The Sun. — 1860-11-19 (London, England)

ALARMING INCREASE OF CHILD MURDER.  On Saturday, at the weekly meeting of the Marylebone Representative Council, held at the Court-house, Mr. Churchwarden Charles Carr in the chair, the subject of the large increase of the crime of child-Murder, more especially in Marylebone, was brought under consideration by some remarks contained in the monthly report of Dr. R. D. Thomson, the medical officer of heallh. In reporting various deaths from drowning in the Regent's Canal and Ornamental Waters, Regent'spark, Dr. Thomson stated that one was the body of a newly-born infant, " wilfully murdered," and then proceeded to make the following remarks : " I have not learned that any furthersteps have been taken respecting these cases. Surely, if there were a public prosecutor it would be his duty to endeavour to discover the perpetrators of murders, or in the absence of such a functionary, is there no one to investigate judicially such cases of child-murder as form the opprobrium of our parish month by month? Ten instances of murder and manslaughter of infants are recorded in my annual report for 1859, and I have not heard of a conviction having taken place in the case of any of the murderers. Surely if these crimes are not detected, something should be done to investigate and modify their causes." The rector, the Rev. E. J. P. EYRE, said that Dr. Thomson's report afforded matter for. very serious reflection. The parish of Marylebone had obtained unenviable notoriety for the number of murders of children which took place within its boundary, and surely it was their duty to see if some steps could not be taken to check the evil. He would move, " That a memorial be presented to the Secretary of State for the Home Department requesting him to take some steps for ascertaining whether a course could not be adopted fer checking the crime of infanticide."  Mr. HODGES said he would second this motion, but he could not admit that these cases were confined to Marylebone, as he saw from the papers that the crime of child-murder was on the increase equally in all other parts of the metropolis. No doubt great facilities were afforded by the Regent's Canal and the ornamental waters for the purpose of concealing crimes which were concocted and effected in other places. Mr. HALLAM could not be a party to this motion, because he apprehended that it might interfere with the jurisdiction of the Coroner's Court. There could be no doubt but that it would be most desirable to check, as far as possible, the crime of child murder, but he could not believe that this resolution would be productive of much good. Mr.. GREENWELL, the vestry clerk, said the difficulty in respect to these cases on the part of the Coroner's Court was, that that Court, after having once recorded its verdict of " Wilful murder," had no power itself to follow up the inquiry by any further action.  The Rev. RECTOR said if the Coroner's Court had not the power, there ought to be some step taken by the Legislature upon the subject, as the present system had a tendency to raise and foster the crime of infanticide. He (the Rev. Rector) did not mean to say that all the cases of infanticide brought before the coroner in Marylebone were perpetrated in that parish, but he could not shut his eyes to the fact, that with regard to the produce of illegitimate children, the evil was very great, and he regretted to say that that Garish held an awful pre-eminence over every other in the crime of infanticide. The resolution was put and carried unanimously.