The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-27 00:00:00

TRAFFIC RETURNS FOR THE NV EEL

, .
Miles Opened. Reeeipts.
Railvrays. ,),............. ,o•••••••••...A...-.--..-.."4.
1859. 1858. 1859. 1858.
X X
Ballymena and Portrusb ' 35 35 -- -
lEtedale and Leybuni lO 10
Belfast and Ballymena 65 65 1,273 1,448
Belfast and County Down 2O 17 586 337
Birkd., Lane., &Ches. Juno .32 : 32 3,108 3,135
Blyth and Tyne 2O 13 1,660 1,169
Bristol and Tine 20 13 1,660 1,169
Bristol and ,teter llB 117 7,804 7,479
Caledonian
Ches.&Holyhead(withMOld) 94i• 94 '
2-33-416873
221-5298
CockermOuth& Workington elf 8
Cork and Bandon 2O 20 283 259
cork, Blackrock, & Passage 6l Oi
Deeside
Dublin & Belfast Junction ... •56 • 56 ' 1,248 1,200 '
Dublin and Drogheda...... •63 63 2,013 1,927
Dub. & Wicklow(m.lo,4;st.) 401 40i 2,635 2,260
Dundalk and Ennisk-illen .. 62 • • 35 918 612-
•Dundee and Arbroath, ~, 6. 171 . 171 716 659
Dundee, Perth, & •?..ber. Jun 3l 31 1,133 1,119
East Anglian 671 67/ ' 754 882
E:Counties,Nrik..,&E.Union 489. ' 489 25,093 24,047
East Kent , 191 . - 370
E.Lanc,ashire(in.lilackburn) 111 105 - -
Edinburgh and GlaseeW
Edinburgh, Perth,& Dundee 78 •78 4,001 ' 3,523
Forth & Clyde Junction , 29} 291 383 417
r•111111e88
Glasgow & South-Western. 'lB3l, .18311 7,794 7,462
Great Notthem 283 283 25,093 24,031
Great North of Scotland ... 58 53A
7,9970 7,615
lilt:Sonthn. & Westn.(lrind ) 229 2031 7,460 7,030
1 ;Teat Western 460 466 35,266 31,981
. lull and liolderneas . lB • 18 , 257 293
diverness &Aberdeen June. 57 15 1,230 581
' Irish South-Eastern 251 251 - -
Killarney Junction 4l 41 532 625
Lancaster and Carlisle (in.
Kendal and Windermere) 100 100 8,509 8,019
Lane. & Yrks.(in.Blackbum) .28 39,360 36,317
Limerick and_Folnes ' 261 221
Llanelly ' • ' 4 . 594 576
London & North-Western . 791 '52 76,248 70,755
London and Blackwall 1,862 1,684
London & South-Western . 321 . 28';3 19,974 18,606
' Loud.' Brighton, &S: Coast. 202 18. 4 20,190 18,367
L'derry and Enniskillen: a. Cu 60 763 1,045
Loud., Tilbury, & Southend. 42 40 2,312 2,810
51an.,Sheffield, &LineolnSh. 173 1734 11,125 10,113
1
Manch. S.Jun.& Altrincham 9 ' 91 . 1,040 834
' 3laryport and earliale ..... 28 28 • 1,135 1,130
Midland
[ Midland Gt.Westn. of Irind 177 177 4,999 3,947
Monkland 52 I 52 • - I -
Monmouthsh..RaiL & Canal 44, 44 2,532 2,391
'Newcastle and Carlisle 7B 78 ' 3,605 3,398
NeWport,Aberg.,& Hereford 50
North British O 149 149 6,371
n. Dalkeith) 43 1,402
6,1,230020
18 515
North-Eastern, North Devon
' rth-Eastern ''' • 7304
- North London. ... : ........1 , 0". 9 ' 2 9:748067 26:464529
•North Staffordshire . . 233 - -
233 ,
, North-Western
I. N. YorldThire and Cleveland 10i - - _.
y pOerlboirdef,jiWorc., & WOlveg, , . 9418 •ig , 4,834409492 4,320
18s4_
0 St: Helen's Canal .k Railway . 30 30 .2„
n Soottish•Central • ••53 50 3,643 . , 3,43%
Scottish North-Eastern ll5 115 4,020 4,230
L- Shrewsbury & Birminghani 291 291 2,308 1,76'
T Shrewsbury and Chester
, Shrewsbury & Hereford
',.! Shropshire Union 2 870 033
S South Devon 261 57 4,195 3,143
[- South-Eastern 3Ol 301 25,590 24,559
7 South Wales l7l 171 7,856 7,050
fr•,. S. Yorkshire and River Dtin 108 108 2,737 2,647
,t• Stockton and Darlington . : 119 116 7,316 6,693
,f. Taff Vale
Ulster 52 36 1,630 1,57 C
Ulverstone and Lancaster
e Vale of Neath 251 251 1,809 1,701
2 Warrington and Stockport l2 12 572 482
" Waterford and Kilkenny 3l 31 435 381
is Waterford and -Lituerick
West Cornwall. , 271; 271 708 8.3 i
1- W.Hartlepoolliarbr.&llaiL '39 39 3.885 3,621
2- Whitehaven Junction l2 12 572 48:
f Whitehaven & Furness Jun 35 35 569 541
,i W'haven,Cleator,&E,grmnt 7 7 340 3,51
- FOREIGN AND COLONIAL
at Antwerp and Rotterdam 52 52 1,083 1,13
Austrian B2B 673 34,703 29,64
IC- Belgian Eastern Junction 264 24 247 24
in Buffalo and Lake Huron
e-
Detroit and Milwaukie lB5l 140 2,232 1,21
~ Dutch Rhenish lO4 1081 4,624 4,31
Is 'Grand Trunk of Canada 879
r- Great Indian Peninsula l3O 884 3,312 2,01
.. Great Luxembourg 122 38 2,386 161
a' Great Western of Canada 345 2'83 • ; 6,508 '6
!s, Lombardo-Venetian 285 285 6,-.
L,
IfyaodnrisdrsdarGagenosegvaaillicant
284142
tB, -
849215°274 548:4'12931173 74'9'95: :29
to Maria Antonia' 2l • 21
to N:aori.tr.itrissh,eaLmnydoolsnst:arirstanbmurgceedi.te..rrn .. 584:19
to Norwegian Trunk -
• 44 44 1,401 1,1
783881 79,221 61,8
to ?aria and Orleans
ehrs Meuse. .
tetoso
RsWaomeysabtlrpeDlanaannaids
to Southern of France 1 76! 51:19:733639668? 41:51•:595e1
'''s g 1 172 9
'W. and N.W. of France..........- - 75 ' Fr'
MC ..

