The Sun.
London, England, 1849-03-20 00:00:00

army, be: teat arc so from an increase in the stations.
Then, as to the augmentation of the officers, his Hen.
Friend near him knee, as ivell ho did that tee pro-
pertion of teen guided the proportion of effisers.-
(Hear, hear.) They must Lave a slit-lit:lent number of
officers and a sufficient number of grecic s aracnest'
the eiliccrs to irentre tee eti;n'plitio fled effi-
ciency of the troops. Every one knew that
e hero there were . men there must be officers
to command them.-(Hear, hear.) In this way we might
go through all the Totes of 1835 seriatim, but this he
should not do, considering that it would be quite unne-
cessary for him to occupy the time of the House with
such minute details. He might, however, just touch
upon one or two points in which alterations had been
mz:de, conformably with the rec• mrneneatioes of the
Committee of 1836, and of the-e the mo st important was
a sem of 24,000/ tolabourers, and 24,000/. on account of
the increased expemes of married soldiers. In the course
of last year inquiry had been made into the condition
of married soldiers in barracks, and it had been feline
to be the habit of the service teat many of them, with
their wives, occupied sleeping rooms in 7oennon with
single men, and it was now proposed by the Govern •
inept to incur such further expense as would put as end
to a practice so oteectionable, by enabling commanding
officers to allow married men to find lodgings for them-
selves.-(Heir, hear.) A further expense now proposed
to be incurred was 2,0001. for barrack libraries, and
5,000!. for schools for female children. There was en
additional item of which he doubted not that the House
would fully approve. It sometimes became necessary
to put soldiu-s in confinement ter offences purely
military ; and, since secondary punishments had been
increased so much as they had recently been, the neces•
sity for military prisons had undergone a corresponding
augmentation, an expense which he was sure the House
would not refuse, inasmuch as it would prevent the no
cessity of sending soldiers, guilt) of no moral or civil
offence, to herd among common felons. The sum re-
quired for this purpose would be 28,0001. The other
rotes which he might here mention would be on account
of divine service, or rather spiritual assistance to Ro-
man Catholics, 3.000/.: for regimental savings-banks,
2,5001.; for good conduct warrants, 4,000/ • for the Jer-
sey and Guernsey Militia, 2,700 L; and for the SL Helena
corps, 11,9881., which, with 5,5001. for other items, gave
a total of 253,000/. in the shape of additional charges
since 1835, and upon the whole the country possessed
the services of a much larger force in 1849 than in 1835.
He should now come to some ether matters relating to
the general condition of the troops both at home and
abroad, and more especially to the sanitary condition
of our military force. He held in his hand a state-
ment from Colonel Tulluch on this subject, the sub-
stance of which he now proposed to lay before the House
as follows :-In Jamaica, the average mortality per
1,000 of white troops annually during. a period of 20
years ending in 1836 amounted to 121 3-10ths; during
a period of ten years, ending in 1846, 66 9-10ths; the
difference in the mortality per 1,000 of troops employed,
54 4.loths reduction: Windward and Leeward Islands,
during a period of 20 years ending in 1836, 78 5-10ths ;
period of 10 years ending in 1846, 68 7-10ths; reduc-
tion, 9 8-10ths; Gibraltar, 20 years ending in 1836, 21
4.1011 s; 10 years ending in 1846, 10 9-10ths; reduc-
tion, 10 5-10ths; Malta, 20 years ending in 1836, 16
3-10ths; 10 years ending in 1846, 14 9-10ths; reduc-
tion, 1 4.loths; lonian Islands, 20 years ending in 1836,
25 2 10ths; 10 years ending in 1846, 15 5-10ths; re-
duction, 9 7-10ths; Bermudas, 20 years ending in
