The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-16 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

11017 SE OF LORDS-(YESTERDAY.)

The LORD CrrAfccELLon took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.
Lord BROUGHAAI presented petitions from Lan-
cashire and Warwick in favour of summary jurisdiction
being given to magistrates to dispose of cases of petty lar-
ceny. The noble lord, in presenting the petitions, related
several cases of great injustice in consequence of the
magistrates not having the power prayed for. He also
cited some cases tried by Baron Alderson at the late
assizes, in which persons charged with offences of which
they were subsequently declared innocent by a jury had
been confined in prison several months previous to the
trial. The noble and learned ford moved for certain re-
turns showing the period for which they were confined
during the last year previous to their trial.—Agreed to.
MARINE MUTINY BILL.
This bill was read a third time and passed.
The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH moved for returns
,bowing the various stations of the militia regiments,
also the number of men who have volunteered into
the line, and a'so the number of the militia regiments
who have not yet furnished their quota.
MUTINY BILL.

On the motion that this bill be now read a third time,
Earl GREY rose to inquire on what principles first
commissions in the army were granted. The noble earl
said that he would be one of the last to wholly abolich
the practice of granting commissions by purchase ; but,
on the other hand, he was also certain that such a aye-
teal could not. be maintained unless that in the public
mind there was perfeA confidence that it would be im-
partially and fairly carried out.
Lord PANMURE said he found it had been the prac- -
tice to grant commissions without purchase to those
cadets who had distinguished themselves at the
Military College at Sandhurst. It had also been- the
practice to grant commissions to the sons of those officers
in ber Majesty's service who had distinguished them-
selves, and who, he thought, their lordships would con-
sider had a right to those first commissions without
purchase ; and, in the third place, he was informed
by the Commander-in-chief that the next class of persons
whose claims to commissions were recognised were the
s'ns of poor deserving clergymen. When the claims of
all these classes were exhausted, commissions were given
to those gentlemen whore names had been placed on the
list of applicants for commissions, and many of those
commissions had been recently distributed amongst
the last class in order to meet the demand of the army.
The age to qualify for those commissions was now ex-
tended to 32 years. He had failed to find out any ground
for the supposition that those commissions had ever
been given away without due consideration.
After a few words from Earl GREY,
Viscount HARDINGE said the noble earl must be
aware that -in case of commisssions granted without
purchase, consideration had always been given to the
propriety of reducing the half-pay list, and there was an
injunction upon the Commander-in-Chief that a certain
proportion of money received for commissions was
handed over to the Secretary of War, to be applied to
the reduction of the half-pay list.
After some observations from the Earl of ELLEN-
BOEOUGR,

The bill was read a third time and passed.
TEA DUTIES DECLINE SUSPENSION BILL.
The bill was read a second time and passed.
SECRETARIES OF STATE BILL.

On the motion of the Earl of GRAN VILLE this bill
was read a third time and passed.

ECCLESIASTICAL COURTS BILL.

On the motion of Lord BROUGHAM this bill was
read a second time.

THE MILITIA.

Earl MALMESBURY rose to put a question to her
Majesty's Government respecting the militia, as to fur-
lough to be given to married men ; and also as to the
maintenance of their wives and families. The
noble earl in asking this question took occasion to
enter at great length into the hardships inflicted upon
the men who had entered the militia in failing to get
their free discharges, and also to the dissatisfaction ex-
pressed by those men who had entered only for a short
period at finding that the militia was to be permanently
embodied. He wished, therefore, to know whether such
an order had been or would be given, to what extent it
would be carried out, and whether the Government in-
tended to provide any fund for the maintenance of the
wives and children of militiamen who bad been embodied
in the manner he bad pointed out 'I To make the cost
of such maintenance a charge on the locality would
operate as a check to all recruiting for the force.
'Lord PA.NMURE admitted having stated to the noble
earl that a question for information with respect to any
one county would be better addressed to the War Office.
If, however, the question were of a general kind and
rested on public grohnds, perhaps the better way was to
take the course the noble earl had done. With refer-
ence to the question itself, he thought the noble earl
could not be in possession of a circular, issued from the
War Office in November, 1854, addressed to the com-
manding officer of each militia regiment. He was sorry
that an impression existed that a breach of faith had
been committed towards those men who bad engaged to
servo in the militia, for he was quite sure no such breach
of faith was intended. .rt was true that under the act of
1852 the men were engaged only for training; and excrei,e;
but he could not admit that under the act of 1854 they
were forced to continue their service'. In the circular
issued to each commanding officer, he was instructed to
call only for those men who had no claim for exemption
on the ground of the original enHstruent, zn.l to report
to the War Office those men he considered not compe-
tent to serve. With revect to the embodied men, the
custom wa- if their wives and families became a burden
on the parish from the absence of the husband to allow
such men to return to their 'homes. If any blame ex-
isted in the matter, it - must rest, not with the War
Office, but with the colonels of militia.

