The Sun.
London, England, 1848-11-23 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sin,—ln your San of Tuesday last you inserted
a letter from " A Non-resident Elector of the West
Riding." In answer to his remarks respecting the
borough of Malton, it is only fair to Earl Fitzwilliam
to state, that the inhabitants of that peaceful and
rural district have never complained, as a body, of
the mild influence exercised over them by the house
of Wentworth. On the contrary, I do know that
they think much more highly of their present Mem-
bers than they do of the lir-famed and noisy Member
for the " immaculate and free " borough of Notting-
ham or the blooming " Rose of Finsbury."
If, as your worthy " Non-resident Elector" states,
" the West Riding electors are anxious for the fur-
ther extension of the suffrage and vote by ballot,"
pray how does be account for the present apathy and
almost perfect indifference, as to whether this young
Fitzwilliam " walks over the course or not ?" I will
tell you my opinions upon this subject. First, the
electors feel that they owe a deep debt of gratitude
to the house of Wentworth ; secondly, they are sick
of political change; thirdly, as a body, the electors
of the West Riding care little about the " vote
by ballot," or a further extension of the "county
franchise ;" fourthly, they will not be frightened
from their propriety by the old stale and canting cry
of "No Popery ;" and fifthly, they do not feel any
sympathy, as a body, with the cry of " separation of
Church and State." Deeply as myself and many
electors regret the youth and inexperience of the
lion. C. W. W. Fitzwilliam,still in my bumble
opinion lie will beat the best man your " Non-resi-
dent Elector" can name, if "of extreme liberal
opinions," as in case of need the Conservatives would
vote for Fitzwilliam Your " Non-resident Elector's"
remark about the ability of the house of Wentworth
to spare the needful to contest the West Riding is
very unhandsome, and shows his entire ignorance of
the towter. No resident gentleman will question the
power end will of the Noble Earl on this score.
Respecting the 5001. promistd by " the mayor of a
certain borough," you may rely upon it there is some
mistake, as without " due consideration" he is not in
the habit of giving such a promise.
lam as anxious that the West Riding should he
well represent(d as your " Non-resident Elector" can
be, but rely upon it the watchword of " No Endow-
ment" will not succeed here at present.—l remain,
Mr. Editor, yours very respectfully,
A RE:SIDON r ELECTOR OF THE WEST RIDING.
Wakefield, Nov. 22, 1848.

COURT OF ALDERMEZI:'

A Court was held on Tuesday, at which much public
business was transacted.
The LORD MAYOR said, on taking his seat for the first
titne in that court as Lord Mayor, he trusted that his
brother magistrates would believe that he was not in-
fluenced by mere form and ceremony when he said he
should firmly rely upon their assistance, not only in the
rformance of his duties in the Court of Aldermen, but
performance
let the performance of all the public duties of the
snaxoralty. It was most gratifying to him that the tram-
quiLlity of the city had been preserved to the admiration
of all parts of the country. To his excellent predecessor
they were much indebted for the perfect security which
had been established, and he trusted that at the conclu-
sion of his mayoralty he should resign his office into the
hands of his-rsuccessor without injury to its character for
loyalty and zeal .—(Cheers.)
THE THANKS OF THE COURT TO THE LATE LORD MAYOR.
Sir P. LAURIE rose to move the thanks of the Court to
Alderman Hooper, the late Lord Mayor. He had had, he
said, the honour of proposing the thanks to chief magis-
trates of the City of London upon their retirement from
office, and never had any occasion occurred on which he
felt higher gratification than the present. The duties of
the office had been really performed with remarkable i udg-
meat, temper, and ability. In his capacity as an acting
magistrate the late Lord Mayor had particularly distin-
guished himself by sending for trial from a vast number
a cases merely those the conviction and punishment of
whom were likely to be beneficial to the community. In
matters of trivial import he showed as much judgment
by adjudicating mildly as he manifested determination
in grappling with serious offenders.—(Cheers.) The
Court well know the late Lord Mayor's humanity and
kindness of disposition. They saw how he had acted
ia receiving the unfortunate workmen who had been
soddenly obliged to leave the continent, and who had
arrived in London in a state of complete destitution.
