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268 THE LEADER. [Saturday, ¦ . : ;———— ^...
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THE SEBASTOPOL COMMITTEE. At the meeting...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Imperial Parliament. The Case Of Lori) L...
nndervatoe the Sabbath in the least ; but he thought that the Protestant Church had made a great mistake nt-surrounding the duty with so much gloom and fanaticism , and that in this respect the Church of Borne had acted far more wisely . The working classes , he believed , were repelled from the Protestant Church by the ill-judged asperity which it exhibited on this point . Mr . Davies , Mr . Dbdmmond , the Marquis of BlasbsoAd , 'Mr . Kinnaird ( who thought such a measure would lead to the universal performance of labour on the Sunday ) , and Mr . E . Bali ,, opposed
the motion , on the ge neral ground that it would destroy the sanctity of the Sabbath . Mr . Drummono , however , admitted that the Sabbath in this country is observed too much in a spirit of Puritanism ; but he objected to Sir Joshua Walmsley wishing to change " the lord ' s day" into " the people ' s day . "—Mr . Pbllatt moved an amendment to the effect that the National Gallery and the British Museum be closed on Sundays , and opened on Saturdays and Mondays ; and Mr . Goulbodrn said that the original motion , if carried , would infallibly lead to the o pening of other places of exhibition and thus to a legalised desecretion of the
Sabbath . Lord Stanlet , in an excellent speech , said the Sabbath was a means to an end—that end being the moral and intellectual improvement of those who observe it . The working man had only got Sunday for obtaining that object ; for it was absurd to expect him to make any efforts for self-improvement on week-days after ten hours' labour . He believed that at no previous period was so large an amount of manual labour performed as now ; and if the Sabbath was to be confined to theological subjects , the education of the wo rking man would be stopped in his youth . It did not follow that the opening of a picture-gallery or a museum would take away from the attendance on churches . Would any gentleman say
that he passed the Sabbath without regarding any secular matters ? Was it the belief of hon . gentlemen that they would either send to church or keep at church any man who would not be there if these institutions were opened ? A man who went to a place of worship simply because lie had no other place to go to was not likely to profit much by what he heard there . The publicans are the great gainers by t he closing of the" British Museum , & c . He had endeavoured ^ to speak on this matter without exaggeration , because he knew that in every part of England , especially in the manufacturing districts , if they asked a sensible man what was the great social evil of the time , 99 out of every 100 would give the same answer— "It is drunkenness . " He knew from returns that in a single town in
Lancashire , with between 70 , 000 and 80 , 000 inhabitants , 1000 / . was daily spent in intoxicating drink . If they asked the judges what was the cause of the greatest amount of crime , they would answer" Drunkenness . " If they asked medical men what was the cause , directly or indirectly , of disease , and of more than one-half of the cases of insanity in our hospitals ^ and „ asylums , they would give the same answer—" . Drunkenness . " He believed " that * the trouble of finding the cure for this evil was the great problem of our time . It Avas not to be done by restrictive laws ; he believed that the first requisites sire the means of recreation and self-instruction , for which , however , there is no time on week days .
With respect to the few officials whom it would be necessary to employ , and who would be relieved by relays on a lternating Sundays , he did not know on what ground honourable gentlemen could object to such a species of employment , when they themselves require the labours of their servants on the Sabbath . Mr . Heywood , and Mr . W . J . Fox also spoke in favour of the motion ; the latter observing that Sabbatarianism had never been a doctrine of the early C hristians , nor of the first Protestants , and that Calvin and Cranmer had been opposed to it , while Luther had actually commanded his followers to resist the imposition of any such law , and to walk , ride , dance , or hunt , if they pleased , on the Sabbath .
Lord Palmebsxon , in expressing his own opinion that Sunday ought to bo a day of rest , devotion , and cheerful recreation , said that he believed the motion would do violence to the feelings of a large portion of the commnnity ; and that as it is highly desirable studiously to encourage those feelings , which are for the honour and well-being of a nation , he must oppose the original resolution . Tho amendment he should also oppose , because it would be inconvenient to tho managers of tho Musoum and tho N itional Gallery for those institutions to be open on Saturday , which is cleaning day . —On the House dividing , the numbers were—for the motion , 48 ; against , 235 : majority , 187 . The amendment was withdrawn .
