The Sun.
London, England, 1852-03-27 00:00:00

IMPERI

ROUSE OF LORDS, March 26.
The Loan CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Wool-
sack at Five o'clock.
MAYNOOTII GRANT.
The Marquis of WESTMINSTER presented a peti-
ti,,n from Chester against the M.aynooth grant.
PROTECTION OF INVENTIONS ACT EXTEN-
SION BILL.

On the motion of Lord COLCHESTER this Bill wts
read a second time.
The Commons Enclosure Bill passed through Com-
mittee,

CONSOLIDATED FUND BILL.
On the motion of the Earl of LONSDALE this Bill
was read a second time, and ordered to be committed.
WILLS ACT (AMENDMENT).
The LORD CHANCELLOR moved the report on
the Wills Act Amendment Bill.
Lord CR AN WORTH still retained his former opi-
nions on the general subject, but as certain modifica-
tions had been made in the measure by the Noble and
Learned Lord, he should not object to it any further.
The report was then received.
ASSEMBLING OF PARLIAMENT BILL.
Lord BROUGHAM moved the second reading of the
Proclamation for the Assembling of Parliament Bill. He
said that though he had named 35 days in the Bill, in-
stead of 50, he had strong doubts whether 28 days
would not be better.
Lerd REDESDALE considered the Bill to be wholly
unnecessary.
Lord CR AN WORTH was of the same opinion. He
asked the Lord Chancellor whether he would wish the
writs to be made returnable in less than 50 days?
The LORD CHANCELLOR had not had an oppor•
tunity of looking into the Bill; but as his Noble Friend
had argued it, he considered it unnecessary. He would
not, however, oppose the second reading, but he would
look with great care at the measure before it went
.into
Committee.
Lord BROUGHAM replied. The Bill might not be
necessary; but all he could say was, that if it were not
passed no one would be found to advise the Crown to
summon Parliament within less than 50 days after a
dissolution.
The Bill was then read a second time.
CONDUCT OF BUSINESS IN THE HOUSE.
Lord REDESDALE moved the adoption of the fol-
lowing sessional resolations:—
.' That all notices of proceedings on public Bills and
of other matters be inserted in the minutes of each day,
according to the priority of every such notice, or as the
Lords giving the same may have agreed; and that the
House do always proceed with the same in the order in
which they shall so stand, unless the Lord who shall have
given any such notice shall withdraw the same, or shall,
with the leave of the House, consent to its postpone-
ment, or shall be absent at the appointed time after the
House shall have entered upon the consideration of the
said notices, in which latter case it shall be held to be a
lapsed order, and not be proceeded with until after the
notice shall have been renewed.
" That on all cecasions notices to suspend any of the
standing orders of the House shall be disposed of before
the House proceeds to the other notices.
" That, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the Bills which
are entered for consideration on the minutes of the day,
shall, with the before-mentioned exception, have prece-
dence of all other notices; but petitions relating to any
such Bill may be presented immediately before the race
Lion is made to proceed with the Bill.
" That any business for which notice is not required, and
all proceedings relating to private Bills, may, in accordance
with present usage, be entered upon before the notices of
the day are called for, but the House will proceed with the
notices in preference to other matters at any time after a
quarter-past five o'clock, at the request of any Lord who
may have a notice on the minutes."
The resolutions, after a short conversation, were
agreed to.
The Earl of GLENGALL, brought in a Bill to
amend the laws relating to medical practitioners in Ire-
land, which was read a first time.
The NOBLE EARL then moved for a return of the
number of men who volunteered from the Irish militia
regiments into the line, from the year 1793 to 1815, in-
clusive; a return of the number of officers, non-com-
mia‘ioned officers, and privates of the permanent staff of
the Irish militia, in 1817; a similar return for the year
1825; a similar return for the year 1840; and a similar
return for the year 1851.
The returns were ordered, and their Lordships ad-
ourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, March 20.
The SPEAKER took the Chair a few minutes to Four.

