The Sun.
London, England, 1870-01-03 00:00:00

Do. Account
• Do. 1867
Do. Account
Do. New Deferred —
Do. Passive —
Do. Com. Cert. of Coup. not funded —
Do. Ac .count
Swedish Provincial Mortgage Loan —
Do Government, 1861
Do do, 1868
Turkish 6 per Cent •i. .46, • -
Do Account
Do 6 pfq. Cent. 185fi —
Do Account
Do .£lOO Bonds —
Do G per Cent., 1862
Do. Account 69;
no £lOO Bonds 7ok
. _ __

DO. 5 percent. 1865
Do Account
Do 6 per Cent., 1865
Do. Account. I
D 1 per Cent., Guaranteed
Venezuela 3 per Cent.
Do 6 per Cent. 1364
Dividends on the above puyaule in Luarloi.
A.astrisu a per Cent. Ex 10 Florins
Belzian, 4i per cent., Ex. 251.
Dutch 2 per Cont. Ex. 12 Gail,.
Do. 4 per Cent. Certificates
French Rentes, 3 per Cent., .Ex. 251.
I Wien b per Cent. 1851, El.. 25f
Do Account s6i
CLOSING PRICES.
Jonsols, Money
xd
Do. Account, Jan. 6 ll2i id

FidENDLY SOCIETIES AND MEDICAL

FEES.

A singular agitation, which in its results is likely
to have an important influence on friendly societies
throughout the kingdom with respect to the medi-
cal fees paid for attendance on their members, has
just been brought to a conclusion at Preston. A
few weeks ago the gentlemen composing the Medi-
cal Society in that town resolved to raise the rate
of remuneration for attendance upon the members
of sick and friendly societies from 2s. to 3s. per
head per year. This resolution created an im-
mediate antagonism, and several meetings of
deputies from the various clubs have since been
held, whereat the proposed increased fee was
warmly discussed and resisted. It was stated that
many of the members, being in three or four
societies, paid as much as Gs. and Bs. per year to
doctors and that, taking the average, ss. 6d. per
year was paid, instead of 25., as had been repre-
sented by a writer in the Lancet. The desirability
of forming a " medical union" was discussed, and
at length agreed to ; but the members of the various
lodges of the Independent Order of Oddfellows,
Manchester Unity, numbering about 2,500, seceded
from the general body, and resolved to appoint their
own medical officer. The other friendly societies,
comprising the Druids of the Preston and Kirkham
districts, the Foresters, Ancient Shepherds, Free
Gardeners, Mechanics, Sons of Temperance, Pain-
ters, Joiners, Smiths, and Rechabites, numbering
altogether nearly 3,000 members, have gone a step
further and formed as " Amalgamated Friendly
Sicieties' Benevolent Dispensary," have taken
premises for a " medical hall " in the principal
street of the town, and have appointed their me-
dical officer and staff of attendants. On Tbursday
evening, also, the protno:ers of this " medical
union" issued their prospectus, from which it ap-
pears that any member of the above-mentioned
friendly societies will be entitled to first-class
medical treatment and proper nieclici:tes for him-
self and wife on payment of Id. per week ; wife
and child, Id. ; wife and three children, lid. ; wife
and five children, 2d. ; wife and seven children,
24d. ; and -id. per week per child more than seven
children and under 16 years of age. The general
public will also be admitted on payment of weekly
contributions id. each in excess of those above
specified. It is the intention of the union, if suc-
cessful, Of which there is no doubt among the in-em-
bers, to erect a " medical hall," and negotiations
have already been entered into fur the purchase of
a plot of land in the very centre of the town for
that purpose.

TfIE FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE.—There has been
a serious outbreak of foot and mout disease among the
stock of a Mr. Ilingston, of Kingsbridge, Deyon. The oc-
currence has caused much apprehension in the district, and
prompt measures have been taken to guard against the
spread of the disease. A fresh outbreak of this malady has
occurred in Dorset, three more farms being proclaimed by
the local authorities under the Contagious Diso:tses (Ani-

mall) Act. Mr. Strickland, cattle dealer of Wareham,
bought a few days ago a drove of Irish beasts at Thistol,
and they were taken to the Isle cf Purbeck. Symptoms
of the disease appeared, and the beasts were examined by
the county inspector, Mr. Norris, who found them to be
suffering severely. The whole drove of 50 aro affected.
NEWSPAPER STA3IPS.-- An Inland Revenue return
recently issued shows that in the financial year 1868-69
26,908,115 impressed newspaper stamps were issued for
newspapers intended for transmission by post, producing
a revenue of £115,988. Railways maintain a strong com-
petition for this traffic, and this source of revenue is
decreasing. In the year 1867-68 the number of impressed
stamps required was 27,892,769; in 1866-67, 27.863,572;
in 1865-66, 28,590,673. _

