The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-23 00:00:00

THE MILITIA.

The Earl of MALUESBURV, seeing his noble friend
opposite, begged to ask whither any infermation had
been received from the law officers of the Crown relative
to the construction of the Militia Act of 1852, as to the
service to be expectA from the men under the act
raised in the present session ?.
Lord PAN MURE begged to state that experience
had shown him the bad effects that invariably follow a
discussion as to the rights of soldiers in this house. The
men, afttr such a circumstance, invariably entertain
erroneous notions as to their rights, and such had been
unfcrtunately the case in the present instance—many
militiainen had, on the suggestions of others, laid down
their arms, refusing to do duty, and applied for
their discharge. On explanation, however, they
had. resumed their duty, and expressed themselves
willing to abide farther instructions from the Govern-
ment. (Hear, hear.) Although he had never any doubt
in the matter, he had, nevertheless, taken the opinion of
the law officers of the Crown, who had assured him that
every militiaman who was now serving under the act of
1854, whether he had been enlisted under the acts of
1852 53, or subsequently to the passing of the act of
1854, was equally compelled to be sworn as a regular
embodied militiaman. That was distinctly and unques-
tionably the present state of the law. There was another
point that had been touched upon in the discussion be-
fore alluded to. It was stated that when the act of 1852
was passed a pledge was given by the Government,

or was understood to be conveyed, that the men who
were enrolled in 1852 were to have the option as to the
limitation of service. Now, if any such engagement
had been given, whether such was right or wrong, he
thought that it ought to be religiously and strictly ad-
hered to. But that, however, was a question to be
inquired into. (Hear.) The behaviour of the militia,
he thought, was deserving their highest approbation,
and it, of itself, furnished strong inducement that their
case should receive that consideration which it was so
justly entitled to. _ _

After a few observations from Earl GREY and the
Earl of MAL3IBBURT,
The subject dropped.
THE CRIMINAL LAW.

Lord BROUGHAM then i ose to submit a motion to
their lordships' consideration, relative t 3 the prey cut
state of the criminal law, and was
• - lucrm SPEAKING.]

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—(THIS EVENING.
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The following bills were read a third time, and pulsed:
--Brigbton Improvement-Commissioners awl Municipal
Corporation ; Folkestone Water ' • Hoarwithy Bridge ;
Lands Improvement Company ; itatcliff Gas ; Surrey
Ga'.

The Rotherham Ga 3 and the Stalybridge Gas Bills
were considered, and ordered to be real a third time.
The Medical, Invalid, and General Lifa Assurance
Society (Stamp Duty on Memorials), was reported.
The West London and Crystal Palace and Westmin-
ster Terminus Railways, and the Southampton Paving
Trust, St. Pancras Bills were read a second time, and
ordered to be committed.
NEW WRIT.

-
On the motion of Mr. HAILCER, a new writ was
ordered for the borough of Wilton, in the room of Mr.
A'Court, who had accepted the office of Income-tax
Commissioner.

PETITIONS.
Mr. WILCOX presented a petition from the corpo-
ration of Southampton, against certain clauses in the
Public Health Bill.
Mr. HADFIELD presented a petition from the cor-
poration of Sheffield, praying for the repeal of the news-
paper stamp.
t3ir J. WALMSLEY presented a petition from
Brentford, praying for the opening of the British
Museum and National Gallery o•A Sundays.
Sir J. PAXTON presented a petition from Coventry,
praying for the repeal of the Beer Act of last session ;
also a petition from the Licensed Victuallers of the
same place against throwing open their trade.
Mr. GIBSON presented a petition from the National
Temperance Society praying fit. the repeal of the news•
paper stamp.
Mr. K. SEYMEB presented a petition from Wilt-
shire praying ti.at public-houses may be closed the entire
of Sundays.
Mr. BERKLEY presented a petition from Drist )1 in
favour of the Friendly Societies Bill ; also a petition
from the newspapers of the same place praying for the
repeal of the newspaper stimp.
Mr. HO RSFALL presented a petition from the Pro-
testant Association cf Liverpool, complaining that a
certain person had assumed the title of Bishop of Liver-
pool, and praying that the law officers of the Crown
might be instructed to enforce the law against him.
Mr. A. PELLATF presented petitions from certain
Dissenting bodies in the West of England, complaining
of the conduct of the Bishop of Exeter, in refusing to
consecrate their burial grounds, unless they complied
with conditions which they did not believe were autho-
rised by the Burial Act. Also petitions from various
private individuals, complaining that they were deprived
by the Burial Act of making use of certain vaults upon
which they had spent large sums of money.

Gazette of the 13th, on the subject of the coasting trade
in China, whether the coasting trade in China by
' British ships was thereby extended beyond the five
ports named in the treaty of 1842 ; if so, whether British
' ships might proceed at once under the local authority
from Amoy, without waiting for the sanction of the Im-
perial Government at Pekin ; and, whether goods sent
coastwise in British ships would be admitted at the same
duty as goods imported in Chinese vessels ?
Lord PALMERSTON said the permission had been
granted not by the imperial but by the local authority,
and he was unable to say whether it extended beyond
the five ports or not. lire was unable to answer the
second question.
1 - TOOLS FOR THE ARMY.
2 Mr. H. BAILLIE asked the Clerk of the Ordnance
whether any trenching tools of a superior description to
those originally sent out bad been forwarded to the
army of the Crimea, or whether the Board of Ordnance
1 was still prepared to maintain that the tools originally
2 sent out were of the best description that could be ob-
-3 ' tained in this country ?

Mr. MONSELL 'entered into a lengthened explana-
tion in reply to the question. The tools he said were
partly supplied by colonels of the regiments, and partly
by the Bcard of Ordnance. The tools used in
the Crimea were issued from Woolwich, and

were made 'after a pattern agreed on by a
board of general officers. Conflicting statements of the
quality of these tools had been made to the Ordnance,
and under those cir,:nimstanses an officer had been
sent to Woolwich to examine the tools about
to be despatched to the army. If they were found to
be bad in quality, of course the order for sen3ing them
out would be countermanded ; but perhaps the hon.
gentleman would repeat his question on a future day.
Mr. ROEBUCK inquired if it was true that the tools
sent out were reported against by a commission of general
officers that met in the camp at Chobbaua
Mr. MONSELL had never heard of the commission,
but he would make inquiries about it.
MINES.
Mr. BELL asked the Attorney-General whether any
and what progress had been made towards a settlement
of the rival claims cf the Duchy of Cornwall and the
Woods and Forests is minerals below high-water mark?
Also, if any arrangement had been proposed by which
leases or licences can be granted pending the settlement
of those claims to parties desiroms of working mines in
the disputed localities, or what prevented such an arrange-
ment being entered into ?

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said the dispute WFS
making progress towards settlement. Pending the dis-
pute, however, a bill would be-brought in 'to enable the
Crown to grant leases.