The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-08 00:00:00

he thought, should it happen that this plan was not self-
supporting, should the expense be greater than was antici-
pated, and the business be carried on at a loss, it was
desirable to know upon whom that loss was to fall. (Hear,
hear.) He did not state upon whom it was to fall if it did
fall on the State. He was prepared to go into committee,
and thought the house rather aided than injured the right
hon. gentleman in calling attention to what appeared to be
the weak points of the case.
Mr HIBBERT admitted that the Chancellor of the
Exchequer had made out a very strong case for the bill,
but he protested against the Government undertaking the
business of life assurance as an injudicious interference
with the private affairs of the people, and as tending to the
establishment of a system of baneful centralisation.
Mr. ROEBUCK thought it worthy of inquiry whether
there were nut better modes of curing an admitted evil than
having recourse tO Government control. He warned the
able nuisance known
Chancellor of the Exchequer against converting a
aconsti-
tutional Government into that intolei...
as a" paternal" Government.
Mr, NE WDEGATE expressed his obligations to tit,:
right hon. gentleman for having unfolded a state of things
which went far to prove the necessity for Government
interference.

Mr. Alderman SIDNEY recommended the suspension o
further progress until after tho Easter recess.

Mr. W. E. FORSTER said there could be no doubt that
a state of things had been revealed by the Chancellor of the
Exchequer in conneetion with friendly societies which called
for inquiry, and he thought time ought to be given to the
managers of these societies to put in answer to the very seri-
ous allegations that had been made against them.
Mr. BOVILL said that the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer had understated rather than overstated the facts with
regard to the shortcomings of friendly societies and insur-
ance offices, and that the speech of the right hon. gentle-
man had dispelled a mass of error and prejudice that had
been excited by this bill. The measure was not one that
would be forced upon the public; it would be entirely op-
tional, and it certainly seemed to provide the security that
was so much desired,
After a few words from Mr. P. URQUHART,
Mr. HENLEY observed that, looking at the very for-
midable case the Chancellor of the Exchequer had brought
forward, it was as well that the country should have time
to consider it, and if it turned out that the case was well
founded he had no doubt the measure proposed would be
received with general satisfaction. The speech of the right
hon. gentleman, however, would cause a perfect panic among
the friendly societies.

Mr. BAINES and Mr. H. LEWIS also spoke in oppo-
sition to the bill, which, by sweeping away existing benefit
societies, they remarked, would destroy all feeling of self
reliance on 'the part of the working classes, for whose ad-
vantage the measure was said to be designed.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER then
briefly replied, and, assenting to the request for delay, with
the universal concurrence of the house, the debate was ad-
journed until Thursday week.
The Land Drainage (Provisional Orders) Bill, and the
Bills of Exchange and Promissory Notes (Ireland) Bill,
passed through committee.

The Mutiny Bill and the Marine Mutiny Bill were read a
second time.

'The other business was also disposed of, and the house
adjourned at five minutes past eleven o'clock.

THE CRAWLEY COURT-MARTIAL•

The memorandum of his Royal Highness the
Commander-in-Chief on the Aldershot court-martial
was published yesterday as a Parliamentary paper,
in return to an address to the House of Commons.
The following letter from tue military secretary of
his royal highness to the commander-in-chief in
India is prefixed :

"Horse Guards, Jan. 18, 1864.

" Sir,—l am commanded by the Field-Marshal
Commanding•in-Chief to transmit for your excel-
lency's information a copy of his royal highness's
remarks in conclusion of the proceedings of the
court-martial recently held upon Lieut.-Colonel
Crawley, Inniskilling Dragoons.
" From the first his royal highness has publicly
expressed his conviction that your excellency and
Sir William Mansfield have been actuated through-
out by an earnest desire to support discipline, and
to promote the good of her Majesty's service; and
being now better acquainted with all the details of
the case, his royal highness is in a position more
accurately to appreciate the difficult circumstances
in which your excellencies were placed.

" A careful consideration of all the facts now be-
fore him bearing upon the condition of the Innis-
killing Dragoons when Lieutenant-Colonel Crawley
assumed the command, has led his royal highness
to the conclusion that the tone of the regiment was
then materially changed from what it bad been in
former days, and that the discipline of the corps, as
regards the officers, had been already impaired.
" This bad state of feeling amongst a portion of
the officers appears to have begun to affect the non•
commissioned officers, and his royal highness now
understands how it was that Lieutenant-Colonel
Crawley was induced to suspect the existence of a
conspiracy against his authority amongst the latter.
" The proceedings of the three sergeants-major
who were subsequently placed under arrest
strengthened this suspicion in Lieutenant-Colonel
Crawley's mind, but there was no legal evidence
upon which they could have been convicted
of the charge made against them, and they ought to
have been released from arrest as soon as the inten-
tion to bring them to trial by court-martial was
abandoned.

"In conclusion his royal highness desires me to state
that as the object of the inquiry has been attained,
it is not his royal highness's intention to continue a
discussion regarding the circumstances from which
it arose:

" A copy of this memorandum will be forwarded
to his Excellency Sir Wm. Mansfield.—l have, &c.,
(Signed) "W. F. FOSTER."
Ganeral Sir H. Rose, G.C.B.

EXPENSE OF THE COURT MARTIAL.
An approximate return from the War-office has
also been published, showing the expenses occa-
sioned by the court martial, distinguishing the pro-
portions to be defrayed from imperial and Indian
revenues respectively. The account is as follows :
" Cost of transport for witnesses, &c., from India
to England, £5,324 10s; travelling expenses for
witnesses, Ste., in England, £456 4s 7d ; pay and
allowances of witnesses, 5rc.,X9,283 is 7d; estimated
cost of transport back to India, £2,901 lls 10d;
expenses of deputy judge advocate general, and of
certain witnesses, cabs, telegrams, &c., £127 17s 3d ;
Messrs. Gurney and Sons for transcripts of evidence,
&c., £212 17s 3d ; fitting up club at Aldershot,
fuel, light, and repairs of furniture, £54 18s 8d ;
incidental expenses, £l7 16s 4d ; total, £18,378 17s
6d. The whole of the above expenses will be de-
frayed frcm imperial revenues.
" WILLIAM BROWN, Accountant-General.
" War-office, Feb. 27."