The Sun. — London, England, 1867-03-08 00:00:00

'IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT HOUSE OF LORDS—LAST EVENING. The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on, the woolsack at five o'clock. PETITION. Lord LiFFORD presented a petition from the county of Callow against the sale of spirituous liquors on Sunday. THE FENIAN INSURRECTION. Lord DERBY stated that as great anxiety must neces sarily be felt with regard to the state of Ireland at this time, that he would read to them a telegram which had been received at 11.43 that morning, to the effect that a large number of arms had been taken—that an attack had been made by the insurgents, in which 13 prisoners had been made, three were wounded, some killed. Dublin, Cork, Limerick, and Waterford were quiet, and the bodies of insurgents were rapidly dispersing. He (the noble earl) had also called at the Home Office, and had found that a telegram had been received at 3.45, which stated that the insurgents ware rapidly dispersing and abandoning their arms, and that they were being actively pursued in every direction. He might add that it was stated that in consequence of the measures that had been promptly taken that no fresh reinforcements would be required in Ireland. (Hear, hoar.) Upon the motion for pro forma Committee upon the Hypothec Amendment (Scotland) Bill, The Duke of ARGYLL expressed his approval of the measure, which curtailed the landlord's right of priority over other creditors ; but trusted that it would not have the effect which its promoters, the large farmers of Scotland, expected, that of diminishing the number of small tenant farmers. After some remarks from the Duke of MONTRosE and Lord St.LEoNARDS on the clause which limited the land lord's right of distraint to a period of three months after the falling due of rent. _ _ The bill was permitted to pass through that stage. Lord BELMORE having moved the second reading o the Trades' Unions Bill, _ _ _ Lord CRANWORTH objected to the Royal Commis sioners being required to investigate the circumstances of the Sheffield outrages, which he said were proper subjects for the ordinary legal tribunals of the country. He also disapproved the power conferred by the bill upon the Com missioners to commit for contempt, and especially objected to that power being delegated to other persons by the Com missioners. Lord ST. LEOPARDS considered the recent outrages at Sheffield were fit subjects for inquiry by a Royal Com mission, the ordinary legal procedure having been ineffec tual to discover the offenders. Lord WILIRisiCLIFFE held a similar view, and urged an extension of the period over which the Commissioners' inquiries should range. Lord GItANVILLE and Lord DE GREY disapproved the two subjects of the organisation of Trades' Unions and Sheffield outrages being connected together, and referred to ono Commission, and they also took exception to the power given by the bill to the Commissioners to grant in demnities to witnesses. The LORD CHANCELLOR defended the provisions of the bill, but declared that the Government would consider any amendments that might be proposed in Committee. Lord LICHFIELD, who is named as a member of the Royal Commission, expressed his persopal desire that the power of granting indemnities to persons who might admit that they had been guilty of most atrocious crimes should not be conferred upon the Commissioners. The bill was then read a second time, and their lordships adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS—LAST EVENING. The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock. NEW WRIT. A new writ was ordered to issue for North Salop in the room of Lord Brownlow, called to the House of Peers. THE MILITIA BALLOT. Lord ELCHO said on going into committee on supple mental estimates he should move an amendment to the effect that it was advisable that the militia ballot should be put in operation against persons of the ages of 20 and 21, with the liberty of procuring substitutes, exceptions being made of all those in the volunteer force. THE DUTY ON SALT. Mr. TOLLEMACHE asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any reason had been assigned 6y the French Government for the delay that had taken place in making arrangements for the admission of English manufactured salt into France, which subject had been under negotiation during the last six years ? Lord STANLEY said he had inquired into the subject, and found that the French Government had appointed a committee to inquire into the subject. When that was done the report would have to be submitted to the Board of Agriculture. He had written to France for infor mation concerning that report, but he-had nut yet received any reply. Directly he did so he would at ()zee commu nicate it to the house. PLANTAGENET KINGS. Mr. 0. STANLEY asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if any recent communications had taken place between the English and French Governments as to the removal of the statues of the Plantagenet Kings Henry 11. and Richard Coeur de Lion of England, Eleanor of Guienne and Isabel of Angouleme, from the Chapel of Fontevrault, Anjou, to this country; and if the statues were properly taken care of in the chapel of Fontevrault ? Lord STANLEY said no official communication had passed between the French and English Governments on the subject. Last year he heard that attention had been called to the statues, and a wish expressed that they should be removed to this country. Be did not think it consistent with the dignity of this country to ask for the gift of those statues, but the matter coming to the knowledge of the Emperor Napoleon, with that courtesy which he has in variably shown to matters in connection with this country, his Majesty wrote a letter to the Queen offering those statues as a gift. That offer was accepted, and he supposed they would be removed to this country accordingly. As to the other matter he had no official information, but he believed the statues had been seen in 1863 lying in the vault of a building said to be a convict prison. Beyond that ho had no other informa tion. CHOLERA CONTAGION. In reply to Sir J. JERVOISE, Mr. CORRY said the discovery was not the result of the investigation of any single person, but was the result of a scientific investigation. With respect to the report he did not think it would have been possible to present it any earlier than last yea;. RUSSIA IN THE EAST. ID reply to Mr. LAYARD, Lord STANLEY said with regard to the latter part of the right hon. gentleman's question no despatches had been received. With respect to the other despatches alluded to in the early part of his question, ho might say he had seen some of them, but they had been shown to him confidentially. Had the despatches been received ho thought that in the present state of the whole question it would not be for the public service to have theta made public. THE FENIAN OUTBREAK. Mr. C. FORTESCUE asked the right hon. gentleman the Secretary for the Home Department whether he could give the house any further information relative to the un fortunate state of affairs in Ireland, in addition to that mentioned in the house yesterday by the Secretary for Ireland. Mr. WALPOLE said some additional telegrams had been received to-day, but they merely gave some more details relative to the information already made known, and therefore they were not of any particular importance. (Year, hear.) There was no further information in the possession of the Government than that which already had been published in the newspapers, in some of which he regretted to say the facts had been very highly coloured. The latest telegram that had been received was as follows : " 11.40 a.m., Thursday. Railway open to Cork. Thir teen prisoners brought from Limerick and Kilmallock. Three persons shot. No event of importance reported to day. Dublin, Cork, Limerick, and Waterford all quiet." (Hear, hear.) SUPPLY.