The Express.
London, England, 1859-02-10 00:00:00

I

(Stamped id. Additicaud.) [T WOPENCE.

I'ooll LAW MRDIC.di OFFICERS.

Yesterday a most important deputation of the
medial officers of the &even! City and mettepolitan unions
waited on Mr. Sotheron Harcourt, President of the Poor-law
Beard, et Gerydyr.house, to lay before him a tuentoriel baled
co a series of resulut Lem adopted at a meeting of the members
of the medical prefeesion lately held at the Freemasons
Tavern, and epecially convened ta madder the scheme re-
cently promulgated by the Poor-law Board for • new srraege-
rant of medical relief. The deputation wee 'Vended by Lord
John Riesell, M P., Sir J. V. Shelley, M.P., Sir Chalet
Rapier, M.P.Sir lease Duke, M.P., Dr. Brady, M.P.,
Mr. Locke, M.P.M, Mr. Butler, M.P., Mr. Ayttoi, M.P.,
Mr. R. W. Crawierd, M.P. Ike.
Led Joan RI7IIIIIILL, in introducing the deputetien,
laid that the gentlemen present had asked him to do that
which he felt was perfectly —to Introduce them
to the notice of the Right Hon. the Prerideet of the Poor-
law Board. He felt sure the important subject which bad
brought them before hien would meet with all the ettentkn
it deserved and they themselves that respect to which the
shill and ability whaoh they devoted to the medical attend-
once of the skit poor of the metrerlie so justly entitled them.
Some years dare, it so happfted that hie own attention had
been called to the subject of medical relief in Tatiana ways,
and from that time he had reclaimed convinced that the poor
of thseaudry obtained, in medical and surgical atteodaoce,
an article at a price fa below what it was worth it peid for
according to its reel value in the market. He had nothing
to say in respect to the cobject matter to be brought under
the consideration of the right hon. gentlemen, but would cell
upon Dr. Sparks, medial officer of the City of London Union,
to elate more definitely the objecta which the deputation had
in

Dr. SPAZII Mated that the medical OMCCM of the three
City uttiosie had been in the habit of assembling together in
times of epidemic to compare their experiencth and deter-
mine upon a common centre of ooduot. They had adopted
the same worse with reepset to the beads of the scheme for a
new arrangement or medical relief, which bad bows put for-
ward by the Poor-law Board, and deemed it right to convene
a meeting of the other medical °Hoerr of the eaveral iihtto-
poldsa unions which was held at the Practise-one' T•V•III
on the 13th Jaxuary hoar, and which fairly end fully dis-
cussed each particular proposal, and the gest'emen now in
attendance had come upon the Invitation of the tight hon.
gentleman to present to him the result of their &libertines*
on the subject. He would not go into the views which they
entertathed more fully than to slate that they were uniformly
and unanimously matted in one common judgment as to the
jusuce is well as the expediency of the appointment of a
poor-law medical officer being a permanent one. Another
pwat upon which they were equally unanimous was that
with reaped to the mittop litan niedtcal officere, that with-
out a flied salary they could not be fairly end equitably re-
munerated; leaving the provincial towns and rural unions
to be regulated in a scalenee with the judgment of the Poor-
law Board ; and a third point of agreement was that than
should be only one medical officer etch pose. law twrict,
whatever reason there might be for dingle& the &stride
when they were too large.
Dr. Fowtan then read the DifiIINISI adopted at the wet-
log referred to, which et ated that the scheme for a sugge,ted
new arrangement of medical relief would not, In its preemie
shape, conduce either to the comfort and interests of the sick
poor, or to the alleviation of the grievances of the poor-law
medical officer,. The memorialists protest against the injus-
tice of the charge of neglect of duty made sdaisst the poor-
law medical ofcers, and express their belief that the in-
terests of the poor will be beet nerved and the respectability
of practitioners be better ensured bypennent nt appointment..
The appointment of two medial orra for each perish wu
else tonside-od objectionable and unarm-eery. The most
simple, just, and satisfactory mods of remuneration...as cony-
domed to be by the psymentolacertala fixed aunt, in accordance
with the minute of the Poor-law Comme-thocth in 1839, the
sum per OW to vary according to distant* from the medical
officer's tetidence, or other local circumstancer—the amount
of remuneration per case t t be teferred to the Medical Council.
It waa not considered advisable to extend to each individual
guardian the power of giving orders for medical relief.
The memonal concluded with a prayer that the dignity
mad states of the rebellion might be luaintaintd by govern-
ment.

