The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-20 00:00:00

LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, AUGUST '2O , 1856.

THE NATIONAL S AVINGS-BANK ASSO
CIkT[ON (Limited). 50, King William-street, City, Lon •
don. Incorporated, partuant to " The Joint-Stock Compinies Act,
1856." Present Capital £lO,OOO, in 10,000 paid-up Slliemws of .£1
each ; to be increased to £lOO,OOO.

PATRONS AND HONORARY REFEREES.
Thirty Gentlemen of the highest monetary and social mtatus con-
nected with the City of London.
• TRUSTEES.
Henry Hall Dare, Esq., 90, Ebury-street .
Frederic Doulton, Esq., Lambeth, and Manor-hetne, Dulwich-cam.
mon,
John Willam Wihlamson, Esq., 8, Serie-street, Lincoln's-inn-fields
DIRECTORS.
J. W. Williamson, Esq., 8, Serle-street, Lincoln's-inn-fields, Chair-
man.
J. Bennett, Esq., 180, High-street, Boro', and Creswell-park, Black-
heath.
Samuel S. Benson, Eeq., F.S,A., 47, Cornhill, and Priory-lodge.
Lee, Blackheath.
Josiah Brown, Esq., 34, Gracechorch-street, and Lower Edmonton.
Henry Hall Dare, Esq., 90, Ebury-street.
Frederic Doulton, Esq., Lambeth, and Manor-house, Dulwich-com-
mon.
Rev. J. B. Hawkins, 8.A., 50, King William-street, City (Resident).
Edward James Oliver, Esq., Newington-causeway.
Thomas Riddell, Esq., 40, Gibson-square, Islington.
Matthew F. Vt'agstaffe, Esq., 10, Walcot-plaxe West, Kennington-
road.
Alaric A. Watts. F.sq., 12, Bridge-road, St. John's-wood.
Frederick John Wilson, Esq., 32, Cadogan-place.
Ammons.
C. L. Lawson, Esq., F.1.A., 14, Waterloo-place, Pall Mall.
William F. Pater, Esq., Mount-pleasant, Barnsbury.
G Noyes, Esq., M.D., 34, Finsbury-circus.
SuaoEoN. —Buxton Shillttoe, Esq , 34, Finsbury-circus.
SURVEYORS.
Messrs. Haslam and Buckland, 89, Cannon-street West.
William Rogers, Esq., 13a, Cannon-row, Westminster.
Sotacrroas,— Messrs. Brady and Son, 1, Staple-iun.
BANKERS.—The London Joint-Stock Bank,
This Association has been formed to consolidate and improve tie
Savings-Bank system; to offer better interest than has hitherto
been allowed; facilities for unlimited deposit ; moans of convenient
withdrawal, and perfect security to the Depodtor.
The unpopularity of the present system, its acknowledged inse-
curity to Depositors, expense of management, and low rate of in-
terest, are universally acknowledged: while in strong contrast arc
presented the advantages of the new system of the National Savings-
Association.

The proof of the necessity which exists for this Association wil,
be found in the fact that there are no less than 483 places, with
more than 3,000 inhabitants each, that have not a Savings-Bank ;
so partial in operation is the present system.
The Directors propose to supply this deficiency by the gradual
estab ishment of branches : also to keep at the Head Office a dupli
cate of every account in the country ; to strike the balance at the
Head Office every June and December, from the weekly returns of
the branches of the Association ; and to exhibit the numbers of each
pass-book, with the balance duo, as ascertained by such return.,
every June and December in each Branch Bank.- After July, 1867
they will cause returns of the Association, duly certified by the Audi-
tors, to be made ii January and July, and a copy to be sent to
every Shareholder.

The Directors expect that the National Savings-Bank Associa-
tion will be able to pay its shareholders a large dividend on all c.sh
paid up on shares.

Application for Shares may now be ad 'reaped to the Directors of
the National Savings-Bank Association (limited), 50, King William-
street, Ciry, London.

_
Gentlemen,—l request you will allot is me Shares in
the above undertaking—which, or any less number you may allot to
me, I will accept. Herewith I forward As. per share, and agree to
pay 15s. per share within one month after allotment.
I am, Gentlemen, your obedient Servant,
Name in fall
Address in full
Business or Profestioa ...• • • .....
Date of Application •• ..day

OITY OF LONDON SAYINGS-BANK,
NJ Branch No. I of the National Sav;ngs-Bank Association (Li-
mited). incorporated. 50, King William-street, City, London.
ON AND, AFTER THE IST SEPTEMBER, 1856, the City of London
SaYings-Bank will be open Daily from 10 to 4 o'clock; also on Tues-
days and Saturdays from 6 to 8 o'clock in the Evening.

