The Sun.
London, England, 1869-09-22 00:00:00

PAUPERIS.,II IN EAGLAND.

The twenty-first annual report of the Poor-law Board,
which has just been issued, contains some interesting
particulars of the amount of pauperism at present existing
in this country. In 1865-66 the expenditure for the relief
of the poor reached the enormous sum of £6,439,515, being
at the rate of Gs. lid. per head on the population;
in the following year the amount had risen to
£6,959,841, or 6s. 6/d. per head ; and in the
year 1867-68, £7,493,061 was expended, being at the rate
of 6s. 111 d. per head. The greatest increase was observable
in the Metropolis, where it multiplied 13.4 per cent. ;
the lowest was in Huntingdon, where the expenditure
only increased o'4 per cent. In the year 1834, when the
estimated population was 14,372,000, the total amount
expended in the relief of the poor was £6,317,255, or
Bs. 91d. per head; in 1868, with the population at 21,540,000,
the expenditure was, as before stated, £7,498,061, or 65.111 d.
per head, skewing a decrease of no less than ls. 10d. The
expenditure for all purposes in the year ending Lady Day
1868 shews an increase of 7.7 per cent. compared with the
preceding year. The charge distributed over the rateable
value of England and Wales amounted to ls. 6d. in the
pound in 1867-63, against ls. 51d. in the previous year.
The mean number of paupers of all classes last year was
992,640, as compared with 931,546 in 1866-67, showing an
increase of 6.6 per cent. It is a significant circumstance,
which deserves attention, that in the year ending Lady
Day 1868, an increase of expenditure of greater or less
amount has taken place in every county in England and
Wales. The Poor-law Board regrets to state that although
lince the period of the cotton distrez,s in Lancashire the
amount of the expenditure for poor relief in that county is
materially reduced, it is far from having returned to its
previous level. The number of persons vaccinated during
the year was 518,791, being an increase upon the previous
year of 22,079. The number of cases in which vacci-
nation has been successful is 513,011—an increase of
22,444. The births during the year in the several unions
and parishes were 771,905, being an increase of 5,270.

A. most brilliant auroral display is reported to have
been seen in Canada on the night of September 3.
Prince Kung telegraphs to Minister Burlingame,
asking him to intercede with the Peruvian Government in
behalf of the Chinese labourers in that country, who, it is
said, are badly treated.

The inquest into the circumstances attending the
melancholy accident on the river Lea has been held. A
verdict of Accidental Death was returned in each of the
three cases.

Mrs. Catharine Washington, who claimed to be
a relation of President Washington, died recently at her
residence in Delhi township, Ohio, aged 80 years. She was
born and married on the Washington estate, in Culpepper
county, Virginia.
_

NEW LIFEBOATS.—The National Lifeboat Institu-
tion has just forwarded five new lifeboats to the coasts of
Devon and Cornwall, and one to the Scotch coast. The
several stations are Salcombe, Sidmouth, Porthoustock,
lllevagissey, Port Isaac, and the Isle of Whithom.

A change is contemplated in American postage-
stamps. The heads of Washington, Jackson, Franklin, and
Jefferson are to be restored in place of the present designs,
to be represented as profile busts, each to represent the
various denominations. The stamps are to be larger than
those now in use, and oblong. The former colour—red—
will also be restored.

TirE LATE "limo', OF EXETER.—The funeral of
the late Bishop of Exeter will take place on Friday. In
two respects the arrangements will conform to the ex-
pressed wishes of the deceased prelate. He will be buried
at St. Mary's Church, by the side of his wife, and
the funeral will be marked by as little ostentation as
possible.

SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST A FARMER'S SONS.—
At the Lewes Petty Sessions, Robert Ellis, aged 19, and
Alfred Ellis, aged 15, the sons of a respectable farmer living
at Beddingham, were brought up on renru.id, charged
with committing an indecent assault upon Ellen
Steel, aged 18, a servant in the family. The
Court, after a sitting of six hours, committed
both prisoners for trial at the sessions, one on
the charge of assault with intent, &c., and the
other with aiding and abetting. Prisoners were admitted
to bail.

A wedding at Fort Smith, Ark., was interrupted
the other day, when the rector came to that portion of
die service which requires a vow of obedience on the part
of the bride. At that critical moment there resounded
through the church a most emphatic no from the lips of
the lady. The clergyman threw up his hands in dismay
and then cloned his book, and the excitement among the
spectators was intense. But one of the bridesmaids whis-
pered something in the ear of the bride; she gave the re-
quired pledge, and thereafter all went merry as a marriage
bell.

AN ACCOMPLISHED SCPIDE.—The following sin-
gular note was recently addressed by a candidate for the
post of chapel-keeper to the deacons of a Liverpool chapel:—
" Sir and Gentleman of Committe of Ros Plase Capel,—
I was here from a member that your gucle father publis
that there was want a Capel Ceper for new Braspitteraine
Capel in Clarance Street, and I offers myself for plase. I
was not be member, but was have it in my mind to offer
myself, and if I was get Capel I comes a member quick
sticks. I was not roared but was have a woman who is
member in my minds eye to marry er. I certifize that I
will kape the Capel awful clane—My professun is labor
and I was work sometimes for Plase let us
no as soon as you can as I was like to by fernish for new
hose. I was sit under gallery in Rose Plase, and I was to
be 29 ears in my life. I remene, Gentlemans, your umble
a ervan—."—Liverpool Albion.

The autumnal conference of the United Kingdom
Band of Hope Union was held on Monday at Bradford, and
was attended by a considerable number of delegates,
chiefly from Lancashire and Yorkshire. The Rev. J. P.
Chown, President of the Bradford Association, was
in the chair, and was supported by Archdeacon
Sandford and several other ministers. Papers were rend
followed by discussion, on the position and prospects pf the
aro ••u cps rer t ee'*l aka.
c..