The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-10 00:00:00

QUARANTINE REGULA2IONs.

A deputation from the executive committee of the
Social Science Association, charged with the con-
duct and management of the coming conference to
be held in London, yesterday waited upon Lord
Palmerston, at Cambridge-house, Piccadilly, to call
his attention to the existing state of quarantine and
practices in their effect upon international and cona-
mercial intercourse. The deputation consisted of
Lord Talbot de Malahide, president of the public:
health department of the association ; Dr. Milroy ,
Dr. Lancaster, Dr. Lewes, Mr, Stephen Cave, M.P.'
and Mr. Hastings.

Lord TALBOT DE MALAHIDE introduced the
deputation, and explained its object. He stated,
that, in 1858, the committee appointed by the House
of Commons forwarded queries upon the subject of
quarantine regulations to all the principal ports of
the world—a task in which they were helped by
the Foreign end Colonial Offices. To those queries
they had, through the ageney of the consuls at the
several ports, obtained a large number of replies,
and in them a large amount of information, upon
receiving which they drew up a report, which
had been presented to the House of Commons
and ordered to be printed. In that report they
recommended that the Government should send a
commission to the Mediterranean, and to the prin-
cipal continental ports, to inquire into the actual
quarantine regulations, and the effect of them ;
and, secondly, that Government should annually
lay upon the table of the House a statement of
all the information upon the subject commu-
nicated to them by the consuls. It was the desire of
the Social Science Association that these recommen-
dations should be carried out, as they were convinced
that information would show that the quarantine
system was open to very many grave objections, and
often unnecessarily opposed the development of
international and commercial intercourse, without
affording any adequate protection to the public
health.

Mr CANE, M.P., and other gentlemen having
similarly expressed themselves,
Lord PALMERSTON said he was quite aware of the
great inconvenience of quarantine regulations, and,
so far as this country was concerned, was de-
sirous to abolish them altogether, but foreign
Governments were not so enlightened as to allow
even of this relaxation; but were it otherwise,
they could not, he believed, attempt any such re-
form, so liable were the people of other countries,
through an ignorance of sanitary laws, to sudden
panics in respect to epidemic diseases. Some people,
however subjected to the annoyance, seemed to like
it. For instance, Mr. Frere, when he went to Spain,
was placed in the Lazaretto, under the quarantine
regulations, and immediately set to work to make
himself comfortable, and for his amusement com-
menced the translation of a Greek play. When the
days of his purification were expired, the authorities
waited on him, and announced that he was at liberty
to retire, which he refused to do until he finished
the play, which was probably the "Prometheus
Vinctus." At all events, the subject should have
the earnest attention of her Majesty's Government.
The deputation, having thanked his lordship,
then withdrew.