The Press.
London, England, 1855-05-12 00:00:00

THE INDIAN ARMY.

Sir E. PERRY, having at length obtained from
Lord Palmerston a " night " on which to bring for-
ward the motion that had stood for many weeks on
the notice-paper of the Commons, proposed the fol-
lowing resolution :
That a select committee be appointed to consider and
inquire how the army of India may be madelmostjarailable
for the war in Europe, and to inquire into the steps ueces•
sary to be taken if it should be deem d expedient to consti-
tute the army of the East India Company a royal army.

In the Indian army, Sir Erskine remarked, the
Government would find almost unlimited resources
and recruits of the best quality and of long-proved
efficiency. It comprised 460,000 men and 12,000
officers, from among whom a large body of the best
trained troops could be added to the military arma-
ments of the country. Admitting that some useful
advances had lately been made in the direction he
pointed out, especially by the memorandum recently
issued by the War-office, he contended that much
more should be done than simply assigning an
honorary rank to the Company's officers. He wished
to see a complete incorporation between the two ser-
vices, so that military talent, wherever exercised and
developed, might be rendered available in the time
of rued in several parts of the world.
The motion was seconded by Sir DE LACY EVANS,
and opposed by Sir J. FITZGERALD and Colonel
DUNNE.
Sir J. W. How) insisted upon the practical difficul-
ties that would attend the transfer of allegiance
among the mass of Indian officers and soldiers from
the Company to the Crown. He doubted whether
any great number of men could be spared from
necessary duty in India, and apprehended that if
Company's officers were admitted to the Queen's
service, the account would be balanced by appointing
Queen's officers to high posts in India. Believing
that the consequences would occasion a se►ious dis-
paragement to the power and dignity of the Board of
Directors, he expressed his intention strenuously to
oppose the motion.
sir D. L. EvAss, in supporting the motion, en-
larged upon the loss which the country sustained by
the inability to employ a large number of experienced
and talented officers, merely through technical hin-

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permitted him ; and to this extent he felt he had the
permission of the Bible.
Mr. COBDEN replied to Mr. Gladstone's speech,
and said that the argument drawn in favour of the
bill from the violation of the present law did not
rest on the fact of that violation, but on the absence
of all censure accompanying it. He instanced
several cases of persons who, having married their
wives' sisters, were notwithstanding treated with
every demonstration of respect in their several
neighbourhoods. Mr. Gladstone talked of the col-
lective conscience of mankind, but this collective
conscience did not prevent these marriages from
being celebrated all over Europe and America. He
repeated the assertion of the general feeling of the
bill, the present practice of the Jews, and the social
advantages which would result from it.
After a few words from Mr. J. S. PHLTAINORE7 and
a reply from Mr. HEYWOOD, the second reading was
carried by 165 to 157.