The Sun.
London, England, 1859-11-25 00:00:00

by nearly 2,000,000 people, living much in aggre-
gated masses, but with families characteristically
distributed in 400,000 separate dwellings. The va-
rieties of the geological strata—the coal and iron of
the- earth—the plains and hills, feeding flocks of
sheep and horses—the rapid hill streams, and the
smooth waters easily made navigable far away into
the interior from the Humber—the position between
Lancashire and Germany—between Ireland and the
north of Europe—enabled a hardy intelligent race
of men not only to obtain all the ordinary products
of the English soil, but to found the chief manufac-
tories of woollen goods in the world. The men of the
West Riding became the clothiers of mankind; and
so intent were they on their work, that the
health of the workpeople was sacrificed, and the
race in a few generations must have degene-
rated. But a reaction set in; Lord Shaftesbury's
Bill, limiting the hours of children's labour was
first agitated at Bradford, and promoted actively by
some of the heads of the leading firms. The first
temperance society, it is said, was formed in this
centre. As substitutes for insalubrious processes,
exquisite pieces of mechanism not only card, but
comb the wool, spin it, weave it, dye it, and finally
convert the fleeces of England, with the fleeces of
Germany, and the finer wools of Australia, either
alone, or combined with cotton, silk, and alpaca, into
the finest textures, which vie in beauty and utility
with the furs of animals, or the gayer plumage of
bir4s. The wprkpeople are now in average town
health, and, through the incessant noises of machi-
nery, arc often heard, as the day declines, pleasant
voices singing the concerted songs of the Bradford
minstrels.

The mortality of Yorkshire, during the 10 years
1341-50, was at the rate of 25 in 1,000; so 6 in 1,000
died in excess of the deaths out of the same numbers
living in comparatively healthy districts ; and the
unnatural deaths in the 10 years amounted to
101,195. The loss of life in Yorkshire was un-
equally distributed ; in the North Riding the mor,
tality was at the rate of 19, in the East Riding
(with York) 24, and in the West Riding 23 fin
1,000. The climate of Yorkshire is not naturally
unhealthy ; in,;the Guisborough district the morta-
lity was at the low rate of 16 in 1,000, in Easing-
wold it was 17, in eight districts it was 18 ; upon
the other hand the mortality in the Hull district
was at the rate of 31 in,1,000, Sculcoates 23, Leeds
district 30, Hunslet (including parts'of the borough
of Leeds) 23 ; Bradford 25 in 1,000.
As Yorkshire chimneys do not yet consume their
own smoke it covers whole districts, and is neces-
sarily consumed by the people—its producers say
with medicinal effect, which may, however, well be
questioned. If we suppose for a moment all the
causes of mortality suddenly to become visible like
smoke over Yorkshire, then the disease particles
will be seen to hang densely over Hull, Sheffield,
Leeds, York, and their environs, less densely over
the southern and the eastern districts of the coast,
clearing as you ascend the rivers to their sources in
the moors, and almost disappearing over Easing-
wold and the Guisborough district by the side of
the sea and the waters of the Tees.
Bradford has commenced various works which
have .- already reduced the mortality; in the
fourteen years, 1841-54, the people of the
Bradford district died at the rate of 26 in 1.000 an-
nually, while the mortality during the three years
1855-57 has been nearly at the rate of 21 in 1,000.
Mr. Hudson, the town clerk, has shown at the meet-
ing of the National Association that a part of this
satisfactory result is fairly referable to sanitary
measures. The full water-supply, and the rapid
removal of the entire refuse of the town to the sur-
rounding land, are still on hand ; and, when these
salutary measures are achieved, and others that an
intelligent medical health officer will suggest, Brad-
ford will realize benefits which all the county will
desire to share. The race of Yorkshire men, in-
stead of degenerating, will then every year grow
finer, more vigorous, more intelligent, better.

WRECK OF THE ROY AL CHARTER.

Mr. John Vernon (of the firm of Vernon and Son,
iron ship builders, Liverpool), said, after the vessel
had performed her first voyage he was requested to
suggest the best form of stringer to.strengthen her
fore and aft. She was then lying in dock at Liver-
pool, in 1856, and a stringer was introduced be-
tween the lower and upper deck, covering all the
available space between those decks, leaving only
sufficient room to pass the rivets through. He never
saw so strong a stringer up to that time. N expense
was spared by Messrs. Gibbs, Bright, and Co. We
also introduced some breasthooks in the fore foot
of the ship, giving her additional strength at that
part. Floors were fixed to each frame as they
mounted upwards like a row of steps. If the old
iron had been defective the heads of the rivets would
have gone off, but nothing of the kind. took place,
and my impression is that the iron was of good
quality.
By Mr. Mansfield—l did not originally suggest
a stringer, but I suggested this stringer when it
was decided to put one in.