-THE ARMY ESTIMATES. The house then went into committee of Supply. General PEEL, who occupied a seat on the Treasury bench, rose, and was received with cheers from both sides of the house. He said-31r. Dodson, as it is a matter of public convenience that the number of men required for the army should be voted as speedily as possible, I shall, before sitting down, after explaining the causes of the difference between the estimates for the present and next year, move the vote to that effect. Although the esti mates, which are now under consideration, exceed the estimates for the present year by no less a sum than £412,000, tithough they exceed the actual expenditure of the year 1865-66 by £637,467, and although my favourite estimate of £lOO per man falls far short of what is required to cover the military expenditure during the course of the next year, for that is raised to £lO6 ; still I trust, if the house will grant me their attention, I shall be able to show that that paragraph in the Speech from the Throne which stated that the estimates were framed ix ith duo attention to economy and with duo regard to the public service was perfectly correct—(hear, hear)—and that the increase in the estimates have arisen from circumstances over which I had no control. I was naturally anxious to reduce the e4iniates for the forthcoming year as much as possible, in order to meet the extra expenditure which the house will be called upon to sanction in the supplementary vote for the purpose of carrying out the recommendations of the Royal Commission in respe ct of the appointment of au army of reserve. But I venture to say that no person was ever called upon, in time of peace, without any inti mation of increasing the number of men, to frame estimates under such disadvantageous circumstances as I was. In the first phice it was necessary to provide for leap-year. (Laughter.) That is a perfectly unavoidable circumstance and Las added an increase to the estimates of no less a sum than £24,700. 1 then found that my predecessor had granted a warrant, which had been approved of by the Treasury, to increase the pay of the medi cal officers of the army. I highly approve of that warrant, but it adds to the estimates a 511114 of XlB,OOO. I also found that the late Government had come to an arrangement to take over the Straits Settlements. Now that is a new feature altogether in the estimates. It is per fectly true that the Straits Settlements pay into the Trea sury a sum equivalent to £60,000, but the expense of the transfer falls for the first time upon the army estimates of the present year. There was, further, another alteration made as regards Ceylon and parts of the Australian colo nies, and that, combined with the arrangements in regard to the Straits Settlement, has added £128,000 to the esti mates. There then comes an increase on account of the price of provisions and forage, which adds £92,000 ; and after that comes an item which I view with great alarm, not so much on account of its magnitude as of its bearing on the estimates—l allude to the additional sum required to provide for the recruitment of the army during the next year. Next year there will be no less than '21,300 men entitled to their discharge at the expiration of their ten years' service, which, in addition to the common average requirements of the army on account of deaths, desertion, and sickness, renders it necessary to provide for no less than 32,600 recruits during the course of the next financial year, against 18,100 during the course of the present year. It is true that a great many of them will re-enlist, but that will make no difference. They are entitled, if they re-en list, to their bounty and free kit, and it therefore makes exactly the same thing whether they re-enlist or not. The additional charge on that head is £69,000. There is an other charge, on account of clothing, of £79,100, and there is an additional charge of £20,000 on account of furlough pay. That is one of those items which is supposed to be covered by the capitation rate, in accordance with the ar rangement entered into with the Indian Government iu 1860 ; but what the principle of that arrangement was I could never understand. The first year the sum was £30,000, but rose t0£130,000, and I am obliged to take this year £150,000. The absolute expenditure during the last year was no less than £162,000. That proves that there must be some fallacy in this arange ment. This is one of the sums that ought to be covered by the capitation. There is another increase in the estimates. The sum provided for in the army estimates on account of the navy is £675,000, and the amount provided in the navy estimates for the army is £403,000 ; so that the army is a loser to the extent of £272,000. I think I have stated sufficient to show the causes of the increase this year over the last ; but I am afraid when the accounts come in it will be found there is a real excess. We have now an opportunity for the first time of comparing the estimates of the coming year with the expenditure of the past. 1 have always said it was the most fallacious thing possible to compare estimates with estimates; but this year we can compare this year's esti mates with the absolute expenditure of 1865-6. The num ber of men is almost precisely the same, and yet the amount I ask for on account of the first seven votes is £402,000 more than was asked for last year. In the year 1865-6 the total number of men provided for was 143,773. The money taken on account of these men was £8,141,702, being at the rate of £5O 12s. per man. The absolute number borne during the year fell short by nearly 2,000 men, being 141,874, and the amount spent was £8,440,471, or £303,000 more than the estimate, so that the absolute cost was £59 9s. per man. In the estimates of the present year the number provided for is 139,300, and the amount taken £10,864,500, which is at the rate of £56 9s. per man. Colonel SYKES—lncluding the first seven votes ? General PEEL—Yes. So far, however, from there being any reason to suppose that less money will be required this year than before, up to the end of the first nine months we were absolutely in excess to the number of 474 men, instead of being nearly 2,000 men below the establish ment. A supplementary estimate has been prepared for that excess, but I beg to declare I am not responsible for it. During the first three months before the reliefs went out to India there was an excess of 2,500 men, but the numbers at the end of the year will probably correspond. The number of men I am about to ask is 139,163, and the cost £8,267,300, beingan averageof £s9Bs. per man, which almost corresponds with the expenditure of 1865-6. I think I have shown quite sufficient to account for the apparent excess of the estimates of the year, and I will now pro ceed to account for an absolute excess amounting to £637,000. The first seven votes are entirely dependent upon the number of seen. The only other two votes in which any great reduction can be made are votes 12 and 13, relating to manufacturing and store departments. The excess in the proposed expenditure for next year of £611,793 will be for the supply of guns, and there will also be a gratifying increase iu the vote for volunteers. The estimates for 1865-6 amounted to £14,348,447, au excess of expenditure of £358,705. The estimate for the ensuing year amounts to £14,707,212, or very nearly the same as for the current year but for the excess in these two votes. If I can show that the number of men is no more than the service requires, it will not be necessary to defend the first seven votes. The great cause of the increase is the neces sity of adding 20 men to each of the depots of the Indian regiments This is a change to be covered by the capita tion. It was originally proposed that these depots should consist of only 100 men, but that was not found to be suffi cient for a regiment 900 strong in India, and that is one principal reason why troops have been sent out so young. Besides, a great number of the men are only retained at the depots for one year or one year and a half, because the Indian Government naturally did not wish to bear the ex pense of sending men home whose service would so soon expire. In many instances 50 out of the 100 men at the depot ere only awaiting their discharge. The cost of the addition will fall on the Indian Government, and the change may he almost said to be a reduction in the army. We propose also to do what the hon. and gallant member for Lichfield (Major Anson) recommended, namely, to sup ply a regiment of native Indian troops to do duty at Hong Kong instead of European troops. (Hear, hear.) This will be a reduction of 676 European soldiers. Then there aro to be 100 men added to the staff corps. That is no in crease whatever, for it is only carrying out what has long been regarded as a great boon to the soldier, namely, in stead of employing civilians as labourers, men of good character are allowed to leave their regiments to perform certain work, which will give them an increase to their pay. I believe the plan is working well, and that it islikely to be extended. The increase in the army thus amounts to 1,724 men ; but if I could suggest a decrease I would not ask even for that. I propose to make a reduction in certain British establishments to 600 men. I know there are military men who object to this. Our intention is, when regiments return from foreign service to keep them for the first year at 600, and to raise them gradually to 680, the number required when they go on colonial service. I have been obliged to raise the establishment of the Indian regi ments to their full strength, for the Indian Government have complained that those regiments had not been