The Press. — 1858-10-09 (London, England)

STATISTICS OF SUP-IDE, from which we coiled the following, are furnished in the able report of the Registrar-General, just published. In the five years, 185'2.56, 5,415 persons put a period to their earthly career by self-destruction—viz., 3,886 males and 1,529 females. The annual average of mate suicides is 777.2, and that of females 3058. The general average shows that upwards of 1,000 persons put an end to their sufferings by committing suicide in every year of grace. The lowest, number of suicides was 1,031 in 1853, and the highest 1,182 in 1856. Poisoning being the easiest is a common but by no means a general means of self-destruction. The favourite poisons are arsenic, opium, laudanum, prussic acid, the most rapid in its action, and essential oil of bitter almonds. It is a remarkable fact that female suicides manifest a strange predilection for the very painful irritant poison called oxalic acid. As many as thirty-four were so foolish as to choose this compound of oxygen and carbon, while only fifteen males resorted to it. On the other hand sixty-seven men resorted to hydrocyanic acid and thirty-three to the oil of bitter almonds, while only eight women had resolution to swallow the former fatal poison and eighteen the latter. Strychnia was use 1 by one man and one woman, and in one case camphor was used. But hanging is by far the most general mode of suicide, for nearly half the annual average of suicides terminate their miserable lives by suspension. Cut throats and drowning stand next in the order of frequency; B.loths of all the suicides are committed in one of these three ways. Asphyxia proper, or suffocation by the fumes of charcoal, is by no means a favourite mode of suicide here, as in France. The greatest number of suicides occur between the ages of thirty-five and forty -five. Thirtythree persons of both sexes committed suicide at ten years of age, and fourteen persons of both sexes at the sge of eighty-five. THE COPYRIGHT CONGRESS AT BRUSSELS, OD the question of international copyright, has concluded its sittings, and the results may be thus briefly stated :1. International admission of the right of literary and artistic copyright, with or without reciprocity. 2. The establishment of a uniform law, that protection to the produce of intellect may be universal. 3. Complete equality between native and foreign authors. 4. A simplification of the formalities re quired for an author to publish his work in a foreign country. That is to say, that the fact of his having complied with the requirements in his own country shall be sufficient. 5. Dramatic works and musical compositions to be placed on the same footing as literary works, as regards copyright. 6. An author's or compositor's right over the representation or performance of his works. 7. Works of design, painting, sculpture, architecture, and engraving to be placed on the same footing as regards copyright as works of literature. 8. Au abolition or, at least, a reduction of Customs dues on all works of genius. The principle of perpetuity in literary anti artistic copyright was rejected by a large majority. The King and the Duke of Brabant attended the third sitting of the Congress, and appeared to take • great interest in the proceedings.