The Sun. — London, England, 1827-02-20 00:00:00

• mate. The Account of 'Widows' Pensions amounted, to 163,8881. 16s. 6d. which was a diminution when compared with that of 1826, of 61711. The Compassionate. List for the present year amounted to 193,063/. 13s. 9d., which showed an increase over that of the last year. The, Exchequer Fees remained the same. The expences of the Veteran Battalion were 86,8031. being an increase of 23,497/. and a diminution of 23,674/. over the txpences of the year 1826. The balance was, conse quently, 1741. in favour of the present year. The. CHAIRMAN then put the Question from -thin Clair, when— Colonel DAVIES said, that before the Commit - tae came to its decision upon the question submitted to it, he would wish to straw the attention of its Members to the eztrava puce of theseale of the public expenditure, and to the compara tive excess of the present Estimates over those of preceding years. The four. great branches of expenditure to which he would call the attention of the House were—the Army, Navy, Ordnance, and the Miscellaneous Service. The amount of these was 14,606,000/. in the year 1822. For the year ending the sth January, 1527, the same four branches of service amounted to 19,344,000/, being an increase of 4,739,000/. He would only ask those Gentlemen who were so loud in their professions of public spirit, to have the goodness to do their duty when these Estimate were voted. Would they but attend in their places, . the country would be richer by nearly five millions per annum. He objected strongly to many of the items in the present Esti mates. There was a charge of 60,000/, for levy money of 15,000 men. The usual number of rank and file in the army was 74,500. Therefore 15,000 men were one-fifth of the whole army. Al though the duration of a soldier's life, from the casualties of battle, foreign - service, and hard duty, was not equal to that of a civilian, he could assert that it was a great deal more, upon an average, than five years. Never was there so extravagant a de mand made upon this head of expenditure. In 1823 the num ber of recruits raised was only 11,000. He observed in the Es - tin:sates a charge bf 28,000/. .for raising only four companies. Each recruit must therefore have cost the country no less than 20/. before he could be brought upon duty, or be reckoned fit for service.. He believed that the newly-adopted system of recruiting by whole companies tended much to destroy the efficiency of the army,. and many whom be had consulted upon the subject con curred with him in the opinion. Lord PALME'i TON said that the lion. Mem her was mistaken with oect to the number of recruiti. Of the fifteen thousand men, tfiousand were to supply an additional force, and the number intnded to answer the wear and casualties of the service, was only eleren thousand. Taking deaths, desertions, and discharges into consiceration, it would be by no means more than would be probably wanted. With reference to the system of recruiting, as far as his (Lord Palmerston's) experience went, he could positively assert that the present system was eminently adapted to insure the efficiency of the service. • In the first place, by the present system of recruiting, there was no longer a multi bide of officers that used to be detached from their regiments, wasting their time to the loss and disadvantage of the public. Instead of nine hundred officers so detached by the old practice, there were now not even one hundred. By the present system, no regiment could detach more than one officer at a time, and no officer so detached could be absent from his regiment more than two years. The absent officer was not allowed to have under his command a single man belonging to his own regiment, so that the regiment was left efficient mil complete. The present system was, therefore, evidently better than that which formerly existed. With reference to the organization of the army, so far from the present plan of recruiting having impaired that organization, or in any respect diminished its efficiency, it had eminently tended to raise the force in every point of service. Colonel - DAVIES asked across the Table, what was Itikvtrength` of battalions upon foreign service under the pre sent sityriftt of recruiting? firIPAtMERSTON said, that the strength of a b atta li on c ,c the line on foreign service waft 600 men. Formerly, reg i rnei ft eo ii s i s iod of ten companies or eight; all of which went on service, leaving only the. skeleton of one company to recruit. Each regiment-now consists of ten companies, six of which are sent on service, thg remaining four eompanies are left at home to recruit. These companiel discipline the young soldiers, and send them from time to time Oaths battalions abroad. It was a literal fact that when a compariscaluelbeen made between regiments consisting of the same numberofmen,thessrwhich had only 6 companies abroad,and recruit. ed under the present system, were found to be stronger and more efficient than the regiments with ten companies upon the former system of recruiting. The reason was evident : the four companies at home were a better engine for