The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-03-03

RIcHnosD, March Sd, 1858.

RICHMOND, March Cd, 1858.
10 he EIifor Of The Dispatrh:
/ was rather amused than otherwise, at the
House Of Delegates on Monday. in hearing Mr..
Raymond OF Marion. declare as proof Of the aeyo,
tioa Of the Northwest 20 Virginia. sthat the people
of his section would brave the cismate Of Nor
foIk in defence of Virginia rights
The snpposition Of the gentleman that the eli
mate Of Norfolk is extremely unhealthy Is very
natural 10 person unacquaintea with that loeali-
ty. IL evidently arose from the excessive mortai-
ty of the militia stationed at Norfolk In the Of
1872. II should be recollecteds however, that the
general prevalence ofsickness among the militia NJ
that time was a natural consequences of their ex-
posnres, aud the usual iBdiscretions Of men unac-
eastomed TO military rule. The impression Of gen-
eral nnheaithiBess was probably further Increased
by the mortality sf 1855. OF the latter, however,
Se nave abundant proof, that this epidemic "a
nater Oh accidental propagatiou--fhat most of the
deaths occurred from want of familiarity with the
disease united with the panic, and that there il
nothing TO justify the conclusion. that the same
disease would not have been fatal IN any other
.sanosla locality. In proofoi this may cite the
sane sweeping mortality in South Brooklyn last
yeat, tnongh in high Northern cIirses and a
n'gh and dry location, aud which wss only
hep. i' from extending TO The city of New York. by
sne @ e1raordinary exertions made to check it, and
tue presence OF an early frost.
Win the exception of the two sickIy per;odz
spoken OF Norfolk can be shown TO be one uf the
heaithlest cities of the Union. The bills of NOR
t.'9 i"f the last two years show that with pop-
a'ation oi seventeen or eighteen thousand, the ay-
efage deaths from all causes-whiie and black
was less than one day OF the oumber of admit.
VINO oied IN this period majority we're over fittv
seats oi age. and large proportion be etyeen
eishty and hundred aud five years There are
now large number of citizens who are between
eighty ana hundred years old who may be seen
any day walking the streets Some years since a
trisi was held in Norfolk, ia which the pIaiptisf
anu ueiendant were both over ninety-ope of The
.wo witnesses seventy-three and the other one
INJURED and i've. The very appearance of opr
peopie confirms the statistics above given. we
Eau snow scores of natives of the city who are M
isl more than average proportions Few cities can
, ,no" larger proportion of 'jolly fat men" or
larger number of ladies, in whose ccuntenancss
tne rose and lilly are beautifully and healtbf,i,s
blended. believe Old Point Comfort. within sf.,
minutes ride of Norfolk, to be the healthiest snot
on the Continent spo'
liz full confidence then, that We ca prove 70 the
representative OF Marion, that he has made great
mistake IN supposing that "braving the climate
OF Norfolk" would be considered an ext,ym, ilJnS.
tratleu of his devotion to the Old Dominion T
most cordially invite him, and ali who think as
be does, to pay Norfolk a visit aud Judge far him.
self whether or Dot these things be So
Your uniform readiness to do ample iustics 10
our city, sir. embOldens me in asking that the
Dispatch be made the medium of putting "these
facts before the people," and the invitation before
the gentleman to whom 1t is addressed, by
CITIZEN OF NORFOLK.