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Leader (1850-1860), 24th March 1855, Edition 1 of 2, Page 268, Untitled Article

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      undervalue the Sabbath in the least ; but he thought that the Protestant Church had made a great mistake in surrounding the duty with so much gloom and fanaticism , and that in this respect the Church of Home had acted far more wisely . The working classes , he believed , were repelleji from the Protestant Church by the illrjudged asperity which it exhibited on this point . - Mr . Da vies , Mr . Dbommond , the Marquis of Blandford , 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 general ground that it would destroy the sanctity of the Sabbath . Mr . Drummonb , however , admitted that the Sabbath m this country is observed too much in a spirit of Puritanism ; but he objected to Sir Joshua Walmsley ¦ wishing to change " the liord ' 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 . Goulbourn said that the original motion , if carried , would infallibly lead to the opening of other places of exhibition and thus to a legalised desecretion of the

      Sabbath . . Lord Stanley , 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 Would

      attendance on churches . " any gentleman say that he passed the Sabbath without regarding any secular matters ? Was it the belief of lion , 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- « ian who-went to a place of worship simply because he had no other place to go to Avas not likely ~ tp profit much by what he heard there . The publicans are the great gainers by the closing of the British Museum , &c . He had endeavoured to speak on this matter withoufexaggeration , 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 ^ asyIiimsr'Wey *" wcmtd ^ giYe"the ~ same answer— " Drunkenness . " He believed that the trouble of finding the cure for this evil was the great problem of our time . It was not to be done by * restrictive laws ; he believed that the first requisites

      are the means of recreation aiid self-instruction , for which , however , there is no time on week days . With respec t to the few officials whom it would be necessary to employ , and who would be relieved by relays on alternating Sundays , he did not know on what ground ho nourable gentlemen could object to such a species of employment , when they themselves require the labours of their servants on the Sabbath . Mr . Hbywood , 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 Christians , 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 , ana to walk , ride , dance , " or hunt , if they pleased , on the Sabbath .

      Lord Palmjerbton , in expressing his own opinion that Hunday ought to bo a day of rest , devotion , and cheerful recreation , said that ho 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 , lio must oppose the original resolution . The amendment he should also oppose , because it would bo inconvenient to the managers of the Museum and the N ttional 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 intention of the Government to introduce any measure modifying the existing laws of partnership , and introducing the principle of limited liability . He illustrated the evils of tho present system by alluding to the great 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 Harrowby presented petitions from Birmingham , King ' s Lynn , Hoxton , Sydenham , 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 m that opinion . THE EASTER KECESS . Earl Grakville gave notice that on Friday , the 30 th inst ., he should move the adjournme nt 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 .

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      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 1 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 liinted 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 he saw there . He did not know where one department ended and the 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 department , and have been reprimanded . Indeed , 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 he had offered to " a superior authority" to pay the expenses o 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 declared the

      were again admitted , and Mr . Stafford name of the gentleman to be Major Sillery . The witness added that all tho officials at Scutari seemed desirous to reform the evils that existed , but apparently feared to incur responsibility , and always entertained an apprehension that they were 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 the 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 Jocelyn Percy , who took out forty-sovon nursos to Scutari , gavo evidence to the same effect as tho preceding with respect to the condition of tho hospitals ; and added that the French hospitals which he visited were excellently conducted .

      TUESDAY . Dr . Andrew Smith , tho head of tho Army Medical Board , deposed that he had had thirty yeara' experience as an army surgeon . He had tho general management o f tho hospitals . There was a perpetual conflict going on botwooh himself and tho , Sccretary-at-War on tho subject of tho authority to bo exorcised over tho purveyors . With respect to tho supply of inodical comforts , ho stated that the Commander-in-Chicf applied to tho Ordnance , and tho Ordanco to tho Admiralty , which furnished thorn . Tho medical stores did not roach Malta for six , or eight weoke . Several medical officers