Naval and Military Intelligence.

The following circular has been addressed to officers
commanding certain regiment, :
" Horse Guards, Aug. 18.
".Sfr,—The establishment of the regiment under your
command will7probably be shortly reduced to 57 serjeants,
21 drummers, and 1,000 rank and file. As the regiment
is now considerably above that establishment, I am de-
sired by his Royal Highness the General Commanding-in-
Chief to request that you will select from the whole pre-
sent strength of the corps the specified number of men,
being careful to retain none but such as are in every re-
spect able-bodied and effective seldiers, and not under the
prescribed standard of 5 feet 6 inches, if so many are avail-
able.

" 2. Should there be any very eligible young men, well
limbed and broad-chested, of 5 feet 5 inches, you may use
your discretion in retaining them.
"Having completed your battalion, you will cause a
strict me tical inspection to be made of the remainder, and
send to this department the usual discharge documents of
all such as are deemed unfit for the service, accompanied
by a nominal list, according to the form enclosed, and re-
port how many are left, in order to their beirr, permitted
to volunteer for other regiments, which will beb hereafter
notified to you.

" 4. If' there are any men of incorrigibly bad character
whom it may be desirable to discharge, and who, being
marked, will not be able to re-enlist, you will make a spe-
cial report of these cases for the decision of his Royal High-
ness the General Commanding-in-Chief.
Regiment, Number
Foot. of men.
"5. Tho regiments named in the sth ... 27
margin require the number of men 11th ... 110
against each to complete their esta- 22d ... 167
blishment. You will be pleased to 26th ... 125
report whether any of the descrip- 37th ... 73
tion mentioned in the latter part of 45th ... 59
the third paragraph of this letter are 50th ... 64
willing to volunteer for them ; and, 62d ... 43
if so, to forward nominal and descrip- 67th ... 146
tive returns of the men who come 69th ... 86
forward for each. 76th ... 107
Bith ... 62
99th ... 500
" G. Every man so volunteering will receive, on joining
his new corps, a bounty of one guinea.
"7. It is desirable to retain as many medalists as pos-
sible, and his Royal Highness trusts to your discretion in
this regard.

" W. F. FOSTER, D3puty.Adjutant-General."
Yesterday morning the depots of the 15th and 96th
Regiments, consisting of 300 officers and men in charge
of Major Armstrong, and 180 officers and men in charge
of Captain Whiteside, arrived at Southampton, em-
barked in the Government steamers Echo and Unmet,
and proceeded to Parkhurst Barracks, Isle of Wight.
The detachments are from Kilkenny and the Kildare
Camp, and left Liverpool on Monday at 3 o'clock, hav-
ing arrived by steamer from Ireland during the early
portion of that day.
A Tipperary paper states it is most pleasing to chro-
nicle that 68 brave men, who volunteered to fight under
the banner of the 18th Royal Irish previous to their de-
parture from Chatham for the Crimea, rejoined the left
wing of her Majesty's 94th Regiment on Tuesday at
Buttevant. Major Kirby opened the ranks, and as each
decorated file marched down they were enthusiastically
cheered by their old and young comrades. The men,
although sunburnt and weatherbeaten, with huge patri-
archal beards and moustaches, were in the enjoyment
of good health.

