The Sun.
London, England, 1851-10-08 00:00:00

Obemina 51tIt

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1851.

The Ist of October has passed over and as yet, we
are rejoiced to say, the military surgeons in the Bri-
tish service remain undegraded. The execution of the
infamous and atrocious order issued by the military
authorities for the purpose of degrading
medical
officers of the army, by devolving on them the duties
which in civil life are never performed save by the
common hangman, has been deferred, and those who
aimed at insulting the medical profession generally,
by thus wantonly seeking to degrade the military por-
tion of it, have been signally disappointed.
Tmheediadoe-1
de-
ferring the execution of this order enjoining
officers in the army to mark deserters with the letter
D until further orders, is, we consider, tantamount to
an absoluteoonteat
for therescindinpgresoefott to let matters heobno xmioautsdroacurmemenaio in
document, and
are
statu quo ; but should any attempt be made
to degrade the medical militaryofficersan
orders,dinsult wethe
medical patrotfheessmioenmbbyersof issuing
such further
kno
the medical profession are
folly prepared and determined to vindicate their in-
sulted dignity. The concoctors of this precious docu-
menthave unwittingly conferred a great boon upon
the members of the profession whom they sought to
degrade—they have taught medical men the power,
the political power which they possess when acting
together, and they have forced them to learn the
methods by which they may organize themselves so as
best to exert that power. We urge the medical men
of the kingdom to still continue their organization, it
is not alone sufficient to have secured the suspension
merely of one obnoxious order on the part of the mili-
tary executive, there are other grievances to be re-
dressed, and although the members of the profession
may be content to forego indemnity for the past,
they should not cease their exertions until
they shall have at least secured indemnity for the fu-
ture. The wrongs of the Assistant- Surgeons of the
Navy still continue, in too many instances, unre-
dressed ; in some cases the resolution of the House
of Commons is openly set at defiance by the naval
officers in command of her MAJESTY'S ships and
vessels, and by the Lords Commissioners of the. Ad-
miralty, whilst, in others, the letter of the resolution
is complied with, but its spirit is evaded. Now the
members of the profession generally, owe it to their
medical brethren in the naval service not to cease
their exertions until they shall have secured to
every assistant-surgeon not merely a cabin to himself,
but that to which he is entitled by his education
and by his position in society, the respect and the
treatment due to a gentleman. But it is not to the
military or naval services that the wrongs of the
medical profession are confined, the treatment which
the medical officers of poor-law unions have
uniformly received, both from the Poor-law Commis.
sioners and from boards of guardians, has been such
as no member of a learned profession ought to sub-
mit to. The unfortunate medical officer of a poor-
law union has to undergo in any one day as much
physical labour as any two labouring men in his
parish, whilst his pay, after deducting the necessary
expenses, is not much more than that of one, and is
not nearly that of a journeyman mechanic or handi-
craftsman, or of a person employed in a factory ; he
is snubbed by the Commissioners for doing those
things which, should he leave undone, he is snubbed
by the guardians, whilst the unfortunate medical
officer is held by the public responsible for all
the faults that may be committed by the other
officials. Should the' relieving officer neglect
or refuse to obey his orders for giving relief, or should
the master of the workhouse neglect his duty, the
public blame the unfortunate medical officer, who is
thus made the scapegoat of the establishment. These
are grievances which should be redressed, and which
could be redressed if the members of the medical
profession were to exert themselves for that purpose.
No men possess such power of influencing the votes
of the electors both in town and country as do the
medical men, and if they exert that influence by ex-
plaining to their friends and patients, who may
chance to be voters, the wrongs and grievances under
which the members of the medical profession labour,
and by endeavouring to induce those electors with
whom they are thus intimately acquainted to exact a
pledge from every candidate for their suffrages at the
next election that he will, should he be elected, co-ope-
rate with those Members of the House of Commons who
possess the confidence of the profession in endeavour-
ing to procure a redress of those grievances, there
can be no doubt but before the first session of the
new Parliament shall have closed the members of
the medical profession will be placed in the social
position which they are justly entitled to occupy, not
only by their talents and education, but by their
unwearied devotion in comforting the afflicted and by
their unbounded charity to the poor and distressed,
for whom they make daily greater sacrifices than all
he supporters of all our charitable estabtishments put
:ogether.

