The Sun. — London, England, 1849-03-20 00:00:00

INTERESTING DISCOVERIES AT FOUNTAINS ABBEY. When the members of the Archm logical Institute vi sited Fountains Abbey, in the summer of 1846, J. R. Walbran, Esq., of Ripon, the author of the " History of GLtinford," announced a discovery he had made, namely, that the , Abbot's house was not on the west side of the abbey, as had always been supposed, but that it stiiod not far from the Lady Chapel, south-east of the choir, where the river Shell was arched over for a 'considerable distance. The place is, or rather w as, covered with a thicket of underwood and several tail trees; and it was not supposed that much or any v mains of it existed. However, during this winter the present noble owner, the Right Hon. the Earl de Grey, praiseworthily instructed the steward of the bbey grounds to re-construct all the broken-down parts of the fine arches on which the Abbot's house formerly stood, and under which the river flows. In doing this, and on reaching a level just above the perfect parts of the structure, the workmen came to fine pavements of encaustic tiles, the bases of two rows of clustered early English columns, and broken Netherdale marble shafts similar to those now to be seen in the choir and Lady Chapel. The relics that have been dis covered are a silver spoon, weighing about an ounce ; small silver ornament, with a lion's head in fine re lief ; a few unimportant coins; a quantity of lead piping; bushels of oyster shells, and some coals. One of the workmen took some of these coals home, and he rid, when applied to the fire, that they " blaze away ike a tar barrel." Aye, and companions of these very cc&e had, no doubt, " blazed away like a tar barrel" in Mt great hall of the Lord Abbot of Fountains three centuries ago ! These coals were of the description called by old people Ralley or Railaye coals, and we are informed by Mr. Walbran that he has seen several entries in an old compotus of the house (circa 1456) of payments for Bailey coals. Most of the objects already enumerated were found in what had apparently been the common ash-hole. The remains seem to spread over an extent not much less than the nave and choir of the Abbey Church, and, from what has already been uncovered, it appears that the whole ichnography of this, important building may yet be retrieved by a careful excavation. There are remains, over the west end of the arches, of a dais, the step being ornamented in front with quatrefoils; and the wall fronting the Lady Chapel appears to have been decorated with an arcade of early English columns. Mr. Walbran in forms us that the whole of the remains—excepting, perhaps, some of the tiles—prove that the original building had been erected at or about the time of the three Johns, who were Abbots from A.D. 1210 to 1245, and who built the new choir and Lady Chapel. The fragments of "Perpendicular" work that occur are, no doubt, the remains of Abbot Ruby's "new chamber" 1494-1526. It was in a description of where an homage was done to this man that Mr. Walbran first as certained for a certainty that the Abbot's house was on this site. We congratulate the noble owner that this important and very interesting discovery has occurred during the period he is in possession of these celebrated ruins, because he has always evinced a great desire to protect them from further decay; and the judicious im provements he has lately caused to be effected indicate an anxious wish, on his part, to retrieve many injudicious alterations which occurred when the Abbey first became the property of Mr. Aislabie in the last century.—Dar lington and Stockton Times. FRANCE. The following is the manifesto addressed by the Committee of the Rue do Poitiers to the electors : "In consequence of the serious danger to which France has been of late exposed, men of every party and opi nion have united to defend society, menaced in its very existence. Although they had been formerly arrayed under different banners, and had long and obstinately combated each other, they have forgotten their former divisions in order to unite against anarchy; and if their efforts were not always attended with beneficial results, they at least often contributed to counteract evil tenden cies. This spontaneous union manifested itself every where and at once—in the deliberations of the Gen stituent Assembly, in the elections, in the alacrity of the National Guards to co-operate with our brave army in defending public order. Instead of viewing that re• conciliation as a dereliction of principles, France saw in it a noble disinterestedness of parties placing far above their private predilections the interests of society. France herself soon gave a similar example by uniting almost entirely, at the election of the loth December, to choose among the candidates of the moderate party the man whose name promised the consolidation of order and authority. On that, as well as on preceding occasions, the result completely justified the sentiment that animated her. "The. danger which now menaces as, although less apparent, is not the less serious. The insane faction, which has the pretension to change all the conditions of human society, of family, property, religion, and which, if it could succeed for a single day, would plunge into misery the people whose welfare it pretends to advo cate, seems less disposed at this moment to employ open force. But, it endeavours is undermine the social edifice it despairs of subverting by violence, and it incessantly labours to effect its purpose by the most constant propagation of anarchical and subversive doctrines. It flatters itself that by allowing the country to enjoy temporary tranquillity, and lulling its vigilance, it will succeed in surprising it when off its guard and divided. We must accordingly oppose to it the means that enabled us to brave the most dreadful tempest—concord and perseverance. Let us rally round the present Government of the Republic, to sup port and , assist it, and to maintain it in the course it lies so courageously pursued since its establishment. The Constitunt Assembly having assigned a period to its existence, and decreed new elections, we must exert ourselves to return a prudent, firm, and enlightened Assembly, which will use the immense prerogatives conferred on it by the Constitution to assist the Govern ment, and not to shake it; to supply by its wisdom the defiviency of our institutions; to apply itself to their improvement by legal means, and ultimately extricate France from the frightful crisis she is in at present. "But, in order to obtain such an Assembly from the suffrage of the electors, it is accessary that the union, which has already rendered us such important ser vices for the last year should continue to prevail. The club of the Rue de Poitiers, which has set the example of that reconciliation of all former parties for the defence of social order, has considered it its duty to take the initiative. It has chosen a number of its mem bers to join us in constituting the Electoral Committee of Paris, and appointed, in the Assembly and out of the Assembly,men whose co-operation appeared to it necessary to represent more completely all the shades of public opinion. The Central Committee, which it has - thus formed, in addressing the entire of France, bas not the pretension to dictate or even suggest choices to the departments, justly jealous of their inde pendence. That independence is more than ever respectable and desirable, for it must teach the promoters of disorder that, if they chanced to triumph an instant on one point of the territory, they have not achieved the conquest of France. But we have heard a desire everywhere expressed that a common centre be formed, where information, advice, and encouragement to union could be found, and we have laboured to establish it. If, in any part of the country, the wise end moderate men, the friends of order, should object to . sacrifice their differences to the pressing interest of numety, and if, through our friendly interference, a good under. tending could be arrived at, we should be happy to oil . er it to them, having no other p retens i on han that of being useful by our example and advice to those who might wish to recur to them. Let us not for get that, under the present electoral law, the minorities may succeed by the division of the mijorities. Recent and deplorable instsnces, which it is useless to recal, too often proved it during the last year. In a great moral and enlightened society like France perverse men are always few in number, and can only triumph by the division of the good citizens. It is to prevent the misfortune of such a division we have united, and that we announce to you the definitive constitution of. the Electoral Committee, the members of which have signed the present declaration." The principal members are Marshal Bugeaud; Gene rals Baraguay d Villiers, Padone, Ornano, Piat, Regnault de St. Jean d ' A n g el y ; MM. Ferdinand Barrot, Ber ryer, Blia de Bourdon, de Broglie, Cambaceres, Cham belle, Cousin, Darn, Delessert, Duvergier de Hauranne, Achille Fould, Victor Hugo, Kerdrel, de Larcy, Leon de Malleville, Mole, Montalembert, Lucien M urat , d o Noailles, Casimir Paler, Persi gny, Piscatory, ltemusat, Thiers, Vieillard, de Vogue, Wagram, &c. HOLLAND. The death of King William H. was formally an nounced at the Hague on the 17th. The Second immediately called of the States-General wa s called together, and the decease of his late Majesty baying been no tified to the Members by the Ministry, the Prince of Orange was proclaimed King. M. Lichtenveld, Minister for Foreign Affairs, left the Hague on Saturday for London, to announce the death of his father to the new Sovereighn, who will assume the title o f Ki ng Willi am 111. During the afternoon of Saturday the troops com posing the garrison of the Hague were mustered on the parade ground and took the usual oath of allegiance to King . William 111. The city remained profoundly tranquil, nor was any apprehension en tertained that popular disturbances would break out. AUSTRIA. According to the Lloyd, they have received advices from Zara of the Bth instant, that large bodies of Turks, some