The Express.
London, England, 1847-04-13 00:00:00

prembed te neettler the estgeet, but in consequence of the
various other calls opus his time, and on the finances of
the country, he had nee been able to undertake it. However,
he bad every deposition to give it his serious and attentive
consideration. With regard to the spirit ration, ho was
ham y to say that it es ea taken as sy in all the colonies ex-
cept Australia and New Zealand. Its commutation for a
penny a-day bad given no dissatisfaction in the colonies
gevierelly, and had been productive of great benefit to the
soldiers, by removing from them the temptation to drink,
and enabling the sober men to give the additional penny
for better purposes. In Australia and New Zealand, house rev,
itled a portion of the troops to depart from that path of disci-
pline for which the British army was so much distinguished.
But the-military authorities were themselves somewhat to
blame, for the ration to the troops there was 1./tilled in kind,
and the price of rum being much higher than it was in the
other colonies, it was not surprising, when the order for com-
mutation came, that they should be discontented in receiving
only a penny instead of 3ed. As soon as the intelligence
arrived of the circumstance which gave rise to. the discontent
the Chancellor of the Exchequer entered into correspondence
with the authorities in the colony, but owing to its distance,
that correspondence was not yet brought to a conclusion.
In the mean time the former practice with regard to the
rations tens proceeding. The next point to which
his hon. end gallant friend had alluded, had reference
to tke petition presented by him some days ago from
nine pensioners, who had accepted commuted pensions
in 1832. This had been described as a fraudulent trans-
action, but after looking into the matter, he (Mr. Fox
Maude) could not give it that character. It was unfortunate
in its result, but he denied that the government who sanc-
tioned the system of commuted pensions, by an Act passed
in July, 1830, intended it either as a fraud upon the legisla-
ture, or the pensioners themselves.
Sir D. L. EVANS was convinced that the government
never intended any fraud, but the results had practically
shown it to be so, and it had been so represented by the late
Secretary at War.
Mr. F. MAU LE was not aware of any such a representa-
tion having been made. The act was passed in 1830 to
commute pensions at four years' purchase, and in the years
1831, 1832, and 1833, certain pensioners were told if they
would accept the commutation and go to the colonies, they
would there receive grants of land to a certain amouut, oft
which they might settle with their families. This was an
unfortunate arrangement, insomuch as it was carried out is
a very loom and unsatisfactory manner, and without due
care to ensure comfort to the pensioner when he arrived at
his destination. In many cams they arrived in Canada be-
fore the intelligence of their approach reached the authorities,
and the consequence was that many of the pensioners seat
out, in 1832, and in the early part of 1833, fell into greet
distress and destitution. Some fell victims to the cholera,
and many settled in the neighbourhood of Toronto,
in miserable huts, until at last the officer in
charge of the colony was obliged to remove them
to a military station. until the instructions from the
home government with respect to them arrived. Lord
Duette= in his report made strong remonstrance with
respect to the condition in which these men were left, and to
every sue of those pensioners who had accepted the commu-
tation without any compulsion being practised towards then
and, in consideration of the sufferings they had undersea%
restoration was made of 41d. per day of their pensions, an
he (Mr. F. Haute) could not conceive how the nine pelt.
tioners had not been included in that grant, which extended
to Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and New Zealand.
It had been remarked by the hon. nod gallant member for
Westminster, that this ought to be a lesson to the govern.
ment as to the manner in which it should deal with old sol-
diem. It had been so, and at the present moment a small
military section wee now on its way to New Zealand, but un-
der a very different system to that practised in 1832. These men,
retaining their pensions, were gone out under the conduct of
officers who would look to their comforts, and under whose
care they would not only become good orderly military set-
ters, but would provide the defence of that colony during a
certain number of years. If this system thrived, as he did
not doubt it would, a system of militarycolonization might be
tarried out to a very considerable extent. The next point
urged upon the attention of the house was in reference to
the omission in this year's estimates of any vote for the bar-
rack accommodation of the troops. At present there were
some barracks which afforded ample accommodation, and
military men had no ideas of providing day-rooms, main-
rooms, or mem-rooms, but the march of public intelligens
left him little room to doubt that this matter must be lead
to as speedily as the public finances would permit. (Rear,
hear.) lie thought that the canteens and moo
teen rooms might well be appropriated to day read.
ing and mess rooms, in which the soldier might take
advantage of the library proposed to be furnished he
each regiment. With respect to the accommodation gives
to the married moldier, he had himself often blushed to aml
the system in barrack-rooms, and wondered how any women
could agree to occupy a bed with her husband surrounded
only with • cotton screen in the midst of 18 or 20 ems.
Still this was a matter which meet be regulated by the state
of the finances of the country. With rasped to the billeting
system under the 72nd clause of the Mutiny Act, be fount
upon inquiry it was more complained of by civilians who
were subject to it than by the soldiersthemselves In reference
to the claims of retired cffieers of the line, cavalry, and in-
fantry, who had been excluded from the late brevet, he
could only say they were in number from thirty to forty.
All them officers have retired on full pay, and the
rank of colonel, knowing that the acceptance of the
retirement would prevent any future promotion,
and hence they had been excluded from the lee
brevet. On the sixth point raised by the hon. and gal-
lant member he (Mr. F. Manic) could only my that he was
not aware of any intention to withhold the medal to be
granted fer the Peninsular war from old Peninsular officers
who have sold their commissions. With respect to the
eighth resolution proposed by the hon. and gallant member,
he (Mr. F. Mnule) was not prepared to sap and destroy the
system of selling commissions until some system more effi-
cient was suggested. The hon. and gallant member inquired
why it was that general officers of the Engineers, Artillery,
and of the East India Company's army thould he deemed
ineligible for appointments on the general staff in whatever
quarter of the r mid their services may be available. There
was no mom why a general officer of the Artillery or Engi-
neers should not be so employed in the command of a brigade
or division ILI in the government of a province, and this had
been the case in Ireland and et Quebec : but with regard to
the employment of general officers in the Dot India Com-
pany's service it had always been held to be unwise ICI to mix
up the two services together. He (Mr. F. Mauls) now came
to the 10th question put by the hon. and gallant member.
The practice, regulated by royal warrant, was to refuse pro.
motion to those who had not, since the period when they ob-
tained their last rank, made the offer of their services to the
commander-in-chief; and this practice had been adopted
early in the time of the Duke of York at the Horse Guards.
It wairsaid the system was unknown to officers. Why, it was
mentioned in the report of the military and naval commission,
and, therefore, was known to the service. The hon. and gal-
lant member had mentioned the name of Col.Thompeon as hav-
ing, by the operation of this rule, been excluded from the last
!want, but to show that the rule was impartially, fairly, and
without favour and affection, he would mention that a gal-
lant officer, the brother of the coble lord behind him (Lord
John Russell), was on the same ground excluded. Another
point had been raised as to the refusal to grant the minimum
amount of pay (4001. per annum) to naval officers who had
been promoted to the rank of major-general. Those ex-
cluded were officers upon whose claims the COMM= ritT•ill.
chief and the secretary-at-war were not prepared to give a
decision. These were twenty-nine in number, and on look.
ing over their claims, all had been allowed with
the exception of some nine or ten, under the win
rant of the Ist of May let; the rest had the sine
luments of major-general adjudged and paid to them.
In establishing scales of reward a line must be drawn some-
where,
and he mast say that he did not think a mole
liberal one could have been adopted than that complained of
by his bon. and pliant friend, seeing that under it, out of
the whole =Mil! Si gem' officers, only eleven or twelve
were excluded Inn the geed service pension of 4001. a-year.
The only ether *et ea which his hon. and gallant friend
had touched WM the system of education neosesary for
officers is the army. He did not think it expedient at
that moment, or in so thin a house, to go extensively into m
important a question. This however he would state, that the
attention of government had been turned to the point, and
it had been made the subject of consultation between the
First Lord of the Treasury and the commander-in-chieL
Be felt confident that no time would be leo! in establishing
an educational test for officers on entering the army, and a
further one preparatory to their promotion to more import-
ant posts. (Hear, hear.) With respect to the defences of
the country, he trusted that the house would be contented
to leave their case in the hands of the executive government,
Col. LINDSAY took that opportunity to complain of the
miserable sleeping accommodation which the barracks gene-
rally afforded to the non-commissioned officers and soldiers,
moecielly those who were married. The rooms were so
small and ill-ventilated, that he had frequently hoard sol-
diers complain that they felt more languid and fatigued an
rising in the morning than they had on retiring to rest the
previous night. He trusted that in the general scheme of
reformation, this important point would not be overlooked,
Mr. HUME complained of the enormous number of ge-
neral officers-368—upon the army list. He was anxious to

