The Sun.
London, England, 1868-02-05 00:00:00

TER PUBLIC REALM,

The following is the weekly return of the Registrar.
General of births and deaths in London and thirteen other
largo towns of the United Kingdom :
In the week that ended on Saturday, February 1, 4,712
births and 3,182, deaths were registered in London and in
thirteen other large towns of the United Kingdom. The
annual rate of mortality was 26 per 1,000 persons living.
The annual rate of mortality last week was 23 per 1,001
in London. 27 in Edinburgh, and 34 in Dublin ; 28 in
Bristol, 24 in Birmingham, 31 in Liverpool, 29 in Man-
chester, 33 in Salford, 25 in Sheffield, 24 in Bradford, 24
in Leeds, 24 in Hull, 25 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and 32
in Glasgow. The rate in Vienna was 35 per 1,000 during
the week ending the 25th ult., when the mean tempera-
ture was 2.9 deg. Fahrenheit lower than in the same week
in London, where the rate was 23.

In London the births of 1,207 boys and 1,157 girls, in all
2,364 children, were registered in the week. In the corre-
sponding weeks of ten years, 1858-67, the average number,
corrected for increase of population, is 2,238. The deaths
registered in London during the week were 1,391. It was
the fifth week of the year, and the average number of
deaths for that week is, with a correction for increase of
population, 1,029. The deaths in the present return are
less by 235 than the estimated number. The deaths from
zYrnotic diseases were 286, the corrected average number
346. Twenty - four deaths occurred from small - pox,
26 from measles, 31 from scarlatina, 11 from diph-
theria, 65 from whooping-cough, 47 from fever, and
15 from diarrhoea. Ono hundred and seventy deaths
from phthisis, 183 from bronchitis, 80 from pneumonia,
and 43 from diseases of the heart, were registered.
The deaths from fever were at the annual rate on 10,000
living of 7 in West London, 4 in 'North London, 10 in
Central London, 12 in East London, and 8 in South
London. In calculating these results, the deaths in the
London Fever Hospital were referred to the districts from
which the patients were brought. The waters supplied
by the metropolitan eompanies during the month of
January, contained, according to the analysis, in 100,000
tens, foreign solid matters varying in amount from 29 in
the Chelsea water to 45 in the Kent ; Loch Katrina
water, as now supplied to Glasgow, containing only 3
tons, the water supplied to Manchester in November
7 tons, the water supplied to Leicester in November
24 tons, and the water supplied to Preston in December
15 tons. No previous contamination occurred in the
water supplied to Glasgow, Manchester, Leicester, or
Preston, but the London waters had been contaminated
previous to filtration. The East London and the Southwark
and Vauxhall showed the least, and the Kent water the
greatest previous contamination. The hardness in the
metropolitan waters ranged from 15 in the Chelsea to 26
in the Kent. There were but slight traces of hardness in
the waters supplied to Glasgow and Manchester ; the
hardness of the waters supplied to Leicester and Preston
was 13 and 7 respectively. The temperature of the waters
supplied to London ranged from 6.4 centigrade in the East
Loudon, to 8.0 centigrade in the New River and West
Middlesex. The average mean temperature of the Thames
during the three days, January 20, -21, and 22, was 51
centigrade ; the average during the week ending January
18 was 3.3 centigrade. The average mean temperature of
the air during the three days was 21 degrees centigrade ;
during the week, 7.2 degrees centigrade.

MIZ. STANSFELD ON THE TVORKING

CL.4SSES.