say 16,000, others 60,000, had been con centrated at Serajevo, in Bosnia, but that afterwards ball these troop s had entered the Herzegowina, and bad taken up their head-quarters at Mostar. A con scription of 15,000 men will take place among the Catholic and Greek population of Bosnia, and 10,000 men are to be recruited in the Herzegowina, and marched to Cassava. It appears that the Hun garians have excited suspicions in the minds of the Turkish commanders that the Ban intends to make an irruption into the Turkish territories. Th e assem blage-of the ".linas,., or chiefs of the inhabita n t s o f the Herzegovvina at Mostar, is said to have been con nected with a circumstance of such importance t h at no one dare (Inclose it under pain of death. The Breslau. Gazette of the 7th states that the're turn of Prince Windischgratz to Pesth resembled a flight. G enera l Z e isberg, one of the most dis tinguished A us t r i an o ffi ce rs, had been made prisoner with - his brigade, by the Hungarians. The loss of th e Austrian army, in an engagement on the 3d, amounted, according to the Gazette, to 7,000 men and 60 cannons. The same journal states that Field-Marshal Grammont had been made prisoner in the battle of Szolnok on the Cth, and that General Ottinger had been mortally wounded ; but, according to the Augsburg Gazette, the Austrians, after their defeat, succeeded in re possessing themselves of Szolnok. The Hungarians were in possession of the second town of the Comitat of Pesth, and General Georgy, said to be one of the best of the Hungarian Generals, was marching on Raab. Accounts from Debreczin represent that the National Assembly had decreed, on the proposition of Kossuth, a levy of the people en masse in support of the army. The Primate of Hungary had been declared a traitor to the country, and deprived of his office. The Breslau Gazette says that after a sanguinary battle near Czegled, on the 6th, the Austrians were defeated, and in consequence Jellachich had left Pesth with rein forcements. The same journal states that the Hungarians had occupied Sthul-Weissembourg. The Breslau Gazette says that an attempt was made to arrest M. Fuster, one of the deputies of the dissolved Austrian Diet, on his arrival at Ratibor, in the Prussian territory ; but before executing the warrant the Mayor demanded instructions, and in the meantime M. Fuster, who was detained in cus tody at his hotel, succeeded in escaping. THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, MARCH 20, 1849, FRANKFORT. The Austaian note of the 9th having been trans mitted on the Constitution, the Committee bas re ported as follows : " If the constitution delivered to the collective Aus trian state tacitly excludes all German legislation and all German administrative power from the exer cise of influence on German Austria, in the note of the 9th all further negotiation with regard to a federal relationship with Germany is made preliminary, con ditional on the most perfect renunciation of a popular representation for the contemplated federal state. The Deputies of states only are declared to be admissible. As this stipulation amounts to a downright rejection, as far as Austria is concerned, of a most es sential and indispensable part of the ground-work of the building which we are commissioned by the German people to erect, it is useless to enter into further investi gation for the present as to what parts of our polity may still be based on one common foundation—a ques tion of which the said note offers no solution. Thus much, however, is clear, viz., that Austria is willing to enter only in her collective capacity into a con nexion of the kind—a connexion, to wit, reduced to the fact of a representation by means of permanent com mittees; and that she refuses to enter into it with her German provinces alone. No amplification is necessary to prove that such proposals are unjustifiable. and at variance even with the old federative treaties to which Austria herself has on former occasions appealed—as also that the gratification of such demands, even on the basis of the old relations of the Confederation, would be attended with difficulties so great as to border upon the impossible. But one thing is very certain—that the German people will not agree to a reform of the Con federation, which would either be utterly ineffective and wholly irresponsive to the desire of the German people, for unity, or which, if it brought power with it, would make the development of the German polity de pendant on an overwhelming non-German influence. The decisive rejection of popular representation leads, of itself, to the sad conclusion that it is impossible just now to attain to one common constitution with German Austria, and consequently shows the necessity of com pleting our work without paying regard, for the pre sent, to the relations in which Austria will take part in it. If the note referring to the well-known declaration of the 27th of November ult., in which the arrangement of the mutual relations of Germany are made to " natu rally and necessarily " depend "on the consolidation of the great Imperial state as a well-ordered whole upon a new foundation"—if the note reminds us that this condition is fulfilled on the one hand, it is still our business, on the other band, to fulfil the same con dition (which, at the time, was equally and expressly acknowledged to exist), by consolidating Germany " under a new and stable form." If the Austrian Go vernment has thought it its duty to the Imperial state to accomplish the work of consolidation in per fect independence, and without paving the slightest regard to Germany, it will, of a surety concede the same right to Germany; and only then, when Germany shall, in perfect independence, have made use of this right, will the parity of circumstances be restored, and then only will the moment have arrived, for which the Aus trian Government, according to its own declaration, has reserved its specification of the mutual relations of the two lands—that is, if the wishes of Germany for the closest and most intimate of all possible federal relations be gratified." The committee, after expressing its concurrence with Welcker's motion in all essential points, pro poses the following modification of it :- 1. The National Assembly resolves to adopt, by one comprehensive vote, the whole code of the German Im perial Constitution, as it has now been laid before the House by the Committee in a revised form, after a first reading, and after all possible regard has been paid to the wishes of the Governments; premising that " (a) Sec. 1 shall now run— " The German Empire consists of the territory of the Germanic Confederation, with the following special stipu lations The way of entrance is left open to the Austrian lands that formed part of the Confederation. " The determination of the relations of Schleswig is reserved for a later period. " (6) As long as the Austrian lands aforesaid have not joined the Federal State, the following states shall have a greater number of votes in the House of States, viz.: Bavaria ... .......... . 20 The Grand Duchy of Hesse 8 Saxony Hanover ..... 12 Nassau Wurtemberg Baden " 2. The National Assenibly resolves to reserve to the first Parliament that meets after the publication of the Constitution to alter certain provisions of the Constitu tion in common with the Imperial Government. These alterations are to be made in the first session, and in the forms of common legislation. _ _ _ " 3. The National Assembly resolves to give its defi nitive approval, by the same comprehensive vote, to the Law of Election, as adopted on a first reading, subject, however, to the two following modifications:— "(a) As long as the Austrian lands aforesaid have not joined the Federal State, each electoral circle shall con tain only 75,000, instead of 100,000 souls; and the sur • plus number, in an individual state, which empowers the formation of an extra circle, shall be 40,000 (instead of 50,000). " The original proposal of the Committee of Con stitution shall be adopted, viz., The right of election must be exercised in person, and the vote given by word of mouth. (This is the point which the Left are so determined to combat, having won the day on the first reading.) "4. The National Assembly resolves that THE HE REDITARY DIGNITY OF EMPEROR, ESTABLISHED BY THE CONSTITUTION, SHALL BE CONFERRED ON HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF PRUSSIA. "5. The National Assembly resolves to express a confident expectation that the princes and the various races of Germany will magnanimously and patriotically give their assenr, to this resolution, and promote its realization to the best of their power. "6. The National Assembly resolves to declaro that, as far as and as long as the German-Austrian lands do not enter into the German Federal State, and subscribe to its constitution, the establishment of the most intimate . and brotherly of all possible bonds between the two States is to be endeavoured at. " 7. The National Assembly resolves that the Ger man National Assembly remain together until a Par liament shall have been convoked, and shall have met according to the provisions of the Imperial Constitution." YORK, NEWCASTLE, AND BER- WICK RAILWAY. A meeting of shareholders in the above line was held yesterday afternoon at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate street, for the purpose of considering the propriety of appointing a committee to inquire into the general ma nagement of the undertaking. Mr. H. J. Thompson, of Moat Hall, Yorkshire, was called to the chair. The CHAIRMAN said he was prepared to enter into a statement to show the necessity for a searching exa mination into the affairs of the company; but as he un derstood that there was a deputation present from the directors, he would refrain from entering into it till those gentlemen had put the meeting in possession of their views. —(Cheers.) _ eMra. m ltr e C e n tin A g 7 t B h e e N,the solicitor of the company, said h sboelau w rt a io s n h : 7y rr t h o at in kt fo r r . mthe meeting that, at a recent directors William agreedßichardson t o the following requested treed tboo a b t e t l e d nd in th L