The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-29 00:00:00

CASE OF MRS. SHUT TLEWORTH

We have received a letter from Dr. Quail, in which
that gentleman most indignantly and most emphatically
denies the statement of the Rev. Mr. Rowlett, as
quoted by Dr. Millingen in his letter, that Mrs. Shut-
tleworth was " covered with ulcers and vermin" when
that Reverend Gentleman called upon her. He also de-
nies, in strong and indignant language, the truth of the
statement made by the Rev. Mr. Rowlett in his affidavit,
that " Mrs. Shuttleworth was, at the time of her arrest,
accompanied by a medical man whom she feared;" and
states, as a proof to the contrary, that Mrs. Shuttle-
worth, as soon as she became aware of the intention of
certain persons to incarcerate her in a madhouse, com-
manded him (Dr. Quail), in the presence of a third
party, to take her beyond the jurisdiction of England,
in order to secure to her the enjoyment of her personal
liberty. Dr. Quail denies the truth of the statements
made in -the certificates of the "skilful persons," and
declares that he could not get a copy of those certificates
either from the keeper of the asylum or from the
Lunacy Commissioners, nor did he know what the alle-
gations contained in them were until they were read
in Court by Sir John Bayley, when it was too
late to reply to them. He more particularly denies the
allegation that the unfortunate lady was " dirty and in-
decent." The assertion of Dr. Millingen, that the ap-
plication for a habeas was not made at the request of, or
by the authority cf, the patient, is flatly contradicted by
Dr. Quail. He states that on the day of Mrs. Shuttle-
worth's arrest he reached Dr. Millingen's asylum, on
foot, about an hour after Mrs. Shuttleworth had arrived
there, on which occasion he had an opportunity of
speaking with Mrs. Shuttleworth, when she requested
him to use every effort to effect her deliverance. We
do not publish Dr. Quail's letter in extenso, because it
alludes to certain matters which will probably, ere long,
form the subject of Parliamentary or of judicial inves-
tigation, and so long as there is a chance of such inves-
tigatio-n--being instituted it would be unfair to attempt to
create a prejudice by exparte statements.

TO THE RIGHT HON. LORD JOHN
RUSSELL, M.P.
LETTER IV.

My Lord,—ln calculating the advantages which Ire-
land would receive from the adoption of swell-considered
plan for the reclamation of waste lands, it is necessary
to take an average of the size which it would be desirable
to assign to each firm ; the actual size is a question of
secondary importance, for even in Great Britain the
most profitable size of farms is an open question. In
reclaiming land here I preferred, and I have yet seen no
reason to alter my opinion, to have them about 250 acres
in extent, with a few of 50 acres, and the latter chiefly
as an inducement to the honest and industrious labourer
to look forward to the time when he may become a
farmer himself. Say that the 3,000,000 acres of waste
land were to be divided into farms of about 250 acres,
with one in ten of 50 acres ; there would be scattered
over Ireland above 12,000 individuals of intelligence, of
enterprise, and of skill, giving employment, reckoning
only four to each 100 acres (and more could be profitably
employed in the reclamation of waste land), to above
120,000 heads of families, exercising a moral and social
influence which no one is able to appreciate better than
your Lordship, and benefiting the public revenue to an
extent which it would exercise the ingenuity of your
Chancellor of the Exchequer fairly to appreciate.
If it should he said all this is.doubtless most desirable,
but it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to be ac-
complished, my answer is the statement of the fact that
I, a very humble individual, have efft cted a similar object,
and carried the reclamation of waste land here to such
an extent that it has been considered worthy of notice
by the Edinb;irrili Review ; vet I have experienced
obstacles with the view of dete-rring me from proceeding
which assuredly would never be offered to those under-
taking similar work under Government auspices. An
improver in New Z:uland would undoubtedly be sub-
jected to a more daegerous opposition, but hardly to a
more constant one than I met with for the first half-
dozen years from the idleness of the sheepfarmer, seeing
his occupation departing—the ignorance of the factor,
fearful of detection, and the apathy or worse motive of
the trustee, certain that such changes must increase his
troub e. The narrative of this opposition would excite
much laughter, and will be published at the proper time;
this, however, is not the place, and it is only now
alluded to for the purpose of impressing upon your Lord-
ship's mind the fact that Government would have a much
easier task than that which has been accomplished by
an individual.

