The Sun.
London, England, 1852-02-13 00:00:00

forward the Militia Bell on elendee next, lesfo.ro any of
the other business.
FOREIGN SHIPPING.
Mr. LABOLTCIIERE gave notice that, on the 25th
of February, he would move for leave to bring
in a Bill to enable her Majesty to make. other-
wise than by treaty, arrangements of reciprocity with
regard to foreign shipping.
HOUSE TAX.
Mr. GOULBURN moved for accounts of the number
of houses valued at 201. and upwards, distinguishing the
number of those which pay house tax at the rate of six-
pence and ninepence in the pound respectively. stating,
the amount of tax derived annually from each class; ot
the number of houses rated to the poor at 101. and under
201, and the estimated produce of a house tax on the
same at the above rates; and, of the number rated to
the poor at Si and under 101.; together with a like esti-
mate of the produce of such a tax.—Agreed to.
SUPPLY OF MEAT PROVISIONS TO THE
NAVY.
Sir W. JOLLIFFE moved for a Select Committee
to inquire into the contracts, and the mode of making
them, for the supply of meat provisions for the use of her
Majesty's navy during the years 1847,
and 1851; into the causes which have led to the receiv-
ing ing into the Government stores, and to the issuing for
the use of her Majesty's ships on foreign servic,e,
certain pres# rye d meats, which have proved to
by
unfit for human food; and into the Weans the
which an occarrenee so prejudicial to taf.
public service may most effectually be preventeda.
1848, 1849, 1819..
He did not pass a day without hearing some anima.
version made upon the Admiralty, and he thought it
was high time that department of the Government end
derwent a thorough reform. Ho was no disappointed
admiral, nor was he in any way connected with the so!:
vice, and he was therefore perfectly disinterested hie
bringing the question before the House.—(Hear)T
leading point which he wished to have inquired ;
was the state and nature of the coatract made with Mr.
Goldner. The first contract made by him was datedl
1845, but it was not until 1847 that any considerable.r
contracts were entered into with him. About this
period the preserved meats prepared by
Goldner came into general use in the navy, """ it
was not until 1848 that any condemnations of the meat
as being bad were made.—(hear, hear.) New haeee
wanted to know who it was that made those condemna-
tions, tions, and why they were made. In 1850 it was said a 'a/c
contract was again entered into with Mr. Goldner with° _
any steps having been taken to prevent a recurrence °_!.
f
those evils which had previously led to the condemns
ticns of large quantities of preserved meats.--(1164
hear.) The penalty for the due performance of 7h-a
contract was 6,0001., bat nothing else was done by .-g6
Admiralty to prot. ot the national purse. In ,18.1 of
there were complaints made about the quality o`
the meat, and yet in 1851 another large ce°4,--„e
was made with Mr. Goldner. This brought them a,"'"it
to a crisis; for it was found, upon opening the unrit
parcel of the meats delivered, that much of it was tan
for human food. and the contractor suddenly it";
appeared.—(Hear, hear.) Now, he wanted to Itlebe
who were the securities for Mr. Goldner in 1851.
information which he had upon the subject was not ei a t
official character, but it Lad been before the public wiibo
wa'
ids
known
being answered or contradicted.—(Hear, hear.) "eed
then, he was told that in 1851 the contractor was f°re,eo
to withdraw 2,000 canisters of his meat ; while in the
summer of this year the Lords of the Admiraltrwere.oo
Portsmouth, on a tour of inspection, and their atteetise
was then called to the fact that the stench which Wra
emitted from the stores where the preserved moats we
kept was not only horrible, but was endangering,theliver.
of those who lived in the locality.—(Hear.) And Xt.
knowing all this, the Admiralty did not order an ,
spection
spection until the winter, when the result of thSet,hke
and it became evident that the abuses WhiChee'lei";
occurred could not be allowed to pass over witll7lt.
iustituted.—eeee3"„erthe
beingthrough the public
Parliamentary inquiry • • - ere e Iptte:
He was in possession of testimonials which showed
her. Niejeetyhe ships obtained a tar superior
served meats from a enanuoictory in Australia timueee7eeer
did in this country. He thought that on the suuli;eete
humanity some explanation ought to h'al'e
given long ago of the gross imposition. whaiir
had been , practised on the Government._ • world
from were to be found in all parts of theos"
from the- Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the' „ fleiw e
t;at,,tt:, Vane. tueer's ISland,eitactle underateod that 9,‘
of them had been furnished with supplies of Goldner,
canisters of meat. If Captain Franklin had alio en
abominable stuff on board, the chance that now region
ot his safety would be considerably diminisuetia
There were besides other vessels engaged in the Arcee,
re gions. The Investigator had been three winters the' t;
but had not been heard of, and the Enterprise bad bets
on a similar expedition for two years. Now he thong ,
it was right the public should be informer', vihetheat
these and other vessels were supplied with Govertunehe
meats. On these grounds, therefore, he called upon t!'ee
authorities of the Admiralty to vindicate their charse!oe"
as guardians of the public purse and of the sensed
on which the national greatness had dePtlineed
and which he trusted, under the blessing of God, WY--
still 4epend.—(Cheers.)