e e m ed e e e e tin o g n of shareholders in this railway, to Monday next, and be authorised ' to state, on behalf of the board, that at the special meet ing, which will shortly be held for receiving the report of the committee now sitting to investigate the Great North of England pur c h ase accoant, it is the intention of the directors to propose the appointment of a committee to undertake a general investigation of the affairs of the company." This resolution was signed by Mr. Hudson, the chair man of the company. The CHAIRMAN asked whether the committee was to be denominated by the directors or the shareholders? Mr. RICHARDSON replied that the nomination of the committee would of course rest with the shareholders. The CHAIRMAN said, under these circumstances he did not think it prudent to enter into any statement as which of o w f ou c l o d ur b s e e e to o u t lhde be m i o s m u l a y n o a g f e a m en t e put a pi pity y o the e s r l o a u r b g l e e and o f as,s eo respectable on-sided b t lh i e n a h , a shouldraactconcern, separatemeeting, after without being expressing some opinion as to the object of the meeting. He would, therefore, read to them a series of resolutions which had been prepared for submission to the meeting. They were as follows:-1st. That the prevalent reports of mismanagement in the affairs of the York, Newcastle. and Berwick Company, coupled with the insufficient statement of accounts furnished by the directors, make it desirable that a thorough investigation should be made both into the past management of this company and into the present state of its affairs. 2d. That the property of this company will never bear its proper value in the market until such an investigation has been made by parties unconnected with the present directors. 3d. That such inquiry will have the twofold advantage of silencing the injurious reports abovementioned, if groundless, and putting an end to the mismanagement, if prov e d to ex i s t . 4t h. Th at t hi s meet i ng h as h ear d wtoi meet th e this d a y, that the director s are di s p os ed the views of the shareholders in respect to the investigati on, which is thought to be essential to the welfare of the company, These resolutions were severally proposed and unani unani- mously agreed to, after which thanks were voted to the Chairman, and the;raecting; which was very numerously attended, brQko up. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. ROUSE OF LORDS, March 19. The Lon") CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Woolsack at Five o'clock. _ _ _ The Earl of CARLISLE presented a petition in favour of the repeal of the navigation-laws. TRANSPORTATION TO THE CAPE. Lord STANLEY asked if the Noble Lord the Secre tary of State for the Colonies had received any commu nication from the colonists of the Cape of Good Hope on the subject of the transportation of convicts to the colony, and if he had any objection to lay those communications before the House. Earl GREY said that be had received a memorial from the Cape of Good Hope expressing the great ob jections of the colonists to the proposed scheme of trans portation of convicts to that colony. He held the memo rial in his hand, and he had no objection to lay it before their Lordships. The memorial had been received since the subject bad been last alluded to in the House. OUT-DOOR PAUPERS BILL. The Earl of CARLISLE moved the second rsading of the Out-door Paupers' Bill. The object of the pre sent measure was to give the Poor•law Commissioners power of visiting and controlling out-door establish ments in which pauper children were farmed, and to give them the same authority for regulating those establish ments which they at present possessed for regulating union workhouses. After a few words from Lord BEAUMONT, the Bill was read a second time. PETITIONS. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE presented a petition from Cork praying that all private incomes should be assessed to the poor-rates. The Marquis of LONDONDERRY presented a peti tion from Coleraine against the rate in aid. _ The Earl of ST. GERMANS presented petitions from certain landed proprietors praying for protection, or a re-adjustment of the local burdens, or for a considerable reduction in the public expenditure. PALACE COURT. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE presented a copy of the patent establishing the Palace Court. POLISH REFUGEES. The Earl of EGLINTOUN rose to draw the atten tion of the House to the charge which appeared in the estimates, of 8,7001. for the Polish refugees. He ad mitted the Spanish refugees, and American Loyalists, and others, were recipients of the public money; but these all were voted as for military services or for losses. The Poles alone were a favoured nation; they had rendered no service, and yet they received annually a large sum, and an a dditional sum was voted for medical attendance on these Poles. If our agricul turists were contented, and our exchequer overflowing, it might be laudable, on the same plan on which we expended millions to put down the slave-trade, to give the Poles money wherewith to incur disease and then to pay for curing them ; but our agriculturists were starving, and our exchequer was empty, the yeomanry cavalry were deprived of their allowances, and the army and navy were reduced, and every plan was adopted to reduce our expenditure. The great majority of the Polish refugees were lawless and turbulent, and at the barricades of Paris, at Berlin, and Vienna, they were to be found revelling in scenes of anarchy and violence. He hoped this al lowance would cease. The Noble Earl concluded by moving for a return of Polish refugees receiving assist ance from the public funds, and the particular diseases for which medical assistance had been granted, from March 1848 to March 1849. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE was not prepared to declare, as the Noble Lord wished him to do, that this country was prepared to depart from the principles of charity towards distress, which had hitherto distinguished the policy of this country. He must object to giving the names of the recipients of this grant, and of the disoases under which they laboured. The Earl of EGLINTON did not wish for the names but of the diseases. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE objected equally to the motion. This grant arose out of the destruction of a great national existence, which had been lamented by all foreign nations. The Noble Earl had stated that certain Poles had misbehaved themselves at Vienna and Paris; but were we to punish the Poles here, because some Poles had misbehaved themselves there? The effect of this grant had been to withdraw the Poles from political agitation, and he could affirm that the recipients of this grant bad done nothing to for. feit the sympathy and assistance of the British people. From the time that during the first French revolution unfortunate persons had sought refuge on our shores, all parties had joined in giving to political refugees sym pathy and assistance, and he should be sorry to see that precedent departed from in the case of the unfortunate Poles. The greatest care had been taken that none but proper objects should receive the benefit ,of this fund, and he should be sorry to see it withdrawn. Lord STANLEY did not understand that his Noble Friend desired to interfere with the distribution of this, as a charitable fund; but that he wished to impress upon the Government the necessity of seeing that the assistance given was not given to improper persons or in an improper manner, and that medical assistance should not be given in cases arising from vice and pro fligacy. After the opinion given by the Noble Marquis that care would be taken in the administration of this fund, he would advise his Noble Friend not to press that part of his motion. The Marquis of LONDONDERRY thought it would be hard to deprive the present recipients of their allow ances, but he hoped that no further names would be added to the list. The Earl of EGLINTON only wished for numbers, and not for names. The motion as amended was agreed to, as we under stood. RETURNS. The Earl of MOUNTCASHEL moved for certain re turns relating to the police force in Ireland. The motion was agreed to, and their Lordships adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS, March 19. The SPEAKER. took the Chair a few minutes before Four o'clock. NEW WRIT. Mr. COMPTON moved a new writ for the northern division of Hampshire in the room of Sir W. Heatbcote, who had accepted the office of steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, and in doing so the Hon. Gentleman took oc casion to compliment the Hon. Baronet for the zeal and attention with which he had for a long series of years discharged the duties of Chairman of the Standing Orders and other Committees. His loss, he said, would be seriously felt by those who had the con duct of the private business, but latterly the Hon. Baronet's health had become so much impaired by his assiduity to the public service that he was compelled to resign his seat.—(Hear.) He (Mr. Compton), however, was quite certain that the House would be no less ready to bear testimony to the impartial manner in which the Honour able Baronet had performed the functions which the house had allotted to him, than to join in an expression of regret at the cause of his resignation.—(Cheers.) Mr. WILSON PATTEN, as the successor of the Honourable Baronet in the office of Chairman of the Standing Orders, must also be allowed to bear his per sonal testimony to the able manner in which the Hon. Baronet had discharged his duties.—(Hear, hear.) He had frequently had opportunities of witnessing the im partial and conciliatory tone which always characterised the proceedings of the Honourable Baronet, whose health he was afraid had been greatly injured by his close at tention to the private business of the House, but the House, he was sure, would unite with him in expressing a hope for his speedy recovery.