spare unnecessary expense, but, at the same time, he was
sad always had been, an advocate for every rational increase
that could be made to the comforts of the soldier. He could
corroborate what had been said by the gallant member oppo-
site, as to the small and ill-ventilated sleeping rooms in the
barracks, and trusted that the subject would meet with im-
mediate attention from the War-office. Ile thought that in
the recent promotions the Indian officers had been unfairly
dealt with.
Mr. WILLIAMS said that every one complained how ill
paid and badly requited were officers in her Majesty's ser-
vice. If that was the case he wondered how it was that for
every vacant communion there were generally about a hun-
dred applications. (A laugh.) He complained of the
amount of the half-pay list, which formed about one-third of
the whole expenditure of the army.
Captain ?SCHELL expressed his surprise that while a
forte of 34 cruisers, and on an avenge 4,000 seamen were
employed on the coast of Africa in the suppreesion of the
slave trade, as statement had been made, or documents pre-
sented, at to the amount of success which had resulted. He
aka wilted to know what was to be done in respect to joint
capharea made by our cruisers in conjunction with those of
this =dor with whom under treaty we co-operated
the attempt to put down the traffic in slaves (Hear,
lieasa.) He complained, too, of the system of plun-
der carried se by the Vice Admiralty Courts who ad.
joileated wee the rises, and by whom the captors were
Dabbed of halt tba produce of their captures. In the ease of
lin name delLailed by the Marine and carried into the
Ow a Gaol 8e,., the value was declared to be 6591., and
Sr ego= ensinianation and sale amounted to 2731.11 c,
laaVas kw Os • only 28.51. 31.
117. RAID ahsrwd that no difficulty had arisen as to
blisaelflissar-lassie lining as yet taken place, neither had
may emplekb seseholl slie Admiralty as to the proceedings

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