kept up to their quota of 910 men. I have, therefore, been obliged to make an increase of 1,724 men; but 1 have re duced other regiments to the same extent. I turn to votes 12 and 13, which relate to manufactures and warlike stores. The number of guns which we propose to make at the Royal gun factory is 426 rifle guns, namely, 12 of the largest size, 23 tons ; 41 of 12 tons, 31 of 9 tons, 12 of 7 tons, 179 of 61 tons, 76 64-pounders, 43 9-pounders, 11 7- pounders, and 18 6-pounders. This is almost the first year in which any provision hss been made in the annual esti mates for supplying guns for the fortifications. The esti mated sum required for arming those fortifications amounted to £1,800,000, including ammunition. That agreement was entered into in 1860; but until the present estimates no provision was made for carrying it into effect. (Hear, hear.) It is most fortunate that it was so. (Cheers.) If we had taken votes for the purpose in 1860, we should have guns of a very inferior pattern, and the cost would have been trebled, for three years ago a 23 ton gun would have cost £3,500, whereas it can now be made fur £l,BOO. The re sult of the delay, therefore, has been a great saving to the country. (Hear, hear.) But still you cannot conceal from yourselves that the work will have to be done ; and if the present estimates were nut so unnaturally high this year, I should have asked for a larger vote for this purpose. I now come to a matter of great interest to the house —the question of small arms. I know that there have been a great many reports as to the success of the Snider con version ; and I think it better, therefore, to begin at the beginning. So long back as 1864 it was decided by a committee that the whole British army should be armed with breech-loaders. Soon after that another com mittee decided that, instead of the common Enfield, our muskets should be rifled on the Lancaster principle. The consequence has been that you have not had a single new rifle made for the last three years. It was decided by my noble predecessor that the Enfield should be converted into breech-loaders. The experiments had been going on for two years, and just before I came into office the pattern was decided upon as to the piece and the ammunition. The great events which took place on the Continent in the interim made me resolve when coming into office to carry out what had been decided upon, namely, to arm the whole British army with breech-loaders as soon as possible. The house was good enough to grant me a supplemental esti mate to convert 200,000 Enfields into breech-loaders, but the late Chancellor of the Exchequer remarked that I was too precipitate. The fact was, that the entire number con verted when I came into office was only 12, and those had been converted by hand and not by machinery. There is a great deal of difference between experiments carried on by hand labour under the most favourable circumstances and those performed by machinery upon a large scale. My intention, therefore, was that as soon as a sufficient quan tity of converted rifles could be procured to submit them to the only real trial, namely, to furnish them to the troops. (Hear.) But unfortunately there came front the Governor of Canada a demand fur au instant supply of breech-loaders stating that such was the moral effect upon men when coming in contact with troops armed with breech-loaders, that ho called upon us not only to supply the British army in Canada, but also the volunteers. At the time this was a perfect impossibility, for we did not profess to deliver the converted rifles before the middle of October. So deter mined was I to prevent British troops armed only with muzzle-loaders from being brought into collision with troops armed with breech-loaders that I sent an order to America for 34,000 at £6 apiece ; and we worked at the gun factory day and night, and I am sorry to say some times on Sundays, in order to send out the converted Sniders before the navigation closed to every British sol dier in Canada. (Hear, hear.) Then there came sudden demands from the Dublin garrison. In the meantime I sent sixty guns to Bythe for trial. Shortly afterwards the head of the Admiralty came to me _l i nd said he was sorry to inform me that the ammunition when made up emitted a slight blaze of gas, which threw up the breech loading apparatus. The results of the experiments did not show that we had attained any more accuracy of aim in the breech-loaders over the muzzle-loaders, the gain being in the rapidity of loading and firing; hut there is not the slightest doubt that the converted Enfield rifle is as good, if not a better, weapon than any other that could be pro cured at present. No later than yesterday a letter from Lord Strathnairn, than whom there is no better judge, spoke in the strongest terms of the efficiency of these arms in the rapidity and unremitted nature of the fire. So far, then, as the efficiency of the arm is concerned, the change has gone in the right direction, and will go on until the whole British army is supplied with the converted rifle. It is, therefore, necessary to make provision in the estimates to cover £350,000. At that point we must stop. If we were to convert those returned into store we should have to pay an additional price for making them serviceable; and it will be far better to use up the common Enfield rifle until we have to begin the making of a new weapon. As soon as a new pattern is decided ou it will be time to begin anew and go on gradually ; and we must make up our -minds that we must provide new weapons at soon as that point is de cided. This is the cause of the large sum asked for in the estimates. The other votes hardly require any explana tion. There is a considerable increase under the head mis cellaneous, as in the items of £13,000 for a vessel at Hong Kong, and £5,000 is contributed to Gibraltar, which are all necessary for the efficiency of the service. In fulfilment of the promise made it is now necessary to explain what i is proposed to do in carrying out the recommendations in the report of the Royal Commissioners on recruiting for the army. The subject of that commission, as the house will recollect, was mentioned when the estimates were brought forward on the sth of March last year. The necessity for it arose from the great difficulty expe rienced in securing recruits for the army. In point of fact, it was a question whether the British army was to be reduced to the strength of our recruiting power, or the recruiting power to be extended to meet our necessi ties. Are we, in short, for the military service of India to have recourse to native instead of British troops? The first recommendation made by the commissioners is with respect to the organisation of the recruiting service. The Adjutant-General had so much business of other kinds to do that it was recommended to appoint an inspector of recruits, and the Government are acting on the recommen dation, and intend to appoint an of f icer. It is not now necessary to mention the other changes contemplated in this direction until that officer in the experience of his duties is able to point out what is necessary. It will be gratifying to those who wore members of that Royal com mission to hear that the beneficial effect of such a com mission having been appointed was at once felt. It was in October of last year that the commissioners began their labuors, and from that moment the recruiting has im proved. The average number of recruits raised in the five years ending December, 1865, was 12,449. In the twelve months ending December, 1866, we raised 15,277 ; and for the ten months ending in January, 1867, the num ber is 13,193; and if we go on at the same rate we shall raise this year 16,119. There is every reason to expect that the experiment will lead to an increase in the num ber of men required. The commissioners make a recom mendation that men should be enlisted for general ser vice instead of for a particular regiment, as at present. If the recruit has no wish to join any particular regiment lie will be available for general service anywhere. (Hear.) This will be of great value in providing for the supply of troops to India, and in recruiting for general service a depot will be formed for these recruits. The recommendation on the system of medical examination is now under con sideration, and will be carried out. To carry out the re commendation for the establishment of a military train ing school would involve an average cost of £3O a head per year, and it is not at present proposed to adopt it. The Government, however, have adopted the recommendation that the cost of certain " necessaries" now borne by the soldier himself should be furnished by the country. An estimate was immediately called for, and £BO,OOO a year is the sum required. There is another