MR. COBDEN'S EPISTLE TO JOSEPH STURGE.

"My dear Sturge—I regret my inability to accept the invitation to the Con- gress at Brussels; but I beg you to be the bearer in my best wishes for the suc- cess of your peaceful demonstration. My opinion is asked upon three proposi- tions which are to be submitted to the Congress.

" The expediency of recommending the insertion of an arbitration clause in all international treaties, by which questions of dispute shall be settled by media- tion.' I cordially approve of this proposition; but may I be allowed to suggest, that it will be better to recommend that treaties be entered into for the express purpose of binding the contracting nations to submit their future quarrels to the decision of arbitrators? I do not think that it would be easy to find an object more worthy of a separate treaty than that which is contemplated in this clause.

"2. The propriety of establishing a congress of nations to form an inter- national code.' Until I hear the arguments upon which it is founded, I shall be in doubt as to the policy of this recommendation.

"3. To recommend, as a matteeof primary importance, general disarmament to the several Governments of Christendom.' I hope the Congress will try to open the eyes of all the nations of Europe to the enormous expense and waste occasioned by their standing armaments. To accomplish this object, you need only publish in the different Continental languages a few simple facts. When I was last year travelling over the Continent, 1 took some pains to be correct in the following statistical details. Bear in mind, that no revolutionary symptoms had then appeared, and that the armaments have been everywhere increased during the present year. I estimated the total effective force of the regular armies of Europe in 1847, including that of Great Britain, to amount to upwards of 2,200,000 men, and the number employed on board ships of war to exceed 150,000; making together 2,350,000 regular soldiers and sailors. The national guards of France and Switzerland, the landwehr of Germany, and other bodies liable to temporary military service, I put down, at a very moderate estimate, at 1,000,000. Add to these the armed police, civic guards, gens-d'armerie, and customhouse 0. trmers, and you will have a total of nearly 4,000,000 of men with arms in their mut4s. Bat, confining our attention for a moment to the 2,350,000 regular soldiers and sailors: this is called the peace establishment; but I doubt whether, in the most active period of Napoleon's wars, there was so large an effective armed force in Europe. There might have been a greater number on paper, but a far larger proportion was in hospital, or rendered non-effective from other causes. It is not easy to compute the precise cost of these armaments. If the total -expense on the Continent bore the same proportion per head as in England, (but this would be an exaggerated estimate,) the direct charge for the regular forces alone would amount to 250,000,0001. per annum. There is, however, a very large expense incurred for maintaining and repairing fortified places on the Continent, from which England is in a great measure exempt. Then we must bear in mind, that the men who are thus wholly withdrawn from productive labour are all in the vigour and prime of life; and, assuming that they would be capable of pro- dueiog, in agriculture or manufactures' wealth to the amount of 501. a year each a very moderate estimate, it amounts to an additional loss of 100,000,000 livres per annum. I have put down nothing for the cost of the arms and accoutre- ments of the National Guards and Landwehr, or for the value of the labour which they withdraw from private pursuits and devote to occasional military ser- vices. Without attempting any exactness in my estimate I will obviate all ob- jections by understating the case; and therefore shall content myself by asserting, that the cost of the standing armaments of Europe, exclusive of police, amounts to more than two hundred millions sterling a year. This enormous burden must have greatly aggravated the sufferings of the industrious populations during the late bad seasons, and may have partly caused that discontent which has so often ended in revolution.

" It may be objected that I appeal to low motives in thus dwelling upon the pecuniary view of the question. True; but if the New Testament has failed to inspire Christian nations with faith in the principles of peace, I may surely be excused if I demonstrate how costly is their reliance for defence upon the spirit of war. When Jenner found all his appeals to the humanity of certain parochial authorities fail, he at last succeeded in persuading them to adopt his discovery, by proving that it would cost less to vaccinate the poor than to pay for coffins for those who died of the smallpox. But there is no danger of the Congress losing sight of the moral aspect of the question. The modern system (for it is of modem growth) of maintaining huge standing armies in time of peace, is a scandal to the boasted civilization of the age. It proclaims to the world a total want of con- fidence on the part of each European state in the peaceful professions of the others; thus carrying us back to that state of society when barbarous tribes were constantly armed, expecting every moment to be attacked by their savage neigh- bours. I on will probably be treated with ridicule on the Continent, as I have been in England, for advocating such a Utopian scheme as a general disarma- ment The larger portion of mankind are, perhaps, at present opposed to or in- different to our views. But we know that, in contending for a principle based

