The Sun.
London, England, 1868-05-02 00:00:00

WORKHOUSE INFIRMARIES.

A deputation of medical men from the British Medical
Associati..n lately waited upon Lord Devon at the Poor-
law Board to urge various points upon his consideration
with respect to the efficient inspection of workhouses. Mr.
Hart stated that the association numbered upwards of
4,000 members of the profession, and among their number
men of the highest position, the men who were regarded
as authorities on all questions of infirmary management.
He then proceeded to shew that the association had ex-
pressed a very decided opinion that the infirmaries con-
nected with the workhouses could only be properly and
efficiently inspected by men skilled in medical matters.
He then proceeded to speak upon the order issued by
the Poor Law-board a few weeks since, and published in
the Times, requiring the medical officers of workhouses to
report over the heads of the guardians to the Poor-law
Board ; and so, he urged, the medical officers were called
upon to do duties, without additional pay, which would
entail a very great amount of extra work, and would
besides place them in such a position as to lead to quarrels
with guardians, upon whom in many cases the medical
officers were obliged to rely for practice in consequence of
the low official salaries paid. He pointed out that the
clerks and relieving officers, who had no collateral
interests to consider, were not called upon so to report,
but only the medical officers, who were, in some
senses, the most defenceless of all the officers. Lord
Devon remarked that the fact of the medical officer being
the only officer called upon to report shewed the apprecia-
tion the Poor-law Board had of the ability and upright.
ness of those officers. Mr. Hart replied that it was a
graceful and deserved compliment, but then it was, after
all, an awkward manner of shewing appreciation to give
men additional work of such a character that a misunder-
standing with their guardians was the most likely thing to
arise out of an exercise of it, and this was the more
unsatisfactory as the board had lately shewn a decided
leaning against medical officers by supporting the guar-
dians in calling for the resignation of Dr. Ransom, of
Cambridge, and Dr. Rogers, of the Strand. In reply to
questions put by the Earl of Devon and Mr. Fleming,
Mr. Hart said six medical inspectors would be sufficient
for the country, andabe position of the ordinary inspectors
would, he considered, be accepted by thoroughly iskilled
men. Dr. Gibbon supplemented the first speaker's
remarks by urging that if medical officers were
called upon to fill up the reports which this order called
for, so much of their time as was at present devoted to
the sick would be withdrawn in order to 'give atten-
tion to these clerkly duties. He reminded his lordship
lat prisoners' infirmaries were medically inspected, as
were military hospitals, and the pauper hospitals of England
were entitled to the same privilege. Dr. Webstersupported
these views, and drew from Lord Devon the remark that
lie had proved himself consistent onhispointingont that he
had urged this matter upon the boardin 1837,as was shown
in the board's reports. Dr. Stallard urged that the board
should seek power to pay a portion of the officers' salaries,
for then the board would possess a material power which ii
did not at present possess. Dr. O'Bryen said the guardians
in his district were of a class who would readily tako'
offence at an officer reporting over their heads. Lona,
Devon said he was not blind to the facts which had beer(
urged against the order, and with respect to the suggested
medic. 1 inspectors, the board had recognised the principlf
by the enrolment of Dr. Markham and Dr. Smith as
inspectors. He promised to lay the views of the deputa-
tion before the committee on the Poor Relief Bill ; but IA
could not promise to advocate those views.

There appears to be a general concurrence of opiniol4
that when Mr. Disraeli went to Osborne on Friday ht
placed his resignation in her Majesty's hands, accompanied
by a statement of the peculiar circumstances which have
combined to make the present crisis unique in parliamen4
tary annals. There is an equally general belief that thr
Queen, after a full consideration of the position of
the Ministry, declined to accept the Premier's resignation,
that the Scotch and Irish Reform Bills will be pushed on
with all practicable expedition, and that nothing but
imperative public business will be transacted during the
remainder of the session, with a view to the earliest poe.
sible appeal to the new constituencies. The Ministerial
papers tell us that the Government will not, unless com-
pelled, appeal from a moribund Parliament to moribund
registers ; but if the Opposition, as has been threatened,'
seeks to deny to Ministers the opportunity of appealing to
the constituencies of the future, they will appeal to the
existing ones. A Cabinet Council is called for Monday
afternoon, when the substance of the statement to be
made by the Earl of Malmesbury in the Lords and by the
Prime Minister in the Commons will be agreed upon.
That the Cabinet is not united is well known, but
within the past day or two rumours of serious dissensions
have been afloat. Four of the Premier's colleagues, it is
understood, regard the position as no longer tenable, and
have signified more than once their anxiety to retire.
They feel that they cannot with honour agree to offer any
material concession or enter into any deferred engagement
respecting the Church ; and that if it is to be further
defended something like moral confidence must be resus-
citated in the rank and file of their party by seeing
men in high places make sacrifices of place and dignit
for the sake of principle. Lord Derby's personal influent
has been exerted to the uttermost to dissuade these noble
friends of his from their purpose ; but it is stated
with confidence that by next week we shall have announce.
ments of more than one withdrawal. Mr. Disraeli's friencli
assert that he is fully prepared to fill up the vacant places,
that he retains as fully as ever the confidence of Lord
Derby, and that he has gained thoroughly the favour A
the Queen, whose susceptibilities he is supposed to have,
been desirous of propitiating by endeavouring to avert A
discussion of the second and third resolutions. As intended
by Mr. Gladstone, this would not have given rise to any
debate affecting the feelings of her Majesty ; but after
Lord Derby's challenge of the power of the House of
Commons as opposed to that of the Crown, it is
almost inevitable that questions should be raised and
discussed.

