The Express.
London, England, 1847-10-28 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 28, 1847.

lrbt Court.

WINDSOR, WEDNESDAY.—The royal dinner party
at the Cultic this evening is expected to include Mons. Van
de Weyer, the Marquis and Marehioneee of Lansdowne, and
the Rev. James Prince Lee.

A cabinet council was held at half-put two o'clock
yesterday afternoon at the Foreign-office; the ministers pre-
sent were, Lord John Russell, the Lord Chancellor, Viscount
Palmerston, Earl Grey, the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
the Earl of Auckland, Sir John Hobhouse, Lord Campbell,
the Right Hon. H. Labouchere, the Marquis of Clanricarde,
Viscount Merpeth, and the Right Hon. T. B. Macaulay.—
The council sat two hours. . _

The deputation from Glasgow, which had an inter-
view with Lord John Russell on Tuesday, presented a peti-
tion praying for the discontinuance of the Bank Bill of
1844.5. The deputation consisted of the Lord Prevost of
Glasgow, Mr. Buds, M.P., Mr. Lumsden, en-Lord Provost,
Mr. Henry Dunlop, and Mr. Kinnear, and were introduced
by Mr. M'Ciregor, M.P. for Glasgow.
Mr. G. B. Mathew had an interview with Earl
Grey yesterday, at the Colonial-office. The Marquis of An-
glesey had an interview with Lord John Russell yesterday,
at his official residence in Downing-street.
The Right Hon. Thomas M. Gibson has arrived
in town.

Despatches were received yesterday, at the Colonial-
office, from the Governors of New South Wales, South Aus-
tralia, Hong-Kong, Ceylon, the Mauritius, Malta, and Gib-
raltar, and also from the Lord High Commissioner of the
lonian Islands.

CONVENTION OF POOR-LAW MEDICAL
OFFICERS.

A general meeting of surgeons to poor-law unions,
and others of the medical profession, interested in the ame-
lioration of the present system of poor-law medical relief,
was held yesterday at the Hanover-square Rooms. The
meeting was convened by circular, in pursuance of a resolu-
tion pared at a meeting of poor-law surgeons at Derby, and
was attended by a large number of medical gentlemen, in-
cluding not only those resident in London, but several from
the towns in the kingdom. The chair seer occupied
by . Benton, of Waball. -- -
The Csalliatair, in introducing the business, said the sub
jest wee wee et public interest, from its bearing on the poor.
• medioal MOM under the aew poor-law had had to coin:
phis otholosplassel in a situation, either to neglect their
ditty, or he hal it at a great sacrifice to themselves. He
trusted *sir ease would be shown to be so strong, that the
rate of the kingdom should not be able to resist it.
(Hear.
' Mr. .P. Ham." the honorary secretary, stated that
various prelbahmey meeliege bad been held at Halifac,
Cambridge, Wells, Alison, Nottingham, Walsall,
Preset, mil taut paean at which resolutions hod Wen
peril, end aosmanth dotted to the right hem the hems
s=rpo=oriasim:ree. libltraltheet;ile at remmeration,
• table bad bees illigra up. ehowtng that, on the average,
the remaamation peer-law medical cameo did not more
than cover the eon et Snips cud heeseirke. Is all, upwards
of 100 commairtioes ha lea menved ten the surgeons
of the veriest eases is the id
The Clik11111•1 read a isttrw.ebr. Heypts, president
of the Provinsiel MAW mad Surgical on ap
proving the 'MOM M the mune& an regretting his in-
ability to anbuml. Inns, lodes ftm other emiaent men
in the Emission wore reed.
Mr. EDWALID DANIILL, of Newport ne/1 feed the
first resolution, which, at groat nested 'the onerous
anus al the and amponlithnse lain narrow
awl Sid thnee
erni that noir aeon
et emenrslisa w
meet fib:
proportionately mail, tine rats sing the wild et the sick
woe a positive hot on the mean* He did not
believe that say legigenno would lowning, though
great individasSlajary might seamodme be Wasted for the
general benefit, as in the mem el the Immunes. (Hear.
Bet now their object was to buena the loshlanme to step
In between medical officers sad • whom ceder
which both the poor Ltd themselves (Applanse.)
He was no enemy to economy ; ten a
was a very different thing. Hew&
were composed of mem of yemathe eeleisea, mod the
majority of votes, not the weight al wed
the day. Intellect was net so rife them as to shine
with peculiar brilliancy. (Hear, hear.) wyheto des re-
gard to the quality of the metrial, deride they Snow no-
thing, they sought to get what they waned at the cheapest
rate. To the bosom of the menden gewerally, their re-
gard kw the poor bad What* anted them eo the discharge
Gitlin duties. Bono marl mew enameled hr the charge
et the poor, with the reservation unit ernwitag mere than
they revived; bat in the sajoifiy Ohm walla the salaries
Olio SENN would not pay the met nth, modionse sa air
peen by • druggist. la the Nrt Pegedl Union, the
pomaasdes dewm
: perishes, and oale
-. oaths medial officers,
were ha

