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arrive. It was evident, that no committee, whilst medcial men stated that contagion was not only possible but probable, could bring themselves to reccommend to the house to remove every safeguard which existed against it. It was incumbent upon the house, when the weight of such authority was against the removal of the quarantine laws, to act with peculiar caution, especially as a false step in this case might be attended with irreparable injury.

Mr. H. Gurney said, that contagion was often capricious and unsettled in its operation, but there was no climate under Heaven which was not susceptible of its ravages. It was inconceivable to him how any persons could be mad enough to wish to incur the risk of introducing the plague into England for the sake of the cottons of Egypt. Surely the health and welfare of the people of England were more dear to the house than the paltry lucre of a few merchants at Liverpool.

Mr. Hobhouse had no doubt but that the house would come to an exactly opposite conclusion from that of his hon. friend who spoke last. The circumstances connected with the plague of London flatly contradicted him. All the phenomena of that plague agreed with the character of epidemic, and not contagious disease. Different parts of the town were infected with it, while others were entirely exempt. It was generally fatal to new comers, while others were not affected at all. There were portions of London and its vicinity where the disease made no appearance. The villages of Hampstead and Highgate were wholly free from the malady, though the intercourse with the metropolis was not for a moment suspended. Another similarity was most remarkable, and which, in his judgment, extinguished the very idea of contagion, that the plague of London, in the same way as in Egypt, ceased altogether when the disease was at its greatest height. In Egypt it was ascertained that the disorder decreased as the waters of the Nile increased. On what principle of an infectious disease was it possible to reconcile such an effect? It was true, that for some years most eminent professional men did believe that the plague was communicated by contagion. But when the question had been brought before the world recently, some very able men had most laudably stated that their ideas had changed. Amongst those was Dr. Rush, of the United States, who had most meritoriously published a recantation of his former opinions, as the best reparation he could make for the support he had given previously to the delusive views of contagion. But it was a mistake to state that in ancient times the plague was so considered. It was only after the council of Trent that such a belief prevailed. The most accurate investigators had, in his opinion, satisfactorily proved that it was attended with all the phenomena which characterized epidemic diseases. In the great plague of Malta in 1813, it was found that on one spot of that island all the residents died, while in another village, not very distant, none of the inhabitants were attacked. But it was said that Dr. Maclean had himself been infected with the plague at Constantinople-but those who made that objection did not state these facts, that though the doctor was afflicted, yet of nineteen medical and other attendants, who waited on the sick, and actually resided in the Pest House, not one was

attacked (hear, hear), while Dr. Maclean, who was not in such close contact, was diseased. It was well known that the French physician, Dr. Assalini, had inoculated himself with the plague virus, but the infection did not take place. Napoleon Bonaparte had repeatedly touched the pustules of the deceased soldiers, and with perfect security. But, notwithstanding his own conviction on the point, he (Mr. H.) still considered that his Majesty's government were quite right in not incurring a responsibility-they were not to be expected to meet the alarm which the terrors of certain ladies and gentlemen might produce, lest the plague might be brought from Alexandria to Liverpool in a bale of cotton. These quarantine regulations were attended with a very great public expense, besides a great commercial injury. The regulations against the communication of the plague at Malta, had cost a million of money. In Spain, a very great change of opinion had taken place relative to the character of the yellow fever. It was true that certain physicians in the Cortes had contended for the necessity of guarding against its spread as contagious. But the whole of the professional men at Barcelona, where Dr. Maclean was at the time, held a contrary opinion. With respect to the opinions of professional men, there were many reasons why much confidence should not be placed in their conclusions. They were generally under such shackles from their very calling, that they were rarely found the friends of improvement. But he would say of that individual whose name had been so deservedly eulogized that eveninghe meant Dr. Maclean (hear, hear), that he was one of those extraordinary persons, destined as well from vigour of intellect as unremitting exertion and industry, to create a great change in the world, and to whom, in future ages, the finger of the historian will point as one of the benefactors to his species (hear, hear).