The last question is, what amount of exp?nditure
should be calculated upon to carry out my plan
with sufficient energy to be beneficial in the profitable
employment of the Irish labourer, for this is the para-
mount consideration. The expense of reclaiming waste
land here is rather above than below 101. an acre, and I
have already furnished your Lordship with an exact
detailed account of the items forming this expenditure.
It would not, I think, be prudent to calculate upon a
lower average expenditure for Ireland, and the total
sum which Government would require would of course
depend upon the amount of assistance which the present
landlords would require, and also the amount of assist-
ance which would be required by those who purchased
the land which Government had bought under the Act
of Parliament, and also it would depend upon the period
when the money advanced by Government would be
returned.

Taking all these circumstances into consideration, and
that the reclamation of 3,000,000 acres of waste land
would cost about 101. an acre, or 30,000,0001., I think
that one-third of that amount, or 10,000,0001., would be
sufficient on the one ham!, and on the other that Govern-
ment ought not to calculate upon a lass outlay. It
would, however, only be a loan, and a loan upon the very
best security, for my principle is that not an acre should
be touched which could not be reclaimed with profit,
and the Commissioner who recommended the reclamation 1
of any land .which entailed a los3 would be deprived of
his situation, as having proved himself incompetent to
the task.

I must now leave the subject, confident that in your
Lordship's hands the best path will be pursued, although
apparently more difficult in the outset. I greatly fear,
that unless measures of energy are taken with respect to
the waste lands, the winter of 1846-1847 will be as
fearful as the present. I have recently read Mr. Shar-
man Crawford's letter to your Lordship, and am indeed
well pleased that there is not a single sentence in it
militating against the principle of the plan I have pro-
posed—on the contrary, we agree in the most important
points, that the landlords in Ireland are primary liable
for the support of the population bred upon their land,
and that in consequence of the extraordinary pressure
now existing, Great Britain is bound to assist—mind only
assist—the landlords in getting into a better state. If
such sentiments were entertained throughout Ireland,
your Lordship's duty would be far more easy than it is
likely to be, fur another landlord seriously proposes to
locate .50,00 families upon the waste lands in Ireland, a
plan which might possibly suit individual proprietors
who are desirous of clearing their land, but it would not
minister to the comforts of the people so located, while
it would be the certain parent of future evil.
I have the honour to remain, your Lordship's very
obedient and faithful servant,

To the Right Hon. RIGBY WASON. Lord John Russell, M.P.

SLAVERY IN BRAZIL.
Previous to my arrival in Brazil, I had been led to
believe, from the reports that had been published in Eng-
land, that the condition of the slave in that country was
the most wretched that could be conceived; and the ac-
counts whi,:h I heard when I landed—from individuals
whom I now find to have been little informed on the
point—tended to confirm that belief. A few years' resi-
dence in the country, during which I saw more than has
fallen to the lot of most Europeans, has led me to alter
very materially those early impressions. lam no advo-
cate for the continuance of slavery; on the contrary, I
should rejoice to see it swept off from the face of the earth :
but I will never listen to those who represent the Bra-
zilian slaveholder to be a cruel monster. My experience
among them has been very great, and but very few wan-
ton acts of cruelty have come under my own observation.
The very temperamenisof the Brazilian is adverse to its
general occurrence. They are of a slow and indolent
habit, which causes much to be overlooked in a slhve
that by people of a more active and ardent disposition
would be severely punished. Europeans, who have this
latter peculiarity more strongly inherent in them, are
known to be not only the hardest of taskmasters, but the
most severe punishers of the faults of their slaves. * *
On most of the plantations the slaves are well attended to,
and appear to be very happy; indeed, it is a characteris-
tic of the negro, resulting no doubt from his careless
disposition, that he very soon gets reconciled to his con-
dition. I have conversed with slaves in all parts of the
country, and have met with but very few who expressed
any regret at having been taken from their own country,
or a desire to return to it. On some of the large estates
at which I have resided for short periods, the number of
slaves often amounted to three or four hundred; and but
for my previous knowledge of their being such, I could
never have found out from my own observations that they
were slaves. I saw a set of contented and well-condi-
tioned labourers turning out from their little huts, often
surrounded by a small garden, and proceeding to their
respective daily occupations; from which they returned
in the evening, but not broken and bent down with the
severity of their tasks. The condition of the domestic
slave is perhaps even better than that of the others; his,
labour is but light, and he is certainly better fed and
clothed. I have almost universally found the Brazilian
ladies kind both to their male and female domestic slaves;
this is particularly the case when the latter have acted
as nurses. On estates where there has been no medical
altendant, I have often found the lady of the proprietor
atttending to the sick in the hospital herself.—Gardner's
Travels in