recommendation of the commissioners, that the British soldier at home should be allowed an additional quarter of a pound of meat a day. But if this was to be of any good to the soldier at home it ought to be extended to the soldier abroad ; for it is impossible to see on what principle a distinction can be made. (Hear, hear.) It is perfectly true that the soldier abroad has an allowance of one pound, only equal pro bably to the three-quarters at home ; but if the home soldier is to have the increase recommended to a pound it would be necessary in fairness to raise the allowance on foreign service to a pound and a quarter. In the evidence of the Commissary-General before the commission, that officer said that the increase in the rations proposed by the commissioners would be the least effective mode of attracting men to the service, and that an increase of twopence a day in the soldier's pay would be considered a greater inducement. It was, therefore, decided, in stead Jf acting on this part of the report in the recom mendation of an addition to the allowance, to propose au addition of twopence a day in the pay of the soldier. (Hear, hear.) It will be considered a greater boon by many—by the married soldier and by those having a disposition to save—and happily that num ber is now decidedly on the increase in the army--than any increase of meat allowance. There is another recom mendation on a point but little known. The British troops serving in China receive an addition of twopence a day to bring their pay up to that of the native troops ; and it was decided after the war not to withdraw it, but to continue it to the regiments then quartered there. But there remained the invidious distinction that an extra allowance was to bo made to other regiments coming later. That would be avoided by adopting the other re commendation of a general increase of twopence a day to the British soldier. It would be a boon to the soldier and an advantage to the public, inasmuch as this addi tion to the pay would be more likely to attract recruits to the army. On this point there is hardly a difference of opinion amongst military men. Though involving a large addition to the estimates, the sum of £326,000 would be required for this purpose. Therefore, on coming to the other recommendation to give twopence a day in addition to those re-engaging in the service, it was thought that one penny would be sufficient ; that is to say, the long-service man will receive au addi tion of threepence a day. The recommendation as to re cruits for the militia will involve an extra charge.. It is proposed to carry out the recommendation that there should be no difference in the periods of service in the different arms, but that the same term should prevail for the artil lery, cavalry, and infantry - namely, twelve years for the first term; and secondly, a re-engagement for nine years. • As regards the rate of pension, many attach more import ; ance to that than an addition to the pay as a means of attraction to the service ; but the Government incline to the opinion that the addition of the twopence proposed will have greater weight than if put on the pension. Major ANSON—WiII the two or three pence be carried to pensions ? General PEEL—No. Then it is intended to adopt the g trades, and that b s e f recommendationoelrev concerned, damages . u T will e work be done as much as possible by the troops them selves. al l ar l i yteti ballowed aieashr teeet:sums o as far h aua fvsatwaor advantage, that iaasrcgteh has is p etah a ,r i ete r haparrtalway s barrack om evy vi err yde produceme o themselves emn ; w the n ptu shilling goes int o th e poc k et o f t h e sold i er. (Hear' hear.) The question as to b oun t y t o vo l unteers i s one for the Indian Government t o d ea l w ith. C om i ng now to the ques tion o the supplementary cue p p of men le as to soldiers exereisin of the reserve force, the commissioners point out the advantage that the militia should be raised to the full force—that is, of 120,000 men. To that we do not hero after propose to add a single man. Then the question is, how are you to manage an army of reserve, by which, should war become imminent, you would be able to add to the regular army ? There are wars of two descriptions in which England may be engaged. She may be engaged in war with Powers from which there is no fear of inva sion. Such have been the wars within my recollection in America and in the Crimea. And look what you were obliged to do in the Crimean war. You were obliged to apply to the militia for all the men they could spare, and you know with what result. Now we want reserves of two descriptions. We want men who at a moment's notice would be ready to fill up the ranks in the regular service ; but, as we propose to reduce the establishment at home to 600 squadrons, you would not require more offi cers, you would only require a number of men. You want a first and second reserve ; the first to servo abroad ; the second to consist of men whose service, like that of the militia and the volunteers, should not extend beyond this country. How are we to raise this army of reserve ? We have been trying for the last six years. It has been sug gested that you should make the reserve a portion of the regular army, and that a man, after serving a number Of years in the line, should fall into the reserve. Ido not think that would answer. After a man bad been in the army and then came to the reserve, if he had no employ ment you would never know where to find him. Therefore we propose that, instead of making the reserve a portion of the regular service, it should be a substitution for that ser vice. We would allow men who can find employment to go into the reserve, not as a matter of right, but as a matter of favour, otherwise regiments would be completely broken up. Well, then, I would propose that the reserve should be attached to the militia. I should be sorry to see another army raised up between the militia and the regular army— (hear, hear) —but I have the strongest possible desire to bring the militia up towards the regular army. Capt. VIVIAN—After how many years' service? Gen. PEEL—A man who has completed two-thirds of his first engagement in the line, and has served five years abroad, will be allowed to commute the rest of his service by entering the reserve, so that he would be ready to give his aid in case of war, and he could go back to the reserve again the instant that war was over. I would wish these men to be enrolled as militia, and to be subject to no other than militia duties, except when called on to perform mili tary service. That would be the first reserve. From the second reserve I would require two years' service for every one going towards their pension, because they would not be required to leave the country. To any one who wished to return to the regular army I would give the opportunity. The regiments coming Lyme this year are 2,165 in yams THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, MARCH 8, 1867. of the reduced strength; and almost every one of these men would be entitled to this boon if they could find em ployment for themselves. I think they would be of great use in the militia. They would not require 28 days' service. All that we require of them is that we can place our hands upon them whenever they are wanted. This xould give you a small army of reserve, and I propose that the militia should be raised up to its full strength of 120,000 men, and that militia officers should be invited to call upon one-fourth of them to join the reserve establishment. They would not be called upon for any other service except in case of war coming on, and then they would be required to serve in the regular army. I would propose to give them double the ordinary bounty. Instead of £0 for five years, 1 would give them £l2 ; and I think when men saw the reserve getting double money for the same duty they would be induced to enter. I should allow any officer who took a number of men to the reserve to raise an equal number of men, so that you leave the militia regiments as they were before, and you have an army of reserve whi h you never had before. Many a man who would not wish to spend his life in the army would not object to one campaign. . _ Captain VI VLlN—What pay does the hon. gentleman propose ? General PEEL --Exactly the same as the militia, with double bounty. The only additional expenses to the country would be that one-fourth of those 120,000 militia men would receive that double bounty. If you want to raise men, I say give an inducement by increasing their pay twopence a day ; and I fully believe that, with that inducement, and with the chances of belonging to the army of reserve, militia will come rapidly forward, and that by these means you can raise any quantity of men. I would not take any man from the militia