The Sun.
London, England, 1855-04-18 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING-, APRIL 18, 1855.

ever left the shores of England. He believed that
many of those young
not be
walelreewwedhotletypduenaebrmle
ante tie an
artery
opera-
tion inap p
and would no
any
otlfa e Governmentonworkhouses.r were
This
faccutl pwaabsle-ai nery ing
shame, andmak-
ingointments. Unless they changed their whole
systemsuch they would not be able to get proper men to enter
the service, because it was felt that if they did so they
would become degraded in their social position. Under
such circumstances he shuddered at the idea of a serious
engagement taking place. He had the honour of presiding
over one of the most important meetings, in a medical
sense, lately held. There were more than 4,000 medical
students present, and there were deputations from every
school of surgeons and medical college in the United King-
dom. Those young men all came forward and pledged
themselves never to enter the service of the navy as long
as those degrading regulations existed. When the army
estimates were brought forward in 1853, the hon. and
gallant colonel who made the present proposition stated
his apprehensions upon this subject in the event of war,
and he said that the Admiralty had deteriorated the
article, and had taken medical officers of an inferior de-
scription into the service, who acted solely under a
warrant similar to that of a boatswain. The right hon.
baronet the member for Carlisle (Sir J. Graham), in
reply, said that at that moment there was no deficiency
in that branch of the service—that the Government bad
no complaint to make of a want of a sufficient number of
surgeons in the navy, and he added that if he had the
slightest apprehension that the crews of her Majesty's
ship's would be exposed to the treatment of ignorant
practitioners, there was no sacrifice which he would not
be willi.ig to make in order to remedy so great an evil
Now, after such a declaration from the right hon. hart.,
he (Mr. Brady) was sure, if he were present, that he
would support the proposition before the house. He
would ask the gallant admiral (Admiral Berkeley) on
the Treasury bench whether he was now ready to
remedy the evil of which they complained I He
(Mr. Brady) charged the hon, and gallant admiral with
b-ing the great cause of the present wretched state of
the medical department of the navy, by removing all
inducement to good medical officers to remain in the
service. He hoped, however, that this evil would soon
be remedied, and that the navy would be once more
great and gloriousas itsbouwt be.ld
Admiral BERKELEY not have risen but for
the unwarrantable personal attack that had been made
upon him by the hon. member. The hon, gentleman
had stated things of him which be (Admiral Berkeley)
HOUSE OF COMMONS—YESTERDAY. • hai no hesitation in saying were totally foreign to his
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock. nature. As regarded the qualification of surgeons in
THIRD READINGS- the navy, a higher qualification was demanded in the
navy than in the army, except in the case of the as-
The Heywood Water Bill, and the Medical, Invalid,
and General Life Assurance Society Bill, were read a sistant surgeons, whose qualifications were required
to be at least equal. The honourable gentleman said
third time and passed. that the navy was obliged to employ dressers, because
BILLS ORDERED TO BE CONSIDERED. they could not get assistant surgeons. That was not
The Abingdon Railway, the Bangor Markets and the fact. If the hon. gentleman looked to Sebastopol
Public Institutions, and the Lancaster Water and Gas be would find the health of the seamen better attended
Bills, were ordered to be considered.
to than that of any others in the service. There were
PETITIONS. only 12 sick out of 1,000 that had landed in the natal
Petitions were presented by Alr. Horsfail from the brigade, as was stated the other night in the house.
proprietor of the Liverpool Standard, praying for the During the last year alone 49 assistant surgeons had
substitution of a halfpenny stamp on newspapers ; by entered the navy. The ships in the Baltic had not, in
Mr. Mowbray, from the proprietor of a Durham paper, fact, a single vacancy for an assistant-surgeon at this
with the same Prayer ; by Mr. Wilson, from the con- moment, neither had those in the Black Sea ; and there
gregation of Camberwell-green chapel, praying for the was, in fact, now one-third more medical assistants in
abolition of church rates ; by Mr. Hadfield, from the each ship in the navy than there was in the last war.