Lord EATEM AN said that he had no knowledge of
the circular :n question. He did not complain of Le
authorities of the Home Office, for the noble lord the
present Premier, when Home Secretary, frequently
granted permission to the married moo to return home.
fie had written to the colonel of the Herefordshire Mi-

.itia on the suij,ct, and was informed by that gentleman
that it would be exceedingly inconvenient to carry out
the instructions given by the Home Office as to the did-
charge of these men. A communication was then sent
to the War Office, and, in reply, the colonel was directed
to transmit the names of the men whom he could recom-
mend fir discharge on payment of the enrolment money.
According to a return made by the War Office 23 mar-
ried men had been released since the receipt of that
letter, and 42 were at that moment in the regiment who
had not yet been released. That colonel had informed
him that he had made a point of granting discharges
only to those married men who could prove themselves
to be the fathers of two children legally born. (A. laugh.)
If out of a regiment of 500 men 100 were discharged be-
cause they were married great difficulty would be found
in replacing them. (Hear, hear.)
Lord PANMURE (in answer to the noble lord) said
he could furnish him with a return of the names of the
men discharged, but not of the names of those who had
applied fora discharge.
The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH said as far as he
could understand the question, there appeared to be two
classes of militiamen—one enrolled before the act of
1854 and the other after. The first were to be drilled
for 21 days, or by an order in council for 56 days, and
were not liable to be .permanently embodied ; but those
enlisted afterwards, were liable to be permanently em-
bodied for 5 years. Now, he thought it would be con-
ceded that no person who enlisted before the 12th .of
May, 3854, ought to be compelled against his will to
serve for the period named ; and he thought Government
would act with impropriety if they did not insist upon
this class of militiamen serving for the whole period to
which they might be made liable when they enlisted.
He did not see why the Government should not issue
an order in council that the men who enlisted before the
12th of May should be called on to serve for 56 days. If
this course were adopted there would be, among other
advantages, a chance of many volunteering into the
army and remaining there. He hoped, therefore, that
nothing would induce the Government to depart from
the strict rule of law, which Pave power to compel
those who enlisted before the 12th of May to serve for
56 days. He would also call upon the Government to
make the most earnest exertions for the purpose of
raising the militia to the full extent of the establish-
ment. At present there were 44,000 embodied, where-
as power was given to raise 136,00 e; so that at this
moment the militia force was 92,000 below its comple-
ment. (Hear, hear.) At the same time a vote in the
army estimates had been taken for 60,000 additional
men.to the army. Allowance, however, must be made
for casualties. So that there were required not fewer
182,000 men, or, with the addition of at least 6,000 or
' 7,000 artillery, -Perl.Y. 290)090 Ten to complete the
force. He hoped the Governinent would look to the
condition of the country in this respect, and take prompt
measures to supply the deficiency.
Earl GREY was extremely glad the subject had been
brought before the house by the noble earl (Malrnes-
bury), as it was one of very great importance, and the
existing state of things was unfortunate, as it interfered
with the enlistment of the regular area. He had

heard with great regret the noble marquis opposite,
who, he believed, was a colonel of a militia regiment
and a lord lieutenant, say that he thought it was no
breach of faith to call upon men who had enlisted
fur one period, under an act of Parliament which
distinctly provided they should not be permanently
embodied, to serve beyond the time for which
they had enlisted. In his opinion this was a flagrant
breach of faith, and he was afraid that th
he Governmentbeli e
believed
that
oa rt thema colonelsny m e
n weohfohmili-
tiafaultd lay ; e
bute rev: rittahi nt lhye
enlisted before May, 1852, were not aware that they
were entitled to donand leave of
absence or discharge,
when they had fulfilled th • ea.time of service, which at
the most wa3 56 days. IT
—e hoped this d* • would
discussion
make it generally known that every such man who en-
listed before the 12th of May, whether married or not,
or with children or not, or earning better wages than in
the militia, had a right, whichno colonel of militia or
Government could •
set aside, to demand leave of absence
after the time had expired for which he had stipulated
to serve. He agreed with the noble marquis that when
this was generally known, one itaconveuienca would
most likely ensue—namely, that half of the militiamen
would walk off; and that the further inconvenience
would be experienced of not being able to fill up their
places, for no one in his senses would enlist in the mi-
litia and perform any services if without. any chance of`
pension. He was quite sure that the risk of_fightino.
was no discouragement to ingi to enlist, for ke believed
that it was the hope of fighting that proved the strongest
inducement to enlist. What man would serve five years
continuously when he could get greater advantages in the
Pala AW 1 114! 49.44 *t_ ult