1836, 28 8-10ths; 10 years ending in 1846, 29
2-10ths; excess, 4-10 tbs; Nova Scotia and New Bruns-
wick, 20 years ending in 1836,147-10ths; lOyearsending
in 1846, 13; reduction, 1 7-10ths; Canada, 20 years
ending in 1836, 16 1-10th; 10 years ending in 1846, 12
6-10ths; reduction, 3 5-I.oths; Newfoundland, 20 years
ending in 1836, 41 ; 10 years ending in 1846, 9 1-10th;
reduction, 31 9-10ths: St. Helena, 20 years ending in
1836, 34 2-10ths; 10 years ending in 1846, 15 4 10th ;
reduction, 18 8•10ths: Mauritius, 20 years ending in
1836, 27 4-10ths; 10 years ending in 1846, 24 4 10ths;
reduction, 3: Ceylon, 20 years ending in 1836, 69
8-10ths; 10 years ending in 1846, 41 4-10ths; reduction,
28 4-10ths: New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land,
20 years ending in 1836, 14 ; 10 years ending in 1846,
11 ; reduction, 3 : Cape of Good Hope, 20 years end-
ing 1836, 13 7-10ths; 10 years ending in 1846, 13; re-
ductien, 7-10ths. In the Windward and Leward corn- -
mand, the average mortality per 1.000 of blank hoops
annually during a period of 20 years ending in 1836,
amounted to 40 ; 10 years ending in 1846, 30; difference
in the mortality per 1,000 of troops employed, 10 reduc •
Lion: Jamaica, 20 years ending in 1836 30; 10years ending
in. 1846, 26 5-10ths; reduction, 3 5-10th : Ceylon, 20
years ending in 1836, 24 8-10ths; 10 years ending in
1846, 24 7-10ths ; reduction, 1•10 th : Cape of Good
Hope, 20 years ending in 1836, 10 9-10ths ; 10 years
ending in 1846, 14 8-10ths ; excess, 8 9-10ths. In the
Household Cavalry the average mortality per 1,000 of
troops employed in the United Kingdom during a period
of 7 years previous to 1836, 14 5-10ths; 10 years ending
in 1846, 11 1-101 h; difference in the mortality per 1,000,
3 4-10ths reduction : Dragoon Guards and Dragoons, 7
years previous to 1836, 15 3-10ths ; 10 years ending ill
1846, 13 7-10ths; reduction, 1 6-10ths : Foot Guards, 7
years previous to 1836, 21 6-10ths; 10 years ending in
1846, 20 4•loths; reduction, 1 2 .10ths: Line Regiments,
7 years previous to 1836, 18 5-10ths ; 10 years ending
in 1846, 17 9• 10ths ; reduction, 6-10ths. In Jamaica
the deaths that would have taken place among the whit*
troops had the mortality from 1836 to 1846 been at the
same rate as in the previous 20 years, 1,960; whereas
the number who actually died during the periods under re-
view were only 1,082.1 saving; of life during the 10 years
ending in 1846, 878; in the Windward and Leeward Is-
lands, deaths that would have taken place, 2,655;
actually died, 2,323: saving, 332: in Gibraltar, deaths
that would have taken place, 718; actually died, 364;
saving, 354: in Malta, deaths that would have taken place,
348; actually died, 319; saving, 29: in the lonian Is-
lands, deaths that would have taken place, 660; actually
died, 505; saving 255: in the Bermudas, excess, 5: in
Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, deaths that would
have taken place, 396; actually died, 351; saving, 45:
in Canada, deaths that would have 'taken place, 1,472 1
actually died, 1,153; saving, 319: in Newfoundland,
deaths that would have taken place, 154; actually died,
34; saving, 120: in St. Helena, deaths that would haste
taken place, 95; actually died, 43; saving, 52: at the
Cape of Good Hope, deaths that would have taken .e
place, 345 ; actually died, 327 ; saving, 18
at the Mauritius, deaths that would have taken
place, 474 ; actually died, 422 ; saving, 52
in Ceylon, deaths that would have taken place.
1.085; actually died, 644; saving, 441; in New South
Wales and Van Diemen's Land, deaths that would have • '
taken place, 312; actually died, 242; saving 70.. At the
home stations, the deaths that would have taken place
among the Household Cavalry, 174; actually died, 124;
saving 40; among the Dragoon Guards and Dragoopie
deaths that would have taken place, 836; actually died.
