The Sun.
London, England, 1850-09-16 00:00:00

elyvanil

. LONDON, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1850.

The late fatal balloon accident, by which that
brave but reckless man, Lieutenant GALE, has lost
his life, has occasioned in various quarters much
speculation as to the propriety of giving to magis-
trates authority to " put down" all the " dangerous
spirts" of grown children. A imi!ting, as we do, the
folly and worse than fully of th use who by their presence
and their pence encourage such dangerous absurdi-
ties as pony ballooning, we must yet confess that we
should be very loth to give power to any migistrate
to interfere summarily to "pat it do Nn.” The
"magisterial mind" is fir teo dull to be entrusted
with p :veers so liable to abuse, and the evil for which
a remedy is sought is as nothing compared with the.
evils to which the meddling propensities of our Alder-
manic and Squirearchical Slalom would inevitably give
rise: Had the magistrates of forty years since pos-
sessed the power to prevent what they in their abso-
lute wisdom might choose to consider an " exhibition
of foolhardy courage" we should most assuredly have
been to this day in a state of Sibthorpian-Paradise,
without railways or locomotives. Can any man
doubt but that had a law authorising magisterial in-
terference to " prevent exhibitions of fool-hardy
noun ge" ex;sted at the time that GEORGE STEPHEN-
SON constructed his first locomotive, some provincial
LAURIE, " a justice of the peace and quorum," would
have interfered to prevent "such an exhibition of fool-
hardy courage," by sending the great engineer to the
Hiuse of Correction and his locomotive to the old iron
shop ? Were such a law to be passed even now, who
would venture to undertake that SIBTIIORP might not
take it into his heal some fine morning to arrest all
the engineers and stokers, and perchance all the pas-
sengers by railway also, within his jurisdiction, in
order to prevent what he has over and over again de-
clared he considers to be nothing better than an "ex
hibition of foolhardy courage ?" Is there, then,
it may be asked, no remedy for this evil ? Most as•
suredly there is. The law has already provided a
suaAent remedy. had the accident to Lieutenant
GALE occurred in England, a deodand would, under
the old law, have been levied on the balloon, as the
thing moving to his death. By Lord CAMPBELL'S
Act the whole system of deodands is abolished, and,
instead, a right of action is given to the represen-
tatives of the person killed against the owner
of the thing moving to the death, and
therefore there cannot be a doubt but that had
the accident occurred in England the widow and
children of Lieutenant GALS could and would have
recovered heavy damages from the owner of the balloon;
and, as it very seldom happens that the foolhardy per-
son is himself alto the capitalist, we think the opera-
tion of the law as it stands would, if fully carried out,
be sufficient to prevent speculative capitalists from
taking advantage of the poverty of brave but reckless
men, whom the res anguste domi may compel to make
merchandize even of their lives.

The Convention of Poor-law Medical Officers have
recently published their report. The objects which
the Members of this Convention have sought are thus
set forth in the memorial presented by the Convention
to the Home Secretary in 1848 :
" 1. The payment of medical tfficers by a fixed sa-
lary, exclusive of fees for midwifery and important sur-
gical cases.
• 2. That the amount of salary might justly be fixed
—either by an eitim ate of the average of cases attended
during a series of past years, consider-el in connexion
with the area of the medical district, or by the payment
of a attain sum per head on the population, corrected
by the consideration of the relative density and poverty
of the district.
" 3. That, m.king every allowance for the difference
which must exist in the remuneration of public and pri-
va'e prawice, it would not be just that the salary should
ba based on a less amount than 62. 6d. per case, with the
charge varying. with the area.
" 4. That medical officers of workhouses shou'd be
pail a separate salary, based on the aver,,ge num'ner of
inir.stes.
5 That it is just and proper, and corducive to the
interests of the poor, that an extra pa) meni should be
made, as at present, for nvdwifery and for important
surgical easel.
" 6. That fees should be paid for cares ccenrring in
svoi k houses, as well as in outdoor cases.
" 7. That the payments allowed for midvvirery and
surgical cases under the general order of the Poor-law
Corn,ni,vioners are satisfactory in amount.
6. 8. That in order to remove difficulties in the way of
a more equitable payment of medical officers, and consi-
d4ring that half the union medical expenses are already
paid from the Consolidated Fund, it is highly desirable
that the whole expenses of the medical attendants on the
vrs p ould be removed from unions to the Consolidated

• 1
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44; 7;6,
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'hat it is expedient that there be a Director-
\f the Poor-lay Medical Department appointed
Invent, and exercising supervision over poor-

law medical p7aczice, in th 3 manner of the other pablic

service 9.

