The Sun.
London, England, 1855-08-27 00:00:00

LONDON, MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 1855.

On Saturday we alluded to Lord STANLEY'S ad-
mirable suggestion for altering the periods during
which the Parliamentary session is held, so as to
enable the members of both Houses of Parliament
to set off in pursuit of health or amusement by
the middle of June, in place of the middle of
August, under the existing system. The Noble
Lord in his anxiety to carry the important pro-
position he has introduced disdains any pretension
to originality, and shows that he deserves the title
of " restorer" rather than of " innovator," his
object being to enable Parliament to separate in 1
June, according to the practice of the olden time,
and to meet the further demands on legislative
labour, 'occasioned by the vast increase of public
business, at a more convenient season than that
which has recently been required for the purpose.
It is neither more nor less than making from the
beginning of November to the middle of Decem-
ber, and from the middle to the end of January,
the working time, in place of from the middle of
June to the middle of August, and, as we have
already stated, no reasonable person can deny the
great benefits that would arise from the change.
Some difficulties have, however, been stated,
which, for the most part, have been fairly met,
and completely disposed of by the Noble Lord,
and which certainly are not sufficiently formidable
to prevent or materially -retard the adoption of
this great and obvious amelioration.
One of these objections is that the question is
one for the consideration of the SOVEREIGN, or, in
other words, of the Minister of the time being,
rather than for that of Parliament. It is one of
the most undoubted prerogatives of the Crown
that the Monarch should be entitled to convene
Parliament whenever its deliberations can be
beneficial to the country, and that the attendance
of Noble Lords and Honourable Gentlemen may
in like manner be dispensed with at any time
when it is not imperatively required, so as to
allow suitable rest and recreation to the members,
and to enable them to discharge other duties
scarcely less important than those appertaining to
the work of legislation. This difficulty, however,
is easily disposed of. It is not for a moment in-
tended to interfere with the power of the SOVE-
REIGN to summon Parliament on any emergency.
That must necessarily continue as at present. The
only alteration contemplated is that it should be
understood that the period for the despatch of de
necessary business should be so far varied that a
considerable portion thereof should be transacted
before in place of after Christmas—that the work
now got through before Easter should be disposed
of in November and the beginning of December.
Ministers may make this change without the
authority of Parliament. But, as Lord STANLEY
well remarks, " the leaders of parties are pre-
cisely the last persons who can venture to
originate au alteration of the kind. They
cannot afford to provoke opposition, or

to lose support by throwing out ideas that
may chance to be unpopular among any of their
political friends !" If, therefore, the change is
to be effected, it can only be by independent
members taking up the subject, and obtaining the
free expression of the opinions of both Houses, or
rather of the House of Commons, for the Lords
are not much called on in the early part of the
session.

Another objection has been suggested, from the
present practice of the time of bringing forward
the Budget, and making the financial arrange-
ments for the yeai. But after the preliminary-
obstacles are disposed of, and they would not prove
very serious, it would be far better to understand
these matters before Christmas than in April or
May. The harvest would be completely gathered
in before November. The prospects of the coun-
try could then be fairly estimated. Any extra-
ordinary expenses of the summer might be pro-
vided for. The official explanations would enable
agriculturists, manufacturers, merchants, and
traders of every class to judge more correctly of
what would best suit their interests. 4liould the
nation 'unhappily be involved in hostilities, the
most judicious arrangements for the next cam-
paign might be made. In every respect the
change would be so much the better, so far as
financial matters were concerned, that it ought to
be introduced, even if inconvenient in other re-

cts

It has also been said thatt,the general business of
the country has not being advanced by the assem-
bling of Parliament before Christmas. This,
however,
is simply occasioned by its being an ex-
ceptional and irregular practice. It is called for j
some particular object or objects, and the-R.6_l
medins are generally ?united thereto. Tin-

several members feel that it is an addition to
their labours, for which no equivalent allowance
will be made. But let them only understand
that they will be enabled to disperse so much the
earlier—that for every day occupied in Novem-
ber, December, or January, they will have a holi-
day in June, July, or August—and they will hail
with delight the summons which is now regarded
as an intolerable bore.

The objection to which Lord STANLEY chiefly
applies himself is that relating to what may be
termed the sporting phase of the question. Many
country gentlemen are passionately devoted to
hunting, and will not willingly consent to any-
thing which will curtail their crusade against
foxes. But even if the convenience and interests
of a large majority of the House, and of the entire
community, without exception, were to be sacri-
ficed to the modern "Nnanons," even they them-
selves might find ample opportunities for culti-
vating their favourite pursuits notwithstanding a
November session. The votaries of the trigger, who
constitute a large proportion of the sporting com-
munity, would be little interfered with. The
Scottish moors would still maintain their attrac-
tions ; the partridges would be generally dis-
posed of by November, and quite enough time
would remain for hares and pheasants. Besides,
there would be an ample equivalent in the salmon
fishing and yachting, from which, if not altogether
debarred under the existing system, there are
many serious drawbacks. With railway facilities,
and considering how scanty is the attendance be-
fore Easter, save when some question of party
interest is under discussion, those devoted to fox-
hunting might contrive to indulge considerably
in their favourite pursuit even in November and
December, notwithstanding the Parliamentary
claims on their time. The NIMROD; too, are,
generally speaking, fond of other country pur-
suits, and would, we venture to assert, not regret
the power of enjoying themselves on their respec-
tive estates after the middle of June.

