The Express.
London, England, 1859-09-05 00:00:00

&armor. MONDAY. SEPT. 5,

IT used to be said that anal a bishop was burned
to death in a train there would to no signals allowed
on railways. It is a literal truth that until a de.
tachment of the 41st Regiment lost fifty percent. of
its officers in six months no effectual steps began to
be taken to make a permanent improvement in the
Trinidad Barracks. In fact, on the 21st of last
January, after a prior attack of fever, the same dis-
ease again broke our, and no fewer than eight
cues proved fatal. But it was not until the
28th of July—six month' later—that Mr. SIDNZT
HEILERT, whose interest in the physical welfare
of the soldier is notorious, directed a report to
be made whether " any convenient sites are
" available in Trinidad at a healthy altitude for the
" erection of barracks, or huts." During this
dreary interval of six months the men and officers of
the 41st were being moved backwards and forwards
from barracks to amp; the Governor and General
were writing elaborate despatches to show that altar
all the situation of the barracks was not so ma-
healthy—in fact, that it was only on very special
occasione,when the wind was in a particular direction,
that it became deadly ; whilst the officers were writ.
ing to their friends imploring them to lay the use
before the authorities. Indeed, bad it not been for Mr-
L ,rn►nr, the father of an officer in Trinidad, :-bo
wrote privately to Sir JOIIN pnt,INOTON, it is doubt-'
hal whether even now anything would have been
done. It is strange how history repeats itself. The
Ministers of the Crown never knew the truth of
how things went in the Crimea until they read the
letters published in the newspapers—the official
letters were mere shams and make-believes. So It
seems to have breo in Trinidad. Neither the Go-
Tensor nor the General could bring himself to state
the whole truth.

Even through the haze of an official despatch it is
pretty clear that the Sr. James's Barracks ere
situated in a most unhealthy locality. Surgeon-
Mope RUDE, the medical officer on the spot,
dietioctly es, that "the locality has justly
". earned la former years a character for unhealtlii-
' neer." And the Governor makes the same whale-
sat, foe he write. that these barracks, whisk
other re-ipeets are very fiat, are so situated that whey
the brew• blzwe over the swamps in the vicisity it
is apt to bring miasma with it. In short, the boil&
imp were magnifieset—there was only this tridiag
detest, that at times it was death to live in them.
This, of owes., was a matter which could not be
remedied without swims expense. Of wane it was
sot the halt of any pubis. officer new in the island.
So far as the present aatliseitiss, military or civil,
were coal:weed, age blame was to be attached to
any of them. Uallerteantaly, bowevy', the despatch
pee 09 to say that the wind did begin
to blow from the wrong quarter, and brought
the amble scourge f yellow fever en its wgs.
This wu at the clone of 1838. The troops encamped
out. They returned : but leg .in the fever broke out,
and span they encamped eat. At length the troops
came beck to barracks. Sad vialtation of Provi-
dence! Bat who can stay the wind, or command
the erection of new barrack, on a healthier site
Certainly not the Governor or the commander of
the farces at Trinidad. So stand the facts until we
read the fourteenth and fifteenth pages of
the correspondence obtained by Sir Da LACY
EN tvs with reepect to this subject. But
then begins • very dtferent story. The report of
Surgeon-Mvjor RitaDZ admits, indeed, the an.
healthiness of the locality, bat furnishes a picture
of neglect and filth which deserves the severest
reprobation. Had the locality been the top of
Mount Ararat, instead of a swamp, the chances of
disease and death being generated by the condition
et the barracks would have been very serious. The
details are not very savoury, but the subject is ee
important, and the bete so incredible, that it a fit ta
give them all publicity. Consider yourself in the
West Indies, under a tropical sun, and your
dwelling house in this condition: the urinals
all dirty, mostly without water, and some in a
stinking state ; the iron cots permitted in the
verandah, tkas allowing the possibility of irregula-
rities ; • abed formerly used as an ablution room
extremely wet and dirty ; an accumulation of oil
and dirt when the lamp are kept ; wuhed clothes
drying in the barracks; various obstructions to
ventilation ; ash-pit emitting • foul smell and a vast
accumulation of dirt ; guard-room extremely dirty,
as well as the offices attached ; the stable duni;-pit
fall and offensive ; the gram allowed to grow ; and
a great want of water. Such is the picture of
a barrack which would be a disposal, in this country,
but which in the tropini must generate disease and
death. Moreover, u if to add to the dangers of the
troops quartered in this filth, the commanding officer
permitted the men to wear white trousers even
doing the epidemsc, although there is a distioct order
to the contrary, and it is notorious that such a dress
aggravates the danger of disemee. For this neglect
the officer has berm rebuked. Bat, notwithstanding
all the filth of the St. James'. Barracks, it never
reached the nostrils of the sat hoeit its. Of course after
tie Mart was made a peremptory order was issued
to the osonsesadiog nfficer to clean out everything-
At present, however, the only result is, that that
officer replies he bat not men sufficient for the
purpose. According to him he has only four avail-
able military labourers to clean this Angean stable,
and two men to keep down the grass. The old, old
story—gross neglect—nobody responsible.
Judging from this Trinidad ease it sums as if the
officials thought that creating soldiers was as easy
as writing despatches. People seem to forget that the
English soldier u themostexpensivemilitarymachine
in the world. Yet so long as the army is officered
by men who take little interest in their men, her-
eon* they take little interest in their profemioe, the
story of Trinidad mast be repeated spit; and again.
All that the journalist an do is to state boldly and
tratlifaUy the facts revealed in the oorrespoodeaos
jest published, so that when Parliament mute is-
quiry may be made as to whether this gram
neglect has been remedied.

