are dried the more they retain of the taste and colour, and consequently of the virtues of the fresh plant. I observe, that of late, the whole plant is sold in the physic-herb shops, as a remedy for the asthma. Now it ought to be gene. rally known that the leaves, and more especially the unripe capsule and seeds of the thorn-apple, are a very powerful, nay even a deleterious narcotic, if taken internally, and probably cannot, in all cases, be even smoked with impunity. Yet the leaves, according to the experience of Mr. Toulmin himself,* are not possessed of the same powers, in allaying the asthmatic paroxysms, as the compaJ. SIMS. Guilford-street, March 16, 1811.

ship, it is disfigured, he was most firmly attached. I am persuaded, that nothing would have hurt his feelings more, than to have known that he was suspected of being the author of " Apeleutherus.",

Desiring therefore, as far as my tes timony will go, to correct the mistake, and presuming that neither you nor your correspondent have any interest or wish to misrepresent the fact, I request the publication of, this letter in your next Number. T. BELSHAM.

Hackney, April 4, 1811.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine,

SIR,

LEANLINESS is one of the chief

roots.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

HE ingenious author of the memoir of the late duke of Grafton, in your last Magazine, must be greatly mistaken in attributing to that nobleman, a work published some years ago, under the title of "Apeleutherus." It is impossible that the duke of Grafton should have been the author of that publication, because the sentiments contained in it are the reverse of those which that venerable nobleman is well known to have entertained. The design of "Apeleutherus," is to discourage public worship and social prayer, and by the stress which it lays upon the internal evidences of revelation, to supersede, if not entirely, at least in a great measure, the evidence of miracles. I will take upon myself to say, that these were not the duke of Grafton's sentiments. He was a firm believer in the Christian revelation, upon the evidence of miracles, and especially the miracle of our Lord's resurrection. As long as he was able to go abroad, he was a most regular, serious, and exemplary attendant upon public worship. And to the forms of the established liturgy, when purified according to the plan of Dr. Clarke and Mr. Lindsey, from the errors with which, with respect to the sole object of wor

Since writing the above, I have been Informed by Mr. Toulmin, that from his extreme dislike to tobacco, which they appeared to him to resemble in taste, he made but very few trials of smoking the leaves, not sufficient, he thinks, to ascertain their virtue, though in the few instances in which he used them, they sertainly afforded him po relief

deities among the household gods, and is one to which our worship is constantly due. She rewards her votaries with health and cheerfulness, and makes the fire-side of a cottage as agreeable as the Buzaglo of a palace. She renders the coarsest fare an agreeable luxury, and the most magnificent entertainment af fords no luxury without her presiding influence. In a word, she is the queen of civilization, and her most favourite haunts are the houses of the English, Welsh, Dutch, and Swiss.

Favourable, however, as the interior of English houses are to the genius of cleanliness, it is to be lamented that for want of a police, or of arrangements for the purpose, the streets of London are disgustingly filthy, and are a disgrace to the general manners, habits, and character of the nation. Streets covered a foot deep with mud blackened by the noxious distillation of coal-fires; filthy odours from the corners of every street, and the entrances of every alley; and coats of condensed smoke and various

effluvia, attached to the walls of the houses, and coeval with them, are the present characteristics of London. Nevertheless, with its abundant supplies of water, its common sewers and other conveniences, it might be kept perfectly pure, and become a pattern of public cleanliness and external neatness to all cities.

Nothing is wanted but a police, or or ganization of labour for the purpose. in act of parliament may be necessary, and although the expenses of extermi nating dirt, filth, and noisome smells, might amount to 40.0001. or 45,0001. per annum, it would not be above seven or eight shillings on the average, to every house. The advantages in point of health, pleasantness, and cheerfulness,

would

would be great beyond belief; and would, in many respects, double the agreeables of a town life. In fact, for an expense of a few shillings per annum, a residence in London might be rendered as plea. sant and healthy, as one in the country. It may be supposed also, that external cleanliness would lead to increased neatness in the houses, dresses, and habits of the poor.

The details of my own plan should be something like the following:

1. Let there be created an office for a director of health, appointed by the common council of London, with a salary of twelve hundred pounds per annum; and an establishment of assistants, two clerks and eight surveyors, or inspectors, at salaries of two hundred and fifty pounds each.

2. Let the metropolis from the meridian of Hyde-Park corner, to that of Mile-End; and from the parallel of Islington church, to that of Kennington, be divided into eight districts, each to be under the direction of a surveyor, who should change his district every twelve months.

3. Let each surveyor have under his order, thirty regular labourers, each at one pound five shillings per week, with power to double the number three days in every week, if needful. These labourers to consist of cartmen, sweepers, and white-washers; and the supernume raries to be taken from the parish workhouses of the districts, at two shillings per day.

4. Let every district be provided with a yard, or repository for its carts, horses, lime-washing apparatus, &c. &c. where also the district-surveyor should reside.

5. The measures of cleanliness to consist:

A. In the regular sweeping of all the streets, lanes, alleys, &c. every other morning, and in the removal of all nuisances and offensive objects every morning, occasionally to wash them; and during snow, to sweep and cleanse them every morning.

