The Express.
London, England, 1862-03-07 00:00:00

EI)I'4*ATIoN or oFTICERS 01, THE ARMY.

Mr. SELWYN asked the Secretary of State for War
wleatlwar it was the latesstimi a( the goverameattomilargethe
Militery Collage at &adhere; and to insist upon • Com
palmy isaidese• there of all casebdatee for conummioas is
the arm,. and whether the offer made by the Uaiversity of
Cambndge for establishing military education at that mi.
verity would be
COLON IA L YORTaII titiTIONS AND EXPENDITURE,
Mr. BAXTER said it would be remembered that cm Toes-
day evening, when the motion of the boa. member for
Taunton was Wandered, he withdrew his amendment that in
future the imprimis of fortiticatww in the colouiee should not
be pail far oat of British money, on the aasurame of the
government that the amendment was melees, and that they
were already acting on that principle. He maw, bemires, in
the estimates • stun of 211,1M0i. fur fortaticatioss is the
colnies. Was that a molest for work dam or works in
peewee., or was it for sew works! U the latter, he
should reoutrodnoe the motion which be bad withdrawn.
Lord W. (: RAH AM mid the committee oo ealanisl
mili-
tan expenditure mcounnetided that a statement should be
appealed to the army estimates. showing the suss received
from each colony during the last financial year. sad the
total military charge ou that colony. He asked why that
had not been dose for the year ending March, Is6l,
Sir O. C. LEWIS said he was not swats whether the
account alluded to by the noble lord who had put the last
gamest was ready, but he would enquire, and if it
were ready be would lay it on the table. With regard to
the ounitioa of the him and homed gentlemaa(Mr. Selwyn),
the suns of 15,0110/.. which was taken kat year for this pur-
pose of enlarging Sandhurst, wan sot experided, and the
same sum which stood in the eatimateed thiayeur waesimply
a re-rote. It was intended mainly for the enlargement of
the building, which would be available for an iocreaaed num-
ber .4 strideuts, assuming that the new regulations with re-
pni to non-ponbaite of commiasiona should be established.
The Loa. end learned gentleman mil there was no difference
between mochas.' aml nompurchased comrnimions with re-
prd to education and examinations. In the atstract the
Eon. and learned gentleman might he right, hut the great
difference between a purchased and a non-purchand
com-
mission was this, that in the case of purchase the patronage
of the Horse Guard' was very limited A perms pee value
for the connoisseur) which he received ; bat in the ease of
nomporcham, it was absolutely • meter of patronage.
The 111111• C would see there wee a great deal of difference
between the principle of the two came. He had already
state I ilia dt was not his intention to propose any addition
to nano:oust beyond what was for the accommo-
dstion of .auiliilates who had not pure their commis-
sion.. As to the latter mot of the hoe. and learned gentle-
man's ,rievtioo, be had wily to say that letters hall been ad-
dresest I.v thsth the Universalise of Oxford end Ceml.ridge to

the W. Depertment on the mebject, end that nu mi-
niver hud toren given anti°, the terms on winch students
'mid he ...twain!,le into the army. if the boo. gentlemen
thought At to wove for the correspondence it should be
given.
The house thee went into 00411011{401) of supply.
THE ARMY ESTIMATES.
- -

Oa the vote 241110u:ire thedepartment. of the &cr.-
buy of Mate for war sad the Commander-in-Chief,
Mir IL WILLOUCIHBY cumplaitied of the increase of
BALM over the eirrespooding vote of last year. The item
for law expenses was 15.501111, being ae increase of 4,0001.
Illsjor KNOX wished to have aa ezplanation of the ap-
potatmast of an aaludantsolicitor, at a eatery of S.W. a
year. He also suggested that well-coodocted non-commis-
aimed officers sad soldiery should be employed as temporary
clerks, as wee dune in various towns where there were gene-
ral officer..
Mr. W I I.t.fAILS thought a naval captain was not a very
fitting person to have the charge of the clothing of the
Sir Sir O. f`. LEWIS explained that the tomato under the
bead of law exposes arose from the acquisitiori of land by
the government for the new fortifications. There had bees
an imerease in clerks, but that was more apparent than real.
He considered thst the gallant gentleman referred to by the
hon. nicruher fur Lambeth wee ao exceediegly valuable sod
efficient public officer. The suggestion of the gallant major
should receive attention the first time that he flit 0. C.
Lewis) had occsaioe to aoint a temporary messenger.
Sir H. WILLI/110MT thought the eaplasatioa el the
right boa. baronet very insereisfactory. He coaaidered that
the expeaditure no these searmous fortifications 111111 Vie,
unwise—flood eheore)—bot at soy rate the legal exposeess
osgbt w come est of the 'pedal lead provided for the
fortilleatioas theneebea Be sowed to reduce the cute by
4,000‘.

