The Sun.
London, England, 1859-10-08 00:00:00

LAST NEWIT

AVERAGE PRICE OF SUGAR.

sex, to surrender, Oct 20, at one, and Nov. 17, at twelve,
at the Court of Bankruptcy.
David Goodman, watchmaker, Cardiff. Oct. 18 and Nov.
15, at eleven, at the Bristol District Court.
Thomas Tidswell, lace maker, Nottingham, Oct. 18, and
Nov. 8, at half-past eleven, at the Birmingham District
Court.
Craven Temple, lodging-house keeper, Filey, Yorkshire,
Oct. 21 and Nov. 18, at eleven, at the Leeds District
Court.

Charles Tabberer, beer seller, Saltisford, Warwickshire,
0ct.20, and Nov. 10, at half-past eleven, at the Birming-
ham District Court.

SCOTCH BANKRUPTS.
Hugh Thomson, senior, miller, Lesmahagow.
John Dickson, carter, Broom House, Blantyre, Lanark.
shire.

George Barclay, farmer, Palacerig, Dumbartonshire,

The Average Price of Brown or Muscovado Sugar, com-
puted from Returns made in the week ending the 4th day
of Oct., 1859, exclusive of the duties of Customs paid or
payable thereon, on the importation thereof into Great
Britain :

Per cwt.
From the British possessions in America 24s lid
Muscovado, the produce of the Mauritius --s —d
Muscovado, the produce of the East Indies 30s 7d
Average price of the foregoing 2ss lid

THE ORIENT.-1L INLAND STEAM COM-
PANE-STEAM TRAINS ON TILE INDUS.