recruiting and keeping up the undisturbed organization and numbers of the regiments than the skeleton companies which were formerly used for raising men. The garrisons abroad are much more effec tive now than formerly. The new recruiting system had, how ever, another material object in view. When a whole regiment went a b road, if officers became unable to continue in active ser vice, tliey were sent home on leave. This indulgence Wall, of course, ; limited; and when their leave expired, if the state of their health prevented their returning to their regiments, and reassuming active duties, they were of necessity compelled to retire on half-pay. Upon the present system, the officer came home, nut merely, uponJeave of absence. If his health did oblige him to quit active duty, he did not come home upon leave of ab sence, nor were his services - lost to the public. He joined his depot, and: these performed that comparatively easy duty which she state of his health permitted. Depots, which consisted of raw ;reruns, could not certainly he so available as entire regiments ; but they did perform a share of duty, and of a description neces sary to the service. CoL DAVIES and Lord PALMERSTON mutually explained. Mr. HUME would leave it to the comprehension of ,militars. men, how regiments of 600 men could be more effi cient than regiments of 800. From what he heard, a very dif ferent account could be given of the subject. Leaving such para doxes, he would ask, was it economical to have 50 Field Officers, 204 Captains, 408 Subalterns and Staff Officers, employed re cruiting? The Members of the Administration were in the habit of talking of the preferene of one system over another. They compared them iu their different points, and vaunted of the wipe, riority of recent plans. The only point which they never took into consideration was what appeared to him the most essential to consider--namely, the exr,ence. Improvements, however obvious, might be acquired at too great a cost. By the present practice, the War Department left a Staff at home, with a few companies to recruit, and, as far as he could learn, the expense of the system was well deserving of attention, So far from it being economical, it was most extravagar.t. 'ne CHAIRMAN put the question, «That 67,1:•9 men be provided for the Military Service in the present year." Mr. I-ITME said, that the observations of Colonel De.viesoyera.nni upon the grant, they were in anticipation of the subject beAre the 1101se. Re (Mr. H.), for one, objected in the strongest Mariner to the great amount of the' army. He knew that he was not solitary in entertaining these objections. As the House had pledged. itself to support the expedition to Por tugal, to put matters to rights there—Ca laugh)—he did not mean, at the present moment, to do more than to protest against the ntimber . of our forces. He would, however, beg leave to state to the House, that when Parliament had recently petitione4 he Crown to reduce the public establishments, the answer from the f.rown was, that every possible economy should he observed. M r . - V. FIZTGERALD denied the assertion of the gallant c olonel opposite, that the Expenditure of the Army, Navy, Ordnance, `red Miscellaneous Estimates, was between four and five millions more in the last year than in the year 1822. Instead of that, by the pap'fr which he held in his band, it appeared the difference was only '1,300,000L Mr. HOLE wished to know the arecise sums. Mr. V. FITZGERALD stated that the amount of the Army, Navy, Ordnance, and Miscellaneous Service, in 1822 was 16,660,000 E, and of the satue services in the last year 17 , 941 ,000/. ; being a difference of only 1,300,000/. Mr. HOME observed, that he held in his hand a paper, in which a ditli account was given of the matter. It was a Parliamentary , signed J. C. Herries„eiving an ac count of the Revenue Expenditure of the year ending Jan. 1, 1827 ; by which, it appeared, that the Expenditure of the Army, Navy, Ordnance, . and Miscellaneous Services, was 19,844,187/. Mr. IiERRIES - . said , that the paper from which the Irom.Qentiernen had just been reading was perfect'', correct, but that the Hon. Gentleman was perfectly wtong in the infer ence which he,had drawn from it. ,colonel DAVIES observed, that there ought to be „ mug explanatory Appendix to the Papers to prevent the oc eurence of errors. E had taken the trouble to add up the w h o l e of. the expenditure for the Army , Navy, Ordnance, and Miscellaneous Services for the last ten years, and he found that the amount was 182,000,000/. ;lacing on an average an mint - 40 ex ,ooo/. This year was above the avera ge , an d pence of 18,2 25 4,000,0001. above the expenditure of the year 1823. The Resolution vvaa then agreed to. Lo r d PAL:VIER STON moved, that the sum of 3 ' 155 .W 4 . 12s. 6d. be granted to his Majesty for the pay of the said Lasul Forces. Mr.' HUME pointed out the enormous number of Officers -employed, vie. for Great Britain, including reliefs, 26,194 ; for )tations abroad, excepting India, 38,015 ; and for Ireland, 22,604. The number of troops in garrison was also excessive.