The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-08 00:00:00

.., lIP

COURT OF SEVERS.

-
A Court of Sewers for the City and Liberty of Westminster,
and part of the Cor.nty of Middlesex, was held on Friday, at
the Sewers'-office,. (Ureek-street, Soho-square. This being the
first Court held 'in the new year, at which the annual nomina-
tion of Chairm an flu- the year ensuing takes place, there was
an unusually f all attendance of Commissioners.
F. L. Dortaa.nsoN, Esq., took the Chair at twelve o'clock,
and some of the routine business of the Court having been
disposed of, at two o'clock announced that the time had now
arrived whsen it became the duty of the Court to elect their
Chairman for the year ensuing. In retiring from the office the
Court had conferred upon him for the last year, he begged to
return "his thanks to every member of the Court for the kind-
ness he had met with, and the disposition that had been shown
to aid and assist him in the arduous duties he had to perform.
Mr. Donaldson then retired, and Mr. Willoughby was una-
aiimously called to the Chair.
At this time among the Commissioners present, we noticed
Mr. Tufnell, M. P., and the Hon. Fred. Byng.
On Mr. Willoughby taking the chair, and the question of the
election of a Chairman being put,
Mr. LESLIE wished to know under what statute or authority
they elected a Chairman for a year. He greatly deprecated
the election of a perpetual Chairman, believing it to be bad in
principle and injurious to the public good. He felt persuaded
that it would be much better that the Court should elect its
Chairman every day. The adoption of such a course, he be-
lieved, would be most ualutary—would expedite the business of
the Court, and would relieve it of many of the evils by which
it was at present surrounded. It was his firm belief, and,
until he was convinced to the contrary, he should maintain it,
that the evils and mischiefs to which the Court had been ex-
posed arose mainly through the Chairman being a permanent
officer. Many things had been done under the autho-
rity of the Chairman which had been totally unknown to
the Court and quite inconsistent with the Statute of Sewers.
lie thought the Court ought to pause and consider well before
they appointed a Chairman, whether they should elect him
for a twelvemonth or a day. He thought it unwise and inex-
pedient to appoint an annual Chairman.
Sir J. J. HANSLER. moved that T. L. Donaldson, Esq.,
the late Chairman, should be appointed to that office for the
year ensuing.
Mr. W. B. FRANCK seconded the motion.

Mr. TOFNELL -wished to say nothing in disparagement of
their late Chairman, but he must be allowed to say that he
could not altogether agree with the principle of the Chairman
conductinc, the proceedings of the Court upon questions pro.
posed and brought forward by himself—( Hear, hear)—and, in
fact, sitting both as judge and jury on his own case.—(Hear,
hear.) H'e thought some alteration in the constitution of the
Court i.tt this respect ought to take place, and if something were
not d'Jne on the subject, he should feel it to be his duty to bring
it forward by a specific motion.
The CHAIRMAN trusted that the Hon. Commissioner would
'put his threat in execution, because he felt if he did so, he
-would discover that it was necessary that the Chairman should
take the conduct, in many instances, of the business of the
Court and the public.
Mr. LESLIE would assert, without the fear of contradiction,
that the Court had no authority under the Statute of Sewers, to
elect a permanent Chairman.—( Hear, hear.) Their clerk
was the responsible person, he was recognised by the courts of
law, while the Chairman was not—( Hear, hear)—and any
mistake that was made would be visited on the clerk, and not
upon the Chairman. Under these circumstances, he should
move as an amendment—" That the Court had no authority
-under the Statute of Sewers to appoint a permanent Chairman,
and that no such appointment should be made."
Mr. A'BECKETT seconded the amendment.
The CHAIRMAN had no hesitation in deciding that the
amendment could not be put according to the bye-laws.
Mr. BYNo agreed with the Chairman, that in point of form
the amendment could not be put, but at the same time he felt
bound to state that he thought the worthy Commissioner, Mr.
Leslie, right in stating that the Chairman ought to be appointed
daily. He thought, however, that so important a subject
ought to be made the subject of a specifics motion. He must
confess that he had witnessed on certain occasions a species of
whipping-in of Commissioners, which could never take place if
their Chairman was elected daily.—( Hear. )
Mr. J. GUNTER supported the amendment.
After a few observations from Mr. BEECH,
Mr. HAWKES said that he felt compelled to hold up his hand
against the nomination of a fixed Chairman. In doing so he
meant no disrespect to their late Chairman, but he thought the
time had arrived when the subject of the election of Chairman
ought to be well considered. He considered it unjust to the
public and the members of that Court to give such extensive
powers to their Chairman.— (Hear, hear. )
Mr. LESLIE wished to know from the Chairman whether he
refused to put his amendment ?
The CHAIRMAN felt bound to say he could not put it.
Mr. LESLIE said that he would get rid of the objection of
the Chairman by stating that his worthy friend to his right,
Mr. Tufnell, had agreed to be put in nomination, not for the
purpose of being appointed Chairman, buf, merely to raise the
question whether the election of Chairman should be annual or
daily. He also wished to give notice that it was his intention
at another Court to move the alteration of the 17th bye-law.
Sir J. J. HANSLER considered that the Court ought to know
whether the gentleman who had been proposed by Mr. Leslie
would serve if elected.
Mr. BEECH considered that frankness, candour, and English-
like honesty required that the candidate for the Chair should
state whether, if elected, he would serve or not.
Mr. TCFNELL, AI.P., trusted if he was elected that his
conduct would show whether he was willing to serve or not.