Our progress was satisfactory so long as we burned coal.
But when we came to burn wood, we found we could not
keep up the steam with it, and our progress thenceforward
became very slow. Much of the wood was rotten and filled
with sand, and all of it was formed of branches too small in
diameter, and cut in pieces too long. to, be suitable for our
furnaces. Our boilers being of the locomotive class of
boilers, require to be fed with short and thick billets, which
will form a compact body of fire. But the sticks supplied
to us were so long, so thin, and so crooked, that it was im-
possible to form a compact fire with them. The cold air,
therefore, rushed up through the fire in such quantities as
to kill the steam by cooling the interior of the boiler; and
we found that with, such fuel it was impossible to maintain
the steam at the required pressure, or to propel the vessel
with proper velocity against the stream. We were enabled,
it is true, by selecting good fuel for Vie purpose, to ascend
without difficulty the rapid below Ger ruck, called the Devil's
Mouth; and with good fuel we could always keep good
steam. But finding that as we ascended the river the fuel
got worse instead of better, it appeared to me on reaching
Sehwan that it would be better for us to return, in order
that before we again ascended the river better fuel might
be provided. Instructions were accordingly given to saw
the billets of wood into pieces of half the length, so as to
enable them to be packed more closely on the grate ; and
we descended from Sehwan to Khetty, at the mouth of the
Indus, a distance of 230 miles, in 26. hours under steam.
On cur whole voyage up the river we only grounded once,
which was in a sand-storia, when we could not see our way
—and in coming down the river we did not ground at all.
Although, however, our inability to ascend the Indus at a
sufficient rate of speed was wholly owing to our inability
to maintain the steam at the right pressure; in consequence
of the badneis of the fuel, and although this defect will of
course be corrected when better fuel has been supplied—.
and which fuel can be obtained on the spot—l am of opinion
nevertheless that the steamer has at present too little power'
for the propulsion of the train up the river in the best and
most economical manner during the height of the inunda-
tions, though capable, no doubt of maintaining speeds equal
to those of the ordinary class of vessels. The stream certainly
runs at a greater rate of speed than we had been led to expect,
and a rapid-stream requires a correspondingly powerful vessel
to enable large cargoes to be carried with the minimum of ex-
pense. Indeed, there is a certain proportion of power and
speed which is the most economical for each particular speed
of current, and if that power be either exceeded or fallen short
of, a greater cost of traction in performing the voyage will be
the result. In view of these contingencies of the navigation,
the vessels of the Oriental Inland Steam Company have been
so constructed as to contain a large margin of latent power,
and it only requires this power to be made available to bring
the speed up to that point which the great rapidity of the In-
dus renders advisable. The engines, being high-pressure
engines, at present discharge a large quantity of steam to
waste, which by the application of two condensing cylinders,
mayat once be made avail able largely to increase the power.
These cylinders might have been applied in the first in-
stance, and the expediency of their application was at that
time considered ; but, upon a review of all the circum-
stances, it was deemed expedient to keep them in reserve
until it was seen whether they would be indispensable, as
the engines without them would cost somewhat less and
would be somewhat lighter. You are well aware of the
pains which have been taken to obtain accurate information
on all points respecting the Indus, and you are• also aware
of the difficulty, I might say the impossibility, of obtaining
information upon this subject in England that would be in
all respects reliable. In fact, the country has been visited
by few competent observers, and it became most important,
therefore, in a question so material as that of the Epeed of
the trains, to afford a large margin of unappropriated power.
This was done by adopting a species of engine which
would enable the power to be doubled, if necessary, with-
out new boilers, without increased expense of fuel, and
without disturbing the existing machinery or arrangements.
Having now seen the Indus, I would recommend you at once
to bring into activity that reserve of power which has not
been hitherto employed. The consumption of fuel after the
reserved power has been mada available will be the same per
hour that it is at present. But as the speed of the vessel
will be increased, the consumption of fuel per trip will be
less than heretofore. As the inundations are now over for
the year, I would beg to suggest that the vessels for the pre-
sent be kept plying as they are, the velocity of the stream
being much less in the low season, and against the time the
next inundations occur the additional cylinders may have
been sent out and applied. I cannot conclude these remarks
without stating to you how strongly my conviction has been
confirmed by all I have seen in India, of the absolute neces-
sity of expedients of the nature of these trains for the pro-
fitable navigation of the Indus, and this conviction the
unexpected speed of the current only serves to confirm.
A rapid river is more expensive to navigate than a slow
one, and requires that a larger cargo should be carried to
make the navigation profitable. In a rapid river, more-
over, it is indispensable that all the elements of resistance
should be brought down to the lowest possible amount. A
steamer towing a barge on each side has three resistances
to encounter ; and the result, so far as regards expense of
traction, will be just the same as if the power had been die.
tributed among the vessels, or as if each barge had an en•
gine of its own, imparting to it the proper proportion of
power. Now it has been already proved on the Indus that
steamers working in this manner cannot be made to return
their expenses, the resisting area being so large relatively
with the quantity of cargo carried, that the whole receipts
are eaten up by the outlay on the power. In one long nar-
row vessel, however, such as the train virtually constitutes,
the resistance is so much less relatively with the cargo car-
ried, that the expense of traction is greatly reduced ; for
the attachment of additional barges at the end of the train
but little increases the resistance, while it proportionately
increases the carrying power. In any river these peculia-
rities of the two modes of traction are important topics for
consideration; but in a rapid river their importance is so
much increased, that by them it will mainly be determined
whetheir a profit can be realised or not by such a navigation.
Of course it is easier to establish upon any river vessels of
the limited powers which already exist there than vessels
capable of carrying a very large cargo, and-which, to do this,
must have various novel features. But it is obvious to any
one that the vessels which can carry the large cargo willbe
able, when established, to beat the others out of the field ;
and to this trial of strength the navigation of the Indian
rivers, in common with all other kinds of navigation, must,
in my opinion, finally come. It is quite unsafe to trust to
the exceptional profits due to exceptional events. The only
safe ground of dependence is that of being able to do the
work cheaper and bettor than any one else; and it is far
miser, in my judgment, to take a little additional trouble in
introducing a class of vessels which will enable you to do this
than to be content with vessels of such limited carrying
powers, that on some rivers theycan never be profitable at all,
and on others can exist onlyon sufferance, and will bo snuffed
out so soon as a superior class of vessel has been introduced.
I have only to add that at the time I left India the train had
'started on her second voyage ; and just as I was leaving
Bombay, on my return to England, I received the follow-
ing telegram from the company's agent at Kurrachee
f The train passed Khetty August 14th, all well." Khetty
is a town, situated at the end of the creeks, where the na-
vigation of the main river begins. The second steamer
was nearly ready, and several barges were quite ready for
launching, when I left hurrachee. But my instructions
were, that these vessels should be retained upon the stocks
until the change of the monsoon, which would occur shortly
thereafter, enabled them to be carried into the Indus with
safety."

THE ALLEGED WHOLESALE MURDER OF
CHILDREN.-ASTOUNDING DISCLOSURES.

