The Sun.
London, England, 1866-11-07 00:00:00

FRANCE.

A report, addressed to the Emperor by Marshal
Randon, Minister of War, was published on Tues-
day, nominating the commission which, agreeable
to his Majesty's order, is to inquire into the advi-
sability of modifying the military organisation of
the Empire. The commission, the chief presidency
of which the Emperor reserves to himself, is to seek
the means of placing the national forces in a con-
dition to insure the defence of the territory, and
maintain the political influence of France. The
commission is composed of six Ministers, the mar-
shals, and several generals.

BOURSE, Nov. 6.—Two o'clock.—There is no
great activity, and though some stocks and shares
show slight fluctuations, the tone of the market is
on the whole firm. Three per Cents. are dealt in
at 68fr. 75c., a fractional advance of 2 c., whereas
Italian Fives are doing at 56fr., which is a decline
of 10c. Credit Mobilier are quoted at 5781 r. 75c.,
the same as yesterday. Credit Foncier lose 2fr.
50c.--at 1,362 fr. 50c., and Comptoir d'Escompte,
sfr.—at 895 fr. Railways—Lyons, Southern, and
Lombard, are a fraction higher, whilst Northern
and Orleans are a fraction lower. Austrian un-
varied. An advance of jis telegraphed on Consols
by the second despatch from London. Three
o'clock.---With the exception of Italian Fives, which
are very weak, quotations have somewhat improved
for the close, which took place as follows :

4-1 per Cents 96 90
Do. end month —
3 per Cents. 6B 90
Do. end month 6B 80
Credit Mobilier 582 50
Do. end month 581 25
Credit Foncier —
Do. end month 1365

Bank Shares 3580
Italian Loan 55 90
Do. end month 55 85
Mexican Loan —
Do. Bonds —
Spanish Threes
Home Debt —
Deferred

RAIL'

AUL

For Account.
Orleans
Northern 1167 50
Lyons and Mediterranean 927 50
Southern 573 75

Western 560
Eastern 548 75
Sardinian
Austrian

Lombard 423 75

North of Spain lO2 50
Saragossa 133 75
Ditto to Barcelona —
Roman —

METEOROLOGY.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SlR,—Your country readers will do well to ob-
serve the expected fall of meteors, on the early morn
of the 13th inst., now close at hand. Many shoot-
ing stars were noticed on the 13th Nov., 1818, in
England ; on the 13th Nov., 1823, at Potsdam ; on
13th Nov., 1831, at Ohio ; and off the coast of
Spain, and in America, on the 12th Nov., 1833, from
the coast of Halifax to the Gulf of Mexico, coming
from the same quarter of the heaven —Leonis Ma-
joris—and preserving theirposition during the period
of observation, regardless of changes in the de-
clination and azimuthal distance of the star. At
3 a.m., on the 13th November, 1834, they were seen
from Germany. On the 13th Nov., 1836, 170 me-
teors were counted from the Paris Observatory ; and
again, in November, 1837, the meteors, all " pre-
serving a striking parallelism in their direction,"
were visible. On the 13th Nov., 1838, 500 were
counted from Richmond, near London. Since that
year they have been seen frequently at various places
on the 13th Nov., and another batch is generally
visible about the 13th August in each year, pro-
ceeding from a spot between Taurus and Perseus.
The periodical visitation in August seems to have
been noticed by Holinsched, as falling, 30 or 40 at
once, on the 26th July, 1242, old style, and in the
month of August, 1029, and in the fifteenth cen-
tury —in the same month these eccentric visitors ap-
peared, and they still merit notice.—l am, Sir, yours
obediently, Cnn. COOKE.
London, 7th Nov., 1866.

THE PUBLIC HEALTH.

(From the Registrar-General's Return.)

In the week that ended on Saturday, November
3, the births registered in London and 12 other large
towns of the United Kingdom were 4,501 ; the
deaths registered, 3,255. The annual rate of mor-
tality was 28 per 1,000 persons living.
In London the births of 1,135 boys and 1,141
girls, in all 2,276 children, were registered in the
week. In the corresponding weeks of ten years
1856-65 the average number, corrected for increase
of population, was 2,028.
The deaths registered in London during the week
were 1,432. It was the 44th week of the year, and
the average number of deaths for that week is, with
a correction for increase of population, 1,816. The
actual return exhibits an excess of 116 over the esti-
mated return. Bronchitis and pneumonia have been
unusually fatal.
Seventy-three deaths from cholera, 28 froni
diarrhoea, 101 from both forms of disease were regis-
tered. The deaths from cholera and diarrhoea in
the last six weeks were 244, '251, 254, 199, 144, and
101. Of the 73 deaths from cholera no less than 28
occurred in the two sub-districts of Woolwich Dock-
yard and Plumstead. The bad hygienic condition
of the people is discussed in papers by Dr. Finch,
Mr. Ruegg, and Mr. Grant, the assistant engineer
of the Metropolitan Beard.
The disinfection of houses in which deaths by
cholera have been registered is still proceeding, and
if the operation is performed with skill, care, and
efficiency the decline of the epidemic will go on at a
still more rapid pace.
Professors of chemistry sometimes fail in their
comparatively single experiments ; bow much more
likely is disinfection to fail in the hands of ignorant
people. It should be performed by officers properly
instructed under medical supervision. Inefficient
disinfection is a delusion and a snare.
The medical health officers of Bristol, Birken-
head, Liverpool, and Leeds have given an account
of the hygienic measures adopted, it is gratifying to
add in these cases with signal success.
The annual rate of mortality last week was 24
per 1,000 in London, 36 in Edinburgh, and 38 in
Dublin, 21 in Bristol, 20 in Birmingham, 37 in
Liverpool, 38 in Manchester, 26 in Salford, 30 in
Sheffield, 31 in Leedo, 20 in Hull, 38 in Newcastle-
upon-Tyne, and 28 in Glasgow.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 29.843 in.
The barometrical pressure decreased from 30.26 in.
on Monday to 29.55 in. on Saturday. The mean
temperature of the air in the week was 49.2 deg.,
which is 2.7 deg. above the average of the same
week in 50 years (as determined by Mr. Glaisher.)
The mean temperature was above the average on
every day but Monday and Wednesday. Highest
day temperature was 59.2 deg. on Friday . The
lowest night temperature was 33.7 deg. on Monday.
The range in the week was, therefore, 25.5 deg.
The mean daily range was 12.0 deg. The difference
between the mean dew-point temperature and air
temperature was 3.4. The mean degree of humidity
of the air was 88, complete saturation being repre-
sented by 100. On Saturday the humidity was 95.
The direction of the wind was south-west. There
was rain to the amount of 0.20 in. ; it fell on Sun-
day, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday. On Tuesday
there was a gale of wind, and a pressure of 22.51 b.
on the square foot was recorded. According to a
return furnished by the Metropolitan Board of
Works, the average daily quantity of sewage
pumped into the river Thames at the southern out-
fall works, Crossness, was 44,526,623 gallons, or
202,305 metric tons.