The CHAIRMAN said that there could be no doubt that the
course taken by Mr. Leslie was one that was consistent with
the practice of the Court. Another candidate for the Chair
having been named, the only question was as to the day on
which the ballot for the Chairman should take place.
A long discussion took place, which terminated in the fol-
lowing arrangement—that on Friday, the 12th inst , Mr. Leslie
should bring forward his motion for rescinding the 17,h bye-
law with regard to the election of Chairman, and that the
ballot for that election should take place on Friday, the 19th.
Mr. LESLIE gave notice of his intention at the next General
Court to move to rescind the orders of the Special Court of
the 22d of December, 1843, as to the appointments of a new
Assistant-Surveyor and a fourth Clerk of the Works, because—
First, Ihe repeated statements of the late Chairman of the
area of the Eastern, Western, Itanelagh, and Counter's Creek
Districts being 25 square miles, of which the Clerks of the
Works

Alr. Bell has to sup rintend 9 square miles,
Air. Jenkins has to superintend 9 square miles,
Air. Aslat has to superintend

23 square miles,
are most inaccurate, the Chairman being in error in the su-
perficial measurement of the four districts at least 28 millions
of square )ards.
Second, That such appointments by the Special Court afore-
sa;d, if carried out, wouid be illegal, con,rary to the orders of
Court, the statutes, the laws, ordinances, and constitution of
sewers.

The other routine business of the Court having been dis-
posed of, the Court adjourned at a late hour to Tuesday, the
9th, at eleven o'clock, when 3lr. Leslie brings forward his 27
dreaded resolutions for purging the Court of Sewers of many
of its impurities.
Mr. Willoughby was in the chair to the rising of the Court,
Mr. Donaldson did not make his appearance after his retire-
ment in the early part of the day.
From the feeling, exhibited in the Court to-day, if Mr.
Leslie persist in his motion of nominating Mr. Tufnell, there
is every probability of that gentleman filling the most unen-
viable post of Chairman of the Court of Sewers for the City
and Liberty of Wedminster, and part of the county of Mid-
dlesex.

ROYAL TIIANtES YACHT CLurt.—A meeting cf
the members was held on Thursday evening, at the British
Bo' Cockspur. street. Stewards for the forthcoming festival
were appointed. _ _ _

