The Sun.
London, England, 1869-01-05 00:00:00

DEATH IN A POLICE CELL.

The death of a- woman who was carried on a
stretcher to the police-station, all but naked, and was
locked up, cold, wet, exhausted, and imperfectly clad,
a few days since, has called forth a communication
from Dr. Painter, for seven years surgeon to the
Bow-street police, in which he points out that the
great fault of the present system is, that for the,sake
of economy the surgeon is not sent for nearly so often
to the police-station as he ought to be; and that the
inspector or sergeant on duty is the sole judge as to
whether a given case requires a doctor, and is one of
intoxication, illness. bodily injury, or what not; and
this, although the 'discrimination between intoxica-
tion, apoplexy, starvation, fracture of the skull, or
some kinds of poisoning, is frequently so difficult as
to tax the skill of the most careful surgeon. When-
ever there is the very slightest suspicion of illness or
accident the surgeon should be sent for. Though
this is admitted to be the rule, as a matter of fact
it is not acted on to the extent it ought to be. The
writer remarks that the sad story upon which he
comments is not an isolated case. A few years since
a similar one came under his own notice, and from
that time, on his recommendation a general order was
given that every stretcher should be provided with
a woollen rug. It was further advised that at every
station a thick woollen coat and trousers, and a
similar kind of gown and petticoat, should be kept
for the use of such cases as the above ; also that
every station should have one cell with a wooden
floor, and no bench, where persons should be placed
who were likely to fall or roll off the bench. Also,
that all cells should be provided with pillows made of
some strong material, as it is most injurious to many
persons to lie or sleep on a level surface.
THE VACANCY IN EENFREWSHIRE.
The Daily Telegraph recommends the electors of
Renfrewshire to elect the Marquis of Hartington in
the place of the late Captain Speirs. We doubt if
this advice will be followed. Renfrewshire is rather
a Conservative constituency, and it was chiefly by
his large territorial possessions and personal popu-
larity that Captain Speirs succeeded in defeating the
old Conservative member in 1865.

ANOTHEIt MABBIAGE AMONG THE CAMPBELLS.
The Dul:e of Argyll, having just married his
daughter to the heir of the Percys, is about to
marry one of his sons to his ward. The North
British Daily Mail announces that " the marriage of
Lord Archibald Campbell, the son, and Miss
Callander, the ward of the Duke of Argyll, will take
place early in January, at Argyll Lodge." It seems
almost a pity that there was not a "double
wedding."

FOREIGN NOTES,
•
TLC appointment to the India Office seems to have given
general satisfaction in India. The new Ministry is strong
to statesmen who might be advantageously appointed to
rule our Eastern empire, and, as the Times of India re-
marks of the two most probable candidates, Mr. Bright and
the Duke of Argyll, India felt she would be well off with
either. Mr. Bright has long been looked upon as a future
Secretary of State for the great British possession, but hia
strong denunciation of the East India Company at Edin-
burgh diminished the hope of his appointment.
The great preparations which were made in Bombay for
the reception of Lord Mayo induced some of the Bengal
journals to regret that none of this excitement was caused
by the expected arrival of Lord Napier. The Abyssinian
expedition never gave rise to much enthusiasm in Bcmbay.
The return of the victorious army was scarcely noticed.
Certainly, if Lord Mayo deserved a demonstrative wel-
come, it ought not to have been wanting to the conqueror
of Theodore.
Sir John Lawrence having resolved to retain his position
until the last day of his term, Lord Mayo cannot take the
oaths of office until January 12. The Indian papers
regarded his recall as not improbable. "It cannot be
denied," says the Bombay Gazette, " that a strong feeling
prevails—wising, of course, from no personal dislike to
Lord Mayo, but from a conviction that he does not
possess the special qualifications which would fit him for
the high office to which he has been appointed—that the
new Ministry would be performing its duty if
even at this late moment it determined to send
out a more suitable man than the Conservative nominee."
The Pioneer observes that as the office is not vacant, and
as the nomination will rest with the Liberals, the recall of
Lord Mayo would be perfectly justifiable. But it recom-
mends that Mr. Disraeli's selection be confirmed, and
believes that such will be the course adopted.

The news from the famine•stricken districts is no better.
Troops are being withdrawn from all the provinces where
the food is required for the inhabitants ; but in some cases
this is attended with danger, for the starving natives are
already resorting to violent measures for procuring sub-
sistence.

An Lmerican, named Walker, who was required to take
the oath of allegiance to the Ring of Burmah, was beaten
and nearly murdered by the Burmese officials on his
refusal to do so. This outrage will give rise to some little
difficulty between Burmah and the United States.

The statement that the Russian authorities had imposea
a duty. of 50 per cent. on all British goods imported into
Central Asia is confirmed. This extraordinary regu-
lation has had a very unfavourable effect upon
the trade of Northern India, large orders have already
been cancelled. Throughout the etnpire it is looked upon
almost as an act of hostility, and the Indian journals
express, the hope that the Foreign Office will at once make
representations on the subject at St. Petersburg. It cer-
tainly is a barbarous and retrograde measure, such as sbe
civilised world has already refused to tolerate in the case
of China and Japan.

The news from Alfghanistan is much like that from
Paraguay. It is now ascertained that the "great battle"
between Shere Ali and Abdul Rahman was a concoction.
Shere Ali has the best of the situation, but no battle has
taken place.