--- —_.
Population. Wary.
AMIN Hi S2 0
111= INal
0
2 10
Brayed& lll
Browbrisk-hill
The reeraiailw wars an a inallarolll seals ; the alarmitsto
being
IL M. he mashah jpi, mod dd. he arah alei—the
reeedhas twin tM et lathe a baster amber
del aded miihratt say additional . Misr usT.) The
awned Awe in Wm Wee had eppyiehted ; they
had memeieliaed the gllNdille, and the peer.
law Oweednierear ; the earn? ot the Wear body was
coartesue awl most lasswie —that they had sent
the emmeadal to the board of ter.)
Of Now I'm hoard no Math it the
the
arailud Akers in a body walled ea the gwardlans ; and
ha awed them that be had mete* dipole& medicines to
the mina si 241. more than the smithwi of bh 'Wary. The
ocaaminioaer present comylintealad the mensal slaters, and
that was all they had got. Their tamady ruled with them-
selves: let them carry their grungurus to the haantain or law
itself. (Hear.) They asked NMI. awe Matte have it
allowed that the labourer was wear et ids biro. The go-
I moment ought to take the use lithe id* peer tbmieelves ;

already they defrayed half the septum; and they ought to esta-
blish a regular scale of allowance to the medical men, includ-
ing smiles's; fur the &steams which some poor law surgeons
had to travel were very great. The clergy, as a body, ware
much better paid ; in a prison neer Newport the surgeon had
801. a year, and the chaplain 2001. Surely their duties were et
equal, if not of greater importance. Their education was as
°early, and their remuneration ought to be at least as high.
(Hear.) In one union a clergyman had refused to visit a
poor woman in the fever had a surgeon done this, hie salary
would have been stopped immediately. (Hear.)
Mr. PEARSON, of Prescott, seconded the resolution. la
his union, for the town of Prescott, with a population of
14,700, the medical officer received 801 ; for St. Helen's,
population 25,000, 501.; for Rainforth, 2,000, 101. ; for
Raeford, 4,000, 201. ; and fur Much Woolton, Little Wool-
ton, Hale Wood, Hale, and Speske, with a population of
7,000, he (Mr. Pearson), received 101. Last spring he took
the fever, and was obliged to engage an assistant at 501.,
himself receiving 101., and not then being allowed to throw
up his office. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. R. T. Tauten, of Melbourne, moved a resolution
declaring that the medical relief was necessarily faulty and
inadequate, owing to the system itself, which precluded
medical officers from giving prompt professional relief la
many cases, and that thus the aggregate expenditure was
increased. As long as the medical officer was underpaid,
however willing he might be to do all he could for the
poor, the poor must suffer. This was the expressed opinion
of the commissioners, who had distinctly stated that if pro-
per salaries were not paid the duties would not be efficiently
discharged ; but unfortunately they did not see their own
reememenciations carried out. (Hear.) They had recom-
mended that the practitioner should be paid on a scale equi-
valent to 65., or 6s. 6d. for each pauper, with additions is
some cues. In his own union he had attended eases at the
rate of ls. 31d. each ; his salary had since been raised from
30!. to 401 Afterwards he applied to the commis-
sioners, who gave the usual promise of considera-
tion; and for three months he had heard nothing
MOM from them. Under the present system, medical
Ma being found who would accept these low salaries, it was
earprisieg that the cases of neglect were not more numerous.
Amy system which depended on the benevolent feelings of
the medical men was sure to be a failure; nothing but a pro-
per remuneration could secure the efficient discharge of a
duty. He had known many cases where the poor had been
seriously injured foe want of proper attendance and support;
and it was always in the power of a medical man to delay
the recovery of fever patients by withholding the proper
medicines. They aught not to fear boards of guardian., but
rigidly discharge their duties, not doubting that they should
ultimately obtain redress.
Mr. W. CANTRELL, of WiALIINFOTth, seconded the resolu-
tion. He knew a district, 21 miles by 10, which was taken
by one surgeon at a low remuneration ; and he believed he
had made it answer, for his residence was at such a distance
from great part of the district, that he could only be sent for
at great expense. (Hear.) In one union the payment, per
ease, varied from Is. to Gs., and on the population front 4s.