" 10. That it is expedient that there should be inspec-
tors-general of poor=law medical practice appointed by
Government, and acting under the orders of the director-
general.
" 11. That the inspectors•gencral ncting each in a
district assigned to them, should examine the infir-
maries of workhouses, inspect the reports of the medical
officers, inquire into cases of alleged negligence, Ec
and that matters of disputed payment should be referred
to them.

" 12. That the medical officers of unions should be
appointed by boards of guardians as at present, subject
to the approval of the director-general; that their quali-
fications should be as at present ordered, but that all
future modifications of the qualifications should be made
by the director-general.
" 13. That the appointments of all medical officers
should be permanent, that is, to endure until they die,
resign, or are dismissed for some valid cause.
" 14. That the forms of books or reports should be ap-
proved by the din-cter general, and should be as short
and simple as is consistent with the re.quirem teats of the
public service.
" 13. That the access of the paupers to the medical
officers should he made as ready as u due distinction be-
tween those who require parochial attendance, and those
who do not, will admit. That in doubtful cases where
illness Exists, and there appears to be temporary desti-
tution only, the board may grant medical relief by way
loan; that in such cases a Ice be paid by the board of
guardians to the medical officer."

Without at all pledging ourselves to the support of'the
first eight of these propositions, which in fact relate to
mere matter of detail, we cannot but regret that the
authorities have not thought proper to adopt the prin-
ciple of inspection and supervision laid down in reso-
lutions 9, 10, and 11. The army has its Sir
JAMES 11PGaiGoa, the navy has its Sir WILLIAM
BURNETT, surely the Poor-law Board ought likewise to
have its medical Director. General, whose business it
ehould be to organize the medical poor-law staff of the
various parishes, to exercise a right of veto over the
medical appointments of the boards of guardians, and
to defend the poor against the malpractices of ignonnt
or careless medical men. The necessity for the exercise
of some strict, rigid,and uniform system of supervision
over the medical officers of our different poor-law
unions is becoming every day more manifest. As a
duty we owe to the poor, we should adopt every
means in our power to defend them against
the mal-practices of boards of guardians, who
invariably accept the cheapest tender for medi-
cal attendance, although at the same time
perfectly aware that in too many instances the low
rate of remuneration demanded is the consequence of
the want of confidence of, the public in the skill of
the practitioner ; it is our duty to the medical
men themselves to secure to them a competent
tribunal for the investigation of any charges
which may be brought against them, and
no such tribunal can be considered competent with-
out the presence of a medical assessor. On every
ground, therefore, it is exceedingly desirable that
without loss of time a Director-General of the
Medical Department should be attached to the Poor-
law Board.

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

We have received the Paris papers of Saturday and
yesterday.
The Siècle says—
" The news which we have already given cf a fusion
of the two branches of the house of Bourbon is con-
firmed, and this political event has been celebrated in
the F:ubourg St. Germain and in some of the financial
quarters."
Acc-rding to the Pouvoir, M. GUIZOT has been
long intriguing to bring about this fusion. It says—
" The most illustrious Minister of Louis Philipie
said, on Monday evening, to two visitors—the one Bona-
partist the other Orleanist—' I b.lieve in the future re-
establishment of monarchy by the house of Bourbon.
While waiting for this event there is nothing more wise,
in my cpinion, than to assist the President of the Re-
public in quelling disturbance and in re-establishing
principles of government. kits mission is great and ho-
nourable, even if contiee el as provisional.' Turning
towards the Bonapartist, he said—' This provisional
state of things may be long, if you are wise; and turn-
ing towards the Orleauiit, added—'lt may last for ever,
if you are-mad.' "

With regard to this fusion the witty Lours DES
NOT ERS well observes :

" A fri, nd of mine said, the other day, Well, the old
King did make a fine poetic end. Exile ennobles every-
thing. He bttter than he lived, and lam sorry
.or it, because I detested his selfish, low-toned policy
which contented itself to live from hand to mouth with-
out taking care of the future; but henceforth it is no
longer allowable to speak ill of him.' Yes, so it is, while
we good pe)ple are seiz.d with temples, the proper re-
'wives of the dead King are not so flitidious. They
only waited for his death to embrace and say that all was
over. What bignifics in iff et this reconciliation between
h 3 two hostile branches ? Atitende hanorable on the one
side and forgetfulness on the other. ' The head of
_ .