upon truth and sanctioned by the law of God, we have only to persevere to con- vert our minority into a majority. Your Congress will be the protest of the mi- nority against a system repugnant alike to humanity and common sense; and I can only repeat the regret I feel at not being able to take a part personally in your proceedings. " Believe me, my dear Stnrge, faithfully yours, RICHARD COBDEN."

William Scott, the celebrated jockey, died on the 26th, near DIalton in York- shire, in his fifty-first year. He was unparalleled for the number of times he had ridden the winning horse at great races—the St. Leger nine times, and the Derby four times.

Lieutenant George F. Ruston, the author of "Adventures in Mexico and the Rocky Mountains, and of a series of papers now appearing in Blackwood's Maga- zine, under the title of "Life in the Fur West," died at St. LORIS on the 29th August, of dysentery.

Andrew Govan, M.D., a "character" of Greenock, lately died there. He had exhibited a great contempt for dress and cleanliness, and appeared so poor, that many persons, who had known him when his circumstances seemed better, frequently bestowed alms on him; which he thankfully accepted. lie enjoyed meat and drink "moderately and decently." He has left more than 2,0001.

Mrs. Harley, long and favourably known on the Shields, Sunderland, and Stock- ton circuit as an actress, preached in the Wesleyan meeting-house, Cotherston, twice on Sunday last.—Gateshead Observer.

A fatal accident happened on Saturday afternoon, on the Lancashire and York- shire Railway, between Cooper Bridge station and Heaton Lodge junction. A Mr. William Aekroyd went to the station to book a place by the express-train: he was told that it did not stop there; whereupon, unobserved by any of the rail- way people, he proceeded to walk along the rails towards the junction. The su- perintendent director of the line, who chanced to be at the junction, observed the man approaching, and gave orders to a policeman to arrest him: at the same moment, a pilot-engine was observed advancing upon Mr. Ackroyd; the driver blew the whistle but the trespasser did not notice it; the breaks were applied, but i vain, for the whistle, man was struck down and killed.

On the morning of Friday week, an accident happened to an express-train from Brighton. Near Hayward Heath station, a portion of the tire of one of the wheels of the engine came off, crushing the fire-box, and causing the locomotive to break away from the train while the carriages were forced off the line: this happened on an embankment, fortunately, the vehicles did not leave the road, though one nearly did so: the carriages were shattered, but the passengers seem to have escaped unhurt. A guard who jumped off suffered severely.

A labourer was killed on the Eastern Counties Railway, on Monday week while trying to win a foolish bet. He undertook to outrun a train of coal-trucks which was approaching Burnt Mill crossing: he started off a little in advance of the train, on the other line of rails; as he approached the goal, he attempted to pass in front of the train; the engine struck him, he fell beneath it, and was de- capitated by the wheels passing over his neck.

A lady and child have had a narrow escape at the Ely station. The lady was crossing the rails with the child in her arms—a train suddenly approached—the driver blew the whistle, and the lady became paralyzed with terror: she would have been struck down had not two persons dragged her up from the road on to the platform, "the buffer of the engine scarcely clearing her clothes." Wicks, a coachman, while driving the Norwich mail to Ipswich, met a cart coming in the opposite direction; there appeared to be no one in it, so he pulled out of the way to avoid it; at that moment a man who was lying in the cart jump- ed up, pulled the wrong rein, and drove against the coach, thrusting the horses abide; Wicks was thrown from the box between the horses, who ran on to a bank, pitching the passengers from the roof. Wicks was so much hurt that he died soon after. A verdict of "Manslaughter" has been returned against Bond, the carter.