8,019
36,317
221
576
70,755
1,684
18,606
18,367
1,045
2,810
10,113
834
1,130
35,457
3,947
t 391
3,398
1,320
6,200 .
515
40,134
2,642
6,459

1,881
3,43%
4,230
1,761
3,31$
1,737

'933
3,143
24,559
7,050
2,647
6,693
3,832
1,570
437

1,136
839
,622
487
544
357

1,131
29,648
246
827
1,213
4,367
7,556
2,091
1,682
6,614

9,971

49,272
1,178
61,851
52,265
45,941

-674
1,116
15,516

-999
95,510

VEGETABLE LEATRER.—Very large orders have been.
forwarded from America for Vegetable Leather, the produc-
tion of the Messrs. Spill, the army contractors, of Stepney,
said tobe intended for stores forth° Government there. If this
be the case it is somewhat complimentary to the excellence
of our countrymen's imitation, and the singular and varied
qualifications it possesses, inasmuch as America produces
enormous quantities of Leather Cloth, and although greatly
inferior to Vegetable Leather, is used very extensively for
not intended to
the covering of furniture,
pta
se re, e
db ur
ei
Rdoel
ur
resist the demand
stand the test of a prolonged .1
Ntn
a.
wt
ho Tni hht
oe t
hrmee
ysa
htisovnTesilhreEsidSteTraaßtslieniCcgoEntdhl:mireeDdteiutenßgrini:
of the carpenters for an increase of wages, and notifying
that in the event of the men not returning to their work
they will seek elsewhere for a sufficient number of hands.
By way of showing that they have no disposition to curtail
the wages of deserving men, the masters state that they
have been paying the required 30s. per week to several
workmen in their respective employments, and they pro.
test against the arbitrary conduct which has compelled
these men to join the strike. As yet the turn-ont is not
general, as, where contracts had been entered into and were
not completed, the trade permitted the men to remain until
such works were finished. If the principle sought to be
established by the trade—namely, that no distinction is to
bo recognised between highly skilled mechanics and work-
men of an inferior order, is adhered to, it is pretty certain
that public opinion—whether right or wrong is beside the
question—will incline towards the view taken by the master
builders , , .

