The Press. — London, England, 1854-12-23 00:00:00

If we were prejudiced, we should certainly say that this print was a joint-stock affair between Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT and the Duke of NEWCASTLE, got up for the purpose of presenting to the people, iu the shape of a skeu.di of pretty nurses, good beds and bedding, roomy chambers, and careful tending to the wants of our eutfering heroes, an allegorical picture of the forethought, consideration, and scrupulous care of our present Government for the at my. But, without offering any opinion as to whether the War Secretaries are joint proprietors of this touching engraving, we must beg the public not to be deceived by any such seductive romances of misery. Our sick and wounded soldiers are not so carefully tended, neither have they such beds, nor rooms, nor comforts in any shape, as are here represented. With a few hundred bed steads, and fewer mattrasses and palliasses, our four thousand sick are crowded together in foul contact, unwashed and unwired for, beyond the daily dressing of their wounds. As for our camp hospitals on the field, they are not to be mentioned under any category of recep tacles for sick or wounded. With but few medical stores, beyond bandages and calomel, they have no beds, bedding, blankets, or fuel, and the poor wretch who is brought into them, is operated upon, and packed off to Scutari with hasty propriety. In striking contrast to this deplorable neglect are the accounts given of the order and efficiency which characterise the French hospital arrangements. There we see that the rooms are clean, and warmed with stoves, and that the wards are abundantly sup plied with linen, clothing, and household and per sonal requisites of every sort ; that every patient has his bedstead, mattress, palliass, and clean sheets and blankets ; that to each bed is provided four pairs of sheets, six shirts, throe towels, three pairs of warm woollen socks, three nightcaps, and three cravats ; and that a washing-house is attached to the building, and in ooastant operation, so that the sup ply of clean linen is perpetually replenished. Tables and shelf are provided also to each bed, upon which are kept—alma and ready for use—medicine, drinking cups, and other personal requisites. The hospitals, in fact, conveniently fitted in every department, are hardly inferior to the hospitals of London and Paris, and the result of such arrangements is obvious. The men, better cared for, are more speedily cured, and we fear that the proportion of "deaths in hospital" would be sadly against us. It may be asked why the lamentable defects in our hospital system are allowed to continue, month after month, without improvement? The answer is, that the Government (after five months of misms nageniast) have sent out a Commission to trace these defects to their source, not to rectify them, but simply to report upon the subject. The public, however, will be happy to hear that this Commission have commenced taking evidence. Even her Majesty, ever alive to the wants and sufferings of her subjects, has lately given a marked reproof to the belay idleness of her War Ministers. Commanding the presence of a Mr. HOOPER at the Palace, Her Majesty inspected a variety of air-beds and cushions for invalids, and ordered a number to be sent out to Scutari at her own private expense. Here the question naturally arises, why the Govern ment have not done this ? Why is the provision of such absolute necessaries to be left to the care of private generosity? The answer to be given in this case, is as simple as that returned to the urgent en treaties of the Directors of the several steam com panies (whose ships are now under the Government contract for war service) for the Government to pur eliase their large surplus stock of bed and bedding for the use of the siok and wounded on the passage between Halsklava and Scutari. "It is against the regulations." The size of the beds and bedding were above regulation measure, were not made by the regulation contractor, and so the Government could not possibly permit the purchase ; and it is the same with these air-beds. Where is the use of all our science, and all our discoveries for the alleviation of pain, if upon the first great scale of deadly war• fare we are go back to the practice of fifty years past? The only consolation offered to us is of a negative nature. If our army suffers much, the Russians suffer more; if we have few surgeons, bad hospital arrangements, few stores, with but little fuel, the Russians have none at all ; if we have got diarrhosa in the camp, they have dysentery, and if we have got dysentery, they have got cholera, and, finally, if we have got cholera, they have typhus and cholera. Hence because the Russian sick are neg lected, it is inferred that our own have no right to complain. MR. S. HERBERT AND OUR NATIONAL