs. It would be impossible to sustain life with
potatoes alone. They must be used with milk, or
some such ingredient, in order to become a substitute
for wheat. It was necessary to have both, or some-
thing answering the purposes of both, in order to
keep up a proper supply of warmth and nutriment,
one being quite as essential to the body as the other.
Mr. DAVIS (Linton) begged to state that cottagers
in that neighbourhood had been supplied with arti-
choke seed by Lord Cornwallis, as a substitute for
potatoes. He would also observe that he had been
very successful in growing potatoes. There was a
great prejudice against this vegetable just now, and
many thought that it was hopeless to attempt to grow
it, but he had last year grown a large crop, and the
best sample he had ever seen, on Coxheath, by putting
into the drills a great quantity of lime. The lime
was put in seven inches deep, covered in, and never
touched afterwards, except to keep the weeds under,
and the crop was most excellent. The sort was
regents—the soil sandy. There had been many of
the nobility visiting at Earl Cornwallis's during the
winter, and they all acknowledged they had never
tasted any like them.
This statement excited, as may be imagined, very
great interest, and we earnestly hope, that under
Providence, the remedy mentioned may be found
generally efficacious in restoring to us this useful and
delicious vegetable.
As to the Jerusalem artichoke, we may add that
the seed tubers may be purchased for Is. per gallon,
and should be planted immediately.

HEALTH OF LONDON ASSOCIA-

TION,

On Wednesday evening a meeting was held in the
theatre of the Western Literary and Scientific Insti-
tution, in Leicester-square, to hear H. Gavin, Esq.,
M.D., F.R.C.S.E., one of the members of the Health
of London Association, deliver a lecture " On the ne-
cessity of remedial measures to improve the health of
London." The meeting was convened for eight
o'clock, and shortly after that hour Mr. Rogers was
called to the chair.

MORTALITY IN EDINBURGH
AND LEITH.
Dr. Stark's report, which we have just received,
contains the return of the mortality in this city and
Leith for 1846, and also for the first two months of
the current year. Last year the number of deaths
in Edinburgh amounted to 4,887, of which 2,252
were males, 2,342 females, and 293 still-horn, being
an increase of 865, or 22 per cent. over 1845. During
the same period the returns from Leith represent 412
males, 389 females, and 64 still-born. Total 865.
This is an increase of 319, or 58 per cent. above
1845. The reason of the great increase of mortality
during the past year is ascribed, by the report, prin-
cipally to atmospheric influences, arid which is evident
from the fact that all the towns where returns are
kept show a similar increase.

The mean monthly alternations of temperature
were seven degrees more during 1846 than 1845, the
sultry days of June and frosts of December (neither
of which extremes were known in 1845), making
this palpable increase. The great evaporation caused
by the heat occasioned more rain, while the humi-
dity of the atmosphere increased the virulence of the
fulsome vapour emanating from sewers, stagnant
waters, &c.; and these, by weakening the human
system, tended to increase disease, and consequently
mortality. These causes did not result in any epi-
demic disease which might account for the great
mortality, but acted nearly in a ratio in all dis-
tempers, excepting intestinal complaints, which in-
creased in fatality, especially about the middle of
August. That the favourable sanatory state of
Edinburgh had a marked influence on its compa-
rative healthiness is shown from the per centage
of increase in mortality in Leith being so much
greater than in this city, which is high situated,
clean and well drained, while Leith is notoriously
otherwise. Thus, while Edinburgh showed only an
increase of 22 per cent., Glasgow was 40, and Leith
58 per cent. more than in 1845. The average life of
males last year was 28 years ; females, 32 2.3
showing a mean age of 304 years. The average life
of married persons proved to he 654 years, but of
unmarried persons above 22 years, the average was
43 years—showing a difference in favour of married
persons of 144 years. Married male persons, on tin
average, at 57 1-3; females, 57 2-3. Unmarried
males above 22 died at the mean age of 38 2-3, thus
losing by remaining unmarried on an average 18 2-3
years. Unmarried females above 22 died at the
mean age of 474, thus, by remaining unmarried,
losing about ten years of life. Thus, as the report
adds, " married life, therefore, so far from tending
to shorten life by the superadded dangers of child-
birth, &c., tends undoubtedly to prolong it."
Of the different classes of society, gentry and pro-
fessional persons died on an average at 434 years ;
merchants, master tradesmen, and clerks, at 364 ;
artisans, servants, labourers, and paupers, at 274 years.
The report then remarks, that by proper recau-
tions the excess of mortality in the lower classes might
be diminished at least to that of the merchant class.
It also states, that the reason the public are burdened
with the maintenance of so many destitute children,
is because of the premature death of their parents.
Statistical accounts of the comparative mortality cf
oneot h e
or f t
tohwe nhs
teh
ehsetn c ,
ifi t endo
t to
the s how
ve
rtyh at
healthiest
in Great Britain, and that the proportion of deaths of
children is less in this city than in London, Liver-
pool, Glasgow, &c., while the proportion of deaths
above 60 exhibit a corresponding increase over these
towns. These facts are of course the clearest demon-
strations of a healthy locality, and although a marked
increase has taken place in the mortality of the past
year, the per centage has been much less here than
elsewhere.