LICENSED 'VICTUALLERS' ASYLUM (OLD KENT-
ROA n).—On Friday the half yearly Court of the Governors of
this charity, which is established fur the benefit of decayed
iicen .id victuallers, was held at the Bridge House Hotel,
Mr. Georga Hedges, President, in the Chair. The mi-
nutes of the several courts that were held during the bear
having been read, and confirmed, Mr. Jones read the report
of the Boars of Management fqr the past year. The
Poard of Management commenced with congratulating the
supporters of the charity on its prosperous condition. His.
Royal Highness Prince Albert, acceding to the earnest soli-
citation of the Board, h d graciou-dy consented to become
the future Patron of the charity in the room of the late
Duke of Sussex. Thus the institution was honoured with
the patronage of her Majesty and her Royal Consort
The subscriptions for the year amounted to 2,218/. 15s. 6d.,
a larger sum than had been subscribed daring the previous
three years. The receipts for the year were 2,6191. Os. 7d.,
and the disbursements reached that amount minus 11. 2s. 9d.
The funded property amounted to 6,4111., producing
2121. 9s. 10d. in dividends. There were in the asylum one
hundred and three inmates, who, in addition to lodging, fuel,
and candle-light, received 6s. and is. a week, the former be-
ing allowed to single and the latter to married persons. The
foilowieg lega, ies had bren bequeathed to the charity :-
19/. I9s. by Mr. Allison, Streatham-place, Brixton ; 1001. by
Mr. Harrison, Paddington ; and 20/. by Mr. Jones, of Bishoph-
gate-street Without. Upon the motion of Mr. :.slunton,
seconded by Mr. Osborne, the Report was adopted. The
vacancies amongst the several officers of the Corporation, were
then filled up, and thanks voted to the Chairman, after whits
the Court was dissolved.
THE HACKNEY CIRRIAGE PROPRIETORS AND THE
mways.—On Friday there was a meeting at the York
Arms, High Holborn, of the hackney carriage and cab pro-
prietors of the metropolis, in pursuance of a requisition, calling
upon all persons whose interests were injured by the present
monopoly of hackney carriage and cab conveyance, carried on
by some of the metropolitan Railway Companies, to attend,with a
view to adopting prompt measures for bringing the subject
under the notice of Parliament early in the ensuing session.
From the statements made by Mr. Philpott, Mr. Powell, Mr.
Yeoman, and other large proprietors, it appeared that, accord-
ing to the opinion of Sir William Follett, the practice of the
various Railway Companies, -of employing vehicles at the
various stations exclusively for their own use, and to the exclu-
sion of those plying on the public stands, was not only illegal,
but rendered the Companies so acting liable to the payment of
the post-horse duty. Interviews had been had by a deputation
from the body with the Commissieners of Stamps and the
Board of Excise, and during the last few days with Sir George
Clerk, Secretary to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury,
who, after paying considerable attention to the case, and stating
that their Lordships were aware of the monopoly complained
of, recommended the deputation to apply to Sir James Gra-
ham, her Majesty's Secretary of State, which will be done in
the course of the ensuing week. The meeting resolved on
drawing up a petition for presentation to Parliament in the en-
suing session, with the view of getting a clause inserted in the
Acts of Parliament regulating hackney carriages and Railway
Companies, to remedy the grievances complained of.
HORRIBLE INFANTICIDE.—The Court of Assizes
of Bouches-du-Rhone was occupied on the 2d ult. with the
trial of the widow Clavelly, aged 62, her daughter Marie
Clavelly, aged 31, and the aunt of the latter, Rosalie Ducros,
aged 60, for having, on September the 22d, murdered a new-
born child by pouring boiling-water down its throat. It
appeared from the evidence that the prisoners all lived together
at Aix, in great respectability, with the mother of the two
elder prisoners, an old woman of 90, whom they treated with
the most filial affection. On the night of the murder the
younger prisoner was suddenly taken ill, and, after an hour
passed in great pain, confessed to her mother and aunt that she
was in labour, and would be soon delivered. The two elder
prisoners were horror-struck at the disgrace thus about to be
thrown en flit family, and they determined to kill the child.
As soon as it was born they poured hot water down its throat,
and then pressed the windpipe until life had fled. They
informed the younger prisoner that the child was dead, and the
aunt went and laid it in the street. Some persons in passing
found it there, and the authorities having been informed of the
circumstance, immediately instituted an investigation, which
brought to light the fact that the younger prisoner was ill, and
had lately been delivered of a child. The family were taken
on.suspicion, and the two elder prisoners confessed that the
child had been made away with by them as stated above. On
the trial, when asked what could have tempted them to commit
such a crime, they declared that "they had lost their senses to
a certain degree in seeing their family dishonou y had
net been moved by any fear of the justice of God,d though they
had dreaded the opinion of men. The jury considering that
nothing had been proved against the younger prisoner acquitted
her, and she was set at liberty after a very affecting address
from the Court. The two other prisoners were found guilty,
end sentenced to imprisonment for ten years, with hard labour
and exponre on the pillory.— Galignanea Alein/t,Yer!

