The Press. — London, England, 1854-12-23 00:00:00

1216 On the following (Thursday) evening the debate was resumed, and continued for some time, but on an appeal from Mr. FBESHFIELD the opponents of the measure consented to its being committed with out further delay, reserving their objections for the debate of the third reading, which was fixed for last night. The house accordingly went into committee on the bill, and passed its several clauses without alteration. ENLISTMENT OF FOREIGNERS. Mr. biturrz having inquired whether the Govern ment had exerted their influence with the Emperor of the French to induce him to send out an increased number of French troops to the East, to be partly or wholly paid by this country—(Hear, hear), Lord J. RUSSELL replied:— I can only say that the Emperor of the French has been very willing, and, when the occasion arose lately, evinced the utmost anxiety to send as many troops to the East as the means of transport would provide. (Hear, hear.) In fact, the means of transport is the only limit to the number of troops he is willing to send. (Cheers.) liut we have never proposed to the Emperor of the French, nor do we think it advisable to propose to him, that he should receive any payment for troops which he may send for service in the war against Russia. ORDER OF MERIT. Captain Scoszu, on Tuesday in the Commons moved an address to her Majesty, praying that she would institute an "order of merit," to be bestowed upon persons serving in the army and navy for dis tinguished and prominent personal gallantry during the present war, and to which every grade and indi vidual, from the highest to the lowest in the united services, may be admissible. Lord J. RUSSELL submitted that any proposition of this kind should be initiated by the Crown. He hoped the hon. and gallant member would withdraw his motion, as the whole subject was under consider ation. Mr. H. HERBERT understood that medals for the battle of Alma had been already distributed to the French soldiers, and hoped no unnecessary delay would take place in conferring similar medals on the British forces. Sir J. WALSH asked if it were intended that medals should also be given to those foreign mercenaries who were to be taken into our service ? The motion was then withdrawn. MILITIA BILL. This bill passed the third reading in the Commons on Tuesday, after a brief discussion, and was on the same evening brought up and read a first time in the Peers. On Thursday the Duke of NEWCASTLE moved the second reading of the bill, and explained its character and purport. The Government thought it of great importance that they should be enabled to send for ward to the seat of war those regiments which at the present moment constituted the important gar. risons of Malta, the lonian Islands, and Gibraltar, and it was for this purpose that the present bill had been introduced. It was at the beginning, and not at the close of a war, that additional powers were required. The Earl of DERBY lamented the reduction of the army in former years, which he ascribed to false ideas of economy, and believed to have caused our present embarrassments. The great error of the Government in their preparations for the present war was that they had no reserve. He believed this plan of sending militia regiments to the Mediterra naan was intended in some measure to remedy that defect, though he did not see how it would work. Either the militia in our garrisons would not be allowed to volunteer into the line, and then their presence in the Mediterranean would be of no use, or they would be encouraged to volunteer, and then the corps would be unduly weakened. Great stress had been laid upon the purely voluntary nature of this service ; but he could not doubt that, especially among the officers, a moral compulsion would operate. After stating several further objections to the prin ciples of the bill, Lord Derby intimated that it was not his intention to oppose or to offer any amendment upon it. Earl GRANVILLE having defended the bill, Earl GREY contended that it was unjust to ask the militia, who had none of the advantages of the re gular soldiers, to perform all the services usually assigned to soldiers during peace. He thought the measure would produce a great discouragement to enlistment in the militia: After some remarks in support of the bill from Lord DENMAN and the Duke of Anorti., The Earl of ELLENBOROTTOR expressed his strong objections to the measure. The militia constituted the last reserve of the nation, and to use it up at the commencement of a war was equivalent to the mili tary error which a general would commit who ex hate.ted his reserve at the beginning of a battle. It was, in fact, killing the goose that laid the golden eggs. Men had entered freely at first because they were told their services would only be required for a few weeks at a time, and for a short peried of years ; but now, when it wax proposed to send the regiments THE PRESS. abroad, he could not suppose that men—at least, married men—would enlist at all. The Earl of GLENOALL spoke briefly against the bill, which was then read a second time, and also passed through committee, the standing orders of the house