As might readily have been anticipated, a strong
memorial has been prepared at Liverpool for presen-
tation to the Earl of CARLISLE, as Chancellor of the
Duchy of Lancaster, calling for the most stringent
investigation into the recent extraordinary and al-
most unaccountable proceedings of the Judge of the
County Court of that important town. This docu-
ment, which has already received numerous and in-
fluential signatures, contains a simple and straight-
forward statement of the treatment of Mr.
WHITTY by the Learned Judge, which it justly
describes as being " pre-emindttly harsh, vindictive,
and oppressive," while the conduct of the defendant,
under all the trying and painful circumstances of the
case, was " patient, respectful, and forbearing." It
then truly declares that the construction put upon
the clauses of the Act (9 and 10 VICTORIA, C. 95, s.
113 and 114), in reference to cases of contempt,
is unconstitutional and illegal, and alludes
to "his unprecedented assumption of au-
thority," and " the temper which be di-played
in attempting to enforce that authority," as demon-
strating that he has not " the moderation and equa-
' ninlitY" essential to the character of a county court
judge, and slightly alludes to the alienation of the
trading community, in consequence of the " violent
and unexpected measures" resorted to for the purpose
of upholding " the dignity of his court," which must
render that tribunal comparatively useless, so long as
he is suffered to preside therein.
s e
We are quite satisfied that thi
land will receive the prompt anadraimrtial attention
eatrrnnepsntl
sp roof t
Ee
gof
the inhabitants of the commercial
n that be-
of the accomplished and amiable
nobleman to whom
it
tilse
da. d
Vesesecda'nnsottidfotroawmhoiembeinttis suppose,s
oeminently en-
cause the family of Mr. RAMSUAY had been
in business relations with that of his noble o n
patronnec tfe
or
d
many successive years, or because it was on the no-
mination of the Earl of CARLISLE that he received
his appointment, there would be any attempt on the
Part of his present judge to shelter him from the con-
sequences of his outrageous proceedings. Far from it.
We are convinced that the subject will receive the most
calm and attentive consideration of that Noble Earl,
and that the ultimate decision will be in accordance
with what his Lordship honestly and conscientiously
believes to be the real merits of the case. We
must also emphatically protest against the assertions
that his Lordship was influenced by any undue
f;vreuritisra either in his selection of Mr. ItastsuAy
the important office, or in his subsequent
acquitt4l frornthecharges against
We do
not preferred him.
assert that Mr. RAMSIIAY'S was the
beat sellat'
oD
ttmt could be made from tang

the many experienced and talented gentlemen
of the northern circuit, who might have been willing
to accept the situation, but from what we have been
enabled to ascertain from those competent to form a
sound and accurate opinion on his pretensions, we
believe that if in good health (of mind and body) he
was fully qualified for the efficient discharge of its
duties, and that he might bear comparison with a
large proportion of his judicial brethren with—
out suffering any injury from the result.
Unfortunately, however, his health was ex-
ceedingly enfeebled, and he got into a state of ner-
vous excitement that led to a degree of irritability and
eccentricity in his conduct, that strongly attracted the
public attention, and led to the first complaints and
the previous inquiry before the Chancellor of the
Duchy. From the charges then preferred he was
acquitted, or, at least, it was decided that "nothing
had been established to warrant his removal from his
situation." Had the Learned Gentleman de-
rived a salutary lesson from this escape it
would have been fortunate for himself. Un-
h

iappily, however, he took a different view. He
brooded over his supposed wrongs until he lashed
himself into a state of_.frenzy, and, in the words of
the memorial, viewed everything in which his name
was at all mixed up " through a distorted and dis-
tempered medium." He assumed that there was a
conspiracy against him, and thought himself bound
to crush it, and to vindicate the majesty of the law,
attacktd in his person. This fatal error induced him
to institute those wild proceedings against a
highly respectable and innocent individual, to
whom he should have felt himself bound in gratitude,
if capable of correctly judging how matters stood, in-
stead of looking on him as a bitter and implacable
opponent. The temperate and admirable article
which we extracted from the Liverpool Journal in
our impression of Monday sufficiently indicates the
nature of Mr. WHITTY'S feelings, and affords the best
answer to a letter from a correspondent, which, in
accordance with his earnest appeal, and with the noble
principle of audi alterant partem, we have
inserted in our columns, although by no means agree-
ing in the views entertained by our correspondent, or
for a moment assenting to the proposition that Mr.
WHITTY did anything to merit the treatment which
he received. We certainly had no prejudice against
Mr. RAMSHAY previous to the account of his proceed-
ings ; if anything, our leaning was on the other side.
But on perusing the account of these proceedings
our views were in accordance with what, but for our
correspondent's letter, we should have supposed to be
the unanimous feeling of every disinterested and im-
partial person in the entire kingdom, viz., of deep
and earnest sympathy with Mr. WHITTY in his un-
merited persecution, and of the imperative neces-
sity of affording speedy redress, so far as practicable,
to that injured gentleman; and also immediately
depriving his oppressor of the extensive powers which
he has so shamefully and deplorably perverted:

