if attainable, lies almost entirely at the discretion of
the classes subject to their operation. Considering all
these causes, and the needless waste of life occasioned
by them, I can have little doubt that as much might be
done by individuals, under the influence of improved
education, to lessen the mortality from chronic disease,
as by sanitary legislation to stay the sources of epidemic
death. And, regarding both classes of disease together,
those on the one hand which are of endemic origin,
(arising in imperfect drainage, in defective water-supply,
in ill-devised arrangement of buildings, in offensive
and injurious trades, in the putrefaction of burial-
grounds, and the like,) with these classes on the other,
which arise in the circumstances of individual life, I
can have no hesitation in estimating their joint operation
at a moiety of our total death-rate, or in renewing an
assertion of my last year's report. If the deliberate
promises of science be not an empty delusion, it is
practicable to reduce human mortality within your
jurisdiction to the half of its present average prevalence."

The annual Cattle Show of the Smithfield Club was
opened on the 9th inst. It was slightly deficient in
numbers compared with that of last year, but superior
in every other point of excellence. The yearly dinner
took place on the following day at Freemason's Tavern,
the Duke of Richmond in the chair. The committee
have decided that, in future, premiums shall be given
for beasts classified according to breed: a perfect
revolution in the plan of exhibition, the Smithfield Club
having hitherto been the only club which lumped all
breeds together, in order to bring the best animals to
the top place without reference to breed.

A conference of gentlemen interested in the
establishment of Preventive and Reformatory Schools was
held in Birmingham on the 10th inst. The chair was
occupied by Mr. M. D. Hill, the recorder of the borough,
and representatives from London, Liverpool, Bristol,
Reading, Ipswich, Preston, Aberdeen, and many other
places of importance, were present. The chairman, in
introducing the business of the conference, dwelt at
considerable length upon the necessity of taking steps
for the prevention of juvenile crime, and lamented that,
as a criminal judge, he was compelled to administer a
revengeful system of criminal jurisprudence. Mr. Power,
the recorder of Ipswich, gave some interesting details
with respect to the success of reformatory instructions.
He instanced fifteen thieves, some of whom were the
cleverest and most accomplished ones in England, all
of whom had become reformed, and were now
industrious and honest members of society. He concluded
by moving the following resolution: "That the present
condition and treatment of the perishing and dangerous
classes of children and juvenile offenders deserve the
consideration of every member of a Christian
community." Other resolutions, declaratory of the views
of the conference, were moved by Mr. W. Whitmore
and deputies from various parts of the country, and
agreed to. A public meeting, in furtherance of the
objects of the conference, was held at Dee's Royal Hotel
the same evening.

The National Association "for the Protection of
Industry and Capital throughout the British Empire,"
held a meeting on the 12th, at the London Tavern. The
Duke of Richmond took the chair, and was supported
by Lords Malmesbury, Stanhope, Glengall, and a few
more of the ultra-protectionists. The sentiments
expressed at the meeting were fully in accordance with
the well-known character of the speakers, and the
resolutions passed were of the usual kind; one, however,
was special, recognising the superlative merits of
Mr. Geo. Fred. Young, to whom a five-shilling dinner
was afterwards given by his admirers.

New works of Water Supply and Drainage for the town
of Croydon were opened to the public on the 11th
instant, with much ceremony; the Archbishop of
Canterbury coming from the archiepiscopal palace in the
neighbourhood, at the head of the local clergy and the
local Board of Health, to deliver an address, and to open
the valve which allowed the first flow of water. At
a dinner, in the evening, some imporant statistics were
given:—"The water-supply of the metropolis, taking
three average London parishes, supplied by trading
companies, is £3 a-year per house, or 1s. 2d. per week,
the supply being intermittent, and polluted by cisterns;
whereas at Croydon it will be supplied at 12s. per annum
per house, being equal to 3d. per week, free from all
impurities, well aërated and fitted for immediate use at
table. The works are provided for the progressive
increase of the town; and on doubling the present
population, the cost will be but 1½d. per house per week
generally, and 1d. per week to the poorer houses. The
present cost of drainage in the metropolis is about £2
per house per year, or 9¼d. per week; the total cost of
the Croydon drainage will average 5s. 6d. per house
per year, or 1¼d. per week. It is hoped that there will
not be in Croydon a single cess-pool, offensive gully-
trap, or drain, within or near the habitations. The
cost of the Croydon Public Health Act was £103; whilst
the taxed costs for the act for each private town during
the sessions of 1849 and 1850 averaged £2000 each. The
next work will be for applying sewage manure to
agricultural purposes."

The number of telegraphic stations now open, and in
connection with the London station of the Electric
Telegraph Company, in Lothbury, amounts to 226,
embracing all the principal towns in the kingdom;
between which commercial and private despatches are
transmitted and answers obtained in a few minutes.
Nearly seventy are principal commercial stations, at
which the attendance is what is called constant, that is
to say, day and night. Additional electric cables are
about to be laid down between England and France.
The electric telegraph is also to be stretched across to
Ireland. Active measures are already on foot to
accomplish the work. The length of each single cable
will be about sixty miles.

PERSONAL NARRATIVE.

The Queen and Prince Albert with the royal family
have returned from Osborne to Windsor Castle. The
Duchess of Kent has taken up her residence at Frogmore.
Her Majesty's Royal Charities to nearly one thousand
of aged poor at this season have been distributed at the
Almonry, in Whitehall, under the authority of the
Lord Bishop of Oxford, Lord High Almoner. The
Balmoral estate, recently purchased by the Queen,
extends fully seven miles in length by four in breadth,
and includes the best deer-range in the Grampian chain.
The purchase-money agreed on, is £31,500.

The Lord Primate of Ireland, late Vice-chancellor of
the University of Dublin, has been elected Chancellor
of the University in the room of the King of Hanover;
and the new Chancellor has appointed Lord Chief
Justice Blackburn to the Office of Vice-chancellor.

Three thousand pounds have been subscribed to
raise the "George Stephenson Testimonial"; and it
has been decided, in consonance with the feelings of
Mr. Robert Stephenson, to place the statue in the
court-yard of the Euston station of the North-western
Railway.

Sir Robert Peel announces that his entire stud is to
be sold by auction, by Messrs. Tattersall and Son. In
the advertisement announcing the sale, it is stated that
Sir Robert "is declining hunting with the Atherstone
hounds, in consequence of the unsportsmanlike conduct
and political animosity, even in the hunting-field, of
certain Protectionist farmers."

Messrs. Smith & Son, of the Strand, have taken possession
of the Book and Newspaper Stalls at the stations
of the South-Western Railway. An immense and very
valuable stock of books, of a superior class, has been
placed on the line.

Sir. E. N. Buxton has given the sum of £250 towards
the establishment of the proposed new bishopric in the
colony of Sierra Leone.

Obituary of Notable Persons.

MARSHAL SOULT died on the 26th of last month, at the
Chateau of Salt-Berg, near his native place, St. Amand, in the
department of the Tarn, where he was born on the 29th of
March, 1769, in the same year as the Emperor Napoleon, the
Duke of Wellington, Cuvier, and several more illustrious men.

REAR-ADMIRAL GAGE NORRIS died on the 24th ult., at
Beverley, Yorkshire, at the age of 82. He had served nearly
sixty-five years.