DEFENCES. IN both Houses of Parliament allusion has been made to the smallness of our peace establishment maintained for some years past. Mr. SIDNEY HER BERY,in particular, in his speech on the Address ad mitted.that all parties, all Administrations, and all THE PRESS. Parliaments had been much to blame for bringing forward year after year peace estimates, and making reductions upon them. But this candid gentleman quite forgot to state, that not only was he the very person to urge most strongly peace establishments on former Governments, but in his capacity as Minis ter-at-War effected what were described as "very " important reductions in the public expenditure for " the war department," on the army estimates in the session of 1840. Be it remembered, too, that during his administration the embodiment of the Militia was not only talked of but urged upon the Government, and always without the slightest success. To whom was this owing if not to the Secretary-at-War? Mr. S. HERBERT and his colleagues have been in office seven years out of the last thirteen, and his friends have been in five out of the remaining six, yet not one step did they ever take towards putting this country in a state of defence, either by land or sea, though the subject was urged upon them again and again by the highest authority then living—the late Duke of WELLINGTON himself. The only Ministry which ever took a step towards the defence of this country was that against whieh Mr. HERBERT and his confreres from the first moment declared war, and by factious vote ousted from Office. LORD D Fear's Go vernment, and Lord DERBY'S alone, took a forward step in this matter, yet the Right Hon. Gentleman has the hardihood to say that " he makes no exceptions," all Governments were equally to blame ; " as to the ques " tion of peace establishments, they had been always " agreed." Does lie happen to recollect the conduct of his present colleague and chief, Lord John RUSSELL, in the spring of 1852 ? Does he happen to recollect that that noble Lord opposed that Militia Bill, on which the Right Hon. Gentleman in the next sentence bestows such just praise, to the utmost of his power, and endeavoured to enlist the Radicals on his side on the ground of the expense to which it would put the country—a factious course, in which he signally failed, and was himself beaten by a majority of 150? Mr. HERBERT does not require our correction, he corrects himself. In the very sentence following that quoted above, he makes the exception which lie said he would not make. "The house would recollect " the Militia Bill brought in by the hon. member "for Midhurst (Mr. WALPOLE)—anexcellent measure, " which he then much approve I of, and every year " had convinced him of its utility." But this excellent measure, which provided the country with 80,000 men for home defence, was not the only step taken by Lord DERBY'S Government to increase ,the national defences. The next was to propose an increase to the extent of five thousand men to our army, involving necessarily a considerable addition to the army estimates. Then came a large augmentation in the ordnance, which department had since 1815 been almost utterly neglected, till it was unprovided with the necessary equipments which would enable artillery to take the field; carriages had rotted in the store, ammunition waggons had become useless, and were unprovided with horses to draw them• In one year the late Government repaired the deft ciencies which a false economy had caused for many years past, and, under the management of Lord kisannior., formed that artillery corps which is considered for its extent the finest in Europe, and has proved of such invaluable service to our troops in the present campaign. The defence measures of Lord DERBY'S Government did not end here ; they expended large sums on the fortification of the various Channel islands, Guernsey, Jersey, and Sark, as well as on the lortiticatious of English coasts at Sheerness, Tilbury, Sconcepoint, Sc. Particular attention was paid by the Ordnance Board to the arming department, and improvements iu the soldier's firelock were introduced, which have since been found of the utmost value. The merits of the celebrated Enfield rifle (so often improperly called the Minis) and Colt's revolvers were not overlooked, and every effort was made by the Board to put the best arms which the improvements of modern science could suggest into the hands not only of the new Militia raised at home, but of the troops of the line, who were found in some cases to have been inefficiently equipped abroad. To go through a statement of all the expenses involved by these measures would be more than our space will admit of, but we may state that the increase on the mere supplementary estimate of the office of Ordnance alone (independently of the army and navy esti mates), for 1852.3 was 92,658/., and, by a