On Monday evening Vice-Admiral Sir George Sey-
mour, K.C.8., Commander-in-Chief at Portsmouth, en-
tertained the Sardinian and Dutch captains whose fri-
gates are at Spithead.
About 4 o'clock en Saturday an addition was made
to the number of ships-of-war in Cork harbour by the
arrival of the Algiers, Sl, 'Captain Codrington, with
troops from Balaklava. She had on board the 50th and
56th Regiments, to the number in all of 1,560 men, to
accommodate whom and afford stowage for baggage,
stores, 'Ste., her lower deck guns had been removed.
These regiments were the last of the British troops that
occupied the soil of the Crimea, and it was from the
possession of the 50th that the town of Balaklava was
rendered into the hands of the Russians. The men have
all a sunburnt and weatherbeaten appearence, snd a
large proportion .bear the Crimean decorations. On
Sunday the troops were conveyed to Cork by the river
steamers Arthur and Alice. As soon as the disembar-
cation of the troops was completed, about 5 o'clock, the
Algiers got up steam again, and left the harbour. The
four despatch gun-boats, Mohawk, Lapwing, Coquette,
and Surprise, also tookgsttihyheainr,departure. Their destina-
tion has not been made public,
Lieutenant Boileau, R.N., has arrived at his father's
Kingstown. He was First
's ship Queen, 116 guns, Capt.
Lieutenantmarin e reai d
oe
f n
heree , Bmaal liye
Stopford, which was paid off at. Portsmouth on Friday.
Lieut. Boileau was the officer alluded to by a correspon-
dent, who, on the night of the terrible hurricane in the
Black Sea in Nov., 1854, aided by his gallapt boat's
crew, made three successive trips to two disabled trans-
ports, and saved no fewer than 47 lives, with those of
their commanders, bringing all safe on board the Queen.
Capt. Mitchell, the then commanding officer of that fine
ship, immediately summoned all hands on the quarter.
deck, and publicly thanked Lieut. Boileau for his huma-
nity and bravery and excellent management of the ar-
duous duty intrusted to him.
The following appointments were made yesterday at
the Admiralty:—
Lieut. Henry Cardale to the Sanspareil ; Lieut. Wm.
Dawson to the Cambridge ; Lieut. N. C. Symons to
the Colossus ; Lieut. J. O. Kidd to the Scourge ; Lieut,
0. De B. Brock to the Waterloo ; Lieut. F. M. Pratteal
to the Excellent ; L. F. Jones, mate, to the Boscawen ;
John B. .kmies, clerk, to the Actaaon ; Oughton Tim-
perley, assistant-clerk, to the Medusa ; Richard F. Wily,
assistant-paymaster in charge, to the Tyne ; A. T. Pow.
lett, midshipman, to the Ariel ; E. H. Seymour, mid-
EB.eiCie.tßt, onbainvsra,camdiedts,hitpemtahne,
Brunswick.
tsohiptmheanli, tioghtlfileyeArr;ieEl
.;

pottery work
THE NEW SMOKE Act—The New SnagoikvieAcatre
wil
tniomt
et atkoe
ae
bffaetcet ut
bn tei
atot a 1,3 sete o f
GJI ns
au aarnyd, og parties
s.
now exempted are to come under the act of 1853, and
also steam vessels plying between London Bridge and
the Nore Light.
A CHILD CHOKED BY A PIECE OF POTATO.—yes.
terday Mr. W. Carter, the coroner, held an inquest at
the White Horse Tavern, Brixton-road, on the body oi
Wm. Jay, aged about three years. It appeared that on
Friday the deceased's grandmother was f,eding him
with some mashed potato, when she suddenly misse.
half a potato from her plate. Directly afterwards slat
heard the deceased make a noise as if he were choking
The poor child turned almost black in the face, and it
tongue protruded from its m,,uth. Mr. Peacock, a sur
geon, made an incision in the gullet for the purpose co
removing the obstruction, but unfortunately witbou'
effect, and the child shortly expired. There was. m
doubt the child seized the half of the potato front it.
grandmother's plate, and swallowed it unobserved.
Verdict—". Accidental Death,"

ADULTERATION f)F FOOD, the.

