The Sun.
London, England, 1852-06-08 00:00:00

i for a volunteer to acquire only the simplestpartofa soldier's
training in 20 days?"—(Cheers.) He (Mr. B. Osborne),
would ask any thinking man—he would ask the Right too,
President of the India Board, who was a man o(fueattHon.re
expe-
rience, and might have heard Mr. Pitt speak—
Lgrh
how it was possible to make a man a soldier in 21 gdays L.---
(Hear, hear.) The Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Walpole)
seemed to emulate Pompey the Great, who used to boast that
he could raise an army by stamping the ground ; but he was
more likely to resemble the fabled hero of the farce, and
would-be obliged to say—
" Begone, brave army ! don't kick up a row."
—(Loud laughter.) The Bill was a trumpery:abortion ; but
there was one clause so obnoxious that he could not refrain
from making a remark upon it. He was much surprised
that a Minister at the eve of an election, and therefore anxi-
ous, he presumed, to acquire a little popularity, and to
consult "the genius of the, epoch"—(Laughter)—should
have proposed to exempt Peers from serving. —(Cheers. )
He thought that that was a great slur upon the
British aristocracy, and be believed that they felt it as
an insult; for, whatever the faults of the aristocracy, they
had never shrunk from taking) their share in the dangers
and difficulties of the public defence.—(Cheers.) He had
said that it was impossible to make the militia an army
of reserve. An Hon. Gentleman beside him bad alluded to
the militia in America ; but Washington had always spoken
of it with the greatest contempt. In 1776, after the battle
of Brooklyn, where the militiamen were repulsed with igno-
miny, Washington denounced them in the strongest terms,
and said, that the depressed state in which the American
cause then stood arose from "short enlistments, short
drill, and placing too great dependence on the mi-
litia."—(Hear, hear.) Reference had also been made
to the National Guard of France, but nothing could
be more unfortunate. When a motion was made in the
French Chamber for the re-organization of the National
Guard, General de Grammont stated—and he begged the
attention of the Hon. Gentleman the Member for Glasgow
(Mr. Macgregor) to this, fur he was fond of statistics— Gen. de
Grammont stated, that on the 23th June, 1848, although the
National Guard of Paris numbered 23,000, they could only
prevail on 8.000 to come out from their homes.—(Laugh-
ter.) He (Mr. B. Osborne) had on a recent occasion voted
with a Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Gladstone) against
the proposal of the I,linisters for re-allotting the vacant
purposeseat of givingontheground that, this was merely a provisional
Government ; but, if it was not right to legislate for the
Members to constituencies, he thought
they ought not to pass this Bill, which, in his conscience,
he believed would be of no use, at the instigation of Hon.
Gentlemen who had none of the confidence of that (the
Opposition) side of the House, and very little of
.the other.
wpoalnietyedofanthyis army
")
—(Ministerial cries of " Oh !" and counter-cheering.) If
theytr
of reserve at all, he believed the
true
unteeTing was to look to their wooden
walls, to have an over
power could competep
o 7
statesman with
andntaoygtdiyfeortcuile suseochpase
tnoovootihuner.
teer rifle corps, if rifles they
wanted. But he called on the
House in the words of A tea
the snare of a designing
an now no more, not to be
caught by a fear of invasion a9l
into
Ministry, not to pass's measure
scrambling for a party and discussed proposed by a Ministry
ussed in the panic of an ex-
piring Parliament.— (Cheers.)
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said that the Hon. and
Gallant Member, in
ohfissaony Persons,mewhat humorous speech, had
f' raisingeona Washington to
quoted
agthaien
satutthhoerip proposal o
tryesen t mlookedamilitia.
to
au e.
