The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-02 00:00:00

ILLEGAL INTERMENT IN A CONTENT.

A questi on of local and general importance came
before the Derby Burial Board on Monday last. One
of the sisters of a oonvent situate in the town had
died, and was buried in a piece of ground at the
back of the premises. The interment being in direct
violation of the order of council, dated October 18,
1854, it was reported to the clerk of the board, and a
special meeting was called on the day mentioned, to
consider wha t proceedings should be taken in conse-
quence. The inquiry caused much interest, which was
heightened b.), its being known that two nuns had pre-
viously been buried without their deaths being regis-
tered. The fa ct of the interment was admitted by Mr.
Fearn, surgeon , who had attended the convent on be-
half of the Lad, Superior, who, however, pleaded ig-
norance of the li tw, and relied upon an implied consent
which she suppooed had been given by Dr. Sutherland,
the government inspector, that funerals might take
place at the back of the convent, though not in the
ground at the front of it, which had been previously used
for that purpose. The medical attendant also stated that
there had been rico attempt at concealment, the fu
neral taking place in open day, and that, as a piece
of ground was about being purchased as a burial-ground
for Roman Catholica, the senior priest would undertake
that the body should be removed within six months.
To this it was answered, that copies of the order of
council had been served upon the priests, and likewise
posted upon the premises at the convent ; that no
interments of any kind bad been sanctioned there by
the Government inspector ; on the contrary, 'he
having decidedly stated that they could not be allowed ;
that even if the lady superior were ignorant of the law,
the junior priest who officiated at the funeral could
not make such an excuse; and that as the law had been
admissibly infringed in three instances, it was reason-
able to suppose it had in others, which had not come to
the knowledge of the public, in a similar manner. At
the close of a long discussion it was decided by a majo-
rity of ten :—" That the clerk be directed to communi-
cate to the Secretary of State the fact that an interment
has taken place in the Roman Catholic convent
burial ground, Nottingham-road, contrary to the
order in council dated the 18th October, 1854, and
that the Secretary of State be required to institute an
inquiry into the circumstances of the case." The fol-
lowing amendment was rejected by a large majority :
"That the parties having been guilty of a breach of
the law by interring a body in the Roman Catholic con-
vent burial ground, be required to remove the body
from such burial ground within five months from this
date. Notice of tht) time such removal is to take place
to be given to the clerk of the board."

FRENCH SAYINGS BANKS.

-
Tl.• Moniteur contains a report from the Mini-
ster of Commerce and Agriculture to the Emperor,
from which we are able to take some further parti-
culars :
"On the 31st December in that year the number of
savings banks anthoiised in all France was 386, five of
which obtained authorisation in the course of the year ;
but 15 of them did not commence business, and three
which brought their operations to a close in 1848 did
not resume them ; so that the number actually existing
was 368. Of these the Government obtained returns of
their proceedings from 3E5, the remaining three not
having complied with its repeated requests to send in
theirs. Tile number of accounts (livrets) existing in the
said 365 banks, on the Ist of January, 1855, was
865,952 ; the new accounts opened in the year was
154,201 ; and there were received by transfer 7,575; so
that the total was 1,027,728. Of that amount 133,978
became closed by reimbursements to depositors ; so that
the number existing ou the 31st December last was
893,750, snowing an increase in the course of the year of
27,798. That augmentation was 9,250, or 6 per cent.
more than that which took place in 1854 ; and the ac-
counts paid off were 10,119, or 7 per cent. less. Divid-
ing the total number of accounts among the whole po-
pulation, it appears that there was 1 for every 40 souls ;
whereas in 1854 the proportion was 1 for every 41. The
total amount which the 365 savings banks owed to their
893,750 depositors was 401,265,154 f. ; and of that they
employed, partly in purchasing Rentes for them,
partly in making reimbursements to them, 129,032,611 f.
25c. ; they consequently owed on the 31st of De-
cember last 272,182,5421. 48c. In the former
item, the deposits made during the year are
9,255,243 f. 56c. ; and in the latter, the reim-
bursements, for 119,624,151 f. 66c. The former was
8,020, 2411. 40c., or about 7 per cent. more than in 1854;
and the latter 9,308,8101. 33c., or about 7 per cent.,
less. The total number of accounts, 893,750, and that
of the sum to depositors due, 272,182,542 f. 48c., were
thus divided :-673,775 of 500 f. and under, amounting
to the sum of 89,461,854185 c. ; 105,726 of from 501 f.
to 800 f., amounting to 65,545,348 f. 24c. ; 67,413 of
from 801 f. to 1,0001., amounting to 60,989,281 t. 71c. ;
37,213 of I,oolf. and upward, liable to reducti ,n within
three mouths, amounting to 38,363,617 f. 87c. ; and
9,623 of I,oolf, and upwards, exempted from reduction,
amounting to 17,822,439 f. 90c. Dividing the two great
totals, it appears that there were due on an average to
each depositor 304 f. 54c. Of the 154,201 new accounts
.Mated to have been opened in the course of the year,
48,808 were by workmen, 23,418 by domestic;, 7,675
by employes, 13,179 by soldiers and sailors, 32,928 by
persons of various occupations, 22,923 by miners, and
270 by mutual benefit societies. Lastly, the private
revenue of the banks for cApital, interest thereon, dona-
tions, legacies, subvention,, &c., was 8,443,107 f. 193.,
and the expenses of administration 1,143,0391 17c."