§ Mr. Cochrane Johnstone called the attention of the house to the dreadful mortality of our troops in the West Indies, and described the causes to which, in his opinion, it was generally to be attributed. These were, chiefly, the want of air in the barracks and their improper situation on the coast. The barracks in the West India Islands, had no ventilators, and on entering them, the smell, in consequence, was most offensive. It was well known, that when the thermometer was under 83 degrees, the yellow fever was not to be apprehended; and it was also well known, that the sea coast, where the barracks were usually built, was considerably hotter than the interior of the Islands. A striking instance of this occurred to himself. He had the command of a regiment 1000 strong, quartered on the coast of one of the West India Islands. In the month of July the yellow fever broke out among them. In four weeks 550 men died. He marched the remainder into the interior, and he had the satisfaction to find, that the ravages of the disorder were completely stopped. In the year 1801, no less than 3000 of our troops died in the West India Islands. A great cause of the mortality was, that the British troops were employed in garrisons. By abstaining from this practice, and by adopting other regulations, he was convinced that the West India Islands might be made as healthy as any station at home. He painted very feelingly the dreadful situation of many of the subalterns in that country, compelled to subsist on 5s. 8d. a day; and declared, that to the humanity of the women of colour, many a British Officer owed his existence. When the ill health of an officer procured him leave to return home, it became necessary for him to raise 50 or 60l. to pay for his passage; in many cases this was impracticable, and it was an evil which ought to be remedied. These observations were the unfortunate result of his experience for many years. He had no doubt that the noble lord who was at the head of the colonial department would pay every attention to the 690 subject; but he hoped the house would appoint a committee to inquire into these evils, and to endeavour to find means to counteract them. Were they not counteracted, it would be better to withdraw every man of our army from that country. As a preliminary step, he moved, "That there be laid before the house an Account of the Mortality that had taken place in the Troops sent to the West Indies, from the 1st. of Jan., 1797, to the 1st. of Jan., 1807, distinguishing the Officers from the Privates, and specifying the names of the Officers."— Mr. Biddulph seconded the motion.
§ Lord Castlereagh did every justice to th motives of the hon. gent.; but, however important the subject, he was rather inclined to think, that it was not one on which a committee of the house of commons was the body most qualified to prosecute an inquiry. In his opinion, it would be better to leave it to the executive government, unless, indeed, it was suspected that they were asleep on their posts, and inattentive to a matter of such moment. The papers moved for by the hon. officer, would not afford the information which he desired. An account of the number of deaths in the troops sent out, would convey an undue impression. It should rather be in the troops who were serving. Certainly, there was a strong feeling in the public mind of the great mortality in the army in the West Indies. He was anxious to reduce that feeling by proving that the apprehensions were exaggerated. Within the last ten years, such attention had been paid to this important point, that a striking diminution had taken place in the proportionate number of deaths, which at the present time amounted to only one third of what they were ten years ago. It could hardly be hoped to make the West Indies as healthy as at home; but a great deal might yet be done. He would set himself diligently to the task, and he should be glad to profit by the advice and suggestions of the hon. officer. When he before held the seals of the colonial department, considerable investigations had been instituted on this subject, with a view to ameliorate the condition of the British army on the West India service.
§ Mr. Windham observed, that much of the mortality of the troops arose from causes that could not be remedied, as inseparable from tropical climates. As to the suggestion of the hon. gent. not having been acted upon, he had only to remind him that a great variety of opinions prevailed upon the subject among officers of great experience. The same was 691 the case, with respect to the advantage a Floating Hospitals over Hospitals on shore. He had listened with attention to the suggestion of the hon. gent., but the question could not be decided, except by persons of considerable experience. As to the situation of the barracks, regard must be had to the defence of the Islands. The statement of the hon. gent. would be good, as a stimulus to government. As to the pay of subalterns being insufficient to procure them the comforts that every one would wish them to have, the case was the same in every other service, and only proved that a person who entered the military profession, should, like him who engaged in other vocations, have some capital, when he entered it, as he had said last year, when he proposed a small addition to the pay of subalterns.
§ The Secretary at War was perfectly convinced of the propriety of the motives of the hon. gent. in bringing forward this subject, but he could assure the house, that the attention of his majesty's servants was particularly called to it, as the regiment which he had the honour to command had been employed on service in the West Indies. He was of opinion that great advantage would be derived from attending to this matter; but he was not sanguine enough to expect, that by any arrangements that could be adopted, the health of the troops could be preserved as well as in Europe. When his regiment had been sent out first they were quartered in Stony Hill Barracks, in Jamaica, situated according to the idea of the hon. gent. and yet the regiment had suffered considerable sickness. He thought that much benefit would result from the adoption of improved arrangements respecting the Barracks, but on the other points considerable difference of opinion prevailed amongst experienced officers.
§ Mr. W Smith said, that the arguments of the noble lord tended to put aside all enquiry by a committee of that house, which he could not agree to. An enquiry by a committee might sometimes be of great use. The noble lord had said, that the deaths had decreased one-third in the last ten years. He made no doubt but if an enquiry had taken place previous to that time, the decrease would have been still greater. There was another point of view in which an enquiry might hereafter be of great importance, viz. as to our West India possessions, and what was the amount of the expence in men or money of maintaining them. He supposed, however, the noble lord and ministers would do their duty, and would, therefore, recommend to the hon. 692 officer not to press his motion at present.
§ Mr. C. Johnstone said, he never would have brought this matter before the house, but that he had been refused attention to it by ministers. He believed he was the first officer who applied to the right hon. gent. (Mr. Windham) on the subject, and thought it would have been immediately laid before the commander in chief, and a Board of General Officers appointed to enquire into it. No alteration had been made, and if something was not done in the course of the next twelve months, he would annually submit a similar motion to the house. He had no objection to withdraw his motion at present, but he conjured ministers to press the matter on the Commander in Chief, and to have a Board of General Officers appointed, for it was a subject on which there ought not to be any further delay.—The motion was then withdrawn.