The Sun.
London, England, 1858-02-11 00:00:00

CHINA..

L' rd JOHN RUSSELL gave notice that be
should, tc-morrow, on the motion of adjournment, ask
the }First Lord of the Treasury what instructions were
given to Lord Elgin previous to his departure for China.
What the terms were it was said the noble lord had
proposed to China, and if they had been refused.
ARMY ESTIMATES.
Sir J. RA MSDEN laid the army estimates on the
table of the house, which were ordered to be printed.

JOINT-STOCK BANKS.
Mr. HEADLAM moved for leave to introduCe a bill
to abolish the distinction between joint stock banks and
other joint stock companies, with reference to the liabi-
lity of their partners. The hen. and learned gentleman
reviewed the laws relative to banking, and his speech to
a great extent was a repetition of his former statements
on this question. Übe practical result of their legislation
on this sulject had teen that, during the late panic,
although all kinds of theories had been put forward with
respect to monetary affairs, he had not seen one sugges-
tion that we should retrace our steps, and again return
to the principle of unlimited liability in opposi-
ton to that of limited liability. The principle
that had worked so well with reference to
joint-stock companies rnlght with propriety be extended
to banks. He considered it unnecessary to send the
subject to a committee before legislating on it, because
all the facts in reference to it were patent to all, and
generally and generally admitted, elicited principally
under the partnership commission appointed about sin
years since. It was desirab'e that these banks should
publish their accounts, and the effect of his bill would
be not to place restrictions on these banks, but give
them facilities for conducting efficiently their business.
If his views had been adopted in 1848, we should not have
bad so mrny commercial disasters in 1857, and unless
they adopted them now they would be repealed in ano-
ther crisis in 1868. His sole object in pressing this bill
upon the house was the prevention of so many disasters
as had just occurred when another crisis happened,
which past experience showed them recurred at certain
intervals.
Mr. SLANEY seconded the motion.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said this
was the second time this subject bad been introduced to
the notice of the house this session by the hon. and
learned gentleman. Oa the first occasion the house re-
fused on a division to agree to the question, it being of
a specific nature. Now the boo. gentleman had changed
his mo ion, and asked lea►e only for the introduction of
the bill, which he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer)
would not oppose. The hen, and learned member did
not appear to make a proper distinction of hanks of issue
and banks of deposit. He thought the note-holder
should be deprived of unlimited liability, but with re-
gard to deposits it was different because with the
latter it was a matter of contract and it was the duty of
the depositor to use proper caution before
enterirg into it. The former might be said rit,t to have
much practical choice in holding notes of issue, from his
being called of.en to take country and other notes in
ayment from debtors, and be accepted them on the
faith that the credit of the bank was good.
Mr. BAXTER expressed his sat.staction at the con•
sent of the Government to the introduction of this bill.
Undue confidence and caution had been placed in these
banks, from the fact of the uelimited liability of the,
shareholders, which induced many of them to carry on
a larger busireas than their capital warranted. It had
greatly contributed to the distress of the late commer-
cial crisis.

Mr. HANKEY caid he considered the Chancellor of
the Exchequer had acceded to the principle of the bill.
After some further discussion, lea►e wai given t 9 in-
troduce the bill.

(Lsrr SITTING.)

SPURTING INTELLIGENCE.

DERBY SPRING MEETING.
Acceptances for the Midland Steeplechase.
three miles and a half.

About

Age tt lbi Aie et lb
Weatherelck a 11 7
Forest glean.— a 10 111 Nirlaulas
The C,:lonel
Old 1.).)g Tray ... a 10 5 Battle
The Huntsman... 5 10 0 Banjo
The Fux 6 9 13 Vestige
Westo❑
Whalt y
Toe Comet 6 9 7
Acceptances fur the H
Age at lb
Weathercock a 11 7
Knightof theSture a 10 10
The Band Bey
Teddealey
Z•gzig
Saws Culotte a 9 8
Little Yeoman
a 9 8

[rdle Race. Two mike.

' Age at lb
• 9 7
6
ga°desjtYer
Eirthstoppor 6 9 6
flea im or rails
St. Julian
Lady flercnier... 4 9 4
Eagletnere 4 9 4
.41autia4 ..

HEALTH Oft LONDON DURING TIM WEEK.

