The Press. — 1855-12-22 (London, England)

DECEMBER 22, 1855.  AT AN INQUIRY, held before Mr. Wakeley, on Friday, to investigate the circumstances attending the death of a person wile had suffered from a peculiar affection of the lungs, in some points similar to the alleged disease of which the Emperor Nicholas died, the coroner, in remarking upon the case, observed : In the case of the Emperor Nicholas, his death was put down to paralysis of the lungs and bronchitis, which, ac• cording to the symptoms described, was known by us medi• cal men to have been impossible, and to have been stated only to deceive the public mind. The official document describing the Emperor's death stated that, at the last he took leave of his family with a firm voice, a proceeding physically impossible if he was suffering from the disease stated in the certificate of death. The belief, therefore, on the minds of the medical men in this country was, that the Emperor was poisoned ; and that is my own opinion—not, at the same time, that he was poisoned by those about him, but that he committed suicide.  AT A MEETING OF THE STATISTICAL SOCIETY OD Monday Mr. Guy, surgeon to King's College Hospital, read a paper on " The Benefits Conferred by Hospitals to the Working Classes." From a want of system, it appears, accurate statistical returns of the number of persons relieved by the London hospitals during the year are not generally obtainable ; but the records of the King's College Hospital having been faithfully kept, Mr. Guy proceeded to prove that the larger proportion of patients attending were not from the poor and destitute, but from working men and women in receipt of good wages. Upon this fact Mr. Guy, regarding hospitals as institutions only for the relief of the poor and destitute, proceeded to argue in favour of making some slight charge for medicines supplied to out-patients in work, and stated his intention of making the trial at King's College Hospital, which trial, he was assured, would not be regarded unfavorably by the persons rAieved. THE EAST INDIA COMPANY held their usual Quarterly Court of Proprietors on Wednesday at the Indiahouse, Mr. Macnaughten in the chair. In the course of the proceedings Mr. Lewin moved : That, in the opinion of this court, the present system of Indian government is unsuitable for its purposes ; that it assures neither efficiency, responsibility, nor redress ; that under it the grossest abuses are permitted to exist unchecked throughout our Indian territories; that the sole medium of placing our Indian administration on an intelligible basis is a perfect transfer to the Crown, by which the jumble of two authorities (being, as respects each other's powers, unknown quantities) will be abated, and the needless expense of the Leadenhall•street este:)• lishment saved to the territorial revenues of India. Mr. Lewin described the present position of the directors as one without power or influence • they served only "24 a cloak to the irresponsible despotism of the Board of Control." They redressed no grievances, but committed aggressions, and obtained by this system of double government a secrecy which escaped responsibility. After a brief discussion the motion was negatived. AuitimisravrivE TtEFORM was the subject of a lecture given by a Mr. Moore, under the patronage of the Rdformers at Crosby-hall, on Monday night. Mr. Moore commenced by reviewing the conduct and cost of the present war, and quoted the Civil Service commissions to prove that men are not appointed to their places from ability but from interest. Mr. Moore then expatiated largely upon the evils of such a system, and proposed an open competitive examination as the best remedy for the Administrative Re formers to support. In the course o 1 his remarks Mr. Moore read a long list of names of grocers, carriers, cutlers, bakers, and others, inhabitants of " Happy Wells," who, in return for their electioneer ing support, had lately received appointments from Mr. Hayter. FATHER GAVAZZI delivered a lecture on the Austrian Concordat at SL Martin's-hall on Monday. He said that the Emperor of Austria, by this Concordat, had voluntarily renounced all the religious freedom gained for the Austrian empire by her ancestors, in the hope of renewing the moral supremacy of Austria in Germany. Referring to the various provisions of the Concordat, the lecturer pointed out their ultimate debasing effect upon the growth of Europe, and ended with a passionate exhortation, strongly condemning the policy of Lord John Russell and Lord Palmerston in Italy, and entreating his audience to narrowly watch every attempt of the Romish Church to spread its influence in this country.