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31 nS r ^ s ^^ e ^^ £ l ^^ ' ^^ ofVtiaa has not kept pace w ' ** e ingenuity of fraud , which has not scrupled tomU itself of every improvement in chemistry or the arts which could subserve its purpose . Although , however the means of adulteration have greatly increased , so also , fortunately , have the facilities for detection , especially by the improved use of the microscope , which has been employed by Dr . Hassall and others with signal
success . ... . - in . " It has been suggested that the prevention of adulterations in food might be accomplished by an extension of the system of the Board of Inland Revenue ; but your committee are of opinion that no machinery for this purpose will work satisfactorily unless the agents emplayed derive their authority from corporate or other local governing bodies . _ . " It will be desirable , therefore , to empower municipal or other local or district authorities to appoint an officer , or officers , who on complaint made , or in cases of reasonable suspicion , shall procure portions of any article supposed to be adulterated , with a view to their examination or analysis by some duly qualified person appointed t
for that purpose . On the report of such persons , if i confirm the suspicion of adulteration , a summons shall be issued and the case be investigated before the justices , who shall have power to inflict summary punishment , by fine or imprisonment , in every case where pecuniary fraud or danger to health shall have been proved . The justices should also be empowered to publish the names af offenders It is essential that a right of appeal should lie to the Court of Quarter Sessions . With regard to coloured confectionary , your committee recommend that authority should be given to local boards of health , or other governing bodies , to forbid the use , for colouring , of all mineral matter and all poisonous vegetable matter . "
The Committee suggest that one or more scientific analyzers should be appointed under the authority of the General Board of Health , and that the same Board should from time to time issue information as to the nature of the adulterations of articles of food , &c , injurious to health . The want of special education among chemists and druggists is pointed out ; but the decision of the question of licenses the Committee think may be deferred " till it be seen how far the efforts of the Pharmaceutical Society and a more general system of inspection may prove successful . " The report thus concludes : — " Though not coming strictly within the scope of the inquiry entrusted to them , your committee cannot forbear calling attention to the evidence concerning patent medicines , the sale of poisons , and the state of the pharmacopoeias of the three kingdoms .
" With regard to patent medicines , there can be no doubt that the public health is endangered by the use of several of these compounds ; and your committee are of opinion that the stamp duty , by giving them a seeming Government sanction , has an injurious influence in encouraging their sale and consumption , and should be abandoned , whenever this can be done with a due regard to the wants of the public revenue . " The unrestricted sale of poisons ia a matter of pressing importance , and deserves the early attention of the legislature . At the present moment the most violent poisons may be universally sold , without any restriction , except such as is afforded by the sense of moral
responsibility on the part of the dealer . It is needless to point out the serious consequences which frequently ensue from this unrestrained freedom . To take a familiar instance—it is stated in evidence that the essential oil of bitter almonds , and what is called ' almond flavour , ' of various strength * ,, and containing highly dangerous elements , are openly and commonly sold for culinary purposes , and , in the hands of servants wholly ignorant of their properties , used in quantities often dangerous , and sometimes fatal .. It is well worthy of consideration whether the . sale of poisons should not bo forbidden , unless under the authority of a medical prescription , or under such conditions , as to witnesses and formal entries
of the names and addresses of purchasers , as may secure the needful amount of caution . " The evil arising from the existence of three distinct , and , in some important instances , widely differing pharmacopoeias for tlio three kingdoms , is one too evident to need enforcement . The result is , that inuny of the prescriptions of one country are not only inefficacious , but often absolutely dangerous , if made up in either of the others . One of the witnesses states that an Edinburgh
preaoripUon , containing a solution of morphia , made up in L onfom would involve the patient ' s taking twice the quantUy . tate&d « d . i On tho other hand , a patient taking pruaala acid ^ vAdex w » Edinburgh prescription , made up f ^ W" *; WTO 14 , be , takiug only half tho quantity in-* * u * « $ *« flW 8 k pruaaio acid being twice tho strength of the , prj muc ^ icJL . Of tho London pharnmflopceia . TWa . M m . WvU wfctoh cn » be remedied only by the combined •«^ .. oTto « w ^ .. OTtlM > riti « i of Engtisfcstftrtt sass * * "" *•¦¦¦**« * bouid >
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AMERICA . Mit . Buooks , tho bravo who struck down Mr . Sumner in tho Senate , and who wan turned out of tho House of Representatives on account of that pioco of ruffianism , hnu been re-elected by his constituent ) * , tho South Curoliniaua , by the unusually largo number of 7 t ) 00 votes , without , it ia atatod , ono dissentient voice . This must bo regarded ns an act of open hostility , on tho purt of South Carolina , to tho majority of the House of Representatives . Another event , of a similarly disreputable ohaructor , is the re-olcction to Congress , for California , of Mr . Herbert , tho man who shot Oyii Irish waiter , but
who was acquitted . Kansas question is decided , so far as the Senate is concerned , by the rejection both of Mr . Whitfield ( the pro-slavery candidate ) and Mr . Reeder ( the Republican free labour candidate ) . The Army and Navy Appropriation Bills have passed through Congress . The Governor of California has made a re quisition to the Federal Government for assistance against the Vigilance Committee ; but the Washington Cabinet has refused , upon technical grounds , to interfere . The District Attorney for New York has been authorized to offer a pardon to Wagner , convicted of illegal enlis tment and to order a discontinuance of further legal proceedings against other parties implicated in that matter . Another dreadful steamboat accident has occurred , the John Jay having been burnt upon Lake George , -with the loss of several lives .