Yesterday, at the weekly meeting of the directors and
guardians of St. Marylebone, held in the board-room of the
workhouse, Marylebone-road—Mr. C. Beevor in the chair,
Dr. BACIIILOFFNER, in accordance with notice, brought
forward his motion with respect to asking the co-operation
of other parishes to urge the Government to adopt some
legislative enactment with respect to a registration of still-
born children. He remarked that since their last meeting
he had obtained a vast amount of information upon this im-
portant subject, and it would scarcely be credited that in
this 19th century, in this Christian land, which prided itself
upon its morality and philanthropy, there could. exist such
a system of wholesale child-murder as the statistics he should
lay before them would develops. It was not a subject 'to be
. dealt with off-hand, and he was glad to find it was attract-
ing great public attention. Lord Shaftesbury had expressed
his deep interest in it, and was about to touch upon it in a
lecture at Bradford. With regard to still-born children, as
there was no registration, it was impossible to get at the
number in that parish, but he found that in the five years
ending Dec. 1858, there had been 780 still-born children in
that workhouse. There was, however, no registration, and
until lately, no record kept of how many still-born children
were interred in the parochial burial grounds. He had al-
ready said, that of 1,109 illegitimate children born in the
rectory district, 821 had been born in that house, and-of that
number there had been 516 deaths of illegitimate children
registered during the same period, or 46 per cent. In St.
Mary's district there had been registered 692. In this dis-
trict Queen Charlotte's Lying-in Hospital for married fe-
males was situate. The number of deaths had been 109, or
18 per cent. In All Souls, out of 145 illegitimate children
born, there had neon 87 deaths, or 53 per cent. Out of the 592
illegitimate children, nearly 400 had been born_ in Queen
Charlotte's Hospital. In Christ Church the case was worse ;
of 223 births of illegitimate children there had been in tie
same period 209 deaths, or 93 and seven-tenths per cent.
up to the age of three years. In St. John's, out of 148
births, there had been 129 deaths, or 87 per cent. These
last two wore the "dry-nursing" districts ; and, speaking
from 16 years' experience as district registrar, it was a re-
markable fact, that usually within three or four weeks of
the registration of the birth, they were called upon to re-
gister the death of the same children, the causes being mes-
enteric diseases, diarrhoea, inanition, and others, resulting
from the mode of feeding or improper attention to the chil-
dren. In Cavendish-square, the moral district, there was
40 births and 36 deaths, or 96 par cent., the worst of the
whole. (Hear, hear.) Ile thought he had shown that
there was a frightful state of mortality going on in the me-
tropolis, if not something worse, and a remarkable case as
regarded still-born children had come before the rota that
day. A mid wife had reported that a poor married woman
had given birth to six children, everyone of whom, although
full-grown, had been still-born, through the kicks of her
brutal husband, just before her time of confinement. They
had done what they could to check what was called the
"social evil," but here was a social evil with a vengeance.
It must not be supposed, however, that these horrifying
details were confined to the metropolis. They existed in
some parts of the country to a more fearful extent. He had
the name of a little villag given to him where the young
girls of the surrounding district went to be confined at the
house of an old woman. In the course of a fortnight they
returned to their situations, and every child was still-born.
Mr. Wakley, the coroner, was fully aware of this and
alive
to it, and that a system was adopted of bringing children
into the world in a way to prevent any inflation of the lungs
taking place, so that they could not be looked upon as other
than still-born children. Was it not therefore time that the
Legislature should devise some steps to check these horrible
proceedings. It was not his (Dr. Bachhoffaer's) province to
say what steps, but first of all he would have a penalty for
burying any still-born child without being duly registered,
and a penalty upon the registrar if he did so without com-
petent authority. Secondly, with regard to midwives, ,a ho
were generally an ignorant class, they should be a regis-
tered body, and no certificate taken without the midwife was
on the register. In all public esoablishments there should
be a book or register kept of every corpse buried. He re-
gretted to find on going to the dead-house that the parties in
charge did not look at a corpse when brought in, but that the
coffin was screwed down without knowing anything about
it. That, however, was now remedied. (Hear, hear.) Dr.
Bachhoffner said be wished to alter his motion, and instead

MD
4:'. STAMPED, R.,

of at once calling ii,r the co-operation of other parishes, he
would, with •permission of the board, withdraw that, and
Move fora committee, and ask for a committee of the vestry
to co-operate with them, in the first place, in collecting facts
upon this important question. „
The Boaid having consented to the withdrawal,
Mr. POTTER seconded the motion for a joint committee.
Mr. TAVENER objected upon principle to calling upon
other parishes to co-operate, and that Board taking the ini-
tiative at enormous expense. He, however, admitted the im-
ortance of the subject, and would move as an amendment,
That the subject be referred to the vestry to deal with."
Mr. BRAESS• seconded the• Amendment, and after some
servations froth Mr. It: Hickman arid one or two other
o ingtini:enlitOtaionnd
1
caalte:::lllnanatnioi.tnnofUrosnl:r.
r eshgeasvaet ipipreasie)npl?,.itre fabrin'etrihdein%-totpweraasti‘otnitolifdrtitltevn, otherand tha
1
Dr. Bachhofftier, that
f

THE LATE _HORRIBLE TREATMENT
OF A CHILD AT HACKNEY.