until he has done drill ; that would enable him to take duty at any time when called upon. For every hundred men drawn to the reserve I would give permission for them to be accompanied by an officer who should take a com mission in the regular army. I know this is an experiment, and that it depends upon the voluntary action of the people. I do not wish to have recourse to any other means than that voluntary enlistment which has always supplied this country with troops. Recol lect this is the only country in the world where the people are free from military service ; and if you gentle men who " sit at home at ease" can get an army on the moderate terms I have mentioned, I think you will do very well. (Hear, hear.) There is power to raise 30,000 pen sioners, an admirable force, which I think it will bo very good for us to keep up. It is the only force which the civil power have a right to call out. No one can object more than I do to calling out the volunteers—(hear, hear)—and as the pensioners are not called upon to go abroad, I do not propose to give them more than the militia. In all this I have carried out every suggestion the Royal Commission made with regard to the army of reserve. Before I came to these conclusions I wrote also to his Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief to ask his opinion, and his recom mendations were almost identical with this() I have just mentioned. After all, it comes to this—You have a militia of 120,000, of whom one-third or one-fourth will belong to the reserve, the only alteration in the condition of service being that if war became imminent they could bo called upon to serve abroad, and the only additional expense would be the addition of double bounty. This is not a matter for eonsideration just now. We shall have time to reflect upon it. All I can say now is, that if the recom mendations I now make are carried out, it will be a great pleasure to me to think that the last act of my official duties has been the improvement of the constitution of the army. The hon. and gallant gentleman concluded, amid the cheers of the house, by moving the vote for 139,163 men. The Marquis of HARTINGTON was under the im pression that the Reserve scheme would injure the efficiency of the Militia, but deferred pronouncing a definite opinion on it until further explanations had been given ; and re commended the committee to follow his example. On the general estimates he maintained that the excess on last year's estimates was larger than General Peel had stated, and indicated various items on which a reduction might be possible. After some remarks from Mr. O'REILLY in defence of the Recruiting Commission, pointing out that the com position of a Reserve Force was not referred to them, and expressing a general approval of General Peel's scheme, Mr. GLADSTONE asked for some further explanations as to the ultimate cost of the plan, particularly as to its in direct effect on the cost of recruiting. Admitting that an increase in the cost of the army might be inevitable from the general advance in prices, lie was disappointed that no attempt had been made to seek a compensation in reduc tions where they were possible, 'and insisted on the neces sity of a special organisation for keeping down our military expenditure. in the desultory discussion which followed on various points in the Estimates and the Reserve scheme, Lord Eustace Cecil urged a:reorganisation of the War-office. Mr. H. Seymour made a smart attack on the Commission, which was defended by Colonel W. Patten and Mr. Whit bread; Colonel North advocated a more liberal scale of pensions, and Sir C. Russell the employment of soldiers in industrial occupations. Other suggestions were made and questions asked by Mr. Newdegate, Lord Hotham, Colonel Gilpin, Colonel North, Colonel Sykes, Captain Vivian, and Mr. Childers, and nearly every speaker expressed regret at General Peel's retirement. General PEEL having made a general reply, the first vote of 139,163 men was agreed to. Tho Shipping Local Dues Bill passed through com mittee, and some other bills wore forwarded a stage. Mr. FAWCETT brought in a bill to repeal certain por tions of the Act of Uniformity relating to Fellows of Colleges. The house adjourned at 25 minutes past 11 o'clock. The Newport Market Refuge. _-- ~r--_ nE on 1, 1. 1 1 ot the Yesterday afternoon the annual meeting of the , is th p e r A es r i e d l e th d i , si a lo n p d members and friends of this institution was held at M.P., the were—the amongst K.C.8., Admiral C. st ß tre ni g s entl T em he e Eden, Lord 11. Lennox , M.P., I D .P r . " monro, Capt. P earson, ofßight York, Hon. s r W it . o G cn l at a gp d ot s .1 t o npe n re e ya , r s, Lord Eliot, M.P., Mr. W. H. Gladstone, M.P., the Bishop of Ely, Mr. R.N., Sir Walter „T H a . l n C e h s d ß e a r r s t , Colonel Lord M. Kerr, C. 8., Admiral Ryder, Major Dun das, the Rev. J. T. Rowsell, Mr. J. D. Chambers, Mr. R. Brett, the Rev. J. C. Chambers, the Rev. A. Cazenove, Mr. Carmichael, Mr. Walter Cocks, Mr. Gurdon, the Rev. E. D. Tinting, Mr. E. Drum mond, the Rev. Nugent Wade, and Mr. Ralph Palmer. Amongst the ladies present were Lady F. Cavendish, the Hon. Mrs. J. D. Chambers, Mrs. W. E. Gladstone, &c. Mr. J. A. SIIAW STEWART, the honorary secre tary, read the report. It stated that in March, 1866, owing to the death of the landlord of the refuge premises the lease of the property was offered for sale, and the committee, after careful delibera tion, thought it advisable to bid for the lease of that part of the Old Market-house which formed the refuge. Shortly afterwards they had an opportunity of purchasing the lease of the other half of the Old Market-house adjoining the premises of the refuge, and they made this purchase with the object of con verting the property into a Boys' Industrial Home. These purchases were effected by an outlay of £2,000 for the lease of 27 years, the whole property being subject to a ground rent of £B9 a year, allow ing for sub-lettings. The expense of building the Industrial Home and fitting it up was not less than £1,500. By the exertions of Mr. W. B. Ranken, one of the hon. secretaries, a sum of about £6OO had been collected specially for the founding and fitting up of the Industrial School. This sum had necessarily been largely exceeded, and the committee must plead most earnestly for a large increase in the annual subscriptions. The present annual sub scription list was a little over £3OO, whilst the out lay for the future could not be estimated at less than £2,500 a year. The committee wished to remind their supporte r that the Newport Market Refuge aimed at drawing a marked distinction be tween the ordinary tramp and the more deserving class of houseless poor. They had every reason to believe that experience had taught them to discriminate between these two classes, and that they were now rarely deceived. The refuge had all but closed its doors to the tramp class, but it was not the less full every night. During the past year the refuge was open from Jan. 1 to June 1, and again from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, during which period 16,275 nights' lodgings were given and 40,748 rations issued, and 11,520 were relieved from the soup kitchen—a useful ad junct to the operations of the refuge. During the prevalence of the cholera, at the request of Mrs. W. E. Gladstone, a number of friendless orphans were temporarily received and sheltered in the refuge. The Noble CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the report, said he was glad to see the Archbishop of York present, because his grace had had to do battle with a good deal of parochial criticism, and he was also pleased to see Mr. Gladstone present, because the right hon. gentleman's family might almost be said to be the founders of the refuge. (Hear, hear.) The refuge made an important dis tinction between tramps out of doors and the honest poor, whom it was its object to aid, for it would be wrong to mix up tramp s w ith perscns whose poverty Was their misfortune, and not their fault. lie should have been glad if the meeting could have been held at the refuge, but he believed it would have been impossible to accommodate the company he saw before him comfortably thereat present. He believed that the Newport Market Refuge had done much good, and that such institutions had been the means of directing public attention more than had pre viously been the case to the great question of the treatment of the poor and the general administra tion of the poor law. He hoped that henceforward the refuge would be placed on a secure and stable basis. The Right lion. W. E. GLADSTONE, M.P., rose to second the resolution, and was greeted with loud cheers. He said he had not been aware until that moment of the precise function he should be called upon to discharge, but