The Sun.
London, England, 1849-06-22 00:00:00

then concluded by moving a resolution to the effect that
as the efficie .cy arid economy of the army and navy de-
psnded upon the ability, energy, and zeal of the na. diced
officers, and that, as they -hared the dangers to which
those services were exposed, it was neither ex— -
client nor just that they should be excluded
from a share of honorary distinctions and rewards in pro-
portion to their relative rank, or the relative importance
of their respective duties.
Mr. HUME seconded the motion, for the reason
asserted by Napoleon, that every man forming a part
of the army ought to be considered a public
servant, and was entitled to such reward as his services
required. In former days, owing to the want of a
proper commissariat, a much greater proportion of the
army was destroyed by disease than by the sword or the
bayonet. He was prepared to show, if the time
would admit, that in consequence of the superior
attainments of the medical officers, the mortality of the
army had been greatly reduced within the last twenty
years. As, therefore, the success of engagements de-
pended so much upon the skill shown by the commis-
sariat and by the medical officers, he thought the House
would pass a stigma upon the profession if they were
backward in acceding to the motion of his Gallent Friend.
The motion having b-en read,
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said, the Secretary at War
being unavoidably absent, he should reply to the Gallant
General's question to the best of his ability. In
the first place, he entirely concurred with the Gal-
lant General, as to the merit of the medical
officers of the army, and the Hon. Member for Mon-
trose had also borne no more than just testimony to the
valuable services of those officers. He had stated most truly
that the mortality of late years had been materially lessen-
ed in consequence of the valuablebature of the information
supplied to the medical board, upon which they had
acted ; and therotore he (Lord J. Russell) should be
sorry, on that occasion, to say anything in disparage-
ment of those services. Though, as the Gallant General
had said, they were non-combatants, yet they were
every day called upon to exercise steadiness of nerve ;
and they were indebted to them for saving the lives
of many gall int men, who wou d otherwise have died
from wounds received on the field of battle.—( Hear.)
But he could not agree with him that the officers of
the engineers were also non-combatants, for when
they were commanded to mount a breach, they
were exposed to the same imminent peril as other
officers ; but the House could hardly say that the
medical officers were excluded from all rewards,
because it was well known that when medals were dis-
tributed they received them in common with the other
officers. Nor were civil rewards withheld from them,
since Sir James Macgregor, Sir Charles Forbes, and
others had received the civil honour of knighthood. With
respect to admitting them to the Order of the Bath, he dui
not see that there was any possible objection—(Hear,
hear)—but he would not pledge himself that this should
b 3 so; be would much rather consult the Commander-
in-Chief and the Secretary at War before he could state
in what manner this should be done.—(Hear, hear.)
It was, he thought, rather a matter for the considera-
tion of the Executive than of the Legislature.—(Hear,
hear.) If, therefore, the Gallant General persisted in
his motion, he should move the previous question.
Colonel DUNNE considered that the Gallant Ge-
neral had done a great service by bringing the matter
before the House. He saw no reason why these officers
should not be rewarded in the same way as other officers.
When poor-law inspectors and others had received the
honour of knighthood, he saw no reason why these
medical officers should not be similarly rewarded.
lie should not add one word of testimony to the value
of the medical officers' services after what had fallen from
his Hon. and Gallant Friend. During the Peninsular
war there were seven actions for which, by an accident
almost, rewards were given. There were men then
serving in Spain who had not the good fortune to
be in those actions, aid who had not received
the slightest reward.—(Hear, hear.) fie was therefore
anxious to call the attention of the House to tne ser-
vices of those men, who, though not engaged in those
actions, had distinguished themselves in the service of
their country in the Peninsula and elsewhere.
Sir DE LACY EVANS said, with reference to
what had fallen from the Noble Lord at the head of
the Government respecting engineers, ho (Sir De
Lacy Evans) had merely adverted to engineers, as
they were also a scientific branch, and perhaps
the highest scientific branch of the service. He had nut
the slightest objection to the Noble Lord's suggestion as
to that distinguished corps. He (Sir De Lacy Evans)
knew engineers in the civil departmeut who had already
received Companionships of the Bath for their services
in India, but the services for which that- honour had
been conferred upon them were of a civil character.
Colonel THOMPSON said the Members on his side
of the House with whom he usually acted were so en-
tirely satisfied' with what had fallen from the Noble
Lord, that they had hoped he would have dispensed with
putting the previous question.
Sir C. BURRELL bore testimony to the great improve-
ment in medical science in the army, and referred to his
experience on the coast of Africa in proof of it.
After a few words from Captain PECtiELL,
Sir DE LACY EVANS thought he had done no in-
justice to any department of the service, and he hoped
the Noble Lord would not oppose the motion.
Lord J. RUSSELL thought some injustice had been
done, and he hoped his Hon. and Gallant Friend would
withdraw his motion.
Sir DE LACY EVANS said if injustice had been done
he would withdraw him .notion.
The motion was accordingly withdrawn.
EQUALIZATION OF POOR-RATES.
Mr. PACKE and Lord NUGENT presented several pe-
Lions in favour of the equalization of poor rates.
