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London, England, 1825-03-31 00:00:00

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inquiry right be instituted into the question of cont -
Om, anti how it was disseminated. Within a few
years, great changes of opinion had taken place. Tile
Report alluded to by the Honour able Member (Mr.
Smith) was drawn up by a Committee shish agreedin
nothing but the fact that the plague was contagious.,
Sou he wished a new inquire to be instituted. His own opinions
were considerably changed, but yet he must hesitate about making
any very great relaxations in the Quarantine Laws. A single false
step could never be retrieved. The country would suffer from it
to the greatest extent. He could not consent to the total removal
of the existing restraints. however, be concurred in the importance
of examining the subject to the bottom.
Mr. H. GURNEY reprobated the carelessness of
those who wished to introduce the plague into Great Britain, by
:too unrestricted importation of the cottons of Egypt. He was
grongly against any great relaxation of the Quarantine Laws.
Mr. HOBHOUSE differed entirely from the Hon.
Alember (Mr. Gurney), and he believed that in the
course of a short time the country would differ from
him just as widely. With r spect to the Plague of
London all the symptoms were epidemic, and not con-
tagious. The districts near London were never
affected by the plague. The disea ein the Levant was
pretty much in the same condition. He Wiped the
time was not far distant when we should renounce the
errors which had been entertained upon this subject,
and no longer act upon the supposition that the plague
was contagious. His Honourable Friend was mistaken,
when he spoke of the great antiquity of this belief, for
the plague was never supposed to be contagious until
the time of the Council of Treat. All the phenomena
attending the disease were to be found in epidemics.
The Honourable Member then referred to the circum-
stances attending the plague of Malta, and argued that
in th .t and other cases, the existence of contagion was
disproved, and that it could no longer be supported.
In the yellow fever and typhus fever, all idea of conta-
gi•in had been given up, and it ought to be in this; for
he had little doubt that plague and typhus were the
same dis ase. ,He thought the opinions of Physicians
were not so much to be relied on, as those of unpre-
judiced persons. The Government, however, was right
in consulting the fears of sundry old women and his Honourable
Friend, to a certain extent. It was not advisable to proceed so
far as to alarm Gentlemen and Ladies as to prevent their sleeping
at night, for fear the plague should be imported in a bale of cotton
from Alexandria to Liverpool. He would not detain the House
further than to say, that he believed the greatest good had been
done to mankind by the efforts of Dr. Maclean, for removing this
prejudice from their minds.
M TRA NT said, that during his residence in
Egypt circumstances came to his knowledge, which left an impres-
sion on his mind that the plague was or might be contagious.
Sir H. WILSON said, that when he went to Egypt
his conviction was, in common with that of the other
Officers, that the plague was contagious by contact.
When the army arrived it was divided into two bodies,
one of which remained before Alexandria, and the other
marched through the country to Cairo. Those who
remained stationary caught the plague, while those
who were constantly upon the march, and not exposed
to one particular atmospheric influence, escaped to a
man. They marched through places where the plague
existed, and he saw bodies of persons who died of the
plague buried with their clothes on, and as they only
just covered them over with earth, he saw them taken
up again, and the clothes worn by other men without
any bad effects. There were also villages in which the
Tay ages of the plague had been so great that they were
placed under a bar, and people were warned from en.
twine.. Notwithstanding this, he constantly saw the
Turks and our own soldiers entering the villages with-
out taking the plague. At Cairo, while it was °cep%
pied by the French, the plague raged in the town with.
out appearing in the citadel at all, although there leaa
a constant communication kept up, He approved of
the intention of Ministers, and he should propose that
a regulation be adopted for preventing Officers at the outports hav-
ing any interest in enforcing the Quarantine Laws.
Mr. Secretary PEEL said, that the subject was one
which he thought deserving of much attention, and that
the contagions nature of the plague admitted great doubts. But be
wanted to ask the gallant General what he deduced from the facts
he had stated to the House? He said that one part of the army,
being in a certain position, suffered from the disease, while the other
part, being upon the march, escaped it ; and then he ascribed the dis-
ease to atmospheric influence, and not to contagion.—But bow
would he account for the fact, that the soldiers entered the villages
where the plague was so prevalent, without catching it, if there
were no other cause than atmospheric influence?
Sir it. WILSON said, it was a known fact that those
who were stationary in a place were liable to the disease,
while others who only passed through it, and were in the habit of
meeting other currents of air escaped.
Mr. HUME said that all the circumstances shich
had come to his knowledge respecting the plague, in-
duced him to conclude that our Quarantine Laws had been founded
upon false principles.
The Bill was then read a second time, and ordered to be com-
mitted to-morrow.
A message from the Lords announced that their Lordships had
assented to the Wine Duties and various other Bills.
Sir R. WILSON moved for a return of the number of Free-
holders in each county in Ireland entitled to vote at ekctions, dis-
tinguishing those at 40s. 901.5 W. and upwards.
POLICE. MAGISTRATE..? BILL.
The House went into a Committee upon the above Bill.
Mr. Secretary PEEL said, there was a clause to be
added relative to police constables. The keeping of the
peace at public places of resort was a very heavy duty
on the p lice, and he therefore only thought it fair that
the pr prietors of such places as Vauxhall, for instance,
should preserve the peace in the immediate vicinity; and for this
purpose he should move a clause empowering Magistrates to swear
in persons as special constables for a limited period, who should be
provided and paid by the proprietors of public places of amusement.
Mr. BERNLL said, there was one clause, which
empowered Police Maeistra,es to exercise a discretion
in adding the punishment of hard labour in eases of imprisonment
for inisdonesnour. He thought this was a responsibility which
the Magistrates would have no desire to undertake.
Mr. Secretary PEEL said, that the power was li-
mited to offences committed en the River Thames, and
it appeared to him to be an admirable regulation, that where
criminal offences had been committed, the punishment of hard
labour should follow.
After a few words from Mr. Helm, the Bill went through the
Committee, and was ordered to be reported to-morrow.
PIILONe PARDON RILL.
Mr. Secretary PEEL moved the Order of the Day
for going into a Committee upon the above Bill. The
Right Hon. Gentleman then said that he had to
ove an instruction to the Comniittce for introducing
a ciati,e to prevent one of those evils arising out of
quibbles in the law. At present, if a man come
mitred three clergyable offences, two of which were highly cri-
minal, and the last only trivial in its nature, and was tried for the
last, and pleaded his benefit of clergy, he became exempt from all
punishment for the crimes previously committest He, therefore,
wished to add a clause to correct this defect.
The House then went into the Committee, and Mr. Secretary
Pau. brought up the eause, which was agreed to. Report to-
lutwrove.—The House received the Report of the Committee upon
the Fishery B Panties Acts.
Upon the mod= of Mr. C. Weser the East India Judges Bill
was read a second time, and ordered to be committed tomorrow,
pro fawns, and then printed:
The Bankrupt Laws Amendment Bill went through a Com-
mitt. e„ and the Report was received, and ordered to he taken into
f irther conaidrittiou oo Idouday, the Mb of April.