still the one which the chairman had been pleased to entrust to him was best adapted to the position he held, which was that of an uninformed though old friend—a willing witness rather than an informed instructor. They had heard the contents of the report, and they had heard the practical commentary upon it de livered by the chairman. Now, he believed it to be laid down as a general rule in London that, in order to make good the demands of any institution upon the liberality and Christian charity of the world, it was necessary that it should fulfil two conditions— first, that it should have a bad balance-sheet, or, at all events, a bad prospective balance-sheet ; and, second, that it should have a good purpose. They had heard that the income of the institution was £3OO a year, while it was contemplated that the expenditure would be £2,500 a year. Now, on comparing these two sums together, he should be inclined to say that in that respect at least there remained nothing to be desired. (Laughter.) It might seem, indeed, that that was a strange method of going about the attainment of a practical object, but they lived in the midst of a society whose wealth might almost, without exaggeration, be denomi nated boundless. Within a few yards of the room in which they were assembled he ventured to say if any one would venture to ascend the stairs of the highly respected firm who from week to week were offering the luxuries of art to the London pur chasers, the experience they would derive would amply support the statement he fearlessly made, that the means which existed amongst them of meet ing the wants of their less fortunate fellow-crea tures were means as nearly without limit as could be attained. Therefore, if the purpose of such an institution were rood, it followed that the amount of its necessities recommended it to the hearty sup port of those who had the power to help it. (Hear.) There was a passage in the report which spoke of the hardships which the poorer mem bers of the community had to undergo in being ex posed to the inclemency of the weather, and that was a true and just remark in a climate such as this. But there was another kind of inclemency which poverty had to encounter, and that was inclemency of heart. He did not refer in that expression to the amount of indifference, indolence, selfishness, and positive hardness, and harshness that was to be found in the world, but he referred to that temper, that armour, if he might so denominate it, by which persons were compelled, in such a vast and promis cuous society as theirs, to clothe themselves, and to muster courage as to where to refuse the de mands made for the granting of indiscriminate re lief. They had seen 30 years ago the effect pro duced by indiscriminate relief given even under the sanction of the law. That effect had not been too strongly described by the chairman when he spoke of it as having brought the country to demo ralisation and nearly to ruin—that was, to the ruin of that moral tone and temper in the people, that self-reliance and dependence which were essential to the well-being of the community. - But they also lived in times when the student of political economy who had had opportunities of inquiry, as well as all sensible and humane persons had come to the con clusion that indiscriminate alms-giving was an evil. Indiscriminate alms-giving without inquiry was an easy mode of escaping from duty and responsibi lity ; butif it was an evil, they must not resort to that mode. Only in determining to abstain from that practice they were in danger of falling into another evil, because, if they found that those channels which were the natural land obvious channels for ministering to a large portion Of the wants prevail ing amongst their fellow -creatures ought to be closed, it became the more a duty to see that other channels were opened. The duty had lost none of its authoritative power, and conse quently the cessation of those modes of helping their fellow-creatures formerly in use im posed upon them the highest responsibility to devise other modes which should be judicious and effectual. Now, he imagined that the original pur pose of institutions such as this was to provide with out much discrimination of character for the occa sion, and short-lived wants of members of society, to take up those they found in the streets, to give them a night's shelter, and to dispose of them with out much inquiry into their condition ; and certainly the past existence of these institutions would be am ply justified if they had nothing to plead but the palpable, manifest, undeniable effect they had had upon the administration of the poor law ; for it had been due in a great measure to them that public at tention had been attracted to the necessity of en deavouring to carry into this department of poor law administration something like humanity and decency. (Cheers.) And he would go further and say that he believed that even respecting the less re spectable portion of those who were found wander ing iu the streets, even as regards that portion of the needy, the continued existence of these institutions side by side with the public institutions of the poor law was necessary. The official administration of relief must always be more or less deficient in those principles which were the life of charity. It was no reproach at all to the characters of those by whom that administration was managed to say that. It was an irksome employment for the paid officers of the poor-law administration to deal with the classes of persons such as they received from one night to another without an opportunity of forming any kindly connection, and without any previous knowledge of their circumstances. Perhaps there were features of repulsiveness in their condition when admitted into the wards, and conditions generally which could not be pre-eminently favourable to the existence of hu mane and kindly sentiment in those who administered the law, or calculated to engender feelings of gra titude in return by those who received what were intended to be its benefits. Now, in order to keep the system of public administration of relief up to the very best condition it was capable of attaining, it appeared to him to be an object greatly to be de sired that they should have amongst them other in stitutions of a character in some degree kindred — kindred in a very great degree to that in behalf of which they were assembled, so long as the necessity existed in which the poorest, the neediest, even the filthiest of those wanderers in the streets might be received, and relief administered to their immediate necessities out of no other motive and no other object than the fulfilment of the purposes of Christian love by diminishing the mass of human suffering. But it was no doubt true also that those who had been en gaged in conducting this institution had exercised a very wise discretion in altering the limits of their own sphere of action with due regard to the improve ments which were taking place and would take place in the workhouses of this metropolis. As workhouses became more and more qualified to discharge their duties with regard to wanderers and persons of that class, the conductors of that institution would act wisely in refraining from any attempt to compete with them or to regulate their action. They would find ample scope for their exertions in dealing with a class of persons who were of a somewhat higher order—with those whom it was difficult to comprise under any one formula, any one set of words accu rately describing them, but whom they mightregard as comprising those classes of cases in which it was desirable to do something more than to satisfy the physical and absolute wants of one or two, or three, or four nights, as the rule might be. These were cases in which it was desirable to inquire and to see whether in the rear of that temporary relief they might not venture to contemplate nomething in the nature of a more permanent assistance for in the condition of society in which we lived no one could doubt that there was ample scope for such under takings AB this. They must expect to see manifold and rapid developments of the social structure, and of social wants and conditions, a continual multiplication of the forms in which human neces sities present themselves, and they must consider how those demands were to be met in a spirit of Christian charity. It did not appear that there was in this metropolis any other institution precisely adapted to the object which the conductors of this refuge had in view. If there were such institutions they might well believe that in a population of three millions there would be abundant space for many. He might state that although almost entirely excluded on account of other pressing en gagements from attending much to such matters, yet that within the last