The Sun.
London, England, 1850-12-26 00:00:00

GERMANY.

The Lithographirte Correspondez has a semi-
official paragraph, announcing the impending resig-
nation of M. van der Heidt. It appears that the
system of which the present Mini,ter of Commerce is
the representative has tended to bring the Zollverein
to the very verge of dissolution, and in the presence
of the scheme of an Austrian Customs' union, Prussia
will be compelled to abandon the system of protec-
tion. That this is the view which the Cabinet takes
of the case appears likewise from a leading article in
the Ministerial Deutsche Reform, from which it ap-
pears that M. von der Heidt's resignation will sig-
nalize a new phase in the commercial policy of
Prussia.

The Constilutionnell Correspondenz states that the
arrival in Berlin of Baron Dornberg, lately Hessian
Ambassador at the Prussian Court, will be followed
by the resumption of diplomatic relations between
Prussia and the Electorate of Hesse.

The Allgemeine Zeitung states from Munich that
M. von der Pfordten, who represents the kingdom of
Bavaria at the Dresden Conferences, will have to yield
his place to Count Armansperg, who, previous to the
Re volution of 1848, held a post in ie Cabinet.

TATTERSALL'S-THIS EVENING
SIX O'CLOCK.

No business doing,

THE POWER OF PENCE.—The majority of persons
will speak disparagingly of pence, and entertain the most
sublime contempt of their influence; yet—unreasonable that
they are I—they will (a their superciliousness, and do ob-
sequious homage before the majesty of pounds! As if a
penny were not a pound in embryo I " Take care of the
ponce, and the pounds will take care of themselves," said
one; and the experience of every-day life gives to the say-
ing the force of an axiom. Many a millionnaire has owed
his envied position to a respect for pence in the outset.
Jacques Latitte would never have risen to be the Crcesus of
modern France, did he not entertain it—did he not regard
trifles; and many a once wealthy man can trace his down-
ward course to penury to a reckless disregard of small sums—
in short, to a contempt of pence. Everything around us
teaches us that we should entertain a proper respect for
small things, as the foundation of great ones. The universe
is composed of atoms the coral reef is upheaved by the
labour of a tiny insect, in the depth of the ocean—trifles make
up the great sum of lite itself.

It is stated that an archaeologist has lately dis-
covered among the archives at Chartres ninety-two original
letters of the kings of France—from Francis the First to
Louis the Eighteenth.

THE LATE ACCIDENT ON THE ASIICHURCH BRANCH.
—We understand that the Midland Company are instituting
strict inquiry into the immediate source of the fatal occur-
rence on the above branch, which was fully detailed in our
last. In the meantime Southall, the engine-driver, has been
suspended.— Worcester Chronicle.

MOUSE CAUGHT IN A TURRET CLOCK.—A sub-
scriber has favoured us with an account of a very extraor-
dinary incident, in which the turret clock at the Sheaf
Works in this town acted the part of a mouse trap. On
Tuesday morning, at 2.10, the clock committed a fault that
it was not at all addicted to—it stopped. The man in
charge of the premises, on discovering the stoppage ut day-
break, swung the pendulum, but the clock would not beat.
Anxious to discover the cause of this inconsistency he got a
light and examined the works. The first thing that pre-
sented itself was a huge mouse, caught by the tail between
two of the clog wheels, struggling hard to release its un-
lucky rudder and trot off. A little examination showed
how this strange incident had come to pass. The daring
little adventurer, ever on the alert for a savoury meal, had
got upon the top of one of the cog-wheels, for the purpose
of licking the grease from the works, and the wheels
working towards him, the cogs caught the tip of his tail,
and by a slow and necessarily painful process drew it in
between the two sets of unrelenting teeth. In process of
time his hind parts were drawn into close contact with the
machinery, and completely gagged the clock. The little
captive was soon dislodged from his awkward predicament,
and the faithful clock resumed operations with its wonted
regularity. - Sheffield Times.

