The Sun. — 1865-09-05 (London, England)

DERBY. 100 to 7 agst Lord Lyon (offered) 25 to 1 agst Rustic (taken) 40 to 4 agst Primate (taken) 100 to 1 agst Esca (taken)  Prevention of Child Murder.  Yesterday evening a meeting of ladies and gentlemen interested in this subject was held in the large hall of the Gray's-inn Hotel, Holborn, for the purpose of considering what steps could be adopted to arrest the progress of infanticide now so fearfully prevalent throughout the country.  The Rev. Dr. KISSEN, who was called to the chair, said he had passed many years in Ceylon, where chid murder prevailed, but on returning home ho found the state of things much worse in England. Looking at the question in its social aspects ho had become painfully impressed with the necessity of taking immediate steps to arrest the progress of the evil.  - Dr. W. 11. CLARKE, Recorder of Rangoon, said he had spent nearly 25 years as a magistrate and judge, and had seen a vast deal of crime of the nature they were about to consider. When ho canto back to this country in April last, his attention was directed to the cases of infanticide which appeared in the paper; and he determined to devote the remainder of his " leave" to a mitigation of the evil. In Bengal, Ceylon, and Burmah, he had seen children thrown to the pigs, and those pigs afterwards used for human food, but things more intolerable even than that had coma to his knowledge since he had been in London. Since ho inserted an advertisement a week since on this subject in the public papers he had received upwards of a thousand letters from English ladies and gentlemen containing many valuable suggestion; and convincing him that the minds of large numbers had been painfully impressed with the importance of the subject. His first impression was that revolving boxes should bo established as in France for the reception of infants, but after fully considering the matter in all its bearings he had been compelled very reluctantly to abandon his faith in that scheme, inasmuch as it would lead to an increase of immorality, and involve an expense which no society would be able to maintain. What he had in view mainly was the welfare of the children, although he could not exclude from view the welfare of the mothers, or the punishment of the wicked fathers. As the law at present stood, they had a compulsory registration of births, and if a woman concealed the birth of a child she was liable to severe punishment. He would sugthat there should be a registration of pregnancy, and that every woman should be bound to register herself three or four months before the anticipated birth of her child. It would be a bold step to take, but it would prove an effectual means towards getting at the fathers of illegitimate children, and rendering them liable for their support. In the next place, he would alter the law of affiliation, for it was a disgraceful thing that a man who had sinned in this way should only be liable to the payment of half-a-crown a week. Further, ho would suggest that there should be in London a hospital to be open_ night and day for young women whose peril was near upon them. He threw out these hints for consideration, but he would willingly give his cordial service towards the promotion of any scheme andto be to a givec credit e d ut nt 0 h that might be devised for lessening the temptation on the • part of mothers to murder their children, l ft o reati,urhiect aotueßn, ectl‘rty.i .d jr.e children chancerlueic LoEfy m.A.7 incumbent of St. Mary's, Paddington, thought that it Ivould be unattvisable to adopt any course that would run counter to the prejudices of the public, and ho was of opinion that a proposition for registering pregnancy would be a very startling thing indeed. At the same time he considered it to be very necessary that some means should be adopted for pursuing the fathers of illegitimate children, and compelling them to bear their share of the expense. Mr. Charles Hole (head master of the Brixton Collegiate School), Mr. Stamp, Mr. Thomas, Mr. J. Irving Scott, and several other gentlemen made suggestions, and it was agreed that it would not be well at that time to pass any resolutions, but to wait to ascertain more fully the views of the public on the matter, so that it might be pressed upon the attention of the Government. The meeting was accordingly adjourned until Wednesday, the 4th of October,  The Harvest.