fortnight he had had a case under his notice of singular interest and difficulty, with which without the assistance of the refuge he should have found it impossible to deal. This was a case fresh and recent, hut upon grounds that com mended themselves to all lie urged that the purpose which this institution had in view was as eminently rational as it was unequivocally Christian, and with this conviction he supported the motion of the noble lord, and he trusted there would be given to this institution a warm, steady, and practical sup port. (Cheers.) The resolution was put to the meeting, and una nimously adopted. The Archbishop of YORK, in moving the second resolution, affirming the necessity of increased sup port to the refuge, referred to some of the cases in connection with the metropolitan workhouses, and remarked that some years since it was considered a hopeless thing to deal with criminals and outcasts, but now the case was altered, and it was found that success attended well directed efforts for such pur poses. He expressed his fear that it would be long before poor-law administration was improved. Mr. CHILDERS, in seconding the resolution, said he had been over the refuge, and found that everything was in the best order; indeed it was like the main deck of a smart man of war. (Hear, hear.) The resolution was agreed to. On the motion of the Bishop of ELY, seconded by . the Rev. E. D. TINLING, one of her Majesty's In spectors of Schools, the retiring members of the committee were re-elected. A cordial vote of thanks was, on the motion of Admiral RYDER, awarded to the Earl of Powis for presiding. The Archbishop of York dismissed the meeting with the benediction. SPIRIT OF THE IPITBLIO JOURNALS. TIMES.—The Game Laws question is not one for legislation, as it seems to us, but for discretion and mutual consideration. On the one side there is a grievance, much exaggerated ; and on the other, a right—nay, more than a right—a national taste, equally exaggerated. The grievance will be suffi ciently met by a little moderation and the occa sional exercise of tact on the part of game preservers. There is something almost ridiculous in allowing wild and wasteful animals, such as hares and rabbits, to overrun and devastate a district possessing high cultivation, expensively manured, ploughed, har rowed, and harvested with costly machinery, studded with fine farm buildings, and with the steam-engine rendering its multifarious assistance. All this for hares and rabbits ! Well, that is absurd on the very face of it, and the absurdity is not the less even if the farmer has ample compensation. But, on the other hand, what do people own land for in these days? Certainly not for profit. They cannot get more than half the interest for their money that they would from first-class securities. They look for two returns, in fact—one, a very poor one, in money ; and another, in what may be called terri torial privileges, such as the mere pleasure of a fair possession, influence and amusement. The last on Mr. M'Lagan's showing, is the chief bait, and no doubt it is, in fact, the great inducement to many capitalists to become landowners, to spend great sums on their land, and to reside with more or less advantage to the estate and the people on it. Talk as we will—and, of course, as politicians and as economists, we, shall continue to :talk about game preservers, comparing them to the depopulator of the New Forest, to the Aineers of Scinde, to Red Indians and aborigines in general—we all know, and we most of us hope, that game will be pre served in this country, and that sport will be kept up. But cultivation will also be kept up and im proved. The two things must be kept up together, and the only way to do it is to keep the wilder and more aggressive of the two within the limits sug gested by common sense and mutual consideration. r l HE WESTMINSTER GAZETTE ON " REFORM." — The spirit of Reform, it appears, is at length about to be satisfied. That unruly genius that for so many years has agitated peaceful commu nities and unsettled men's minds, that seemed to delight in popular turmoil and civil commo tions, and that gloried in those tumultuous mani festations of moral force, fully calculated to pro duce physical dread, is at length to receive his quietus. The rival champions of Reform and no Reform have engaged all their energies and mar shalled all their forces, not in opposition, but to outbid, as it were, each other in catering for a constitutional banquet of sufficient dimensions to appease all the cravings of the hungry multitude. To speak more plainly, and, perhaps, more truly, the great political battle of party, with Reform inscribed on the banners of both combatants; is at this moment being fought. With place, power, and predominance as the prize of individuals, Re form for all is to be the grand result. An infu sion of the working class interest, that is of the popular and democratic element, into the electoral body, is intended to correct and diminish the monied, the aristocratic, and the territorial influ ences complained of, as pressing unduly in the present state of the law on the representation of the people. By an extension of the electoral fran chise so as to include some 400,000 voters, chiefly of a class inferior in social position to those now in possession of a vote. An increase of the de mocratic, and a corresponding decrease of the aristocratic interest will, it is expected, accrue to the House of Commons. Such would appear to be the substance of the intended measure of Reform. Taking for granted the justice of the complaints so long, so loudly, and continuously made, as also the constitutional rights and fitness of those who lay claim to a participation in the privileges of the extended franchise, it may be well to con sider how the proposed end is to be attained by the projected measure. Theoretically, indeed, mat ters seems sufficiently clear, and the parchment on which the law is engrossed will exhibit in a perfect and constitutional arrangement, in admirable order and adjustment, all the varied classes, and interests, and elements of which the political body is composed. The theory of a system enjoys, however, but an abstract and intellectual exist ence, its practical working encumbered, and affected, and influenced by the passions and inte rests, the frailties and corruption of individuals often presents results directly the reverse of those desired and contemplated. In matters of election we are enabled and entitled from experience of the past to pronounce a judgment on the future. The general records of Parliamentary Committees on bribery, recent investigations and scandalous revelations, the knowledge of all men at any time connected with elections, all testify to the fact that, especially amongst the constituencies of towns and boroughs, the influence of bribery and cor ruption is universal and paramount. And to these, be it remembered, the numerical superi ority of representatives belongs. Such being the case, if, at the present higher rate of qualification, individuals are bribed, will voters of a lower social status prove more virtuous? By increasing the numbers, may it not be said that fresh and more easily-worked material for the process of corruption will be supplied? If, as has been already proved, the present voters paying rentals of £lO, £l5, and £2O are not ashamed to sell their votes, will it be more difficult to purchase the interest of a poorer and more humble constit uent? Taking, then, the prevalence of bribery as an established fact, may it not fairly be argued that the greater the increase in the number of voters and the lower the qualification required, the greater also will be the facility for the ex clusive election of monied candidates, and that consequentty any such measure of Reform, instead of correcting, will, indirectly, at least, serve to perpetuate and systematise the abuses and grievances it purported to remedy. NEW AMERICA.