LIMITED LIABILITY . On Thursday the Earl of Derby asked whether it was the intentipn of tho Government to introduce any measure modifying tho existing laws of partnership , and introducing tho principle of limited liability-. He illustrated tho evils of tho present system by alluding to the groat scarcity of raw paper material , and by showing that attempts to supply this
want by the introduction of new materials had failed , owing to the uncertain state of the law . —Lord Stanley of Alderley replied that after the Easter recess the Government would introduce a bill to amend the law of partnership . POLAND . The Earl of Hakkowby prese nted petitions from Birmingham , King ' s Lynni Hoxton , Sy denham , Yeovil , and other places , praying for the vigorous prosecution of the war , which could not , in the opinion of the petitioners , be brought to a successful issue without the assistance of the oppressed nationalities . The noble earl expressed his hearty concurrence in that opinion . THE EASTER BEGESS . Earl Gkanville gave notice that on Friday , the 30 th inst ., he should move the adjournment of the House until Monday , the 16 th of next month . There being only thirty members present on Thursday night in the House of Commons , the House was adjourned to Friday .
268 The Leader. [Saturday, ¦ . : ;———— ^...
268 THE LEADER . [ Saturday , ¦ . : ;———— ^^ ' ^^^—— ^ mm ^ m ^ ^^^^^^^^^^
The Sebastopol Committee. At The Meeting...
THE SEBASTOPOL COMMITTEE . At the meeting of the committee on Friday week , Mr T . M . Mackay was examined , and said that he undertook , six weeks ago , to provision the troops in the Crimea at 3 s . 6 d . per man per day . He proposed to supply them with one pound of bread , one pound of cooked beef or pork , a quarter of a pound of preserved potatoes ( equal to a pound of raw ) , half a pint of ale , and half a pint of spirits ; together with a variety of other articles , including tea , coffee , sugar , cheese , pickles , & c . He had every reason to believe he could make a good profit out of such a contract ; but the Government had refused his offer because he was a few minutes too late .
Mr . James Macdonald , of the Times , was recalled , and gave several particulars of the state of the hospital at Scutari . He said that if a dying man required brandy , he could not have it without a requisition ; and that at times the patients could not get their rations till night , owing to one man Having to cook for two thousand sick and wounded . He could not pretend to say what had become of the stores sent out from England ; and he hinted that they might be in . England still .
MONDAY . Mr . Augustus Stafford , M . P ., was examined . He . said he went to Scutari in November , and . remained there several days . He never met with any opposition to his admission to the hospital ; he met with great attention from the officials at Scutari . Soon after he attended the hospital there , he found the necessaries in a very horrible state . He visited them , and was immediately after attacked with diarrhoea . In the anterooms adjacent to these places the filth was ancle-deep . He could not discover who was the responsible head of the hospital . The want of a proper head was the source of all the evils lie saw there . He did not know where one department ended and tlie other began . Dr . Macgregor might have
obtained men to cleanse the places of which he had spoken ; but , if he had done so , he would in all probability have been told that such a duty was not in his depaftment , 1 and havebeenreprimanded .- Indeedp he ( Mr . Stafford ) was not sure that the cleansing of such places would not have to "" pass through two or three departments . Mr . Stafford then mentioned that ho had offered to " a superior authority" to pay the expenses of cleansing ; but that the said authority refused because he had no warrant to repay the money . Upon being pressed to mention the name of this person , Mr . Stafford hesitated ; and , the committee-room having been cleared of the public , the committee remained in consultation for three quarters of an hour , after which time the public
were again admitted , and Mr . Stafford declared the name of the gentleman to be Major Sillery . The witness added that all the officials at Scutari seemed desirous to reform the evils that existed , but apparently feared to incur responsibility , and always entertained an apprehension that they wero going beyond their duty . No words could describe the ghastly and filthy appearance of the soldiers as they were landed . They were covered with vermin and ordure . The naval hospital was in admirable condition ; but tho military hospital at Balaklava was very bad . There were no sheets , no linen of any kind , there , though it would have been possible to obtain them at Constantinople , between which city and Balaklava there was almost daily communication .
Captain Jocolyn Percy , who took out forty-seven nurses to Scutari , gave evidence to tho same effect as the preceding with respect to tho condition of tho hospitals ; and added that tho Frpnch hospitals which ho visited were excellently conducted .