Tranquillity is said to be again restored in Venezuela . An alarming lire broke out at Belize on the 17 th of July , which completely destroyed about fifty houses , the Jesuits' church , the Custom-house stores , and a large quantity of logwood , which was lying on the banks of the river . The United States Consul ' s residence was among the houses burnt . The coast of Valparaiso has been desolated by severe storms and floods . The British and North American Royal mail steamship Persia , C . H . E . Judkins Commander , arrived in the Mersey on the evening of Friday week with advices from New York to the 6 th inst . The Persia has in thi 3 instance accomplished the most remarkable feat in maritime history , having traversed the distance between New-York and Liverpool—about 3200 miles—in little more
than nine days . A letter from the Irish " patriot , " John Mitchell , has been published in the New York papers , urging his countrymen in the United States to vote for Mr . Buchanan , as " the only candidate who stands on the broad , free constitution , " and as a man who will resist faction from within , and " the common enemy from without—I mean of course the British Government , my enemy , thy enemy , his enemy , our enemy , your enemy , their enemy , and the enemy of mankind . " Mr . Mitchell must certainly have found himself out of breath after he had finished that sentence .
In the New York stock-market , the tendency is still downward . There is no change in cotton . Breadstuff's are firm . Freights to Liverpool are rather firmer .
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IRELAND . Government Patronage . —The appointment of Clerk of the Hanaper in Ireland , vacated by the death of Mr . C . Fitzsimon , has been conferred upon Mr . John O'Connell , M . I * ., brother-in-law of the last possessor of the office . Representation of Clojjmel . —Two candidates for the seat about to be vacated by Mr . John O'Conuell have issued their electoral addresses . The first is from Mr . John Boffwell , of Marlfield , the virtual proprietor of
the borough ; tho second is from Mr . Patrick Joseph . Murray , of Dublin , a Roman Catholic gentleman , who declares himself an enthusiastic advocate of Repeal The other candidate is a Protestant , but opposed to the endowment of the Church of England in Ireland , an advocate of the grant to Maynooth , and a supporter of liberal measures generally . It ia thought that he will receive the countenance of tho Roman Catholic priests . There are also three other candidates , including Mr . John Reynolds , formerly member for Dublin .
Lawvtekm in the House of Commons . —Mr . James O'Connell ' s attack upon Irish gentlemen of the legal profession holding seats in the House of Commons has elicited a sharp rejoinder from the member for Dundalk , in which there ure these passages : — "I perceive that ia proposing Lord Castlerosse you made some very uncivil and illiberal remarks on myaolf . You boasted yourself a ' country gentleman , ' and , by way of contrast , sneered at' a Mr . Bowyor , a lawyer , ' among others . Now , you are not perhaps aware that I urn tho eldest eon of ono of the oldest buroncts in tho kingdom , and owner of G 000 arees of land . It so happens also that , though I have the honour to bo a member of the bar , I do not practise . " From tin ' s , it is pretty evidont that Mr . Uowyer would rather bo considered a gentloman than a lawyer .
