The Express.
London, England, 1863-02-14 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS.-FRIDAY, Fn. 13.
The Lona Cluaccauws look kis out on Rho wool/Ask at
5 o'clock.

THE INDIAN ARMY. 6

The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH, in presenting petitions
from Indian officers complaining of the loss of certain ad-
vantages they considered to have been guaranteed to them
by parliament, said these officer* alltged that the pledge
which parliament had given to them two years ago, that all
the advantages of pay, pension, promotion, allowaecee, and
privilege. of every description should be guaranteed to
them under the amalgamation, had not been kept,
The Duke of ARGYLL said that, after strict inquiry, be
had come to the imaclusion that there was no ground for
complaining that the provisions of the legislature bad been
Literfered with by the action of government. The guarantee
given by governmeet to the army under its new form was
not such ,a guarantee as prevented the government from
taking any course which general policy might seem to re•
quire, whether in the way of economy or of reform. All that
it was inteoded to do was to preserve, as far as pos-
sible, the individual interests of the officer. The
terms imposed by parliament bad been literally fulfilled,
and in the reurmurization of the Indian army, the officers of
the oommaiy's service had been dealt with in a large and
liberal amt. Officers had been allowed to retire, not on
balf-pay bet oe full-pay, and he thought, if the illustrious
duke on the arms benches were to ask the Chancellor of the
Elchequer for funds to enable every officer of the army to
retire on full-my and allowances, be would scarcely succeed.
(Hear, hear.) Previously to the mutiny, the army of
Bengal consisted of seventy-four battalions, and at
the end of the insurrection only eleven were toned
capable of being trusted with arms. The number
of battalions was now reduced, be believed, to
b 2. and every man of the officers who wished to do so had
been permitted to retire not on half-pay, but on full pay;
and not only so, but an estimated value had been given
them for their prospect of promotion and full terms of
allowances. As many as 270 officers had availed
themselves oaf these advantages in retiring. They
certainly were not entitled to compensation, and promotion
had been enormously accelerated by their retirement.
The Duke of CAMBRIDGE was very glad that the
question had been brought forward, because it had elicited
the clear /statement of the noble duke, which be trusted
would satisfy the officers of the Indian army that there
was every wish on the part of the government to treat
them with liberality, and that where they thought they
were aggrieved, really and truly their grievances were not
such as they represented.

Ths Doke of ARGYLL mid instructions had been sent
hom the home government, that in no C. 11.40 should the mili-
tary authorities send luck a staff officer to the command of
• regiment to the suparomaion of the regular officers of the
ripmeot.
Their lordships thee adjourned, shortly after half-past six
o'clock.

HOUSE OF COIdMONS.—FRIDAY, FAR. 13.
The SrikElLl took the char at 4 o'clock.
NEW MEMBER. _

Mr. F. S. Powmr.Moi the oathsand biz seat for Cam-
brides, In the room of Mr. Steuart resigned.

CHURCH RATM

Mr. HOPWOOD gars notice that oa Monday he would
ask Ye goventresat whether they had any intention to
bring is a bill this swim for the purpose of settling the
questions relating to church rates.
THE RUSSIANS AND FRENCH IN CHINA.

Colonel SYKES gave notion that he would on Monday ask
the Under Secretary for Foreign A dein whether the
governmeot bad received any information, official or other-
wise, that the RUlaiali diplomatic autboritiee in China had
Guttered into an arrangement with the Tartar Emperor for
the pupae of aiding him is retaking from the Teepinp
Naiads -nod other places an condition that the Emperor
ceded to the Marian government the Island of Chosen, and
other Weeds at the mouth of the .Yang-tine-Kiriag ; arid
whether it wee true that the Preach were amistiog the Em-
peror of China in raising • body of troops ander Preach
officers, on condition of their ■pproprtnt4ag the Led around
Ikliagpo, and that • French offiosr ahoukl collect the cue-
toms duty at that port.