Mr. Trant said, that when he was in Cairo, he was given to understand that the plague generally broke out in June-the Christians believed, rather superstitiously, that it was always on St. John's day. But the fact which was believed on better grounds was, that it generally broke out in the quarters of the Jews, who bought all the old clothes, and among whom were the parties first infected. The house would compare that fact with the arguments of those who considered it impossible that bales of cloth goods could communicate it. As to the fanciful line which prevented the march of the disease into Upper Egypt, it was his peculiar fortune to see that violated also. The line itself was purely imaginary, and the fact had no foundation but that of Mahometan superstition. The people of that religion asserted and believed that the plague could not pass beyond the latitude of Mecca, because that was the city of their prophet. Now, when he was making his way through Upper Egypt, the plague was raging as far south as Mocha, though that was a circumstance which had not been known before within the memory of man. The plague prevailed at Alexandria while he was there. A surgeon with whom he was acquainted disbelieved the theory of contagion, and went among the patients in the hospital. He did not then take the infection, but wishing to push his experiments to the utmost, he got into a bed which had been occupied by one who had the ja

fection. He then became infected, and died.

science and experience, charged to collect and examine into facts connected with the propagation of the plague. With respect to the recent fever at Barcelona, the most eminent physicians in France scoffed at the idea of its being contagious; and even when the Cordon Sanitaire was established with the ostensible design of preventing its diffusion, they knew better than to believe that such was its real object.

Sir R. Wilson said, that when he was in Egypt the army formed two divisions. The one which was stationed at Alexandria took the plague; the other, which was generally in motion, was not touched with it. The general conjecture was, that the stationary force was infected because it was permanently exposed to the atmosphere in which the epidemic prevailed, and the moving division did not continue in it long enough to take the infection. The moving division of the British army passed through vil-advantage if the whole of the quarantine laws lages infected with the plague without being touched with it. Still it was not the business of government to attempt to force public opinion upon a subject of this nature. They ought rather to endeavour to sooth apprehensions, however ill-grounded.

Mr. Hume said, that he was in Alexandria while the plague was there, and that the irregularity with which it was known to break out in Egypt, while the whole coast of Asia Minor was quite free from it, proved that the principles upon which the quarantine laws had been enacted were not correct.

The bill was then read a second time.

FRIDAY, MAY 13.- On the motion for the house resolving itself into a committee on the quarantine laws bill,

Mr. Huskisson was extremely desirous that the public mind should be set at rest on this subject. It would, unquestionably, be a great could be done away with; but the facts on each side of the question were so strong, that it was necessary to treat it with extreme caution. It would be highly injurious to our commerce, if a notion should get abroad that we were disposed to pay no attention to the regulations which other countries thought fit to observe on this subject. The mere notion that we had intended to do so, had already had the effect of inducing the authorities at all the ports of the Mediterranean to put British ships, wherever they might come from, under quarantine. He had satisfied the ministers of the King of Sardinia and of the King of France, that his intention was only to remove some of the obstacles which existed in the way of our free intercourse with their ports, and the regulations which they had before insisted upon, under the impression to which he alluded, had been in consequence removed from the ports of Genoa and Marseilles.

Mr. D. Gilbert said, that the difference of opinion which existed among men best qualified to speak upon this subject, and the whole course of past experience, enforced the necessity of all prudent precautions. The black assize at Oxford, within the knowledge of every man, and many other instances more recent, but not perhaps less remarkable, proved the possibility of infection being communicated by accidents in themselves extremely trifling. However desirable it might be to relax any restrictions upon our commerce, it was not less imperative to provide against the possible introduction of con tagious diseases into this country.

Mr. J. Smith observed, that in the present system of quarantine there were obvious anomalies to which he felt it a duty to object. So ineffectual was it to accomplish its ostensible objects, that it was notorious that cargoes were frequently brought from the Levant to Holland, where a different and milder system of quarantine laws prevailed, in order to effect the introduction of such goods with the most perfect facility into England; and yet in Holland the plague had not made its appearance for a long period of time, notwithstanding the great amount of imports into that country; nor in France or England for upwards of one hundred years. He did not now mean to enter into the history of this question; but he might be allowed to notice, that in 1819, several medical Mr. Wilmot Horton was of opinion that the and other experienced gentlemen were exa- fact of the existence of contagion in the Medimined upon it. They only agreed in affirming terranean had been satisfactorily proved. The that this disease was contagious (hear, hear), danger of that contagion being communicated but in no other point did they concur. In 1824, by means of cotton, was considerably lessened other individuals were examined; but the only by two facts: the first, that cotton was always witnesses examined before that latter commit- packed in the sun, ard the effect of the open tee were they who were decidedly contagion-air was such as to prevent infection; and next, ists, and on that principle all were agreed. One should have thought that their evidence would have concurred on that topic, therefore. No such thing. Their evidence was so unfavourable to contagion generally, that one of them pronounced Great Britain to be perfectly free from it eight months out of the year. Another medical man, of great eminence, expressed a doubt whether the plague ever passed Cape Finisterre. Persons of the highest distinction in the medical profession had now determined that the yellow fever-that scourge of other countries could be no longer a matter of dread to Great Britain. Upon equally high authority, it was now held that typhus fever was not contagious. Upon the whole, he considered that it was impossible, with propriety, to trust the revision of these laws to a committee. The first proceeding should be, the appointment of a commission, consisting of medical practitioners partly, and partly of men of general