FINAL REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF, THE
HOUSE OF COMMONS.
The select committee appointed to inquire into the adul-
teration of food, drinks, and drugs, and who were em-
powered to report their observations, together with the
dinutes of evidence, from time to time to the house, have
nade further progress in the matters to them referred, and
have agreed to this their final report :
Your committee have inquired into the subject referred
, o them, and in the course of their investigation have ex-
mined a great number of witnesses, comprising men of
'sigh scientific attainments, as well as those whose practi-
al knowledge as dealers seemed to point them out as per-
ens likely to give useful information.
Among the scientific witnesses examined were Dr.
;lessen, well known by his able investigations of the sub-
;,icts of adulterations of food ; Mr. Warrington, chemical
perator to the .Apethecaries' Company; Dr. Normandy,
4r. Simon, and Dr. Letheby, the late and present officer,
f health in the City of London ; Dr. Thompson, professor
if chemistry at St. Thomas's Hospital ; Mr. Redwood, pro-
fessor of chemistry to the Pharmaceutical Society ; Mr.
iimmonds, author of a work on the commercial products
)f the vegetable kingdom ; Mr. Post ate, a surgeon and
chemical lecturer in Birmingham ; Mr. Phillips, chief
.flicer of the chemical department of the Board of Inland
Revenue ; Dr. Taylor, professor of medical jurisprudence
at Guy's Hospital ; Dr. Waller Lewis, medical officer to
the General Post-office ; Mr. Quekett, professor in the
Royal College of Surgeons; Mr. Thompson, an analytical
chemist; Mr. Blyth, lecturer on natural philosophy at St.
%fary's Hospital ; Dr. Challice, Mr. Wakley, coroner for
Middlesex; Mr. Jacob Bell, Dr. Carpenter, of University
College ; Dr. Moore Neligan, of Dublin; Dr. Richter, and
Dr. Bingley, professor at the Medical Institute of Sheffield.
Though the witnesses differed both as to the extent to
which adulteration is carried on, and as to its nature am
effects, your committee cannot avoid the conclusion that
adulteration widely prevails, though under circumstances
of very various character. As regards foreign products,
some arrive in this country in au adulterated condition,
while others are adulterated by the English dealer. Other
commodities, again, the produce of this country, arc
shown to be in an adulterated state when passing into the
hands of the dealers, while others undergo adulteration by
the dealers themselves.
Not only is the public health thus exposed to danger, and
pecuniary fraud committed on the whole community, but
the pubic morality is tainted, and the high commercial
character of this country seriously lowered, both at home
and in the eyes of foreign countries. Though, happily, ver,s
many refuse, under every temptation, to falsify the qualit3
of their wares, there are, unfortunately, largo nunpers,
who, though reluctantly practising deception, yield to the
pernicious contagion of example, or to the hard pressure of
competition forced upon them by their less scrupulous
neighbours.

Without entering into voluminous details of the evidence
taken, your committee would enumerate the leading arti-
cles which have been proved to bo more or less commonly
adulterated : these are, arrowroot, adulterated with potato
and other starches; bread with potatoes, plaster of Paris,
alum, and sulphate of copper; bottled fruits and vegetable,
with certain salts of copper; coffee with chicory, route,:
wheat, beans, and mangold wurtzol ; chicory with roasted
wheat, carrots, sawdust, and Venetian red; cocoa with
arrowroot, potato-flour, sugar, chicory, and some ferrugi-
nous rod earths; cayenne with ground rice, mustard husk,
Scc., coloured with red lead, Venetian red, and turmeric;
gin with grains of Paradise, sulphuric acid, and cayenne ;
lard with potato-flour, mutton suet, alum, carbonate of
soda, and caustic lime ; mustard with wheat flour and tip -
tueric ; marmalade with apples or turnips; porter anti
stout (though sent out in a pure state by the brewers) with
water, sugar, treacle, salt, alum, cocculus indicus, grains
of Paradise, nux vomica, and sulphuric acid; pickles and
preserves with salts of copper ; snuff with various chro-

mates, red lead, lime, and powdered glass ; tobacco with
water, sugar, rhubarb, and treacle; vinegar with water,
sugar, and sulphuric acid ; jalap with powdered wood;
opium with poppy capsules, wheat flour, powdered wood,
and sand ; scammony with wheat-flour, chalk, resin, and
sand ; confectionery with plaster of Paris and other simi-
lar ingredients, coloured with various pigments of a highly
poisonous nature; and acid drops, purporting to be com-
pounded of jargonelle pear, Ribstone pippin, lemon, &c.,
with essential oils, containing prussic acki_or other dan-
gerous ingredients.

The adulteration of drugs is extensively practised ; and
when it is borne in mind that the correctness of a medical
prescription rests on an assumed standard of strength and
purity in the drugs or compounds employed, and bow fre-
quently life itself depends upon the efficacy of the medi-
cines prescribed, it is difficult to exaggerate the evils aris
ing from this prevalent fraud.
The adulteration of drinks deserves also special notice,
because your committee cannot but conclude that the in-
toxication so deplorably prevalent is in many cases less due
to the natural properties of the drinks themselves than to
the admixture of narcotics or other noxious substances in-
tended to supply the properties lost by dilution.
Though adulterations prevail more or less in all districts,
it may bo assumed, as a rule, that the poorer the district
the greater is the amount of adulteration. Nor have the
poor the same power to protect themselves against such
frauds as their richer neighbours ; they are necessarily
limited to such means of purchase as are afforded by the
immediate locality in which they reside, and are, moreover,
too often bound to one dealer by the facilities of credit
which he affords them.

