The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-21 00:00:00

MPE RI A L PA R L ENT.

~~,

HOUSE OF LORDS--(YE:STEREUI

The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the vool.iack
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—I re ally expected, my
lords, that in moving the second reading of this very im-
portant measure the noble baron would at least have made a
statement to the house—similar to that which has been made
on all occasions when a great alteration has been proposed in
the mode of supplying deficiencies in the army—of the ope-
ration of the present mode of enlistment ; that he would
have stated the amount of the establishment, and the amount
of the present effective force which we possess ; and, like-
wise, that he would have informed us of. the number of re-
cruits obtained at different times, so that we might be enabled
to judge of the practical effect of the present mode of recruit-
ing the army. The noble baron has afforded us no informa-
tion whatever of this kind. I must confess, however, that
under the circumstances of the country and of the army, as
they appear to me at the present moment, I am not disposed
to make any opposition whatever to the bill which is now
proposed to us (hear, hear) ; but at the same time I must
venture to suggest to the noble baron that this is a very
strong measure, and one which deserves the greatest conside-
ration before the house adopts it. We ought, I say, very
seriously to consider whether we should make so very great
an alteration in the system of recruiting the army without
limiting the period for which that alteration is to continue
(hear,' hear), because the necessity is one which we may hope
may be at an end at the expiration of three years, and, even
if the necessity should still remain after that period, there
can be no difficulty in coming ,again to Parliament to ask an
extension of the duration of this alteration. I shall, therefore,
suggest in committee that the noble baron should limit the
duration of the powers contained in the bill to the period of
three years, and I am quite sure that if, when those powers
expire, the need should still continue, Parliament will make
no difficulty in granting an extension of them. I have
looked into the army estimates of this year, and I confess,
my lords, that the -view I take of our military establish-
ments, and the means of furnishing the amount of force re-
quiredJor the public service according to these estimates, is
one of coi.siderable alarm. I observe that the number of re-
cruits expected or desired to be obtained during the present
year is 60,000 men, and I find also that the increase of the
establishment proposed in this year is 35,869, but I appre-
hend at the present moment, considering the great losses sus-
tained in the Crimea, it cannot be supposed that the effec-
tives will be very materially increased. Taking the effectives
on the establishment at 24,131, the number in which the pre-
sent establishment is deficient and the number by which it is
to be increased would only bring it up to the 60,000 for
which provision is made. If, indeed, the 60,000 recruits could
be obtained in one day, no doubt on that day the army would
be in a perfect state of efficiency, and up to the complement
which has been voted by the House of Commons. But ob-
serve—in this calculation no provision has been made for the
casualties which are to be expected during the present year.

