The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-08 00:00:00

for forcing the Government to take :a step for the abolition o,
it altogether. He thought it would be a dangerous step
to abolish it allogether, and then he inconsistently proposed
to supsn t a motion to that effect. The question under cense.
duration was at all times a disagreeable one, and one on which
those who rdvocated corporal punishments could not compete
advantageously with those who took the popular view of the
subject. Every attempt was made to dress up such ceses, and
harrow up the feelings of the public. He admitted that
punishment by the lash, to the extent to which it had hitherto
been carried out, was most revolting, and could only be justi-
fied by the sternest necessity. But Hon. Gentlemen Nebo
brought forward end supported the motion for its aesolitions
seemetl to give themselvss no concern as to wleat would be
s efficient substitute if they took it away, that respect he
must beg leave to differ with them, when they proposed to
disturb the system hitherto in opeeetion. It was right that
they should propose the substitue;on of some other system that
would be equally, if not more efficacious.—( Hear.) The public
mind had been much excited by the late unfortunate occur-
rence at Hounslow. Had it not been for that, so satisfied ware
the public, tleest the Government and all those in civil and mill •
tart' aut'.ority were desirous to do everything to improve the
Peee'tion of the soldier that he believed no notice of the question
now under consideration would have been taken in the present
session of Parliament. As it was, this occurrence taking places
Is Al been most unfortunate, as likely to erercise, by the excite-
ment it had produced, an injurious effect on the members of the
service. With reference to that occurrence he must say, that
great injustice had been done to the commanding officer, aid
the other officers of the Hussars.—( Hear, hear.) They had
been subjected to unmerited obloquy ; and if it had occurred
in any other regiment, where character did not stand
so high as that of the 7th Hussars, it might have
seriously affected its discipline. He had great confidence in
that regiment, and he wished to make it known that the officers
and privates of it bore a most exemplary character in the
quarters in which they had been previously placed. He would
read a note to that effect, which he had received from the
rector of the parish. The Right Hon. Gentleman then read
the note, which was to the effect, that during a twelvemonth
the regiment had been stationed there, both officers and men,
had exhibited the best general good conduct. Not one case et
immorality or irregularity had taken place.—( Hear, hear.)
Such was the character which the regiment bore; and be
deeply regretted to read in the public papers that several pri-
vates had been called on to give evidence, the purport of which
must lead to a further investigation, for the matter could
not be allowed to rest there.--( Hear, hear.) This was all he
would say concerning that civil investigation, and he would
now come back to the real question. The Hon. Member for
Bolton wished to deprive the officers of all power of inflicting
corporal punishment. Now, to meet the objections that had
been taken to the present system, the Government, with the
consent of the commanding officer, admitting that the death
of the person at Hounslow had resulted from the flogging,
though that, he would observe, was contary to the evi-
dence of all the military officers examined, had e.ausee,
the subject to be brought under the consideration of
the Commander-in Chief, the Duke of Wellington•
The Duke of Wellington immediately said " this shall net
uccur again, and though flogging cannot be dispensed with,
still 1 shall not sanction any punishment to the injury of lief('
or lime," The Duke or evenings°. suggested that the pun's'
mcnt should he reduced to fifty lashes, and he (Mr. F. elaule)
was sure that if he was to go as far back as his Hon. Friend
had gone, its the military authorities quoted by him as to the
brutality of military punishment, they would all be found to
admit that fifty lashes was no punishment at all. Her Ma-
jesty's Government had, however, come to the determination
to reduce the number of lashes, and to adopt that as the
maximum ; having determined, at the same time, to endeavour
to raise the character of the British soldier as far as possible;
and in hope that the epoch would come when, though cor-
poral puni.hment would still be retained in the military code,
the lash should be unused in the British army.—( Hear, hear.'
A consummation, however, he would say, which, if looked for,
was to be sought only by means dictated by sound discretion,
by a system of sound discipline, and of rewards in the case
merit. But, he said, he might be asked by those who We!.o
opposed to all corporal punishment, what their object was in
maintaining this system of corporal punishment. Those ilu(ci
were against it might say that they maintained, from antiquated
notions, that they could not do without it. Now l'
he said,
was labouring under no antiquated notion when he supported
the diminished quantity of corporal punishment? It was very
natural for these who were not acquainted with the British
army to talk with a feeling generosity about the systeldl,
corporal punishment. They ought to recollect that the Brio!