A SHOWER or WHITE FLIES.—On Sunday, thef
sth eh, a most singular fact attracted the observation
of some of the inhabitants of the eastern' road settle-
mentse. About three o'clock P.M., a shower of small
whit fle -
s came drifting along, borne along on a gentle
fromibreezethe north west. For upwards of an hour
wand r
dal
yhdailrfeteht
in tc:seoycontinued to float onward in a south-
dual had the curiosity
a certain point, where an indivi-
rt
only
the extraordinary flight.
So that if they travelled
at the slow rate of four
miles per hour, they must Or
are-reached a distance of six
miles in a
width, the w linealriter had noncem e Bow far they extended in
but as far
®sphere presented an ap-
as the eye could reach, the atme:fhiudging;
pearance similar to what it does P.
squall.—Ralifax Post. "nag a violent snow
Gazette of the 18th instant an-
The Au.4urgh
nounces that the three Powers propose to address a new
note, in justification of their proceedings, to the Cabinets
tmonti
of Paris and London, in the course of the pre'
and to publish it, subsequently, in the public journals.
The same paper adds that, on the 15th instant, the
Russian and Prussian military posts were removed from
Cracow.

COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS'
SCHOOLS.

The first quarterly General Court of the governors
of this invaluable institution was held yesterday, at the
London Tavern, for the purpose of appointing patrons,
patronesses, a president, vice-president, and other
officers for conducting the society for the ensuing year.
Mr. Alderman Sidney took the chair shortly before one
o'clock, at which hour there was a goodly array of the
members of the institution.

Mr. Alderman SIDNEY, on taking the chair, said that
they were assembled for the purpose of passing certain
resolutions, and he hoped that from that day they
would be in a position to open this most excellent and
invaluakle institution, which had the promise of great
usefulness to a very large, influential, and
deserving class of individuals the commercial
travellers of the United Kingdom—in its full
integrity.—(Cheers.) He must confess at the outset
that he had not come there prepared to take the chair.
He had expected that his valuable friend Mr. Master-
man would have occupied that office, and he had only
attended there to support him in this great work of
charity and benevolence.—(Hear, hear.) He regretted
that ill health would prevent Mr. Masterman
from attending. He had, however, received a letter
from that gentleman which he would read to the meet-
ing, as it stated his views of the society much better
than he (Mr. Alderman Sidney) could do.—(Hear.)
" Nicholas-lane, 28th Dec, 1846.

" Dear Sidney,—l do not feel bold to attend the meet-
ing to-day, for fear of increasing my cold, and will,
therefore, be obliged to your making my apologies.
" You do not much enlighten one about the proper
amount for me to subscribe.

"It has occurred to me that 50 guineas would be the
proper sum. If you approve thereof, you may put
down my name for the same.
" Yours, very truly,
"JOHN MASTERMAN."

