The Express.
London, England, 1861-06-26 00:00:00

(Stamped, ld. Additional.)

interest to serve in coming to a decision ; their only de.
sire was to arrive at the truth, and to secure the heat weapon
for the army, and not only as regarded the superiority of
one weapon ova another, but whether it would be inch as
to counterbalance the extra erpenvea and other matters
consequent upon a change of the small arms of the service.
The government were at this time pursuing those very
inquiries which the noble lord said ought to be one of the
objects of the committee, and he thought the matter ought
to be left in their hands. (Hear, hear.
The motion was then by leave of the house withdrawn.

COOPERATIVE AND PROVIDENT SOCIETIES.
Mr. BLANEY moved for leave to bring in • bill
to amend and extend the act relator( to co-
operative and provident societies. The honourable
gentleman said that during the lust few years •
great and beneficial change had taken place In the condition
of the working classes. The increase of the population of
the towns had progressed at a rate three times greater than
in the country districts, and the numbers had been doubled
In the space of 40 years. (Hear, hear.) The West Riding
of Yorkshire was strongly in favour of cooperative societies,
and the Recorder of Birmingham bad also given a strong
testimony in their favour. Strengthened by such support,
be ventured to more for leave to bring in the bill.
Leave given.
EDUCATION.
Mr. DILLWYN rose to cell the attention of the house
to certain inaccuracies which occur in the report of the com-
missioners appointed to inquire into the state of popular
education, and to move an address for a copy of the report
to the commissioners appointed to inquire iuto the stet* of
popular education by the committee appointed bv them for
the purpose of obtaining an enumeration of -dissenters'
schools. He had been informed that government did not
intend to oppose the motion.
dir G. C. LEWIS had no objection to the production of
tie paper asked for ; he should merely meutiou that the in-
aeouvey complained of was accidental.
Agreed to.
CROWN SUITS LIMITATION.
Mr. MONTAOUE SMITH moved for leave to bring in a
bill to amend the act of the ninth year of King George !IL,
chapter sixteen, for quieting possessions against the cream,
and certain acts relating to suite by the Duke of Cornwall.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL agreed to the motion, and
leave was given to bring in the bill.

GREENWICH HOSPITAL
Mr. WHITBREAD (for Lord C. Paget) obtained leave to
bring In a bill to amend the law relating to Greenwich
Hospital.

ATLANTIC STEAM PACKET COMPANY.
On the motion of Mr. Ozzooftr, the following select
committee was nominated :—Mr. Walpole, Sir J. Trollom,
Sir M. Pato, Mr. Brown Wasthead, Mr. Korklermer, Mr.
Peel, and Mr. Gregory. Sir James Graham excused on the
score of SI-health.