They also knew that the Lord Mayor had kept up
.the
IfrApitality of the mayoralty with extraordinary spirit,
not only by entertaining in a magnificent style his fellow-
sitizeps, but distinguished men from all countries, with-
out looking to parties, or politics, or sects.—(Cheers.) Of
all the general transactions of the late mayoralty, the pub-
lic moat warmly approved, but it was to the 10th of April
he particularly drew the attention of the Court as forming a
sort of era in the mayoralty of Alderman Hooper.—
(Loud cheers.) It was well known that a disturbance of
the peace to a very serious extent had been contemplated
upon that occasion. It was also well known that the
City authorities, with the late Lord Mayor at their
bead, had quietly assembled and acted in concert for the
preservation of order, and that the day had concluded as
honourably to Alderman Hooper as to the mass of his
fellow-citizens, who had risen as one man to support him
in his enterprise.—(Cheers.) The proceedings of that
day were calculated to operate as an example to all
Europe_ It was, in fact, an European question; and the
late Lord Mayor, in performing the high duties annexed
to his office on such an occasion, attentively listened to
the suggestions of his brother magistrates, without being
apparently influenced by any, and decided with a firm-
ness and judgment which at once testified to his merit as
a magistrate adapted to so serious an emergency.—
(Cheers.) The peace of the City was not preserved by
the interference of the military, for not a soldier was to
be seen on that day amongst the citizens,, who came
forward so loyally and zealously to act under the able
authority of their chief magistrate.—(Cheers.) Sir
Peter Laurie concluded by moving a vote of thanks to
the late Lord Mayor.
Alderman FA.REBROTHER, in seconding the motion of
Sir Peter Laurie, said, it would perhaps be more judi-
cious in him to be silent on a subject upon which Sir
Peter Laurie had so well expressed his sentiments ; but
he could not help coming forward to bear testimony to
the ability, zeal, judgment, mildness, sagacity, and gene-
ral conduct of the late excellent chief magistrate.—
(Cheers.) He could not help bearing testimony to the
fact that, in a year in which great difficulty might well
have been apprehended, the conduct of the late Lord
Mayor, in connexion with with the Government, effectu-
ally prevented a catastrophe which was reasonably ap-
prehended by many of this great community. It was with
peculiar gratification he stated that during the period of
dangerous excitement alluded to by Sir Peter Laurie,
the late Lord Mayor had been engaged in constant in-
tercourse with the Secretary of State, and that all his
Lordship's plans and suggestions had been approved by
the Right Honourable Gentleman at the head of that de-
partment.—(Cheers.) He had himself had the opportu-
nity of witnessing the regret with which really of the
mi.goidid persons who on the 10th of April had as-
sembled at Kennington under such dangerous circum-
stances contemplated the folly they had committed, and
expressed their shame at having been the dupes of so
contemptible are imposter as the person by whom they
bad been, incited and deceived.—(Cheers.) Alderman
Yarebrother concluded by again expressing his warmest
approbiltion of the conduct of a man who at a time so
pregnant with difficulty distinguished himself in such a
manner ax was calculated to draw down upon him, in a
peculiar manner, the favour of the Sovereign and the
country.—(Loud cheers.)
The vote of thanks was carried amidst loud acclama-
tions, and a copy of it was ordered to be transmitted to
Alderman Hooper.

THE CITY PRISONS.
The report of the annual return to the Secretary of
State respecting the City prisons having been brought up,
Alderman SIDNEY took ()cession to allude again to the
condition of Giltspur-street Prison, which was be-
teeming more and more densely crowded in consequence
of the order of the City Come,iesioner of Police to his
force to take into custody all persons found. begging. He
tie-crib el the state of the prison as most deplorable,
and sail that if the cholera appeared amongst i:s in-
mates the most terrible ravages might be expected
-within the walls. He called the attention of the Court
to the original institution of Bridewell Hospital, which
had, ho contended, been departed from altogether of
late years, and which he hoped to are once more regu-
lated by the manifest intention of the founders; and he
stated that if that hospital were again properly and
jurbe (Aisle appropriated, a va%t amount of the misery
and destitution which hourly invaded the streets of
London would be removed. He col:eluded by moving
that a committee be appointed to inquire into the state
of Giltspur street Compter and Bridewell Hospital.
Alderman FAREBROTHER would second the motion,
there being no possible objection to the inquiry ; at the
same time, he must allow it was not likely to render any
benefit in the way anticipated by Alderman Sidney ; for
they must consider that the public had become very large
contributors to the fund, and it was not probable that the
governors would consent to its appropriatioe to the pur-
pose of m tintaining a host of vagrants who inundated the
city of London. He would ads ise Alderman Sidney
to go to Bridewell Hospital on the next day of meeting
and ~peak to the Governors upon the subject, and he
took occasion to allude to the false compassion prevalent
upote the appearance of some heinous murderer, and to
contrast that feeling with the cruel neglect which existed
in the thousands of cases of deserving poor.—(Hear.)