sir. I:. LEWIS doubted whether it would be legal to ex-
ivod tbe f_4 tdication lose on any object other than the
theutselem. He promised that if he were in office
o iwo the wort.* were completed there should be no attempt
ole t.. render NA situation. held by the persons employed
nutter the vote permanent.
After a few wards from Colonel DICKSON and other
menthes. . . .

The aineoilment was ne, without a division.
Mr. W I I.LIA MS polute.l out an extraordinary item in the
scons-5,l 4.51. far chtmetey sweeping. (Laughter.)
TLe vote was then agreed to.
On the vote of 3313511. for manufacturing establish-
ments, eugineering civil establishments, barrack nianers'
lodging motley, recta, be.,
Sir ('. LEWIS said be thought he should best dis-
charge his duty by offering to the committee a short state-
ment of the present condition of our manufacturiug esta-
blishments. We had at Woolwich a royal gun
factory ; there was also at Woolwich a carnage
factory, a laboratory, an inspector of artillery's
department, and a chemical department. At Enfield there
was an establishment fur the manufacture of small arms ;
at Pimlico. a small establishment for the repair of arms ;
and a similar establishment at the Tower. At Birmingham
we had au establishment for the examination of contract
small arms ; at Waltham Abbey, a factory of gunpowder ;
at Portsmouth, a small laboratory, and another at Ply.
mouth. The number of small arms manufactured aims
185.1 was 1,093,000 Of these there had been Mood
to the army, militia, navy. and volunteers, 501,000;
to the median service, 192,000 • to the colonies,
20,000 ; niaking together, 713,000. There were in
store besides 601,000 stand of small arms ; and the number
rendered unserviceable from various causes was 2'2,000.
That we. as to the small arms. The committee were aware
that a great chance had been introduced into iron ordnance
in consequence of the improrementa made by Sir W. Arm-
strong. The whole amount appropriated for the manufac-
ture of these guns during the current financial year will
have been 501,0001.: out of which sum 1,489 guns had been
constructed. Two-thirds of these were of heavy calibre,
681 being 100-manders acid 341 40-pounders. These, with
shout 900 guns previously supplied, would maim up
the number of nearly 2,400 Arrostroog guns.
Mach interest had been expressed by the statements as to
the failure of the Armstrong guns ; and he (Sir (l. C. Lewis)
was in a position to say. from all the information he bad
obtained, that he was able to give an entire denial to the
representations which had been made ae to the failure of
these guns. (Hear, beer.) If nessereery he could lay before
the committee evidence as to the particular points on which
dissatisfaction had been clowned. But he thought it
better not to trouble the committee by going into details.
He aught say that everything be had heard
convinced him that the statements made as to the failure
of these guns had been either erroneous or groselyrom
rated—(hen, hear)--and that al the whole, with
exception of some small defects which had been
by subsepulit experience, those guns had answered ell that
was expected of them. There was also the ease of the
Whitworth ordnance. Mr. Whitworth we- a very ingenious
man, and he professed to have made certain improvements
both in the larger guns and in the regulation Enfield rides.
There was a discussion last session on the Whitworth rifts,
and the government than undertook that the subject should
be carefully wondered. A battery of six guns. complete
for the field, had been cast at Woolwich, according to Me.
Whitworth's pattern, and had been bored by himself.
That battery we* intended to be used for the
field, and would then be tried by the expe-
rience of actual service. Is this smear we should
best arrive at s knowledge of the comparative merits of the
Whitworth ordnance. Then with regard to the Whitworth
rider, 1,000 Whitworth rifles were to be made at Enfield
according to a pattern supplied by Mr. Whitworth ; an in-
fantry regiment was to be armed with them experimen-
tally, and he was to manufacture 500,000 rounds of ammu-
nition himself at the public) expense. He hail also permitted
Captain Boxer to manufacture shells and Imes for the guns.
In this meaner we should have actual experience both of hie
rides and his heavy ordnance. He (Sir O. C. Lewis) trusted
the committee weld see that the peasant had them re.
deemed the promise they had gives lest session. The
manufactories at Woolwich were undoubtedly on a
very large soak, a scale which, although be believed it
