The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-20 00:00:00

THE

LONDON,

suifers such a ktate of things to remain as the Regis-
trar. General reports is at this moment existing in
Taylor's-place, William •street, Borough, we cannot
be entirely without apprehension. Mr. ELLIOTT, the
registrar of the district, thus describes the present
state of Tax lox's-place, in his remarks on the case of
a child who died there of scarlatina msligna :
" Taylor's-place comprises three small houses in a
yard, the entrance to which is in William-street, but
there is no thoroughfare. A boy aged 7 years,
brother of the deceased, died is the same house on the
2,1 August of remittent fever and pneumonia. The
statement of the mother, when giving information on
Friday regarding nuisances by which the occupiers
have repeatedly been annoyed, appeared so extraor-
dinary that I requested that it should be made in
writing, and have accordingly received the accom-
panying letter from her husband :

'•' About six or seven weeks ago a watercloset to our
yard was opened for the purpose, as was said, of making
a drain. It was found full; and ins,ead of being emp-
tied properly by a nightman, a considerable quantity of
the soil was removed in open day past our door, and de-
posited in a watercloset common to the three houses
composing Taylor's-place, in one of which I reside. A
few days afterwards a part of our yard was taken up,
and a further quantity of the soil deposited two or three
feet below the surface (in spite of remonstrance) and
covered over; and had not the police interfered, a much
larger quantity would have been laid there, although
opposite and within two or three yards of my win-
dow. On the sth of August, in a remarkably short
time, during the temporary absence of my wife, the
ground under my door was opened in search of a drain,
.ugh my son was at that time lying dead; but
on returning from my employment, tilicling the
place in such a s ate, I immediately filled it up. Twu
days afterwards it was opened again (as also a further
portion of the yard) and kept open, to no purpose, for
two days; when, through the interference of some one,
it was up. I have had the whole of my tour chil-
dren danger usly ill almost at the same time, and two
of them have died. My son was carried off two or
three se...elis ago, after an illness ut less than 24 hours;
his sister is lying dead, and the eiclubt boy is now ell. 1
firmly believe this calamity has happened inconsequence
or what I have stated above; and I should be glad, fur
.he sake of others, if some friend would take the trouble
of putting the case in train I'r
.inquiry. Since writing
the above I am informed that the naedical gentleman
who attended my children has confirmed my suspicion
regarding the true cause of thi it

I have visited the spot, and been informed that a woman
living in another house bus been ill ever since the occur-
r,,nce to which the statement ref•rs."

What shall we say of the vigilance of the Earl of
SHAFTESBURY and hi, Thard if they were ignorant of
the state of Taylor's-place ? What of that activity
and zealous attention to the performance of their du-
ties, of which the Noble Earl made such boast the
other day in the Hou-e of Peers, if, knowing the ex-
istence of this foul officina of pestilence, they supinely
suffered it to remain ? At all events here is such a
strong prima facie case against the Board as to render
it the duty of the Government to authoritatively call
upon them fur an explanation, and should that
explanation be unsatisfactory, or should the Board
continue its present do-nothing course, we hope the
Minister will infuse a little new blood into it by
placing at its head a thorough practical man of busi-
ness, who will enforce upon his colleagues the neces-
sity of reporting a great deal less and doing a great
deal more. It is time that the philanthropic talker
wade way for the active worker.

Some time since we directed the public attention
to the proceedings of the Bears of the Stock Ex
change with reference to railway property. Shares
in the moat eligible companies were depreask-d to little
more than one-half of their real value. Sinister ru-
wours were industriously circulated for the purpose
of terrifying bond
_fide holders, and inducing them to
send their stuck into the market to be disposed of at
any price that the not very tender consciences of the
ursine fraternity might deem it right to offer. Mean-
while persons, who were not perhaps the owners of a
single share, were selling thousands of pounds' worth
with the most reckless indifference as to the mode in
which they could perform their portions of the con •
tracts if their speculations should prove unprofitable,

and the purchasers should demand the actual de-
livery and transfer of the stock. They tru,ted, in
tact, to bringing the property still lower, and being
enabled to pocket considerable differences, utterly
careless of the ruin they might bring on many faint•
lies, who, if induced by fear or necessity to part with
their shares, would be deprived of at least half their
fortunes.

WEDNESDAY EVENING,

should have been realised, on account of the Exhibi-
tion and the extraordinary stimulus thereby afforded
to railway traffic; and if we only get 5f per cent.
now, how can we hope to maintain the same rate
when the Crystal Palace has been removed or con-
verted to another purpose ?" The answer to this is
equally simple. The Exhibition has unquestionably
increased the receipts largely, as will appear by the
next half•yearly accounts ; but a very small portion of
it-e-what in fact was realised in Jane (in May there
was nothing doing)—came into the present account,
and that was more than absorbed by the extraordinary
preparations that were rendered necessary, all of
which were charged against the revenue of the present
half•year, while their fruits are in course of realiza-
tion, and will be distributed in the spring. We be-
lieve we may safely assert that the last half•year's
revenue was rather injured than improved by the
opening of the Exhibition. This ground of objection
is, therefore, removed from under the feet of the ca-
villers. The dividend after the rate of 5f per cent.
per annum we regard as being fully as safe as the
dividends in the public funds, and indeed we shall
feel considerable disappointment if a gradual improve-
ment be not perceptible ere many years have elapsed.
We may say the same of the other great lines which
have maintained their usual rate of dividend ; we trust,
at all events, that any alarm which may have been
entertained by our readers will be allayed, and that
shareholders will not consent to make undue sacrifices
through any foolish and unwarranted timidity.

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

We have received the Paris journals of yesterday.
The Tours and Nantes Railway was opened wish
great ceremony on Sunday. The Minister of Public
Woiks was present, end in the course of his speech
apologised for the absence of the PUESIDENT of the
Republic.

Serious disturbances have t.ken place in Ardeche,
for which the celebration of the festivals of the
Church were made the occasion. The Prefect has
in consequence issued the following proclamation :
" INHABITANTS OF THE ARRONDISSEMENT OF LAR•

1 34 K

IN
5%
17 16%

AT

'ASS.