      explored the coasts of the Black Sea , for the pui discovering the sanitary condition of the count the authorities would not send out engineers to rate . No arrangements were made for hospita the arrival of the troops . The French contrived , way or other , to possess themselves of all the bes ings for these establishments . When Mr . Macdo : the Times , applied to him for letters of introduc Scutari , lie told him that every means had been t provide for the comfort of the hospitals , and t mission would be supererogatory . He could n < tively say whether all the suffering and mise caused by the conflict between the superior medi ( and the purveyors . " He knew that the purvey

      call in question the authority of the medical With respect to the disgraceful state of the ' saries" at the hospital , representations -were madi engineers to carry out improvements and nuisances in the hospital , and various expe were made and" resulted in a conclusion that i could be done short . of removing them . He su they were in this state while the Turks used th < the medical officer had attended to it , he woul haps , have had to pull the building down , and hi by that have got into a mess sooner than he cou got out of it . ( Laughter . ') The superior officer i mand of the Eoyal Engineers was the proper pe attend to these matters . The necessaries , he belie

      mained in this condition in consequence of a between the various authorities . He recommen furnishing of commodious steamers , for the com of the sick and wounded , as hospital ships properl up , but it was not done until some time after he su it . The witness also mentioned other instances ii his advice had not been attended to ; and conclu saying that he thought in such matters there she one undivided authority , that of the Minister a in which case matters would receive immediate tion , decisions -would be given -without refen multitudinous departments , and the public woulc on whose shoulders to lay any blame which mi deserved . .

      THURSDAY . Dr . Andrew Smith was further examined , ai that he did not believe the statements in the new of a want of lint ; he had reason to know the plenty of lint and bandages after the battle _ of . Letters which he had received from medical men direct refutation to the statements of Mr . Stafford a Macdonald on this subject . He considered tha times there was a sufficiency of medical comfoi appliances . Remonstrances were made to the tn department , over and over again , on the deficiei their service ; but whether similar ones were n the military , he could not say . He had also m presentations to the Duke of Newcastle and Mr .

      Herbert in conversation , and to the heads of the nient at the Ordnance , and the manager of the si partment at the Tower ; but he did not know w presentations were made to the Admiralty , an < ¦ wanted to address the Admiralty , he must do it t the Commander-in-Chief . The witness here guv < of the head medical men in charge at various t the hospital at Scutari These , appoiutmentsjuur by Dr . Hall , and approved by the Commandor-iu He did not say it would not have been better t appointed a permanent medical head , where su portant interests were at stake . He believci Smyrna was a healthy place , though not perhaps

      year round , and that far more accommodation cc obtained there than at Scutari . He considered 1 in no way responsible for the failure or success hospital at Scutari , and he asked Mr . Sidney lit permission to throw off all responsibility with rel to the hospital , although he was the head of the n department , and responsible to the public for its efli and management . Tho answer he received fro Sidney Herbert discharged him in his judgment fr responsibility concerning the hospital tit Scutari gavo suggestions for the establishment of the Iiosj : Smyrna to Mr . Sidney Herbert , but he did not that they were acted on . He considered his mail

      to bo the supply of an adequate me < Many of the difficulties and deficiencies that oc arose out of the uncertainty with recoct to tin tination of tho army . Great perplexity als suited from there being no authorities mi the . to take care of tlio stores landed ; but rtub .-fequcnl witness ' s request , the Duke of Newcastle . scut out * tide-waiters . With respect to the ambulances , w quoted tho opinion of Colonel Torrent that they very comfortable ; and mentioned that various « u tions which ho had inado to the ( . Jovenuueut , roga improvement in the arrangements , had been attend

      Ho hold tho purveyor of an hospital respoiisib keeping it in a clean and . orderly condition ; am posing ho ( witness ) had it proved before him tha hospital was in a Jllthy state , and l » o was called punish any person for having it i" that state , he < punish'the purvoyor , not tho commandant . If tin voyor seriously neglected his duty , it would bo the noss of tho commandant to put him under- nrrc order t 6 an inquiry ; but tho commandant had no ; to remove tho purveyor , though ho might a ] another to fill Ills place while he was under i When witness wrote for winter clothing , every thhn

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      268 THE IiEADER . [ Saturim

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), March 24, 1855, page 268, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2083/page/4/