SoAnoirr of Lahouk . —Notwithstanding the return of tho men forming tho various * militia regiments to their ordinary avocutious , there is a scarcity of labour . In the south of tho island , tho lowest rate of wages for men is two shillings a day ; fur women , ono shilling ' . The Education Question . —It is announced that tho National Board of Eduoution arc about to establish in the city of Cork a maritime school for tho touching of navigation . Ono of thoao hcIiooIh is now boing erected in Belfast , and the Harbour ConimiHHioncr . s oi Limerick Harbour havo offered a site to tho board lor tho erection of u mmilur institution .
Thm Tiitehakv Bank . —A circular linn been issued by tho Poor Law ComniiBaionorn to those unions winch had unfortunately tlfoir accounts with the Tipperury Joint Stock Bank , informing them of tho opinion of tho Soliuitor-Gonorul uh to tho mode of apportioning the lossoa incurred by itH failure . The learned gentleman atutoa that tho assets of the unions consisting of cash , " <¦ tho date of payment being stopped , should bo ftneertaineU as actually belonging to each electoral tlivi-
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THE UNITED STATES ON THE RIGHT OF PRIVATEERING . A despatch from Mr . Marcy to the Count de Sartiges , Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of France at Washington , has been published . It has reference to the regulations with respect to privateering and to neutrals agreed to at the Paris Congress ; and it expresses the dissent of the American Government from the arrangement by which it is proposed to abolish privateering . The United States , explains Mr . Marcy , have always regarded large standing armies and powerful navies as " detrimental to national prosperity and dangerous
to civil liberty , " on account of their requiring a burdensome outlay to keep them up , and of their being " a menace to peace among nations , " by offering a temptation to rush into war . " America has depended for her safety upon volunteer troops on land , and upon her mercantile marine at sea . She canuot , therefore , consent to give up privateeringa mode of warfare which has been sanctioned by many high authorities , including those of France . " It certainly ought not to excite the least surprise that strong naval powers should be willing to forego the practice , comparatively useless to them , of employing privateers , upon condition that weaker powers agree to part with their most effective means of defending their maritime rights . It is , in the opinion of this Government , to be seriously apprehended that if the use of privateers be abandoned , the dominion over the seas will
be rendered to those powers which adopt the policy and have the means of keeping up large navies . The one which has a decided naval superiority would be potentially the mistress of the ocean , and by the abolition of privateering that domination would be more firmly secured . Such a power engaged in a war with a nation inferior in naval strength would have nothing to do for the security and protection of its commerce but to look after the ships of the regular navy of its enemy . These might be held in check by one-half , or less , of its naval force , and the other might sweep the commerce of its enemy from the ocean . Nor would the injurious effects of a vast naval superiority to weaker states be much diminished if that superiority was shared among three or four great powers . It is unquestionably the interest of such weaker states to discountenance and resist a measure which fosters the growth of regular naval establishments . "
History is referred to , to show that when , at an early period , France , without a navy , had to encounter England and Spain with large armaments , she gained signal successes by obtaining privateers from Holland . Mr . Marcy Iay 3 it down as a . rule that " thos ^ who may have at any time a control on the ocean will be strongly tempted to regulate its use in a manner to subserve their own interests and ambitious projects , " and that " a predominant Power upon the ocean is more menacing to the well-being of others than such a Power on land . "
" The President therefore proposes to add to the first proposition in the ' Declaration' of the Congress at Paris the following words : — ' And that the private property of the subjects or citizens of a belligerent on the high seas shall be exempted from seizure by public armed vessels of the other belligerent , except it be contraband . ' Thus amended , the Government of tho United States will adopt it , together with the other three principles contained in that ' Declaration . ' " I am directed to communicate the approval of the President to the second , third , and fourth propositions , independently of tho first , should the amendment be unacceptable . The amendment is commended by so . many powerful considerations , and the principle which calls for it has so long had the emphatic sanction of all onlightened nations in military operations on land , that tho President is reluctant to believe it will meet with
any serious opposition . Without the proposed modification of tho first principle ho cannot convince himseli that it would be wise or safe to change tho existing law in regard to the right of privateoring . " If tho amendment should not be adopted , it will be proper for tho United States to have some understanding in regard to tho treatment of their privateers when they ahull have occasion to visit tho ports of those Powers which are or may become parties to the declaration of tho Congress of Paris . The Unitod States will , upon tho ground of right and comity , claim for them tho same consideration to which they are entitled , and which was extended to them , under tho law of nationn , boforo tho attempted modification of it by that Congress . "
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of that crimeThe T H E I * EADEB . [ No . 335 , Saturday , § yo — —^
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 23, 1856, page 796, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2155/page/4/
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