A:d rman SALoMONS admitted that Giltspurt street
prism was much crowed, but it was to be considered
that tine part of that gaol was under repair, and that the
pepelation of the other part became necessarily more
dense. All the gaols in the City, as was stated by the
medical authorities, were in a perfectly healthy condition.
Al ierman SIDNEY said the part of the prison stated to
be under repair was as full of prisoners as any other
part of it.
Alderman LAWRENCE said, it would really appear
from the speech of Alderman Sidney as if the Members
,of the Court knew nothing at all about Giltspur-street
prisen. Why, they all knew that that gaol was crowded,
and that most of the inmates were never in a more
ceinfortable pLco or in be:ter co dition.—(llear, hear.)
Alderman Sidney seemed to intimate that all the Alder-
men but himself neglected their duty as regarded the
prisons ; but he would find that on Saturday last they
had been engage.] about the internal management of the
City prisons, and had ordered more strict attention upon
14.0 part of the medical attendants, in conformity with
the suggestions received by the visiting magistrates, and
thit everyehing else contained in those suggestions had
been direct to be carried into effect without delay or
relaxation of vigour.—(Hear.) He found that Alderman
Sidney had got hold of the bugbear of the cholera. Why,
there was no cholera in London.—(Hear.) London was
nevevin better health, notwithstanding all the absurd
stories about the inutility of the City sewers, which were
pronounced by the three greatest engineers in the
teirntrY to be the nearest to perfection of any they had
seen.--(Cheers.) He hoped the cholera panic,
which medical men themselves had some motive for
Vtrading, would he allowed .to drop into the obscurity
to which the existing state of lath seemed determined
-to condign
thatd he
vagrants,
as deeply as Alderman
Farebrother did ras, and thieves of all kinds,
found ruch-ceenfortabl;g asylumsfo as the smashing of win-
dows was sure to procure them.—(Cheers).
The following is the come thni ation to which Alder-
man Lawrence referred in the coarse of his speech
aWhiteolpll, Nov., 1848.
" Gentlemen, —The appea"r
cholera in this
number of
country, though hitherto confined
that 144..
with
cases and a few localities, renders ruespl,ll
sures of precaution should be taken-
respect to this epidemic. I am therefOrePriae'
',tweeted b..,
Secretary George Grey to bring the matter -
your notice, and to request that the attention underofshe
medical officers of the prison may be specially directed
to the subject, and that such measures as appear best
calculated for the purpose may be adopted for preserv-
ing the health of the prisoners.
" The medical treatment of the disease, if it should
appear among the prisoners, must of course be deter-
mined Lavelle medical officers of the prison, aided by any
additional medical advice which circumstances may ren-
der it necessary to provide.
" But there are some measures of a general nature an
attention to which may be of great importance.
" These measures are of two kinds—those having a
tendency to diminish the force and intensity of the epi-
demic influence, and those calculated to render the
body less susceptible to such influence.
" Under the former head the following appear to be
the means most likely to be efficacioust—Efficient drain-
age of the prison yards and buildings in general; in-
creased attention to the drainage and cleansing of pri-
vies and water-closets in particular ; the introduction
into the cells and passages of artificial warmth and im-
proved ventilation, with th. object of removing damp-
ness.

" Want of cleanliness in the walls of cells and pas-
sages in prisons is now so rare a detect that it would be
superfluoss to allude to the necessity of its observance ;
but it, should be mentioned that the fresh lime whiting
of the walls, providA the locality be such as to insure
their speedy drying, is considered to have a powerful
direct effect 46.,sulutary kind. In order to avoid damp,
thiul/410/bbth ' f this cells is, as far as possible, to be
ger6 rr .
1".„,--Tr, e ''._ ',414.4* r of the measures of the other
'lbilii, u.,-/'' , t'
_, :re directed to fortifying the
liltill'-'-`"', lists against the approaches of the
tzniiie --5.% 004 •
,toi-itip,l,, -q-.r,_ ..t. .g:—a careful attention to diet,
tr u'' 8-,,'. e from over-exertion, and fre- i
t:.........„
,-..... i'"-
' surgeon. A temporary increase
3.1 c't