These adulterations may be classified under three heads,
those of which the object is to lower the price of the
article adulterated by the admixture of substances of a
cheaper kind ; those which are intended to improve the
appearance of the adulterated article, and thus in many
cases to deceive the public as to its quality; and those
which are practised for the purpose of simulating some pro-
perty injured or destroyed in the process of adulteration.
Adulterations in each of these classes are of two kinds—
those in which are employed substances of an innocuous
character, and those in which the mixtures are more or less
injurious to health, either directly bythe noxious properties
of the ingredients, or indirectly by lowering the nutritive
qualities of the article adulterated.
In dealing with these various adulterations it is neces-
sary to distinguish between the pecuniary fraud practised
on the public and the injury to public health. If, as
regards the adulteration of articles with substances of a
cheaper and innocuous character, the public derive the
full benefit of this cheapness in a lower price, it would be
difficult, if not unwise, for the Legislature to interfere,
unless it could do so by requiring that every such article
be sold as a mixture, as distinguished from the article
in its pure state. This the law already requires as to
the article of coffee, and also as to the article of bread,
which, unless made of wheat flour alone, must be dis-
tinctly marked with the letter M. But, whenever an ar-
ticle is so adulterated as to involve pecuniary fraud or in-
jury to health, it appears to your committee to be the duty
of the Legislature to provide some efficient remedy.
It has been objected that the best course will be to leave
the buyer to take care of himself. But there are many
adulterations which it is impossible for the buyer to detect.
Already the law takes note of frauds in weights and mea-
sures, of injuries likely to result to the public health from
the sale of unwholesome animal food, and indeed of many
adulterations, though in most cases only with a view to
fiscal considerations, and not to those of a moral or sani-
tary character.

It is said, too, that there are many frauds which legisla-
tion cannot reach or punish. But, on the other hand, it
would be difficult to tell the numberless frauds which le-
gislation may prevent.
Tho great difficulty of legislating on this subject lies in
putting an end to the liberty of fraud without affecting
the freedom of commerce.

With a view to form an opinion as to the best remedy for
this growing evil, your committee have obtained evidence
as to the law on adulterations in other countries, and es-
pecially in France, Belgium, Germany, and the 'United
States. In this object your committee have been materi-
ally assisted by returns procured through the kindness of
Lord Clarendon from some of our ministers at foreign
courts.

As to the present state of the law in this country, your
committee received much valuable information from Mr.
S. R. Goodman, the legal adviser to the justices of the City
of London.

The following is a brief statement of the laws of different
countries on the subject of adulterations.

In France, a law, bearing date the 27th March, 1851,
confirmed and extended the penal co.le to all adulterations
in "alimentary and medicinal substances." To this law
was added one of the sth flay, 1555, applicable to the
adulteration of drinks. Tho law of March, 1851, wa.
:'ounded upon two reports of a commission of inquiry,
bearing date the 24th Jan. and 25th Feb., 1851. The law
of May, 1855, was preceded by a like report made the
29th March, 1855.
The provisions 'of these laws Apply

Ist. To those who shall adulterate any alimentary cr me
icinal substances intended for sale.

2. To those who shall sell, or expose for sale, such sub-
stances, knowing them to be adulterated.

If the article adulterated contains substances injurious to
),ealth, the fine ranges from 50 to 590 francA, with impri
40nment from 3 months to 2 years ; these punishment
.eing applicable even i❑ cases where the adulteration i
mown to the buyer or consumer.

A penalty of 16 to 25 francs, and imprisonment from C
10 days, or one of these modes of punishment, accordin,

;0 circumstances, is imposed on those who, " withoutlegi
imate cause," shall have in their shops or warehouses any
uch adulterated articles. If the adulterator" article be iu-