TUESDAY . Dr . Andrew Smith , the head of the Army Medical Board , deposed that ho had had thirty years experience as an army surgeon . He had tho general management of the hospitals . There was a perpetual conflict going on between himself and the Sccrotary-at-War on tho subject of tho authority to bo exorcised over tho purveyors . With respect to tho supply of medical comforts , ho stated that tho Commandor-in-Chief applied to tho Ordnance , and the Ordanco to tho Admiralty , which furnished them . Tho medical stores did not reach Malta for six or eight weeks . Sovoral medical officers
explored the coasts of the Black Sea , for the purpose of discovering the sanitary condition of the country ; but the authorities would not send out engineers to co-operate . No arrangements were made for , hospitals until the arrival of the troops . The French contrived , in some way or other , to possess themselves of all the best buildings for these establishments . When Mr . Macdonald of the , Times , applied to him . for letters of introduction to Scutari , he told him tliat " every means had been ' taken to provide for the comfort of the hospitals , and that bis mission would be supererogatory . He could not positively say whether all the suffering and misery was caused by the conflict between the superior medical men and the purveyors . * He knew that the purveyors did
call in question the authority of the medical officers . With respect to the disgraceful state of the " necessaries" at the hospital , representations were made to the engineers to carry out improvements and remove nuisances in the hospital , and various experiments were made and resulted in a conclusion that nothing could be done short of removing them . He suspected they were in this state while the Turks used them . If the medical officer had attended to it , he -would , perhaps , have had to pull the building down , and he would by that have got into a mess sooner than he could have got out of it . ( Laughter . ) The superior officer in command of the Royal Engineers was the proper person to attend to these matters . The necessaries , he believed , remained in this condition in consequence of a conflict
between the various authorities . He recommended the furnishing of commodious steamers , for the conveyance of the sick and wounded , as hospital ships properly fitted up , but it was not done until some time after he suggested it . The witness also mentioned other instances in which his advice had not been attended to ; and concluded by saying that he thought in such matters there should be one undivided authority , that of the Minister at War , in which case matters would receive immediate attention , decisions would be given without reference to multitudinous departments , and the public would know on whose shoulders to lay any blame which might be deserved .
THURSDAY . Dr . Andrew Smith was further examined , and said that he did not believe the statements in the newspapers of a want of lint ; he had reason to know there was plenty of lint and bandages after the battle of Alma . Letters which he had received from medical men gave a direct refutation to the statements of Mr . Stafford and Mr . Macdonald on this subject . He considered that at all times there was a sufficiency of medical comforts and appliances . Remonstrances were made to the transport department , over aud : over again , on the deficiencies in their service ; but whether similar ones were made to the military , he could not say . He had . also made representations to the Duke of Newcastle and Mr . Sidney the
Herbert in conversation , and to the heads of department at the Ordnance , and the manager of the store department at the Tower ; but he did not know what representations were made to the Admiralty , and if he wanted to address the Admiralty , lie must do it through the Commander-in-Chief . The witness here gave a list of the head medical men in charge at various times of the hospital at Scutari . These appointments were made by'Dr . Hall , and * approvedby the Gommander-in-Gliief . He did not say it would not have been better to have appointed a permanent medical head , where such important interests were at stake . He believed that Smyrna was a healthy place , though not perhaps all the year round , and that far more accommodation could be obtained there than at Scutari . He considered himself in no way responsible for the failuro or success of the hospital at Scutari , and he asked Mr . Sidney Herbert ' s reference
permission to throw off all responsibility with to the hospital , although he was the head of the medical department , and responsible to the public for its efficiency and management . Tho answer he received from Mr . Sidney Herbert discharged him in his judgment from all responsibility concerning the hospital at Scutari . Ho gave suggestions for the establishment of tho hospital at Smyrna to Mr . Sidney Herbert , but he did not know that they were acted on . Ho considered his main duty to be the supply of an adequate amount of medicine . Many of the difficulties and deficiencies that occurred arose out of the uncertainty with reluct to the destination of the army . Great perplexity also resulted from there being no authorities on tlio beach to take care of tho stores landed ; but subsequently , at witness ' s request , the Duke of Newcastle sent out several tide-waiters . With respect to tho ambulances ) , witness quoted tho opinion of Colonel Torrcns Hint they were
very comfortable ; and mentioned that various suggestions which he had made to the Government , regarding improvement in tho arrangements , had been attended to . Ho held tho purveyor of an hospital rertpoiisiblo for keeping it in a clean and orderly condition ; nnd . supposing . Jio ( witness ) had it proved boforo him that tho hospital was in a filthy state , and ho was called on to punish any porson for Jiuviug it in that state , ho would punish the purveyor , not tho cominandunt . If the pur * voyor seriously neglected his duty , it would bo tho business of tho commandant to put him under arrest , m order to an inquiry ; but tho commandant had no power to remove tho purvoyor , though ho m ight appoint another to fill his place whilo lie was under arrest . When witness wrote for winter clothing , ovcrytlnug tm
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), March 24, 1855, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_24031855/page/4/
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