(the Solicitor-General) thought that if they
heaeda of the
d
thorities on the subject, the present Bill would
without support, and instanced the opinion not stand
Sir
of the very eminent soldier who stood atta its
favour
army, mad the distinguished officer at the
Board of Ordnance. The Government of the laten fl
the
Robert Peel had given instructions for preparing a Bill
the establishment of a militia, and the late Government ibr
had brought forward a proposal somewhat similar to that
now before the House. It was not, therefore, to be eons
tended that the authorities were all on the one side, neither
could it be maintained that the time had not arrived
when it had become the bounden duty of a Government to
bring forward such a measure as the present.—(Hear,
bear.) An increase in the regular army had been recom-
mended
by those who were opposed to the present measure,
and strangely enough this recommendation had proceeded
from the party which boasted of being the Whigs of 1688.
- (Hear, hear.) If, however, such a proposal as that of per-.
manently increasing the standing army had been brought
forward by the Government, he could imagine the burst of
opposition with which it would have been encountered by
the same Hon. Members.—(Hear, hear.) The militia which
it was proposed to raise had been characterised as a perfectly
inefficient body. He did not concur in that opinion, and
wished the House to remember that the force proposed to
be raised was intended to aid, and not to supersede, the
regular tooops. He believed that in the present state of
affairs the proposed force was the best adapted to meet the
requirements of the case, and the best calculated to afford
a guarantee for the continuance of peace.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. PETO considered the increased facilities of commu-
nication by telegraph and other means as the best guarantee
for peace, and as the most efficient security against hostile
invasion. The present measure, while it was calculated to
disturb the whole industry of the country, would merely
produce a force which it was generally believed would be
exceedingly ineffective. There existed throughout the
country an intensity of feeling against the measure, of which
the Government appeared to be but little conscious, and he
thought that the better course would be to increase the
standing army rather than have recourse to a measure such
as this.— (Hear.)
The House then divided, when the numbers were—
For the amendment' ... ... ... 148
Against it ... .. ... 220
Majority ... ... ... ... ....-72
The Bill was therefore read a third time.
Mr. THORNELY then moved the addition of the fol-
lowing proviso to the end of clause 18:—.No member of
the senate of the University of London, nor any examiner,
professor, tutor, or lecturer of the said university, or of any
college, school, or institution connected with the said uni-
versity, under the provisions of any charter thereof, nor any
student of any such college, school, or institution, duly ma-
triculated in the said university, and actually receiving
education in any of the said colleges, schools, or institutions,
nor any resident member of the University of Durham shall
be liable to serve or provide a substitute for the militia."
Mr. WALPOLE proposed to include within the exemp-
tion contemplated by the proviso the members of St. David's,
Col ege, Lampeter.
_Me. BRIGHT thought that Owen's College, Manchester,
which was in many respects a kindred institution to those
which it was sought to exempt from the operation of the
clause, ought also to be included within the exemption.
There was also a large college in the neighbourhood of
Manchester, intended for the education of ministers of the
Independent body of Nonconformists, as well as several
others in different parts of the kingdom. He could not dis-
cover any reason why those colleges embraced in the proviso
of the Ilon. Member (Mr. Thornely) should be exempted,
and why other colleges of much the same character should
be differently treated, especially those where young men were
being trained to the Christian ministry.
Mr. EWART thought the College of St. Bees stood in
the same category with reference to the claim of exemption.
Mr. WALPOLE said St. Bees was a school, and not a
college.
The proviso was added to the clause.
Mr. After a remark from Mr. HEYWOOD,
18, ' '
laughter, moved the omission of clausel which he consi-
dered Mr. W. WILLIAMS, amid cries of Oh, oh " and some
to be one of the most objectionab e in the whole Bill,
as establishing a system of conscription.
Mr. WALPOLE said the clause having beeo so fully dis-
cussed in Committee, and the whole Bill having been con-
sidered both on the second and third .
readings as one recog-
nizing of having recourse to the
Gentleman whether it
Executive
clause there
ballot,
would
put i
itn stoomt
he cases, a
Hon. ,
was worth whoifleadniavtiurdinegwthhi
was nothing
ballot in force in case the volunteers
ectlinceoumsep.elledln the Executive Go-
vernment to put the
Crown to put the.ballot in operation in case it should be
should fail ; but it was a permissive clause,.enabling the
necessary.— (Laughter.) And if they left out the clause
they must also leave out the proviso at the end of another
clause, which restrained the Government from putting into
execution the statute of George 111., unless they failed in
raising the volunteers.