hi VERDICT OF WILFUL MURDER.
Yesterday afternoon Dr. Challice, the Deputy-Coroner
f r East Middlesex, resumed and concluded the adjourned
i quiry at the Crown Tavern, High-street, Hackney, re-
s ecting th 6 death of James hite, aged three years, who
a
f male, named Sarah Jane Wiggins, who had been co-
biting with the father, at No. 4, Clarence-eottages, near
t e Police-station, Hackney. , .
The courrwas crowded during'the inquiry, and the ut-
most interest was manifested. .
The evidence adduced was precisely similar to the testi-
n ony taken before Mr. D'Eyncourt on Saturday last at the
Worship-street Police-court, after which
i Mr. Edward Dennis Hacon, surgeon, of Richmond-road,
I ackney, was examined at considerable length, detailing
t e result of the post-mortem examination he had made of
L e body of the deceased child. There was a mark of a
ligature round the neck, and deceased had unquestionably
died from violence.
I The Deputy-Coroner then remarked on the principal
p f
ints in the case, and explained in a very lucid manner
t e law in reference to murder and manslaughter.
The Jury, after a brief consultation, unanimously re-
turned a verdict of " Wilful Murder" against Sarah Jane
Wiggins, for killing and slaying James White.
Te .Deputy-Coroner then issued his warrant to Mr.
Rawlerson, the summoning officer, for the committal of the
accused to Newgate, to wait her trial at the ensuing ses
sipus of the Central Criminal Court; Old Bailey.

VIE DOUBLE MURDER AND SUICIDE.

WORCESTER, FRIDAY EVENING.
From what has transpired to-day there can be little
d.
übt that the surmise, that the unfortunate woman (Mrs.
arris) drowned both herself and her two children, as de-
s ribed in court, is correct. Only one body—that of the
e dent child—has been recovered ; but it is expected that
the mother and infant were carried some distance down the
river by the flood water .

i An examination of the husband (Harris) has taken place
-day before the magistrates ; and from the evidence
ven, it appears that the poor woman had been shamefully
t eated by her husband and his relations, and that driven
a most to madness by their cruelty, she had declared her
d termination to drown herself and her children. The hus-
bh.nd was charged occasionally with assaulting the wife,
abd the following is a summary of the evidence taken : j William Roberts, neighbour of tho Harris's, spoke to the
ti
husband of the supposed deceased Mrs. Harris quarrelling
stout one o'clock on Tuesday. Witness saw the prisoner
seice his wife by the threat. Sho screamed out that he was
throttling her, and on witness calling to him he desisted.
lie was boating her with his clenched fist, while he held
her by the throat. Soon after Harris's mother came and
used the deceased, and between two and three, o'clock
s e again abused her, the woman being then occupied in
aching her children's crothes.
Mrs. Bradley, another neighbour, corroborated Roberts's
stimony, and added her belief that Mrs. Harris would
have been alive at that moment but for her husband's
rtmther and sitter.
Mrs. Hopkinson, a relative of Harris, lodged with Mr.
d Mrs. Harris, and also spoke to the ill-treatment which
trs. Harris had experienced at the hands ofher husband's
other and sister. Harris stayed from work on Monday
d Tuesday. The witness corroborated the testimony of
oberts as to the prisoner taking his wife by the throat.
Mrs. HAatrritseahatdimsteruecnk herTu Tuesday evening,
thHesprrtokse,sr before
this.
sister,
Who was present, said she would wash her hands in her
OMrs. Harries); blood, to which Mrs. Harris replied, " Then
it would be cold." About half-past nine o'clock that night
(Tuesday), the prisoner's sister came again, and on Mrs.
Harris opening the door she struck at her, but witness
stopped the blow, and took hold of the sister and held her
down. While so occupied Mrs. Harris made her escape
from the house with her two children, and no doubb ran
across a field at the back, and plunged into the river. She
had just before declared her determination "to go and do
it," and had kissed her children fervently. She had that
same evening told her husband of her determination, and
his answer was "do it, and be
—." The story of 'Mrs.
Harris's disappearance got abroad, and Harris's mother
came about midnight, but she said they had hidden her,
and expressed a hope that " she should see her swimming."
Mrs. Hopkinson said she went into the house, where she
found Mrs. Harris in a very excited state, and she held
her back, as she declared she would go and drown herself.
She had a child in each arm. They had to pacify her, and
had partly succeeded, when Harries sister entered, and
was about to attack Mrs. Harris, but witness prevented
her. While- engaged with her I%lrs. Harris stepped out
pf the house. Witness at once followed her across the field
towards the river, but could see nothing of her. They
searched about all night but could not find her. The body
of the boy was picked up on Thursday by a fisherman.
The magistrate decided to remand the prisoner for the
present, and the coroner has also issued his warrant for an
inquest.