Mr. 807111/01t ESTCOVIT red that before any other
stateMser was made, ho wi.hed to eel himself right with the
deputation, is reference to a passage which o cured in the
circular letter of his titivate sectistary. He thought the words
in question had been rather heeshly interiret.d, fre when tt
was stared that the proposed ethane wen Intended to im-
prove the man' system by coaduclng to a more careful
attendees* upon theitlf iam
oor, be wan not reflection on the
medical preludes ly or on such bi rs of 'eat
were interested in e administration of medical teller, end
who be knew faithfully discharged their dune., but he
should not thisk himself justified In proposing to parliament
say 'theme which did not contain provoi.na for muting to
the poor all the improvement which mold possibly take plate
is their treatment. His aim wee to meet the views ot the
preheats no far u they were compatible with the Merest.
of the guardians and of the poor.
Mr. You then mid that the poor-law =Mica] officers were
gratified to hear that it was the right boa. gentleman's
n that they did di-charge their duties, and 'hits common
feeling sow was to 'sponge the masts= et which they had
waved upon • mitomeeptioa of his °visions with rupsat to
them; but he hnpe i he would make tame sllow.rice fur their
susceptibility in a matter which it worn thought redectrd upon
them. It wet unneotesaiy for him to earl the attention of
the Poor-law i10.r.1 to ttstiatica, es wtihin the hut few days
a return bad been pubtih d, giving the meat ample details
with ',nett to the siderite of the poet-law medical officer.,
thermion, e.f patients,an4 various other facts canto. tad with
the almlui-tration of medical rel.,. He would only cheery.
that the *venm remuneration f.T each rate attended to
in the metropohs was ow shilling and three fsithiega, sad
it was celeulend that each cone remained on the battle of
the medical °Moir for at least three weeks. That was,
he consider. d, a prrpo.tcrous and itouletiute payment.
The members of the medical profewion did not aak tor any
acceesion to the salaries of snob gentlemen as were employed
under the Poor-law BoarJ, bat that something should he
done to compensate them for what we actul expeaditors
Under such eircitimesaces the ahem of the Maid did not
meet with their accopteace, but still they recognised in it •
comeientloo. &wine to meet the demands of the proiessios.
Mr. Semi rsoN-Rincerai said that if be understood
the deput.tim might, they wished to rotate the principle
of permanency in the appeiatoust, and to have the salary
regulated by the carps they tech attended. He did
not wish to imply that they would trump up ea,e4
to hemeare their salaries, but still parliament had so
strong so objection' ~to etch a system that it would be
impossible to get them to agoee to it. He thought the depu-
tation scarcely ondentood his schema He pen owed that the
Salary should be hawed on three elements of calculation, two
of which would be op.rative in every cam Tbe.ie e'ements
were—drat, the amount of population ; secondly, the number
of cases attended to ; sad then, thirdly, the =Pewee—on ele-
ment which would trt come into calculation in the metro.
polio, but which would be a Tiny important coasidenetion in
determining the medical "antes in the mutiny. It did not
tripss that the salary should be (hanged year by year, but
that it should he regulated every three years, end that is. dd.
per case Phalli be toe item of remonmatica. He wished to
know If these principles met their views f
Mr. Avonote, M.P., drew the right hen. gentleman's
lineation to the dinarity between 'he extent of relief ed.
minitteted in the metropolis and the Lanceolate diatrict. Is
Lancurare, with • larger population than the nmeroe
the number of casts attended wan not one half than which
came under the care of the medical idiom of the metropo.
lit en unions. The amain of pauper population WY OM-
ft re sot • reliable bailie It would, he thought, beer the
state of the prof, coon Ifthey were ezputed to the tetripta-
Coo of getting up as many came potable.
Mr. Ross, on the contrary, held that the cumber of cams
war a fair element in the cakulation ; but instead of the
item of reatunotallon being le. 6d., it ought to be at
lout

D. BRADT, M.P., ociecided in the view that the three
elements should he convidrred In any repasts:ins of the
medical salaries. He thought that where the pauper cows
lion under 200 the salary of the menial Alcor should be
601. per annum ; that where they were above 200 but
usdrr 400 it should be 801. per annum, and 61.ur annum for
every 100 beyond that number. He would raise the sale of
remuceration fur each rate from la. 6d. to 2s. 6d. He was
opposed to any restriction bring put upon medical men in
peso/Ring nourishing food for their patients, u nett cured'
where physic would not. There was no such restriction upon
the DM dial officers connected with the public hospitals or with
naval or military serge no.
Sir Cosa:Ara NAPIEIt confirmed Dr. Erady's statement.
After some further observations from Matra. Shaped,
JORDISItt. and Elliott,
Mr. Rose said thii were willing to leave to the Molieal
regulation the galation of the fees for midwifery ands urgical
operations.
Mr. GODDARD ehjezted to the proporal that the gum3isne
as
f waili a.er medical tre bellevir,eiriefoifleer should have the pour of mean;
n'twhhee:l4•liihcsi:.lraestB.'l:ffiedi'l:';ernfat::buuemir...uP•nrlan-in7dc:trabib'r.h.e3llowstgiorisndivtnrhil'..edehat':.:'dianietinvesie.ptniblipearedlin° tilitiintekstol poor.ethii
scheme. limier such eireamrtsucer, ha midsized them to un-
detstrnil that he would mat think of props/in foe legislative
adoption any Ilan ea which he had not obtained • full sad
correct opinion out dooms, as his desire was not to bring
forward any scheme on the subject which did mot have the
CoDOI3,OI3Ce of the medial profession, the ratepaying, and the
poor themselves.
The deputation having thanked the right hot. gentians;
them withdrew.