army existed by the strictest obedience being rendered by the
major to the colonel, the captain to the major, the lieutenant 0
the captain, and so on down to the corporal and the private
el:
the ranks ; the efficiency of the army depended on the ob
dience of inferiors, and that on the discipline which was inglf
tained. If they should abolish this system of disciplineria 0
they refused to support the officers in their attempt to maidehst
the discipline of the army, it'would come at last to this, es
they would not get men from the ranks to take man
non-commissioned officers—(Hear, hear)—and a man "" e
ore
circumstances would say to his superior officer, " it is a',o be
well for me to have stripes on my arm, but if I am end
struck on the breast with a poker by any worthless vagateabie
when I am talking to him of matters of duty, no respee the
man will take such a situation." He said then, befere_tere
House deprived militar tribunals of that which was neeesthei
to the discipline of theyarmy, especially in times of wareeoal
must substitute something else. But he supported the prev,fiele
of the Government on another ground, the proteetionnt'oe
was owing to the British public. The Governme,, if
charged with maintaining the discipline of the army. ' nay
they considered not only the public expectation as to the,artVe
that it should be well regulated, but if they considesrteadflog
jealoasy which existed in this country as to a as
army at all, they must see the urgent necessity of disci! neente
otherwise the public would have men billited upon them " 1
of low character and also without any discipline to coutr°
them. An Hon. Member had mado an exception in favour
corporal pareshment when the soldier was on the rotaec,ade
in quarters or to n, cases would occur when he miss be ",aOl
10
an example of, to deter others from committing' the ' ,
crimes. As to the condition of the soldier, he
something had been done, and perhaps very mueshato /Le iats;
yet be done ; but at present he would say nothing on that,a:
the subjects connected therewith required mature cOO
sideration, were well worthy of attention, and would receive
it
from the Government. Means had been used, and with sousee,
good effect, to substitute in part a sound system
prison discipline for corporal punishment. ;
During the last 14
e
four in Ireland, and one in Scotland.ers
military prisons in Great Britain a li.eland folu'errinwEngland.
months, the number of prison
less than 100 lasses, whereas, hence
20 had been subjected to corporal punishment, receiving net
hafdorbtehe,nth4e76l lowest swt hwoomu cl onlyb e
'b)4li'shmle'
hnetswwheorlee
opened
ethnoedse, edoidmomoittteexdoteoedpr3irpne,rsioleicnet.thosHeeesht:ai
it from the officers themselves, that they received their les'
,
bark from these prisons better men than they were berafoorbeere;
said much had been done for the soldier, and much
to be done to lead the private to behave himself. It liebleto
said of the good-conduct money, that the soldier was rof it.
feel the influence, and would not avail hineselot
He said, that since January, 1845, thirty non-coon"re, hr_
officers had received commissions, and that alloy/ in the
made them of 1001. in the infantry, and 15° A been
cayalry.—( Hear, hear.) Again, savings' banks hausoleier
established in the army, and they showed how' thei 1644:
would avail himself of their advantages. In elarc'i ; eels
there were 1,e90 depositors, and a sum of 15:0° amount
year the depositors had increased to 3,414, and the
0, yet
to 35,000/. 'llia returns for the present year had no cad"
been all received, but such as they had got in led t"
lore-
se
fitlently to expect that there would be a considerable
_oar
both in depositors and money. He said, though theyted_l'soidie
corporal punishments, when they had instructed ne,......tebbe:
in his duty, and encourged him in doing
_To,
it_
they had made use of these two inseits,efit
had hopes that the lash would be unused end felloeif lose
desuetude. But if, he said, the House took on it?e,...id ceas!'
this motion, and to say that this mode of discipline sncaty
sett
the House took upon itself all the responsibility, vc
o.l7the tele
was, of depriving, through a good but mistaken feeling, iseirecie
tary tribunals of this necessary power to maintain t a'
osie
of the army. - . _ his °Tore
Sir C. NAPIER said he felt compelled to e
gir Noble feel
tion to the motion ; but, after the declaration of the
55000 0
that punishment should be reduced to 50 lashes, heoe„sle.llo
surprise if it should be pressed. He would ask the Hon. her,
who proposed to abolish corporal
had ever read the dispatches of the Duke of Wellington of I;
jlO
punishment altoge.l,7 1-t,ao
he ever read how that Noble Duke, who commanded
_(!iotore
finest armies in the world, had stated that after a e,
re
treys
could not control any soldier ? He (Sir C. Nalder,olsen, the,.