—(Cheers.) Mr. BROTHERTON had also had opportunities of witnessing the admirable manner in which the Right Hon. Baronet had discharged his duties of Chairman of Committees, and he must be allowed to express his con currence in all that had been said of the Hon. Baronet. The motion was then agreed to. THIRD READING. Th© Sunderland Waterworks Bill was read a third time, and passed. REPORTS. The reports on the following Bills were considered and agreed to, and the Bills ordered to be engrossed:— Darlington Gas and Water Company Bill—Epsom Rates Bill—Feltwell Second District Drainage Bill. SECOND READING. The Birkenhead, Lancashire, and Cheshire Junction Railway (power to sell or lease to the London and North Western, the Chester and Holyhead, or the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway Companies, or to amalgate there with) Bill, was read a second time and ordered to be committed. BIRMINGHAM BOROUGH BILL. On the motion for the second reading of this Bill, the object of which is to exempt Birmingham from the pay ment of county rates. Lord BROOKE moved as an amendment that it be read a second time this day six months, as Birmingham had no right to the exemption it claimed, while the Bill itself proposed to alter the criminal law of the land, which ought not to be allowed. It was a private Bill, and yet it contained provisions fur altering the Municipal Corpo ration Act.—(Hear.) Mr. SC HOLEFIELD said Birmingham was no expense whatever to the country,and as it maintained its own gaols and lunatic asylums it ought not to: be called upon to contribute to the erection of county buildings of that description, for which it had no use.—(Hear.) But the Noble Lord had taken a technical objection to the Bill. —(Hear, hear.) The Noble Lord said the Bill pro posed to alter the criminal law of the land, which could not be done by a private Bill, while, if there was any s uc h a lt erat i on required, it oug h t n a t s l o l t e a ß w n i t r i m t a h l i a j n . coyswtnausundt surdriu t and thhoe nHo wayot c s oeofn an u n o e ns d lo dt a on l f o o n st u e to be made by a gen e r a l A ct extending to the whole that s h ot bon; justice. o ; t o u n t he to Sir GEORGE GREY doubted whether Birmingham could be legally called upon to contribute to the county rate so long as it maintained its own gaols and asylums; but, be that as it might, he was bound to admit that Birmingham had a claim to the exemption which this Bill proposed to establish.—(Cries of " Hear, hear.") He would suggest, however, that the proper course would be to get the legal question decided before they legislated upon the subject, and if the decision was against Birmingham, the exemption would become a matter for a general and not a private Bill.—(Hear.) Mr. SPOONER could see no necessity for putting Bir mingham to the trouble and expense of deciding the point which the Right Hon. Baronet had raised. It was clear that, as a matter of justice, Birmingham ought not to be called upon to contribute to the county rate, and he, therefore, lived the House would read the Bill a second time.—(Hear, hear.) He would vote for the second reading. Mr. MUNTZ said the county magistrates admitted that the Bill was a fair one; but they opposed it because they considered it should be a general measure, on the principlo of a man pleading the statute of limitations to his creditor. The people of Birmingham had at present ample gaol and lunatic accommodation; and it would be, there-. 1 fore, manifestly unjust to saddle them with an additional impost for a purpose they did not stand in need of. In conclusion, he had to say that at Birmingham the people were in a very bad and unprosperous state, that the rents were very heavy and in some cases un bearable ; and he would tell the Right Hon. Gentleman that if the burdens of the town were unnecessarily in creased, the magistrates of Birmingham would not be responsible for the peace of the town. He would cor dially support the second reading of the Bill, and he hoped it would pass the House. Sir G. GREY thought it would be desirable if the House could come to some agreement by which the levy ing of rates in the town of Birmingham might be sus pended until the fate of the Bill before the House was decided.—(Hear, hear.) The gallery was then cleared for a division, when there appeared— For the second reading ... 70 Against it ... ... 62 Majority ... —8 UNIVERSAL RAILWAY COMPENSATION COMMITTEE. The appointment of this Committee was deferred till to-morrow. THE PEACE MOVEMENT. Mr. THORNELY presented a petition from Bilston, signed by 400 inhabitants, praying for a recourse to arbitration in the national disputes. RATING OF RAILWAYS. Mr. LACY presented a petition from the South- Western Company, under their corporate seal, praying for an alteration in the rating of railways. Sir G. STRICKLAND presented a petition from Pres ton, signed by upwards of 8,000 persons, praying that international disputes might be settled by arbitration. Mr. GROGAN presented a petition from Dublin, praying for the abolition of the privilege of Members of Parliament from arrest. NAVIGATION-LAWS. Mr. BERRIES presented a petition from Liverpool, signed by upwards of 7,000 persons, against the repeal of the navigation-laws. MARRIAGE BILL. Several petitions were presented against the Marriage Regulation Bill. RATE IN AID. Colonel DUNNE presented several petitions from Carlow against the Rate in Aid Bill. PUBLIC LIBRARIES. _ _ _ Mr. EWART presented petitions from Wigan and other places, pra) ing for an inquiry into the manage ment of public libraries. Mr. SCHOLEFIELD presented petitions from Bir mingham is favour of arbitration in cases of interna tional disputes. COUNTY-RATES. Mr. AGLIONBY presented petitions from places in Lancashire complaining of the increase of county-rates. CANADIAN REVOLUTION. Mr. F. MACKENZIE said a statement had appeared in the public prints to-day in reference to Canada of a very extraordinary nature. It was stated that a Bill had been introduced into the Colonial Legislature of Canada for indemnifying certain persons for the loss and injury they had sustained during the rebellion of 1537. It ap peared that these persons had been engaged in the rebellion, and one of the objects of the Bill was to levy a rate upon the colony to indemnify them for the ex pense and inconvenience they bad sustained in under taking a voyage from Canada to Van Diemen's Land.— (Laughter.) It was also stated that a person named Nelson was to be indemnified for the damage done to his house during the rebellion by the Queen's troops, and ho begged leave to give notice that to-morrow he should ask Government whether it was true that such a Bill had been introduced ? Mr. HAWES thought it best to answer the question at once. No dispatch or communication to the effect that any such Bill had been introduced had been re ceived from Canada by the Noble Lord at the head of the Colonial Department. No information had been re ceived which could enable him to make any other answer than that there was no foundation for the report. Mr. MACKENZIE—Am I to understand the Hon. Gentleman to say that he has no knowledge of such a Bill having been introduced? Mr. HAWES—I have no knowledge of any such Bill having been introduced from any official source, nor have I any knowledge of the fact at all.—(Hear.) WINDOW DUTIES.! Lord DUNCAN gave notice that on an early day he should renew his motion for the repeal of the window duties. PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. Mr. HlTATEga;enotice of his intention to move that instructions be given to the Minting Committee to con sider whether the Parliamentary papers of the House might not be printed in the octavo form, for the con venience of Members and economy to the country. IRISH POOR-RATES. Mr. FRENCH wished to ask the Hon. Secretary for Ireland a question. On the 6th of February a return was ordered of the military and police engaged in the collection of the poor-rates in Ireland, but it had not yet been laid on the table. He wished to ask when they might expect to have that document in their hands? Sir W. SOMERVILLE could not say; but he had written to Ireland on the subject. CHICORY. Mr. ANSTEY repeated the questions which he put on Friday to the Chancellor of the Exehequer, on the subject of the Treasury minute sanctioning the adultera tion of coffee with chicory. Ceylon, he said, had lost upwards of 300,000/. in consequence of the order, and he wished to ask whether the coffee from Ceylon, as re turned in October last, was not unsaleable as coffee, and had absolutely been sold at chicory prices, and whether the Right Hon. Baronet knew any reason why the Act of Parliament which had been suspended for the purpose of letting in chicory in the place of colonial coffee, had not been suspended for the purpose of letting in the British leaf instead of China tea.—(Hear and laughter.) pu E br o X O hu t b the te E d Q 3t U ch ue E r a n dlBo s 3i a t3 i e d .r3a i 4i t twasuu The auof C oc lu H dff A eAu N c wt C io E tfb L Gc L ob 0 0 i c. t bh t h ua e tt ory; a duty was imposed on foreign chicory, whether in its raw or manufactured state, in the same ratio as the duty levied upon colonial coffee, and grocers were prohibited from selling it. The Act also prohibited the use of chicory in tea—(Hear and laughter)— but when used in tea, it was highly dele terious.—(A laugh.) It was different, though, when mixed with coffee, and the Act had therefore been suspended. Chicory, in fact, greatly improved coffee.—(A laugh.) Honourable Gentlemen might laugh, but it was nevertheless true.