HEALTH OF LONDON DURING' THE WEEK

(From the Registrar-General's Return.)
In the week ending last Saturday, the deaths re-
gistered in the metropolitan districts amounted to
1,166. This result shows a small increase on the
average of corresponding weeks in the ten years
1840 9, which is 1,146 (without correction for pro-
bable increase of population); the numbers severally
returned in these weeks having been lees than 800 in
1841, and having risen to 1,262 in 1846, and, by the
force of influenza, to 1,946 in 1847. During the
three weeks, which have just elapsed, of the current
month, 1,004, 1090, and 1,166 deaths have been
successively recorded ; hut it must be observed that
the formidable increase in the present return is caused
not exclusively or principally by an augmented rate
of mortality, but by an influx of coroner's cases,
which occurred at dates antecedent to last week,
though the registration of them has been postponed
till the close of the quarter. Of the deaths on which
inquests are held, the Ingest proportion fall under the
category cf "violence ;" and of these 4 are now enume-
rated under poison, 11 under burns and scalds, 6 under
hanging and suffocation, 2 under drowning, and 27
under fractures and wounds (of which 14 occurred to
men by accidental falls in the street, and by falling
from windows and other height:). Two boys, 3 girls,
and an aged woinan were burnt by the clothes
.taking
were ; 'three children were accidentally suffocated in
bedi' 6 children died from want of breast-milk.; a
woman was poisoned from an overdose of laudanum,.
and a child by Godfrey's cordial. Intemperance was
fatal to a man and a woman by producing apoplexy ;
and A miller of 19 years died from " disease of lungs

and knee-joint (.bout 4 months)," whose illness is
stated to have arisen from inhaling the dust of his
mill.
Amorg the fatal causes of last week, diseases of
" the lungs and other organs of respiration" are con-
.uous en the list; they amount to 274, nearly the
same as in the previous week, and still slightly exceed
the average. Bronchitis numbers 102, pneumonia
117, and asthma 34 deaths. In the tubercular class,
there arc. 8 from scrofula, 16 from tabes mesenteries!
25 from hydrocephalus (or water in the head), and
112 from consumption.
Amongst epidemics, small-pox carried off 21
children rand 4 adults, nearly the same number is
in the former week; measles, 21, scarlatina, 30;
hooping-cough has risen from 42 to 52, croup puny
bars 10, diarrlice 16, typhus 43, and erysiPelag 11.
A single case of cholera was registered as follows
In the workhouse, Mile-end New Town, on 10,1,
December, a boy, aged 8 years, '• English cholera (4°
hours), consecutive fever (3 days)."
An analysis of the 1,166 cases registered last visekt
shoes that—
The causes of death were certified by

written statements of medical at-
. 1 044 cases
tend:tnts in
Coroners' inquests on others were held in 91
Medical attendance was not obtained
(nor inquests held) in
Causes of death were not certified (or only
by oral statement of attendant or infor-
mant) in

Hence it appears that the causes of death, eithera
Total ..........
certified by the medical profession, or which, becB.lll
jurteet
the subjects of investigation before coroners'
form 97 per cent. of the total number. 477
The births of 729 boys and 748 girl,, in all 11--
The toreros:
of corresponding weeks in five years
children, were registered in the week. 1,166
1,342. (1845-9) was

MORTALITY in the METROPOJLITI;
NUMBER OF DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES REGISTENZD
THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, DEC. 21r 185cr•.*231
Epidemic, Endemic, and Contagious Diseases .- 4S ..,
Diseases of Uncertain Seat ... ... ••• l6l
Tubercular Diseases ... ... ... ••• 149
Diseases of the Brain, Nerves, and Senses... '''' 31
Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels ... '"'f.
Diseases of the Lungs, and other Organs Of
274
Respiration ... ... ... ... ' ...
Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs 59
of Digestion... ... ••• ... ••• ''".
13
..• .
Diseases of the Kidneys, &c. „„ , ... 11
Childbirth, Diseases of the Uterus, &C. ... "' i 6
Diseases of the Joints, Bones, and Muscles •". 0
Diseases of the Skin, &c. ... ... "' ...
3
Malformations... ... ... ... ..• 3O
Premature Birth ... ...
Atrophy ... ... ... ... ••• ".
51
Old Age ~.•17
Sudden ... „, „, „, ... ..• "'" 60
Violence, Privation, Cold, and Intemperance •"' 0
Causes not specified ... ... ... ' ~../
1,166
DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES ••• ••• peels
Population Deaths in corre- in the
Enumerated, sponding weelc Wet'
1841. of 1849. 156
West Districts... 301,189 . . 149 ••• 219
•••
North Districts.. 376,568 •• 206 23i
Central Districts 374,199 ... 164 ••• 247
East D;stricts ... 393,067 ••• 223 ••• 313
tiouth Districts.. 503,346 ... 301 •••

Totals.— .....1,943,369
Maks
Females ...

1,043

... I,
564
. 602