proprietors of newspapers in Yorkshire, praying for a Colonel NORTH said it was impossible to give the
halfpenny stamp on newspapers ; also from Rotherham, medical officers too great praise for their attention
praying for the abolition of church rates ;by Mr. to their duties ; but as regarded the committee up-
Pellatt, from Bridgnorth and other places, with a stairs he did not see how they could investigate the
similar prayer ; by Lord Ebrington, from • Kentish- subject fully with all the other claims on their
town, against the Metropolis Local Management Bill ; time. The enormous and most unfair amount called
by the Solicitor-General, from a place in Buckingham- hospital deductions from the private soldier, for in-
shire, for the abolition of church rates ; by Sir J. stance, were so onerous that a soldier long sick
Pakington, from three newspapers published in Wor- could not possibly come out of hospital otherwise
tester, in your of a halfpenny stamp on newspapers ; than in debt. He (Colonel North) also agreed that the
by Sir G. Pechell, several petitions from Brighton for amount el correspondence imposed upon medical officers
the abolition of church rates ;by Mr. Phinn, four peti- was too Treat. He did not think the officers were any
Cons from various parts of the metropolis, praying for better treated. In the West Indies some years since
the re-establishment of the kingdom of Poland. ensigns on ss. 3d. a day had to pay for leeches them-
(Laughter.) selves, when in yellow fever, when leeches were very
DISCOVERY OF THE SCREW PROPELLER, dear, He did not consider the removable position of the
Captain SCOBELL gave notice that on 15th May medical officer a satisfactory one. He would vote for the
he should bring under the notice of the house the ap- motion, because he thought every regiment should have
propriation of a sum of 28,0001. for the discovery of the a regular and complete medical establishment, tho-
screw propeller. roughly trained in all its parts, from the hospital sur-
tINCOME TAX OF WOUNDED OFFICERS. geons upward. He thought a system of providing linen
and other similar conveniences for the military hospitals
Mr. PEEL, in reply to Colonel North, said it was
should be adopted the same as in the naval hospitals.
not intended that any deductions should be made for
income tax from the amount awarded as gratuity, for And he finally called the attention of the Government
wounded officers who have returned home mutilated to the serious condition of officers returned invalided
from the Crimea. (Hear.) from the Crimea; and suggested that as they had no
COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL FOR EDUCATION, aelrlobweaun,ecse,sahnouhldo hospital should
isrheodulfderbetebsetablimsheed for their use,
Sir G. GREY, in reply to Sir J. Pakington, said he ulosteh.e
coin
would vote for the motion because be thought e
was not prepared to introduce during the present seer- would
up stairs could not investigate all theseg points, or
sion a measure for altering the constitution of the Com-
mittee of Council on Education. i -
nquire into the whole question.
NIT, E. ELLICE could confirm a great part of what
THE COLONIAL OFFICE. had fallen from the gallant officer; but he was at a loss
Sir G. GREY, in reply to Sir J, Pakington, said he to advise the house what course to take in the matter.
believed he might state that the Secretary of State for He agreed that nothing could be worse than the medical
the Colonial Department would be in London by the .iepartment of the army, and the committee up stairs were
27th or 28th of this month. (Hear) doing ail they could to obtain information with the view
EXPENDITURE BY THE INDIA GOVERN- to its amendment. It would be, theiefore, a question
MENT ON ACCOUNT OF THE EXPEDITION i whethertwo committees were neeessaryunderthe ciretim-
TO CHINA.