FLOODS.—The sudden melting of the snow on
the hills of North and East Yorkshire caused an overflow
of the whole of the North Ridi.ig rivers on Saturday.

Sheep have been drowned in the Rye. There was every
indication on Saturday night of a very high flood.
The remains of the late Mr. Thomas Creswick,
R.A., were to-day deposited in All Souls' Cemetery,
Kensal-green. The funeral was of the most unostenta-
tious character.
DISTRESSING ACCIDENT.—On Saturday, about
noon, a distressing accident occurred in Breck-road,
Liverdool. A crowd of children had collected to watch
the antics of a drunken man, when the horse in a farmer's
cart, which was standing while the driver was absent,
took fright and dashed through the crowd. No less than
eight little children were more or less seriously in-
jared, and in two cases it is feared that their injuries will

be fatal.
THE DISTRICT BANKRUPTCY COURTS.—In the
Birmingham Court on Friday, at the final sitting, Mr.
Motteram, of the Oxford Circuit, presented in the name of
the Bar, an address to Mr. Commissioner Sanders, who
has presided over the court for a period of 11 years. Mr.
Griffin also read an address on behalf of the solicitors.
The Commissioner expressed his sense of " pride and
pleasure at their appreciation of his poor services," and in
a fewgenial sentences bid the p.ofession" farewell."
Special Commissioner Wells, in his report, esti-
mates the whole expenses caused by the war down to
June 30, 1869, at $4,171,914,498. With contingent ex-
penses, Mr. Wells makes the total $9,000,000,000,
" enough, says the Evening Post, to build ninety Darien
ship Canals, or a hundred Pacific Railroads, or nine times
as much as would double track every railroad in the
United States." After giving the details, the Commis-
sioner continues :—" This was the cost of the destruction
of slavery—the cost of compromise—the cost of the un-
faithfulness of those who founded this nation to the idea
by which the nation lives. What does it measure ? It is
aubtantially a thousand millions a year for nine years; or,
at the wages of five hundred dollars a year, the labour of
two millions of men exerted continuously during the
whole of that period. It is five times as much as the slave
property of the country was ever worth. It is a sum
which, at interest, would yield to the end of time twice
as much as the annual slave product of the South in its
host estate."
The Juno, 6, screw corvette transport, Capt. E.
liardinge, has completed her outfit and coaling at
Portsmouth, and been berthed alongside the dock-
yard, pending orders for further service.
The Teazer, 4, composite-built screw gunvessol,
Commander Bloomfield, is nearly 'complete in the
repairs to her machinery at Portsmouth, and awaits
her final orders for sailing on a term of foreign ser-
vice. It is understood that she will proceed to
China, and make her passage out, via Alexandria,
through the Suez Canal.
The Crocodile, Indian relief screw troopship,
Capt. Watson, will embark at Portsmouth, on
Wednesday, draughts from various regiments to
join service companies in India, and sail on the 6th
for Malta and Alexandria.
The Himalaya, screw troopship, Captain S. B.
Piers, is under orders to embark at Portsmouth on
the Bth instant, and sail on the following day for
Alexandria, calling in at Queenstown, to take on
board the 17th Regiment, all the troops being for
India
by the overland route between Alexandria
tvuairdeialSinetu eb:'
Greenwich
ythe dea
thospital
Mr.p ejeastinoens oLf
alm2bserat,vebsars,
been awarded to Mr. John Giles, superannuated

boatswain.
The boys' training ship Boscawen, stationed at
Portland, Commander James Grant, and the
paddle steamer Dasher, stationed at the Channel
Islands, Commander Franklin, were paid out of
commission, pro forma, on Dec. 31, 1869, and re-
commissioned again with the same officers and crew
on New Year's. day.