NA.R.RIAGES IN ENGLAND AND
WALES.

The twentieth annual Report of the Registrar-
General has just been issued, being dated the 3d of
May, 1859. It commences by stating that 1,401,080
names were inscribed
that 318
national registers
during the year 1857 ; that 318,194 persons married
in that year ; that 663,071 children were born ; and
that 419,815 person of all ages died. All the births
are not registered, owing to a defect in the Act of
Parliament. The excess of births over deaths was
243,256, rather less than in 1856. The estimated
population (England) in the middle of the year was
19,304,897. The marriage rate is, it appears, ob-
tained by comparing the number of persons mar-
-ied in a year with the number of persons living,
and thence deducing the proportions. Thus, in the
year, to every 100,000 persons living, 1,648 mar-
ned. The births were at the rate of 3,435, the
deaths at the rate of 2,175, to every 100,000 living.
The average rates per cent. per annum during the
20 years were as follows :-The marriage rate 1.634,
the birth rate 3.293, the death rate 2.232. The
three rates during the last year were 1.648, 8.435,
and 2.175. The marriage rate and birth rate were
above, the death rate was below the average. These
rates may be stated in another way : on an average
of 20 years 1 in 61 of the people married annually,
1 in 45 died annually, and 1 child was born alive
annually to every 30 persons living. During the
last year these proportions became 1 in 61, 1 in 46,
and 1 in 29.
After this general introduction the report gives
the following interesting details on the subject of
marriages :-
131,031 marriages were celebrated according to
the rites of the Established Church, and 28,066
otherwise. The proportions were nearly as 82
to 18.
Upon comparing the results with the returns of
the previous year, it appears that the marriages ac-
cording to the rites of the Established Church de-
creased to the extent of 2,588 ; while the marriages
in the registered places and registration offices in-
creased from 25,718 to 28,066, or 2,348, being 9 per
cent. in excess of the former number.
The marriages (7,360) in the Roman Catholic
places of worship are less by 167 than the numbers
in the previous year; the marriages in the regis-
tered places of other denominations increased by
976, or 10 per cent., and amounted to 10,686; the
marriages in the superintendents' offices rose from
8,097 to 9,642, so the increase was 1,545, or 19 per
cent. on the numbers in the previous year.
67 marriages were contracted by members of the
Society of Friends, and 311 by Jews ; the former
less by 5, the latter less by 1, than the numbers in
the previous year.
The accession of numbers to the class of persons
/pito married not according to the rites of the Esta-
blished Church does not imply any change of creed
in any considerable part of the population. It was
rather the result of the extension of the principle
of toleration by an act (19 and 20 Vie., cap 119),
which came into operation on the first ay of the
year 1857. Notices of marriages had formerly to be
read before the Boards of Poor-law Guardians, and
the grant of licenses by the superintendent registrar
was clogged with difficulties. Both these grievances
have been swept away by the act of Parliament.
No one has now any just ground of complaint ; and
the 131,031 marriages in the national church were
performed by no unwilling conformists to her rites.
Of the church marriages 9 were by special license,
21,250 by license, 102,062 by banns, and 3,748 by
superintendent registrar's certificate ; in 3,962 in-
stances the mode was notspecified. In 100 of these
marriages 16.7 were by license, 80.3 by banns, and
3.0 by certificate. The proportions differed slightly
from those in the previous year, the marriages by
license being in rather larger proportions.
The marriages have been found to vary with the
prosperity of the country. When young people are
in unusually good circumstances, they marry in un-
usual numbers, and conversely. The prices of a
commodity, like wheat, of universal consumption,
also vary, and affect the condition of different classes
variously. Thus it has been shown in previous re-
ports, that as the price of wheat falls the propor-
tion of marriages by banns in churches increases. In
seven years, when the price of wheat, ranging from
745. Ba. to 565. 5d., was 665. 3d. on an average, there
were 4, 936 marriages by banns to 1,000 marriages
by licence ; in the five years when wheat was 525.
id., there -were 5,469 marriages by banns to 1,000
by license; and in the five years when wheat was
425. 9d., railging from 50s. ld. to 38s. 6d., there
were 5,530 m,arriages by banns to 1,000 marriages