There is one point to which Lord STANLEY has
not alluded, but which would render the change
still more beneficial, and materially improve the
business of legislation. It is a subject to which
his father has already directed public attention,
offering irresistible arguments in its favour. It
is, that business once introduced in Parliament
should be continued until it has been finally dis-
posed of, either by receiving the Legislative sanc-
tion, or being rejected at some stage of its pro,
gress. This would not abridge any of the con-
stitutional safeguards against reckless or hasty
legislation. On the contrary, it would prevent
the emasculation of measures, and insure mature
and ample deliberation on every point. There
would then be no necessity for the annual "mas-
sacre of the innocents." The House of Lords
would have no reason to complain that they were
not allowed fair time for deliberation ; nor would
we see very injurious alterations submitted to by
those having charge of bills merely to prevent
their total loss. With this necessary amendment,
the proposal of Lord STANLEY will be received
with universal satisfaction, and be decidedly re-
garded as one of the most important reforms of
modern days.

However painful it may be to read of our losses
by the enemy, it is infinitely more so to read of
our losses by avoidable disease. In the one case
there is the mournful satisfaction of believing that
the blood of our gallant fellows has not been shed
needlessly nor in vain, but that the country of
their birth will hereafter reap the fruits of their
heroism and self-devotion ; in the other, the
perusal is embittered by the reflection that the
record is one of nothing but loss, and that instead
of being offered up as a glorious holocaust to their
country's cause, with its inexorable requirements
and splendid rewards, the noble fellows have fallen
useless, if not unhonoured, victims to the igno-
rance, incompetency, and neglect of those whose
bounden duty it was to take every precaution
necessary for the preservation of their health.
To read of fifty men as having fallen in the
trenches, by the shot of the enemy, is a very dif-
ferent thing to' reading of that number fallen by
pestilence. Yet who that is conversant with the
history of the War but knows how small a propor-
tion of our losses, up to the present time, is as-
cribable to the unavoidable requirements of war,
and that to pestilential—that is to say, avoidable—
disease we owe the decimation of our troops ! The
eye that has brightened with pride at their heroic
deeds has oftener, it must be confessed, been
dimmed with pity and shame at the mai:int:On
el
which their welfare has been neglected.
Under such circumstances the letter 'q Dr.
SUTHERLAND, the Sanitary Commissioner in the
Crimea—the Golgotha of our troops—possesses
peculiar interest. From this document, addressed,
by the way, to the garl of SHAFTESBURY, it would
...solu
appear that theta.,..itary condition of the army is
better than might have been expected, and that
his efforts have been rewarded by considerable
success. The most striking parts, however, are
those containing his confirmation of the reports
of the frightful condition of Balaklava on his
arrival, and his remarks on the sanitary
prospects of the army before Sebastopol.
The following is his description of Balaklava
before he entered on his duties :—" It is a small
port, land-locked, lying among lofty hills, crowded
with ships, the margins of the harbour formed
with dead animals, and filth of all kinds ; the
upper end a marsh, which has been used as a
graveyard, where some thousands of the carcases
of men and dnimals had been buried, mostly in
water, and hardly covered with earth ; carcases
floating in the harbour, and also the refuse and
blood of cattle slaughtered on board ship ;
no latrines but the hill sides, and back yards
of houses covered with filth in consequence."
Can it be wondered at, if in such a state of things
—with a harbour in so filthy a condition, visited
daily by 20,000 men, so many have been swept
off by pestilence ? The wonder really is that
there has not been more. The present sanitary
condition of the army adds its testimony to the
existence and results of previous neglect. Though
by no means in so good a condition as might be
attained, the troops appear to be healthy as com-
pared with the past. Diarrhoea has been preva-
lent, it is true, but by care and attention the
disease has not gone further in the majority of
instances. That such cases should be numerous
is not surprising, under the circumstances,
considering the change of climate with new
troops—the animal remains festering beneath
the surface, and the pestilential vapours ever and
anon wafted from the doomed city. It is grati-
fying, however, to find that the locality is not in
itself particularly unhealthy, and that the marshy
spots where malaria is engendered are neither nu-
merous nor unavoidable, As to the sanitary
prospects of the array we confess to some appre-
hension. It is quite evident from his letter that
Dr. SUTHERLAND has met with discouragement in
his labours from quarters to which he had aright
to look for encouragement, and that he is not
very hopeful, of his directions being carried out
This, if there be cause, as we
fear there is, for,
,hit.c,innde,ne37,,,.
in his absence.
is. greatly
eio—Y43 "regrettea.' Lny such "neirea," indeed,
by the officials in future, ought to bring down

on their heads condign punishment, remem-
bering what has already been inflicted by it on
the troops. Until, however, the education of
military men is more complete, and, as Dr.
SUTHERLAND recommends, " military hygiene "
is made a considerable portion of the education of
every officer, the health of our troops will be more
or less neglected. Balaklava may be purified,
and marshes drained, or rendered innocuous by
the agency or advice of such men as Dr. SUIIHER•
LAND, but unless officers are properly informed on
sanitary matters, and do the best in their power
for the men under their charge, pestilence will
make its assaults, and seize its victims among the
best and bravest, as of old.