The Sun.
London, England, 1856-06-18 00:00:00

THE NEW MEDICAL BI I,L.

The following statement of the Royal College of
Surgeons has been forwarded to us for publica-
tion :

"The surgeons, who bad previously constituted a City
company, with local habitation in the Old Bailey, were
incorporated as a Royal College by George ILL, in 1800,
fin order to promote the art and science of surgery.'
They were empowered to give to such persons as they
might find oa examination qualified to practise the art
and science of surgery letters testimonial under their
common seal, which constituted them members of the
collect), and thus entitled them legally to the appellation
of surgeons.
"')Lo the corporation, which had removed from the
Old Bailey to Lincoln's•inn•fields in 1796, the collection
of preparations made by John Hunter, baying been suc•
cessively offered to and refused by the Royal Society and
the College of Physicians, was, in 1799, given in trust
for th o benefit of the public by Parliament, under con.
ditio ns for its preservation, display, and accessibility by
members of the profession and other scientific persons,
and :for making a catalogue. If the college bad not ae.
cepte 1 this trust the collection would probably have been
pu.rdhased by some foreign power or dispersed by auction.
"'...Thus the college had two duties to perform—viz
the examination of candidates for their diploma under
the charter, and the management of the Hunterian
lecitin ,n.

"17hey have endeavoured, and they believe with sue-
cost!, to improve medical educa•ion by requiring of can-
did set es, before admission to examination, evidence of
stu.l3 •in the various branches of medical knowledi:e,
both; scientific and practical, by altering and enlarging
their regulations on this subject in proportion to the
increi used opportunities afforded by the great hospitals
and t nedical schools of London.

" 1 Vhen the corporation left the Old Bailey it was low
in re! )uts, and equally so in purse. The number of ex-
amini Itions in the year was inconsiderable, and the di-
plomi d, beiog little thought of, was not sought for by
the i urgical profession generally. Since that time, as
the c outwit has always contained among its members
the m ost eminent surgeons in London, the membership
of the s college has been constantly rising in'public
matia a, and has never stood higher than at the present
moms at. The diploma not being required by law as a
quali6 cation for practice, they who seek it come to the
collegi 9 voluntarily, finding it essential to the respecta-
bility of their professional character, and thus i.he num-
ber of those annually examined by the cone

far tx-

needs those who present thetineives bz...lore any other
lice c ing body in the united kingdom. The whole of
this i luty, which involves voluminous eorre'pondence
and g ives constant employment to a secretary, clerk Q,
and a ;her attendants, i, performed without any expense
to th

" '1 'he University of London to which a participation
in this 4 duty iF; aßsigned in the new bill, vi!hotit any
appai, ant reason, is supported bY an annual Parliament-

I MP:CaIAL PARLIAIVIENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS-(YESTERDAY.)

HAMPSTEAD HEATH.
Lord ST. LEONARDS was understood to present
a petition on the subject of the preservation of Hamp-
stead-heath to the public.
Lord MONTEAGLE said that, if ha had rightly col-
lected from the noble and learned lord the prayer of the
petitioners, he quite concurred in the principle set forth
by them. Some 20 years ago one of the Oxford Colleges,
possessed of the fee simple of Primrose-bill, was about to
dispose of their right,,, which would have led to build-
ing over that property. He was at that time Chan.
cellor of the Exchequer, and, with the asiatAtithe Go.
vernment of Lord Melbourne, he bought the propertA
from the parties entitled to hold it, and Primrose-hill
bad -been saved by that purchase for the purposes of the
public. He could not help thinking that the people at
large had an interest in a question of this description,
and the right way to proceed was not to deprive
any proprietor of the right properly appertaining to
him, but to give him fair compensation and thus acquire
the property honestly for the public. If he understood
the matter in the case of Hampstead-heath, the public
would in a very short period be left in the lurch. They
might petition their lordships, and Parliament might
deal with the case, not on its own merits, but by reason
of a supposed interest which the public had in keeping
the heath intact, but such a struggle could not long be
maintained, and then this property would be enclosed
and built over. -Now, if the public wished to preserve
the ground in its present state, let them bu 7 it on rea-
sonable terms, and so obtain a public object in the only
way in which it was • consistent with the honour and
dignity cf Parliament to allow such an object to be at-
tained.

Lord CAMPBELL considered that the present was
the time for the public to make their bargain with re-
gard to Hampstead-heath, because in a few years there
would De a person seked of the property in fee simple,
who would have power to enclose, or to build, or to do
anything that be pleased.
The eubjeet then dropped.

LONDON DIOCESAN CHURCE BUILDING
SOCIETY BILL.
On the motion of the Marquis of,WESTMINSTER
this bill wai referred to the Standing OrJers Committee.
HOLVHEA_D AND KINGSTOWN.
Viscount DUNGANNON asked the Postmaster-Ge-
neral whether any decision had been come to by her
Majety's Government relative to the establishment of
larger vessels with increased horse-power to carry the
na.tils between Holyhead and Kingstown, and whether
there is any prospect of ruch arrangement being effscted
before the close of the ensuing autumn?
The Duke of ARGYLL said certain propositions had
been made to the railway and steam-boat companies,
but as yet no reply htd been ts-otiyed,
OXFORD UNIVERSITY BILL.
The Commons' amendments to this bill were C 071131•
dered and agreed to.
The house then adjourned at twenty-five atinutom to
seven.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.--(YurnEDAy.)

MARRIAGE LAW AMENDMENT (SCOTLAND)

BILL.

On the motion of Sir W. GRAHAM, the Lords' Mar-
riage Law Amendment (Scotland) Bill was read a first
time.

POSTAGE LABELS.

Mr. WHITESIDE asked the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer whether, on the termination of the present
agreement with Messrs. Bacon and Peteb, for printing
and gumming the postage labels, it was the intention of
her Majesty's Government to give public notice
calling for tenders of contract for printing and gumming
the same, or to renew the arrangement heretofore made
with Messy. Bacon and Petah ?

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said it
was the intention of the Government to renew the con-
tract, and instructions to that effect had been given.

MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS BILL.

Mr. WISE asked the President of the Board of Health
whether it was the intention of her Majesty's Government
to proceed with the Medical Practitioners Bill as
amended by the select committee daring the present
session I

Mr. COWPER said it was the inteation of the Go-
vernment to proceed with the bill.

THE TRANSPORT SERVICE.

In reply to Mr. STAFFORD,
Sir C. WOOD was not aware of any intention on the
part of the Government to grant pensions to the widows
of persons who lost their lives in the transport service
during the late war._