—The Resolution was then agreed to. Lord PALMERSTON moved, that the sum of 186,3221. ss. 4d. be granted to his Majesty for the expencts of the Staff, exclusive of India. After a few words from Colonel Davies and Mr. Hume, representing the great increase that had taken place in this branch of our military expenditure, the Resolution was agreed to. Lord PALMERSTON moved, that the sum. of 111,6551. '7l. Id. be granted to his Majesty for the expences of the Public Departments. Mr. HUME observed that on reading the items of this branch of expenditure, and comparing them with tle:se GI former years, it appeared to him that every thing was not gg• lon right. Among other charges there was the sum of 20,01:0/ paid to individuals superannuated from the Noble Lord's own Office. The House would de well to inquire in what manner these retirements and superannuations took place. Was the head of an office to turn out whom he pleased, and make room for whom he pleased, without minding to what extent the public were burdened by the operation ? He should he glad to hear from the Noble Lord on what ground the Deputy Secretary at War had retired since last year. What was the amount of his retiring pen sion ; and on what principle was it granted ? Lord PALMERSTON said that when the Hon. Gentleman compared the expence of this branch of the service with its expence in former years, it would be well if he would also look at its increased efficiency, and at the superior dispatch and accuracy with which the business to which it related was per formed. The Noble Lord concluded by expressing his approba tion of the services of the late Deputy Secretary, which fully entitled him to the retiring salary which was awarded to him by the Lords of the Treasury. Air. HUME thought, notwithstanding the expla nation just given by the Noble Lord, that the charge of Deputy Secretary to the country was extravagant. He would he glad to know if the retirement of the late Deputy Secretary was a volun tary resignation on his part, or whether it was in consequence of a suggestion to him to resign his office ? Lord PALMERTON said, that the resignation of that Gentleman was certainly a spontaneous one on his part. The Resolution was then agreed to. Mr. HERRIES, in reply to a question from Mr. Hume, respecting an increase in the charges of certain Military Pensions and Allowances, which he denominaced a military dead weight, said, that the utmost vigPance was exercised in awarding the allowances to which the Honourable Member referred ; certifi cates of service were carefully inspected, and every step was taken to render the distribution as fair and impartial as possible. Mr. HUME understood that twenty-two clerks had been reduced in the establishment of the Noble Lord last year ; he wished to know whether any new appointments of clerks had taken place since that reduction LOrd PALMERSTON : " Twenty-two clerks were reduced in my establishment last September. If I under stand the question of the Hon. Member rightly, he wishes to know if any new appointments have taken place since that reduc tion. If that be his question, I answer No--(hear, hear.") The next Resolution was, " That a sum, not exceeding 17,7771. 14s. 6d., be voted for Medicines for the service of the Army for thepresent year."—Agreed to. Lord PALMERSTON then proposed a vote of 153,148/. 2s. for Volunteer Corps. Mr. HUME objected to this grant, as it did not appear what were the services which required so large a sum. Lord PALMERSTON said, that the only Per manent Officers were the Adjutants, permanent Serjeants, and other officers who were kept upon the staff; the whole corps were only entitled to payment on the eight days on which they were called out on service. When it was considered, that all the volunteers of the country - were included under this item, he did not think that the House would consider it extravagant. The Resolution was agreed to. The next Resolutions were for Regiments in the East India Company's Territories (exclusive of Recruiting Troops and Com panies), 759,963/. Os. 3d. For Recruiting Troops and Companies for ditto, 32,159!. 9s. id. ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE. Mr. HUME, on the proposal of 13,3291. 3s. id. for the Royal Military College, observed, that from the Estimates it appeared that there was a charge for 216 cadets. fie wished to know how many of these cadets had been appointed to com missions ? Lord PALMERSTON replied, that sixteen cadets had been appointed without purchase, anti that twenty-two had been appointed by purchase. Mr. HUME, then it appears that the country is saddled with a charge of 14,2291. 