furious to health the fine may be increased to 50 francsand
the imprisonment to 15 days.
The fine and imprisonment may be doubled if a delin-
quent has been previously convicted within 5 years of his
last offence.
The ainiterated articles shall be confiscated, and if inju-
rions to health destroyed.
The authorities may make public announcement of the
particulars of the offence by placard and advertisement.
A special " ordonnance de police," in Paris, applies to
the manufacture and sale of confectionery, and forbids the
use, for colouring, of all mineral matter, and all poisonous
vegetable matter. Confectioners are require;] to envelope
coloured confectionery in paper marked with their name
and address, and are made personally responsible for acci-
dents arising from the consumption of the articles they
sell. Confectioners' shops are to be visited, for the purpose
of seeing that they conform to these regulations. As an
additional precaution, the "Conseil de Salubrite" of the
city of Paris, a body consisting of eminent physicians,
chemists, and other persons, publishes a list of colouring
matters which may be employed by confectioners, with in-
structions as to the manner of mixing them, and a list of
the colouring matters, the use of which is exprelssly for-
bidden.
In Belgium, a law, bearing date the 17th March, 1856,
declares that all who shall have adulterated or caused to be
adulterated any articles of food or drink intended for sale
shall be liable to an imprisonment from eight days to one
year, and a fine from 50f. to 1,000 f., or to either punish-
ment alone.
The penalties are divided into two classes. The first
applies to persons who have adulterated, or caused to be
Adulterated, eatables, drinkable liquors, or any articles of
food intended to be offered for sale, the penalty being, as
already stated, from eight days to a year's imprisonment,
and a fine of from 50f. or I,ooof. In the same class are
included persons who shall knowingly sell, or expose for
sale, adulterated articles, or shall have given instructions
calculated to facilitate or lead to such adulteration.
The second class comprises persons who unintentionally
sell, or expose for sale, adulterated food,!_and!who are liable
only to simple police punishments.
The mere fact of knowingly keeping adulterated articles
of food intended for sale renders the person so offending
liable to imprisonment from a week to a year, and to a fine
of from 25f. to 500 f. When the punishment reaches six
months' imprisonment the court can withdraw the
"patente" (licence to trade) from the offender during the
whole period of his incarceration, which is equivalent to
preventing him from carrying on his business. A copy of
•le conviction is to be posted up at the door of the person
condemned, or inserted in such journals as the court may
letermine, at the expense of the culprit. All adulterated
articles of food in the possession of the delinquent are to
be confiscated.

I In Prussia the municipal law enacts that "no persons
shall knowingly sell or communicate to other persons for
their use articles of food or drink which possess properties
prejudicial to health, under a penalty of fine or bodily
punishment." Those who ai e found guilty of knowingly
selling victuals which are damaged or spoiled, or mixed
with deleterious additions, may be held incapable of car-
rying on the same branch of business. The articles may
be confiscated. Whosoever mixes articles of food with
Foreign substances for the purpose of increasing their weight
or bulk, or of deceiving purchasers as to their sinality, is
liable to be proceeded against for fraud. With regard to
drugs the law forbids their being dispensed by any other
persons than apothecaries legally appointed.
In Hamburg adulterations of food are the subject of
nolice regulations, involving fine and imprisonment.
In Lubeck such adulterations are treated as acts of fraud,
and dealt with by police authority. The grinding of
blighted corn with good corn is prohibited.

In Holland, by a law of the 22d May, 1329, any person
tdulterating bread or flour, or any article of food or drink,
with any poisonous matter, is liable to an imprisonment of
from two to five years, and a fine of from 200 to 500 florins,
And to the revocation of hie " patents" during his impri-
sonment. The same penalties apply to those who know-
ingly sell such adulterated articles, and to those who
4upply the forbidden ingredient, knowing the purpose for
which it is to be need. A. less severe punishment is in-
flicted on those who adulterate articles of food or drink
with ingredients not poisonous, but injurious to health, as
well as on those who offer them for sale. To the other
penalties are added the publication of the names of the
offenders, and the confiscation of the adulterated goods.
In Spain, the law, besides authorising the inspection of
drugs at the custom-house, permits the dispensing of drugs
only by apothecaries legally appointed, and absolutely for-
bids the sale of secret medicines.

