The Sun.
London, England, 1854-12-15 00:00:00

ed facilities for increasing the s trength of the regiments
of militia, it would have been more effectual and con-
stitutional than the two other bills which had been
placed on the table. (Cheers.) When we saw the Go-
vernment admit that they had not the means of main-
taining their garrisons in the Mediterranean, and
affording the requisite supplies for the war, he concluded
that if they had had the means in other quarters they
would not have been driven to that last resource of
taking from their proper and constitutional service the
regiments of militia in this country. If that were so,
the Government admitted that they could not carry on
the war with the vigour which was required, and at the
same time maintain the garrisons in the colonies, with
out first denuding the country of the militia, and putting
in its place these 15,000 foreign troops which they pro-
posed to employ. The act of 5 4 Geo. M. c. 1, autho-
rised the Government to enlist a certain portion of the
militia into provisional battalions, which were to be
at-
tached to certain regiments of the line. But atthat
time there were not less than 80,000 embodied militia,
and about 200,000 of the local militia in the :.oinstry,
not more than three-fourths of any regiment b inng pr-
teh
witted to leave for foreign service. At prese t e
whole amount of the militia raised did not exceed
54,000, and of this force a very small portion had been
embodied. There was now no additional local militia
of 200,000 men, and yet the Government proposed to
take unlimited power of withdrawing any number of
r ooiments, or portions of them for service in tie 'Medi-
terranean, and no provision was made for a single man
of any single regiment in the event of his not being
willing to leave for foreign service.. What was to be-
come of the men who were net willing to go abroad ? So '
sar as he could understand their services would be lost
to the country. In cases where entire regiments of militia-
men might volunteer to leave the country, all connection
between them and the counties in which they were
raised would be at at an end. The adoption of such a
course as this was, to use a vulgar proverb, to kill the
goose for the sake of the golden egg. (Cheers.) By
encouraging volunteers from the militia into the regular
army the Government would obtain services of a much
more efficient character—they would not break up the
- connection between the militia and the country, and
they would not consequently require the assistance of
foreign troops to keep our own countrymen in order.
In the event, too, of any regiment of militia leaving this
country for service in the Mediterranean, every kind of
corruption would be used by the subaltern officers to
induce the most efficient men to volunteer into the regu-
lar line regiments. In addition to this, the men Flo
had first enlisted in the militia had already served two
out of the five years for which they were enlisted, and
the Government now intended to drag them away for
the entire period of the war, which might probably ex-
ceed the duration of their lives. He would take the
liberty of saying, too, that many of the gallant officers
of these militia regiments would discharge their duty to
their country better by remaining at home and endea-
vouring to raise their regiments to the greatest amount
of force and efficiency, than by carrying their whole re-
giments with them into the line. The effect of the whole
scheme of the Government was to send out a large portion
of our own countrymen, and to provide a large number of
foreigners for service here in their stead. He regretted
that notwithstanding their powerful ally of France they
were compelled, before the expiration of two years, to
make the humiliating confession that they were obliged
to have recourse to foreign aid and assistance. He
thought it sufficient to raise a blush upen the cheek of
Englishmen. (Cheers.) He did not think the people
of this country would like to be told that all their efforts
and sacrifices were vain, and that nothing was left for
them but to rely upon the aid of 15,000 foreign troops.
(Cheers.) It would nbt increase the morale of the
country ; it would teach the people that the Govern-
ment did not rely upon them but upon foreign arms and
foreign aid. As far as Government was concerned these
bills went far to extinguish those feelings of nationality
and that earnest desire to give personal support and
aid to the Government in carrying on this great war,
and would encourage them to shirk from the fulfilment
of the duty which, if not repressed and kept down by
the Government, they were most anxious to afford.
But why had not the Government embodied the whole
of the militia ? (Cheers.) Why had it not called out
the Scotch and Irish militia ? It was in this, as in
everything else, " too late." (Cheers.) Why had not
the Government called these forces out, and had them
in training and drill ? Did they not foresee the neces-
sity of denuding the Mediterranean garrison ? Had the.
Government acted upon this plan, they would not now
have been compelled to come to Parliament with the
humiliating confession of their weakness. Why was
the Government so utterly blinded as to hesitate to
embody the whole regiments of militia already formed
in the country ? Why, but because he supposed it
would have cost something more at the present mo-
ment, and becanse they were determined to act upon
that most absurd and preposterous notion of paying
for the expenses of a war like this out of the taxes
of the country year by year. (Cheers.) A fear of
exceeding the actual estimates voted by Parliament for
the year had, he thought, prevented the Govern-
ment from doing that which in their conscience they
must have known they ought to have done. The Govern-
ment, however, had waited until this period for the pur-
pose of obtaining from Parliament power to do that
which, if they had done iu order to provide for the x
gencies of the case, the Parliament and the countrye
exi-
gencies
have applauded them for doing. (Cheers.) As be
had already said, he could not, in consequence of his en-
gagements vote against the second reading, but unless
he heard some much better and more satisfactory de-
fence of this bill, in connectitm with the whole plan of
the Government than he had yet heard, and if his noble
friend (the Earl of Ellenborough) continued his opposi-
tion to the bill, he should support him in his opposition
to the further progress of the measure. (Oheers.)
Tbo EArl of ABERDEEN said—This is the first mea
sure introduced by her Majesty's Government as evidence
of their intention to carry on this war with determina-
tion and vigour ; but the manner in which it has been
received is, I must say, not very consistent with those
objurgations which we have heard from noble lords op-
