The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-01-05 00:00:00

MAJOR GREIG AND MILITARY
DISCIPLINE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES.

Sir,—lf the Major's statement, " That he is not
a man," be true, mid I do not question his veracity
—are we to presume he is what may generally be
termed an old woman ? If so, he is not the person
to be clothed with the mantle of authority over one
of the finest body of men which can be found in
England. I quite agree with Military Discipline
being strictly adhered to in the Police Force; which,
I think, will fully account for the efficiency of that
body—as has been displayed on various occasions
—hut do not lot discipline be administered in
Major Greig's style. 1 have yet to learn that it is
part of Military Discipline, for a superior Miller to
strike a sentinel on duty. With regard to the
trial of the case, I think there was partiality shown
by the magistrate on that occasion ; and for which,
" The Major" should a!ways hold that gentleman
in grateful remembrance, as the dispenser of
justice between a man and " The Major" who is
not one !—Yours,
A LOVER OF JUSTICE AND DISCIPLINE.
Everton, 3rd January, 1857.

THE INCOME TAX.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIKES.

Sir,—lt appears most extraordinary that, when al-
most every town in the kingdom is getting up peti-
tions against the present income tax, Liverpool
should be so slow to follow the example,when it may
be truly stated, that no town in the kingdom suffers
more (with, perhaps, the exception of the Metro
polis) from it. How many poor clerks, with £l5O
a year, this tax bears upon most heavily, grintting
their very marrow in order to swell the Exchequer,
when the war, which the people so generously
came forward to support by every means in their
power, no longer exists. I have a wife and four
children ; I pay taxes, rates, &c., in every shape ;
and, after doing so, I am compelled to pay Is. 4d.
in the polled, or ten pounds per annum for income
tax. H.-.lv long will Government krepJohn Bull's
blood boiling, over this iniquitous tax ; a lesson
ought to be taken from the past history of this
country in enforcing taxation on the people.
Petition—let us petition, for the sake of our
offspring, for its total abolition,—l am, Sir, your
obedient servant,

A CLERK ON Xl5O A YEAR

3rd January, 1857

LORD PANMURE ON PUBLIC AFFAIRS.