CITY OF LONDON BALLOT PETITION.—Wo beg
to eon ottoatioa to the adman:mat la our Wilma of to-
day nopiotlag the plum at which chic petition may be
slised•
LONDON MINIM ONNTIIVII COYPAMT (LIMITED).
—Testae mai& kg tie rook aiding Feb. 6, 10,3091. Is. 104

CONVOCATION 0! TSB CLERGY.

In the Lower Howe yesterday,
The report of the committee upset the petition of the Rev.
Kowa. Selwyn and Jobb respecting the now Divorce Act
having been n ad,
The. Rev. Mr. Setwvie moved that the report be ed•Tted
lit.hae home, and talon by the prolocutor to the Upper
aa an to-acute, dui.
pthrocellifepe:r..:asHhiatilmred:the:kNp.il'irn:Pwelteduksadragud' casirculatrilted.,":beetdforem*an4 further'.That
After some discussion, the asnendmeot was pat and
aematived.
The petition was then taken into consideration.
The Rev. F. MASSING SEILD proposed, instead of the
words " We an of opinion that since the act is felt by the
clergy materially to have changed the law of the church,"
should be inserted, " We are of opinion that time the act
felt by the clergy to have placed the law of the church at
variance with the law of the state."
The Rev. Canon WORDSWORTH thought that the words
should exprois that the &towhee of the law was felt by
members of the church, incled ng both clergy and laity.
Archdeacon BAWDS LL said parliament had only dons what
they bad the power to do, and though he thought the church
should have been cossulted before the bill passed, and though
he considered the bit a very bad one, all that could be done
now wait to address the logidature to indent them to retrace
their eteps.
The Rey. F. C. DIASSINORIRD in support of his mo'ton,
contended that pea-Lament, in passing a meseure which was
opposed to the doctrine of the chords, without comultiat
the church through it. espresen.ativess, had exceeded its
tanctione, and had violated the compact between church sad
Mete entered into at the Refermation.
'The Rm. Mr. ihstwrst quoted authorities to ahoy
that the canon of the church wee the law of the land as much
man act of parliament.
ATCSidtSOOII RANDALL contended that par Ea.
meat could alter &bylaw, and that the country bad accepted
the clergy as teachers sod 'nicks in religion,but had not con.
leered upon theta any chirp ,ec power. Bo long as they
faithfully taught their religion, their right. and privi-
leges would be upheld by the people. At the sense time
these rights end pria lieges did mot in any way interfere with
the operations of psrliantent. Their great object, he thought,
should be to beep parliament in good humour.
The Drag of ELT raid ho could mardly perceive the difli-
catty eamplained of, as the clergy, by the set alluded to,
were not bound tor:claims the marriages of permesdivoroed.
It had been said that convocation ought to be consulted upon
these points. He thought oanocation should do something
worthy of its bolas consulted, for he thought it would never
he consulted because Its members grumbled. He did Dot tee
bow that convocation could be consulted upon the points
that had been mentioned, for those present were merely the
representatives of the church of -England, and parliament
was Wand 10 consider the whole nation,

Dr. WORDSWORTH took a &Sweat view of the stoat*, and
said the Dean had eabjecta himself to an anathema the
church. Tbs canon said that if any one said that the con-
vocation was only a reprerentative of the clergy, and not of
the whole church of RD land. "lat hint be excommuni-
cated, and not be restored un•il he n pent and publicly revoke
that his wicked error." (Loud langoter ) Ile hoped tho
new Dena of Ely would not end himself in that poshion.
The RIOT. Dr. WCADL, DOSlTOhliltdisir the anathema,
contended that that assembly was not a national synod or a
convocation of the church, but merely a oonvoestion of tho
province of Canterbury. If the two convocations (Canter-
bury sod York) were mita sad represented as a whole, then
they might 1115111110 to theunelvea the
_prerogative of briog
the nipreamitatlves of the church of England se a body.
When they manned to be • nations/ synod they went beyond
their preroga•lvo, and laid themselves open to just ame-
Missions on the pert of the laity. He was not, therefore,
afraid of the Ana. hema. _

Auer ;;;;reriss7l72 from Areltdoecon Denson (who
strongly advised oonvocation not to give way), the Rev. B.
Banker, Archdeacon Wittig's, the Bey. Harold Browne, the
Rev. J. Randolph, the Rev. H. A. Woodga•e, Arohdeaeon
Allen, the Rev. T. 1.. Claughtos, tho Hey. W. B. Thomas,
sad ether members
The Pao:neuron put Mr. hlos•iogberd'a amendment to
the meeting, and &clued it to be lost.
The report was, on a di vieion, adopted, with Canon Selwyn's
*heretics, making it an as tiestlre don to bo pretested to the
Upper Howe.
Tee remainder of the day eat occupied with the mud..
dilation of tee report on missions.
The house adjoarced until this (Thursday) moreing.