B. In the enforcement of cleanliness on the part of the public, in regard to sweeping the pavement opposite their doors, &c. &c.

c. In lime-washing all houses which are exempted by reason of the poverty of their inhabitants from paying poor's rates, twice on the outside every year, and once in the inside.

D. In lime-washing twice a year, all dead-walis, six feet high, and also the

usual spaces under shop and other windows, three or four feet high, unless the owners should choose to paint them, or renew their surfaces in some other way twice a year, and wash them twice a week.

E. To cause plenty of drains to be made under the pavement, with sinks for certain convenient purposes, and to wash them with hot lime every other morning.

F. To lime-wash and cleanse unused areas, and uninhabited cellars, twice in every year.

6. The fronts of all houses in streets, lanes, alleys, and courts, not exceeding fifteen feet in width, to be lime-washed, painted, or stuccoed, twice in every year, under forfeiture of twenty pounds; and if not done in two years, to be limie washed by the police, and the expense charged.

7. The back parts of all houses, in which there is not a space of fifteen feet between the walls, to be lime-washed, painted, or stuccoed, once in every year, under the like penalty.

8. The exterior walls of all publie buildings, churches, church-yards, &c. &c. to be line-washed by the police, at least six feet high, twice in every year, unless otherwise renewed by the owners,

9. To enforce especial regulations for the cleanliness of markets, and to prevent the exercise of noisome trades at improper hours.

10. To water all the streets in dry weather once a day, in the months of June, July, August and September.

It must be evident, that under such arrangements, London would be the cleanest city in the world, and unite all the agreeables of residence to an enlightened and polished people. Typhust fever, which is a perpetual plague in all the poor quarters, would, by these means, be exterminated. In all narrow streets, the pecuniary advantages from increased light, would in some respects be equal to those from improved air and health. Indeed, independent of increased pleasure and health, the general habits of cleanliness introduced by these means, would induce wealthy persons in the principal streets, to stucco and beau tify the exterior of their houses, and the appearance of the whole metropolis might, in consequence, bein all respects, improved. The effects altogether ou this dirty and noisome city, would not fail to be that of enchantment

Nothing would be requisite to effect

suck a

I

SIR

THINK you will do right to notice in the Monthly Magazine, a legislative phænomenon which I believe has not occurred before since the 9th Hen. 3.; in the passing of two excellent acts of parliament the same day. I mean chap. 51 and 2 of 50 Geo. III. This took place the 9th of June, 1810, 545 years from the re-enactment of Magna Charta.

The first of these repealed, the statute of 7 James I. c. 4. by which a woman, among those of the most uneducated, igmorant, and neglected, class of society, chargeable to a parish by her incontimence, was to be kept to close imprisonment and labor for one whole year. And on the second offence was to find good sureties for her behaviour,and to be imprisoned till found which, the repealing act very justly observes, might be imprisonment for life. It also provides that on signs of reformation, the imprisonment, which is to be not less than six weeks, nor more than one year, is mitigable, by warrant of the committing magistates to discharge the prisoner at any time after the six weeks.

By the 2d the statute of 8 and 9 W. III. c. 30, s. 2. is repealed, which required the poor to be badged with a large Roman P. and the initial of their parish, so as to be conspicuous; and punish them, on refusing or neglecting to wear this badge, by whipping.

The first of these acts had lasted almost exactly two centuries, and the second above one. The first was frequently, the second rarely, executed. But it was high time for the repeal of both of them.

Those repealing acts have among their essential excellences, the same merit of conciseness.

In this "legum aliarum super alias

cumulatarum Mole," the repeal of bad laws is much more wanted than the enactment of new; and is one of the best proofs of legislative wisdom, and of attention to the laws, the constitution, and the welfare of the people. CAPEL LOFFT.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

THE

THE number of lives lost, and the damage and inconvenience sustained, particularly in winter, when torrents of water, and great quantities. of ice and snow force their way down rivers, (at other seasons perhaps insig nificant) carrying away the bridges in their course; having frequently occupied my mind, and believing I have devised a mode by which the same may be prevented, I have obtained a patent for a new method of erecting bridges, &c. without arches or sterlings; the advantages to be derived from which are, that they are not subject to be injured or destroyed by floods-no kind of ground is unsuitable for the foundation--they may be erected in the most difficult and al most inaccessible places-roads may be continued over marshy grounds without the danger of being destroyed in winter, and are alike applicable to every situation whether public or private-are erected in a small space of time-and compara tively inconsiderable expence.

As I hope and trust this will be found of essential benefit to society, I beg the favour of you to give publicity to this, by inserting it in the ensuing number.

Bristol, March, 1811. SARAH GUPPY

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine,

SIB,

NOT

TOT being a professional man, L was not aware, in the statement of facts respecting Admiral Patton, which I sent for insertion in the Monthly Magazine, that the term ordinary seamen was appropriated in the ship's books to landmen and inexpert sailors, who receive inferior wages to those who are rated able; whereas the persons I meant to discriminate by that appellation, are all included in the class of able seamen, who draw the highest wages, upon an equal footing with the most expert sailors, meriting the appellation of prime seamen, and greatly their superiors in professional merit. It is upon this distinction Admiral Patton's plan for the improvement and security of the navy rests; which may be understood by my statement;

but