In the United States special laws have been passed " to
prevent the importation of adulterated and spurious drugs
4nd medicines." By these it is enacted that all drugs and
. medicines shall, before passing the custom-house, be exa-
mined and appraised, as well in reference to their quality
and purity as to their value. All medicinal preparations
are to have the name of the manufacturer affixed to each
parcel. Adulterated or deteriorated drugs and medicines
are not to be allowed to pass the custom-house ; but the
owner or consignee has the right of calling for re-exami-
nation, or further analysis, if dissatisfied with the exami-
ner's return. The Secretary of the Treasury is to appoint
suitably-qualified persons, at each of the ports of New
York, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Charleston, and
New Orleans, as special examiners of drugs and Enefli-
eines. A Treasury minute prescribes the manner of carry-
ing out the act, and gives a list of the principal articles,
with the result of special tests agreeing with the standards
referred to in the law ; and all articles are entitled to entry
when ascertained by analysis to conform to those standards.
Patent and secret medicines are subject to the same exa-
mination and disposition after examination as other medi-
cal preparations, and are not permitted to pass the cus-
tom-house unless the examiner be satisfied that they are
fit and safe to be used for medicinal purposes.
In the state of New York the law expressly forbids adul-
teration of flour, hops, and spirits. Any one knowingly
offering for sale flour mixed with Indian meal, or with any
other mixture, or with unsound flour, is liable to a penalty
of 5 dols, for every cask. Any one mixing with hops any
rereign or improper substances, or in any manner athilter-
sting their quality, is deemed guilty of misdemeanour, and
punishable by Eno or imprisonment, or both. Any one
adulterating spirits with any poiso3ous substance, or sub-
stance injurious to health, or any ono selling sach spirits,
knowing them to be adulterated, is deemed guilty of misde-
:neanour, and punishable by fine or imprisonment or both,
the fine in no case to exceed 1,000 dole., and the imprison-
ment in no case to exceed four years. The law also pro-
vides against the adulteration of oils, against the deceptive
packing of hay, and even against frauds in linens and other
goods containing fewer yards of measurement than are
marked upon them.
I❑ England the law affords redress to consumers in cases
of adulteration by action, if the injury be individual in its
character; by indictment, if the injury be general ; by
summary charge before a magistrate ; and by proceedings
instituted by the Excise. The process of action or indict-
ment is at once too costly and too cumbrous for general
adoption. That by summary charge before a magistrate,
as well as that originating with the Excise, applies only
to a few special articles which are named in particular
acts, or which are subject to tho supervision, for fiscal
purposes, of the Board of Inland Revenue ; but your com-
mittee are of opinion that it would be most desirable that,
in all cases of the sale of an adulterated or fictitious ar-

tide, a cheap and easy remedy, by summary charge before
a magistrate, should be afforded to the person upun whom
the fraud had been practised, and they would strongly re-
commend the propriety of such a change in the present
law on this subject as would effect this object.
Your committee desire specially to call attention to the
provisions of the Bread Act, Gth and 7th Wm. IV., c. 37.
Sect. 2 provides that bread may be made of wheat flour,
barley, rye, oats, buckwheat, Indian corn, peas, beans,
rice, or potatoes, with any common salt, pure water, eggs,
milk, harm, leaven, potato, or other yeast, and with no
other ingredients, subject to certain regulations. Any
mixture besides those allowed in Sect. 2 involves a penalty
of 101., or not less than 51., or in default an imprisonment
not exceeding six months, with or without hard labour;
and if the magistrate think fit, publicity of the offence by
advertisement. Any one mixing with the corn, meal, or
flour auy ingredient not the genuine produce of the corn
or grain ; or any one selling, or offering for sale, separately
or mixed, any meal or flour of ono sort of grain, as the
meal or flour of any other sort, or any ingredient mixed
with the meal or flour so sold, is liable to a penalty of 201.
and not less than Si. All bread made with mixed meal or
flour must be marked with a Roman M ; the penalty for

neglecting this provision being a fine not exceeding 103.
for every pound weight of bread not so marked. Magis-
trates or peace officers by their warrants, may search pre-
mises, and seize any adulterated flour or breed, and search
for any forbidden ingredient. The penalty, if ingredient.:
for adulteration are found, is 121. or not less than Ms. fur
the first offence, 5/. for the second, and 101. for every Sal).
iequent offence, or, in default, six mouths' imprisonment

sith publicity as to the names of offenders. Tho act als,
provides for an appeal to quarter sessior.s, and declare
hat no person shall be convicted unless c,noplaint is made
within 48 hours after the offence, or within such reason-
,ble time as to the justices may seem fit.
Your committee have given the provisions of the Bread
\ct in some dot.til, because it seems to them to comprise
!such that may be useful in framing a measure applicablf
.0 adulterations generally.

It is impossible to frame any enactment on this subjec
vhicli shall rely on strict definition. The object of the law

:4 to strike at fraud, and wherever a fradulent intentio

,19,n be proved, there to inflict a penalty. kVlant eonsti
Lutes fraud must be left to the interpl.etatiou of the ad

ininistrators of tho law. Thus mixtures of an ionocuout,