On Tuesday evening Mr. Stansfeld, M.P., delivered a
lecture at St. James's Hall, Piccadilly, on " The political
future of the working classes." Mr. Beales presided.
Mr. STANSFELD maintained that the special subjects
requiring the concurrence of the working classes for legis-
lative settlement were : First, the licensing system, which
required restrictive legislation, which depended for its
efficiency on being properly proportioned to the require-
ments of the masses, and on being properly supported ;
secondly, the homes of the masses of the population, with
regard to which the hands of those dealing with the
subject required to be strengthened, the powers of munici-
palities required to be increased, and a stringent law
required to be passed to prevent dwellings being built for
no other view than selfish individual gain. The third ques-
tion was the administration of the poor law. Professional
vagrancy would have to be dealt with with a firmer hand,
and the deserving poor with a gentler and a freer hand. The
great difficulty in the administration of the poor law had
hitherto been a want of discrimination, encouraging that
professional and hereditary pauperism which was the
curse of the country. So long as the poor laws were
enacted and administered by the higher classes, the pro.
blem was incapable of solution ; but the co-operation of
the working classes would enable Parliament to exercise
a truer and wiser discrimination in the future to adminis.
ter those laws with greater charity and yet with greater
firmnoss and success. With regard to the question of the
relations of capital and labour, with reference to possible
legislative enactment, it was simply impossible for Par-
liament to enter on its consideration without the aid of
the working classes. Might they not hope that, with
that aid, there might be found in the first reformed Par-
liament a court of arbitration, conciliation, and appeal
which might bring the country to conclusions on this
great, serious, and important subject matter which would
meet the approval of enlightened opinion in all classes of
the community? There were two questions remaining of
the greatest national importance—namely, national ede.
cation and the condition of Ireland. In regard to the
latter, our attitude towards rreland had been that of
a conquering race. It was true we had com-
pensated for some of the legislation of former years ;
but the fact remained that, in the minds of the Irish
people, our propinquity, overwhelming wealth, numbers,
and power kept Ireland down in a state of hopeless
inferiority, against which there was natural reac-
tion. The first necessity for a cure was to recognise
and respect the individuality of Ireland. It was obvious
that the working classes could do good service in this
matter, for they desired nothing save that measure of kis'''•
tice which had been extended to Scotland. Ireland re-
acted against the past, but the working classes could go
with unsuspected hands, and offer an alliance, on grounds of
equal right and justice ; and he could not but believe that
Ireland would accept that offer. Political honesty and
expediency suggested the wisdom of a comprehensive
measure of reform for Ireland. If there was one thing
more than another which might turn the tide of popular
opinion in that country, it would be household suffrage, a
radical redistribution of seats, and the ballot. The existence
A the Irish Church was an insult and a degradation to that
country, and working men would give their influence to
such a measure of justice to Ireland, as the establishment
of the religious equality of all sects. As regarded the
land question, that was complicated ; but whatever, on
the initiative of the representatives of Ireland, was pro.
posed with the general acceptation of their country ought
to be accorded. But for the advent of the working classes
to political power he should have despaired of Ireland. He
looked, however, to the union of the masses in both countries
to create a living and healthy union ; and nothing would do
the working classes more credit in the page of history and
make their efforts more appreciated than being able to re-
unite England in the bonds of good fellowship with the sister,
isle. The hon. gentleman dealt last with the subject of
national education, the progress of which, during the last
six months, in public opinion proved the benefit of the
approaching enfranchisement of the working classes.
Even those who objected to popular progress began
to say it was time to teach their mastery to read.
He placed little value on the opposition of the National
Society, because they did not understand the signs of the
times. The nation was not going to wait to suit their
convenience, for it was determined to complete its educa.
tional system. The working men of the towns had
entirely made up their minds on the question, and had
determined that the advantages of education should
be carried without delay within reach of every cOttagi
door. Dealing then with the question of compulseiy
attendance, the hon. gentleman said the compulsion Wonli.
only have to be actually applied in the case of a small
"residuum" of the population. Then laying down the
dicta that there was not such a thing as non-education ;
that all children were inevitably educated for evil or for
good ; that every child had the right to good education,
and that it was the duty of the parent to enforce it, he
said that a measure of compulsion might have been strong
for a class Parliament, but that it was within the easy
reach of the political power now conferred on working
men. He asked whether the audience, as a typica!,
assembly, desired a measure to enforce the rights o
their children. The tumultuous cheering with which
this query was responded to satisfied the hon.
gentleman, who said he should take that answer to
another assembly. In conclusion, the hon. gentleman
exhorted working men to take their place within the con-
stitution of the country, in that united, enlarged work-
shop of the nation, and to do their work. The materials
were before them ; the tools were at their hand. Let them
betake themselves to the work with the consciousness that
in this new era dawning upon us it was their duty, and it
would be their glory and opportunity if they pleased, to
impress upon it a wise direction, to give a new impetus to
our national life, to breathe into it something of their own
young spirits and fresh minds, to give new vitality, fresh
vigour, and to give an added safety to the State. (Loud
cheers. )

The Emperor of Austria has given orders to the.
Ministry of Marine at Vienna to make all the necessary
preparations for an expedition to Eastern Asia. This
expedition, which is entirely carried out at the expense of
the State, is—to be unda the command of Admiral
rcogethoff.

IT ILLIAM HOLDICH and CO., LICENSED
V" AirICT U ALLEM' DRAPERS, Established 1842, at 105,
Fleet-street, City ; Southern Branch—No. 5, The Pave-
tHaphain-con-enon. Patterns gratis and post free,
with Price List