742; saving, 94: among the Foot Guards, deaths that
would have taken place, 865; actually died, 820; seeing,
45: among the Line Regiments, deaths that would have
taken place, 2,965; actually died, 2,860; saving, 105
Under the Windward and Leeward Command, the
deaths that would have taken place among the
troops, 457; actually died, 340; saving 117: in Jain asy
t
the deaths that would have taken place, 164tecte
died, 146; saving. 18: in Ceylon, deaths that would
have taken place, 498; actually died, 497; Baling, 1: at
the Cape of :Good Hope, excess, 19; total excess, 24.
Total of those who would have died, 16,633; total
of those who actually died, 13 248: making a total
saving of life in the course of this period of 3,385 men.
which was nearly equal to five battalions. From the
foregoing statements the [louse would see that much
improvement had been effected in the sanitary conditisn
of the troops in the West Indies by an abolition of salt
diet, and by the discontinuance of inferior food of other
kinds, as well as by removing the troops out of the sea-
side barracks and placing them in higher and more
healthful situations. From the statements which he had
just laid before the House it became evident that, at com-
paratively trifling expense, they bad been enabled to
effect a great improvement in the condition of the sol-
dier-(Hear, hear)-which, even apart from its hums'
nity, had the further but much lower recommendation of
being a measure of wise and sound economy. The
saving of human life by means of those improvements
amounted to not less than 3,385, being equal to five bat-
talions. The next subject to which be wished to advert
had reference to six questions, of which notice had been
given by a Noble Lord opposite. One of those questions
related to the number of deaths that had taken place in
the 66th Regiment; another, whether any case of yellow
fever had occurred in the 72d before the 66th were en'
camped in the rear of their barracks; and also if the
officers of those regiments bad not been put to great ex-
pense for medical advice? In reply to the first of these
questions, ho should state that the 66th arrived in the
island of Barbadoes about the end of February; and,
at ter a day or two, took possession of the barracks of the
88th, which regiment they relieved. They remsio
tolerably healthy till about the end of August, ;
disease became virulent. On the 6th of September
they were encamped. As many as 18 had died before
the Ist of September, and 17 died during the month of
September. .As to the latter clause of the question
respecting Dr. Davy's letter to the medical' inspector+
he had no information to give. In reply to the
Noble Lord's second question, respecting Assistant-
Surgeon Simpson's letter to Dr. Davy, be bad
only to say
,that no such letter was in the
hands of the S Inspector-General. His reply to
the third question was this-that no case of yellow
fever occurred in the 72d Regiment prior to the 66th
being encamped. The 66th were encamped on the 6th
of September, and the first case of yellow fever occurred
in the 72d on the 3d of October. The 88th were en-
camped on the same ground as the 66th, while the 70
Fusiliers occupied the same barracks, and no case of
yellow fever occurred in that corps. The inference was
that the 66th did not bring the fever by contagion.
Then, with regard to thefourth question, concerning the
expenses to which the officers were supposed to be set, be
begged to inform the Noble Lord on encampment
the officers become entitled to field allowances, ee order
to enable them to meet extra expenses; and they had
no occasion to pay anything extra for medical .at.
tendance. Next in order came the fifth questn
which he had no means of answering, and het and
only to state that the expense of encantewedecem-
extra stores would appear in the Ordnance an, The
inissariat accounts for the quarter.-(Hear, hear.' y
Noble Lord's sixth question was to this effect, h"w In ae •
medical men were available for duty during the
epidemic?
His answer was that during the following
periods the
medical officers were-in January, 1848, 11, in
February 11, in March 12, in April 12, in May 12,
in
June 9, in July 9, in August 9, in September 9. in ee
Oc-
tober 10, in November 12, in December 9, Now, he
should submit, that that amount of mtdiced assistance
must always be considered quite enough for 1,300, and
had more medical aid been required is might have beers
obtained from any other island in the neighbourhood,
,t,
there haviug been full power to send for it. With
respect to the barracks of St. Anne's, be had to s
that that they were not more unhealthy than tole opsrt
of the island. From 1843 to 1847 the troops in these
barracks enjoyed 11 gate health seldom if ever ow;