having been suspended for that purpose. HUTS AND WINTER CLOTHING FOlt TRE TROOPS. In reply to questions on these topics by Sir G. HEATILCOTE, the SECRETARY-AT-WAR gave the HOW! of Commons some interesting information on Thurs. day evening. He said:— With respect to the wooden houses, we gave orders to have them constructed as soon as we received information from Lord Raglan that they would be required. A portion of them are at sea, and, as far as I am able to form a guess, that portion is at this moment at the Bosphorus. Day by day they are going out, but the numbers sent are not suffi cient to hut the whole army. We have sent word by telegraph to Constantinople to Lord Stratford to procure as much materials as possible there for constructing huts, and to send them to Balaklava, and Lord Raglan has sent to Sinope to purchase timber there. We have sent by tele graph to Lord Westmoreland to have huts constructed in Austria; anti by the mail before last we learned that an Austrian Lloyd steamer had left Trieste with some of those huts on board. With respect to the warm clothing, a con siderable portion of it has arrived, a great portion is on sea, and a portion has not yet gone. The last letter 1 re ceived from Lord Raglan stated that the warm clothing which had come by the ships was in process of distribution, and he hoped the result would be that the troops would be much more comfortable. (Hear, hear.) Sir G. HEATHCOTE having afterwards asked whether any steps had been taken to do away with the difference between the dress of the officers and privates, Mr. S. HERBERT replied : We gave instructions to Lord Raglan, as many officers would be unable from the want of facilities for transport to obtain supplies, to issue clothing to the officers as well as to the men from the stock sent nut, and so far as that is done they will be similar iu appearance. In the new pattern uniform, which is that by which the clothing of regiments in the East will be made up next issue, the distinction be. tweeze officers and men has been greatly diminished. It has been stated by an officer who came from lialaklava that a misapprehension exists as to the officers having been picked off on account of their uniform. The fact is, that officers, from the nature of their duty, are much more ex• posed than any other persons, especially mounted officers, who are more likely to catch the eve of marksmen, and who are more exposed than others. (Rear.) EXCHANGE OF THE " THETIS." Lord HARDWICEE on Thursday introduced the ques tion respecting the exchange of the British frigate Thetis for two gunboats the property of the Prussian Government, which, either as a mercantile transac tion or a matter of policy, he described as a very bad bargain. Lord CL ARENDON defended the bargain. The gun boats were at the time at which it was made very much wanted, and the Prussians, though they had not delivered them in time to be of any service this year, had held us to our contract. THANKSGIVING FOR VICTORY. In the House of Lords on Tuesday the Duke of GRAFTON asked whether it was the intention of her Majesty to appoint some especial day to be kept holy for the purpose of returning thanks to God for His Divine protection during the war, or to order an t3s pecial service on some Sabbath•day for the same purpose ? The Earl of ABERDEEN reminded their lordships that at the commencement of the war a special form of prayer was appointed, asking the Divine blessing on our arms ; and, while honouring the motives which prompted the noble duke's question, he con fessed he thought that, under existing circumstances, no special interference on the part of the Government was necessary. SUCCESSION DU ON OFFICERS' ESTATES. Major BERESFORD moved on Tuesday for leave to bring in a bill to relieve the property and effects of officers, non-commissioned officers, and privates killed in the Crimea, or who have died or may die during the present campaign, from wounds, disease, or fatigue, from the payment of the succession and legacy duties. He thought it right that the house should mark its sense of the heroic deeds performed by our armies iu the East, and thus stimulate them to fresh deeds of exertion while paying a portion of the debt of gratitude which was due to them by the country. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the ques tion of rewards to the army belonged properly to the Crown, but under any circumstances the proposition of the hon. gentleman would operate so unequally as to render it altogether inadmissible. It would not apply to one in one hundred of the private soldiers, nor to more than one in ten of' the officers. But even in the case of officers its operation would be suffi ciently absurd. The widow, the first party to be con sidered, would get nothing whatever ; the children, who were next to be considered, would get one per cent., while a second or third cousin, who was not to be considered at all, would get ten per cent, He SATURDAY, hoped the hon. gentlemen would on reflection with draw his motion, and leave the matter in the hands at the Crown. Mr. BERT SFORD then withdrew his motion. SAVINGS BANKS. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER on Wednes day moved a resolution in committee upon the sub ject of savings banks. The effect of the resolution was to place deposits in savings banks in the same condition as money placed at a private bankers, available at call, at the same time to reduce the interest to three per cent. He stated that if this resolution were agreed to, he would immediately in troduce a bill founded upon it, which would be dis cussed after the recess. He also intimated that a bill for the better management of these banks was in preparation. The resolution was adopted, and leave given to bring in the bill in question. FOREIGN MERCENARIES. THE following indignantly-eloquent remonstrance has been addressed to the Times by the distinguished historian of the Peninsular war : Sir,—The Duke of Newcastle, with a strange prasump• tion, told his brother lords that, except Lord Hardiuge, uo officer of capacity and experience remained in England with whom he could consult to avoid the errors he had committed as a War Minister—all were in the Crimes ! He must now be taught that there are officers still in England with sagacity enough to see through his inca pacity, and with indignation enough to rebuke the grovel ling spirit which has dictated the degradation of the country and the army, by the introduction of foreign soldiers to tight our battles, at the very moment when the steam of heroic blood from Inkermann makes England snort and start like a warhorse iu the midst of carnage. 1 will not say that the German Legion in the last war were not good and trusty soldiers—their cavalry was ex cellent ; but, despite of the Duke of Richmond's gene rous eulogium, I will, with Lord Ellenberough, say, that neither they, nor any foreign troops, were able to equal the fighting of the British soldier. That legion was well composed; it was, indeed, a national force, with high moral motives, and with the gentlemen of their own country as officers ; they were thus presented in the best possible form that foreigners could assume in another nation's service ; and gallant things they could and did do ; but emulate the terrible fighting of the British soldier they could not. And shall a mere mercenary band, picked up for gold, without national feeling—poor miserable hire lings, selling their limbs and lives, sy! their very souls for lucre—ready, without a cause, if paid, to murder, to slay, or be slain, and, of course, ready to change sides for higher pay if good occasion offer—shall such varlets stand in line beside our noble soldiers who fight shouting " Eng land! England!" and dying murmur, " We have done our . duty " ? Whet did German or Switzer, Prussian or Austrian, stand before the gallant French in equal battle? And those brilliant, fierce, impetuous French, could even they sustain the might and terror of British battle, though, glorious soldiers that they are and ever have been, they re turned to the combat as unceasingly as waves beating against rocks ? Such as they are, indeed, fit and worthy to stand abreast with the unconquerable " red line that never yields," and, together, they will trample in the dust any troops in the world that presume to oppose them. But let them not be shamed by finding a hired third rate selection from inferior sources between themselves and their British comrades. Let them not be told to depend on the dressed-up foreigners—poor frauds, like the camels of Semiramis, accoutred as elephants, and sure to leave dark silent gaps where loudest shouts aml fiercest fires should stream forth in the hour of need. Shall the stern infantry of Inkermtum, striding in blood ; shall the proud cavalry of Balaklava--those noble horsemen who accepted, not an order, but a doubtful sign only, to go bounding on as it were to Vie open jaws of death; shall they have as comrades the refuse hirelings of Germany and Switzer land? God forbid! You, sir, say that the Ministers will go out if the country refuses to accept their degrading measure. So let it be. Let them slink away, while the universal shout arises of " God and our right." I sin, sir, your obedient servant, W. NAPIER, Lieutenant General. ON ACCOUNT OF THE ARMY AND NAVY SERVICES, as appears from a return obtained by Mr. Disraeli, the total payments made by the Bank of Eng land up to the llth inst., in respect of the sum of 12,874,5051., appropriated for the navy services of the year 1854, amounted to 8,825,0001. ; the same payments in respect of the sum of 8,810,0591., appro priated for the army services, to 5,029,0001., and the same payment in respect of the sum of 4,583,7011. appropriated to the Ordnance, to 2,950,0001. The. balances of credits, &e., now in the Bank are respeo• Lively as follows, viz.:—On account of the army, 38,104/.; the navy, '5,0291.; and the Ordnance, 37,8801. The above payments comprise the full sums advanced up to the 11th of December ; but it will be impossible to state how much of these ad vances will ultimately be chargeable upon the vote of credit for 3,(XX1,0011/. (appropriated by the said act for " additional expenses ") until accounts and vouchers shall have been received, including all the returns from abroad, showing the actual diaburse ments for each separate service.