The Sun.
London, England, 1864-04-15 00:00:00

HE REbERVE FORCE.

The Earl of LUCAN moved for a return of the strength
of the reserve force. The noble earl referred to the discus-
sion which had taken place a few evenings ago on the sub-
ject, and said it was of the greatest importance that the
matter should not be lost sight of. In the year 1854,
owing to the Crimean war, about 33,000 recruits entered
the :army, and, according to the terms of enlistment, a
very large number of these men would be entitled to their
discharge. He had heard it said, and he believed there
was foundation for the statement, that upwards of 10,000
men intended to take their discharge, and not, as had been
stated, that 10,000 men were merely entitled to their dis-
charge. Now that he thought a very serious state of things.
Again, in the year 1555, there were 29,000 men entered,
and next year between 7,000 and 8,000 men would be
entitled to their discharge, and this would go on year after
year until things were brought to a very alarming point.
The army of the country amounted to over 210,000 men,
out then a very large portion of that force was in India, and
the casualties cf course would be very great. He must
confess that he had heard with alarm the Secretary for
War state that the Government did not intend to take any
steps in the matter. It was said there was to be a lowering of
the standard, but he thought that v. culd be a very unwise
proceeding, because a man of Sit. sin. had not the strength
and muscular power of a man stt. 6in. Then, with respect
to the army of reserve, in his opinion the whole thing
;lad been a failure, and the beet thing the Government
could do was to break it up altogether, and to get
the officers to join the Militia, The Limited Enlistment
Bill had been productive of nothing but bad results, and
the only thing it bad done up to the present was to drive
men out of the army in order to save the pension which
the Government had after all to pay in the shape of
eat ra expense incurred in inducing men to serve for an in-
creased term. The act was looked upon as one of unadul-
terated mischief without one single redeeming point to re-
commend it. Whatever might have been the object in view
of those who framed that act it was not in consonance with the
opinion of the late Duke of Wellington, who always laid it
down as a principle to keep the old soldier in the army as
long as he choose to serve, and certainly not to drive him
from the service before he was 40 years old.
Earl DE GREY said, from the best information he had
been enabled to receive from the Horse Guards, 10,000 men
would be entitled to their discharge, but only about 4,000
men, it was estimated, would leave the service during the
present year. The question, therefore, they would have
to consider was how to supply the loss of that
4,000 men. What he had done was to hold out extra in-
ducements to old soldiers to re-enlist, and the Government
were not at all disposed to buy out the effects of the Act of
1847, the Government were quite ready to meet and accept
its consequences. He did not think the act of 1847 was a
failure.

(LEFT SPEAKING.)

HOUSE OF COMMONS—This Evening.
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
NEW MEMBER.

Mr. PENNSMK took the oaths and his seat on his elec-
ion for the borough of L Ancestor.
PRIVATE• BUSINESS.
-

The Hamilton and Strathaven and Caledonian Railway
Companies Bill, and the Llanidloes and Newton Railway
Bill were read a third tin e and passed.

THE BOROUGH OF BELFAST.

Sir H. CAIRNS moved that the copy of the report of
•he commissioners appointed to inquire into the state of the
affairs of the borough of Belfast, with the minutes of the
evidence be referred to the committee on the Belfast Im-
provement (No. 2) Bill.
Jr.f MAGUIRE objected to any such reference. He
said that for some time the corporation of Belfast had been
charged with a malversation of the funds entrusted to
their care, not for the purpose of peculation, but
io exclude Liberals from the corporation and from
the representation of the borough. They now wanted to
obtain indemnity from their responsibility to the Court of
Chancery in their administrative character, but their claims
had been twice rejected by Parliament. Using the infiu-
encg they possessed with the then Government, they ob-
lained a commission to ii quire into the circumstances con•
❑ected with their position, but it was of a limited
character.

Sir IL CAIRNS, in eupport of his motion, contended
that the hon. and learned member (Mr. Maguire) was not
acquainted with all the foots of the case.
Mr. BUTT supported the amendment, and Colonel W.
PATTEN the original motion, which was agreed to.