bered once in the Peninsular war, in a Portuguese desere's,
was such a devastation as it would he impossible %eft ee,r_e,
On one occasion the Duke of Wellington had foundeee bange"so
sary to order some of those who served under him t e_o ere sass
Now, lie should like to know, when it was necessapr:tbere,."o„
severe an example, how it was possible to act when the
no discipline whatever? He trusted, therefore, that
ised,
,
Gentleman would withdraw his motion, it suer
Mr. WAKLEY said he must confess that he felt r
after what had transpired, that the punishment by eogg hhe
the army was not to be immediately abolisheet• opponoit
feeling was in favour of that course, public judgment O
it, and public opinion demanded it.—( Hear, hear.) that the
assure the House, from his own personal observatteho on the
this subject there was a stronger feeling abroad to. eOf
corn-laws, and that that opinion must be given wait() Oilseed
Right Hon. Gentleman would excuse his adverting o assd'tiaol
his points wash tis question. In the first place ,te;es tiltoieej
that there something wrong in the soldiers
see, to
lately taker, place, because some private soldiers:eojeveo ;or
to give their evidence on that case. Now hee sea'sigatied'
state that when he went to Hounslow that then.nees for
of assistance given hint by the authorities in tin', nee°'noc to
and that it was even stated that there was, oeo referees the
inquiry, and by some parties that flogging hattequenee :of that
the death that had taken place. The cons sostane, c ire
kind Court derived no benefit from anY ato
self
eoett
kind. Therefore he thought it beam-
et... Isaelf (odic"
matter in the hands of a private corporal
officer.
The ploOe
than whom there was no more efficiereo
eveidence, belle:
was against the majority
of thes medicalbut was what r eiltoss
there were five medical
wnittreemsseen'o be relied upoo „
stated by three of these ge without making a comp 00;0 ,
body, they had stated tleeeiretlelftio
n that the Right Hon• ur.ee-elie7,oo
oltitiotwrtaeesinx hoeun.m.hn finsat;l:i)sofeonrinbcaodatthei
ose
make his statement. who introducedtemitennet.subjtercotdoenr thethe
silefoenirdoanyinasfttnenr,cen'sawlat
t,;10.- boas,
ir roe
remained for him but to cause an ingry. fere'
instituted, and he being referred to had selected to id seas
Wilson for that purpose. Now he thought it rigeWilsoa, sea
the House who that gentleman was. Mr. Erasinda „ears %se'
the son of a naval surgeon, who served fifteen c'oeone.,BCi-
during the war. In 1825 his medical educatiell let ter
under Mr. Abernethy, in Bartholemew's HesPietao enjdYeiees.
27, he was house pupil to Mr. Langstaff, where e
sung the
or p••
usual opportunities of seeing and -assisting in sutore/Yteont'
tions, inspecting bodies, and studying morbid and
te
Langstaff being surgeon of the parish of CrlePliegseausene%tiee'
and the possessor of an excellent pathological peee eee
1628, 29, he was engaged in the pursuits of 11°7_P je3o reef the
dissection and operative surgery in Paris,
ex efinatioorn_uogri:
qualified for general practice by passing the ri flee f esis4
Apothecaries' Company. In 1831 he became eedconcgte dcollettr
cal practice by passing the examination f th
° he Unive"l YoOtta
geons. In 1831-35, he engaged in t
and
dein fB34rif,
re
in the capacities of prosector to Dr. Quotient a
loot*. ilincidelheor
in the dissecting room, as well as priva in 00 acji,
studied hospital practice during the summerf lecture' t er
and in 1836 delivered a course
.oenhenn.stree lestetthis
tomy and physiology in the Di Le became jo
cal school. In 1637, 38, ss9, .
morbidaeatonVeoreuVree
on anatomy, physiology, and morbid A
Syclenham -College. In 1838 he sasasn,
10 is4o 4Dt le
hor e 3 te,
surgeon to the St. Pancras Infirmary,
e:; saws,' of te6l
on anatomy and physiology in the Mediatule
oh..ecie_as eiee to
stlesex Hospital. In 1840-42 he bee .n inee he v`,oo,
_nt
paper with which he was connected, and 1
its of En.,g,01 aorso3
Fellow of the Royal College of Surge°l society, oos
1e45 he was elected Fellow of the Roya ~,ronsaellyii.oo
tr
of a paper published ie the " Philosophic-1 mr. f Vlb
two other papers, read before the !eel'
.tnYi;iects, erneep'spergs °of
the author of seven works on rnedleae" J. 0
two, -" sactllloyal
had undergone three editions, and orl:
the 6, 'lran the 1
zot
physioloeical subjects, published
papers read hesferi:oatoal res.
Scientific Societe-es two Tr;elopdia °ttesilson'' 1150'4
Seetety of two articles in the
fist a Mr.
0., . bis
Phyeietogy." The following is
"read a list rous di'e2"ce°le
( The Learned Gentleinan then
mat, _ outane lore est
study, and he weuld ask where
the
subject
works.) Now that gentleman h‘avnas a
Qf t
he
petent te give evidelpee on
legentlerna i 0,4