The Sun.
London, England, 1858-02-22 00:00:00

MORTALITY IN BARRACKS.

The following letter has bee❑ addressed to the
editor of The Times :

Sir,—A very pat tiotic work you have undertaken,
and much good will arise ft ou- your exposure of
"the frightful barrack abomination." But it is in
error that "you wonder military men, highly
placed, and i❑ the highest rank, have not exerted
themselves to pr,,cure some small improvement in
the barracks and diet, Sic., of,the private soldier."
One Military man a least itiii so, hin a low rank
and a high rank ; he never ceased to do so. The
late Sir Charles Napier strove long and earnestly
to ob aiu improved barracks for the soldier; he did
so in all parts of the world where he served.
That he did so in the lonian Islands may be
seen in his publications relative to those islands;
and in his coir spoudence thence, as shown in
" His Life and Opinions."

That he did so when he commanded, the northern
district of England may be seen also in the corres-
pondence given in the "Life ;" and those are hut a
scanty selection from his public let' els on the. sub-
ject addressed to the Secretary of State, the Com-
mander-in-Chief, and the Board of Ordnance.
Continually and forcibly he urged the defects of the
barracks, the cruelty and ii)jut,tice to the soldiers,
upon those fuuctionarie.3.
When in Scinde he again assailed the authorities
with remonstrances ; and hitmelf planned and built
the wing of a model barrack at Hyderabad, hoping
thus to lead the Government to au extension of
his improvements. In vain; Lord Dalhousie for-
bade the completion of his superb barracks, and
the materials collected for building the other wing
remained to rot on the ground.
When he became Commander-in-Chief in India
he renewe,' his exertions to obtain good barracks,
and again built int•del barracks and laid down the
true principles on wiiich they should be constructed
—agan. in vain ! He was first thwarted and then
stopped by Lord Dalhousie and the Military Board
of India.

When ho returned to England, and while suffering
under a mortal disease, even on the verge of death,
he once more attempted to remedy the evils, and
in his posthumous work, called " Indian Niiago-
vernment," sought to arouse public attention to the
horrible system which you are now, Sir, denounc-
ing with so much force and feeling. God speed
your holy work !
That he was not tame or measured in his denun7
ciai ion of `r the frightful barrack abomination'
will be understooii from a few passages taken from
niany in his "Indian Misgovernment."
" The barrack ,acrtfieet soldiers' lives and happinssa
to a fallacious, dishonest economy.
" I charge tee Court of Directors, the Military Board
of Calcutta, the Government of Bombay, with shamelul
negligence of the soldiers' safety ; and with good war'
rant, because they di-iregarded my representations when
a high position and great experience gave a title tO
attention.

" The Colaba barracks and King's barracks at BoinbilY
have destroyed whole regirue,,t4. I walked through the
men's sleeping rooms there—upon planks laid in water,
covering the. floors.

" At the Co;aba barracks the soldiers die like rata
sheep under the nose of the Council.

"In the Beng .1 Presidency the barracks are extretneV
bad ; but more pernicious still is the number of men
crammed into Them ; looses by battle sink to nothings
compared with those ihfilicted by improperly constructed
barracks and the jamming of soldiers—no other word
sufficiently expressive.
" L ,ng experience and consultations with men of,,
science, medical men, and engineer officers have tang"s
mo that every barrack-roorn should in hot climates alloy.'
at leas one th,u,and cubic feet of atmospheiio air fur
each person sleeping in a room. This is the minimum;
with less, insufferable heat and a putrid atmosphere Pri.e:
vail—death is the result. The soldiers rise at night
feverish, or in profuse perspiration, to sleep out on ele
grind amid damp exhalations. To' do so when hate('
by an over-crowded room is death. Some may escaPlo
or merely lose health, but to escape is the exception
the rule is death

.
" Tois inhuman drain upon life, health, and the puh-li°
treasury con*tantly goes on.
"L kills more soldiers than the climate, more dlr.
hard drinkit,g, and one-hitlf of the last 'springs from the
discomfort, the despair caused by bad barracks."
to
These passages will, I hope, aid you, sir, in r
sane:ified work, and at the same time convince 310
that one military ma:), at least, did his duty brt
suffering soldiers. W. NAPIER,
Feb. 19. Lieut.-Generate

Country Markets.
NEWCASTLE—FEB. 20.
The supply of wheat from the country moderate, sula
fair arrivals from the coast and foreign. Good qualitioil
6n(l ready buyers at is advance. Barley is inquired ler.'
and holders are asking more money. Oats in good 0
mind, at fully last week's prices. Beans and peas
before.

NORWICH—FEB. 20.
There was a larger supply o f wheat to-day, best samPlBll
fully supporting last week's rates, and inferior is to .
higher, with a slow sale. A limited supply of barley, An
prices may be quoted is dearer for all kinds. In beans/
oats, and peas little or nothing doing
White wh ,at, 48s to 503 ; red, 42s to 46s ; barley, 390
41e. • flour, 3 s 6d per sack; beans, 42s to 945;
42s to 435.