—(Laughter.) Only two years ago he was informed by a most respectable firm in London that for a short time the coffee they supplied to their customers was adulterated with 20 per cent. of chiccory, but some of their customers determined upon being supplied with the coffee in the berry. This request was complied with, and coffee, was supplied in the berry, but it was found by these customers that making coffee from the berry produced a much inferior flavour to the coffee they had before, and they were therefore glad to return to the ground coffee which had been adulterated with 20 per cent. of chicory. He had received the same accounts from other parts of opinion of a former Chancellor of ct that coffee was not only t theth e country. Exchequer improved by the admixture of chicory, but extended its use among the lower classes of th e p eo pl e . Si nce then a change had taken place. He had And was the o t h oep e re ceived from Ceylon a memorial stating that the planters of coffee had been greatly injured by the great use of chicory that prevailed in consequence of the low price, and the loss of duty to the Government. But he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) did not believe that the use of chicory had had much to do with the dimi nished consumption of foreign coffee, since there had been much importation of colonial coffee at the low duty, and diminished importation of foreign coffee at the higher duty. During the last four years, it was a remarkable fact that the quantity of colonial coffee which had been introduced for home consumption had increased from 20,000,000 lbs. to 30,000,000 lbs., whereas foreign coffee had fallen off in the same period from 13,000,000 lbs. to a little under 7,000,000 lbs.—a falling off of nearly on e - half in the consumption of foreign coffee. In fact, the consumption of colonial coffee had increased one-half, which would account for the falling-off of duty to which the Honourable and Learned Gentleman had referred ' • yet, the entire quantity of coffee consumed during the four years had decreased, whilst the consumption of tea had increased, which could not be accounted for, except that the use of chicory had much increased. At the present time, the duty having been so recently .introduced, and the experiment not having been suffictently tried, he could not with justice introduce any measure which would prevent its use. On the other hand, he was unwilling to adopt the course be had felt it advisable with regard to beet-root sugar —namely, subject it to an excise duty. Certainly no change would take place in the law with respect to the use of chicory without due notice to the parties interested in its sale. Mr. ANSTEY complained that the Right Hon. Gen tlemanthe whole of his queries. He had not replied to wished to know if the returns for the year 1848 did net disclose the fact that about 26,0001. worth of coffee was consumed below what • was consumed the year before; whilst the same returns showed that the quantity grown and imported from Ceylon increased 12,000,0001b5., the loss being 48,0001. upon the year; and whether the quan tity of chicory consumed instead of coffee did not stand in the same proportion as 12,000,0001b5. of chicory did to 38,000,000 lbs. of coffee, and whether he would have any objection to l a y on the table the correspondence which he had had with the Excise -office upon the matter? The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER was understood to say that the quantity of coffee imported in 1848 was less than it was in the preceding year, and that whilst coffee imported from the colonies was increas ing, that imported from foreign countries had been fall ing off. CONVICTS AT THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. Mr. ADDERLEY rose to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies for copies or extracts of any correspondence not already laid before the House be tween any Secretaries of State and Governors of the Cape of Good Hopeon the transmission of convicts to that colony ; of any remonstrance of the inhabitants of the Cape of Good Hope, or any documents showing their sentiments • in regard to the rec e p tion of convicts in that colony ; and, copy of a m emorial of landowne rs , merchants, and others, recently presented to Earl Grey, respecting the introduction of convicts into the Cape of Good Hope. Mr. HAWES said he must trouble the Hon. Member to put his question on a future day. Ho did not, however, undertake to say at this moment that any particular dispatch or communication had been made to the Colonial -office. Since the former day on which the Hon. Member put his question they had received dis patches on the subject. Mr. ADDERLEY would ask the Hon. Gentleman if he was not aware whether, in the month of February, a communication had been received from the Governor of the Cape of Good Hope, conveyinga general remonstrance from the cob:x*sW apillst the reeeptiou 9f couvicto? , Mr. HAWES could give the Hon. Member no other ens% er to his question than that which he had already given. However, if the Hon. Gentleman wou ld p ut hi s question 'on the paper for a future day he (Mr. Hawes) would endeavour to give him the information which he required. He had no objection to laying on the table any official or unofficial document on the subject. POOR-LAW BOARD. Mr. HUME asked the First Lo;;1 Of the Treasury, whether any reduction was to be mule in the Poor-law Board, and its establishments, this year ? Lord J. RUSSELL said he did not think it possible that there could be any material reductions made in the present year. OFFICERS IN THE ARMY. Mr. EWART begged to ask the Secretary at War whether it was in contemplation to introduce any sys tem of education and examination of persons applying to be officers in the army P Mr. FOX MAULE begged to state that his Grace the Commander in-Chief had determined to institute a test of education for officers previous to their receiving com missions in the army. It was also intended by his Grace the Commander-in-Chief to have a second exa mination on the promotion of an officer from the rank of ensign to that of lieutenant, but that examination was to be entirely of a professional character, with a view to ascertain if the officer was completely acquainted with the duties which would devolve on him in his profession in his capacity of an officer. Then there was to be a third examination of a subaltern officer before he went to his company. That was to consist of a mere general examination on matters of military skill and knowledge. His Grace the Commander-in - Chief had instituted that system entirely in deference to the public opinion, which had been extending for some time past. MOVEMENTS OF THE ARMY. Mr. ARCHDALL wished to ask the question of which he had given notice, as to whether it was the in tention of her Majesty's Government, and of course under the direction of the authorities at the Horse Guards, to make any alteration in the disposition of the troops during the present year? Mr. FOY MAULE, in reply, said that the disposition would, as far as it could be arranged, remain the same during the present year. So far, however, as the cavalry regiments were concerned, it was intended to keep them in their quarters, but the infantry would be moved as usual. Mr. ARCHDALL sail that he had another question to ask the Right Hon. Gentleman, and that was con cerning the arrangements of the detachments from regiments, especially those on foreign stations. He wished to know whether it was intended to carry the same principle out with respect to them as would be observed with regard to the army in general. Mr. FOX MAULE said, that though in some cases of detachments it might not be possible to observe a❑ universal custom, yet, upon the whole, the same rule would be observed with respect to them as was observed in the direction of whole regiments, and this the Govern ment thought was one of the best ways of carrying out the system of economy which they were so desirous to observe. _ TAXES ON EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA. In reply to a question, Mr. HAWES stated that the Supreme Court of the United States had unanimously come to a resolu tion that the property of emigrants who sailed from this country to Canada, and who ultimately crossed the frontier, to settle in the territory of the States, should be relieved from all taxation. He was not prepared to say what regulations Lord Elgin might have made, and he must refer the Hon. Gentleman to the dispatches from Canada which he shortly expected to receive. Nor could he, of course, say what charges were likely to be made. THE CASE OF JOHN SHAW. Mr. F. O'CONNOR wished to ask the Right Hon. Baronet at the head of the Home Department whether it was true that John Shaw had been deprived of the use of books which had been sent for his rcading because they were Catholic, in their principles and the governor of the prison and the chaplain were Protestant. Sir G. GREY was not prepared to reply to the ques tion, having had no notice of it, but would give an an swer on a future day. MOVEMENTS OF THE ARMY. Capt. VYSE wished to ask the Right Hon. the Secre tary at War whether the Household Brigade were to be subject to the same rules of charge as the infantry regi ments of the line in this country, and he asked this in order to obtain some information which he was anxious to receive on the motion of which he had given notice on going into Committee on the army estimates. Mr. FOX MAULE said that the Household Brigade would be regulated' according to the rules which had always been observed in the direction of its movements. Mr. Anstey, Ccl. Dunne, Mr. Hume, and sevural other Members then postponed the motions of which they had given notice, in order that the House might go into Committee on the army estimates. The House then resolved itself into a Committee of Supply, Mr. Bernal in the chair. - - THE ARMY ESTIMATES. Mr. FOX MAULE then rose to move the army esti mates. He said that in rising to propose the first vote, namely, the number of men which were to be retained in the service of the Crown during the ensuing year, he trusted that the House would bear with him whilst he en tered into details, from which he would have abstained but for the occurrences that had taken place, and which ren dered them necessary. The number of men it was pro posed to maintain in the service of the Crown during the ensuing year was 103,254. In considering this subject, her Majesty's Government had had to review the con dition of this country with respect to its foreign rela tions, its Indian and colonial possessions, and its affairs at home. Now, looking generally to all those inter ests and the general scope they were taking, a short time since it did appear to the Govern ment of this country that the country might he relieved from that burden of taxation which was necessary upon the maintenance of ten thousand men less than last year when the number retained