The Express.
London, England, 1852-11-04 00:00:00

SIR PETER LAURIE AND BETHLEHEM.

TO VKB IDITOk OF THE DAILY NMI.

81/I,—ln justice to myself, my witnesses, and
the public, allow me to trespass on your valuable space to
reply to Sir Peter Laurie's answer concerning Bethlehem
Hospital, in the Court of Aldermen, held yesterday. Alter
the Lord Mayor stated that Sir P. Laurie " was most anzi•
ous to address the court on the extraordinary proceedings
which had lately taken plate," S,r Peter commences
by saying, " He was very glad that the questeon bad been
put by his honourable friend. Nothing would have given
the president mid committee of Bethlehem Hospital greater
pleasure than to have forwarded copies of the report of the
Commissioners in Lunacy to every governor, but they bad
been prevented from making such communication by the
Secretary of State, for whtee information the inquiry wee
made, and to whom, therefore, strictly speaking, the report
at present exclusively belooged."
Whoa* fault war it that the Secretary of State ever had
such a "report" brought to his notice ? Why, let me wit
Sir Peter Laurie—why was not my word, nay, even my en-
' treaty, to be listened to ? Sir Peter showed me letters he
had received on my first mil to him confirmatory of my
complaint. Wee Sir Peter jealous I should pluck some of
the laurels from his brow in bringing to light abuse ? It
was not a swindling transaction. It wee a cue or cases of
cruel treatment, and that in an establishment in which
Sir Peter Laurie was the president. I say that "report"
would have shocked the public ear had Sir Peter en-
tered on that inquiry, as it was clearly his duty es presblent
to do, when I sacrificed my time and health honestly
to lay the circumstances before him personally.
Now, sir, I ask so, honest man what can he think of Sir
Peter's " ignorance
in answer to Alderman Copeland's
question ' Was he to undentaild that the governars of
Bethlehem Hospital had no knowledge of the commission
which was sitting to investigate their conduct?"
Sir Peter Laurie—" Not oj!csally. They bad never re-
received any official communication upon the subject."
How can he say be was ignorant of that commission ?
He had himself been called to attend at Spring-gar-
dens ' • so bad his nephew, so bad the hospital medi-
cal staff, his resident apothecary, his matron, his treasurer,
his steward, and many female and male attendants of his
"modal institution ;" and yet Sir Peter has no knowledge,
" officially," of the commission. Allow me, Sir, to say, in
Sir Peter s case—" 'gnomes is bliss; 'tie folly to be wise."
"Facts are stubborn things." So it appears, thinks Sir
Peter, and so he Sods the " report "—they are facts. Sir
t'eter acknowledges having received it, ' printed," on the
2nd of April (now seven months back). Where is his an-
swer ? Has be given any ? No. Ile wishes for near ano-
ther fortnight to elapse before as answer is given. Did he
ever grant eight months for the slimed to enter on his de-
fence? He also says:—" But knowing the ease with which
charges against lunatic hospitals mart made, and the diffi-
culty wi'.b which they were rebutted, even when totally
unfounded, he felt moored that tint wart, sad the publil,
would take a very Mimeo mew hem that adopted by
the commissioners, sad time bellare they filmed a conclusion
they would bear in mind the Maariptlon on the wall of the
court—' Hear both aides.' "
. . . . .

Peter 7 knOW;;Thad no easy job in substantiating
my charge* against his "model instituting." This is nu
privata affair, but one that concerns the eommunity at
large. God only knows who may in.. that greatest of all

I beg, sir, to conclude by returning you my sincere
thanks for the noble part you have taken in this ugly busi-
ness, and asking perwission to meet Sir Peter on the flour
of his own court (of aldermen) with my witnesses (upwards
of 20 in number), and let the publie " bear both sides." I
have not yet stated ell I know.
I am, sir, your humble servant,
6, Park-place, Henniagtowairm. T. J. IIYSON.

THE AUSTRALIAN SCREW STEAMER
MELBOURNE.

The Australian mail packet Melbourne left London
for the latter end of September. She experienced
os damage and delay is going down the Channel,
MA Odd not start hem Pismire* with the mails at the
W. Altar she bad been repaired, and was leaving
so meek' an her route, she met again with
some
tlemerilen that Isasicoar, which caused some further
delea.
At she /sally left Plymouth on the 16th of '
but had net bees two days at see before she
bow limestaid and Inky, sad her screw became en-
ameled- Tee till 2s alto am coarsely manageable, and
ara at lila 1111811,7 of the waves. She
bag nanninll4lo pestangers as heard, and their accent-
mmialle• sow became oseerabia At length the Melbourne
samemiliod into Lisbon, wham her passengers and cargo
WSW bmthsd It is not axpeoted that she will ever be fit to
left as yoyage that to Australia. Ekght of
riiall 1111
messeeses an England yesterday, in the Penin-
sular podia. Madrid, and numbers of the other passengers
are pesprhei to soma to England by the first opportunity
and sue the Asumatian Mail Packet Company for damages.
This is emit disaster, not only for the company, but al o for
the nahrtaaaas wengers of 'he Melbourne. The lose to
many of them, by the delay in reaching their destination, will
be very greet, and, la elditlott to this, they have suff,red
much San bodily discomfort and mental anxiety. The Mel•
bourne was a Queen'. ship called the Glasgow, and was pur-
chased of the government by the Australian Company. It
would appear that the Glasgow was first-rate chip.
The government inspection of the Melbourne must have been
very loosely performed previous to her departure with the
math, as she became leaky in almost smooth water, and
when she became dismasted the weather was not very tem-
pestuous. It would he a proper act on the part of the go •
varnment to immediately despatch a strew steamer to
Australia to tate on the mails and pamengers of the Mel-
bourne. The mails are heavy and very important, and
there will be no packet again before December. Cunsider-
ing the traffic which the gold discoveries in Australia have
called forth, arrangements more eMcient than theta made
by the Australian Mail Packet Company might have been
expected from the capital and enterprise of Great Britain.

GOVERNMENT ACTIVITY IN TUE MEDITERRANEAN.
—Tito Trieste Gazette of the 28th ult. sa)s : "An English
courier, who arrived here yesterday a few hours after the
departure of the reAular steamer, hum, dintcly enzsged a
special boat of at: Austrian Lloyd, at a cost of 8,000 floriug,
to esetinue the voyage to l'atras. This is the third courier
who has arrived hero within tin last hw days.