(Front Ott Report of :h. Registrar General.)
The total number of deaths in London, which in
the previous week was 1,363, was in the week that
ended last Saturday (Feb. 6), 1,314. In the 10
years 1848.57 the avenge Lumber of deaths in the
weeks corresponding with last week was 1,211, but
as the deaths of last week occurred iu an increased
population the a should be compared with the ave-
rage, when the latter has been raised in proportion
to the increase, in which case the comparison will
show that the mortality of last week approximated
very closely to that which former experience leads
to expect in the first week of February.
Of the 1,314 deaths in the present return, 1,303
are referred each to the fatal disease or injury with
sufficient distinctness to admit of arrangement
under the several heads in the nosological
list. The special diseases and orders of dis-
eases ate classified under liv,3 general heads—viz.,
the zymotic class, which was Lail last week in 241
cases, the corrected average of corresponding weeks
(in 1848-57) being 299 ; the constitutional, which
was fatal in 248 cases, while the average was 263 ;
the local, to which 622 deatt.s are placed, the ave-
rage being 557; the developmental fatal in 160 cases,
the average 155 ; and violence, which caused 32
deaths, the average 27. Measles, in. the first class,
carried off 57 children, and hooping-congh 51. With
these exceptions the deaths referred to zymot:c
complaints are comparatively few ; smallpox and
diarrhoea, for example, number only 3 and 8 respec-
tively, cholera none, typhus (with continued fever)
32, its average being 58. Hence the comparatively
favourable result, as shown above, under the head
of zyrnotic diseases. In the " boo Al" class of diseases
the case is reversed. Bronchitis, which belongs to
this class, carried off last week 228 persons, while
under the average mortality of the disease at this
period the number would have been 145; and it is
sue to tlle rrevalcnce of this disease that the wor-
t:4lD), from all causes is niaiut,,in d so near tLSe ave-
rage amount. It should be observed that bo,h
phthisis and pneumonia were rather less fatal than
life.h
ebirths of 910 boys aidn9
L3l2,Bn4gdBi
usual. Nine nonagenarians died last week, all of
whom were women except two; one was 91 years
of age, one 92, 4 were 95, one 96, one 97, and one 28.
The disease " dipthexia" is recorded in two in-
' stances, and it will be seen, unfortunately, iu the
notes, that three lives St ere lost from want •f the
necessaries
weekaiie
selt
rls,
inn Tat
The composition
ten 842
correspondingchildren,
of the
wliseelwrw:esaek
r9ts o
eB;r ibaf tsets d by thethe
metropolitan years nupplie
the average number was
ie
, month
waterhof(l
a January,
ounatrpya,naieswasfou:_nr
found by Dr. R.
D. ThAnson, of St. ThOlilAi,s follows Hospital, to be, aur-
tQUANTITY OF EITRANIOUOIATTRY IN MIRY GALLON

OF W ATEZ.

Companies.

Chelsea►
West Middlesex
Grand Junction
Lambeth'
Southwark
East London
Kent Company
Plumstead

Total Organic
Impurity. Impurity.
Gra. (Ira.
21. t 6 1.08
. 20.88 2.03
. 20.72 1.60
. 19.84 2.40
. 2L 28 .92
. 23.04 1.76
. 28.48 4,a-6
20.16 2.28

There are slight differences, it will be observed.
in the constitu ion of the waters from month to
month, as might be anticipated. Plumstead wa'er,
frc m the chalk, is most steady in its organic mat-
t,r, which appears to difftr from that of the other
waters in Icing incapable of I/el-ruination.

EAU INDIA COMPANY.—Yeeterday a Parliamentary
return was issued giving as estimate of the receipts and
disbursements of the Home Secretary of the East India
Company from the Ist of January to the 30th of April,
1858, and from the let of May, 1858, to the 30th of
April, 1859. The receipts between the let of January
and the 30th of April in the present year are se:error:collaof
te:l
at 5,156,0231, leaving a ba!ance over the disbar.
of 859,9581. The estimated recei.lptslBfrso9o:
stmh
out to
text MHy to the 30th of Aprils
ulal,laBnBc6e,oo2f67l:stBh7i,eoa6uBim. includAintog4niot eamtbtri:;:edarv.doer: etiaekirnell;
hill,
as 17,8` ski
20 Fs Ebb cis
or
01202411p1
ePcriOnt 7.4 t
clot
itisdosti