was gainful to the public, by reason of the saving thus
made as compared with what would have to be paid to eon•
tnicton, could only be obtained at a large actual east to the
country. He might assure the committee at the IMMO time
that the results were very iniportaut, and that the reserves
et
Woolwich were in a vary satisfactory condition. A siege
train was in readiness there, consisting of 103 mortars and
750 rounds of ammunition a-piece, which was fitted for
operations apart a fortress of the largest dais, and might
be shipped in 48 hours. He believed lbw* never was a
time when the amour/ was so well prepared in this
respect. Great exertions also had been made towards the
returtrameet of the fortifications • not only abroad, as at
Gibraltar sod Malta, the rid miasma had been replaced
by sew and improved gum, but there had been a great
Wades mad* to the ordance in various parts of the
UAW Kingdom. The armament of this country had been
issestral from 2,247 guns to 3,472, and when the oval-
saltate burs is miod the expense of these guns, they would
be awn that this change could not be accomplished with-
out a pest outlay. It was also necessary in this estimate
ha hart a large provision for gunpowder. The consump-
tion el gunpowder had greatly increased, chiefly in coc-
onuts°, of the extent to which experimental firing was
mined on, so muck as to make the expense nearly as heavy
as In • year of war. Ceedilmable improvements bad also
be made in field artillery. white In the modem system of
war wee of great mtpartesse. He thought he had now
eammittes in 011111•1111011 of a general outline of
trees 11
wished he could baser epos them the con.
Thalia while be felt as to the neseesity of the large 'spoil-
age, they wee now making os111•19 objects ; but he could
mere thee be thought the messy which was now being
rated by perliaant for the wee estimates was ban econo-
mically applied to the panne fee which it was intended.
He w..s .luite aware that the Impression on the public mind
was that it was possible te lamas equally efficsent, or even
• men eldest whiney maim Yes the present one, at
a dimiedebederpneWaly as iserweamest of our cepa-
swiss. He had endeavoured to test the Nakedness of that
view sines he erre into his preatit office, and he had arrived
at this ersamien, that unless they diminished the nonle-
thal stung* of the army, or the military stores, or the
grnvisi~s mad' fns Ma seentert and health of the great
baulk et dteerrny, it weld be impossible to make soy ma.
terlsl rednetieu in the amount of the present estimates.
Halms the prepare of invention was arrested—if they were
to goon constantlyre-armieg the troops with a succession of
new ans, new rides, and new rues, to be discarded three or
four years ham, he could not hold out to the committee
any sangable anticipation of a reduction in this Inge vote.
Among the subjects which specially engaged the Mtn*.
ties of the committee,
Mr. OSBORN E Donald the changes in four of the cavalry
regimes* which had been converted from the old English
pe into Homan, thereby. es be °attended, destrey-
iargiri esprit Jr turps without any advantage of discipline
eft amosomy.
Lend PALMERSTON observed that the objection would
p to the abolition of pigtails and plastered bride.
Beeeral members urged the great expense which the
"imam in their uniforms entailed upon cavalry officers.
Another subject much discussed related to the sums
Included in the votes for fortificatious in the colonies. Mr.
ADDEKLIT and other mambas suggesting that this expendi-
ture was inconsistent with an understanding come to on
Tuesday, what the government assented to Mr. Baxter's
amendment of Mr. Mills's resolution.
• third subject was an item in Vote 13, for Civil Build-
-26,1(0, fur the purchase of part of Mr.
Hires Dew factory at Pimlico.
Mr. MONSELL moved to omit this portion of the vote,
which was for enlarging the clothing establishment. He
complained that nine-tenths of the clothing of the army
had been taken out of the hands of contractors, conteading
that the government could not make the articles at •
smaller cost.
After mach debate the motion was withdrawn.
Upon an item in the next vote of 10,7871. for increasing
the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, the omission of
which was moved by Mr. Setwte, the government sue.
tamed • defeat, the motion being carried by 81 I. 11.
The vote as reduced by the naive decision wee spa te,
and the chairman was ordered to report elm
_the
consideration of the army estimates to be seen
day next.
_ _