The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-27 00:00:00

laugh.) The Noble Lord will forgive me for nsa •yi g that I
P
think he has rather highly coloured his own plan, and
put our plan too much in the shade. He said that our
plan is oppressively severe, while his is the contrary—
that his is well adapted to secure men of spirit, courage,
and moral energy, while ours is merely: calculated to
ob-
tain mercenaries, who would take the bounty and then
snake their way to the United States. That is the co
louring the Noble Lord puts upon it; and I am sorry to
do away with that imposing statement,. but the fact is
not borne out by a careful comparison of the two mea-
sures. First, with regard to the ballot. In the Noble
lord's Bill_every man must be drawn by ballot, unless
there are a sufficient number of volunteers. In our plan
the men are not drawn for service, but are invited by
means of a bounty; and therefore his plan is more se-
vere, .By the Noble Lord's plan the men were drawn
from a limited number—in the first year between the
en-as of 26an3-23, and in each successive year between
20 and 21. By our plan, if we get to the ballot, which
we probably never shall require, the men are drawn
between the ages of 18 and 35. It requires very
littlereasonieg to show that thepressure of the system'.
over a smaller space must be much more severe.— (Hear.)
With regard tit the- discipline, I must say that I tens
somewhat, surprised at the statement made by the Noble
Lord. By his plan the men were to be trained 28 days
in the fiat year and 14, days every year. By our plan
theyevere to be drilled 21 days, with a power to extend
the time tif drill to seven weeks in case of necessity;
'and in the event of its tot being necessary, or if there''
was au extra Oniand for labour, then only three days in_
the' year, I dale that show's that our plan is not quite
so severe. Then, with regard to the courage,- energy,
and spirit-Of the Nable Lord's militia, and the reckleas;
vagabond charaCter,ot ours, I should be glad to kuow
how the Roble Lord by his plan gets his men endowed
with 4hat highaneral courage. He castb lots for them;
and irtnay fall Upon the weak as:wall as the strong, upon
the immoral as well as the moral, and in fact there is no
guarantee that he-can get these meta of high moral cou-
rage. Ido think that the probability is, that by our
plan the, more bold, and independent, and enter-
prising men will offer their services, and probably we
shall got a hotter class of men than those for whom
lots are cast. Bat there has been some mistake in
this part of the measure. It has been said over and over
again in this House, and outside doors, that here you are
throwing money to 5,000 or 6,000 men, who must be of
the most reckless character, and who will decamp, and
there is no security that we shall have their services
when they are wanted. But those who make the state-
ment cannot have read our Bill. It will be found that the
bounty is given to the volunteers, subject to certain con-
ditions imposed by the Secretary at War. It will be
f mind that the names and places of residence of these
men must be registered and transmitted to the clerk of
the peace of the county. The Secretary at War bas the
power of prescribing the mode in which the bountiee are
to be paid, whether befOrehand, or annually, or monthly.
All that is left to the discretion of the Executive Go-
vernment, so that they may not be imposed upon. I
hope I have disposed of the exception of the Honourable
and Gallant Gentleman that - the bounty we are
offering will be thrown into the hands of men who
Will decamp with it; but I think, independently
of ibis, that it is a great reflection upon the poeple of
this country that 80 000 nun would be found to accept
the bounty of 41, 5/., or 61., for the sake of going away
with it.--(Hear, hear.)
The whole of this line of argu-
ment, it is remarkable, has been wed by the representa-
tives of what is"called the popular side.—(Loud cheers.)
I do not believe it; nor do I believe that they believe it
themselves, but they use it as an argument against the
Militia Bill. I think I have proved that the Bill of the
Noble Lord is not so good as tbat which we have brought
forward, and was not so popular as ours will be with the
country, or as effsctive for its purpose. But I do not
speak without authority. Within the week I have re-
ceived a letter from the adjutant of a militia regiment in
Suffolk,
,stating that seventy men had already expressed
their intention to volunteer their services, and he had no
doubt that the regiment would be made up in a fortnight.
L—(Cheers.) The same statement bad been made from
the midland districts; -and I believe, if the Bill be
allowed to pass into a law, you will find, instead of that
oppressive ballot which has been so complained-of at
public meetings, thatahere will be no necessity for bar-
ing recourse to its. 'here' I may remind you that
even if the number is not filled up in the first year, there
is no compulsion to put the ballot in force; but a per-
missive power is given by 'the Queen in Council that it
may be exercised. There is another observation that
has been made. It has been said that this is -'not the
time- to :bring 'the measure forward. But what would
-have been said if we had not brougbt it forward and any
misfertuno had befallen the country?--(Hear.) You
had passed a resolution that a Bill should be brought in;
AO if we- had nothrbught in the-Bill, and war had bean
declared by any possible contingency, you would have
blamed;ts justly, and-hey° said that, as Ministers, we
deserved to be impeached.—(Hear,
right, therefore, to complain hear.) You have no
of the Bill being brought
iri.—(Hear, hear.) Sir, Ido not say that if you reject
the Bill we ought to put the militia laws into operation
by means in which the ballot would be resorted to with
all its rigour—(Hear)—but I do say that if the emer-
gency arose in which there would be necessity to have
recourse to that force, you would be bound—any Go-
Government would be bound—to suspend the suspend-
ing law relating to the militia, and to put it in force,
to obtain a sufficient number of men to defend the
country.—(Hear, hear.) Well, then, do not say that
this is an oppressive measure.—(Hear, hear.) It is a
measure mitigating the law.—(Bear.) The language
of mitigation was thought of from the first section
to the last.—(Hear, bear.) I defy you to find a
single severe clause in it !—(Hear, hear.) If that be
so, I leave the measure with some degree of confidence
to the judgment of the House and of the country—(Hear,
hear) I think I have shown you that it was necessary
to make some increase of our national defences, and
that the other modes which have been suggested are not
so good as that we have proposed.—(flea-, hear.)