EXTRAORDINARY UPROAR.
LECTURE ON MESMERISM.
On Thursday evening a lecture was given at the Greenwich
Literary and Scientificlnstitution by Mr. Vernon on Mesme-
rism' which has latterly excited great attention, particularly in
that district. At eight o'clock the lecture hall, which will con-
tain upwards of 1,000 persons, was crowded to excess. Amongst
the company were a great number of ladies, several of the
county magistrates, gentry, and professional and scientific men.
On the platform, which was devoted to the lecturer, patients,
and medical gentlemen, who attended to take part in the pro-
ceedings, were Dr. Oak, of Blackheath ; Dr. Purvis, of Green-
wich ; and Messrs. Oak, Mitchell, Sherwin, Atkins, Apple-
ton, Smith, and Addison and Hope, surgeons of the Dread-
nought Hospital ship ; besides a number of medical students
from the London hospitals in the gallery.
Mr. BENNETT, silversmith, of Stockwell-street, Greenwich,
was called to the Chair.
Mr. VERNON then came forward and introduced three mes-
meric patients—namely, the boy Cook, a very intelligent look-
ing youth; a young man, apparently about 20 years of age, and
the very reverse in appearance to Cook ; and a young woman,
about the same age. She was very pale, and having looked
timidly round vat down and appeared to pay great attention to
the lecturer's address.
Mr. Smith, jun., who it will be remembered mesmerised the
boy Cook, was also present.
Alr. VERNON said that, from the great number of persons
present, he felt assured a strong interest was felt on the subject
of mesmerism. The cause which had mere directly brought
him down was the case of the boy Cook, whom he had been
requested to visit, and he now came forward more particularly
to meet the gentlemen of the medical profession, who had so
boldly asserted that it was a delusion from beginning to end.
He had no doubt he should show effects which would convince
any unbiassed mind that mesmerism was not a delusion, but
deserved to be ranked amongst the sciences. He then went
on with a formal lecture on the subject, and was occasionally
saluted with laughter from the medical gentlemen, and on two
or three occasions audible hisses greeted his ears.
The Lecturer then cleared the front of the platform, so that
no persons might touch the patient or be near enough to nega-
tive the mesmeric influence. The female was then seated in
a chair facing the auditory.
Mr. VERNON requested any two or three gentlemen to stand
by during the operations. He hoped to have seen Mr. Hope,
who had so positively denied the existence of mesmeric in-
fluence over the boy Cook, come and defend his assertions if
he could.
There was a general call for Mr. Hope, who, accompanied
by Mr. Addison, another surgeon on board the Dreadnought,
stepped on to the platform.
The LECTURER, in answer to questions, said he had mes-
merised the patient four times before, but never publicly. He
had done so six weeks ago at a private soirée at Dr. Partridge's
in Upper Montague-street.
Dr. OAK said that only a few minutes before the girl said
she had only been mesmerised twice; her memory, therefore,
was, at all events, very defective.—(Hear.)
Mr. MITCHELL—WeII, if there is any truth in the argument,
I ask the lecturer to mesmerise me. As a professional man I
shall be a better patient.—( Laughter.) I must confess I am
sceptical, but if I am wrong I am willing to become a convert
—the test, however, must be my being subjected to the mes-
meric influence, and here I am to submit to it.—( He seated
himself in a chair amidst tumultuous applause, which appeared
at first to astound the operator.
Mr. VERNON appealed to the Chairman whether it could be
expected of him to do any other than appeared in the bills.
He had attended, not of his own accord, but by special
invitation ; neither was he doing it for pecuniary gain.
He had no hand in drawing up the bill, but had prepared
himself to act up to the promise held out in it. He
thought he would be doing sufficient in demonstrating
what he could do, without attempting that which might be
successful, or from many causes an utter failure. It was a
subject which ought to be acted upon with solemnity and calm-
ness, and not in the manner which the gentleman who had
strutted out and thrown himself into antics something amount-
ing to mountebank-ism.—( Hear, hear, and laughter—and " No
shuffling.") The person who cried "no shuffling" had put
himself hors de combat—he kept aloof and proved he could not
approach the subject as a matter of science. With regard to
the gentleman (Mr. Mitchell) he would undertake to say that