to 225. per thousand. This could not be called a system at
all. He trusted much good would result from this meeting,
both to themselves, the poor,'and the ratepayers.
Mr. Wit ITE, senior medical officer of the Holborn union,
said that in 1810 his case. amounted to 738, the population
of the union being 44,300. There were three medical officers
to attend the whole of this union. Last year he had 1,364
cases ; but the remuneration, though a little higher in
amount, was lower upon the average. Nothing was allowed
in this union for midwifery cases. (Hear, hear.) The com-
missioners having recommended that this should be done, the
guardians proposed to reduce the eatery of the medical
officers by about the same amount—'2ol. (Hear.) The sur-
geons had requested the appointment of two midwives ; bat
this had been refused, and, they had gone on as before. He
was clearly of opinion that no relief would be obtained from
the guardians, and the commissioners were afraid to inter-
fere. Owing to the great distress in the preterit year, be
had had already 2,027 cases-845 in the last quarter, from
Midsummer to islichrelaras; this reduced his remuneration
to Bid. per case. Last week he had about 80 out-door cases,
and 97 in-door—being at the rate of about a halfpenny per
case per day. (Hear, hear.) If the guardians were ap-
pealed to, they spoke of the hard times and high rates, and
said the surgeons must suffer as well as others. The clerk
of their union had a salary of 2501.; he did not say he was
overpaid, though he had more than double the pay of the
surgeon. for about one-third the work. Should a surgeon
unfortunately overlook a case he was grosaly abused and
treated as though he had been guilty of intentional neglect.
(Hear.) They were told that by accepting these situations
they obtained practice amongst the rich. No such thing ;he
declared that his income had been reduced 3001. since he ob-
tained his appointment. One gentleman appointed along with
him, Dr. Sims, had caught the fever and died, and his wife
and family had been reduced to great distress. Another of his
colleagues had been for a long time unable to discharge his
duties ; he (Mr. White) had supplied his place, for which
he received from the board of guardians—a very handsome
vote of thanks. (Hear, hear.) He trusted that this meet-
ing, with the aid of the press, would succeed in obtaining
Justice from the commissioners.
A GENTLEMAN observed that the commissioners had ne
power, independently of the boards of guardians, to increase
the salaries. The board of guardians ought to be compelled
to do justice.
Mr. Tautest said this war a mistake ; the commissioners
had the power.
Mr. EBSWORTR, of Bulwell, said the medical men in the
Buford union were paid at a lower rate than veterinary sur-
geons; the amount, per case, was about le. 31d. The ad-
ministration of extras was interfered with by the assistant
overseer, whose officiousness was the bugbear of the system.
One gentleman, with a large district, had a salary of 301.,
and actually expended 451. ; another had so small a salary
that he could not afford a horse. The allowances for recd.
nation had been fixed so low that it was impossible for this
advantageous operation to be properly performed. There
being nothing extra allowed fur amputations, a surgeon was
often unwilling to risk his reputation by performing snob
operations.
Dr. WEBSTER said the profession was greatly indebted to
Mr. Wakley, M.P., for the returns which he obtained in
1830, and which might form an appropriate basis for the
operations of the committee now to be appointed. A pay-
ment of 6e. Gd. per case, or a salary proportioned to the
population, ought to be given. He was opposed to the em-
ployment of midwives, even in ordinary cases. The thing
to be done was to get rid of the control of boards of guar-
dians. Now that the government was proposing to pay half
the expense, they might very properly step in to regulate
the medical remuneration generally. A medical inspector
or superintendent ought also to be appointed in each district,
whose duty should be to attend consultations, and make a
quarterly report. This was most important in a sanitary
point of view. But the point of remuneration was the most
important. They ought to have 6s. Gd. for each case, or an
equivalent salary. Ile condoled with his brethren through-
out the country, on the way in which they were treated by
these gusrdians—(hear, hear)—and he trusted they were in

