Nuisances, and some equally useful advice. Persons
suffering from nuisances removeable by cleansing are
directed to send in a precise complaint of the same to
the Board of Guardians of their parish, whose duty it
will be to investigate the complaint; and if they find
it well-founded, to direct the proper parties to remove
the nuisance, under a penalty of £5. In getting rid of
nuisances removeable by constructing works, complaints
must be made by two householders, and certified to the
Guardians by the medical or relieving-officer of the
union. The Guardians are bound to complain before a
magistrate; who, on hearing after summons, may direct
the removal or the abatement of the nuisance.
Complaints of this kind may also be made to a Town-Council,
and to Paving, Lighting, Cleansing, or Police Commissioners.
The following recommendations are made to
Guardians:—"1. Divide your union among committees
of the Guardians. 2. Give your medical officers assistance,
if you find they require it. 3. Direct your chief
attention to places where epidemic diseases most prevail.
Your medical and relieving-officers know these places.
4. Look to the cleansing of roads, streets, and courts;
and see that Surveyors, Paving and Improvement
Commissioners, and others having by law power to cleanse,
carry out their powers. 5. In their default, or when
they have no power, yourselves see to the cleansing of
such streets, roads, and courts. 6. Appoint a committee
for the receipt of complaints of nuisances, and see that
the proper officer attends to such complaints, and reports
what he does therein. 7. In all cleansing operations,
where foul smells may arise, let disinfectants, such as
fresh earth, quick-lime, peat, charcoal, chloride of lime,
or zinc, be used. 8. Filthy houses should be
limewashed. 9. Direct your medical officers to report to
you any unusual prevalence of bowel complaint or
diarrhœa, and any case of cholera in their respective
districts. 10. On the earliest appearance of choleraic
disease, assemble your medical officers, and carry out, as
far as may seem necessary, the minutes of instruction of
the General Board of Health as to preventive measures,
dispensaries, and medical aid, which minutes have
already been supplied to you by that Board. 11. Make
known your arrangements for relief by plain handbills,
freely circulated. 12. Give warning, by handbills, of
the importance of applying, on the first symptoms of
diarrhœa, to your medical officers, for advice and medicine,
and that the same will be given gratuitously."

The Board of Health has also circulated for general
observance, the following Precautions against Cholera.
—"1. Apply to a medical man immediately in case of
looseness of the bowels, as it may bring on cholera.
2. Do not take salts or other strong medicine without
proper advice. 3. Beware of drink; for excess in
beer, wine, or spirits, is likely to be followed by cholera.
4. Avoid eating meat that is tainted or unwholesome,
decayed or unripe fruit, and stale fish or vegetables.
5. Avoid fasting too long. Be moderate at meals.
6. Avoid great fatigue, or getting heated and then
chilled. 7. Avoid getting wet, or remaining in wet
clothes. 8. Keep yourself clean, and your body and
feet as dry and as warm as your means and occupation
will permit. 9. Keep your rooms well cleaned and
limewashed; open the windows as often as possible;
remove all dirt and impurities immediately. 10. Use
chloride of lime or of zinc to remove any offensive
smells. 11. If there are any dust or dirt heaps, foul
drains, bad smells, or other nuisances in the house or
neighbourhood, make complaint without delay to the
local authorities having legal power to remove them; or
if there be no such authorities, or you do not know who
they are, complain to the Board of Guardians."

The Board of Trade Returns for the month ending
August 5th have been published. Although the increase
in the corresponding month last year showed an improvement
over the preceding year of £1,405,918, the value of
the exports now, as compared with those of 1853, show
a further increase of £377,105. This augmentation is
chiefly in metals; cotton shows no falling-off; and the
only items of an unfavourable character are woollen
manufactures and haberdashery,—a decrease referable
to the reduced consignments to Australia. The total
value for the month is £8,372,191, as compared with
£7,995,086 for the corresponding month in 1853. The
total value of the first seven months of 1854 is £51,805,194
against £49,861,643 in 1853,—an increase of £1,943,551.
With regard to imports, it is remarkable that the supply
of flax and hemp continues to increase notwithstanding
the war.

From census tables of the Population of Ireland for
the last forty-seven years, it appears that the population
steadily increased from 5,395,456 in 1805, to 8,386,940
in 1846; and again fell down to 6,551,970 in 1851.

The report of the parliamentary committee of inquiry
into the Irregularities in Conveyance of Mails by
Railways has been published. The inquiry originated
in numerous complaints from various parts of the
kingdom. A committee of nineteen members was
appointed, consisting of gentlemen well versed in railway
matters: amongst them were the Marquis of
Chandos, Mr. James MacGregor, and Mr. Laing,
actually engaged in the management of lines; Mr.
Henry Liddell, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Alexander Hastie,
Mr. Horsfall, Mr. Wilson Patten, Mr. Henry Herbert,
Mr. Cowan, Mr. Wilson, and other members of the
committee, are all practically familiar with the details
of the railway system as developed in the localities
with which they are more immediately connected.
The inquiry extended into the causes of irregularity in
the conveyance of mails by railways, into the best mode
of securing speed and punctuality, and of remunerating
railway companies for their services. The committee,
relying upon time-tables for October, November, and
December 1853, report, that "upon nearly all the
principal lines of railway considerable irregularity has
prevailed." One of the witnesses examined as to the
state of matters in the Newcastle district stated, that
"no one knows to within two hours at what period he
may receive his letters." The causes are not so
frequently detected. The post-office authorities are
inclined to lay the blame upon the railway companies,
the railway companies throw it upon the post-office.
Other opinions assign the irregularities to the want of
controlling power on the part of the post-master general;
others to the physical effects of winter. The committee
leave the question undecided, but make suggestions
calculated to give the postal arrangements freer play.
One is, that in devising arrangements with railway
companies, the question of profit or loss to the post-
office be deemed secondary to the public convenience;
and that means be taken in the shape of an annual
return to convince the public that this view has been
acted upon. It is also proposed that deductions be
claimed from railway companies for irregular arrivals;
and further—"That the postmaster-general should be
authorised to require for mail-trains such a rate of speed
as he may deem desirable; subject, however, to its
being certified by the railway department of the Board
of Trade in such cases to be consistent with safety.—
That mail-guards, travelling by trains as second-class
passengers, should be empowered to deliver and receive
bags at the various stations.—That railway companies
should be directed to deliver post-office bags sent as
parcels to the post-office servants at their stations; and
that it be matter of arbitration whether or not any
addition or reduction should be made to or from the
usual rate of charge for carrying such parcels in respect
to any profit or cost which would accrue to the railway
company from the delivery of such parcels.—That power
should be given to the post-office to erect machinery for
delivering and receiving bags to and from passing trains
whenever it may be thought necessary for the public
service, and where it is consistent with safety." The
mode of adjusting the allowances to railway companies
for postal services is not satisfactory to either party;
and there is reason to apprehend that the public have
suffered in consequence. Delay in awarding the
allowance, and much uncertainty as to its amount, are
the reverse of favourable to the securing of good and
ready service. "Instances were adduced to your
committee of awards not being completed within several
years of the time at which the arbitrators were
appointed, owing to the non-agreement of the arbitrators
in the choice of an umpire. The debt from the post-
office to the railway companies remained in the mean
time unpaid; in one instance the sum of £28,000, and in
another of £140,000, was due when the decision of the