The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-20 00:00:00

14 t% Vetution.

SUN OFFICE, Seven, o'Clock.

EMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS.—(THIS EVENING.)
The LORD CHANciLLoa. took hie seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.

The Duke of CAMBRIDGE appeared in the house
for the first time since his return from the Crimea. His
Royal Highness appeared in excellent health, and shook
hands with several peers.
ARMY SERVICE ACT AMENDMENT BILL.

Lord PANMURE moved the second reading of this
bill.

The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH said be was some-
what surprised that the noble lord should have simply
moved the second reading of this bill. He had thought
that he would have entered somewhat into detail
with respect to the present state of the army.
At the same time, under the present state of the country
and of our army, he was not disposed to offer
any opposition to the measure. It was true it
WWI a very strong measure, and therefore
one which required the greatest consideration before the
house was called upon to agree to it. It appeared
to him to be a matter of the deepest consideration whe-
ther they ought to make so great an alteration in our
system of recruitment without limiting the period which
the proposed measure was to continue in operation.
(Hear, hear.) He would suggest that the bill should
be limited to three years. Looking at the army esti-
mates, he confessed to feel the greatest alarm when
he observed the number of recruits which it was stated
the Government would have to obtain in the present
year. That number was 60,000. He found also
that the increase of the establishment proposed this
year was 35,869. He was also surprised to find that
no provision whatsoever was maths for the casualties
to be expected during the year. The natural
casualties were estimated at twelve thousand. He
would strongly recommend that the Lord Lieutenants of
the different counties should write to their deputies and
take the requirements of the country ; and he also re-
commended that a quota of the militia should also be
drawn from the Peor-law unions; and added to this, he
hoped and trusted that all persons would exert them-
selves to increase the number of the militia. It
was a subject to him of the deepest regret that our
military institutions were utterly inadequate to
the support of the army of the strength of that which
we had originally sent to the Crimea. He also looked
with great regret at the conduct of the war. It was painful
to consider that when the Turks were fighting at Silistria
our troops were doing nothing whatever at Varna ; and
while our troops were fighting in the Crimea, the
Turkish soldiers were doing nothing in the neighbour-
hood of the Danube or anywhere else. This state of
things indicated an utter want of system and arrange-
ment, for which some party or other was to be blamed.
(LEFT SPEAKING.)

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—{THIS EVENING.)
The SPEAKER took the chair shortly before 4 o'clock.

NEW WRIT.

On the motion of Mr. C. BRUCE a new writ was or-
dered for the county of Stirling, in the room of Mr.
Forbes, deceased.
PRIVATE BILLS.

The following bills were read a second time and or-
dered to be committed:—Manchester Improvement Bill,
Birkenhead Dock Trustees' Bill, Liverpool Corporation
Water Bill.

On the motion for the second reading of the Liverpool
Improvement Bill,
Mr. M. GIBSON expressed a hope that a clause would
be introduced into this bill, the object of which was to
mortgage the town dues of Liverpool, with the view of
providing that it should not interfere with any future
general legislation on the subject of the local charges on
shipping.
Mr. HADFIELD also urged the Board of Trade to
keep their eyes upon this bill. The town dues of Liver-
pool were principally paid by the manufacturers of Lan-
cashire and Yorkshire, without their receiving any bene-
fit in return. lie should therefore move that the bill
be read a second time that day six months, unless be had
some assurance that it would not prejudice future legis-
lation.

Mr. CARDWELL said the bill would contain such a
clause ; and if it received the Royal assent, the commis-
sioners acting under the bill would not be allowed to
pledge the dues charged on shipping without the con-
sent of the Board of Trade. That consent certainly
would not be given until the opinion of Parliament bad
been taken upon the general question of whether the
local charge en shipping should be continued or not.
Mr. LIDDELL supported the bill, and insisted that
the corporation of Liverpool were entitled to the dues as
an immemorial right.
Mr. BRIGHT said there was no desire to oppose
the second reading of the bill ; all that was wanted was
a pledge that it should not interfere with any future
legislation on the general subject of local charges on
shipping.
Mr. HA.DFIELD said after the intimation of the
right hon. the President of the Board of Trade he would
not press his amendment.
The bill was then read a second time, and ordered to
be committed.