The Press. — London, England, 1855-04-21 00:00:00

0855. Vratabings in arlianttni. ARMY AND NAVY MEDICAL DEPARTMENTS. colonel BOLDER° on Tuesday moved for a com mittee of inquiry into the state of these departments. After a general statement of their utter inefficiency, as tested by late events, he compared the position of a medical officer in the Quoen's and the Indian ser• vice. In the .atter, after the expiration of seventeen years, the medical officer was enabled to retire upon 200/. a Year direct pension, with 3MI. a year in ad dition from the medical fund ; together an allowance of 5001 a year. On the other hand, the medical officer in the Queen's service, after serving twenty five years, received but 11. ss. per day, while his re tiring allowance was only 13s. a day. Again, place his case beside that of au officer in the line. The officer of the line, who might have entered the army a boy of sixteen, was allowed to retire upon full pay after a service of twenty-one years, be his rank what it might. So that, although the medical officer must necessarily join the service at a considerably later period of life on account of the time taken up by his professional studies, his retirement could nut take place until four years later than that of the officer of the line. The treatment of officers in the navy was still worse, where, if there was a preference, it ought to be shown to the naval practitioner, for whose teaching a longer time was necessary. But there ought to be no difference—both classes of medical officers should be under one general medical board, and candidates should be allowed to state which branch of the profession they wished to adopt. A very 'large number of vessels are without assistant surgeons; and lately, youths of eighteen or twenty, mere dressers at the hospitals, with some theoretical but no practical experience, had been sent in this capacity in the Baltic fleet. Sir J. TitoixoPz seconded the motion, discussing at some length the evils resulting from the entire control of the medical department of the army being vested in a single individual, and the conduct of that individual, Dr. Andrew Smith. The present system disgraced the medical profession by the shackles it imposed, and the medical officers, after a little expe rience of the service, got out of it as quickly as pos sible. Mr. PaEL, after making every admission as to the evil of the actual system, and the importance of of fering inducement to men of high medical reputation to devote their talents to the army and navy, argued that the shackles of which complaint was made disap peared under the exigencies of actual service, that the Sebastopol committee was now inquiring into the subject of that, and blue books, containing a vast quantity of evidence, had lately been circulated. The Government was now taking steps for the reconstruo Lion of the whole medical department of the army ; a commission bad been sent to Paris, and had made its report; the appointment of the War Secretary of State had concentrated the authorities which governed the medical offices of the army ; the successor of Dr. Smith would be joined with a civilian that the medi cal board might be more satisfactorily regulated. Mr. BRADY attacked with some vehemence the medical arrangements of the navy. A most impor tant medical meeting had lately been held, at, which four thousand students pledged themselves never to enter the navy service as long as the present degra ding rekulations existed. Unqualified young men were intrusted with the lives of our sailors, and he shuddered to think of the results of an action or of the outbreak of disease. Admiral BERKELEY, with equal vehemence, asserted that the health of the seamen was better attended to than that of any others in the service. A higher qualification was demanded in the navy than in the army. During the last year forty-nine assistant surgeons bad entered the navy, and there was now not a single vacancy either in the fleet of the Baltic or of the Black Sea. _ _ Colonel NORTE thought that the Sebastopol com mittee could not give the requisite attention to the subject, and brought forward several proofs of exist mg deficiencies. Mr. G. Et LICE admitted the wretched state of the army arrangements, to which those of the navy of fered a most favorable contrast. The question wonld resolve itself into one of expense—they must offer eminent practitioners not less than their gains by private practice. Still lie thought that it would be better not to have two committees sitting on the same subject. Mr. Muntz, Mr. M. Chambers, and Admiral Pecbell supported the motion. Sir G. GREY contendal that the proposition of the Government was a reasonable one ; let the committee upstairs make its report, and then appoint another if necessary. He explained that the young men sent out to the Baltic had gone as medical supernumera lies and not as practising surgeons. The motion was rejected by a close majority-73 to (it THE PRESS. CHARITABLE TRUSTS. The LORD CHANCELLOR on Monday, on moving the second reading, explained the principles of the bill introduced to extend and