by license. Tile numbers 4,936, 5,469, and 5,530
were in the inverse order of 665. 3d., 525. ld., and
425. 9d.
The marriages of the middle and of the higher
classes are apparently most numerous when the
price of wheat is highest, while the reverse hap-
pens with respect to the marriages of artizans and
labourers. These classes marry in the greatest num-
ber when the price of wheat is near the general
average. All violent fluctuatim:ts in prices are in-
jurious ; and the medium price, what ever it may be,
is most favourable to, the happiness of the great
bulk of the people.
MARRIAGES OF MINORS.-8,885 men aid 28,798
women married under 21 years of age ; and of every
100 married 858 men, 1810 women, or 11 -84 per-
sons of both sexes, were minors. The proportion
of minors steadily increased from 8.72 in 1847 to
12.03 in the year 1856, and slightly declined in the
year 1857. It will be seen at the next census
whether the number of young persons out of whom
the marriages took place increased in any unusual
proportion. The increase of early marriages is
chiefly in the mining and manufacturing counties.
In London 2.74 of the men and 12.11 of the
women who married were not of full age. There
is an excess of adults in the metropolis at the marry-
ing ages over 21 ; and there are not apparently the
same inducements to marry early as exist in the
midland counties.
The five counties in which the proportion of men
marrying as minors was highest were Bedford,
11-75; Huntingdon, 10.83; Cambridge, 9.38; Buck-
ingham, 8.95 ; Northampton, 8.81.
The five counties in which the proportion of
women marrying as minors was highest were Staf-
ford, 26.85 ; Durham. 25.83 ; Bedford, 25.37 ; Hunt-
ingdon, 21.95; the West Riding of York, 24.67.
In the South Midland counties the men and
women marry in early life ; many minors every-
where appear to marry young girls.
Rutland 1.81 in 100, Middlesex 2.07, Hereford
2.48, Westmoreland 2.96, Shropshire 3.02, are the
counties in which the smallest proportion of men
who marry are under age.
North Wales 11.78, Dorset 12.56, Cumberland
12.71, Middlesex 12.76, Hereford 12.85 are the
counties in which the smallest proportion of women
marry under age.
The ages at which 187,910 persons married are
stated at pages 26-7 of the Report ; and it will be
there observed that more than half the bachelors and
spinsters who marry are 20 and under 25 years of age.
The mean age at marriage was, bachelors, 25.9
years; spinsters, 24.7; widowers, 41.9 ; and widows,
38.8 ; men without distinction, 28.0 years ; women,
25.9 years.
To the Registrar-General's Report is annexed a
table, wherein the counties are arranged in the
order of the marriages of minors, beginning with
the county in which the marriages of minors were
in greatest excess in 1841 ; and to which is added
for comparison the proportional number of women
married who signed the register with marks ; and
the rates of mortality aviong children under five
years of age.
This table deserves to be carefully studied. It
will be observed that great irregularities prevail,
but that the general law evidently is, that in the
counties where the women are the most ignorant
they•
marrym the largest proportions under 21
years and lose the largest numbers of their
children.
the relation iso
hen the counties are thrown into groups
perceptible.
RE-mAn
21,872 widowers and 14,487
widows marril.c(l).uwring the year ; and out of 100
men 14 were
widows,
86 were bachelors; out of
100 women 9 were
In Middlesex, out a London, ro spinsters.
portion (15.86) of widowers 11, the greatest pro-
portion ntnd, in
Hertfordshire the smallest proportion,
In Staffordshire the greatest proportiOn
proportion, 1.57, of
in Westmoreland the lowest
widows marry.
13(9,317 bachelors married the same number of
spinsters ; 6,908 bachelors married widows ; 14,293
widowers married spinsters ; and 7,579 widowers
married widows.
In 1851 the bachelors of the age of 20 and up-
wards amounted to 1,428,000, the spinsters to
1,445,000, the widowers to 334,000, and the widows
to 662,000. And if marriage had taken place in-
differently between the several classes the mar-
riages betiveen bachelors and spinsters would have
been less numerous than they actually were. The
marriages between bachelors and widows, widowers
and spinsters, widowers and widows, were actually
fewer than they would have been upon the above
hypothesis. The respective ages, among other cir-
cumstances, have great influence upon this result.
SIGNATURES OF PERSONS MxrnlED.-In signing
the marriage registers 115,084 men wrote their
names, 44,013 made their marks ; while 97,332
Ivonum wrote their names, and 61,765 made their

