The Sun.
London, England, 1854-03-29 00:00:00

MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS.

On the motion of Mr, BRADY, an address was ordered
showing the number of practitioners in medicine, accord-
ing to the census of 1851, for each county of England
and Wales, according to the registration division, and
for each county of Scotland, and of the islands in the
British seas, stating the heads under which they appear,
whether as physicians and surgeons, or apothecaries ;
also, the number returned of druggists, aurists, oculists,
dentists, &c.; and also, the respective ages, in quin-
quennial periods, under each head.

COMMUNICATION BETWEEN LONDON AND

DUBLIN.

Mr. H. HERBERT rose to move that an humble
address be presented to her Majesty, that she will be
graciously pleased to give directions that immediate
measures should be taken to give effect to the re-
commendation contained in the report of the se-
lect committee of this house, appointed in the
last session to examine and report upon the pre-
sent state of communication between London and
Dublin ; namely "that a class of steamers be provided
with adequate accommodation for passengers, and with
greater capabilities as regards speed than those at pre-
sent employed." The hon. member quoted a letter from
Sir Cusack Roney, stating that of late years immense advan-
tages in respect of rapid communication between Eng-
land and the United States and England and the continent,
had been effected; it was only as regarded Ireland that
the rate of increased rapidity of railway travelling was
not seconded by rapid transit across the channel. He
(Mr. Herbert) thought there had been an unreasonable re-
duction of the sum which had formerly been allowed for
the purpose of communication between the two capitals
of the United Kingdom, the importance of which was
undeniable.
Mr. VANCE seconded the motion.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said it
would be his duty to object to this motion. Within the
last few years there had been a considerable saving of pub-
lic expenditure in the carrying of mails between this
country and Ireland, and with increased comfort and
advantage to those travelling by those packets.
This change, which was treated by the two hon. mem-
bers who had addressed the house as if it were a measure
directed solely against Ireland, had sprung from a re-
commendation of a committee of this house, who sug-
gested that the contract system should be substituted
for the previous system, which had been found
enormously expensive ; and that very contract system
which had been applied to Ireland was to take effect
also on the Ist of April next with respect to the Dover
packets. He did not at all undervalue the importance
of the communication between Holyhead and Dublin ;
but he said that a sum of 120,000/., or 150,0001., or
anything at all approximating to it, should not be incurred
for the mere luxury of the easy and middle classes
in travelling by those packets at a moment when the
country was placed in a position which would demand
all her energies, and all her resources in matters of
honour, and the welfare and independence of the empire.
For these reasons he hoped the house would not con-
sent to this motion.

Mr. F. FRENCH advocated the granting of the
motion.

• Mr. COWPER said a groat deal of misunderstanding
celled to exist on this subject. lis thought the public