amend the act of 1853. By that last bill a board had been created which had already done a great deal, but which required further powers to do all that was necessary. The commis sioners had largely exercised the power they pos sessed at present of giving advice to the trustees of charities as to their working, and of authorising such trustees to grant other than agricultural leases, and in some instances to alienate their property. The commissioners were likewise empowered to call for specific accounts from the charity trustees ; but out of 15,000 charities, not more than 10,000 had made re turns. It was now proposed to give the commissioners power to do themselves what hitherto they had only been able to recommend to others, subject to a sum mary appeal to the Court of Chancery. The powers for apportioning, exchanging, and partitioning pro perty were increased—one of the most important clauses to the Roman Catholic. For a century and a half certain charities had been attempted to be constituted for the benefit of Roman Catholic schools, and for the maintenance of priests, but which were at the time of being so constituted illegal; and, therefore, in order to preserve the pro perty for the purposes of charity it had been con veyed to secret trustees, and the property adminis tered in accordance with the wishes of the founders. These charities had existed for a long period down to the present time. With regard to a large portion of these schools, and the maintenance of Roman Catholic priests and certain places of worship, if these charities had been constituted within the last twenty years they would have been perfectly legal. He proposed to deal with them as had been done with dissenting chapels some years ago, so that what might be illegal now might be made legal, and the only difference would be that instead of being admi nistered secretly they would be administered openly. There probably existed now many charities which were now wholly illegal, such as those for what was called superstitious uses; and others which certainly could not be constituted at the present time. He did not see that anything could be done with these. But such charities as were partly legal, partly illegal, and which, so far as they were legal, must be dealt with in the courts, must be entirely dealt with as though the whole were legal. Lord Sr. LEONARDS would not oppose the bill, though he objected to the power given to the Lord Chancellor to appoint as many inspectors as he pleased at 8001. a year. He would support the second reading on the understanding that the bill would be referred' to a select committee. Earl GRANVILLE acceded to this arrangement. METROPOLITAN LOCAL MANAGEMENT. The bill for this object passed the second reading on Tuesday with little discussion. It was proposed to refer it to a select committee, a proposition resisted by Sir B. Hall and others, on the ground of waste of time. Another suggestion was made by Mr. Wil liams—the establishment of a central board elected by the ratepayers for the purpose of carrying out in London great public works on a combined system. Power should be given to that body to raise money for sewerage payable in fifty years. This last hint seemed to find favour with Sir B. Hall, who has the management of the bill. In other respects the prin ciples of the bill met with general approval. NEW HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT. A vote of 122,209/. for the completion of these buildings brought out a statement that Sir C. Barry still considers 651,0001. necessary for the full com pletion of his designs, not including the removal of the law courts, nor the erection of new ones. There was some dispute as to Sir C. Barry's remuneration. By the original arrangement with Lord Bessborough, he was to receive three per cent. on the outlay. This arrangement Sir C. Barry denied, but he had been paid on this principle, and the Treasury were pre. pared to resist all further claim. It was observed that if the architect was to receive three per cent. on every picture and statue executed for the house, it would amount to a perpetual annuity. Sir Charles had referred a plan to the Treasury for the removal of the courts of law, but the Treasury has as yet given no opinion. IRISH FISHERIES. Mr. M‘MAnoN moved on Wednesday the second reading of a bill to assimilate the Irish fishery laws to those of England and Scotland. These laws, he said, imposed restrictions on the fishermen of the W. st, which had seriously diminished their numbers, and placed them at a disadvantage even with foreigners. This last assertion was repeated by Mr. M. CHAMBERS. The bill was supported by Mr. DUFFY. On the other hand, the bill was opposed by Mr. Napier, Mr. Whiteside, and Mr. Keogh, who said that the restrictions were intended for the benefit of the Irish fishermen themselves, that the falling off of their numbers was attributable to emigration, and denied that the Irish were subject to greater restric tions than foreigners. The bill •waa lost by 145 to 19. Another bill, on the Irish inland fisheries, was then withdrawn by Mr. AVM ahon. A short