on any future occasion he would mesmerise him—if he could.—
( Hear, and laughter.)
Mr. SHERWIN said that by the invitation of the Learned
Professor they had left the pleasures of private life to meet him
on the occasion, and all they asked was a fair opportunity to in-
vestigate the matter.
Mr. V ERNON—Don't call me a learned professor.—( A voice,
" Hold your tongue, don't quarrel; who can go to sleep in such
a noise f")—( Laughter. )
Mr. VERNON—I say it was not my summons for you to
attend. I had no interest in the matter, and have only come
to prove facts within nay own knowledge.—(Hisses, and much
confusion. )
The CHAIRMAN called loudly to order, and begged to know
whether it was desired that the lecture should proceed?
Dr. PURVIS said it was a matter which ought to be met
fairly, calmly, • and dispassionately; and, as Mr. Vernon had
come to oblige, it was not treating him fairly. They could
not tell what those phenomena were, and it was not fair to chal-
lenge him to do what he had not professed.
Order having been restored,
Drs. Purvis and Oak were called 'on by the audience to act
as judges, and give their impartial opinion as to the result of
the experiment.
The Lecturer then made the usual passes, and in less than
one minute the patient was declared by the operator to be in a
state of mesmeric coma.
Mr. Addison and Mr. Sherwin then applied a bottle of strong
ammonia to her nostrils and mouth, for several minutes, and
the patient showed but very slight oppression.
Mr. Sherwin afterwards unclosed her eyelids and introduced
his fingers into her mouth, without any visible effect, but caused
loud cries of " shame " from many persons. On being loudly
called on to state his opinion as to whether the patient was
in a mesmeric trance, he, after sonic ambiguous answers, said
there was more the appearance of a person assuming sleep
than otherwise. She evidently had a will and responded to
the touch.
Mr. VERNON said she was not sleeping the sleep of death,
nor was it pretended that she had no will or imagination; the
real question was, was it a mesmeric or natural sleep. The
test of the strong ammonia which Mr. Sherwin had adminis-
tered at half the strength and applied for half the time, would
have awoke him out of the soundest natural sleep.
Dr. OAK said he had been thirty-five years in the profess:on,
and he hoped he might venture an opinion on the case. He
wished to be convinced whether there was any truth in the
matter, but, looking at the patient, it was evident she was
hysterical, and not in health ; at present she was labouring
under hysteria ; besides that, he had just previously heard her
peak.
Mr. VERNON—Yev, to be sure you did, to me.
Dr. OAK (vehemently).—N. hen I hear the operator speak to
the patient, who answers rationally, how the devil can you
think otherwise than that she is awake ?—(Loud cries of " re-
turn our money," and great confusion. )
Mr. VERNON—Dr. Oak said that from 33 years' experience
he was qualified to decide whether it was a ca,e of mesmerism
or not.
Dr. OAK—I did not say mesmerism. I don't believe in it,
and I won't have words put into my mouth.
Mr. VERNON—It is one of the facts connected with the
phenomena.—( Great uproar, and cries of " you are practising
an absurdity—the imposture is sufficiently apparent," &C.)
The CHAIRMAN—ShaII the meeting be dissolved ? (Up-
roar. ) The lecturer, of course, does not expect to make every
,nan here of the same opinion, but he is entitled to a hearing.
Those who are dissatisfied might have their money returned if
they thought proper to leave.—( Hear. )
Mr. VERNON said he expected to have met with a profes-
sional reception, instead of the uproarious conduct which was
more like that in the gallery of a theatre, than of those met for
the acquirement of scientific knowledge. Whatever the ge-
neral tenor of their minds might be at that time they were not
capable of appreciating any scientific explanation. Unless,
therefore, some pledge was given of more orderly conduct he
would not demean himself by continuing the lecture to
them.—( Great uproar, during which the lecturer led the patient
ff ; he then returned). Such uproar was truly disgraceful.
Ile must be excused, if, after such treatment, he was some-
what excited. He had not run away, but had been perform-
ing an act of common courtesy to a female who had voluntarily
come forward for their information.—( Hear, hear.) She was
not kindly treated by the medical gentleman, and the mes-
meric influence had been partially destroyed.—(Cries of "It's
all a humbug," &c.)