I am confident you will find it' you reject it, and there
shall be occssion of urgency, you would have to put the
Militia laws in forge with all the rigour of the ballot.—
(dear, hear.) But if you accept it now—improve it if
you please. in the Committee—you are atleviating and
mitigating the rigour of the laws, instead of enforcing
them on the people, la- o love you are by your regulation
proceeding upon the principle of voluntary enlistment
and voluntary service, instead of having recourse to the
compulsory conscription, to which in some circumstances
you might be otherwise compelled to have recourse.
Sir LB LACY EVANS rose, but was not allowed to
reply.
A division took place. and the numbers were—
For the second wadi Jg 0.. 315
For the amendm.nt ... 165

Majority for the second reading ... —l5O
The annouecement was received with loud cheers.
SECRETARY OF BANKRUPTS' OFFICE
ABOLITION BILL.
This Bill passed through Commitcee.
LOAN SOCIETIES BILL.
This Bill was read a third tune and passed.
HIGHWAY RATES BILL.
This Bill was read a second.time. • -
REFRESHMENT TO VOTERS.
Sir E. BUX CON moved for leave to bring in a Bill
allow candidates to give,refreshment to' voters at
county elections to a limited amount. -
- Mr. THORNELY opposed the motion on the ground
that such a permission would not be legitimately
exe:rcised - ,
Sir J. TYRELL said, to his own certain know-
ledge,. there were two lawyers canvassing in Essex
upon the strength- of thisalil.—e(Laughter.) He thought
',it ;would have been. much better for the lion. Gentle-
' men to have postponed this measure until they had the
;experience of the approaching election. •
'Mr.- ADDERLEY_ supported the motion for leave to
bring in this Bill, because he thought it was a measure
most necessary to-have passed before the approaching
eleation, with the view of drawing a legal distinction
'between reasonable refreshment and bribery.
Mr. AGLIONBY said ha was determined :to give
every stage of this measure the utmost opposition for
he believed, -if carried, it would hare a most demot:alis-,
ing effect upon the constituencies,
Mr. CHRISTOPHER said that it was most desirable
for,Hon-. Members to wait until they saw the Bill before-
they discussed it. It was not fair that they should place-
the electors in a worseposition when they came to vote
than they were in when they were at home. -The mea-
sure was one, he believed, that merely proposed to give
the electors at county electieuts simple refreshment
when they travelled some distance to the poll.
Sir E. BUXTON said that' the Bill merely proposed
that the -voters At county elections -should receive re-
freshment within the value of 2s. 6d. -
The M&STER._of the ROLLS declared, his decided
opposition to the measure, which he thought was calcu-
lated to encourage a system of bribery, under the disguise
of what was called reasonable refreshment.
Lord GALWAY was understood to say that the
Measure, if passed at all, ought_ not to be confined to
counties. - • - - -
Sir B. HALL opposed proceeded with such a discus-
sion at,thst advanced hour_of the - night, and moved an
adjuurnment of the debate. . -
Mr. ANSTEY was opposed, to the principle ofs the
metsure, which would encourage the worst practice at
elections.
- Sir J. PANINGTONIOped the motion for adjou.rnat
'went would not be pressed to a division. BeeinA
-when the debate came on again, they would caly
- repetition of speecheeupon the provisions of' a Skil vihich
Gentlemen,had not seen. It was the cpeineiounthoef
many Hon. Members whom he had consulted ?
subject that some such measure as this would be most
effective in suppressink corruption at elections. _
-Mr. S. WORTLEY said that in the Westeßt►diegeiee.
re-
freshment tickets had been issued to Yoteers th
trusted the
Liens by the consent of both parties;
that leave would he
debate would not be adjourned h
given to bring in the Bill, so thabt.:behands, and be better
aeortly have a copy of it in the!
enabled to tone an opinion of its details.. f
•Mr. MULLINGS contended that the issue o re resh-
ment tickets would be a_ Wing of 'expense, and a great
and corruption at. elections. He
preventive of treating
should vote for the introduction of the Bill
was to be -permitted at elec-
- Mr. BELL—If treating
floes at all it had better be done openly than sneakingly.
So far ,froM incressing, he believed the Bill would check
corruption at elections.
ournment of the debate was
The motion for the
then withdrawn, end the House divide the question
that leave be
given to bring is the Bid , won
the
there ap-
peared--, •
_ • ,For the:motion- ..„ 58-
'Against it .-• ••• 19 _
Majority -•• ••• —.39
The Bill was subsequently brought in. •
-Mr. MULLINGS moved that the,petition of the so-
rectors, and others, so-
piety of of attornep,
80 of
possted by charters of-K p
ing William the Fourth and
Queen' Victetia (Preseuted APtit 23), be printed with
4#4 4) 4-,