discussion was raised on church rates in the Lords on Friday, in which the Bishop of EixTica vigorously maintained that it was in the power of the Church, notwithstanding recent decisions, to enforce the repair of churches by the parishes when neces sary. The Church had still the power of excom munication, which involved imprisonment on those who neglected its admonitions. The power was recognised by acts of Parliament up to Wit Suck he considered was the law, whether it was politic or not to put it in practice. THE NEW LOAN. A MEETING was held at the Treasury on Monday in pursuance of the notice given in the last PRESS re specting the issue of a new loan. The Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and some other members of the Administration, attended on the part of the Government, and were met by a con siderable number of the chief City capitalists, inclu ding Messrs. Rothschild, Sir I. L. Goldsmid, Mr. Ald. Selomans, Mr. T. M. Weguelin, Governor of the Bank of England, and Mr. S. Neave, Deputy Governor; Mr. Hutchinson, chairman of the Stock Exchange ; Messrs. Norbury, Hammond, Trotter, Robarts, Uzielli, Gibbons, R. and S. Cohen, &c. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER read the pro. gramme of "particulars" setting forth the principles on which the loan was to be raised, and according to which the biddings of the capitalist community were invited. This programme ran as follows : 1. The loan to be for the sum of 16,000,0001. 2. For every 1001. subscribed in money, the contractors to have 1001. Three per Cent Consolidated Annuities, and a termi nable annuity fur thirty years, ending on the sth of April, 1884. The biddings to be wade iu the terminable annuity. 1 The interest on the Three per Cent. Consolidated Annuities to commence from the sth of January., 1855, and the terminable annuity to commence from the sth of April, 1335. 4. 'tile days of payment, and the proportions of the contribu tions to be paid, to be as follows: On Tuesday, Anvil 24, 1855, deposit of 101. per cent. - May 29, —.- payment of 151. - - June 19, 101. - - July 17, 151, - - August 21, 101. - - September 18, 101. - - October 18, 101. - - November 20, lbL - - December 18, 1111. 5. For each instalment after the deposit a proportional amount of Stock to be created for the contributors. The Stock payable on the deposit to be created at the same time with that which will be due on the last instalment, when the terminable annuity will be also written into the contributors' names in the books of the Bank of England. 6. The biddiugs to be made at the Treasury, on Friday morn ing, the 20th of April, 1556, at ten o'clock. Some conversation then took piece, in the course o f which various queries were put to the Finance Minister, eliciting replies to this effect : That there would be no reserve for public companies. That no discount would be allowed for prompt payment, the payment of the instalments having been so arranged as to meet the requirements of the public service ; but that contributors who might wish to pay up their contribu tions for the purpose of obtaining Stock would be at liberty to do so, without an allowance of discount. That there would be no exemption from income tax on the first scrip dividends. That it was not the intention of the Government to con• tinue the sales of Savings-bank Stock for the purposes of the Government during the payment of the instalments, but that the demands of the savings-banks alone would be their guide in selling stock. That the Government had no intention of funding Exchequer Bills. That a vote of credit for the extraordinary expenses of the war might be submitted to Parliament, and that, if granted, the amount would be raised by Exchequer Bills, and that there was no present expectation that the vote would exceed 3,101,0001., or that any of such additional Exchequer Bills would be brought into the market during the payment of the instalments. That the Government did not contemplate any farther loan (luring the period fixed for the payment of the instal ments of the present loan, which was founded on the full amount of the provision estimated to be required for the service of the whole year, but that the Government could not pledge itself not to resort to a further loan if unfore seen circumstances should arise to render that step necessary. Sir G. C. Lewis further stated, in answer to an in quiry whether, if a further loan were resorted to, the subscribers to the present loan would be placed in the same position as to their unpaid instalments as the subscribers to the new loan, that the conditions of the present loan must be fulfilled without reference to those of any future loan. The Chancellor of the Exchequer afterwards observed that his statements had reference solely to the intentions of the Govern ment, and that lie could not undertake to pledge himself that no foreign Government should come into the market with a loan guaranteed or not by the British Government, during the pavment of the in stalrnent, of the present loan ; and, finally, that the bidding.; must be made for the whole loan of V 3,000,0001.