3s. Id. for the supply of thirty eight cadets to the arms-. Sir H. HARDINGE said, that the number of military students was more than threefold the number who ob tained situations from the College. The fact was, that those who were appointed from the College underwent a very severe exa mination, as a test of superior qualification. Those who did not obtain situations from the College, had all the facility which their family resources may give them to obtain commissions, and the service was benefited by the advantages of the education which they received at the Military College. Sir ALEXANDER HOPE supported the opi nion of the Gallant Officer (Sir H. Hardinge) as to the fact of the students at the Royal College being subjected to the ordeal of a severe examination, and of more officers receiving the advantages of an education useful to the service, than obtained 'commissions through their connexion with the Royal Military College. The benefits arising from the Military College were not confined to the mere annual appointment of thirty-eight or forty officers. The education which officers of the army received was found to be extensively beneficial. Many officers who had been educated there, and who were afterwards scattered in different parts of the world, took surveys of the places in which they had been, and supplied, in this and in other ways, a variety of valuable infor mation. It seemed as if those who objected to this grant were disposed to fix the proportion of ignorance rather than of know ledge that ought to prevail in the army, and to measure its value not by its improvement, but by its deterioration—(Hear.) Mr. HUME admitted that the officers of the army ought to be well educated, but not at the expense of the public. Lora PALMERSTON produced a return of the Number of Students admitted into the ,Military College, sine its first establishment in 1802. The total number was 2928, of which 1320 had received commissions in the King's Service, and 120 in that of the East India Company. The defence furnished by his Hon. 'and Gallant Friend (Sir A. Hope), rendered it need less for him to say another word regarding the great public utility of the establishment. Mr. MONCK observed, that the only question was, whether the education of these young men ought to be paid for out of the taxes ; ought the people to be taxed for the ,purpose of teaching those who would he quite as well, if not better, taught at the expence of their friends and relations ? Why was it neces sary for the country to educate its officers, more than its phy. sicians, its lawyers, or its divines ? Sir.. A. HOPE said, that after parents had, at the call of the public, devoted their offspring to a severe and hazard ous profession, they had a right to expect that the public should sustain the charges ;If ter education. Mr. HUME disapproved so highly of this exor bitant grant, that he should move as an amendment, that the sum of 0,000/. should be substituted for that of 13,000/., and he hoped that in another year the charge would be got rid of altogether. The House then divided, when the numbers were— For the Amendment 29 Against it 107—Majority 78 The original resolution was then put, and agreed to. The next resolution, that the sum of 36,2%1. ls. 71 he granted for defraying the expense of garrisons in Great Britain and Ireland, having been read, Mr. HUME objected, that in several of them —as, for instance, la Hull and Fort William—there was neither a soldier nor a gun, still they had a governor and a deputy-governor. Lord PALMERSTON had hoped that this esti mate would have given the Hon. Member for Aberdeen satisfac tion, as it was less than the charge for the same branch in 1792. The resolution was then agreed to. The resolution that the sum of 118,0001. should be granted for the half-pay of retired officers, was then read, and agreed to. The resolution that the sum of 770,014/. 12s. 6d. should be granted for the half-pay and allowances of retired officers having been read. Mr. HUME Wished to know if any of these retired officers had died off, as he perceived that this charge, instead of diminishing, went on increasing. Lord PALMERSTON observed, that it had been increased 11,0001. by casualties, and it had also been increased by a transfer of certain charges properly belonging to the Manioc and Ordnance Departments. Mr. HUIVIE thought these transfers extremely wrong, and calculated to produce great confusion. Sir H. HARDINGE said, that the plan of mak ing this transfer was adopted in 1823, and that he himself had at that period mentioned it to the Hon. Member for Aberdeen, who approved highly of it. Mr. HUME had no recollection of having ex pressed his approbation of this transfer. The resolution was then agreed to. The resolution that 104,1001. be granted for defraying the fo reign half-pay for 1827 having been read, Mr. HUME wished to know if any of these officers had been allowed to sell their half-pay. Lord PALIVIERSTON replied, that as, in case of a sale, the officer selling was only allowed to receive two-thirds of the purchase-money, and the other third was applied to the ser vice of the public, a sufficient inducement had not been held out to officers to sell, and consequently not many had availed them selves of this privilege. Mr. HUME was surprised to hear the Noble Lord represent these sales as being advantageous to the public ; the country might indeed receive a small part of the purchase-monev, but it was burdened with the payment of an annuity for a young life instead of an old one. Colonel DAVIES thought that some little deduction might have been expected in thin estimate by deaths and other casualties, from what it was four years ago, whereas it had actually increased. Lord PALMER STOP' referred to the half-pay estimates, and contended that a reduction had taken place. The Resolution was then agreed to. The Resolution that the sum of 48,326/. 