=ado. I. Of the men 72, of the women 61, in 100
wrote. their names ; of the men 28, of the women
39, in 100 made their marks. This implies a great
d'eflcien cy in the elementory education of the
pt lople. But indications of improvement appeared
in 1847, kind as the persons married were educated
sot ne year, s ago, it is evident that the education of
the people. started onwards after the passing of the
Ref, ?rm Bill, ; and has since then made consideroble

progress. In 1846 sixty-seTen men, in 1857 seventy-
two men in 100 wrote their names ; the proportion
of women writing rose, in the same period, from
52 to 61. The progress of the women has been
greater than the progress of the men ; and in the
following counties the women who write exceed the
men in proportion :—Surrey (out of London), Sus-
sex, Berkshire, Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire, Hunt-
ingdonshire, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Wilts, Here-
fordshire, and Rutlandshire. In other points of
learning the women also probably excel the men.
In Bedfordshire the women are very illiterate ;
only 51 in 100 who marry write their names. In
Cornwall only 55 in 100 write their names. In Staf-
fordshire the " blackness of darkness" hangs over
the people ; less than half, or only
.45 in 100
women write their names. Cheshire is bad (50) ;
but the women in Lancashire are unhappily kept
in still thicker darkness, for 44 only in 100 write
their names. In the West Riding of Yorkshire
less than 50 in 100 women write their names. The
Welsh will labour under some disadvantages until
they all learn the English language in infancy; of the
women in Monmouthshire only 44, in North Wales
only 43, and in South Wales only 38 in 100 who
married, wrote their names.
In the northern counties the employments inter-
fered largely with the attendance at schools ; but
we may hope that arrangements will be made, by
the educated classes in the worst counties, to con-
fer the blessings of education upon their less en
lightened neighbours.
BUILDINGS REGISTERED FOR THE SOLEMNISA-
TION DF MARRIAGES.—The number of places of
public wDrship registered for the solemnisation of
marriages, a.nd on the register, on the 31st Decem-
ber, 1857, was ;3,925, being an increase of one hun-
dred and fourteen dining the year. 1,342 of these
places of worship beicknged to the Independents,
882 to the Baptists, 697 to the various sects of Wes-
leyan Methodists, and 490 to the Roman Catholics.
Of the modern sects, the New Church had 21, and
the Catholic and Apostolic Church 16. In London
there were 263 registered buildings, in Lancashire
430 (of which number the Roman Catholics had
112), and in Monmouthshire and Wales, where Dis-
senters are more numerous than in any other divi-
sion, 594. Including 12,272 churches and chapels
belonging to the Church of England, the places of
worship wherein marriages might be solemnised
amounted at the end of 1857 to 16,197, besides the
Jewish synagogues and Quakers' meeting
.houses.
There were, in addition, 629 Superintendent Regis-
trars' Offices for the celebration of civil marriages.