The Express.
London, England, 1862-05-31 00:00:00

POLICE REGULATIONS BILL.

Mr. HENLEY asked the hon. member for Yarmouth
whether he would postpone the bill standing in hie name
for Tuesday next until after the holidays, u there wu no
probability that it would oome on on Tuesday.
Sir H. TRACEY said be wee quite ready to postpone the
bill until after the holidays.
MERCHANT SHIPPING BILL

Mr. M. GIBSON. in reply to a question from Lord
Haman, rid he proposed to take this bill on Monday next.
THE COMMAND OF REGIMENTS.—THE PURCHASE

SYSTEM.

On the motion for going into committee of supply,
General Sir DE L. EVANS ruse, pursuant to notice, to
move, "That in the opinion of this house no further post-
ponement ought to take place in giving effect to the pro-
miaow of government that the command of regiments should
no longer be purchueable, and that the promotions to that
rank should henceforth be regulated by *election upon the
responsibility of the Commander-in-Chief." The hon. sad
gallant general addressed the house for some time in sup-
port of his motion, but in so low a tone of voice as to oe
utterly inaudible in the gallery.
Lord STANLEY seconded the motion.
Sir G. C. LEWIS said that in consequence of the amal-
gamation of the Queen's and the Indian army, there were
to be twelve new regiments created, three of cavalry and
nine of infantry, in which commissions would be given
without purchase, and promotion would be by seniority up
to the rank of field officer ; and until the government bad
had experience of the system of non-purchase in these
corps, which, however, had not yet been formed, it was not
intended to act upon the decision which had been commu-
nicated to the house. But there were still other difficul-
ties in the way of carrying out the recommendation
of the commissioners, one of which was that a
general abolition of the system of purchase in cavalry,
guards, and line, would entail an expenditure of not lees
than 7,156,0001 as compensation, and even for the more
limited abolition in the case of heutenant-colonela pointed
at in the motion, a sum of 494,6901. Ho could not, there-
fore, assent to the motion.
General PEEL objected to the recommendation of the
commission, and particularly to the House of Commons in-
terfering with the command or the discipline of the army.
The report of the commission was signed by six out of the
ten members of which that body wan composed, while the
majority of the military members protested against the de-
cision of their colleagues.
After some observations from Colonel NORTH,
Lord STANLEY spoke at some length in defence of the
recommendations of the commissioners, enumerated the
various objections which were urged against the existing
system of purchase, sod passed in review and combated
those which were put forward in opposition to the proposal
to grant promotion by selection, upon the responsibility of
the Commander-in-Chief. The government might ex-
cuse themselves as they pleased, but as a cabinet
they were certainly pledged to carry out the recom-
mendations of the commissioners. They had formally
given a pledge to do so in that house ; and although
that pledge might go the way of some other pledgee, end
this reform might go the way of some other reforms, the
present was not an age that was likely to be tolerant of
abuse ; and lie ventured to say that in a quarter of a cen-
tury not a rag of the system of purchase would be re-
maining.
Lord PALMERSTON opposed the motion, addressing
himself particularly to the arguments of Lord Stanley,
and justified the government for having changed their
purpose.
On a division the motion was negatived by 247 to 62.
Colonel DICKSON directed attention to the recent
agrarian murders perpetrated in Ireland, and in the course
of the discussion the house was counted out.

ETHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON.—The next
meeting of the society will be held ow June 3, at 8 o'clock,
when the following papers will be read : 1. " On the Wild
Tribes of Borneo,' by Spencer St. John, Esq. 2 "On the
Wild Mitsui of Kurdistan," by William Spottiswoode, Fe%,
Hoe. Sec. "Os the Lew of Growth," as disoovered by
Dr. Liharsik. by Dr. Edward Pick. 4. A short •
collected la Australia by Mr. Walcott, communialaba
blg
Grew the Duke of Ne mastic

CRYSTAL PALACI. —The entire series of great
fountain will be displayed at a quarter to three to-da, and
tbs moan will unusual interest, from the fact of
Y. Aubses Reaad march, which was composed for the
ineuguratioa of tho International Exhibitioe, being per-
formed, is addition to which a cantata, composed by Yr.
Hoary Lein to beacon of the approaching marriage of her
Royal Higbee= the Primer Alice, and said to nuns many
musical beanies, will be produced for the first time to the
public. Madman eberriaglon and Mr. Sunday will take the
priacdpal solo put; sapparteal by an effective chorus of 150
performing.