that the first effect of the plague was to deprive the persons seized with it of their strength; thus no man suffering under it could be employed in such labour as the packing of cotton.

Mr. Hume wished to know whether the regulations adopted at Malta were continued?

Mr. W. Horton said, that a Board of Health had been established at Malta, and was still continued there.

The report was then ordered to be brought up on Monday.

THURSDAY, MAY 19.-The order of the day for bringing up the report on the Quarantine Laws bill having been read,

Sir I. Coffin said he could state from his own personal observation, that the plague was contagious. When he was at Malta, the disease was brought to Valetta by a shoemaker, in some leather. The man died, and so did the family with whom he resided. The disease was soon

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cause he considered it the price of blood (bear). The difficulties which we should experience in our export trade, in consequence of passing the bill, would more than counterbalance any advantage which might result from it to the import trade (hear). In Naples and Leghorn, England was already considered an infected country, and our ships were not allowed to land their cargoes until they had waited a considerable time. This, no doubt, would be productive of great inconvenience to merchants. He trusted that hon. members would oppose this measure; and, like the ancient prophet in the wilderness," stand between the dead and the living, and stay the plague" (hear).

Mr. C. Grant said, that the bill, properly looked at, was open to none of the objections which had been taken to it. The committee of foreign trade had sat last year on the subject of the quarantine laws. Having received a variety of complaints as to the difficulty and

pronounced to be the plague, and spread rapid- | ly; and had it not been for the precautions adopted by Sir Thomas Maitland and the other 'English officers on the spot, he did not doubt that all the inhabitants would have perished. A cordon sanitaire was drawn round Valetta, and every person who attempted to pass it was shot. The disease was at length subdued, after five thousand of the inhabitants had been carried off. It was next conveyed to the island of Gozo, in the clothes of some of the persons who died at Valetta, and 600 persons were destroyed in that island. From Gozo the disease was carried to Corfu, by means of a skein of cotton, which was conveyed thither by a young lady, who perished with all her family. At Tanis, Tripoli, and Algiers, it was the custom of the Franks, as Christians were there called, the moment the plague made its appearance, to shut themselves up in their houses, to receive their food on the roofs, and to eat only stale bread, for new bread had the faculty of convey-impediment which those laws placed in the way ing the disease. In consequence of taking these precautions, there was scarcely an instance known of a Frank falling a victim to the plague. A ship sailed every year from Alexandria to Algiers, laden with the clothes of those who had died of the plague, and thus the disease was continually renewed. We were in the habit of importing a great quantity of cotion from the Delta, and if the plague should prevail in that district, he had no doubt that it would be brought into this country (hear). All articles coming from the Delta ought to be scrupulously examined (hear). A writer, he saw, had lately maintained that the plague was not contagious. This could only be some hyperborean philosopher with a hide like a rhinoceros (a laugh). It had likewise been stated that the plague had never been introduced into England. That was not correct; the plague had prevailed in England four different times, and 180,000 people had been carried off by it (hear).

of commerce, the committee had applied themselves to consider, not whether the plague was or was not contagious, but whether, assuming it to be contagious, any part of the existing restrictions could be dispensed with without danger; for the committee had actually set out by assuming that the plague was contagious, and had refused even to examine any evidence to the contrary effect. It was the opinion of Sir Gilbert Blane, and of several other physicians, decided advocates for the theory of contagion, that, admitting the plague to be contagious, all the provisions of the present bill might be carried into effect with perfect safety. The effect of the bill had been entirely misunderstood by those who opposed it.

