The Sun.
London, England, 1855-07-05 00:00:00

THE MILITIA IN SCOTLAND.

The Duke of BUCCLEUCH called the attention of
their lordAips to the present system of billeting the
militia in Scotland. It had now become an intolerable
burden upon the inhabitants. If it bad been much
longer continued he was afraid that circumstances might
arise of the most disagreeable character. He had, as
colonel of one of those militia regiments, been much
abused on account of the belief that he was a party to this
arrangement. So far from him being a party, he had
urged the subject before upon the attention of the noble
lor, and at one time had it in contemplation to erect
temporary huts himself for the militia in his neighbour-
hood, but was induced to give up that idea from a belief
that the men would have been ordered away in a short
time.

Lord PANMIIRE admitted that the noble duke had
fair reason for complaint in respect to the evil com-
plained of. He was afraid, however, that this was one
of the events incident to the war. The number of mili-
tia in barracks was far beyond any accommodation which
could be afforded by the ordinary barracks in the country.
He had endeavoured, as far as possible, to mitigate the
evil, but he confessed he was not as yet able to remedy
the evil complained of. He could assure the noble
duke that, as far as it was possible, he would
endeavour to provide better accommodation for the sol-
diers.

THE EXTRA PAY TO SOLDIERS.
The Earl of ELLENBOROUGII wished to ask the
noble lord the Minister of War a question with respect
to the new plan announced by himself the other evening
for increasing the pay of the army on active service.
Not having been present on that occasion, he could only
take his information as to what the noble lord
stated from the reports in the public newspapers.
These reports stated the noble lord proposed to add one
shilling a-day to the pay of the soldiers engaged in field
operations, and that such addition was to have a retro-
spective effect from the time of the landing in the
Crimea.

Lord PANMURE said that that part of the report
was a mistake.

The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH said, he was glad
that point was explained, for it was an important one,
involving an expenditure of about 500,0001. The noble
lord was understood to say that he considered his plan
was more economical than that of increasing the
bounty. He would remind the noble lord that if he
added 141. to the bounty, still the plan proposed of in-:
creasing the pay would be much more expensive
t'ian even that enormous addition to the bounty.
The number of men to claim this additional
pay would be not less than 40,000, the expenditure would
consequently amount to 730,0001. a-year. What he
wished to know was as to the noble lord's intention
whether, together with this increase of pay, he at the
same time intended to continue the large increase of
bounty that had been made within the last few weeks.

Lord PANMURE stated that since be bad made the
announcement referred to, he had been informed by se-
veral military men of eminence and experience that un-
less the soldier got the increased pay into his own hands
the plan would not be likely to succeed. In the face
of such representations he did not think
he would be acting prudently in incurring
so heavy an expense, if in the end it was not likely to
be successful in effecting the object he bad in view.
On the other hand, he felt that the payment of this
additional sum into the hand of the soldier would
he attended with considerable danger as regarded the
discipline and good conduct of the army. Instead, there-
fore, of pursuing nis original plan, he proposed to
pay into the hands cf the soldier as an extra field
allowance, in the same way as the field allowances were
made to the officers-6d. a•day. And with regard to
the other 6d., the soldier was to have the benefit
of the arrangement as existed in the royal navy,
by which the soldier would be enabled to
allot the whole or any part of this 6d. a-day to his family
or relations. He proposed that the 6d., if not allotted
by the soldier, should, under certain circumstances, be
stopped by the commanding officer, but to be invested
for the soldier's benefit, and not to be- forfeited unless
condemned by court-martial.
[LEFT SPEAKING.]