4s. 9d. he granted for the in-pensioners of Chelsea and Kilmainham Hospitals having been read, Mr. iiliME said, that this estimate had for several years last past gone on increasing. • Lord PALIVIERSTON admitted that the charge for the out-pensioners had increased, but it was to be expected that after a war like that in which we had ben engaged, there must be numerous claimants on the retired allowance. If any one would take the trouble of examining the classes of pensioners where the greatest increase had taken place, he would find that it was in the highest class, which was composed of the most meri torious individuals. Mr. HUME contended that soldiers were fre quently placed on the retired list through improper motives, or the mere whim of the commanding officer. Sir ALEXANDER HOPE and Sir HUSSEY VIVIAN each of them declared that this could not take place, and that men were rather kept too long th i n discharged too soon. The resolution was then agreed to ; as also the resolution that the sum of 1,812,917/. 10s. lid. he granted for the out-pen sioners of Chelsea Hospital. The resolution that the sum of 28,0461. 17s. be granted for the Royal Military Asylum, having been read, Mr. HUME said, he never allowed this grant to pass without objection, and he thought it somewhat inconsistent in Government to press a charge of this nature, whilst they were expressing themselves most anxious to get rid of our superfluous population. Lord PALMERSTON contended, that if pa rents were employed by the public in foreign service, and died abroad in such service, their orphan children had a claim on the counStir. ry ALEXANDER HOPE observed, that 1,000 orphans were provided for at an expence of only 58,000/. Sir H. HARDINGE said, that when Hon. Mem bers considered the state of the army, not in England, but in the colonies ; when they considered the great mortality in those parts; that out of 2,700 men in Jamaica, 000 died in a single year ; they could not thinli that a stronger claim could exist on the generosity and humanity of the House..—(llear.) Mr. HUME thought that the humanity of the House might be directed to a different quarter. This resolution was'agreed to. - The next resolution weldor 135,86132. for pensions to the widows of officers of his Majesty's land forces. Mr. MONCK repeated his objections to thegrow ing charge under this 'head. The expence of one regiment in England equalled that of two in France. Lord PALMERSTON observed, that the French army might be twice as cheap as ours; but, although in time of peace, it was an invidious topic, yet he might remark that in the war some difference hid appeared between the.two armies. After some further remarks from Mr. Monx, and an Hon. Member, whose name we could not learn, the resolution was agreed to. The next resolution was 'for 193,0631. for the compassionate list, allowances for his Majesty's bounty, and pensions to officers for wounds. HIEVIE inquired what regulations had passed respecting these pensions ? Lord PALMERSTON .said that the applicants were referred to the Medical Board, and a certificate was required as to where the officer received his wound. No partiality existed, however, and he (Lord Palmerston) suffered no consideration (not even eminent services) to influence his mind ; the question with him was, whether the officer had a claim or not.—( Hear. ) The resolution was agreed to. The next was for 54,198!. for allowances, compensations, and emoluments in the nature of superannuation or retired allowances, which was agreed to. The next was for 38,000/. for Exchequer fees, upon issues for army services ; agreed to. The House then resumed. The order of the day for the adjourned debate respecting the Mallow election, on the motion for enlarging the time for entering into recognizances, was then read. After a few words from Mr. Wynn, the motion for further time trls negatived, and the order for considering the petition was discharged. _ Sir - A. GRANT brought up the report of, the Committee of Supply. After the resolution had been gone through in the Howe, the Committee of Ways and Means was appointed for Wednesday next. Mr. DAVIES GILBERT moved for leave to bring in a bill to extend the provisions of 55 Geo. 111., c. 192, for disposing of copvhold property by will, to other species of property similarly circnmstanced.—Granteil. Mr. Alderman WOOD moved for the following accounts An account of the number of barrels of strong, table, and inter mediate beer, chargeable to the excise, between the sth of July, Ism and the sth of January, 1827. An account of the number of barrel. of the same exported, for the Flame period. An account of the number of brewers and licensed victuallers. An account of the number of bushels of malt w hi c h h ave pa id duty to the exci.e, between the 4tb of July, 1826, an d t h e st h o f January, 1827. An account of the quantity- of foreign spirits imported in three years, ending 1827. Mr. HERRIES postponed the motion of the Master of the Roils, for leave to bring in a bill for the regulation of the Court of Chancery (fixed for to-morrow), till to-morrow se'nnight.