The report was then received. To be read a third time to-morrow.

FRIDAY, JUNE 3.-The order of the day for the third reading of the Quarantine Laws bill, having been read,

Lord Belgrave said, that to prove that the plague was contagious, no more was necessary Mr. C. Grant rose to correct a very strange than to refer to the case of Dr. M'Lean, who misapprehension which had gone forth, as went to Constantinople to endeavour to ascer- if it had been the design of the framers of tain the fact. He expressed a desire to be this bill, and of the bill itself, to do away placed where the disease was raging most. His entirely with the precautionary system of wish was complied with; and the consequence the quarantine laws. Those who so thought was, that he caught the plague, though it did and argued, could have read neither the bill not end in his death. If any proof were want- nor the report upon which it was founding to shew the fallacy of his opinion, it might ed. It never had been the design of Gobe found in the conduct of the Franks in the vernment to relax the sanatory principle of countries of the East. The instant the plague the quarantine laws, but, on the contrary, to appeared, they closed their doors, subjected all strengthen it by taking away the inoperative their food to a process of fumigation, and shot capital penalties, and substituting others which their cats (a laugh), for it was known that were likely to secure the efficiency of the laws. those animals could convey the disease. Hav- It had been recommended in the committee, ing taken these precautionary measures, it whose investigations had been so frequently never happened that they were affected by the made the subject of discussion in that house, disease. The Mahometans, on the other hand, that goods from the plague countries should who considered the plague to be a sacred dis- perform quarantine of 21 days after being landease who were told by their religion, that if ed at the lazaretto. The conclusion at which they perished by it, they would be received at the whole of the evidence taken before the once into the bosom of Mahomet, or what per- committee seemed to point, was the same as the haps they would rather prefer, would be per- recommendation of the most experienced pracmitted to enjoy everlasting fruition in the arms titioners-namely, the propriety of reducing of the houris (a laugh)—took no precaution the number of days under the existing law deagainst catching the disease, and were therefore voted to quarantine. It would seem, therecarried off by thousands. He knew a respect- fore, upon the whole, and even according to able merchant connected with the Levant Com- the opinions of those who were most apprehenpany, who expected by the operation of the sive of contagion, that this important principle bill to put into his pocket about 4,0001. or was established-namely, that in respect to 5,0001. ; but, much to his credit, he had public-ships arriving in the ports of this kingdom from ly stated that he should do so with regret, be- countries infected with the plague, the number

of quarantine days might properly be reduced. In regard to clean bills of health, it was not necessary to detain the house on that subject. He thought that it would be sufficient that vessels arriving with clean bills should be visited by proper officers, who would report to the Privy Council, and upon favourable answers, which would be received by return of post, such vessels might be admitted. In all arrangements of the kind the object of Government would be, that the modifications to be adopted, should not exceed the modifications recommended by the medical practitioners. The King in Council was already even, under the existing system, vested with large discretionary powers in regard to the quarantine laws. The Privy Council might declare the trade with other countries,besides those already included,to be subject to the regulations of quarantine; and it might by its order remove that liability from the trades at present subject to it. There was one other object which it was necessary to mention as one that had been maturely considered by the Government; and that was, the appointment of some experienced and able medical inspector, whose duty it would be to overlook all the reports made to the Privy Council, and to advise | them thereon. It would be desirable, also, that he should inspect all the quarantine sta

tions.

Sir Isaac Coffin read an extract from the letter of a physician, who had been eight years with our army in Egypt, in which the writer stated that a friend of his, a non-contagionist, had thought proper during his sojourn at Malta, to shut himself up in the little island of Gozo, when the plague had declared itself there. In a few days his temerity cost him his life (hear). He (Sir I. Coffin) was only surprised that the same fate did not overtake Dr. Maclean, who ventured to reside in the pest-house at Constantinople, among the plague patients confined there In a very little time all the assistants he had caused to be hired at two dollars per diem perished of the infection, and every one of the patients too, leaving the doctor the only survivor of the whole company.