stances. The medical condition of the navy, he was bound
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, in re- to say, presented a very strong contrast to that of the army,
ply to Sir J. Hogg, said no provision had been made and the condition of the sailors in the hospital ships was
for payment to the East India Company of 806,5351,, satisfactory as compared with that of the soldiers at
balance of the expenditure by the Government of Scutari. He was afraid, however, it would be found to
India on account of the Expedition to China, resolve itself into a question of expense. Toe salary of
Sir J. HOGG then gave notice that when the Presi- the chief medical offieer in the service was reduced to
dent of the Board of Control made his financial state 1,2001. a year, which waft moot. i...., than hcl might eeve
meat, if not before, he should call the attention of the obtained by his private practice. Again, the medical
house to the claims of the Indian Government. superintendent at Scutari, who hal the charge of 5,000
ARMY AND NAVY MEDICAL DEPART- patients, only 'rot 255. p •i• day. But he hal to receive
MENTS, the patients and te class them—to make a variety of re-
Colonel BOLDERO, in moving fora select committee ports—to pen:term some of the most diftieun surgical ope
rations, and to attend at every board held fer the pur-
theto inquire into the state of the meshed departments of
of invaliding soluiers. What was wanting was a
army and navy, recapitulated a portion of the pose
evidence already given before the Sebastopol Com- military officer possessing full control over the whole ar-
mittee on this subject. He complained that men rangements of ttie hospital, with powers to deal summa-
unfit for active service were sent out from this rily with such medical officers as did not fully perform
country to be placed at the head of most important their duty. In all the colonies the commanding officer
branches of the public service, and the consequences of the garrison was the supreme authority in respect to
bad been most disastroue. He maintained that Dr. A. the military hospitals ; such was what was wanting in
Smith, the head of the medical department in England, the East. He (Mr. Ellice) was somewhat doubtful if
had urged various improvements in the medical arrange- it would be for the advantage of the service that the
menta when war became imminent, but his sue. house should adopt the motion under all the eireurn•
gestions were disregarded ; and he thought the stances; or whether it wend not be the preferable cour-e
blame rested not with Dr. A. Smith, but upon to leave the pursuit of the inquiry to the committee now
other shoulders. With regard to the navy he considered sitting in connection with the subject. He was for in-
the system of promotions was very bad, and such as was spiry as much as any man, but he thought it would he
calculated to deter young men to enter it until that better, on the whole, not to have two committees sitting
system was modified, on the same inquiry.
Sir J. TR OLLOPE seconded the motion. He hoped Mr. MUNTZ could not understand how the Government
they would not be told by the Government that could oppose the motion now that all Government ac-
the committee now sitting to inquire into the state of tion was suspected. Neither could he see why two coin-
the Army before Sebastopol would be sufficient. A mittees might not sit ; more especially as one was en-
committee to inquire into the general management gaged in a general inquiry, while the other would only
of the war was a very different thing from the direc. be engaged in a special one.
tion of the medical department. He (Sir J. Trel- Mr. M. CHAMBERS would vote for the motion, he-
lope) had a letter in his hand from Dr. John Davy, cause the army was perishing from delay. The commit-
brother, of the illustrious Sir Humphry Davy, a tee up stairs was investigating the whole conduct of the
gentleman well acquainted with the- climate aral war ; the motion before the house was for a committee
habits of the East. That letter was addressed in to inquire into the medical departments of the army and
March last to the right hon. gentleman the member for
'navy. The two subjects might be investigated without
Wiltshire, offering his services for the East, but no clashing with one another. The navy was stated to be
notice wl;atever was taken of his letter, nor any an- well off in regard of its medical department ; but as yet
ewer , sent. After the Duke of Newcastle succeeded there bad been no great war to test its resources in that
to the War Department, Dr. Davy renewed his offer respect. It would be desirable, therefore, to look to the
of his services, and the only answer he got to that was a mischief before it occurred, and to provide the remedy
letter from Dr. A. Smith, stating that he did not feel in anticipation of the evil. Already there had been 100
g .
himself perfectly justified in recommending that he (Dr, young men sent out to the Baltic fleet who were not corn-
Davy) should be placed npon.full pay, Now, Dr. Davy petent to act as surgeons, having been only in the position
,
did not want this . he was a gentleman. of independent of hospital dressers. It was because the subject was
means, residing in a happy retirement amid the large enough for a committee in itself that he should
lakes of Cumberland ; he offered his services gra- vote for the motion.