Ay Captain trarris—LThe upper works required
strengthening. Capt. Martin showed me through
the ship, and requested me to examine her. It was
considered that, in consequence of her great length,
she required additional strength in her upper
works. There appeared to be some weakness, but
he did not think it was occasioned by the weight of
her masts and rigging. He understood this was to
meet anything that might happen to, her, rather
than to remedy what had actually occurred. This
great stringer was Much larger than Lloyd's rules
direct.

By Mr. Mansfield—He considered that the Royal
Charter was a very strong ship: Of course, improve-
ments had been made since she was built, but at
that time a stronger ship could not be constructed.
Lloyds' rules were not always to be followed. By
those rules a short ship would be constructed of the
same strength as a long one, whereas it is well
known that greater strength is required in propor-
tion to the length. He would throw the strength
into the main body of the ship, and make her
lighter at the ends. In Oct., 1857, the fluke of the
anchor went through her bow, making a hole two
feet square. Both the plate and the angle iron had
.been subjected to great twisting in consequence of
the collision, and ha had then an opportunity of
seeing that the materials were of good quality. He
put in new plates and angle iron. Saw her on the
stocks when she was half-way launched at Sands-
croft ; he went over her, and she appeared to. be in
very good order then.

By Mr. Aspinall—Several large screw steamers
adopted similar stringers to the one I suggested for
the Royal Charter, but I have not seen any so
strong as tho one used in that vessel. Having
had many opportunities of judging, of the Royal
Charter, I should say she was a ship of very
great strength, but liable to straining, because of
her great length and fine ends. With the stringer
in I considered her to be a very strong ship.
By Mr. O'Dowd—Lloyds' have issued fresh rules
this year which supersede those of 1857. I think
they are still capable of very great improvement.
would build ships stronger at midships, and
lighter at the ends.
[The evidence was still proceeding when our re-
port closed.]

11.1?. STOCQUELE.R AND THE LATE
SALE OF .AILIIY COMMISSIONS.

At the Maidstone Insolvent Court on Wednes-
day, before Mr. Espinasse, judge, Joachim Hay-
ward Stocqueler, "author, teacher, and lecturer,"
whose case stood adjourned from the last Court,, was
supported by Mr. Dowse, barrister, and opposed by
two of the creditors, Messrs. Eicke, sen. and jun., the
former opposing in person. The grounds of opposition
were the obtaining money under false pretences,
concealment of property, and vexatious defence.
The insolvent had petitioned this Court in 1851,
and in October; 1858, he had obtained a sequestra-
tion in the Sheriff's Court at Peebles, Scotland,
about £20,000 of his then liabilities remaining still
unpaid. His present schedule showed debts to the
amount of £2,644 2s. 7d. ; credits, nil.
At the previous Court the insolvent was exami-
ned with reference to a carriage he had had built
at a cost of £145, and which he had given to a Mrs.
Wilson, with whom he had been living at Norwood,
and who was known as "Mrs. Stocqueler," the in-
solvent's own wife having left him _some 8 or 9
yours miueup uud guise to A Li.. Ile NV ILI also
questioned with respect to his transactions with a
Mr. and Mrs. Delahaye, who had discounted bills
for him to the amount of about £1,500, and to the
former of whom he was introduced while he (Dela
hays) was in the Queen's Prison.
Previous to the adjourned examination being pro.
ceeded with, Mr. Eicke, sen., stated that Mit Camp.
bell (the manager of the Great Eastern Company,
and who had lived in the same house as the insol-
vent at Norwood), had. been subpeenaed to attend,
on his (Mr. Eicke's) application, but being anxious
not to interfere with the discharge of that gentle-
man's duties as the manager of a great national
dertaking, he had since had an interview with him,
and Mr. Campbell had satisfactorily explained to
him his connection with the insolvent.
• His Honour—l cannot help saying, from the
statement of tho insolvent, he appeared to keep a
'very questionable establishment.
The insolvent was then examined at great length
by Mr. Eicke. He stated that his intention to leave
the house in which Mr. Campbell resided at Nor-
wood was known a long time before he did leave.
He would swear that Mr. Campbell did not order
him out of the house; but it was on a suggestion of
Mr. Campbell that he left—in consequence of a
question arising with respect to a bill:
Mr. DowSe here objected that as there was no
money now owing on any bill which lied Mr. Camp-
bell's name upon it, -and with which the insolvent
had been connected, Mr. Eicke's questions were
irrelevant, Mr. Campbell not being an opposing
party.
The examination, however, was proceeded with.
His Honour remarked that enough transpired on
the former occasion to satisfy any person who heard
it that there had been a forgery of .11t. Campbell's
name.