Mr. Canning was very anxious that the house should understand that the doctrine of non-contagion had really not received any countenance from the most experienced and practical men. The mischief which had been produced by the unreserved and confident declarations that had been made by the disciples of this doctrine, was much greater than perhaps those gentlemen were aware of. Already at Marseilles and at Genoa, a longer quarantine was imposed upon British shipping, than on the shipping of any other European nation. At Naples, in addition to the usual term of quarantine prevailing there, they had imposed a term of 21 days upon British vessels that had quitted Great Britain, ever since the gentlemen who were such determined non-contagionists had promulgated in all places their opinions (hear). Under these circumstances, he certainly did with that hon. gentlemen would be pleased to keep such opinions a little more to themselves; or if they would continue their experiments, he neartily trusted that they would be tried, as such experiments anciently were, in corpore vili, rather than in a manner to prejudice the welfare of the community (hear). He was happy to say, however, that the public appeared to have no disposition to concur in the theories to which he had alluded.

Mr. Hume quite agreed that the mischief to which the rt. hon. gent. had just adverted, had been considerable, and he thought it was but right, that Ministers should do every thing in their power to contradict the opinion that had gone abroad, that our present quarantine laws were about to be repealed. But he had to complain that this declaration was not made, as it should have been, when the present bill was first introduced by Government. He could not help observing on the lecture which had been read by the rt. hon. gent., however, to the hon. member for Westminster, and others who thought with that hon. gent. on the subject of contagion; in respect to whom the rt. hon. gent. had expressed so strong a wish that they would keep their opinions to themselves. Now he (Mr. Hume) was himself by no means satisfied that the principle of contagion existed to the degree in which it had been long supposed to exist; and at any rate he believed that the discussion of the question could not be productive of any harm. With regard to the appointment of that medical officer-the superintendant mentioned by the rt. hon. gent. (Mr. Grant) -he thought that the opinion of no single individual should be acted upon, in such vital matters.

Mr. Huskisson felt assured that if the hon." gent. would only think of the responsibility which attached to the Board of Trade, when left to decide upon the case of every vessel arriving with either a foul or a suspected bill of health, he would see that it was desirable they should have the assistance of some such officer, possessing the advantage of having visited countries where the plague raged, during its visitations; and whose observation and judgment, therefore, in that matter might guide the board in all questions of quarantine. At present there was no person attached to the Board of Trade, who had ever witnessed the ravages of plague at all. As to the objection taken by the hon. gent. that ministers should have made the declarations which the rt. hon. gent. (Mr. Grant) had made to-night upon an earlier occasion, the fact was, the rt. hon. gent. had in the very first instance stated the principle of the present measure. He (Mr. Huskisson) had seen the most idle reports in print about the intentions of Government in respect of bills of health; and he was obliged to concur with his rt. hon. friend, that the most serious mischief was occasioned by such means; and that they who professed the doctrine of non-contagion, although they were at perfect liberty to publish their theories in the usual course of publication, had yet no right to propound them in places and under circumstances where they might be erroneously supposed to have a certain degree of sanction from the legislature (hear). He had seen it stated in the newspapers lately, that a dangerous case had declared itself in the lazaretto at Sheerness; whereas, in fact, every one of the persons in or about that establishment had been strictly examined, and was found to be in perfect health. This report also had, as he had reason to believe, done us a great deal of mischief abroad.

After a few technical amendments, the bill was read a third time and passed.

LORDS, TUESDAY, JUNE 21.-The Earl of Liverpool moved the order of the day on the Quarantine Laws Bill.

The Earl of Darnley said, that undoubtedly

some relaxations respecting quarantine were | necessary for the convenience of commerce, but great caution should be used, and it was a very proper rule that all descriptions of goods liable to infection should be unloaded and well aired for a certain period previous to their being delivered. A discretionary power was now vested in the privy council, in consequence of which the regulation respecting airing might be altered or omitted. A power of that kind had always a tendency to be much abused, His lordship then went on to state, that the best authorities gave their opinion in favour of the contagious nature of the plague; and that it had been imported at different times in cotton goods or other merchandise into Cephalonia and Corfit.

The Earl of Liverpool observed that the object of the present bill was two-fold-1st, to shift the expense of quarantine from the owners of the ships exposed to it, to the country whose health it was necessary to protect; and 2dly, to abolish penalties which were unnecessary, or to mitigate those which were too severe. He allowed that an unfounded alarm had been spread among foreign states, and that decrees had been made, grounded on a mistake of what had been done or what was intended to be done here; but those alarms would subside, and those decrees be altered, as soon as the real object of parliament came to be known.