A d-nner was given- to Lord Panmure, on Tuesday, by the
gentlemen of the county of Forfar, at which his lordship made a
long sneech. As Lord Panmuro is Minister of War, and a mem-
ber of the Cabinet, his wore!, become of some importance. He
said, after referring to his acceptance of office, and to Crimean
affdrs and blunders, of which our readers have had a surfeit—
" Gentlemeti,—l think the present Government has only done
in this military reform what any other Government would have
done if occupying their place. They have had the opportunity,
and therefore they have gained the credit—and I say
that it is a credit to any Government to have
simplified and modified the military administration of
this country so that—l 411+11 answer for it, should due
necessity call for it —we could embark any lumber of
soldiers this country may be called upon to provide complete
in all their equipments, ten days after the order had been
given. There are some gentlemen—but I believe there are
very few—who. question the policy of our entering upon any
war with Russia. lam not going back to the times which
led to these changes in the relations of the two countries, nor
to discuss the commencement of the late war. But this I will
say, that England entered into the late war without any
feeling or intention of self-aggrandizement at all. For many
years England had warred for freedom and for liberty—in
support of the weak against the strong. Oa this occasion she
entered on the combat with these and no other feelings. Con-
trary to all stipulation of treaty, and in the face of all remon-
strances on the part of France and England as well as of Turkey,
Russia attempted to disturb that balance of power in Europe
upon which the prosperity of this country and its _liberty and
freedom so essentially depend. England would be no party to
such an attempt. After such endeavours had been made to
induce Russia to forego her intentions on this subject war was
declared, and then, gentlemen, was returned a despatch which
must have proclaimed to all the world that England, when she
wars with one mind, is invincible even though all the world
were against her. We have seen great warlike sights in former
times, but be it remembered that that was in times when our
shores wera thteatened, and when our homes and alta-s were
supposed to be endangered No wonder, though England,
Scotland, and Ireland then rose as one man to defend inesres s
so dear to them. But upon the present occasion it was not
so. Our formidable foes are now our most attached allies.
Long may they continua so ; /long may commerce
make us akin, and long may those ties of friendship so
firmly existing between us continue to subsist in their
present strength. She was formerly our formidable
foe, but now, gentlemen, our hetrths were in no danger, our
altars were free from risk of profanation ; we were in the
enjoyment of the most profound peace, and yet the nation,
awakened with one voice, arose as one man to approve the
declaration of this war, and her sword leaped from the scabbard
to prosecute it. Party spirit vanished before the declaration of
war; there was almost a lull of politics; the Commons gave
up their economy, and adopted an unbounded generosity, and
the people exhibited a patience under taxation which
was truly admirable. And, gentlemen, not content
with exhibiting this patience under taxation, they
voluntarily taxed' these elves to form that Patriotic Fund
which will ever remain a monument of what a people can
do when their hearts are in their work. And not only so;
hut they voluntarily subscribed funds to supply the wants
of our sick and wounded sodiers and sailors abrnad,whereby
many a man who had sacrificed health in his country's
service found comfort at their hands which Ile would not else
have found. Gentlemenathere is another feature which has
distinguished this war, upon which we must all look with pride
and satisfaction. In former wars we had prowling about our
ports things called pressgangs, and we had our militia driven
to the parade by the 'compulsory ballot. On this occasion we
have never heard a word of the pressgang or the compulsory'
ballot. Our fleets have been manned, and our army recruited
by the voluntary enlistment of the youth of the country. And
it is a matter of the greatest pride for the nation to be able to
stand up in the face of the world, and say that without con-
scription or pressing, her sons in a just cause will ever rally
round her. You have seen what your army and navy are
capable of doing—you have seen a large army accumulated on
the shores of an enemy's country at a vast distance from
their native shores. We owe that to the capability of the
navy, and to the exertions of that sister service; but we owe
that sister service more—and I say in the presence of
my friend Sir Houston Stewart —wa owe that sister service a
debt of gratitude for the manner in which she brought that
army home from the East, and rescued it from the perils to
which it would have been exposed. Under Sir Honston
Stewart's able direction—for his senior officer was then at home
—that army, of not less than 80,000 men at least, whatever
more, was embarked from the Crimea and landed safely upon
the shores of Europe. And I may here add that, as a tribute
to that army, there was not a regiment of it which landed
upon English shores—whether English, Scotch, or Irish, that
was not passed in review before her Majesty herself, and to the
man in whose ranks she did not herself address some sympathis-
ing words. It was my gem I fortune to see the fit sr formation of
that army at Alderehott, when reviewed by her Majesty—it
was nay good fortune to see the officers of that army called
together into a square, and never till the latest day
I live, shall I forget the speech then made by the Queen
to those officers, nor the tears which trickled over
the manly beards of some of those officers when they
heard those words fall from her Majesty. And now, gentle-
men, one word with regard to the future. You have seen, as
I have stated, what your services of the navy and army can do
for you when called effectively into action. Peace has now
returned; but, although peace has returned, she is like a bird
flying back at present to her tree, and, although she may have
alighted on the branch, her wings are not yet fairly settled to
her side. I would hope and trust that this country will not
be in too great a hurry to insist upon returning to what are
called peace establishments, and not only to clean the sword.
but to insist upon hanging it up to rust against the wall
There is a medium in all thins ; and I believe we may
study economy, and at the same time preserve efficiency. I
believe we may look forward to the maintenance of good
efficient forces bo'h in the army and in the navy. but at the
same time considerable relief from the taxation of the war.
But I believe at the same time that it would be the most ill
timed economy suddenly to cut dome that which you have so
efficiently raised up, and to bring back the country into a state
from which, when war lately occurred, it cost millions to rescue
it. When my bon, friend who represented me in the House
of Commons moved last year the army and navy esti-
mates, they amounted to no less a sum than £34,000,000;
but to give you some idea that I am not exactly talking
without book, when I am saying that great efficiency may be
maintained and yet relief from taxation achieved, I can promise
yen that these estimates this year will not come within twenty
millions of what they did last year. And all I ask and all I
hope for is, that this country will well consider the necessity
of maintaining in., these unsettled tunes a navy sufficient to
defend our coasts at home and our possessions abroad, and an
fumy fitted to send troops to the field, as well as perform the
duties of those vast and extensive possessions to which my
noble friend the commander in chief for Scotland so lately
referred,"