The allegiance of the Tuscan people hi. now bess
formally and solemnly offered to King Vicron
EIIIIVIVEL. Two millions of Italian people ask to
live under the sceptre of the Italian Xing, and
share in the freedom, order, and independence which
their fellow-countrymen in Piedmont and Lombardy
enjoy. The Lino received the Toenail deputies
with honour. He has not refused to be-
eorne their ruler. We wish we weld say
he had entirely resolved to do so. His MAACK?s
words were :—" The Tuscan Assembly will have
"understood that the accomplishment of its wish can
" only take place by negotiations which are about to
" begin on the affairs of Italy. I will second your
" desire, strong in the rights which are given me
"by your wishes. I will support the cause of Tug-
" *any before the Powers in which the Assembly
" places its hopes, and especially before the mai-
l" nanimous Emperor of the Flamm, who hu done
"so much for the Italian nation. I hope that
‘' Europe will not refuse to practise towards Tuscany
" that work of redressing grievances which it has,
" under less favourable circumstances, practised

" towards Greece, Belgium, and the Danubian
" Principalities."
We hops that the freedom and independence of
Italy will not suffer from this deference of King
Viceoa EansuruaL for the opinion of thou who can
have no interest in Italian affairs to be compared fee
a moment with that of the Italian people. For this is
not • question of a formidable confederation or alliance
menacing to the peace of Europe ; it is a natural
accretion, a mutual attraction of two small states
whose union is neoeseary to their common secu-
rity and welfare. Europe will now be in a position
to confirm or destroy the hopes of Italy. Toe pro-
lability of • Coverall arises once more, bat ia
• new form. This resolution of Tuscany to join
her fortunes with those of the constitutional king-
dom of Sardinia affords a prospect of that pease and
security which it is for the interest of every other
state they should enjoy. The divisions of Italy have
been a source of perennial change to the rest of the
world. Those divisions have disappeared. It is for
the Great Powers to say whether by preventing a
natural solution of the difficulty they will renew
them. The King of SARDINIA says he will
bring the cause of Italy beton the Powers,
" and before the Emperor of the Fatima."
It is no secret that but for the influence
of NAPOLEON theKING'S acceptance would have been
prompt and abeolikte. We would not judge
the EMPEROR unfairly in this matter. He may have
felt that having once signed the tenement of Vil-
latrines, he could not advise the King of SARDINIA
to take the Duchies. But now that the people them-
eelss, have offered their allegiance to the Ktrto, and
it has been conditionally accepted, the Eureacia may
sandy feel that ha has done all that wu required of
hire. We have so lately appoiltd to him on this
matter that we shall only now adopt the words of
a moderate weekly contemporary, who we believe
expresses the PMl's universally held in this
reentry :
Ursa the Yea of mart adopted by the Emperor of the
hear at the preseat onamsetere will, in a rest seerare,
dread She lerryeeri tel which Europe will put epee hi.
per preetrags. bens thr coadum will also defer the
Mgr la with the Mann* will nwfwrd kitab—wbothow beamed
givearTirehippeil es Mentor, or matterseed sad derral se
Ii be bees to their dealer, respects Irk roles.
mad prober this 'pleat soy attompt to override it, he will
laird her dereved well of Italy, of Europe, sad el liner
r wet For Fares ewer bat be s phew by the remind
et • err Id ealle sad darer which was • reeee of
ereare illeimbasse rd =pers. Providence has greeted
le Leer Negehea ems =On opportualty of erealag a nests-
Yea it breateer, dis'eterardsevs, sad slacalty. If be

asor saastisso aid supporta that anion of ths DUCilial with
Platosist which is tasquoltkotably the &afro sod want of
tboorivanal bort of lady, he will bass &us mach to char
tip Whams: hookas dloatdfal, sad to atom for what has
Isla blamable ia W own proviota. career. If ha shall oar
Imo awl boamobly fOIIOW eat the only tram sad tightens
plash a sew gosh both for Italy sod for Swops will have
bus isizagsriad. sod to him moat fairly be asslgeo 1 the
milt sal the prelim