The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-17 00:00:00

ANDOVER UNION.

Mr. ETWALL moved the appointment of the Com-
mittee to inquire into the Andover union affair.—
Agreed to.
An HoN. MEMBER, whose name we could not learn,
presented a petition against the South Staffordshire
Railway.
Captain PECHELL moved that the petition against
the Chichester Railway Bill be refered to the Group
who had charge of that line.—Agreed to.
The other orders of the day were then disposed of,
and the House adjourned at twenty minutes past Oue
o'clock.

VITAL. STATISTICs.--Mr. Traice, in a lecture recently
delivered at the Westminster Literary and Scientific Insti-
tution, observed, in referring to various tables of mor-
tality exhibited, that as a general rule, the average age t.f
the gentry far exceeded that of mechanics and labourers, and
their families, perhaps by two-fifths; that, in some instances,
so great was the mortality, that more than half of a given
number of children born were dead before reaching their fifth
year: that while in some of the rural districts the
average age, at death, is among the labouring,
population thirty-three years, as in Wiltshire,
in Bethnal green it is narrowed to sixteen, and in
Liverpool to fifteen years. It was natural to inquire
whether any common evil or evils could be detected in
nniferm association with these respective results; and the
question was fully answered by the fact, that wherever it
was found that the duration of life is thus " curtailed of its
fair proportions," there are none, or very imperfect means,
of carrying otr impurities; water lies in stagnant pools
evolving iniasml; pure water is an article so scarce, that
cleanliness is utterly neglected, and the inhabitants are
crowded into close rooms in ill-constructed houses, and in
confined courts and narrow lanes, where the genial breeze
can never penetrate unpolluted.—The Builder.
MORGAN'S PATENT ENVELOPES.—WC have been much
pleased with the new patent envelope, invented by Mr
Morgan, which combines security with neatness and die.
patch. The envelope is ready sealed, and is secured by a
cemented dap, doubling over one end, over which the stamp
may be affixed, thus affording double security and doing
away with the trouble of sealing. They are perfectly secure
and save both time and trouble.

NIELANCGOLY OCCURRENCE AT HAVERING. The
village of Ilavering-atte-Bower was, on Sunday, the Ist
instant, the scene of a most lamentable occurrence, in the ac-
cidental death of a little girl in the parochial school, named
Emma Vale, who was shot by another child, only four years
of age. Some young men, instead of attending a place of
worship, had been violating the Sabbath by shooting small
lairds with a large pistol, which they left within reach,
loaded with a heavy charge of shot, when Vale returning
from school ran into a cottage to give part of an apple to
the other child, and the latter at the instant taking up the
pistol, it went off, arid the contents caused the death of the
deceased. An inquest was held on the 3d instant befo:'e
W. IL Clifton, Esq., coroner, who, in suitable terms, repri-
manded the young men to whose conduct the death of the
poor child is to be attributed, and the jury expressed them-
selves in the strongest terms of censure at the crimind
negligence evinced by them in the transaction.—Chelmsford
Chronicle.

ALLEGED INCENDIARY FIRE IN GRACECHURCH•
STALET.—Last evening, at half-past six o'clock, a jury of ninete( n
highly respectable inhabitants of the ward of Bishopsgate Within (cf
whom Mr. Deputy Stevens was foreman), were impannelled before
Mr. Payne, coroner for London, at the City of London Tavern,
Mishopsgate.strect, for the purpose of investigating the origin of a
fire which occurred on the premises of Mr. Robert Plant, hosier and
outfitter, No. 6, Gracechurzh-street, at au early hour on the morning
of Sunday last. The jury, after haring been sworn, proceeded. in
company with the coroner, to view the premises. On their return to
the inquest-room a great many witnesses were examined, but as it
was found impossible to close the case satisfactorily in one sitting,
an adjournment took place at a late hour till this day. Mr. Rush,
surveyor of the Globe Insurance Company, and Mr. Musson, of the
Suit Office, were present during the inquiry, both those offices being
concerned in the loss. The total amount of insurance effected on
the property is stated to amount to between 9,0001. and 3,0001. •