Mr. DISRAELI has made a second appearance before
his constituents, and has repeated the opinions which
so strongly excited the ire, or, to use an Americanism,
" elevated the corruption" of the illustrious PAUL
FOSKBTT. Aye, and horribile dictu, be has been re-
ceived with as enthusiastic applause by the sturdy
farmers of South Buckinghamshire, assembled at Salt
Hill, as had previously been accorded to him by their
more northern brethren at Aylesbury. It is thus
manifest that the agriculturists of England have ar•
rived at a correct idea of their true situation, and
that, in common with their leaders, they at length
perceive the utter inutility of any convulsive and
frantic efforts to resuscitate the departed monster
monopoly. They now hear—it may be with regret,
but also with patience and even approbation—the an-
nouncement that "protection to a particular class,irre-
spective of all other classes, is quite out of the question ;"
that " it is perfectly clear that the system which has
been abrogated, or any system similar to it, cannot
be restored unless there is an almost universal
feeling in the country, unless the various
classes of the country by sharp experience
arrive at the conclusion that the principles on which
our commercial system is founded are incorrect and
injurious ;" and also that "it is quite clear that if
this country arrive at that conclusion, it will
not be in a haste or hurry." Hear
this, ye CuowLEus and FOSKETTS, and stand aghast
with horror. The restoration of protection is ad-
journed sine die by its most chivalrous and puissant
champion, and the "traitor" is greeted with rapturous
and enthusiastic applause in what was once one of your
strongest holds. What can be done to avert the
calamity, to restore the impotent agitation, and to
prevent our commercial legislation—the public re-
cognition of free-trade principles, from being regarded
as um fait accompli? Cannot GEORGE FREDERICK
YOUNG be brought to the rescue ? Where are BALL and
BENNETT and their illustrious confrires? Some-
thing must be done, and that right speedily, or the
agriculturists may relapse into common sense, and
begin to prepare themselves for the competi-
tion that must inevitably be encountered.
It is a painful, a melancholy fact, but one
unhappily but too well founded, that hence-
forward farmers must bestir themselves, must have a
practical knowledge of the business in which they are
engaged, and steady application to bring that know-
ledge into execution, before they can hope for success.
Agriculture will no longer be a royal road to wealth ;
the farmer cannot hope to devote his time to rural
eyo to
rs,
amusements, to hunting, shooting, or sporting,
to the total neglect of his farm. If he should
tr
the footsteps
in ,
,the of
goodhis pre-
decessors, dcess follow
wcticain practicable only
times," when they were levying a " black mail"
on their compatriots, he must inevitably go to the
wall. But with experience, judgment and acti-
vity, accompanied by a reasonable amount
of capital, success is still practicable, and if
he cannot acquire wealth very rapidly, he
may at least achieve independence and the enjoy-
ment of every reasonable comfort.- What other class
in the community is more favourably circumstanced ?
Let farmers contrast their positions with those of any
of their friends engaged in trading or commercial pur-
suits, or the practice of the learned professions, and
they will find that so far from having cause for re-
pining, theirs is perhaps the most enviable condition of
any. Let them, then, set their shoulders to the wheel,
steadily and energetically. Let them remember the
evil counsels of the professional agitators, and attend
to their own affairs; and if they enter into the po-
litical arena, let them direct their attention to some-
thing practical, where they have a prospect of a suc-
cessful termination to their exertions.

SUDDEN DEATH OF COUNT REVENTLOW.—We
learn with deep regret that his Excellency Count Revent-
low, the Danish Ambassador at St. James's, expired sud-
denly on Monday morning about three o'clock, in the Star
Hotel, Glasgow. His Excellency, it appears, had been pay-
ing a visit to Sir James Matheson, at Lewes, during the
last five weeks, and arrived at Glasgow on Saturday even-
ina, accompanied by the Countess Reventlow, and his two
daughters, the Ladies Hilda and Malvina Reventlow en route
for London. His Excellency at that time seemed to be in
good health, and he remained so, we are informed, until
Monday morning about three o'clock, when he became
suddenly ill, and expired almost instantaneously. Dr.
Macfarlane and Dr. Clark were called in without delay, but
it was of no avail. So far as could be ascertained without a
particular post mortem examination of the body, a spasmodic
affection of the heart was the immediate cause Of death.
Count Reventlow has been for a considerable time the
Danish Ambassador at the British Court, and was highly
respected in that capacity by those with whom his official
duties brought him into communication. During Monday fore-
noon Sir James Anderson and the Danish Consul, Mr.
Westenholz, called at the Star Hotel, to offer their services
to the Coulinetdesslefilt
forer•entLloownd;onbubtylietrheLaecxlyrsrheisps
manodrnhinegr
daughters
train.train. The body of the deceased followed by the evening