The House then divided, when the result was-
-- 2
14
eNoonttwaiinthedstaiundainngAitenttol 1 Against ......
For the omission of the clause
Majority
On the motion of Sir DE
LACY EVAN S, the following
1 lause ininsceorntteadinaettde,rtchleaupsreov3i4si:o—use
the 44th year of King George 111., c, 54, in,.
hwe was
es
utuled "
to consolidate and amend the provisions of the se All Act
several Acts
relating to corps of yeomanry and volunteers
Britain, and to make regulations relating thereto,' of Great
con-
tinue in force, so far as the same applies ereto,' shall to the enrolment of
corps of yeomanry and volunteers, and the
which such corps are entitled by virtue of the last-mentioned
Sir DE LACY EVANS then proposed
end of clause 35, to the effect that a proviso at the
order the ballot, except in time it shall not be lawful to
danger of war. of actual war or imminent
Mr. WALPOLE opposed the proviso, which was supported
Mr. GOULBURN said th yncourt.
end of clause 35at the
e effect of the amendment
would be to the miners in
Cornwall from the ballot, exempt
whilst ad
' other classes would
liable.— (Laughter.)
The House divided, when there appeared--. 82
For the
Against it
Majority a -96
The Bill was then gainst the proviso
passed.
THE LAW BILLS.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER announced
that he proposed to take the Common Law procedure Bill
(Committee), the Masters in Chancery Abolition Bill (Com-
mittee), and the Inalmprovement of the Jurisdiction of Equityßill (Committee) onip Friday next. .i.,
NAVY PAY BILL
The Navy Pay Bill.
The House went into Committee on t
know if it were in-
Sir GEORGE PECHELL desired to
'
tended by this Bill to leave three months pay in arrear in-
stead of six months?
Mr. STAFFORD—Yese is the necessit
Where for an
Mr. S. HERBERT— y y
ner does the present system
alteration? ' In what man
work ill? Toe present system is unpopular
Mr. STAFFORD— ih t
e system appears unfavourable
because .
amongst the men,
the practice in the merchant service. The
in comparison withs jut:educed as a precaution against de -
present practice at/A
found unnecessary. The whole tone of
sertion, but it is nowranc better that it is not necessary to continue
the navy is se --, ii.
the disclaalificalsAßT expressed his approval of the Bill.
Admir
• al aTEI
would be very acceptable to the navy, and
He thought it
the service popular. Although they
to eke
would tend
to give up the right of impressment, he hoped
ought never
~ wouldnever have occasion to use it.
the
antam
;samst, uld make the navy popular. He wished -to
as - wof the Admiralty whether it affected
the Secretary .
ask because most of our navy served
of foreign stations,
seamen
abroad?
\TON SMITH alit) inquired whether it would
Mr. VER• e country ?
add to the expense of th . .
Ur. STAFFORD replied that it would not occasion one
farthings
' additional expense ; and that the measure would
apply to seamen on foreign stations.
The various clauses were then agreed to, and the Bill
passed through Committee.
ORDER OF BUSINESS.
Mr. WALPOLE, in stating the order of public business,
said that the Government intended on Thursday to take
supply at twelve o'clock, and afterwards to go on with the
New Zealand Bill. On Friday they proposed to begin with
the Colonial Bishops Bill, then to go on with the law Bi •
lls,
and to end with the Interment Bill.—(Laughter.))
POOR-LAW BOARD CO NT INUANCE (IltE
BILL. LAND)
This Bill passed through Committee.
PASSENGERS ACT AMENDMENT BILL.
The third reading of this Bill having been moved,
Mr. MACGREGOR said that the shipping interest were
so much opposed to this measure, which had taken them by
surprise, that he hoped the Government would not persevere
with it during the present ' Session. If, however, the third
reading Tflu pied 94 the p ;9i wisp, he iliiNg awn
Wilii