tuitously, and that was the way he was treated. Sir G. GREY said the Government were not opposed
(Hear, bear.) He believed if we had had medical to inquiry ; but his hon, friend had stated the reason
officers of experience as regarded camp diseases we whywas
inex i iientto. agree to the motion. The
never should have taken the barrack at Scutari. He house would decide' if the proposal the Government
wished to see our system assimilated to the French, who were areasonable proposal or not. The
committee up stairs
were not tied down by routine, but who selected and had been ap?ointed not to inquire into the conduct
promoted men for their genius and abilities, (Hear.) of the war, but into the administration of the various
Mr- PEEL said he saw no reason whatever why the departments' of the army, mind it bad already devoted
medical service of the army should not have prizes
suffi- 'much time and attention to the medical department.
cient to induce gentlemen to enter that service, and He (Sir G. Grey) consi lered the pr posal of the Govern-
that they were fitly entitled to be treated with every meat as the proper one under the circumstances,
consideration by the Government. As far as the service hoped the nouse therefore wound not agreetbe teoe,mtlhm
iinat tieli ouhnpe,
was said to be tied down by routine, that had in a great All the Government desired was, that
stairs should have time to reOt on
dthe se ijeet ; and
measure given way under actual service. But there were
reasons why such a committee as that now asked for then the house might appoint arses
regarded
tbeommittee if it
would be impolitic and was uncalled for, for the Sebes- was deemed necessary, As regfa,rr
circore,wsitcatitemarint of
topol committee was at the present moment inquiring the hou. and learned member
into that very subject, and one-half of the blue-book young men sent out to the Baltic fleet had gone as
already published by it was taken up with the state of medical supernumeraries alone, and not as practising
our medical services. Time Government were taking steps surgeons.
to re-organise and reconstitute that very service ; and, Adapted PECHELL could net refuse to give his vote
with regard to the contrast drawn between our medical for inquiry. He regretted the tone of asperity used to-
department of the army and that of the French army, '
wards his hon. friend the member for Gioucest-r, who
a commision bad already been sent by our Govern. had used almost superhuman exertione in his office, a
inent to Paris to inquire into the French system ; fact that would come hie eielly out on inquiry,
that committee had made their report, and, no Colonel BOLDER() in reply said the whole of the
doubt, much useful information would be derived from members of Government had spoken strongly in favour
that report. The Government were besides now making of his motion. He coal ?sot conceive that it was neces-
import int changes in the or ionisation of the medical sary to postpone the inquiry until the committee on
department and the constitution of the medical board. Sebastop d had terminated its labours. There
With regard to Dr. A. Smith, it was most unnatural he time like the time present for inquiry, and he as n
trustedo
should wish to retire after, a service of 40 years, and also therefore the house would agree to his motion.
-because the power he had held as Director-Generalofthtee The house divided—
For the motion 69
'-'l/1641%,,,, I department solely by himself was now about
Ageing it 73
. 1' az its idea
re i Lid; 1 by,s 0 the hew newhy
Dr. arrangements,
Smith
Majority against the motion —4
wished to retire from
to-showl He thought, therefore, he bad said enough The numbers were received with cheers,
Intpeeteilt; at this committee would at present be in-• SUNDAY TRADING.
and 1* trtult would clash with the Sebastopol committee,
Judgtoent Liu Lord R. GROSVENOR said the extent to which Sun-
therefore the house would suspend its
elued, and
tths labours of the committee were con- day trading was carried on required legislative conside-
reat inithtfied that the hon ed member would ration. The subject had before occupied the attention
je,exteyrei. GinztherZnithenhat :nil
e:‘,.eit,:tdgtahlleanytiewmse
of
her Ma- of the Legislature, and all had agreed on the necessity of
y ajoA , e Buhl em.. (Bear) something being done to check the growing evil, He
.
when it au •
pee-ritestieveetythonuegtt—th-atthetir.ee had come did net anticipate any decided objection to his motion,
tion. At thijan'
the necessity 1 a full end seatlr‘lebel.hi`c mind.
