The Sun.
London, England, 1832-02-16 00:00:00

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SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC ,ibUIINALS

We frankly convey to the public all the in-
telligence we have received, or have been able
to collect, on the all-engrosing 'subject of the
cholera now supposed to be in East London,
and shall as frankly communicate our ideas on
the subject. That there is a considerable in -
crease of severe disease, and of the tendency to
disease, from the causes which we have before
,nutnerated, in those most populous parts of
London respecting which apprehensions are en-
tertained, we have little doubt : but our OWn
persuasion is, that there is not that fearfully
contagious malady (of which we have read so
often) that desolated whole districts in India; at
least there is no satisfactory evidence—there is
no proof from the result—that any such disesae
has appeared on the banks of the Thames, or
even on those of the Tyne, from whence the
contagion is generally supposed to have been
conveyed to London. We therefore infer that
there is no reason for the degree of terror which
now oppresses a considerable portion of this vast
city. We may be thought by some to be acting
unwisely in making such a declaration ; bin
the promulgation of the truth is always the
best course, and it will not appear that
we are encouraging negligence or indifference
to the existing evil, and to the condition of our
fellow-creatures whom it is most likely to visit,
when we state that to a certain extent the same
measures which would be necessary to guard
against the spread of cholera are applicable and
requisite in the present case. We approve of
the cleansing of houses and streets—of attention
•0 the poor, and improvement of their condition.
far as they will co-operate voluntarily, and b.)
constraint when they are obstinately attached to
pernicious habits, for the corrupt are not now to
endanger their neighbours, as well as destroy
themselves ; but to any measure that shall con-
troul trade and commerce, and diminish the
means of general employment, we are decidedly
hostile, because we think such measure calcu-

ated to increase the evil, whatever it may he, and
to create as many deaths by starvation, or insuffi-
cient support, as could occur even from Indian
cholera if it existed. But it may be said that
our neighbours will abridge the employment of
our mechanics and labourers by cutting short
their intercouse with the port of London and
imposing onerous quarantine. To this we can
ugly answer, that they have a right to do so
if they please ; but we think they will act most
unwisely, even with respect to their own po-
pulation ; for they will introduce the tnalath
of starvation, which is much worse than ant
thing we have seen of what some have been
pleased to call cholera in this country. We per.
ceive, by the official returns from the whole
north of England and Scotland,—from New-
castle, Shields, Musselburgh, Edinburgh, Sze.—
that the total number of deaths by this imputed
disease of cholera has, during nearly four months,
among an immense population, amounted to
1,331 ! With how little ceremony or considera-
tion France has been known to declare war
against England, and England against France,
from the very first encounters of which wars tens
of thousands of children have been made orphans,
and wives widows ! Can it then be fearful for
France, or for any other foreign nation which
does not dread the loss of myriads in the state of
wars, to keep up the friendly commercial rela-
tions of peace with us, because thirteen hundred
patients—a less number than usually die in the
same extent of country in the same time—have
been known to die of a something which some-
body calls the cholera morbus? The idea is ab-
surd. Our journal contains the Bill which Go-
vernment have prepared for the prevention of the
disease. In the provisions of the Bill we agree,
but we cannot recede from the opinion before
given, that the real causes of the disease are po-
verty, bad living, insufficient clothing, dirty streets
and dwellings, united to occasional excess : and
that the cure which we hope to see speedily effected
will be found in the reverse of all these,—in
cleanliness and wholesome diet, and regular habits.
Among the documents oil which Government have
founded their Bill, which was last night passed
in the House of Commons, is a series of letters,
chiefly from the ministers of the infected parts,
or parts liable to infection. The rector of
Stepney, Dr. Barneby, writes that " when pro-
posals were made to his parish, at a town meet-
ing to raise the funds necessary for providing a
temporary hospital, &c., the proposals were ne-
gatived by a large majority !" and this result
of the meeting is printed, as we have printed it,
in italics, in the official document. If every per-
son constituting that majority should have a
severe attack of the cholera, it would really be
just retribution ; for undoubtedly great exertions
and great sacrifices are necessary on this occa-
sion, and those who will not take a part in alle-
viating the sufferings of their fellow-creatures are
unworthy to live amongst them. lii the House
of Commons last night Sir J. Malcolm gave an
account of the remedies for the supposed malady,
which, in the mouth of a less grave Member,
would appear a burlesque. Why will this
Gallant Officer talk away a well-earned and hard-
earned reputation ? We repeat our doubts of
the existence of India cholera, but we state,
without any doubt, that there is a degree of
miserable privation existing at present among the
poor classes in the metropolis, which demands
the asistance of every man who has any thing to
spare.—Times.
There will probably be little difference of opi-
nion throughout the country, as to the extent
and value of the Reform in the civil departments
of the navy, proposed by Sir James Graham
on Tuesday evening. It is unquestionable that
great extravagance must have existed somewhere,
because the civil division of the estimates has
hitherto absorbed so very large a proportion of
the whole sum voted by Parliament for the ser-
vice of the British navy. It is likewise manifest
that an extreme want of clearness and openness
must have been permitted, if not encouraged,
in one or more of those departments, which
ought to have been, if they were not, subordi-
nate to the Board of Admiralty, since it ap-
pears, according to Sir James Graham's state,
meet, that there was no possibility, until within
these last few months, of ascertaining the real
cost of any ship in the navy ! So studiously
adapted for concealment and deception were the
modes of calculation employed by
later rimes Board,—the sums charged for timber, iron,
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