Mr. WADE (of Deptford) said there were two facts which
ought to be stated, which were, that Mr. Vernon had come
forward purely for the sake of truth ; and the next, that the
money received for admission was to go to the institution, and
:at a farthing went to him—( Applause).
order having been in some degree restored, the lecturer
said it was quite impossible for him to say what the mesmeric
phenomena might now be, as he himself had been excited and
flurried by the riot and uproar, and so no doubt had been the
young man whom he was now about to operate on. tie then
made the passes, and after a few contortions of the face he
dropped for a moment apparently in a state of coma, but
startled up and rubbed his eyes. The operator placed his hand
on him, and let him gently down. He frequently started up,
exclaiming "I am so hot—be quiet—let me go—you are
bothering rile about being mesmerised again." He then ap-
parently fell into a state of profound coma, and a lengthened
conversation took place between Mr. Appleton and the lec-
turer as to the tests to be applied. The lecturer said he had
never operated on the lad before, but was told that whilst in
that state he was susceptible of feeling, smell, and partial sight.
fie could, however, be laid in a state of catalepsy, or one arm
could be catalepsed, and there would be a difference in the
pulsation, which he thought would be a sufficient test.
Mr. APPLETON said it would not in his opinion, for he
could by the extension of the muscles of one arm reduce the
pulsation in the other.
Dr. Purvis and Mr. Taylor examined the pulse of each arm,
and the difference when the- left arm was in a state of
catalepsy was four beats in a minute, and when reversed only
two beats. The left arm appeared as immovable as a statue,
but the most magical change took place by the operator pass-
ing his hand slightly down,—it fell instantaneously.
At this juncture, a Mr. Harris, a cabinet-maker, in South-
' street, Greenwich, in a ruffianly way, struck the patient a
tremendous blow on the hand with a stick; the blow sounded
above the buzz and noise of the meeting. In an instant
there was a simultaneous burst of indignation even by those
who had been most prominent in their opposition to the lec-
turer. There were loud cries of " Turn him out," " police,"
" shame, shame," &c., and he was pretty roughly handled.
Several accidental collisions led to the exchange of blows, and
for a few minutes the confusion was indescribable. At length
Harris was taken into custody by the police.
Mr. VERNON again appeared. He said he must absolve
every one in the place of any participation in the dastardly con-
duct of the Party who had struck the inoffensive lad whilst in
such a state ; but he could not think of continuing the lecture
that evening when there was so much excitement, but hereafter
he would meet the gentlemen of the profession and their friends
as many times as they liked, and explain his knowledge, and
would undertake to mesmerise any of their family. Mr. Hope
should even be the agent, and should be able to mesmerise a
person by his Mr. Vernon's, power and communication; the
patient should also disclose the taste of whatever he gave to
Mr. Hope, or Mr. Hope gave to him. He felt certain of the
truth, but could not define it, or reduce it to a principle—it
was like the laws of gravitation, motion, and heat, only known
to exist. Physiology and pathology had been intensely studied
for upwards of 2,000 years, and yet there were doubts. Mes.
merism, therefore, ought not to be condemned as chimerical
without a fair inquiry.—( Applause).
The lecturer then withdrew with his patients. Strange to
say, the lad never flinched under the blow, nor did his hand
show the least mark.
melPMr. HOPE, who wlaeesde
l:tnohneedtfihpreas
stas
uitnot
hgcontradicti
some ot
nh
medicalexistence e
no f,
weraiscpinubfiluicelnycest'a
that the students had come down purposely to create a dis-
turbance, and stop the lecture.

MORTALITY IN THE METROPOLIS.—The number
of deaths during the week ending Dec. 30, was 1,007, exceed-
ing those of the preceding week by 39, and the average at
this season by 60. The increase is chiefly caused by deaths
from scarlatina, hooping cough, croup, bronchitis, and
asthma. Those from pneumonia (inflammation of the
lungs, which some weeks since were nearly 200, have fallen
to 99, only 9 above the average. Deaths from small-pox
are on the increase ; of the 15 persons who died last week 11
had not been vaccinated. The table contains the death of a
man who died at the age of 100 years and 9 months,