71 neat the 'ce"!•r3f to settle this ques- The efforts which had previously been made to check
nagenient of all our
it was the bounden dutblie Ws,s aroused to Sunday trading had hitherto failed ; but he thought the
lity towards the invesutir, °f
tbe
in into the ma- time bad now arrived when legislation must take piaco.
huse t,, and he thought His previous bill, though short in its provisione, could
they be true or not. The
ea thoßes°olFicalve every faci- not he made law, but lie augured well for its future suc-
-whether our public
servicerealqueetem
at char el+, whether cess from the fact of its most formidable opponents
cient and moor manner, so awsnl
which were intended, and to pro:1(1T
c(Thrd,;cotetiutiehn:eace,it,hrtila. 1 &lie* no longer members of that house. He had mods
which
of this great coun y. fled Isis origi'nal bill. Ile would not troubla the house
tr
War De
The
safety aanAT: at present with detail 3, but would leave that tick for
the Under Secretary for the paerthon. e,entlentat; the second reading, when thee whole of the provisions
ously avoided alluding to the medical deprnaerntaad. studi- Trould have an opportunity cf being fully discussed. He
navy. Now, it was notorious that this cleparrirtetnnet of the "Vie,de to move the first reading of his bill.
most imperfectly officered, and that the nationsujily"
d bill, foot!nt EBRINGTON Lad pleasure in seconding the
in proportion. There was nothing that could injureerthe I lb/thy ir,stneau'vais satisfied that Sabbath breaking was in
public service so much as a report going abroad that Ills
only
reaces the parent of crime. But this was not
the health and the lives of our brave soldiers or Baum, that the sea' for supportive the bill. He considered
were not cared nor provided for by the authorities that from the bill ath ought to be day '
of rest • and, so far
ire:tided over the respective services. The authorities it would promafr4";_ing the interests ' of t.he Admiralf were at this moment compelled firm the priori e 44 into of the working man,
eralnoy snore Y to man.. week.Ple that si Tests, as it would tend to con-
re than one hundred unqualified young men sir a , sa, z,daye, l
to not abour was the working
- all maroon; to one of the greatest, fleets that h —LLEY- • -
on t 0 measure, LEVY
sald his co e yfai,
su
o lizor
uted ustituents felt stronly
tpport the bill,

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS—(YESTERDAY.)
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
M five o'clock.

PETITIONS.

Lord MONTEAGLE presented a petition from the
Chamber of Commerce of Waterford, complaining of the
irregularity of the conveyance of the mails in the south
of Ireland.

The Earl of SHAFTESBURY presented a petition
from a place in Kent, praying for the abolition of Church
rates ; also a petition from a Belfast congregation against
the grant to Maynooth ; and also a petition from a
place in Wales, praying that public-houses might be
closed on Sunday.
PITNEY GAS BILL.
On the motion of Lord REDESDALE this bill was
a third time and passed.
WOOLWICH CONSUMERS GAS BILL.

This bill was also read a third time.
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY BILL.
Lord LYNDHURST remarked that as every member
of the Government was absent except the Lord Privy
Seal, he suggested that the discussion upon the above
bill should be postponed. He had no objection to the
measure being read a second time, and that the discus-
sion be taken upon the motion for g:iing into committee.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said he was entirely in
the bands of the house, and he would have no objection
to the course proposed.
CHURCH RATES.

Earl GREY presented two petitions against the ex-
isting system of church rates, and expressed his dissent
from the views taken by the petitioners.

A. desultory conversation took place, in which the
Bi=glop of Exeter and the Lord Chancellor took part, at
OA termination of which Earl Grey withdrew the
petitions.
Oa the order of the day being raid for the second
readinc, of the Cambridge University Bill,
The LORD CHANCELLOR moved the second read-
ing of the bill.
The bill was read a second time pro forma, And or-
dered to be committed on Tuesday next.
DEAN FORESTS, &c., BILL.
This bill was then read a third time and passed.
Their lordships then adjourned.