was 130,847 ; but the intelligence that arrived, towards the close of the last year, of the dis astrous occurrences that had taken place in India, called upon the Government to supply three regiments of 3,300 men, and it was pro posed, with reference to the remainder of the 10,060, to discharge them in the course of a few months. Since that was resolved upon, however, in telligence bad arrived from India rendering it necessary to send two other regiments there, and it was proposed by the Government thetas to those regiments about to be withdrawn from this country, that instead of discharging 7,000 men, the discharge should be limited to 5,000 men, and orders had been given to that effect. In looking to the subject of this discharge, two aspects presented themselves the state of the affairs of this country at home and abroad. With respect to the first, he thought they were satisfactory, and as to the latter, they were such as to in duce the country to assume an indifferent course. Now, in the second place, let them look at the colonies and see what claim there was upon us. He had taken the trouble to look into the state of the forces distributed over the colonial empire of this country, and in many portions of that empire he must say the colonies were barely occupied ; they could scarcely be said to be in a state of miltary defence; but, at the same time, all Governments had endeavoured as much as pos sible to make the military charge of the colonies as light as it could be made to the people of this country but if we were to preserve the colonies—if we were to recognise the claims of the colonists to military pro tection and defence against aggressions from without, the House must make up its mind to maintain the force we had at present concentrated in the colonies. (Hear, hear.) He did not mean to say that in the course of lime arrangements might not be made to diminish that force, but at present he did not think it would be safe or prudent to reduce it.—(Hear, hear.) In Gibraltar we had the same gar rison as in 1833, and he alluded to 1833, because in that year a Committee of the House sat upon the details of the military defence of the colonies, and decided what forces were necessary for their protection. —(Cries of " Hear, hear.") In Malta at that period there were 2,468 men, at present there were 2,700, so that in the case of that colony there had been a slight increase. In the lonian Islands the force remained much about the same now as in 1833. In Western Africa in 1833 the force was 452, at present it was 600. In the Cape in 1833 the troops in that colony consisted of 1,779; at present they numbered 4,200, with no prospect of a reduction, In Ceylon the force re mained the same in the year 1833, with no prospect of a reduction. In Canada the troops consisted at present of 7,870 men, about the same as in 1833, but here there was a prospect of reducing the number.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. HUME—Does that include the Canadian Rifles? Mr. F. MAULE continued—lt included the Rifles and the whole North American force; as that country was approaching a state of greater contentment than had been known for many years, the garrison there might be re duced hereafter. The Hon. Member for the West Riding h , a f t o increase was in 18 removed.3B and 1839, 83T9,hoawt owing had said that when an increase was m a d e t o t h e army at any time in the colonies, it was not re d uce d a f terwards not wh apply enth to the cause eati C se an e a f da t to the rebellion there, the troops were 13,825, the num ber now was only 7,708. In Bermuda the number was much ,the same as in 1833,-1,080. In New South Wales the number in 1834 was 2,636. It waslnow 4,000. But it must be remembered that the colony of New Zea land had been added to our colonial possessions in that part of the world, and that the colonists had had to be defended against the attacks of a very warlike and skilfull body of natives. In the Mauritius the number in 1833 was 2,000; at present it was 1,520; and, considering that the people were not altogether friendly to English rule, it would :not be safe to reduce the number further. In Jamaica the num ber in 1833 was 4,000, including.the Hack troops; it was now 1,940. In the West Indies, not including Jamaica, the number in 1833 was 5,281; it was now 3,160. In St. Helena the number now was 375; and in Hong Kong (first garrisoned in 1846) the number had been reduced from 2,000 to 1,140. He had asked many Gentle men connected with the trade in those seas, and they all agreed that it was absolutely necessary to have a mili tary post in that quarter, and that Hong Kong was th e best. Fe thought that the Committee would agree with him that it would not be prudent to reduce the colonial force lower than it was at present.—(Hear, 'hear.) He then came to the. next consideration, of the force re quired for the maintenance of pence and order at home. He never was one who wished to maintain order in this country by military despotism, but it was necessary to maintain a sufficient force to protect those who were at tached to order, who were embarked in commerce, and in the general pursuits of peace, in case of tumult and out break—(Hear, hear)—and to support the magistrates in the execution of their duty, in enforcing the laws against the refractory. At this moment the military force in this country consisted of 53,000 men, of whom 27,000 were quartered in England and Scotland, and 25,000 in Ireland; these were rank and file. Pt the 25,000 - —• England, and 2,000 in Scotland, they were scattered very generally over the manufacturing and populous dis• tricts in Lancashire, Yorkshire, and counties of that de scription, and, numerous as that isody might appear to be, the House might be surprised to be told that, not in this nor in the past year alone. but geeerelly in every ) ear as far back as he could remember, lookieg to the requirements made by the civil to the military authori ties for the aid of the military power, that number of troops had no light duty to perform. He held in his hand a hat of the applications made in the year 1848 by the civil magistrates to the military authorities for assistance in preserving the peace on various occasions, and in different towns in this country. In that list were included the towns of Brecon and Car digan, Derby, Weymouth, Durham, Wigan, Liverpool (on six different occasions), Ashton-under-Line, Rochdale, Leicester, Nottingham, Bath, Teignmouth, Stockton-on-Tees, Birmingham, Dudley, Sheffield, Leeds, Barnsley, Halifax, Doncaster and Keighley. Some of these applications were made on extremely fri volous and vexatious grounds; but still, it the military had not been there, complaints would have been mule that Ministers were eeelecting their duty, end that the country was not provided with troops sufficient to pre vent the outbreaks which had taken place. At Leeds the Mayor had called a meeting, at which resolutions were passed in favour of reform. But the mayor bad in one minute signed the requisition for that meeting, in order to give the public an opportunity of expressing their opinions on the subject, and, in the next, had signed a requisition to the officer commanding the troops, to fur nish him with a military force in the event of any breach of the peace taking place.—(A laugh, and " Hear, hear.") Fortunately, no collision had taken place on that occa sion, but the circumstance showed that it was considered necessary to have troops in readiness in the manufac turing and other districts of England in which disturb ances were anticipated. He believed that it was a wise economy to have these troops at hand; that prevention was, in 99 cases out of 100, better than cure; and that, although the public might be taxed a few thousands extra to maintain a greater number of troops than would be otherwise absolutely necessary, yet that it was wise to do so, inasmuch as they were pre venting collision and an effusion of blood, from the cir curesteuce of its being known that the troops were at hand, and ready to act, if the occasion should arise for their services. —(Hear, hear.) With reference to the fourth consideration, the relief to th e t roo p s i n I n di a and the colonies, if Hon. Gentleman would read the speech of Sir R. Peel in 1845, they would remark the stress which he had most properly laid on the bounden duty of those who had charge of the military arrange ments of this country, to see that those who had entered into the service of the country should not be banished into honourable exile, but that they should have the prospect, within a reasonable time, of returning to their friends iu this country. The rule acknowledged to I be the proper one was, that regiments serving in India should not remain there more than fifteen years, whereas they had in some instances been compelled to serve there for a period of 26 years; that regiments serving in any of the nearer colonies should not be abroad more than ten years; and that every regiment re turning to this country should remain here fur at least five years. Now, with the numbers of the army as at present proposed by the Government, these desirable ends could just be attained, but if the House agreed to the proposition of the Hon. Member for Montrose, and reduced the number by 14,000 men more than the Go vernment proposal, the system of relief to which he had adverted would be most effectually prevented. [le hoped that such a number of troops might be maintained as would enable the Horse Guards to relieve troops which had served 15 years in India and 10 in the other colonies, and to enable them to serve five years at home; and 153,000 men were not more than they were warranted in placing at the disposal of the Government for the purpose of effecting these important objects and maintaining the general interests of thecountry. He might now place the vote in the hands of the chairman, with the simple request that the House would not agree to the motion of the Honourable Member (Mr. Hume), but the custom of explaining the votes in detail which were in eluded in the army estimates rendered it necessary for him to take a rapid glance at the money votes succeed ing the vote for