subsequent vote, was raised to above 100,0001. The Duke of NORTEUMBERLAND'S administration of the navy was still more conspicuous for vigour and efficiency. Nine screw line-of-battle ships, and several frigates, were added to our navy, and two thousand additional seamen were added to our naval force. Facts are said to be stubborn things. We recommend Mr. S. HERBERT to be more attentive to them in future, or he may rely on it that his pre tended candour will only bring on him the odious reproach of hypocrisy. Let him be more careful in his statements, more consistent in his language, and SATURDAY, especially take care that when he finds it expedieLt to contradict himself point blank the antagonistic sentences are not in junta-position. As for his poli tical conduct, the best rule which can be laid down for his guidance is, to be more energetic when in ottioe, and less factious when out of it. NAVAL NEGLECTS AT BALAKLAVA. Lon) HARDWICHE exposed with great ability the mismanagement at Balaklava Harbour. His Lord ship distinctly proved the gross neglect of the authc rides, and he rightly laid down the rule that a Go vernment must be held responsible to the oMcers it appoints, and illustrated his argument by reference to the case of the Prince. It is beyond dispute that the Admiralty's attention was called to the nautical incapacity of the captain of the Prince, and yet that ill-fated vessel was allowed to sail without the cap tain being superseded. On this point it must spe cially be noticed that it would have been easy to transfer the captain (so incriminated) to a ship of less value than one taking out the precious cargo of winter clothing for our troops. Allowing the Prince to sail with such a commander was a scandalous error, the more flagrant as Sir JAMES GRAILAN RM forwarned upon it. eitttion nttlitgturt. EAST GLOUCESTIRSHIRE.—Mr. R. S. Holford was on Tuesday returned, without opposition, a member for the eastern division of CrIOLICSSIerShirkt. MARYLEBONE.—The election began on Monday, when Lord Ebrington and Mr. Jacob Bell were nomi nated. Next day the polling took place amidst much excitement and disturbance in the borough, and strenuous efforts by the supporters of the respective candidates. The result was to give the victory to Lord Ebrington, the numbers being thus proclaimed officially on Wednesday :—Ebriugton, 0,919 ; Bell, 4,100. Majority, 2,753. AYRSEURE.—The 27th instant has been fixed fi t the nomination of candidates for the representation of the county. The polling will take place on the 29th. FERMANAGH.—Mr. S. Gamble, a merchant of Enniskillen, has entered the lists with Lord Henry Loftus and the Hon. Colonel Cole for the represents.; Lion of Fermanagh. The return of Colonel Cole is, however, considered certain. LIMERICK.— The election in Limerick will take place on the 26th instant, when Mr. Stephen lle Vera will doubtless be returned without opposition. NORWICH.—Mr. S. M. l'eto has retired from the representation of Norwich, in consequence of his acceptance of some contracts (without pecuniary profit) in connection with the war in the East. A new writ was moved for on Wednesday in the Com mons. The following despatch has been received in Paris from Admiral Hamelin, addressed to the Minister of Marine BAY or• KAIIIIESCII, DEC. 12.—Four thousand three hundred men arrived on the 10th with ammunition. it brisk cannonade has been kept up for the last two days. The enemy has made some vigorous sorties on our own and on the English lines. They were driven back by our musketry, and in some instances at the point of the bayonet, after a fierce resistance. A letter frrom Bucharest, of the 7th, states : Mushar Pacha starts on Monday or Tuesday. Thirty or forty thousand Turks, and a hundred guns, are to be embarked at Varna, or Baltsehik, under his superintendence. Next week Omer Paella, too, wal start for the Crimea. The troops will moat probaWf be disembarked at Eupatoria. The report circulated to the effect that 60,000 men had passed Perekop to join the Russian array in the Crimea, is, it is stated, entirely untrue. From fifteen thousand to sixteen thousand men is the greatest number that the Russians can receive for some weeks. It is reported in Berlin that the Prussian Govern ment has addressed communications to the Cabinets of London and I'aris, representing that the Busman declarations of the 28th ultimo are proofs of her anxiety for peace, and show clearly that she has no mental reserves as to the proper interpretation of the four points. The Konigsberg Journal states that the trade with Russia is extraordinarily active. Long caravans of s• Ee• tallow, &c., and carts daily arrive laden with flax, tallow, return carrying colonial produce, wine , and edible c.il. The load for a one-horse kibitka is stated to be half a ton, and the charge not more than 15s. for conveyance of this load from Kownoto Konigsberg.