THE BISHOP OF OXFORDMy Lords, before the House rises for the recess, I should wish to ask the noble Earl the Lord President, Whether he can give the House any further information than it already possesses on the subject of the epidemic at St. Petersburg mentioned by my right rev. Brother (the Bishop of London)? The noble Earl has no doubt noticed in one of the leading papers of to-day a telegram from St. Petersburg purporting to give details of the symptoms of that epidemic which tend to identify it with the disease commonly known as the plague. As Parliament is about to rise 880 for the recess, and as the northern ports will shortly be open, no doubt great anxiety will arise with regard to this epidemic, which would be considerably allayed by an intimation from the noble Earl that Her Majesty's Government are quite alive to the importance of the subject, and are instituting inquiries into the extent and nature of the disease.
§ EARL GRANVILLEMy Lords, it is quite true that a telegram has been received to-day from Berlin which gives a worse account of the epidemic than we had previously received from St. Petersburg. A medical officer of great experience has been sent to St. Petersburg, and another gentleman of equal professional attainments has since been sent to the valley of the Vistula to ascertain the real character of the disease. I am not aware that we can take any further steps in the matter.
§ House adjourned at a quarter past Six o'clock, to Thursday, the 27th Instant, a quarter before Five o'clock.