The bill was then read a second time, and finally passed.

PUBLIC WORKS.

British Museum. COMMONS, FRIDAY, FEB. 25.-Mr. Bankes moved that a sum of 15,4161. should be granted for the service of the British Museum for the year 1825.

Mr. Croker rose to repeat an observation which he had made last year respecting the price at which the catalogue of books in the Museum was sold. A catalogue was, as it were, the key of the Museum, and highly useful, if not necessary, to the persons who wished to consult the books. The price of the catalogue now was 7 or 8 guineas, and this made it wholly impracticable for poor scholars to procure it. He was sure the house would agree to no vote more readily than to one which would enable the Museum to sell their catalogue at a cheaper rate. He did not at present urge the printing a new one, because until the King's Library, and other additions which had recently been made, should be open to the public, it would not be advisable to have a new edition.

Mr. Bankes said the price of the catalogue was only about four guineas, but that, he was aware, was too large a price. He would take this opportunity of reminding the house of the collection which had been ceded by Mr. Salt to the British Museum. A sum of 40001. had been given to him for that collection, but he was still a loser by it, owing to the sum which he had had to pay for the alabaster sarcophagus. Mr. Salt made no demand for the sum he was a loser of, but he (Mr. Bankes) hoped that some opportunity would offer of remunerating him.

The vote was then agreed to.

Sir C. Long presented a petition from the trustees of the British Museum, which he begged to read to the house. Mr. Rich, who had been in the service of the Fast India Company, as their resident at the court of the Pacha of Bag

dad, had made, during the many years in which he resided in India, a very extensive and valuable collection of manuscripts, medals, and antiquities. It was the wish of that gentleman, who was since dead, that this collection should be in the possession of the British Museum, în order, that being opened to public inspection, it might be the means of facilitating the discoveries and studies of persons of science. His widow, in pursuance of this desire of her late husband, had offered the whole of his collection to the trustees of the Museum at a reasonable price, which might be fixed upon by persons who were acquainted with its value. The trustees, when this offer was made to them, felt bound to make an inquiry into the value of the collection. They procured the opinions of Dr. Macbride, Dr. Nicholls, of Oxford, Professor Lee, of Cambridge, and of Dr. Young, all of whom were well qualified to estimate the worth of such a collection. They gave their concurrent testimony that it was highly valuable, and would form an important acquisition to the British Museum. The collection consisted of 900 volumes of manuscripts, in the Persian, Turkish, Chaldaic, Syriac, and Arabic languages. They contained commentaries on the scriptural writings, and were likely to afford very important illustrations of the sacred text. Another part of the collection was composed of Oriental and Greek medals, the value of which would be satisfactorily proved to the house when he told them that they were held in the highest estimation by the late Mr. Payne Knight, who had carefully examined them. The last part of the collection was a large quantity of antiquities, which had been discovered in the neighbourhood of Babylon and Nineveh, on which were inscribed characters which had not yet been deciphered, and which it was obvious never could be deciphered but by means of comparing them with other similar remains. Not. withstanding the long and intimate connexion which we had had with Asia, the library of the British Museum was almost wholly destitute of the productions of Oriental literature. This was one reason why he recommended the purs chase of the collection; and another was, that it was in itself complete and entire, and contained not one duplicate of any thing the Museum at present possessed. He had, in the course of last session, when he called the attention of the house to the munificent gift which his Majesty had made of the late King's li brary, expressed a belief that his example would be followed by others. He had great pleasure in stating now, that Sir Richard Colt Hoare had expressed his intention of presenting to the trustees of the British Museum, for the use of the public, the large and valuable library which had been collected by himself and his family. It contained, among other valuable books, a complete collection of Italian history and topography, and amounted to not less than 17 or 18,000 volumes. After stating that the computed value of the collection of the late Mr. Rich was 80001., of which 60001. was for MSS.; 10001. for the medals; and 10001. for the antiquities, the hon. bart. brought up the petition, which was ordered to be printed.

He then moved, that a committee be appointed, as had been done in the case of the Lansdown MSS., to report to the house their opinion on the proposed purchase; which was carried.

A sum of 70001. was voted for the purchase of this collection in the committee of supply.

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