men. The first vote being for the num ber of men (103,254), the second was the estimate of the charge for the payment of that number and amount of the land force. The gross charge for the financial year 1848-49, exclusive of India, was 3,971,1221.; for the present year, 3,655,5881., being a decrease of 315 5341. The third vote was for the general staff. Last year the gross charge was 172,886/, this year it was 173 3761., being a small increase of 4901. On the home staff there had been an increase of 1,6061., on the foreign staff a decrease of 1,1161., making the total increase 4901. Vote 4 was for the public departments. The gross charge in 1848 9 was 96,591/.; in 1849 50, 94,199/, being a decrease of 2,3921. Vote 5 was for the Royal Military College, in which there was au increase of 1,125/., bet the institution was self-supporting, and the in crease would be provided from its own resources, and paid into the Exchequer. Vote 6 was for the Royal Military Asylum. The gross vote in 1848 9 was 19,5591., in 1849.50, 19,2981., being a decrease of 261/. Vote 7 was for the yeomanry. The gross charge for 1843 9 was 80,309/. ; tor the present year it would he 66,2861, being a decrease of 14,0231. The Government had effected this reduction in the charge for yeomanry by directing that they should be assembled for simple ex ercise only (luring the present year. Looking to the facts that there had been frequent inst ections of the yeomanry, that the various corps were well drilled and appointed, and ready for efficient service ; that they had been generMly "out " last i ear, an:l that many had voluntarily served in the spring on particular service, the Government felt that, without any imputation deco. gatory to that body, and without diminishing its effi • ctency, the le.sembling merely for exercise would be suf ficient in the prestnt year. These were the vot( s on effective cervices, the total decrease in which was 330,595/. The von s for non-effective service b gun with Vote 8, rewards for distinguished services, the gross charge for which in 1848 9 was 15,5071., and in the present year 15,1204, being a decrease of 3871. - Vote 9, the pay of general officers amounted to 76,0001. in 1848-9, and in the present year to 65,000/., being an actual d, crease of 11,000/. There came, however, this year into the vote a charge of rather an extraordinary nature. In 1818 General Mur ray was promoted from a lieutenant-celonelcy in the Life Guards to the rank of a major-general, and claimed to be retained on the strength of the army as lieutenant colonel of the regiment from which he was promoted. The War-office and General Murray differed upon this subject, and the consequence was that the latter refused to draw any pay at all during the whole period from 1818 to 1848, and the amount of his pay remained in the hands of the public, being paid back into the Exche quer. On the death of General Murray his executors put in a claim, for principal and compound interest, of 24.000/. The amount which would be paid to them was 13,908/., which showed an apparent increase on this vote of 2,9081. Votes 10, 11, and 12, which formed the bulk of what was called the dead weight of the army, were, as many Honourable Members must be aware, most scrupulously attended to by those who adminis tered the financial affairs of the army.—(Hear, hear.) As a proof he would trouble the Committee with the difference in the amount of this vote since 1821. In that year the whole number of officers of the army on full pay, unattached, retired, half-pay, and fo reign half-pay, was 17,426; in the present year the number was 10,514, being a diminution in the present year of 6,912. There was an increase of 1,016 officers on full pay, bust there had been an increase of men in proportion. In 1822 the pay for officers unattached was 182,126/.; in 1849 it was 65,0001., a decrease of 117,4261. The charge for officers on retired full pay in 1822 was 145,235/.; it was now 56,0001. The half-pay in 1822 was 870,000/.; it was now 400,0001., being a reduction of 470,000/. The foreign half-pay amounted to 97,000/. in 1822; it was now 44,000/. The decrease on these three votes since 1822 was no less than 745,0001. So far as the dead weight was concerned it was, therefore, evident that it had been narrowly watched by every successive Government.—(Hear, hear.) The next vote (13) was for widows' pensions. Last year the gross charge was 129,8551.; this year it was 128,778/, being a decrease of 1,077/. Vote 14 was for comparative allowances, which was 95,5001. this year, against 98,0001. last year, a decrease of 2,500/. Vote 15, in pensions, presented a gross charge last year of 38,580/. this year of 35,5411., a decrease of 3,0391. Vote 16 was for out-rnsions, the charge for which in 1848.9 was 1,248,810/.. and in 1849.50, 1,224,0531., a decrease of 24,757/. One item of this vote, of 500/., required ex planation, as it had been misunderstood and misrepre sented. It was for the payment of an officer (Captain Tulloch) who had been sent to Canada for the purpose of reviewing the pensioners in British North America, in order to ascertain the possibility of forming them into a similar body to that which had been formed out of the pensioners at home. This body were paid through the Commissariat, and it was believed that many of the same defects in the mode of paying the pensioners in British North America would be found to exist which had been exposed in this country. Captain Tulloch would investigate the whole circumstances respecting this body of men, and he had no doubt that the result would amply repay this outlay of 500/. On vote 17, for superannuation allowances, there was a small decrease, the gross charge for 1848.9 being 38,2324, and, fur 1849, 38,000/. The whole decrease in the charges for the non-effective service for the present year was 48,029/., and, on the effective service, 330,595/., making a total decrease on the effective and non-effective ser vice of 378,624/. as compared with last year. But then it was stated that the votes for the present year ought to be regulated by the standard of 1835. Ile was glad to see that Mr. Hume proposed to arrive at that stand ard gradually, and not suddenly; but he would venture to compare the expenditure for 1835 and 1849. So far as regarded the charges of those two years he believed there was a very small difference in the actual burden of taxation for the maintenance of the army. In 1835 the gross charges on the army estimates were 5,906,7821,; in 1849-50, 6,142,211/., being an increase in one year over the other of 235,000/., and no more. But since the year 1835 many charges had been placed on the army esti mates, with the consent of all parties in that House, and after the most mature deliberation on the part of the House. lie might instance the 50,000/. which had been foregone as poundage, and the expense for mili tary prisons in lieu of corporal punishment. Th e number of points in which the present estimates neces sarily differed from those of 1835 were much greater than might at first view appear. If, for example, they had included in the votes for 1835 as great a charge for education as was contained in the estimates now before the House, it would be found that the army expenses of that year would greatly exceed those of the year 1849, and that, too, for a less force than was to be maintained in the present year. It had been, of course, the aim of every Government to render the effective force of the army as much as possible what an effective force ought to be, taking care at the same time to keep the non-effec tive force at the lowest possible point, consistent with justice and expediency, He admitted that since the year 1835 there had been a large additive to the stag Qf 010 army, but that arose from an increase in the stations. Then, as to the augmentation of the officers, his Hon. Friend near hire knew es well as he did that the pro portion of men guided the proportion of cfficers.- ( Hear, hear.) They must have a sufficient number of fliers and a sufficient number of grades amongst the efficers to insure the disc'pline and effi ciency- of the troops. Every one knew that a. here there were men there must be effacers to command them.-(hear, hear.) In this way we might g) through all the votes of 1835 sc: iatinz, but this he should not do, considering that it would be quite unne cessary for him to occupy the time of the Ilouse with such minute details. He might, however, just touch upon one or two points in which alterations had been made, conformably with the recommendations of the Committee of 1836, and of these the in( st important was a sum of 24,000/. to labourers, and 24,0001. on account of the increased expenses of married soldiers. In the course of last year inquiry had been made into the condition of married soldiers in barracks, and it had been found to be the habit of the service that many of them, with their wives, occupied sleeping rooms in screimon with single men, and it was now proposed by the Govern• meld to incur such further expense as would put an end to a practice so of jectionable, by enabling commanding officers to allow married men to find lodgings for them selves.