—The House then adjourned at half-past eleven o'clock. NAVAL DISCIPLINE. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUS. Ste—At a time when it is insinuated that the severity of dis eipline induces a disinclination in seamen to enter into the naval service, you may probably deem the following extract from a letter, dated on board his Majesty's ship Philonzel, in November last, at Malta, not unworthy of insertion in your columns, not only in justice to the Officers named, but as proving that strictness of dis cipline is not at all incompatible with the regard and affection of a ship's company : We had yesterday the pain of losing our valued Commander, Lord William Paget, whose promotion to Post rank occasions his return to England ; but it afforded to us, acutely as we must all feel that loss, no small degree of consolation to witness the heart felt burst of true and honest affection with which his Lordship was cheered by Officers and ship's company on taking leave ; and never, I am persuaded, was a man more truly beloved, nor ever were feelings of stronger regret evinced by a ship's company, on parting with their Commander, than were by ours towards Lord William, who has carried with him the most fervent wishes for his health anti happiness. Nor was our First Lieutenant Witham, who, although, as you know, is what we technically term a taught Officer, anti who was invalided, and left us at the same time, much less regretted than his Lordship. Such is ever the result of proper discipline, when tempered by kindness of manner and well-regu lated indulgence. " J. B." NATIONAL I‘IO; , ZUMENT TO THE MEMORY OF THE LATE DUKE OF YORK, &c. THE PUBLIC MEETING in Aid of the above Object will he held at the Freemasons' Tavern, Great Queen-street, on MONDAY, 26th inst. ; on which occasion His Grace the Duke of WELLINGTON will take the Chair, punctually at One. FRED. MAITLAND, Gen. Hon. Sec. Committee Rooms, Royal Union Office, Lancaster-place, Feb. 16. PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS. HOUSE OF COMMONS. NOTICES OF MOTIONS FOR THIS DAY. 1. Mr. Wilmot Horten—Bill to enable the King to authorize the aliens. tion of a part of the Clergy Reserves in Upper Canada. 2. Mr. Brownlow—Copies of Correspondence which passed between the Irish Government and the Magistrates of Lisburn, and Its vicinity, relating to Orange Parades on the 12th July, 1825 :—Also, Copies of the Opinions of the Law Officers of the Crown in Ireland which were laid before the Magistrates respecting Processions. 3. Mr. Hume—Returns of the number of Officers of the Army on Full and on Half : pay ; also, the number of first Commissions, and of Promotions, in the last year, in the Army. 4. Mr. Bransby Cooper—Resolution against adding " Voices" to Com mittees on Private Bills. 5. Mr. Hume—Regulations adopted in Canada respecting the granting of lands. ORDERS OF THE DAY FOR THIS DAY. 1. Kilkenny City Election Petition—Ballot for Committee at three. 2. Coventry Election Petition—Ballot for Committee at half after three. 3. Supply—Report. NOTICES GIVEN YESTERDAY. Wednesday, Feb. 21. 1. Mr. James Grattan—Petition from the Catholic Bishops in Ireland on the subject of Education. 2. Mr. James Grattan—Return of the Parishes and Counties, with the names of landlords from whose estates the Irish emigrants were taken in the years 1823 and 1825. 3. Mr. Jonathan Peel—Return of the number of men from the last monthly Return of each regiment to make them effective. Thursday, Feb. 22. 1. Sir James Graham—To present two Petitions relating to the intro.. duction of the Military into Carlisle during the last Election. 2. Mr. Fynes Clinton—To discharge the Order for consideration of the Hedon Election Petition. Tuesday, Feb. 27, The Master of the Rolls—Bill for the regulation of the Court of Chancery. Wednesday, Feb. 28. Mr. Villiers Stuart—Papers connected with the Appointment of a re sident Stipendiary Magistrate, under the Constabulary Act, of the District of Kilraacthomas, in the County of Waterford; viz. the Certificate of the Magistrates to apply for, and the Memorial of the County against, that Appointment. Tuesday, March 6. Sir John Newport—To bring under view of the House the state of the law for rebuilding and repairing Churches in Ireland. ' MAILS. Arrived. Due. Arrived. Due. O America 1 0 Guernsey& Jersey. 1 O Brazil 1 0 Hamburgh 5 O Buenos Ayres O Donaghadee 0 0 Jamaica 0 O Dublin O Flanders 0 0 Lisbon 1 1 France O Gottenburgh 1 0 Waterford 1 HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE TO-MORROW. Morning 5l minutes after 9. 1 Evening 30 minutes after 10. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. SlR,—May I request, through the medium of your valuable Paper, to be informed by what Act of Parliament, a Jew, sitting as a Juryman in a Civil cause, is sworn in the name of " Jehovah," instead of that . of " God ?" I am, Sir, your Constant Reader, Feb. 17th, 1827. • W. Wzirtzt , o4o.. „ 6.;\ LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 20, 1827. We are extremely concerned to state that the Earl of LIVERPOOL continues much the same to-day as yester day. Sir ASTLEY COOPER was in attendance upon the Noble Earl two hours this morning before a con sultation took place. The Noble Earl was able to articulate a little this morning, and passed a more quiet night than the preceding one. After the consultation, which was over at half-past one o'clock, the following Bulletin was issued : " Fife House, Feb. 20, 1827. " Lord Liverpool passed the early part of last night comfortably. His Lordship is much the same to-day as he was yesterday." To our inquiries at half-past two o'clock this after noon the answer was—that no apparent alteration had taken place. The accounts from Brighton of Mr. CANNING continue to be favourable. We are happy to find that the statement which we made in a Second Edition of our Paper last night, of the Death of his Royal Highness the Duke of CUM BERLAND has not been fully confirmed. The intelli gence which we published had its origin in a letter re ceived yesterday at the Foreign Office, from a person attached to the British Embassy at Berlin, dated the 6th inst., which said, " the king of PRUSSIA is re• covering from the effects of his late accident, as is the Duke of CUNIBERLAND, from his severe cold and in flammation of the chest ;" and the intelligence received additional confirmation from Lord STRANGFORD having stated that a Messenger, charged with the despatches announcing this event, had mentioned it on the road. There are therefore still serious apprehen sions entertained of the correctness of the informa tion, but we shall be happy to be able to contradict it entirely. It would be worse than useless to speculate upon the Ministerial arrangements which are likely to be made iu consequence of the loss to the country of the valuable services of the Earl of LIVERPOOL. We believe that nothing is finally settled: but as the health of Mr. CANNING is gradually advancing towards recovery, we may fairly calculate that the Right Hon. Gentleman will himself be able to assume that direct ing influence over the Councils of his MAJESTY which will lead to a speedy adjustment of the new arrange ments. In the mean time we shall only allude to a rumour in general circulation to-clay, thar Mr. CAN NING is to be First Lord of the Treasury and Chan cellor of the Exchequer, and that Mr. ROBINSON or Mr. PEEL will be called up to the House of Peers. The business of the two Houses of Parliainent pro ceeded last night, notwithstanding the absence of the chief Members of his MAJESTY'S Government, and we are glad to find that there is no intention to ad journ, as had been reported, but that an arrangement has been made that none but ordinary business should be for the present entered upon. A feeble attempt was made to renew the opposition to the additional grant to the Duke of CLARENCE. The Marquis of TAVISTOCK opposed the grant, but in doing so ridiculed the idea that 9,0001. a-year would be felt by the country. Mi. HumE made a violent harangue against the measure, which was more calculated to exite the feelings of the lower classes out of doors than to convince the judgment of those to whom it was addressed ; but the Hon. Gen tleman was so ably answered by Mr. MAURICE FITZ GERALD, the Knight of Kerry, who characterized his arguments as an attempt to delude the people, and to excite their passions, that it was not necessary for his Majesty's Ministers to say a word upon the subject. The question was then carried ; and the Army Esti niates were voted in the Committee of Supply, without any one item being considered by the House as ob jectionable. By an extract of a private letter from Lisbon, we have the following information :---" It has, I under stand, been decided that Lord BERESFORD is not to have any command civil or military, in consequence of an infatuated attachment which he has long had for the female part of a Family here who are of the QUEEN'S party, and who have influenced him in many matters, which made him obnoxious to the people. He then fore goes home, and I believe General CLINTON iv to have the command of the Portuguese Army." We understand that reports have reached town, . estCom th p e a o n b y jects of his that Captain o accomplishedrt k through AN K LI over landthe exp e diti o n, and had fallen in with, an d em b ar k e d on board, his M a j e sty's ship Blossom, whi c h h a d b een N had North-rest v, sent for the purpose of meeting him in Behring's Straits. It is added that some of the party who were with him had retraced their steps by their original route. We were not a little astonished on perusing the speech made by a Noble Viscount, on presenting a Petition from the Catholics of Liverpool, on Friday night in the House of Peers, to find a recommendation to Catholic Lords to take the oaths at present established for Peers of Parlia ment, although they could not do so conscientiously, and thus to take their seat in the House by means of Perjury!! His Lordship, with more wit than sense, quotes the two following lines of HUDIBRAS to justify this course : " Tie he who makes the oath that breaks it ; Not he that for convenience