ORDNANCE ESTIMATES.
Colonel DUNNE rose to introduce the Ordnance Es
mates to the Committee, and, in doing so, he remarked that
the estimates themselves were so clear, as they appeared upon
the votes, that they required no explanation whatever,
(Hear, hear.) The estimates he need hardly observe were
prepared by his predecessors in office, and they appeared to
him to have been prepared with a due and proper
attention to economy.— (Hear, hear.) The ordnance service
was never in a more efficient state than it was at present,
and, notwithstanding, there had been an increase
in the number of men in all the other items
of the estimates, with the exception of No. 9,
which related to the survey of Scotland, which this
year was increased by 10,0001., the votes were reduced.—
Hear, hear.) The increase in the number of
men would of course necessitate an increase
in the expenditure ; but, on the whole, the
estimates showed a reduction upon those of last year.- (Hear,
hear.) He concluded by moving that the number of men
for artillery and ordnance be voted at 15,532.—(Hear.)
Mr. WILLIAMS admitted that the ordnance was in a
state of great efficiency, while the estimates showed a reduc-
tion over those of last year, but as compared with 1835,
they had increased from 1,152,0001. to 2,470,000/., which
he thought was a disgraceful circumstance.—(Hear, hear.)
The fact was the military services of this country were
wretchedly managed, and general officers who were receiv-
ing large sums from the State in the shape of pay were
allowed to augment their incomes by taking the clothing con-
tracts of their different regiments.—(Hear, hear.) That
was a system which the Committee ought to
insist should at once be put a atop to, and he demanded that
it should be done now.—(Hear, hear.) The commissary
estimates, which should consist of one item only, he
found were divided into two, and he was strongly
inclined to suspect the Treasury exercised no control
over these estimates, or it would have taken care that the
recommendations which were made by the Commission of
1837 were fully carried out.—(Hear, hear.) Had that been
done, the estimates would have been immediately reduced,
and the foundation for a rigid system of economy established
for the future. (Hear, hear.)
Colonel DUNNE had no answer to make to the observa-
tions of the Hon. Gentleman, but he was glad to learn from
him that he intended to offer no opposition to the estimates.
—(Hear.) With regard to his last remark, however, he begged
to assure the lion. Member that many of the recommenda-
tions had been carried into effeet.— (Hear, hear.)
Mr. J. A. SMITH again took the opportunity of pressing
upon the Government the propriety of doing something to
increase the comforts of the soldier while in barracks.
Colonel DUNNE said he was ready to give that subject
his best attention, but the Hon. Member would see, that as
the matter would involve an increase of expense, it was one
which the Committee ought themselves to deal with.— ( Hear.)
Colonel AN SON assured the Committee that these estimates
had been prepared with a due attention to economy, and so
Hon. Members would find if they would only take:the trouble
to :examine before discussing them.—(Hear.) They could
be easily understood, and had his Hon. Friend the Member
for Lambeth taken the trouble to make himself master of
them he would not haue fallen into the error of supposing
that the estimate this year exhibited an extravagant in-
crease over those of 1835. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. HUME said many important changes might
be made both in the army and the ordnance
with great advantage to the public service ;
but, nevertheless, as the estimates were not those of the
present Government, he would make no opposition to them.
--(Hear, hear.) He would, however, recommend the War
Department to turn its attention to the improvements which
had been suggested, and see if they could not
be carried into effect.—(Hear, hear.) At all events, unless
they did so they would not obtain the estimates so easily
as they were getting them now, for in no department was
there more room fur economy and improvement than in
that of the army and ordnance.
After a few words from Mr. EWART, the vote was agreed
to, as was also a money vote for the pay of the men,
am unting to 749,2541.
296,5561. for the Commissariat and Barrack supplies.
7 ;,580/.. for Ordnance Offices, Tower, and Pall-mall.
288,313/. for the salaries and contingencies of establish-
ments in the United Kingdom and the colonies.
121,6161. for the wages of artificers, labourers, and others.
A vote of 176,4531. having been proposed for Ordnance
stores for land and sea service,
Mr. HUME said that complaints had been made that the
guns which we used were not serviceable; and he thought
that we ought not to be remiss in placing in the hands of our
soldiers the best means of defence with which they could be
supplied. But he understood from the public prints that
that had not hitherto been done.
Colonel DUNNE said that he had found no indication of
any neglect upon the point among the proper authorities.
Since the year 1850 the Noble Duke the Cornmander-ie-
Chief had turned his attention to the subject; and the pre-
sent Master-General of the Ordnance was continuing the
Colonel ro s e
experiments which had been instituted for the
of ascertaining what were the best fire-arms.
Dunne) had no doubt but our soldiers would Heb armed as
efficiently, or even more efficiently, than these of any other
country.
General ANSON said that misrepresentatioands haaamd
put forth upon that subject which he felt requir
armsb
frona Sint
fleeort.
rice. In the year 1838 we had changedoti
to percussion locks • and the muskets which
such a subject
s up
most efficient by the highest autheritaiein
this eotintr_y.
:nned been seemed
had been adopted, and were stilt inaunsd
every Bon. DlE?lnti?er
had a simple percussion muskettgervice a peculiar description
must be aware that for military tly asaskaednywphriyvathteegseonldtlieef
of arm was require . fowlingpiece
• d It was frequen.
should not have as good a
than private gentlemen and
man. But the soldier hafdartmo ghrough a peculiar service ;
to the danger of accidents 'from
he had harder work to peedr
his tire-arms were exr::ere
exempt. In the years 1546 and
which other dre-a
ma • and .after
1847 some noveltirens2were introduced on the continent in the
some experiments had
manufacture of fire-ar
the purpose of testing their utility they had
been made forthought, b cert
y ain fo-
Of these novelties the been adopted raetatsher. hastily, as he
principal was
reign G°vernnladed at the breech, which had been adopted,
them usket lo
a he understood, by the Prussian Government only.
That Government had supplied 10,000 or 12,000 of their
troops With that musket. The invention was a
very ingenious one, and to any one not conversant with mi-
litary service it would appear that such a weapon would
give a great advantage to the soldiers who employed it, in
consequence of the much greater rapidity with which it
enabled him to discharge his fire. But he believed it had
been found so inefficient in the Prussian army that the
Prussian Government had ceased to furnish their troops with
it. lii the year 1847 the attention of the authorities at the
Ordnance department and at the Horse Guards had been
directed to the improvement of our arms, and his Noble
Friend the late head of the Ordnance department and the
Noble Duke the Commander-in-Chief had formed a Com-
mittee, consisting of the most competent officers, for the
purpose of inquiring into the matter, and receiving any pro-
posals that might be made for the improvement of the mus-
kets placed in the hands of our soldiers. That Committee
had met at various periods since the year 1817. They had
1131 k taial 91 'moral d9wriPti9=l 9f 14;494 19094 of the