" P.S. It appears to me, upon consideration, that my
presence at this first meeting is better avoided, as I find
no record of the 'appointment of a president, and I pre-
sume could not be done before the first quarterly
meeting."
—(Cheers.) He (Mr. Alderman Sidney) quite agreed
with the statements in that letter, that he had not much
enlightened Mr. Masterman upon the proper amount he
ought to subscribe, and he had not done so, became he
thought that gentleman much better qualified than him-
self to say the sum he irtended to give, and he was sure
that all who knew Mr. Masterman's generosity, both as
a private and public man, would say that he was right in
the course he had pursued.—(Cheers.) He would there-
fore announce to the meeting, that Mr. Masterman had
liberally subscribed to the institution 50 guineas.—
(Great cheering.) Having said thus much, he was sure
that all present would pardon him if he detained
them a short time longer in expressing how much
he was gratified at the onward progress of this in-
teresting institution.—(Cheers.) During its short exist-
ence the donations and subscriptions to it amounted to
nearly 6,oool.—(Cheers.) Much, it was true, had still
to be done in the way of subscriptions annually, hut he
had no doubt, as the society became known, its useful.
ness would be acknowledged, its sphere of charity ex-
tended, and its benevolent objects appreciated by all
classes.—(Cheers.) He (Mr. Alderman Sidney) had
carefully attended to the rules and regulations that had
been adopted for the future management of the society,
and, in the main, he heartily approved of them.
He knew that the committee had given great attention

to them, but, at the same time, he could have wished

that in one respect only, and that was with referer.ce t')
the word "only" in one of their rules, that that word
had been omitted. The rule he referred to was one in
which the committee had thought it necessary to restrict
the benefits of the school to tile children of commercial

travellers only. Upon general grounds, he re-
gretted such a restriction, and would feel most
happy to see its objects opened and made
accessible to all, feeling confident that the society, by so
doing, would be conferring a benefit upon itself and
society also.—(Hear.) He made these observations in
no selfish spirit, neLker had he joined the society from
any selfish or interested motives.—(Cheers.) He was no
commercial traveller, nor did he employ any.—(Hear,
hear.) His only motive in joining it was because he was
convinced that it was calculated to do an abundance of
gold.—(Hear, hear, and cheers.) He trusted the
ob!ection he had pointed out would be g.et over
as-he felt sure that, upon reflection, commercial men
themselves would think it rather a disadvantage than
otherwise to confine the objects of the school to their
own body.—(Cheers.) The object of the present
meeting was, as had already been stated by their
Honorary Secretary, to elect a president, trustees, and
other officers, to conduct the affairs of the society for
the year ensuing. For that purpose, certain resolutions
had to be proposed and carried, and he would here call
upon Mr. Grocock to propose the first.
Mr. GROCOCR then moved that the election of John
Masterman, Esq,. M.P., as president of the institution,
be confirmed.—(Cheers.) He Was sure that all present
would heartily join in agreeing to this motion.—(Cheers.)
The urbanity and kindness of Mr. Masterman had en-
deared him to all who knew him, and his philanthropy
and charity were appreciated in the city of London.
Mr. Evatis seconded the motion, which

The CHAIRMAN declared to be carried unanimously.
Mr. ROBERTS then moved that 11. Teape, Esq., James
Peake, Esq., and Robert Clarke, Esq., be appointed the
three trustees of the institution. AU who knew those
gentlemen would agree with him that they would do
their duty conscientiously, and adopt every means in
their power to preserve and properly distribute the
funds of the institution.—(Cheers.)

Mr. CROWDER iceonded the motion.
Mr. JACKSON suggested that the annual appointment
of trustees would be found to work badly.
The CHAIRMAN then put the resolution, and declared
it to be carried unanimously.
. .

Mr. A. H. MoonE then moved that Mr. George Moore
should be the future treasurer of the institution.—
(Cheers.) That gentleman, together with their worthy
friends Mr. Cuffley, Mr. Carter, and Mr. Walsh, had
been one of the originators of this institution, which he
was happy to say was now emerging from the embryo
state in which it had hitherto been—(Cheers)—and it
might now be said to be in a working state to carry out
in full vigour the great and beneficial objects for which
it had been originally framed.—(Cheers.)
Mr. CUFFLEY seconded the motion. He was sure
that the society could never intrust the important office
of treasurer in better or more effective hands than Mr.
George Moore, a gentleman, he must say, who had ex-
erted himself to the utmost for the interest of the in-
stitution.—(Cheers.)

