The Express.
London, England, 1860-05-05 00:00:00

~$

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

ROME OF LORDS.-FILIDLT, MAY 4.

Ms Lola Quin"Los took his awl on the woolsack
at 50'olook.

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CONTRACTS FOR SHIPSUILDINO.
The Earl of HARDWICLE pre nodes that ke would,
upon un early day, move fora return of all gunboats and
vessels below 1,000 ices burthen, built by contract since
1862, of the prices paid' for then, and their present oonditlun
at to setworthineas.

PRIVATE &IRWIN&
The Stockton and Derilnipon Batilwey Bill, the Stour-
bridge Railway Bill, the Hinckley and Leicester Railway
Bill, and one or two town improvement bills, were read •
second time.

The liThiiihiels and Peebles Barmy BM the Cannock
Chaim Railway. Bill, Gliagow CorponAss Water Bill, Nor-
wich Markets Biß, and Manchester Improve-
ment were read a third time.
The Llandalf sad Canton District Markets Bill was read
a second time.

-ORDAITIHATI9.N OF THE INFANTRY.

Lord LUCAN, in &Hog the iiitenti;;Tih;;i;r6thips
to the present aegudaation of the infantry, entered siggrert
length into the question of the present system of regi-
mental depOts, contending that every
c7ruent ought to
have a second battalion in depbt. In ex iniag his views
he discussed incidentally several points a purely techni-
cal and collateral character.

Lord WiiiitLif and RIPON mid Lord Limn would
have acted more judiciously if he had first placed his views
before the military authorities. A discussion of this quiet-
tioti would not, he thought, be conducive to the benefit of
the public service.
The Duke of CAMBRIDGE entirely concurred with what
had been rid by lord De Chwy and Ripon, and stated,
from his arc pawned experience in Ireland, that he
bad come to an entirely different couclusioa as to
the expedieley of second battalions from Lord
Laws. Hs • ',viewed and refuted the various ob-
d alkali brought forward by Lord Lucan.
reiSignwelid state to the house the opinion of two general
offieses, which he thought would have great weight.
The late Adjutantdaemer4 Sir George Wetherell, than
whom there was not a more deserving, experienced, and ex-
cellent officer, bad authorised him to say that . he
never knew the army work so smoothly as at
present. And Sir F. Love, the Inspector-General
of Infantry,y though at first opposed to the system, had
given him permission to statelhat the officers instructed at
depots were superior to these who were instructed at hied-
quarters. (" Hear, bear," and cheers.) They wished these
depots to be recanted as peat sehools of instruction • and it
was the duty of those in authority there to give instruction
toofficere dail, hourly, he might even my momentarily.
The noble early mid a young officer or raw recruit being kept
for six or nine mouths at one of these depots must have his
esprit de corps destroyed ; but he (the Duke of Cambridge)
I could only say in reply to that that if it were true the esprit
de corps of the officer and of the regiment must be in •
most melancholy state. The fact was that an officer joining
asood ca.ps formed his esprit de corps the moment he
did so—(beet, hear)—and therefore it was perfectly
absurd to say that his being at the depot
would interfere with it. (Hear, hear.) He was aware that
commanding officers did not like the present system, and he
would tell their lordships why—lt was because in these
devote they acquired a knowledge of those irregularities
which took place in the regiments. He would repeat that
it was through these depots they obtained a knowledge of
what was going on, and they stopped it. He did not
blame those officers for trying to hide these irregularities,
bat at the same time they would not receive the sanction of
authority. (Hear, bear.) He had thought it his duty
frankly end fairly to state to their lordships why he believed
the system a good one, but he would be the last man to say
that • change should not take place if a better system could
be introduced into the service ; bat until that was so, he
hoped that their lordships would do all that lay in their
power to maintain the present one. (" Hear, hear," and
. . . .

Lord DE ROB said it appeared to him that a great deal
more merit was due to this system than to the former
system at the depots. and he trusted it would be sup-
ported.
The Duke of RUTLAND said users was one point to
which he was anxious to draw their lordships' attention,
though perhaps strictly it did nct come within the present
discussion. He alluded to the volunteer system which had
been established in this country. He wished to speak of it
with the greatest possible respect, for be thought the spirit
of patriotism shown by the people e hen it was believed
there was some drioger to be apprehended from a neigh-
bouring power wu deserving of all praise. What he feared
was that the volunteer system would be allowed to interfere
with and supersede the regular army. He found the militia
was not to be.embodied, and he also found that the yeo-
manry were not to be called out for training this summer,
and they were doing this while at the same time they were
about to adopt a more direct taxation for an indirect system.
And year by year any government that might be in power
would be under an almost irresistible temptation to relieve
the public purse and fall back upon this volunteer system.
He approved of the volunteer force, but he thought it
ought to be auxiliary to and independent of the regular
arm,K; (Hear, hear.)
Earl of LIICAN shortly replied, and the subject
d'ACIPAWNBROKFIIS ACT AMENDMENT BILL.

Lord EGERTON moved the second reading of this
bill, and said the whole of the trade in London and the
country was unanimously in favour of the bfIL The rate of
interest desired to be levied in future would be the same as
in Ireland.

The bill was then read a second time.
The Trustees and Mortgagees, &c., Bill passed through
committee, and certain amendments were agreed to.
Their lordships adjourned at twenty minutes past 7.

SOUSE OF COMMONS.—FRIDA; MAY 4.
The SPEAKER took the &air at • few minutes before four
o'clock.