,ur says the one side, by implication did in-
triue ungret !fully tigaireq yours; he usurped the
rights of the legitimate King, and trig I to stain the
honour of your mother. We confess humbly our mis-
!cede, in order that we creep in humbly under your
skirt, and run the happy chance of a barrea future.' The
ether side says mentally—' Oh, yes, you have done all
that, but we pardon these irregularities for sake of add-
ing your partisans to ours. We shall then constitute
one single party—the party illigitimieo-legitimiste.' Ala.!
such would be the true latent sense of this strange recon-
ciliation, male at the tomb of the old King, and without
regard for his memory, for the conditions would be at
his expense. Wiesbaden would pardon the Pulais
Royal ; Nantes and Blaye would pardon Claremont out
of ambition for the Tuileries. Now, we do declare sin-
cerely that, in the midst of this vertiginous upsetting of
all human morality, of which we are every day the sad
witnesses, there hag, Bo acknowledge, cccurred a recent
fact which is calculated to restore to us some faith in
humanity, and to confirm in us the consoling idea of a
Providence. It is the horror that has been expressed in
London, at Cologne, everywhere, at the sight of Haynau,
at the odious aspect of the butcher of Hungary."
Ile people, however, will have none of the Bourbon
race ; the first effect of the news of this fusion has
been to render it dangerous to be seen wearing a
white hat in the streets of Paris. The Ordre says
A gentleman, who was returning to Paris by the
railway, arrived at the terminus in the Rue St. Leztre
by the eight o'clock train; he was accompanied by his
a-nily, and wore a largo troad-brimmed white ha., such
as is worn in the country. On seeing troops ranged
along the Plico du Havre, this gentleman lett his family
and asked the officer the reason of the display of troops.
On being informed that it was in consequence of the ex-
pected arrival of the President of the Republic, he was
about to rejoin his fim ly, vi hen he has surrounded by
some violent men, who threatened him both by words
and gestures, and called on hem to cry Arive l'Empe-
reur."fitis gentleman thus threatened, turned towards
the crowd, and exclaimed that ho was an officer of the
staff uf the Natioual Guard. The crowd did not reason
—they thought ho had refused to utter the cry which
was demanded, and he became the object of the
roughest tria•ment, the marks of which lie still bears.
He was struck in the face, and had to struggle
for several minutes against more than 200 violent
men who fell on him, striking him, calling him
a white. Ile WAS thus driven along as far as
ill., Rue d'lsly, where, fortunately, a passer-by suc-
ceeded in extricating him from the crowd. We are
positively assure] that the person thus ill-treated is M.
Alfred de Menciaux, captain in the staff of the National
Guard; and it is added that several other persons were
treated in a similar manner, and only owed their escape
either to flight or to uttering the anarchical cries which
were required of them."
Forty-nine Councils-General of Departments have
declared in favour of a revision of the Con-
stitution, but the great majority have qualified
their resolutian by declaring that nothing should be
done without the consent of the representatives of the
people.
The Moniteur has the following

" Some journals have announced that the President of
the Republic intends to visit the south of France. This
statement is unfounded. The season is too fir ad-
vanced for the President to think of undertaking a third
journey." _ _

An opposition paper having asserted that the PRE-
SIDENT of the Republic contributed 20,000 f. every
month to the funds of the Societe du Dix Decembre,
the Moniteur du Soir denies the fact from authority,
and declares that the PRESIDENT never contributed a
single centime to that club.

BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE
LONDON S 1 OCK E &CHAN(' E, SEPT. 14.
Boulogne and Amiens, ex div.- Great Indian Penin-
sula, —Namur and Liege, 7A.—Northern of France,
14)s— Orleans and Bordeaux, 238 - Paris and Orleane, SOIA