In some quarters it is believed that the Ministry must
make some concessions if they would preserve their
existence until the assembling of the new Parliament.
Report has it that Mr. Disraeli will announce that all
measures, except the Scotch and Irish Reform Bills, will
be allowed to stand over, and that provision will be at
once made for having the first registrations for the three
kingdoms anticipated during the present year, so as to
enable the gen ral election to take place in October, and
the new Parlame tt to be called together in November.
The Estimates anl other pressing business would then be
wound up, so I hat the prorogation might take place the
last week in June ; and a pledge, it is said, will be offered
that a compreiensive plan of dealing with the Irish
Church will I e ready to be laid upon the table on the first
day of the w:nter session.
The Imperial Itez•iew understands that Mr. Charles
Hardy, of Chilham Castle, will not improbably come for-
ward as Conservative candidate for Fast Kent, in con-
junction with Mr. Pemberton, M.P., at the approaching
general election. Should the city of Aberdeen be grantee
a second member, Mr. W. Christie, the late Minister at
Rio, is already endeavouring to ascertain what chances of
success he would have as a candidate for a second seat.
Mr. Christie came forward for the Stirling Burghs, but
declined to go to the poll.

In the newly-enfranchised borough of Stockton the
Liberals have selected Mr. Joseph Dodds as their candi-
date. Mr. Dodds has held several important positions in
the county of Durham in which administrative anti
judicial capacity is.required. A requisition will be at once
presented to him.
The Army and Navy Gazette is loud in its praise of OA
management of the Abyssinian expedition. The Grand
Cross of the Bath, with which he has been this week deco-
rated, ought, it says, to have been given to him years ago
for his services in China. Our contemporary adds : "Of
course, the gracious consideration of the Crown will not
stop with this. It is, we believe, unusual to confer
hereditary dignities without consulting the wishes
of those upon whom it is proposed to confer them, and,
should there be no objection on his part, we have litt,.
doubt that Sir Robert will be made a baronet, the usual
pension of £l,OOO a year for three lives being added to the
distinction."

The Spectator thinks that the gallant general will be
offered a peerage, which he will probably be obliged to
decline, having many children and slender fortune. Ho
will receive from Parliament the usual pension for three
lives, and will succeed Sir W. Mansfield as commander-
in-chief in India.

In the evidence given before the " Food Committee " of
the Society of Arts, it was stated that most of the milk in
London is adulterated 20 per cent. In poor districts the
adulteration is far greater. There, a man will bring in a
kettleful of boiling water, put it into something at the
back of the counter, and then serve it out as " warm from
the cow." So great is the rage for cheapness, that although
the poor know that they are being cheated, they will
&ways prefer a bucketful of swill for a halfpenny to half
the quantity of genuine milk for the same money. milk
is sometimes adulterated with a decoction of turnips or
parsnips. Genuine milk, it was stated in evidence, could
not be sent round for less than Gd. a quart.

THE CONDUCT OF BUSINESS IN THE HOUSE OF
COMMONS.—On the meeting of the House on Monday, Mr.
Gladstone will move that the standing order of the sth day
of August, 1853, reserving the right of her Majesty's
Ministers of placing Government orders at the head of the
list of orders of the day, be suspended ; and that the other
orders of the clay be postponed until after the order of
the day for the committee cu the Established Church
(Irelikud),

ext:rz
1, rant
oc%

HER. MAJESTY.

OSBORNE, May 1.
The Queen, accompanied by Princess Louise,
drove out yesterday afternoon.

The other members of the Royal Family also
went out.

Her Majesty, accompanied by Princess Louise,
!rine° Arthur, and Prince Leopold, walked and

drove in the grounds this morning.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.-THIS DAY.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

THE MARQUIS TOWNSIIEND AND THE SOLDIER'S
CHILDREN.—A little boy and girl, named James
and Maiia Little, aged respectivvly six and
were charged by the Marquis Towushend With
begging.

The Marquis deposed to seeing the children at
half-past eight in the evening sitting on a door-
step under the colonnade in Pall-mall, the boy
crying, and stating a very common thing among
juvenile beggars, that he had dropped something
down an area. 'rho Marquis having watched the
children saw them receive money from different per.
sons, and he spoke to a constable (Mitchell, 126
A. 11), and as soon as the children saw the constable
approaching they made off, but were followed and
taken to the station.

From subsequent inquiries made by the constable

it appeared that he went to Taylor's-buildings' ,
St. Martin's-lane, and found the room occupied by
the children's mother, very clean, but showing
every sign of the greatest poverty. There were
two children in bed, one about twelve months old
and the other about two years old, and another
child about seven years of age looking after them.
rho mother, who was from home working for the
children, was the wife of a soldier of the Ist bat-
taliou of Grenadier Guards, but he having married
without the permission of hist officers had forfeited
the usual allowance.

The mother (a cleanly-looking woman, but from
whose appearance there was little doubt that she
was struggling with poverty, said that she worked
at the army clothing, and after paying her rent,
with the little assistance she got from her husband,
she had but 9d. a day to support herself and family.

The Marquis, commiserating the poor woman,
who said that she never sent her children out to
beg, said that if they would attend at the office of
the Universal Benevolent Society, Soho-square (of
which society the Marquis is the president), be
would look into her case, and see what could be
done for her. The magistrate, seconding the
Marquis's kind offices, discharged the children.