-(Hear, hear.) A further expense now proposed to be incurred was 2,000/. for barrack libraries, and 5,000/. for schools for female children. There was an additional item of which he doubted not that the House would fully approve. It sometimes became necessary to put soldiers in confinement to offences purely milder) ; and, since secondary puni s h men t s h a d b een increased so much as they had recently been, the neces• sity for military prisons had undergone a corresponding augmentation, an expense which he was sure the House would not refuse, inasmuch as it would prevent the ne cessity of sending soldiers, guilty of no moral or civil offence, to herd among common felons. The sum re quired for this purpose would be 28,000/. The other votes which he might here mention would be on account of divine service, or rether spiritual assistance to Ro man Catholics, 3 000/.: for regimental savings -banks, 2,5001. ; for good conduct warrants, 4,0001.; for the Jer sey and Guernsey Militia, 2,7001.; and for the St. Helena corps, 11,9881., which, with 5,5001. for other items, gave a total of 253,0001. in the shape of additional charges since 1835, and upon the whole the country possessed the services of a much larger force in 1849 than in 1835. He should now come to some other matters relating to the general condition of the troops both at home and abroad, and more especially to the sanitary condition of our military force. He held in his hand a state ment from Colonel Tulloch on this subject, the sub stance of which he now proposed to lay be:ore the House as follows :-In Jamaica, the average mortality per 1,000 of white troops annually during a period of 20 years ending in 1836 amounted to 121 3-10ths; during a period of ten years, ending in 1846, 66 9-10ths; the difference in the mortality per 1.000 of troops employed, 54 4- 10ths reduction: Windward and Leeward Islands, daring a period of 20 years ending in 1836, 78 5-10ths ; period of 10 years ending in 1846, 68 7-10ths; reduc tion, 9 8-10ths; Gibraltar, 20 years ending in 1836, 21 4-10ths; 10 years ending in 1846, 10 9-10ths; reduc tion, 10 5-10ths; Malta, 20 years ending in 1836, 16 3-10ths; 10 years ending in 1846, 14 9-10ths; reduc tion, 1 4-10ths; Jordan Islands, 20 years ending in 1836, 25 2 10ths; 10 years ending in 1846, 15 5-10ths; re duction, 9 7-10ths; Bermudas, 20 years ending in 1836,.28 8-10ths; 10 years ending in 1846, 29 2-10ths; excess, 4-10ths; Nova Scotia and New Bruns wick, 20 years ending in 1836,147-10ths; lOyears ending in 1846, 13; reduction, 1 7-10ths; Canada, 20 years ending in 1836, 16 1-10th; 10 years ending in 1846, 12 6.loths; reduction, 3 5-10ths; Newfoundland, 20 years ending in 1836, 41 ; 10 years ending in 1846, 9 1-10th; reduction, 31 9-10ths: St. Helena, 20 years ending in 1836, 34 2-10ths; 10 years eliding in 1846, 15 4.10 th ; reduction, 18 8-10ths: Mauritius, 20 years ending in 1836, 27 4-10ths; 10 years ending in 1846, 24 4 10ths; reduction, 3: Ceylon, 20 years ending in 1836, 69 8-10ths; 10 years ending in 1846, 41 4-10ths; reduction, 28 4-10ths: New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land, 20 years ending in 1836, 14 ; 10 years ending in 1846, 11 ; reduction, 3 : Cape of Good Hope, 20 years end ing 1836, 13 7-10ths; 10 years ending in 1846, 13; re ductien, 7-10ths. In the Windward and Leward com mand, the average mortality per 1,000 of black troops annually during a period of 20 years ending in 1836, amounted to 40 ; 10 year s en di ng i n 1846, 30; difference in the mortality per 1,000 of troops employed, 10 reduc tion: Jamaica,2o years ending in 1836 30; lOyears ending in 1846, 26 5-10ths; reduction, 3 5-10th : Ceylon, 20 years ending in 1836, 24 8-10 the; 10 years ending in 1846, 24 7-10ths ; reduction, I.loth : Cape of Good Hope, 20 years ending in 1836, 10 9-10ths ; 10 years ending in 1846, 14 8-10ths ; excess, 8 9-10ths. In the Household Cavalry the average mortality per 1,000 of troops employed in the United Kingdom during a period of 7 years previous to 1836, 14 5-10ths; 10 years ending in 1846, 11 1.10 th; difference in the mortality per 1,000 , 3 4-10ths reduction : Dragoon Guards and Dragoons, 7 years previous to 1836, 15 3-10ths ; 10 years ending in 1846, 13 7-10ths; reduction, 1 6-10ths : Foot Guards, 7 years previous to 1836, 21 6-10th s; 10 y ears en ding i n 1846, 20 4- 10ths; reduction, 1 2-10ths: Line Regiments, 7 years previous to 1836, 18 5-10 t h s ; 10 years ending ; in 1846, 17 9-10ths reduction, 6-10ths. I a Jamaica the deathsehat would have taken place among the white troops had the mortality from 1836 to 1846 been at the same rate as in the previous 20 years, 1,960; whereas the number who actuailydied during the periods under re view were only 1,082; saving of life during the 10 years ending in 1846. 878; in the Windward and Leeward Is lands, deaths that world have taken place, 2,655: actually died, 2,323: saving, 332: in Gibraltar, deaths that would have taken place, 718; actually died, 364; saving, 354: in Malta, deaths that would have taken places 348; actually died, 31e; saving, 29: in the lonian Is lands, deaths that would have taken place, 660; actually died, 505; saving 255: in the Bermudes, excess, 5: in Nova Scotia and rew Brunswick, deaths that would have taken place, 396; actually died, 351; saving, 45' in Canada, deaths that would have taken place, 1,472 ; ectually died, 1,153; saving, 319: in Newfoundland , deaths that would have taken place, 154; actually died, 34; saving, 120: in St. Helena, deaths that would have taken place, 95; actually died, 43; saving, 52: at the Cape of Good Hope, deaths that would have taken place, 345 ; actually died, 327 ; saving, 18 at the Mauritius, deaths that would have taken_ place, 474 ; actually died, 422 ; saving, 52 ; in Ceylon, deaths that would have taken place , L 085; actually died, 644; seving, 441; in New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land, deaths that would have taken place, 312; actually died, 242; saving 70. At the home stations, the deaths that would have taken piece among the Household Cavalry, 174; actually died, 134; saving 40; among the Dragoon. Guards and Dragoons , deaths that would have taken place, 836; actually died, 742; saving, 94: among the Foot Guards, deaths that would have taken place, 865; actually died, 820; savi n g . ' ! 45: among the Line Regiments, deaths that would hev: taken place, 2,965 ; ac t ua lly di e d , 2 , 8 60; saving' iotbe Under the Windward and Leeward he t d olack deaths that would have t a k en pl ace amon g Comm- _ troops, 457; actually died, 340 ; sav i ng 117 : in Jamaica, the deaths that would have taken place, 164; actually _ died, 146; saving, 18 : in C e yl on , deaths that would have taken place, 498; actually di e d, 497 ; saving, 1: a t the Cape of ;Good Hope, exc e ss, 19 ; total excess, 24 . _ Total of those who would have died, 16,633; total of those who actually died, 13,248: making a total saving of life in the course of this period of 3,385 men. which was nearly equal to five battalions. From the foregoing statements the House would see that much improvement had been effected in the sanitary condition of the troops in the West Indies by an abolition of salt diet, arid by the discontinuance of inferior food of other kinds, as well as by removing the troops out of the sea side barracks and placing them in higher and more healthful situations. From the statements which he hrid just laid before the House it became evident that, at cote" paratively trifling expense, they had been enabled t . ° effect a great impr ovemen t in the condition of the se t dier-(Hear, hear)-which, even apart from its buten:. nity, had the further but m uc h l ower recommen d a tion?: being a measure of wise and sound economy. T n ., saving of human life by means of those improvenree: amounted to not less than 3,385, b e i ng equa l t o five bate talions. The next subject to which he wished to advert had reference to six qu es tio ns , o f w hi c h no t ice had bee n given by a Noble Lord opposite. One of those questions related to the number of d ea th s th a t h a d t a k en plane , 1 5 ,, the 66th Regiment ; an o th er , w h e th er any case o f yeli c ' e ,, fever had occurred in th e 72d b e f ore t h e 66 t h were ef camped in the rear of th e i r b arrac k s; an d a l s o if the x . officers of those regi men t s h a d not b een put to greateese pease for medical ad v i ce ? I n rep l y to t h e fi rs t of ththe questions, ho should state that the 66th arrived 'n An d; island of Barbadoes about the end of Februarl' e f t he at ter a day or two, took possession of the barrack s e ieed 88th, which regiment they relieved. They r e r e t ee tolerably healthy till about the end of Aliens" L eber disease became virulent. On the 6th o f SePwe ;ere they were encamped. As man y as 18 h a d died be the Ist of September, and 17 died daring the month of September. As to the latter clause of the questi on respecting Dr. Davy's letter to the medical inspector e r th he had no information to give. In reply to d Noble Lord's second question, respecting Assista nt ' Surgeon Simpson's letter to Dr. Davy, he b, only to say that no such letter was in t he hands of the Inspector - General. His reply., the third question was this - that no case of yens": fever occurred in the 72d Regiment prior to the 66 being enc amped. The 66th were encampe d on the D l ls of September, s and the first cas e o f ye ll ow f ever o ccurre d iuthe 72d on the 3d of Octob er . Th e 88th were _en ! ll ca mped on the same ground as th e 66t h , w hile the l' o f Fusiliers occupied the same barracks, and no case tos yellow fever occurred in that corps. The inference , on. that the 6Gth did not bring the fever by oontsg i the Then, with regard to thefourth question, concerning s, be expenses to which the officers were supposed to be pu rsa l• begged to inform the Noble Lord that on enc*MPoreduer the officers become entitled to field allowances, ' il b a d to enable them to meet extra expenses,. and t h ey , fa no occasion to pay anything extra for tendance. Next in order came the fif inthe d n ' ne f i e ° :ci which he had no means of answering, an and only to state that the expense of extra stores would appear in the Ordnance hear.) T he e ncamp _ and u b oin . missariat accounts for the quarter.--(ffear, , man y Noble Lord's sixth questions was to this effect , nu w . , ? periods the medical men were available for duty during the ePtn ein. His answer was that during the following Pe the medical officers were-in January, 181 , 1 a ' l ; 2, i e February 11, in March 12, in April 12, assistance should submit, that that amount of medical t June ober in July 9 in A u g l u 2 s , t hbourhoodr had must more alwa medical ys b e :9terh9saYvoieny:an O e ei c ia s n obtained from any other island in the ne f f o l o g r tor it. r t : 3o t th to the barracks of St. Anne's, he had b there having beena considereddf u b l full en power rqeiugn9i ;EP : o r inee nde s oSe e iume n t: d bi ee dirgi respect s in th ese of the island. From 1843 to 1847 the troop ( that tbat they were not more unhealthy than other pa rt ° barracks enjoyed a state of health sold= ©Ter im... , I t 1 • 1 i i i 2 . -- '- • - - - -