evening held a meeting at the
watches and clocks yes
r g against
Freemasons' fo . the purpose of protesting; GREAT ESHIBITIOteNr.d—The English exhibitors of
' ted to determine the awards
been made public, the proper
these awards have not yet
of complaint exist, has not
certainappoln alleged irregularities in the ptirloecireeddeipnagrstlonte. thent. jury
tune for action, if good grounds
anrurtinveerdo.n
numerously
y.
attended and
the subject
before the notice of Lord Granville,
, and t
ne nevertheless,cen sins
rsetsa ted.nto
strong and unanimous. It was resolved to b
Royal Commission.
EXTRA.ORDINART LARGE MACKEREL.—A few days
as Vice-President of the
since one of the fishing smacks engaged in the mackerel trade
oil' the coast of Dover succeeded in capturing a large quan-
tity of that fish, of the finest quality, and of unusually large
dimensions, which were dispatched on Saturday to London
by train. Of these, twos pecimens were exhibited at Mr.
Grove's, Charing.cross, and are stated by all who have ex-
amined them to be the largest ever seen in the metropolis.
The length of each exceeded 20 inches (nearly four inches
longer than those usually seen in the London market). The
girth of one round the middle was no less than 11.4 inches,
and the combined weight of the two Glbs. 3oz. What is more
remarkahler,oetsheaynawtehreewptiegrfbectt
of
yf
thei floefraloinn,
Qtthbeeisvize of the
i respective
1 than ordinarY iiab' greater

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

'We have received the Paris journals of yesterday.
The over-zealous partisans of Lours NAPOLEON
BONAPARTE are overstepping the bounds of prudence,
and throwing off the mask too soon. One of them,
Colonel DE BOISSE, commanding the 6th regiment of
the line, has brought upon himself, in consequence
of his awkwardness in blurting out the truth, a severe
snubbing from the Minister at War. It appears that
the colonel, a few days since, issued the following
order of the day to his regiment, then in garrison at
Metz:—

" The Chief of the State, who is not ignorant how
much the 6th regiment of the line since 1830 has
shown itself devoted to order and the country, does
it the honour to call it to Paris. The 6th is the
only one of the four regiments charged to practis3
firing which makes a movement this year. The colonel
has made himself responsible to the Prince President
that it is worthy in every respect of that unexam-
pled favour; he did that with the certainty that, under
all ciraumstances, the 6th will justify his promise, carry
high its flag, and not compromise the responsibility
which its chief has felt pleasure in undertaking.
Officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers!—We
will remain men of duty and devotedness—all France
may count on onr patriotism. Yes, we will march as a
single man, and your Colonel, who swears to show you
the road, to plant the flag of order on the barricade of
anarchy, as formerly he planted, amidst the dead and
the dying, bullets and grape shot, that of ty nation on
the breach of Contantine, only demands of you to avenge
him, if he shoilld fall beneath the shots of the parri-
cides of our beautiful country. This order is to be read
at two consecutive appeals.
" DE GARDARENS DE BOISSE,
" Colonel commanding the 6th Regiment
of the Line."
The Minister of War has caused the following
" communicated note" on this order to be inserted in
the Moniteur de l' Armee of yesterday
The Minister of War has only known by the news-
papers the order of the day of Colonel de Gardarens, of
the 6th of the line, leaving Metz. The formal expres-
sion of his dissatisfaction has not been delayed. From
this order it might be supposed that the movements of
troops are decided out of the pale of the action of the
Minister, according to preferences without motive; it
might be believed that the Government attributes pecu-
liar bravery to certain corps. These are two errors.
Reasons of service always weigh in the movements of
troops, and the Minister of War knows that he can have
equal confidence, for the defence of order and the laws
in all the corps of the army."
The funeral anniversary service for the late Queen
HORTENSE was performed yesterday in the church
of Rueil. The PRESIDENT of the Republic and the
officers of his household, and a large number of
officers and privates of the Imperial army, were
present.:

Public securities were again heavy at the Bourse.
The Five per Cents. opened at 91f. 90c., and closed at
91f. 80c. for the end of the month; the Three per
Cents. closed at 56f. 15e.; Orleans Railroad Shares,
861 f. 25e.; Rouen, 5701.; Havre, 215 f.; Great Northern,
460 f. ; Avignon, 2161. 25c.; Vierzon, 425 f. ; Basle,
1501.; Bordeaux, 3851. ; Paris and Strasburgh, 353 f.
75c.; Tours and Nantes, 261 f. 25c. ; Amiens to Bou-
logne, 2601.

BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE

LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, Om. 7.

Boulogne and Amiens, 1014 —Central of France (Orleans
and Vierzon), 16%8—Great Indian Peninsula, 4—Luxem-
bourg, %—Namur and Liege, VA—Northern of France,
1414—Orleans and Bordeaux, 44—Paris and Rouen, 22
Paris and Strasbourg, 1034—Rouen and Havre, 9—Sambre
and Meuse, 3l43—Tours and Nantes, 64.