The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-09 00:00:00

THE ARMY BEFORE SEBASTOPOL.

Ma. RICH wished to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer
whether he was prepared to lay upon the table a copy of
the o icial document upon which he ventured to make a
statement most gratifying to the public in their present ex-
cited state, viz., that at the time the latest reports were made
there were 28,300 men under arms before Sebastopol, inde-
pendent of the naval brigade, the marines, and all men in
hospitals at Balaklava or elsewhere I
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER need hardly ac-
quaint the right hon. member that in making that statement
he was acting upon returns which were not under his own
control, but which had been furnished him by the military
departments, and he would rather not give any answer with
respect to the production of those returns until the members
of the Government more particularly interested had had time
to consider the question. Perhaps he might bo permitted
now to advert-to what was stated yesterday with respect to
the order of business in the house. He thought there had
then been a general impression in the house, if he could recall
its right feeling, that it would not be desirable to proceed to
any important business until his noble friend the member
for Tiverton, who had accepted the office of First Lord of
the Treasury should have had an opportunity of submitting
himself to his constituents after vacating his seat. If the
noble lord should be re-elected, he could not with any cer-
tainty- be expected to make his re-appearance in the house
before tho middle of next week. He thought, also, that the
feeling was, that it would be very inconvenient that the house
should meet for the purpose of despatching business of form,
it being understood that no substantial business was to be
brought before them during the time between the presenttime
and the period at which they should re-assemble for the de-
spatch of important business. He had then stated that they
had some apprehension on account of the necessity of obtain-
ing votes, in committee of ways and means, for the ordnance
and navy departments ; it was thought it would be necessary
that the house should meet from day to day, but, being anxious
to avoid putting the house to any inconvenience, they had
looked into that matter, and found it would be possible for
them to make the necessary provision for the public service
provided the house would not adjourn for a longer period
after to-morrow than to Friday next week. What he proposed,
therefore, was this—to give notice for the order of business
for to-morrow week as follows :—The first subject to be taken
should be the navy estimates ; second, the army estimates ;
and then there should be notice of a committee on the sub-
ject of the newspaper stamp. He had a confident expectation
that the right hon. baronet the Frst Lord of the Admiralty
would be in his place to move the navy estimates. It would
be, he hoped, not inconvenient for the house to meet to-
morrow for the purpose of putting forward the money votes
they had been obliged to submit for the immediate exigencies
of the service ; but as to-morrow was a Friday, it had ap-
peared to them that it would be more convenient for the
house to meet at 12 o'clock, He should, therefore, give notice
that night that Mr. Speaker do take the chair next day at 12
o'clock, and he should on that occasion move the adjourn-
ment of the house until Friday, the 16th of February.
Colonel SIBTHORP was proceeding to make some obser-
vations with reference to the adjournment of the house,
when he was called to order, and resumed his seat.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER wished to ex-
plain that the hon. gentleman behind him had misappre-
hended his moaning. He had not stated that there were
28,300 men under arms before Sebastopol. What he had
said was, that there were the number of men in the discharge
of military duty before Sebastopol.
SUPPLY.

The house then went into committee of supply.
The Hon. Mr. COWPER proposed a vote of 1,615,0001. for
the arrears of naval expenditure during the year 1854-55.
Sir H. WILLOUGHBY wished to know whether that was
the total amount of the vote ?
Mr. COWPER said that the total amount of the vote was
1,938,1041.