I apprehend, under ordinary circumstances, if we were not
engaged in actual war, we could not expect that the casual-
ties from various causes would be much less than 12,000 men,
and I am sure I take a very low estimate of the probable
casualties of war when I put them at 18,000 more ; and,
therefore, in addition to the 60,000 recruits required to com-
plete the establishment, if they were obtained to-morrow, you
will require 30,000 more in order, on the 31st of March, 1856,
to have the actualtestablishment up to the strength of 60,000
men now voted by Parliament. • This is a very serious state
of things. (Hear.) In the same army estimates it is pro-
posed that 60,000 recruits are to be obtained for the militia,
or rather are wanted for the militia ; but, as there is a very
large reduction in the expenditure for these recruits, amount-
ing to 700,000/., which may be taken to represent 28,000
men, I apprehend that it is supposed that 28,000 men will
be transferred from the militia to the regular army. There
can be no doubt, however, that a very large number of
men will be required for the purpose of keeping the
militia up to its 'establishment, even after the deduc-
tion of the 28,000 troops ' for which provision has been
made. All ithe consideration I have ever been able to
give to this subject has led me to the conclusion that the only
solid foundation for an efficient army in this country is a full
militia—a militia full up to its complement. But of this I
must say I am quite sure, that, unless Parliament shall take
very energetic measures, and unless individuals will exert
themselves for the public service to the full extent of their
personal iniuence (hear, hear)—in the localities in which
they have that influence, it will be perfectly impossible to
effect this object. I, therefore, earnestly recommend the
noble bares to communicate with the Home Secretary, that
the Home Secretary may write to the lords-lieutenant of
counties, mating the requirenients of the country and the
absolute necessity of individual exertion, and that the lords-
lieutenant may then call together the deputies-lieutenant, and
state to turn, each as he may best think fit, the wants of
the public service and the duties imposed upon them. (Hear,
hear.) I must say, too, having considered this matter to the
best of my ability, I have come to the conclusion which I
have more than once expressed in this house, that it would
be advisable that the Government should avail itself of the
power which is granted in the act passed two or three years
ago, to make the Poor Law unions the districts to which the
quotas of the militia are to be apportioned. I feel, too, that
some measure of coercion should be adoptod, though I should
be most unwilling at the present moment to resort to the
ballot ; but it appears to me that the most convenient mode
of stimulating their energy would be to inflict a fine upon the
union for every militia man of the quota apportioned to the
district, not provided. I have had a great deal to do at dif-
ferent times with the practical operation of Poor Law unions,
and having sat a great deal in Boards of Guardians. I know
the great power which that establishment possesses, and I am
perfectly confident that if the chairman of the Boards of
Guardians--men always of the first influence in the union—
in co-operation with the guardians, a great many of whom aro
continued from year to year, and in co-operation with these
with whom they have been connected in former years, would
really exert themselves for the purpose of obtaining a suffi-
cient supply of militiamen, the fine would rarely be imposed,
and the militia would, generally be maintained up to its full
complement. In the present state of the country, however,
and of this war, I am convinced that it is necessary not merely
to resort to those measures which may be passed by Parlia-
ment with this view, but that the personal exertions of every
individual, wherever he maybe able to make those exertions,
are required for the purpose of filling the ranks of the militia,
and enabling it to supply the army with that force which is
absolutely needed for the maintenance of the public interests
and the national honour. There is something that strikes me
very much, in looking into these army estimates, as defective
in the present organisation of the army, and I beg to submit
the subject to the consideration of the noble lord the War
Minister. I perceive that there has been a very great addi-
tion to the number of the officers in the army in the lourse
of last year. In one page of the Army Estimates I find it
stated that that addition has amounted to 1,962. Ido not
find, however, that that number corresponds with the num-
ber which I should calculate from the details given; and
which, on the contrary, appears when added together, to be
in the total 1,669. But your lordships will observe that while
the addition of majors'is proportional to the addition of cap-
tains and other officers, se that the chance of promotion to
the rank of major remains the same as before, yet not only is
there no addition to the rank of lieutenant-colonel, but, in
point of fact, the latter are one less than when the subordi-
nate officers were fewer. This is a matter which appears,to
me of material importance, for not only is all advancement
taken from officers in the ranks of lieutenant and captain,
but the service sustains a very serious loss, for there could
be no doubt that it was most desirable that persons in a con-
siderable number should be placed in the rank of lieutenant-
colonel, and should in that rank have the command of a suf-
ficient body of men to acquire the power of moving batta-
lions, so as to qualify themselves for higher appointments
in the army. I object generally to the enormous increase in
the numerical strength of the regiments. I see that the
regiment is made to amount to more than 2,200 men ;
but it is not intended that this body should ever be brought
together in one mass ; but some were to be kept in depot at
Corfu, others at Malta, while the main body would be em-
ployed in the Crimea. But the men so employed, amounting
to more than 1,400, would be infinitely too large to be hand-
led by the ordinary regimental officers. They would form
the ordinary strength of a brigade, and not of a regiment ; it
would be necessary to bring them into wings, and thus alto-
gether to destroy their usefulness as a substantive unit, for
battalion should be a unit in the army organisation. But there
is this further objection to the proposed arrangement, that
one-third or more of the battalions would be dispersed in
small bodies in a fragmental state, and no officer command-
ing a fragment could obtain any knowledge of his duty so as
to command a regiment hereafter. In what position should
we then be when the only force in England would consist of
these fragmentary regiments, and when there would be no
possibility of bringing together a military force of any
amount, for you could not put together occasionally and for
extraordinary purposes of war two or three bodies of 200 or
300 men, commanded, perhaps, by accidental captains for a
short time. The system about to be adopted is practically
nullifying the efficiency of the army. By the deductions made
from the militia, from the regular force by detachments at
1,
Malta and elsewhere, and by the enormous force in the Cri-
mea, you will have at home men, but army none—nothing in
the shape of an army, and that appears to me to be contrary
to all military principle and reason. (Hear.) It is with very
deeV regret that lam compelled to come to the conclusion
that our military institutions are utterly inadequate for the
support, of an army of the strength of that originally sent to
the Crimea. That army, no doubt, has been subject to extra-
ordinary
but, even had it only been subject to the or-
dinaryn emeans
us lo' se
of s
sme:
t l ;
of
caningwar, we had not in our military institutions the
such an army to its full complement.
The consequence of 'that deficiency has been that we have
been taking most extraordinary measures for the - pur-
pose of maintaining' the number originally sent out.
For this purpose we have denuded the colonies, shuffling
regiments together, and dislocating them, so that a regiment
found itself composed, not of its own men, for they had been
transferred to other regiments. (Hear, hear.) The whole
army was thus shuffled together ; the esprit de corps would
be entirely destroyed, and all the effect of discipline done
away with. (Hear, hear.) Thus, instead of sending out a
perfectly well disciplined and equipped army, perfect in all
respects as the one we ought in all circumstances to send
abroad—if we send an army abroad at all—we have
sent out the present one deficient in all the economy and
qualities which ought to distinguish an army, except that
courage which is innate in the British soldier. (Hear, hear.)
What is the consequence i In the endeavour to keep up the
number of the army, the Government is compelled, day after
day, to send troops to the Crimea utterly unfit for the ser-
vice. I have seen a regiment sent out to the Crimea corn-
posed of boys of from 19 to 20 years of age, not of usual
stature, full of spirit, but utterly unable to contend with the
difficulties of a campaign. The consequence is, that you are
throwing regiment after regiment into a bottomless pit,
where they could do no public service, and must die, because
nature compels them to sink under the exertions and priva-
tions to which they are subject. (Hear, hear.) It is most
painful to see this state of things, which has resulted alto-
gether from the extraordinary notion of sending out every
man you could lay your hands on, without considering whe-
ther it was possible to maintain the army up to the comple-
ment at which it was sent out, and thus all these calamities
have arisen. (Hear, hear.) I confess I look with very great
regret on the conduct of is war. It is very painful for me
to see that, while the Vigis were fighting at Silistria, our
troops were dying at Varna ; and when our troops were
fighting before Sebastopol, the Turks were not yet in the
Crimea. (Hear, hear.) All this is very unsatisfactory. It
shows a want of system and of combination in the opera-
tions between the three armies, and either that there was
no knowledge of the principles and &ode of conducting war,
or, if there were that knowledge, that there was some im-
practicability in applying it. (Hear,. bear.) I rejoice that
in the midst of a great deal of regret on various subjects, I
have at least to congratulate the noble earl at the head of the
Foreign Department on two events which appear to me to be
a very good augury and extremely valuable in tberaselves.