takes it ;" and exclaimed, with what we would stil e flippancy, •if we might apply such a term to the language of any Noble. Lord, " How astonished would some of their Lordships be at the appearance in the House of those Noble persona." The astonishment of their Lordships would indeed be great, though perhaps not greater than that excited by such a recommendation from a Nobleman of rank, and while advocating the admission of Catholics to all privi leges enjoyed by others. Really the friends of a good cause often injure it by the folly of their arguments; and in no case has the truth of this adage been more com pletely verified than in respect to the Catholic Claims. The violence and intemperence of some of the leading ad vocates of this question have excited fears in the minds of many, who originally were not altogether unfriendly to qualified concession; and the disregard to the sacred obli gation of an oath now recommended by Lord CLIFDEN in his place in the House of Peers, is not calculated to re move the apprehensions of those who question the object* and designs of some of the supporters of Catholic Eman cipation. We have advocated the admission of the present Catholic Lords to the House of Peers, but not by means which would be a violation of principle and decorum; and we are convinced that no men will condemn the recommen dation of his Lordship as indecorous, more strongly than those ancient and high minded Noblemen who have adhered to the religion of their ancestors with conscien tious fidelity. We have been prevented by the press of matter from offering any remarks on the Debate of Thursday, regarding Emigration—a Debate conducted with a manifest desire on the part of the speakers to lessen the sum of national misery, and not merely to promote the influence of their respective parties. instead of ex, erting ingenuity in the defence of abuses, as was too common with placemen some years ago, we now find official characters originating plans of improvement, and thus depriving the Opposition of their popularity, by leaving them little to find fault with. An Under- Secretary, alive to the distresses of the lower classes.' would, indeed, have been an extraordinary phenomenon in any part of the last century. But on this occasion, both sides of the House agreed in bestowing the highest encomiums on the zeal and industry which Mr. WILMOT HORTON has displayed in prosecuting . this; important subject. With regard to the plan itself, we may remark that it at first strikes one as involving an expense of startling amount, for one of its advocates talks of twenty mil lions as the probable expense of transporting to Ame rica a million of colonists. This is, indeed, a large. sum to lay out, at least without some sufficient guarantee against the speedy recurrence of the same. evils, from a continuation of the system of small free holds in Ireland, and the acknowledged principle of po pulation to supply rapidly what has been suddenly sub tracted, independently of the probable effects of a free trade in corn. We hate the character of dampers (or desponding croakers), but although Mr. W. HORTON has displayed great research and ingenuity, in meet ing many of the probable difficulties of the case, we cannot help fearing that he has still overlooked some of them. Is it unreasonable to fear, since com pulsion is out of the question, that the perversity of human nature, may prevent men from accepting when offered to them, that which may be palpably for their benefit, and which seemed highly desirable when not within reach ? Besides, a sudden demand for the necessary quantity of shipping would raise freights in a manner sufficient to upset' calcula tions made at the existing rates. No doubt great advantages would accrue to our Trans-Atlantic pos sessions from this scheme. Such an addition to the population would be a tower of strength to the Canadas, situated as they are in the immediate vicinity of a powerful empire, fully aware of their im portance,—but still who can say that the unfortunate issue of a war might not prove all this money to have been thrown away ? Whereas, if twenty millions, or half that sum, were laid out in public works at home, in intersecting England with magnificent canals, worthy of so rich a nation, and which would pay themselves, (such as that projected between London and Ports mouth) no such risk would be incurred, and occu pation would be given to a vast multitude of our starving population. What an incalculable benefit is. the Caledonian Canal likely to confer on the northern parts of Scotland. Sixty miles in length, joining the East and West seas, and fit f or th e rece pti o n o f fri gates, it exhibits a p rou d monumen t o f na ti ona l en terprize, with every probability of soon paying interest for the outlay by its rates, in addition to the indirect tribute which it at present yields. Or the two schemes might be adopted simultaneously, and might harmo nize admirably. W e cannot, however, quit this subject without quot ing from 111r.:W. HORTON'S speech, the case of the Parish of Shipley, in Sussex, exemplifying the•possible consequences of the apparently humane Poor Laws of