Lord NUGENT then rose, pursuant to notice, to
move for a Committee to inquire into the practicability of
better providing for the maintenance of the indigent poor
of Enelsnd and Wales, by an equal and general apportion-
ment of the burthen of the 8 awe. He was pertectly aware
that this was not a most inviting subject for the
consideration of the House ; at the same time,
as it was a question of the utmost importance, he asked
the indulgence of the House while he stated the prin
cipal points connected with the subject. He felt that
he should have no right to ask tor any favourable
consideration of his motion if he contented himself
with laying before the House the inequality of
the mode of rating, and the grievous hardship
upon the rate-payers. He would have no right
to ask for an inquiry upon the subject, did he not
think he could lay before the House the means by
which those hardships might be avoided.—(Hear.)
He need not dwell upon the grievances which result
from the present mode of rating, because he believed
he should be justified in dealing with those as acknow-
ledged evils. There could be no doubt that the present
system of rating was most unjust and anomalous, its
inequalities were universally admitted. He could not go
the length of saying that they were increased by the
amended law of 1834, but there was no doubt of this, that
it had had the effect of placing the guardians in antago-
nism to the rate-payers and both to the poor. The pre-
sent system of rating was most unequal; it was most in-
jurious, it not absolute spoliation to many of the rate-
payers; and, above all, it was most injurious to the ob-
jects of parochial relief.—(Hear.) In many instances
the rate had been twenty-five shillings in the pound,
or, more properly speakii g, five shillings above
the pound. From a return it appeared that the annual
charge up to Lady -day,1847, for the in-dour maintenance
of the poor in all the unions was 769 6901; and to Lady-
day 1848, 955,700/.; and the establishments and salaries
for 1847, were 762,4204 and for 1848, 970,985/. This
showed that the cost of keeping up the estebtishments
and paying salaries amounted to 15 000/. more than
was required for the maintenance of all the poor.
The total pooterates expended in England and Wales
during the year ending 25th March, 1848, was 3,C47,4851.
Ot this sum there was expended in law charges, expenses
of proceedings before magistrates, payments under the
Parochial Assessments Act, and e• fur other pur-
poses," no less than 1,856,7201. There was thus nearly
2,000,0001. expended annually in the mere machinery of
the poor-laws, and of that sum there was an item of
214,7111. for "other expenses." He thought that even
official gentlemen would think that that was an enormous
sum to be put down under such a head. It would be
found, both in town and country, that the poorer
parishes were rated enormously higher, and the richer
parishes enormously lower, than they ought to be. The
representative system in the board of guardians had
been likened to the system of representation which pre-
vailed in that House. No two things, however, could be
more different or opposed in their nature; because whilst
in Parliament all classes were represented, in boards of
guardians one only was represented, being the contribu-
tors to the pool-irate. He would now point out the ine-
qualities of the poor-rate in different localities, then the
principal difficulties to be overcome in equalising it; and
thereby he would suggest a means, as it appeared to
him, whereby the equalisation might be safely made.
With regard to the inequality of the rate, he might state
generally, that it ranged indefinitely from one farthing
to fourteen shillings. From a paper presented to Parlia
went on the 21st of March,lB4B, itappeared that the total
sum expended during that year, ending on the 12th of
March, 1848, was, under the poor-law, 8.047.485/., of
which only 6.108 7651. was spent in relieving the poor;
the balance of 1,938.720/. being expended in the follow-
ing manner:—viz., 70,3801. in law charges, 58,0001. in
proceedings before magistrates; 14,1584 for parochial
assessments, surveys, and valuation; 11,539/. for ex-
penses of parish property; and an extraordinary item
of 214,711/. for " other purposes." Tnere was a large
item, also, for " petty cash." Expenses under the Re-
gistration Act, 56,9821.; county, borough, and police
rates, 1,391,376/. These charges amounting together
nearly to the sum of 2,000,0001, were expended entirely
in moving the cumbrous machinery of the poor-law. The
system of rating the several parishes in the country was
so unequal and unjust, that it demanded the serious at-
tention of the House. Under this system the poorester
parishes were rated enormously higher,
enormously lower, than in the medium. Noticeen _
arid the richer
metro-
politan parishes, the richer ones at the westo ones
wedre
paid
very little, while the poorer suburban u _
nein, the
pressed unbearably. Notice East Londonn
parishes were rated at 2s. 6d. and 3s. 4d. ; that was the
in Saint James's,
Westminster, earned
in St. George's, in
rate in Bethnal-green ;
which was not One.
Westminster, it was ls.
1847, 9d. Now it was only 734 d-,
parish., it. might have been
fifth of the rate paid in Bermondsey. In proportion to
ionulad have bet n eraduat, d. The
the vale of the property
supposed that the rate w
as w
reverse of this was the case, as suffieU ntly mud_
fested in the cases of the parishes of the Exchange
anu
of one in Leadenhall-street. There wese 3 327 • pa
riches, rated at from 6d. to 838 at from
Is to 4s. ; and 383 at from 4s. to 14s. In extra-
parochial districts 17,585 inhabited houses were rated
at nil, and all this was owing to the operation of that
most unnatural and pernicious law, the law. of srt-
tlement. That law set-
was in absolute te antagonism with
every good and generous sentimben
prejudicially to the countr and oyerateidthmohset
circulation of labour, Whig' aiLvinetearlitertthnigngsw. it was
most essential torromote.
/1,49 n, ho e ith regard to local super-
"' aye thflt entirely to the ciisoreo94