The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-07 00:00:00

IMERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF LORDS-LAST EVENING.
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.

PRIVATE BUSINESS.

Tie following bills were read a second time :—The Isle
of Wight Ferry, Mumbles Railway and Pier, and Ventnor
and Bonchurch Tramway.

MILITARY HOSPITALS.

Lord PANIITTRE called the attention of the house
to the condition of the military hospitals at Netley and
Woolwich, and asked the Secretary of State for War
whether the vote of 46,000 is all that is intended to be ap-
plied to the erection of a landing place at Netley,
and also whether the hospital at Woolwich is
intended for a general military hospital, or only
for the use of the garrison at Woolwich. The noble
lord said it was out of no disrespect to the noble earl who now
administered the military affairs of the Government or the
Government itself that he brought forward the subject, but
his sole intention was to ascertain whether something could
not be done for the improvement of military hospitals, many
of which were, he might almost say, in a most disgraceful
its
condition. The Crimean war had led to many improve-
ments in military matters, and nearly at close he suc-
cessfully carried out a plan for the erection of. the large
Hospital at Netley, for the purpose of superseding the in-
conveniences that had long existed at Fort Pitt. It was
intended to receive there the military invalids from abroad,
When they wanted their discharge. Another of the ob-
jects in view was the establishment of an army medical
school, which would be productive of the greatest
amount of good, and a third object was that
it should be conducted as a general hospital.
The site of the hospital was extremely healthy, and he
did hope that something would be done to carry out on a
sufficiently commodious scale the completion of the details
of Netley. He.had lately visited an enormous and gigantic
building which was at present going on at Woolwich,
and he was informed it was intended for a large
aleapital. The plan seemed to him to be highly objection-
able ; it was laid out in blocks for wards covered with
glass, and in his, opinion it would be absolute cruelty to
place men in them. In their own case, when any of their
lordships were afflicted with illness great care was taken to
exclude from their chambers too much light ; but in
the building of which he was now speaking the reverse
appeared to be the case, and he could only denominate the
plan of construction as the glass and glare system. He
should like to know, when the building was finished, to
'what purpose it was to be turned. Was it to be a
general hospital ? if so, the means of access to it
were altogether exceedingly inconvenient and badly
placed. If it was intended only for regimental purposes
then it was far beyond the wants required. He had visited
the hospital at Hounslow, and although he found
there a very excellent building, yet there the
glass and glare principle was in full force, and
curiously enough to show that the objections were well-
founded, he discovered the whole of the lower windows of
the wards were painted dark green, to exclude the very
light, which so much pains and expense had been incurred
to admit. The gas fittings were of expensive design and
pattern, and some notion of the glass globes of the gas
fittings might be imagined when a poor Unfortunate sol-
dier having broken one of them, a cheque was made
for five pounds five shillings for barrack damages. The
gas fittings were not alone the most expensive things
to be found within the . buildings, as he found
that a non-commissioned officer having had the misfor-
tune to break one of the earthenware vessels, a charge of
six guineas was on that occasion made for barrack da-
mages. It appeared to him to be proceeding in an en-
tirely mistaken course to erect buildings intended for the
reception of invalided soldiers upon a plan of extravagance
altogether uncalled for and unnecessary. He regretted he
could not induce the Secretary of War to listen to his ad-
vice, based upon practical experience. If ho did so, he would
be guided in a more useful course than that of building
temples for the wind.
Earl DE GREY said it was but natural that the noble
lord should be exceedingly anxious on the subject, espe-
cially as he had done so much to improve the comfort of
the invalid soldier. With regard to Woolwich it was in-
tended for a general military hospital, and would be con-
ducted on the same principles as a general hospital in

time of war.
Some observations followed from the Duke of Cambridge,
the Earl of Ellenborough, Earl Granville, and the Earl of
Longford, and the matter dropped.
Their lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS-LAST EVENING.
The SPEAKER took the chair at 4 o'clock.
NEW MEMBER.

Mr. Mooi took the oaths and his seat on his election for
Tipperary, vacant by the resignation of The O'Donoghue.

PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The following bills were read a second time :—Brecon
and Llanclovery. Junction Railway, Brokers' Bonds and
Rents, East Somerset Extension Railways, London,
Chatham, and Dover Railway (No. 1), Middlesex Indus-
trial Schools, Sunningdale and Cambridge Town Railway,
and Winchester Consumers' Water and Gas.
PETITIONS.

Several petitions were presented praying for a repeal of
the malt tax, the abolition or reduction of the duty on fire
-insurance, and with respect to the sewage of the Thames
And other navigable rivers, &e.
GILBERT'S. ACT.

Mr. 3IITFORD asked the President of the Poor Law
Board if he intended to bring in a bill this session to carry
out the recommendations of the Poor Law Committee
with respect to unions and parishes under Gilbert's Act.
Mr. VILLIERS said that the Government were satisfied
of the necessity that existed for the introduction of a bill
on this subject, and were prepared to bring it before Par-
liament this session.