New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-08-01
ENGLISH TOPICS.
THE GOSSIP ABOUT THE PREMIER.

a SUICIDE IL CnRTsT's HOSPITAL SCHOOL
A FORMER SYSTEM OF wHIPpING-AN INvEsII-
CATION COMMISSION APPOINTED.
[rRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
LoNDoN. July 1.-THE story Of Lord Bea-
consfcld's resignation, which | mentioned and
coutradctcd by last post, has had but brief
life of il. IL began to be whispered privately
three or four days ago. IL made its first APP
pcarance in print after, as cautious con-
iccIure IN one or two provincial papers. A London
journal, usually discreet and of sound Judgment
about such matters. dashed ont with it, Thursday,
in big type. The authoritative denial came yestcr
day from both ministerial organs In truth, a rlI-
NOR of that kind deserves no more attention than
the pcrpetually recurring announcements of the
P0pe'S illness and imminent death. Not 80 much,
indeed; for it is toleraby sure that the Pope
Will die some day, and it is not at all
sure that Lord Beac0nsfeld will ever resign. He
is 30 ILL., at times. that Cabinet Connects have to be
held in his private lodging, in Whitehall in't"a of
at his official residence in Downng-s. He has govt
and some other things, but don't believe that any
stress of bodily torment would make him much
as contemplate resignation, long rs resignation
COULD be interpreted into confession of surrender
to Lord Salisbury, be followed by the triumph, as
it would be now, Of Lord Salisburys foreign policy.
With Lord Beaconseld out of the way there is no.
bore enough to stand up against the terrible
Marquls-nobody who is leader of men; no
body who has distinct purpose or high
courage of his own; nobody who would
dare to risk a conflict with the country for
the sake of renown abroad. England will tolerate,
a. she has tolerated in the past, good many
vagarcs from the eccentric personality who mas
querades IN his old age as Lord BeaconS1eld. She
has silent respect for supreme abilities, and silently
undergoes the yoke of a man with brains enough TO
redeem his faults of judgment and the mistakes that
grow out of them. But II Is absurd to suppose she
would endure tenth part of the same ndignities
from Lord Derby or the Duke of Richmond, or the
admirable Chancellor of the Exchcqucr who is
secular leader of the House of Commons. The notion
of putting the Government into commission viii the
Duke of Richmond rs gure-head, of which there has
been some talk will never be seriously entertained.
That would be To confer on Lord Salisbury power
without responsibility which would suit neither the
country nor him. Things must 90 on as tiey are,
nor is there much reason 10 fear any great calamity
with Lord Salisbury on the watch inside and MI
Gladstone outside, and majority of the people OF
England rc,0 ute not to be cj1icd INFO war Tor the
Turk II is, however all the better for the country
and the world that Lord Bcaconshed is valetudIna-
ran. His energy to conceive great plans may be
as lively as ever but his power to execute them is
not a little impaired by physical prosratlon His
power of work i'm the English SENSE was never very
great. lie has never had Lord Palmcrston'' knowl-
edge of business capacity for details, ana there
are always men about him who keep hold of
the rope when hc would soar too high. There
may. OK may not be some connection between
the in healtlof Lord Beacou,f Id and Che unusually
positive tone Of the replies Sir Stafford Northcote
has this week given m the House to questions re-
specting Turkish matters. He has denied, with con-
d.rable tartncs,, that any understanding exists
between the British and Wrench Governments rs TO
the dispatch Of the British fleet to Beslka Bay
Other ruuors Of similar kind have been CONTRA
dicted with a readiness tnat seems 10 indicate de-
src-heretofore not always manifestation escape
from all suspicion of immediate completely with the
Turks.
The whole subject Of the treatment Of English
boys in English public schools Ina, been reopened
by the suicide of pupil at ClTl'ts Hospital
William Arthur Gibbc- aged -. They held a coro-
rrrs inquest on the poor little fellow and the
iury returned a verdict of suicide whilst in a state
of temporary insanity. But what drove him mad,
if mad he wcrei He was a boy, says his father,
Of an open and kindly disposition, but somewhat
stubborn in temper. He was in good health. For
some reason or other he liked his school 80 Little
that he had twice run away-the first time four
week. ago the last. two days before ms death.
He told his sisters that he could not stand tie
treatment he received. For the dc5t escape he had
beeu logged: for the second he to be logged
aeain. and more severely. Before the authorities
of Christ's Hospital had found time to inlet TINS
second punishment, young Gibbcs, aged -, in good
health. of an open and kindly temper but some
what stubborn, had hanged himself by the neck
till he was dead.
Since then. some light has been let into the edu-
catonal barracks in Newgaie-st. known, with grim
irony as Christ, Hospital. Men were suddenly re-
minded that this was the school of which C0lerldge
and Charles Lamb, more than a half II century ago,
told hideous tales. Fresh witnesses came forward
notably the Rev. William Drew Churchol England
CLERGYMAN, who explains what Chrlsts Hospital
1osging meant some twenty years since. MI. Ore"
WAS a Bne-coat bow the name by which scholars at
this school are known. lie describes the seven
wears he spent Criss Hospital as years OF misery
and suffering "1he food, though good OF ITS kihd'
WAS and still is, utterly insufficient IN quantity
fine treatment was such to make every boy detest
the school aud the Punshments were simply brutal
i'm their severity, and often were meted out WIN put
scanty Justice" They logged Ill his time "a small
and delicate lad named Bount:
That night poor little Blount could not sleep ana az
last lac iesged 10 help him. accord hgy iooh Ms
shIr IL and found lis back from the shoulders uoWn I"
the waist Oi sccrat'd He0i, thr no,i st'hn-
the 80 as To- tuse aS"n5 ~ 5t'.t"s h ~ cst
with MY finger and thumb pulled out 81 hl, paoh AZ 20,
dozen pieces Of birch rod wen aH ,'ol Ike niece
a. raw meat than ans thing elsie nave since sen u,
solenny declare tuat the injury don. 10 liU S'lo
back would not compare with that done 10 the biueco'
boy.
Then he tells how the HoggIng is managed:
Two men are required for the operation. one taxes
hold of the bow hosls him ON his back by the Wrists ana
Keep him suspended The other strips 4n hl' coat ana.