SUPPLY.—ARMY ESTIMATES.
The house went into committee of supply on the army
estimates.
The first vote moved
691,0511., to defray thweaelarge of barracks.
Mr. B. OSBORNE thought it could not be said that
the parsimony of parliament bad ever interfered with the
military expenditure. Parliament, instead of being parsi-
monious, bad been lavish in all votes connected with the
army, and it seemed to be accepted as a dogma by the
house that whatever the minister called for with respect to
military expenditure must be granted almost sub mikado.
What had been the case of military expenditure with regard
to Aldershott since the Crimean war? He thought our
greatest monument of extravagance was to be found in that
tramp. It was originally intended to be a amp for mem-
bling a certain number of troops in summer for bodily exor-
dia. The first vote was for 100,000/. The camp, however,
bad be converted into a large permanent barracks, and the
committee was called upon, this year, for 40,0001. ROM.
The camp bad been a great mistake from beginning to end.
The site selected was • swamp very difficult to drain, and
there was no supply of water. It was the 'hared purchase
ever made. The Royal Engineers were see to work to o,,en
wells in all directions only to fill theta up again, and at
length they we-e obliged to caU in a civil engineer—Mr.
Simpson—who sumeeded in getting a supply of water from
two miles off and at great expense. An expense of 12,9001.
was afterwards gone to in ravelling the place, and he found
in the estimates of 1654-55 a greet was taken of 175,0101.
for temporary buildings which were called huts. Those
bats were not only found to be of infamous design, but
were not even weathertight, and were obliged to
be covered with patent felt at an expense of
14,0001. That, however, did not succeed in rendering
them water-tight, and they wore therefore tarred. In fact
the total cost of the temporary huts had been 196,1001,
considerably above half-a-million of money. (Hear, bear.)
Those bats ware RA the present moment in estate of rotten-
ness and decay, ad he begged to ask distinctly what the
government intended to do with respect to them. Aft.. •
time it was resolved to erect permanent barracks at Alder-
shod, at en expense of 250,0001., but instead of selecting •
rite which would allow of expansion, the authorities went
to the very verge of the property they had purchased, and
fixed the site in a hollow. They, however, had provided no
site fur • hospital, and were therefore obliged
to give the proprietor of adjoining land 2,0001. for
a couple of acres for the purpose of building •
hospital. (Hear, bear.) A town had since sprung up
on the adjoining property, containing everything of •
raising tendency. (Hear, hoer.) There never had been
such • succession of bleeders made as bad been
made in this Alderthott business. The vote for that
camp had swollen to • million and • half, and yet
they bad only 25,000 men there for all that outlay. Ile
thought he had brought forward enough to show that it was
high time that some steps should be taken to put a stop to
such • system. (Hear, hear.) He trusted, if there was any
solid good sense in the country, or any regard in that house
for the public Bosnian, that this example of Aldershott
would be taken as an example to be shunned, and that boo.
members would not be contented year after year to vote
these enormous rims for military expenditure without
knowing whether they had got full value for their money,
and were not paying through the nose for the maintenance
of • standing army. (Hear, hear.!
Colonel NORTH thought' that what the hon. gentleman
had mid with regard to the expense of Aldenhott wart per-
fectly correct.
Mr. MONSELL said it was quite true that the land for
the camp at Aldershott was purchased for 201. an 'era, and
that afterwards it was necessary to incur an expense of
26,000/. for water and • considerable sum far drainage. If
there had not been certain disadvantages it would have been
impossible to have purchased it for so small • cam ea MI.
an acre. It was one of the cheapest muchness that was
ever made, and be believed that if it were put up for sale
now it would fetch more than the cost, including the ex-
pease incurred for water and drainage. With regard to
the huts, they were built in greet haste.
Colonel DICKSON beggd to move the reduction of the
vote of 40,0001. for the camp at Aldemhott by 1,0001., be-
cause he thought it was • great mistake to have so crowded
a camp. Amongst other evils the morality of the soldier
suffered from the temptations to debauchery which assailed
him at Aldershott, • place which had become • perfect sink
of iniquity. The accounts about the great advantages of
Aldershott were are great sham. (Hear, beer.) The phy-
Mod condition of the soldier suffered in like proportion.
General LINDSAY considered that there was some truth
in what his hon. and gallant friend bad advanced—there had
not, perhaps, been so much made of Aldershott as there
might have been • but be could not allow ell the remarks the
hon. member had made to pass without comment. Though
as a camp for military instruction Aldershott might not have
yet reached the extent which he trusted it might hereafter
reach, it could not be denied that it had berm a
great advantage to the service, particularly to the officers,
but also to the men in bringing them together in brigades,
taking them away from a large amount of sentry and light
duty, sad placing them in • healthy situation, and prevent-
ing those evils which were inseparable from • constant red-
dame in towns. - _

TheCHAIRMAN reminded the hon. and gallant member
(Colonel Dickson) that the vote for this year was only 7,0001.,
and that the effect of the amendment would therefore be to
disallow the whole of the item. . . .

[TWOPENCE

Again, it was urged that they had pitched their
camp at a great expense in wild and uncultivated gr=
but did gentlemen think that they should have purr
9,000 acres of arable land to be levelled and laid out as •
camp ? Be trusted that under all the circumstances the
house would see the propriety of giving the means of corn-
Plating the Artillery Barracks, which were confessed to be
so necessary for the camp.
After • conversation the committee divided—
The committee then divided. The numbers were—
For the amendment
Against it 147-97
Mr. BRUCE proposed the reduction of the vote by
16,0001. for the int:reale of the military college of Sand-
hurst

BARING said it was not proposed that this should
be • sionidel college for education for soy length of tinie,
like Woolwich ; bat the new system would not come into
operation till 1463, and further details would be furnished
with respect to it.
The committee divided.
For the amendment 49
Against it..
Colonel GILPIN moved that the vote for sanitary pur.
poses be reduced by 1,150/.
Mr. BARING defended the vote.

Ookmel DICKSON moved that the chairman report
=PALMERSTON was sure the house roust feel there
was nothing more important than the preservation of the
health of the army. It was a subject of constant com-
plaint that the arrangements with regard to the soldier's
health had not been such as to give general sotisfacti.in.
He thought no money could be better Lad out than that
which was devoted to guarding the soldier against injury
to health
The matt" tor2sportiog progress was negatived withoon
a division.

The rnmmittes taw divided on the amendment :
Ayes lO
Noes • 7B-48
After some conversation,
The vote was spud to, and the chairman reported pro-
gress.
CIVIL SERVICE ESTIMATES.
Mr. F. PEAL woad take that opportunity of saving that
he proposed to take the packet service vote on Thursday
next, if he could arrange to do so.