DALKEITH GRAIN MARKET—FEB. 18* ...
..,a
Qra. Best. Current. /no,
6:0 Wheat 47s 01 36s 9d
1365 Oa,Ls 29s 6d
601 Barley 34s Od 27s 01 ~....... 21 193
108 Peas & beans 42s Od 39s 9-id ...... •-• 32s

---...-. •
HADDINGTON GRAIN MARKET—FS''1"q . ~
1111.11 b..
WHKA.T. I BARLBY OATII.
0 d
Second IL4 7.° al
First
4Fs Od 34s 6,1,1 32s
'9B 7d 1 29s 2d ) 25s 11d i 007, al
Third 33s Od I 21s 0,1 I ...Os Od 01'
_,,Ad
Total quantity of viheat in market, 760 qrs., 6.,50 :id
barley „ 434 qrs., 40' fld
B+l qrs., 45. iit'ld
- oats $.l
beans 267 qrs. `"--
do ~
AVERAGES PER IMPERIAL QUARTER. ,' 1201
Wheat, 1/. 19 7 11-12ths 1 Barley, ...11. 9 2 3;;200
Oats, ... U. 511 o.l2ths 1 Beans, V. 18 7 """

f 1 11

ABERDEEN—FEB. 18.
Potato oatso
19s OctOd to 20s ('d b 101
Common oats 18s Od to 18s 6d
Bore 23s Oct to 25s Oct 1531 b.
Barley 23s Od to 25s Oct j ..
Wheat, red (spring)3os Od to 33s Oct 11be per -11
1 62110 ..
white 2Bs Od to 44s Od
• Oatmeal 15s Od to 1a Od per boll.
Flour 38s Od to 39s Od per sack*
PROVISION M :_jARKET. _ • tol 10d,t4
Beef, per lb 5d to 8d I Butter, p lb. " 8a to
Hutton, per lb 5d to 8d I Eggs, p doz. 0° ito as 6(1
Lamb, do., Os 5d to Os 8,1 I Hens, p pair 35 0'
Veal, per lb ... 5d to Os 8 ; I Chickeus,do.2s Od t° n 2 : &I
Pork, perlb...os Od to Os Oct Ducks, do., Is 6.l tu f,'.. 6 I
Salmon, per lb .........Os Oct 1 Ducklings,do2s Od ti zr` nj
Tallow, p stone, Os to —s Oct Potatoes, pr pock,
Grouse, per brace.....Os to Os Turkeys, each Os ,Od tc(i)t°o4l76,l
Rabbits, each • 7d to Bd. UP I°C4
Butter for exportation (present cure) per cwt.„.860 pis
Eggs, wholesale price, per dozen
RETAIL PRICES.
F10ur,141b....0s Od to 2s 2d Barley flonr,l4lb.or to 16.6E104
Oatmeal Os Od to is 7d „ dust, .....
Beremeal ....Os Od to is Cd „ per lb .......... 2a to •4 4
P0280111ea1... Os Od to 2s 4d Sids, ..... . ...... .... ........
Cheese, per imperial stone, 4s. Od. ....
4-Ib. 10af...6d. 12-lb. 10af...3d. 9r to Oa le

DUBLIN, FEB. 19. 10 -il g 6.
n
White wheat, 26s 61 to 28s Od , red ditto, 23e o.ld •
ffr
Gd ditto now, - s Q.l ; barley, malting, 13s to 18s Od; e- .....0
jag, —s to —s ; oa,s, old, lls 01 to 14s; ditto, new' ro
01 to —s 01 j
oatmeal, 14e to 1580 d; bere, new, 149 03 og
Od ; rApe, d, 238 Od tio2isasn
Od
corn,per b3rlB
1;
Od to 20i 01 per cwt; nd
Pa lbs.
_....ei1l
Ohdal'e tore 33art Orl P.I.

BIRTHS. g
131't rio
BARRY—On the 19th inst., the wife of 13-.
Esq., late Captain 12th Royal Lancers, of a afp P
BROWN—On the 17th inst., at Hampstead, the wife
-
Brown, of a eon. the
LOUND—On the 19th inst., at 60, Chancery-101e'
of Mr. John Lound, of a daughter—stillborn. OP
SWANN—On the 18th inst., at the Grove, Blaokkeil
wife of R. R. Swann, Esq., of a son.

HUDSON COLE—OnO-10:
tenham M
the All IRG tihAi nGs tE. , 8 at. St• Loki"' Apr
, George Bengough Hudson, Esq't. %le- 0.4:4
Warwickshire, to Sarah Maria, relict of 00--
Cole, Esq., of Wellisford House, Somerset•
.Th.ob Celr i
LAMBERT— LYNCH—On tho i sth inst., at the. 131;roberp" i
"We, Eoulogne-sur-mer, CharlesFeerniqu'jtat Of 1
Esq., of London, to Cecilia, youngest &lug"
Lynch, Esq., late of Galway, Ireland.

DEATHS. 10111?"
CLARK—On the 20th init., at 71, Finchley-ioad",l of "1'
wod, Ctain Claik, Royal Artillery Becl/130.
P. Claik;ap Esq., of Fingask, InVerneSB-,Shiref no
DEAN—O P'"
n the 19th inst., n don, Mr. Ill: -
Dean, late of Edingworth, East Lon Brent, Sornerse,h, 00f.
MARSHALL—On the 11th inst., at the Rectorfr
John Ma, shall, rector of Wark, in the dioce°
fNoi°l3t
ham.
Rix—On the 14th inst. Henry Rix, Esq., °-
aged G. 011/IP-
STAUNTON'—On the 14th inst., at Nice, CePti"-
Staunton, 6th Foot.
SWANN—On the 18th inst, at the Grove. 1317109'
Charlotte Maiy, wife of R. R. Swann, ESCI" 0, :...%/j!".'
-,cornorr : Printed and Published by MIIR°::
of No, 112, Strand, Printer, at The Se" `::84010'w
112, Strand, in the Precinct, of the Savo
of Middlesex, Monday, Pobruary 22, lwg.