Colouel CHATTERTON seconded the motion; 5163;
veral other Hon. Members rising at the same reline
to do so.
the
Sir F. BARING said, so far from objecting to had
course taken by the Honourable Member, he gave
credit for the. sincerity of his intentions. He was
trendy glad that the subject had been brought Is,
the House, because it gave him an opportunity ets.sere
ewering objections made in another quarter, vr".o,
he was precluded from giving an eephenatt,ool
He would give the Hon. Gentleman his inquiry,
would propose to extend it a little further, in
more c mplete intorrnetion on the subject /night eve
obtained. He was anxious there should be full a;
searching it quiry, not confined to Goldner's contrec_iht,
but to those of other persons who supplied id
navy with preserved meats.—(Hear.) lie 6de
show that no blame attached to the officers, whcs,A°
it was to inspect the canisters. 'They'
could 1.
eat,
order that
be, opened for inspection without destroying thweinosed
which became unfit fur human food, after being 'Trost
to the air for 48 hour,; and it often happened' do/
though trash and good at the time of examination
become bad in a few hours afterwards. An °meads
nation conducted by competent persont was altellyjafiel
of the preserved meat when it was shipped, ati",l,,f the
complaint respecting it was made on the part efter,
crew, it was immediately reported, and a survey wed
wards took place. If the result of that survey Dilation
that the complaint of the sailors had sufficient foe an
the meat was condemned and destroyed. There:jirthe
impression abroad that the sailor was obliged te pet the
preserved meat,—(Hear, hear.) Now, that was navy
nerf
case, for good care was taken that the ships the It
should be suffi.liently supplied with salted prorist" a for
was almost impossible to guarantee the fitneneeetaine
human food of the preserved meat beyond ad- °'
time. Meat of that kind was perfectly good, loan: Oat
the very best materials, and carefully nut et; del:
would, on exemination, be found perfectly g°.°7o oft"-
and yet after a certain time, by the impel-1000 OA
process which it underwent, become unfit for bliOogli'il
He recollected one case where a quantity of thereon"
meat supplied, not by Mr. Goldner, by by erred officer
tractor, underwtnt au xamination before the bee Loru
of the Admiralty et D&ronport, in presence °f the the
George Poulett and several officers of the navy; at meat
report which they made stated, not only that the °e
was exceedingly fine, but that during the exami
.e.`er.)
they themselves partook very largely of it.—(LeugiaLn,
But notwithstanding that they se reported, beforel73
the meat which they examined and certified be ees_le
unfit for human use. He wished to show that no lane
rs
meat into store, for the corruption in it a
lag the the
and could not be ascertained at ette
rested with the officers who were entrusted with recee".
atterwards,
moment of its reception. The Admiralty ralty
,:tmraPelshoe'
it in their power and were bound to ate
that they did not adopt the use of preserved meat
rashly and carelessly—that there WBS a proper exatbe
nation made of the meat before it was received hits Ida ,
taoirn.ts,
Theand ,dHidonw.hGi
tnmtlhe_e /
store-rooms; and that when complaints ' Int ant
theye
uida, tttoenpduendistho
tthheo sec
Ley to remedy the evil, and afterwards as far 135,_,-
sg
said that the use of preserved meat in theenavy was first
commenced in 1840. Bat he (Sir F. Baring) might
state that so tar back as 1813theeed soma preservedtbel
maw, though in mall ; a rd arelzie of
quantities, on boa
r
ships, the use of which on the aPPlicv
had been allowed
l
tion of several office
.rs. It was however, u-ndoubtedl Dir* introduced ge • • e after, e
nera y in 1840. Some time after,
-
Goldne
re-who, he (Sir F. Barin was informed' eat
Jew, though lie could not see anyg why °d ears
reason
t (13881
account he should not receive proper treatmen--404 o
tlear)--applied to the Admiralty to use a Ps served
which he was the inventor, for manufacturing Pry reoi-
meat. At his request the Admiralty caused an
nation to be made into the merits of his inventintuoo to
result of which was deemed satisfactory. In addll
that 'he Navy Medical Board reported in favour of
boe.
Goldner's preserved meat. Notwithstanding thet'to the
ev•r, the meat was only introduced gradually 'noon.
navy, and not all at once. In consequence of ar had
mendation as to the manner in which the service who
•
been performed—made not to his Noble Friend
preceded him in office, but to the gentleman whsitded•
ceded Lord Auckland—the present Lords of the 000
ralty were left by their predecessors with onlY ties
day's supply of meat nsuelP •
necessary for the ce with
of the whole service, and a running contract
Cow
Mr. G. ildner. Up teethe beginning of 1849 130
to tee
plaints were mane to the Admiralty with respect for
preserved meats. Later than that they received are ill,
from Sir Charles Napier, who was then in the Sf• ship
cent, staring that he had consulted the men in his bey
they
respecting the use of the preserved meats, and that
001 Y
said they liked it better than any other. It was faint
P
he 1849 that the Admiralty received any con!
~,oat,
whatever with regard to those meats. In ths'ttero,
however, they had two serious complaints made to
Goldser.
10
in cenee quence of which they called on Mr. ,aveg
nuke some explanation. That explanation not gelr
been deemed satisfactory, they intimated to thet test
tleman that his contract with them must cease, and vet-
they must enter into is fresh one on the stibjeete ape
rents precautions were taken in the sabsequen.:d the
tract with respect to the size of the canisters eZo,„ to
perfect exclusion of the air from them, with /Itaight
maintain the good quality of the meat. Ile„ajdner
mention that the contract entered into with umeetts
was not a private one, but the result of publicco.
tion ; and now that his transactions with the wan
ralty had terminated it was a serious emitter tn4lise-
win # had invested so large a sum of money in his eats
et ja
Mali its that gentleman. There was a new conita:lrvaity
the b,giuning ot 1850. and up to 1851 the' Aci., • bat
der 1
had no complaint of the mem supplied un
tract w
the moment they received a complaint the can 101 d
immediately cancelled, anti Mr. Goldner
_W..% els
that he could neither be permitted to con__ll:."
supplies nor to make a fresh tender ill falt.,lolll
oonvlGini whigh wigilleled the need 14171_
spg..gr