posite to follow such a course. The noble earl who spoke
last, in his representation of this bill, has descended
into descriptions of the measure which I think he would
hardly feel himself justified in using. He talked of this
being a measure to which we were reduced in order to
keep our own people in order, and he also spoke of our
militia being dragged away into active service. The de-
scription which the noble earl has attempted to give of
the foreign troops employed in this country during the
last war, and the contrast he endeavoured to draw be-
' tween the position of the German Legion and the Hano-
verian troops in the last war, and the Germanstroops (if
they be such) as would be employed in this war, was, I
think, not quite correct. He said that in the former
war many of the troops were subjects of the same
Sovereign, and possessed the same sympathies with
our own troops, and therefore the;rcondition was entirely
different from what they would be if at present en-
gaged. How did that answer the objections made by
the other noble earl (the Earl of Ellenhoiough) ? Would
it be more agreeable to him that the Hanoverian should
be employed in putting down other German troops ?
The objection of which the noble lord has dwelt upon I
consider to be perfectly untenable. That any constitu
tional jealousy should exist or arise out of a measure
this kind, I cannot understand ; and I mustsaylth of
think
it is -carcely worthy the noble earl to have raised such
an objection. He seems to think that this is a force
which is to he employed io this country at the expense
of English troops sent abroad. That is not the case.
The object of this bill is to introduce into this country,
a limited time, for the purpose of drill and for drill
only, a sufficient number of foreign troops; and as soon
as-they are in a condition to be employed as troops, then
to be sent to the seat of war. This is surely not the same
thing as maintaining a foreign garrison in this country.
It is merely for a temperary purpose, and for a limited
number of men, until they are fit to bo employed in
foreign service. I think the limitation has been placed
at 15,000 at one time. It may be very proper to limit
the number; but when the first 15,000 shall be so drilled
and sent abroad for foreign service, then it will be per-
fectly in the power of the Government, if they think
proper, to have 15,000 more. (Hear, hear, from the
Earl of Derby). Doubtlessly, it is . s
it. M
with that intention,
if the exigency of the service' reciu
friend opposite, who spoke first, took upon himselfy noble
t n
say that Sir R. Peel never would have consented to
such a measure. I- do not know what measures Sir
R. peel would have approved or rejected ; but, after all,
a very great statesman, whom my noble friend resem-
bles much more than I resemble Sir R. Peel, namely,
Lord Chatham, in the war' of 1756, had no scruple in
employing German troops in aid of British forces ;
and I am therefore not prepared to say certainly
Sir R. Peel would have refused his assent to a measure
of this description. But the whole representations of the
noble lords appear to arise on a fallacy. They sup-
pose that this is a force to be raised and employed in lieu
of the militia. Undouhtedly we take the voluntary offers
of such a militia force as may be necessary to relieve our
garrisons, which are extensive—however reduced they be
and reduced they are ; but still indispensable for our im-
portant foreign possessions. But for such garrisons we
accept the voluntary offers, and only the voluntary offers
—the men will not be dragged, as the noble lord has
snggested—of so many of the militia as may be willing
to enter on that service, thereby obtaining valuable re-
inforcements of veteran troops in aid of the active ope-
rations now going on in the East, and not at all interfer-
ing with the recruiting of the army from the source of
the militia force at home. My lords, as to the enlist-
ment of foreign troops, I think the noble duke opposite
(the Duke of Richmond) who has the means of knowing
the character of garrison troops, will do full justice to
them
will
,*‘ ,
ande there is no doubt whatever that such troops
alwwaly; Zie employed in company with British forces will
found to do their duty in such a manner as to
do credit to
measure is in those who employ them. My lords, this
facta measure which is necessary for
obtaining a suitable
addition to our regular forces.
Vthe
Volunteering frommilitia to a more or less
extent will go on ; but all that will require time, and
cannot be available in the same
extent as troops raised on this
manner and to the seine
Principle. Not at all ad-
mitting the accuracy of the description
:vent of this force in En
I cannot look on it as liable' seri-
ousto:atnobuetoertocne-?bland, whePrel°int owft__the employ-
ployed all,
constitutional. o jection to have such ayf
mentioned eniplayed tutehreeloyppfolre
ititohne raised
as I have
pose of being drilled previous to being sent Pur-
- foreign service ; and I cannot think.
by the noble lords to this measure is a tenable one ; and
I must say I think it has been ill-conceived by the \
noble lords opposite, who profess ofesfiernesuch extt erne
anxiety and impatience that her Majesty's Govern.
meat should be exhorted to the utmost
~possible de-
gree to exhibit an adequate amount of vigour in this
crisis. It will only be by misrepresentations of the real
nature of the force that any shadow o Cant bjection can b
urged against it. I trust, therefore, your lordships
will see that the objections urged to this measure are

wholly untenable, as represented by the noble lords
opposite.
The Earl-of ELLENBOROUGHsaid he wished to correct
the noble earl who had just sat down, in reference to an
historical fact. He would remind him that, of a I the
measures with which Lord Chatham's name had been
identified, that which most damaged him in public
opinion was the very measure which the noble earl had
quoted, because it was in direct contradiction to all those
aetions which had given him popularity in the country,
and was undertaken from an undue compliance with the
German wishes of George 11., and perhaps, in a certain
degree, in consequence of the then recent connection
with the Duke of Newcastle. (Laughter.)
Ilia Earl of MALMESBURY said he could not but
regret that the noble lords opposite, and the noble duke
especially, should have shown impatience of those obser-
vations which it was the duty of all Opposition men in
that house to make whenever the necessity arose ; and
that they should, for the first time, on an occasion when
they were anxious to assist the Government to the ut-

in the glory of the battle's flash, as those men had
shown the highest moral courage.
Lord HoTnAm,and Mr. LAYARD expressed'their warm
and hearty concurrence in the vote.
[LEFT SITTING.]