—A fifth edition of Mr. Dixon's "New America" has just been issued by Messrs. Hurst and Blackett. "There are few books of this season," says the Pall Mall Gazette, "likely to excite so much general curiosity as Mr. Dixon's very entertaining and instructive work on ' New America.' None are more nearly interested in the growth and development of new ideas on tho other side of the Atlantic than ourselves. The Mormons, the Shakers, the Bible Perfectionists, the Spiritualists, the Tunkers, the Free Lovers, &c., are most of them of English blood, though they are born on United States soil. The book is really interesting from the first page to the last, and it contains a large amount of valu able and curious information." Naval and Military Intelligence. In consequence of the Fenian outbreak, the ar mour-plated screw steamship Caledonia, 30, Capt. the Hon. F. A. C. Foley, flag of Admiral Y el verton, was ordered yesterday to leave Hamoaze for the Sound, where she will embark detachments of Royal Marines for conveyance to Ireland. Instead of postponing the shipment of her powder until she had dropped down into the Sound, the very un usual course was adopted of shipping it in Hamoaze. By this arrangement she may possibly leave Ply mouth for Ireland the same evening. The muster roll of the Royal Marines embarked includes 4 cap tains, 8 subalterns, 16 sergeants, 16 corporal 3, 4 drummers, and 352 privates—in all 400. The Plymouth depot of Royal Marines can readily supply 800 more for this service if requisite. The gunboats Hind and Rainbow were appointed to leave Plymouth yesterday r.fteruoon for Ireland. The iron armour-plated screw steamship North- timberland, 26, Staff -Commander B. Batt, is ex pected to arrive ou Sunday at Plymouth, where she will be docked, and then placed among the Steam Reserve in Hamoaze. The crew of the screw steam sloop Pantaloon' 11, Commander L. Sullivan, were paid off on Wed nesday morning alongside the jetty in lievonport dockyard. She will be placed in the third division of the steam reserve in Hamoaze. The Himalaya, screw troopship, Capt. S. B. Piers, went out of Portsmouth harbour yesterday and made an official trial of her speed over the mea sured mile in Stokes Bay, preparatory to leaving England again on foreign troop service. Capt. W• C. Chamberlain, commanding the Portsmouth Steam Reserve, conducted the trial, having on his staff Chief Inspector of Machinery Afloat John Ward and Chief Engineer J. Bardin. The shipwright department was represented by Assist.-Master Ship wright W. Brain. The ship drew 19ft. B in. o f water forward, and 20ft. 4in. aft. She had 1,000 tons of coal in her bunkers, six months' provisions and stores under hatches, and was in all respects ready for sea. Six runs over the mile, with full boiler power, gave her 13.432, 11468, 14.008, 12.120, 14.400, and 11.320:knots, the ship's mean spee d being 12.9 knots ; with half-boiler power she achieved a mean speed of 11 . 47 knots. Afte r the ship concluded her runs over the measured mile she was anchored at Spithead. To-day she will be swung under steam to ascertain the deviation of her compasses, in readiness for her sailing orders. The armoured screw frigate Lord Clyde, Capt. R. Dew, C. 8., sailed from Spithead yesterday at 4 p.m. for Ireland, with a strong detachment of Royal Marine Light Infantry on board, draughted from the head-quarters of the Portsmouth division at Forton. The following appointments have been made at the Admiralty :—Commander J. W. Webb to be Captain ; Commander R. E. Tracy, additional, to the Rodney, for instruction of Japanese ; Lieut. 1 3 . 11. Key to the Achilles ; Sub-Lieut. A. W. Hamil ton to the Wyvern•; Dr. H. N. M'Laurie, assist.' surg., to the Impregnable ; and R. 11. Hassell , assist.-paymaster, to the Fisgard, as supernumerary. COUNTRY MAIt.ISET S. MANC HES T—THURSDAY. About an average attendance at our market this morn ing. Wheat, both English and foreign, was in fair CO sumptive demand, at fully the currency of this day we e Flour quite neglected. Oats and oatmeal unchang ed. English beans were firm, and Egyptian the turn dearer • Indian corn 6d per qr. higher. BIRMINGIIAM—THURSDAY. At this 's market there was a good supply of Engli sh t wheat, foraywhich higher prices were asked, but could 13 % be obtained. Foreign fully is per qr. lower. Barley n oats gave way 6d to is per qr. Beaus and peas difticultilto sell. BURY ST. EDMUNDS—WEDNESDAY. de The show (A wheat at market to-day was small ; tra dde was firm, and last week's prices were fully supporte Barley in a very depressed state. No alteration DA oLh e kinds of grain. BRISTOL—THURSDAY. At our market to-day English wheat was in small sup ply, and sold pretty freely at barely last week's P r l . Foreign in abundant supply, and in more active deinau ; at a decline of is to 3s per qr. In malting barley notblo6 doing. More passing in grinding, at is per qr. reduct!on. Indian corn dull, and is pi,r qr. lower. Fur oats no inquiry, and quotations nominal. EDINBURGH—WEDNEsDAY. Wheat on the top, 6s 6d down average, Os 2,1 upwn- Barley on the top, 2s 9d up average, Os 7 d do Oats on the top, 2s Od up average, Os 6d up Beans on the top, 2s Od up ...average, ls_4d up Total supply and sales. Wheat 1118 qrs sold 37 5 Barley 1961 qrs sold 777 Oats 2978 qrs sold 1313 Beans 375 qrs sold 18 5 Average prices. Wheat, 56s 1d I Oats, 30s 9d Barley, 3Bs id 1 Beans 45s Od Town-made flour sells as follows :—White, 54s Od; 01D superfine, 52s Od; superfine, 50s Od; fine, 48s Od. GLASGOW—WEDNESDAY. hilt At to-day's market there was the usual attendance, - trade was slow. Black Sea wheat 6d to 1.8 cheaper Pa,le ' 2401 b. Barley, oats, beans, and peas without q uota h alteration. Foreign sail Packet List. MAILS DUE. Australia and New Zealand, via Southamptoh Mar. 22. Ditto, via Marseilles 3lar. 16. Brazil and Cape Verde. by British packet. April 7. Ditto, by lerenoti packet ............ Mar. 2 2 tape of Good lope, Ascension, and St. H e lena.... gar. 30 adult, Penang, and Singapore, via Southampton_ Mar. 6. Ditto, via Marseilles raikland Islands Gibraltar, via doutharapton ..................... . Ma r.. 1 6 6 . Ditto, via Marseilles India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Southampton Mar. India (Bombay), via Southampton. 10 Ditto, via ilarseilles ........................... .. mar. 6. Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via Southampton .................. 8 10 Mar. 16 via Southampton -• Ditto, via M arse ihee... ............ iewioundiand ...................... ...... . April Portugal ........... ..... 7 Ditto, by privat e ship to Lisbon United States and British North America, by Bri tish packet .............. Mar. 13. Ditto. by United States packet, via Southamp ton ........ Ditto. via Cork ...... Ditto, Dy Cana di a n packet, via Londonderry „mar. 8 West Indies and Pasta° (except Bahamas and Mar. 1 6 . H on duras) . Baham... via New York. Cuba and Mexico A A p p r r i i i 1 April 4 Rem,Mar. 4eratuedont‘a v t i o a t Nadeira, and Tontriffe The Baden St. Leger for 1867 has closed W ith 2t) entries, including Captain Machell's Knight of the Garter, Duke of Hamilton's Avron, and the Marquis of liastingso Opoponax and Flying Scud, which shows the advantage of opening this stake to horses of all countries. [AnvEßTisEmENT.l—Holloway's Ointmen t and Pills.;; Self Help.—ln sickness it was a momentous matter to B. u an easy, ready, and reliable remedy for outward disfigere:. ments and inward disorders before the inestimable chs covery of these preparations. No invalid need now be r s_t a loss for successfully managing ulcers, sores, turnoudist_ boils, bruises, sprains, &c. Enveloping Holloway's rile tine are very intelligible printed directions for using all which should be attentively studied and immediately tr, lowed by the application of his treatment. Sooner of 1 ,!', the sufferer will assuredly triumph over the worst diseassen't This searching ointment disperses all those ma le often humours which aggravate many diseases of the skin, „.ra.. prevent the cicatrisation of ulcers, and ever kindle In matory tendencies in the system. C ALVE RT— On the 7th inst., Births at 8, Regent's-per-terrace' the wife of Charles A. Calvert, Esq. , o f a daughter. the DE C N o ßr u n te — ss On f D t e h n e big 6t b h , of i a inst., 'at 'at 49, Eaton-equare, ife RYAN—On the 7th inst., at 44, Beaufort -gardens, the of Charles L. Ryan, Esq., of a daughter. 4 10.1001 SHANKS —On the Gth inst., at New Milfor d, South T• the wife of Wm. Shanks, Esq., R.N., of a daughter' Marriages. EAST—HOARD—On the sth inst., at the Chapel RoY al ° „ f the Savoy, Strand, Mr. Robrt S. East, of IlaLlilL t° l d Middlesex, to Harriet, youngest daughterpf Mr. Rae , '" Hoare, of Bermondsey. ea- 0rg, ( . 3 1 S TANSFE LD —FOSTER— On the s th inst , at Hornby, eldest son of eore Stansfeld. F , Esq., of Settle, of Jos t e r, Esq., o f 11°rD Castle and Queensbury, York. Yorks , t t; Hannah, fourth G dough Deaths. S KING—On the 6th inst., at 7, St. J ohn's-wood -row,/ John's-wood, Samuel King, Esq., agedpton - 74. MOSLEY—On the 6th inst., at 36, Comterrace, C anon' bury, Ricard osley, Esq., aged 60. NAREs—On h the 5t M h inst., at 23, Duke-street., Westminster, Captain Nares, R.N., aged 78. PEER—On the 7th inst., at Lower Knowle, Kingsbride, Devon, Richard Peek, Esq ., of Hazelwood, aged 8 5 . ~, RAINGER—On the sth inst ., at Heigham, near Norwic' William Rainger, Esq. STANFORD—On the 6th inst., at 31, Hyde-park-squar°, Robert Stanford, Esq., aged 73. b. London : Printed and Published by IV ILLIABI ANIIIINVI of No. 112, Strand, P i inter at THE SIIN oiroc. N o- 112 : Strand, in the Praot of the Savvy, is the Cou nty 0. ktidcueenxt—_-Friday,eoi March 8, 1867.