Star.
London, England, 1831-06-18 00:00:00

SPIRIT OP THE JOURNALS.

TINES.—One of the great dutles of a Government is to
attend to every thing which can affect the health of the nom.
inanity. It is bound to take an the measures of precaution
in its power to prevent the spread of contagious diseases, or
to allay those alarms respecting them, which may themselves
be considered as a species of contagion. In thus acting for
the public, a prudent and wise Administration must, in the
first instance, proceed upon the best information which it can
obtain from the most competent portion of the profession,
and afterwards institute those inquiries which are best cake.
!Med to give the profession itself new means of forming a cor-
rect opinion, or of employing better modes of cure..—
Both these purposes seem to have been answered by
the steps which Government has pursued respecting
the cholera morbus. This epidemic has approached too near
to us to allow us to neglect its symptoms. It possesses too
many characters of contagion to warrant us in despising the
usual mesas of precaution, and its type and mode of treat-
ment in countries so remote from its origin as the north of
Europe from India, are too doubtful and uncertain to permit
us to rest satisfied with the experience or suggestions of fo.
reign physicians. It is, therefore, with pleasure that we
announce the departure today of a medical commission for
Rigs, to examine the nature of the disease, to inform Go-
vernment of its character and to suggest the best means of
guarding this country against its introduction or ravages, if
they should consider it infectious. It is not for us to yen.
lure any opinion upon a medical subject on which the prefer.
lion are so much divided ; but if we were to judge from the
history and progress of the Indian cholera towards the west
—by the course of rivers, in the tract of caravans, of by
the medium of sea-ports—without observing any line of la-
titude, without following the course of the tatk-winds, tee
being regulated by any degree of temperature, we should say
that the evidence lies on the side of contagion. At any rate,
• prudent government ought rather to employ an nuns of
caution, than to expose the public health to the least hazard.
HERALD.—Having been among the first to call the at.
tendon el the public and of the Government to the necessity
of providing against the introduction of the Indian cholera
into this country, we feel that we shall still be serving the
best Interests of humanity if we confess oar pausal= that
es
yet no misquote means have been resorted to for that
purpose. As for meetings of the College of Physicians upon
the occasion, greatly as we value the skill and talents elitist
erudite body in all natters in which they have bad expen.
ma, cholera happily being one in which they have none
their opinion can be of no great weight, and we do not, there:
fore, wonder to find it stated that they have contented them-
selves with announcing it as their opinion, that the disease
an be communicated fromant Lerson to but not by
mesas of merchandise; an o ion which, fi if true, is nale
or no practical value, if erroneous on the latter
point (which there is but too much reason to believe to be
the cups,) may be predacity* of infinite mischief. The
lath It, prevention and cure, though both equally valuable,
are duties which must be to • very diabase de.
scriptien of persons. The one to the Goverment,
the other to the doctors. The first of these is the main
point, and the one to which, we think, nothing like so&
dent amen don has yet been paid. This may perhaps arise
from the little experience we have happily had in sath dan-
gers, as well as from the freedom of our institutions, which
seem inconsistent with the arbitrary exercise of authority
which is called for in such cases. When we bear, for
instance, of vessels coming from infected ports being
enabled to pass the quarantine station in the night,
and boldly sail up into the heart of the metropolis rues.
mnina, surely something more must be wanted for our se-
curity than what has been yet resorted to; and bower,: in.
convenient the restraints upon commercial and social inter.
course may be, not a day, not an hour, should be lost in es.
tablishing an ample coast-guard at the mouths of all rivers
and harbours where the most remote possibility) exists of the
fettering. And as for the College of Physicians, or
plague
eal men in general, the best thing probably they can do
for the country Is, that a sufficient number of them should
be despatched to acquire on the spot a knowledge of the
nature and cure of the disease, with an (ample remuneration
secured to them in proportion to the hazard to which they
will be exposed.

POST.—The Paris Papers inform us of the renewal of
disturbances in that city and other parts of Prance, obvi.
ously preparatory to the grand effort, at another revolution
(far Utter than the last) on the occasion of the celebration of
the "glorious" events of July, 1830—events which have
plunged that devoted country into a state of almost general
• y, frightful misery, and universal distress. From
such adeplorable state of things the toise nun now at
the bend o affairs feel tin:r utter incapability of relieving
the notice; and as they cannot restore the lost comforts, they
seem disposed to gratify the furious passions of the
by seeking a preference foe war. In pursuance of CPO:
jut, they Mkt to have discovered something in a St. Peters.
burgh parr reflecting on the conduct of the Government of
Frans% and have, therefore, peremptorily demanded an ez•
girwhich appears for the present to have in some
sepideted the evil spirits of Franco, while It hes
to the commercial embarrassments of the country sad
depuesinhal the value of all public securities. Of the ptedse
name of the complained of article in the St. Petershargb
rag we are not informed, but as far as we are able to
elf it from the mention already made, it amounts to
um than an assertion of an obvious truth, that
thereon at this time numerous French emissaries In Russia,
ensesseglng the spirit of insurrection in the several provinces
Weddell apes Island, without the most distant insinuation
of the immaihwiss alluded to being employed by the Go-
v/mom* of Trance.

HERALD.—The French Journals of Wednesday: and
Thursday from which we have already given extracts in our
paper of yesterday, represent the capital as in a state of WO
tumult, and the provinces as in a fever of excitement--
The funds, which are ever smithies to the least u::.
gales the public rand. had ben depressed. sod
6a hope if these who had looked forward to a continuance
draw, bad biome much weakened by meat events. The
Orranwasat sue to lave lost all the diawatoe fee vipor
aied Immo with width they lot oat, and whisk 111.
Polo usielis pa:desks hero at the cearnewownwa it his
Adadabloalha. Upoa oval iddb. provocation now ihs Is*
tel M wads ell if essumoisse of the meet 'elm
?•11111: the Mihail de sot appear to act with any end
se WA 011irnise of thaw hmalts ; and we we eves Mid
tbattboy abeishi two gulag ameetejewr a anwiesatess
that then wodd be se hit poops* et &labia' suoiedes
tin mooed isdichiedi at the hods et Jake is the Oars.
fle elahoode Ms the vadeosse se the Miehay bow* dot
tie NEW due dpanne who awswel• at idpbs the
Wesel, ts &sub the peace, awes tie no t"
Plinks Or do Quote, is eget by dawns se Mob the
aaydual if sea et thole anasadassa she *Or Nil °I
SOWS Nashua Grad bad tampoost se his duty r We'
had. Thin Is a state stab's whida end, ono lest'