A young man in the employment of Messrs. Piper, builders in Bishopegate, made a wager with another workman that he would ascend several rounds of the upper part of a high ladder by means of his hands alone. While attempting the task, be lost his hold, fell to the ground, and fractured his thigh; epilepsy re- sulted, and he died next day. An investigation has just concluded at the Town-hall of Limerick, before the Mayor, arising out of the fact of six labouring men having summoned Professor Barnett for wages due for services, by way of delusion, performed on the occasion of lectures on mesmerism delivered by him the last two evenings at Swinburne's Rooms. The plaintiffs admitted having practised in private several times pre- vious to appearing before the public, and that at none of the preliminary examina- tions were they mesmerized, but pretended to be affected by the influence of the mesmerizer. The Mayor, believing that the complainants were culpable in the transaction, dismissed the case; at the same time giving his opinion that it was impossible for Professor Barnett not to be cognizant of the deception.—Limerick Chronicle.

Two children of Kent, a journeyman currier of Gloucester, have died from poison, under extraordinary circumstances. About a month previously, a boy of the family had picked up, near a draggle*, a paper bag containing a "white stuff"; he took it home, and ft was put away for use, apparently on the suppo- sition that it was "farinaceous food." Recently, a boy made some gruel of this stuff, and partook of it along with two sisters; all were taken ill, and the girls died. A post mortem examination detected the symptoms of poisoning, and in one body minute traces of arsenic were found. A portion of the unused powder also was analyzed, and found to contain arsenic. When the child brought home the packet there were directions on it, which the father took off, emptying the powder into a basin: what the" directions" were, does not appear. The inquest stands adjourned.

It is estimated that the harvest of the United States this season is sufficient to feed half the people on the globe abundantly. With scarcely an exception, every species of grain, fruit, and iegetable, is yielding throughout the country an entre- ordinary crop. Of beef, pork, butter, cheese, etc., the same plenty abounds; and while our population are secure of every comfort and luxury in the way of food, we shall have a surplus sufficient to meet all the famine that may occur in the Old World.—New York Paper.

A strange feat in aerostation was performed at Cremonie Gardens on Monday. It was announced that Mrs. Batty, the "lion queen," would ascend in a den with a large lion. An oaken den with iron bars took the place of the customary car; Lieutenant Gale, the directing aeronaut, taking his place on the top of the den, within the hoop of the balloon, surrounded with ballast-bags and the usual in- struments. When the balloon was inflated, the lion was introduced into the den, Mrs. Batty entered, Lieutenant Gale took his post, and a trial was made of the ascending power of the machine: it was found that the weight attached was too great; and so it was necessary to liberate the lady from the cage. The balloon then ascended, taking a South-westerly direction. Mr. Gale made a safe descent at Mortlake.

Results of the Registrar-General's return of mortality in the Metropolis for the

week ending on Saturday last— Number of

Deaths.

Tubercular Diseases. Dropsy, Cancer, and other diseases of uncertain or variable seat 393 Zymotle Diseases 157 43 102 Diseases of the Brain, Spinal Marrow, Nerves, and Senses. 36 Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels Diseases of the Lungs, and of the other Organs of Iteeptratlon... . 78 Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs of Digestion ... 61 12 Diseases of the Kidneys, rie 6

Childbirth, diseases of the Uterus, 8m. a Rheumatism, diseases of the Bones, rotate, &c 3 1

Diseases of the Skin, Cellular Tissue, ace 4 3 Malformations 23 22 Premature Birth 32 23 Atrophy 43 60 Age 9 8 Sudden 23 31 'Violence, Privation, Cold, and Intemperance Total (Including unspecified causes) 1038 972

The temperature of the thermometer ranged from 99.1° in the sun to 24.5° in the shade; the mean temperature by day being warmer than the mean average temperature by 0.4°. The air throughout the week has been generally calm.

Summer Average. 257 45 194 120 28 80 79 8 10

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