Tho CiriinmaN put the motion to the meeting, and
declared it to be carried unanimously.
On the motion of Mr. WALSH, seconded by Mr.
CUFFLEY, six gentlemen were appointed the auditors of
the institution for the ensuing year.
Mr. J. JONES proposed the re-election of Mr. Laurence
as honorary secretary for the ensuing year, after pay •
ing him a high compliment for the excellence of his
judgment and the devotion of his time and talent for the
benefit of the institution. He was sure that Mr.
Laurence would not only be an independent but a zea-
lous officer to the institution.—(Cheers.)
Mr. CARTER seconded the motion, which
The CHAIRMAN declared to be carried unanimously.
Mr. Gordon was unanimously re-elected the secretary
for the ensuing year, with a salary of 100 guineas.
Mr. TEA PE moved the appointment of thirty-six gen-
tlemen, among whom was the worthy Alderman who
presided, as a board of management for the ensuing ysar.
He hoped that they had that day laid the foundation of
an institution that would equal, if not exceed, anything
that the piety or the charity of their forefathers had es-
tablished.—(Cheers.)
The motion having been seconded, was declared by
The CHAIRMAN to be carried unanimously.
The CHAIRMAN, after complimenting the meeting and
the board of management that they had selected, and
stating that their duties would be most onerous, stated
that it was his intention next year to propose a resolu-
tion to do away with all restrictions as to tile objects of
the charity.—(Cries of "Hear, hear.") They had now
an institution for the children of commercial
travellers only. What, he would ask, was to become of
those of their principals, if they should turn out to be
unfortunate in commerce ?—(llear hear.)
Mr. Phillip, Mr. Robert Clarke, jun., Mr. George
Smith, and Mr. J. IL Cufiley, were then proposed, and
unanimously elected vice-presidents of the institution ;
Mr. Carter was also proposed as a vice-president, but
that gentleman having stated his wishes to remain in
the situation he then occupied, as one of the board of
management, at the suggestion of the chairman a unani-
mous vote of thanks was carried to him for his great
services in the cause of the institution.
It was stated by the Hon. Secretary that the amount
already subscribed was 6,3501. 10s. ; that the annual
income of the society was 4131., and that the school
would be in working order about next June. A vote
of thanks was then proposed to the Chairman, and car-
ried unanimously.
The CHAIRMAN in returning thanks, trusted that at the
next annual meeting they would see the institution in
full work, and that the first fruits of their exertions
would be then presented to the subscribers.—(Cheers.)
The meeting then broke up.

NORFOLK TURKEYS.—Between Monday and Wed-
nesday the number of packages of turkeys, &c., sent to
London by the mail and passenger trains was 1,890;
and by the goods trains, 502; total, 2,392. As many as
280 turkeys were in some packages, and the majority of
those packages weighed several hundred weight each.
Arrangements on an adequate scale were made at the
Shoreditch station for the delivery of this immense
number of Norfolk turkeys, so that they were nearly all
sent to their destinations immediately on sheir arrival in
town.—Norfolk Chronicle.
ALLEGED DEATLI FROM TILE EFFECTS OF SYRUP
OF COLTSFOOT.—On Thursday evening, an inquest uas
held before Mr. Baker, at the Red Lion, Bathy-strt et,
Commercial-road, East, on the body of William Price,
an infant only 14 days old, whose death was alleged to
have been caused by the improper administration of a
medicine called syrup of coltsfoot. Ellen Butler, ser-
vant at Mr. Price's, butcher, of No. 3, Duke-street, St.
George's-in-the-East, said the deceased was sickly from
the period of its birth, and subject to a cough. Ou
Saturday last, the witness advised her mistress to pur-
chase a pennyworth of the syrup of coltsfoot. She
went to Mr. Dyke, a chemist and druggist, and after
informing him of the nature of the child's complaint,
purchased about one tablespoonful of the medicine. On
reaching home, she gave the child half a teaspoonful of
the mixture. The infant appeared better, and went to
sleep, and continued in a very drowsy state the whole
of the following day (Sunday). On Monday morning
the child was crying, but afterwards went to sleep, and
died the tame afternoon. The coroner said that death
might have been caused by other means than the admin-
istration of an opiate. A child only a fortnight old,was
likely to die from various causes. He recommended the
Jury in this case to return a verdict of '° Natural death,"
which, after some opposition on the part of the jurors,
Was Weed to,