a fair ;ray to obtain redress.
Mr. LITTLR complained of the medical officers haying to
be sleeted annually., and mentioned the case of a surgeon
who had been displaced because he did not take of his list
to the Board of Guardians. Under the present system the
books required to be kept by the medical officers were most
troublesome aad absurd, and answered no practical purpose.
Mr. LORD, of Hampstead, moved a resolution pledging the
convention to seek redress of their grievances; for which
purpose a subscription should be raised, and a committee ap-
pointed to communicate with the government and the can
miasioners, the Colleges of Phyncims and Surgeons, and
take other necessary steps; and afterwards to reassemble tha
convention. He declared that he had always striven to do
his duty to the poor, fearing to fail, on account of the cha-
racter of the men with whom he had to do. He doubted the
advisability of a payment by case: had an order to be given
by the board for each case, at a mat of 6a. 6d., these ordain
would be largely withheld. One gentleman who was paid
by case, instead of receiving 301. received but 61. or 71.
(Hear, hear.) It was only by the intertwines of govern-
ment that the evil could be remedied. A berry lee* lay at
the door of the rate-payers. Why did Meg sleet mum as
guardians who either did not attend, or wen kneempedeM to
their duties ? (Hear, hear.) If gommanmed Wm-
fend, it must be by the introduction of a complete systems ;
then they might hope to see an sad to the prated system of
oppression—for such
Of iitimmgyppl=l.4
Mr. BOTLGRR, the resolution.
In 1841 he bad etluided as selehive di leiet in Berkshire,
upweede diss• mum he 701. Jper easupei• but in his am
snentions dieseipi of Ws duly, he eapeadie 1301. He gave
up the appelseammt, asd *ea tamdred the thanks of the
guardians hr Me enip k wild& be bed discharged his dudes.
By the oriels Mese hie year, fees for mid-
wont emu wire directed to be • but the guardians had
made • peeled ',this to redeem holarirs. (Hear.) Thep
had also introdmed the system et requiring the medi
officer of the workhouse also to attend an out-door district
for the same salary. In his own mom, he received 101. extra
for attending an establishment with upwards of 100 mem-
bers. No extra fees were allowed.
A ORNTLIMAN said that the West Ham guardians did
allow extra hee to the workhouse surgeon, though they
amounted to a considerable Num.
A GINTLEmAN from Leeds said that their guardians had
behaved very liberally; they had increased the salaries from
401. to 801., but the commiariorlera would only sanction this
for one year. During the prevalence of the typhus fever the
board had allowed the surgeons each 4 guineas a week extra.
A ChIrrrLRMAN wished to propose additional names on the
committee; but the Chairman seWod that this had nem
be done by the committee theMaalral.
Mr. FIRLD, Of Birmingham, spoke to the lalseral goaded
of the board of guardians at that plea.
Mr. H. W. Lrverr, of Wells, said that in Mem =keen
his immediate neighbourhood, the remuneration avenged
from Is. per case to 6d. and a fraction. (Hier.) Hemmed
a vote of thanks to the chairman, and to the eattseP of the
National Institute of Medicine, for the use of the roam sad
to throe portions of the public press which had taken up this
question.
Mr. P. MARTIN, of Reigate, seconded the resolution.
Mr. Jorrox mid, though he had not moved any amend-
ment, he had approved of none of the resolutions. He did
not think the way in which this movement was carried hr•
ward would be successful. Their memorial would be thrown
aside, or plead in the bureau of a cabinet minister. More
good wouldbe done by addressing themselves to the poor-law
commissioners, assistant commissioners, and the boards o
guardians.
Several gentlemen rose re order ; and, after a slight inter-
ruption, the vote of thanks was put and curled anent
moody.
The CHAIRMAN briefly acknowledged the kindness of the
meeting; and the proceedings then terminated, having
occupied about three hours and a hale—Several subscriptions
were announced as the company were leaving the room.

Mr. WY. JACKSON, M.P., has contradicted the re-
port of his having been appointed chairman of new Birken
head Dock Treot.