The CHAIRMAN addressed the meeting at some
length, on the paramount importance of improving,
by every possible means, the health of London, as no-
thing but the strictest attention to cleanliness, the
possession of good air, and a plentiful supply of pure
and wholesome water, could preserve- from all the
aggravated horrors of disease the many thousands who
were congregated together in this vast metropolis.
He trusted that the importance of the subject would
be duly estimated, and that the truths which would
be stated to them this evening would have the effect
of thoroughly awakening their attention to a full
sense of the dangers which surrounded them, so that
at their next meeting, which he hoped would be more
numerously attended, they would be prepared to act
with energy and vigour in carrying out the measures
of the health of London Association. The Chairman
concluded by introducing Dr. Gavin to the meeting.
Dr. GAVIN said, that in accordance with a request
which had been made to him by the Secretary of the
Association, he had prepared some remarks on the
subject which the association were zealously engaged
in promoting, and he trusted that he would be able to
induce the public to aid them in a matter of the very
highest importance. He then proceeded to refer to
the necessity for remedial measures, which was too
obvious to the most cursory observer to require him
to do more than simply to call attention to the facts
which the reports of the Government Commissioners
and others had, from time to time, communicated to
the public; and he might observe that no public
grievance affecting the public health was more deeply
felt than the want of an adequate supply of pure and
wholesome water. The lecturer then referred to
several statistical returns of the deaths in various
towns and districts, as illustrative of the influence of
existing nuisances upon the public health. He
_
also contrasted these with similar returns made
parishes ins
athpepeamreedtrobpy holits,e
ns amongre-
lativegrievtiunrgthefromp
ty n m
the gentry, and the trading and labouring
classes. He then pointed out that to the want of
fresh air, to the confined condition of the habita-
tions of the poor, and especially to the workshops, in
which so large a portion of their time was necessa-
rily passed, the great mortality that prevailed among
the working- classes was necessarily to be traced. He
next adverted to the very defective state of the sew-
erage of the metropolis, and referred especially to the
immense outlay which had been uselessly incurred
in the city of 'Westminster, under the superintendence
of the Commissioners, who were, under the present
system, an irresponsible authority. The frightful
consequences which resulted from the defective state
of the sewerage, and the horrible nuisance of cesspools,
sere most extensively evidenced by the mortality of
those districts which were most exposed to those sad
evils. In connexi,n with those things, he might re-
fer to the lamentably bad state of the ventilation in
the houses of the lower classes. The supply of
pure water, too, at a cheap rate, was one of
the things indispensably necessary to promote

The following abstracts from the report shows re.
spectively the mortality of the first two months
of 1847 :

"During January the mortality of Edinburgh,
excluding 31 still births, amounted to 506; that of
January 1845, being 329 ; of January, 1846, being
382. The mortality of Leith during January, 1847,
excluding five still births, amounted to 96 ; that of
January, 1845, being 64; that of January, 1846,

thea mortalityountedt ofo 426: Edinburgh,that
excluding of
being 62.
"During
abriy; ths, m
February, 1845, being 327 ; that of February, 1846,
being 327. The mortality of Leith during February,
excluding nine still births, amounted to 92 ; that of
February, 1845, being 34 ; that of February, 1846,
Dnrin g3BF February,
being 46. "

Tile report attributes the increase over the same
months of preceding years chiefly to the unusual pre-
valence of easterly winds, aged people being the
greatest sufferers. For example, the average monthly
deaths of persons above 60 was during last year 78,
but during January 1847, 130—February, 120. It
concludes by the following statement :
" It is apparent that the increased mortality of the
month of January and February of this year is not
owing to the prevalence of epidemic diseases, nor can
it be traced to any connexion with dearth of provi-
sions or general distress. The whole excess of deaths
is, on the other hand, satisfactorily accounted for by
the increased number of deaths from diseases of the
respiratory organs, and from old age—two classes
whose mortality is greatly regulated by the severity
of the weather."—Caledonian Mercury.

The Dissenters of Bristol have purchased the Etns
man•of-war, for the purpose of a floating chapel, and on
Thursday evening last it was formally opened by a num-
ber of ministers. Several sailors were present, and just
before the proceedings were concluded, after an allusion
had been made to a collection, a thorough Jack Tar
sprung up, and pulling Out his purse, pushed his way
towards the chairman, handed it to him, exclaisliar.
"Here's a shot for your looker."