The Sun.
London, England, 1854-12-19 00:00:00

MILITIA.

On the motion for going into committee on this bill,
Colonel SIBTHORP adverted to certain amendments
which he intended to propose in committee. In all
other respects he approved of the measure.
Mr. BRADY called the attention of the house to the
injury that would arise to the militia corps upon being
sent abroad, if they were to be deprived of the ser-
vices of their regular surgeon, and in lieu of a
gentleman who knew the habits and constitutions of the
men, an imperfectly educated and inefficient surgeon
was sent out ; and he trusted that no such injustice
either to the men or to the medical profession would be
permitted.
The house then went into committee upon the bill. ;
Mr. BANKS moved as an amendment, that the num-
ber of militia asked to volunteer upon foreign service
should not in any case exceed three-fourths of the num-
ber actually serving in any battalion, corps, or regiment
of any such militia.
Lord PALAIERSTON said that the country were too
sensible of the great obligation that was due to the
militia, and those gentlemen who commanded such
corps ; but as it would be difficult to fix the actual num-
ber serving, he would not object to accede to a proposal
to fix the number asked to volunteer to three-fourths of
the actual establishment.
After some conversation, the amendment was agreed to.
After some discussion and explanations, clause one
was agreed to.

On clause 2,
Col. SIBTHORP called attention to the circumstance
that the bounty to be given to volunteers was not fixed by
the bill, and that the period of service was too undefined,
being for the remainder of •the war, or six months after
its termination. He believed it would be far better to fix
the bounty at once, and also to fix some period for the pro-
bable length of service required.
Mr. S. HERBERT said it was the business of the Sec-
retary at War to fix the amount of the bounty, which
could not be fixed by Act of Parliament, as it varied ac-
cording to the circumstances under which the men were
enlisted.

Air. DISRAELI reminded the honourable gentloin

that,-in the year 1814, the bounty was fixed by Act of
Parliament.
Mr. S. HERBERT—Yes, but that was a very special
Case.
Mr. HILDYARD suggested that the wife and family of
a militiaman, serving abroad, should not bo removable
during the period of his foreign service. He thought that
the expense of maintaining the wife and family ought to
be borne by the Consolidated Fund, and in that case it
would operate as a bounty to induce men to volunteer for
foreign service.
Lord PALMERSTON sail it was a mistake to suppose
that a greater number of militiamen were married than of
men serving iu the line. He believed that the contrary
was the case. The preference was given to unmarried
men volunteering to go abroad in the militia service.
In reply to Mr. HENLEY,
Lord PALMERSTON said he would propose to substi-
tate " five years" instead of an indefinite period, such as
" during the remainder of the war," as the period of ser-
vice for volunteers.
The amendment was then agreed to.
Col. SIBTHORP moved to leave out the words, " that
such bounties as shall be from time to time fixed by the
Secretary at War," and to insert, "that it should be dis-
tinctly and definitely fixed as the full amount of bounties
to be given to each non-commissioned officer, drummer,
and private soldier who shall be disposed to volunteer his
services.
_Mr. S. HERBERT said he thought it would be unwise
to fix either the maximum or the minimum of these
bounties.
Mr. DISRAELI said that he thought that the Govern-
ment ought to be left unfettered in this respect, and, there-
fore, he hoped that his hon. and gallant friend would not
press his amendment.
The amendment was then withdrawn, and the clause
was agreed to.
Clauses 3,4, 5, and 6 were agreed to.
On clause 7,
Col. SIBTHORP moved that the clause be struck out.
Viscount PALMERSTON said that he could not agree
to the motion of the hon. and gallant gentleman. Ho had
no doubt that colonels of militia, like his hon. and gallant,
friend, would be quite in their place as colonels of batta-
lions abroad. But inconvenience had been found to arise
when a full colonel of militia was in garrison with a lieu-
tenant-colonel of the line, and, therefore, he had laid it
down as a rule that militia regiments should only bo com-
manded by lieutenant-colonels.
Col. SIBTHORP said he wished to know in what posi-
tion he was to be placed ?
Viscount PALMERSTON said that a gentleman of the
rank, influence, and social position of his hon. and gallant
friend, would, he thought, be more beneficially employed
at home than abroad. (Hear, hear.) He should have
*very confidence in his gallantry at the head of his regiment
if it went into action, but his services might be more va-
luable at home. (Hear, hear.)
Col. SIBTHORP said that this oplnion of the noble lord
would give but little encouragement to militia officers.
Lord HOTHA.M said that he wished to put a question_to,
the noble lord. It was now intended to send certain militia
regiments to serve in foreign possessions, and there were
many officers in that force who held her Majesty's commis-
sion in the army. In all cases of regimental duty the senior
officer of the militia took the command ; but it was a com-
mon thing for a major in a militia regiment to have su-
perior rank in the army to the lieutenant-colonel. The
rule of the service was, that in general duties the officer of
higher army rank took the command. Her Majesty's Go-
vernment had encouraged old officers of the army to enter
the militia; and, after having so encouraged them to serve,
it would be unjust to place them in an inferior position to
that which they would have occupied if they had remained
in full pay in the regular army. He did not wish to cast
any reflection on the militia officers, bat he thought that
the position of officers in that force, holding her Majesty's
commission, should be recognised just, as if they had re-
mained on full pay. The noble lord concluded by moving
e proviso embodying his proposal.
Lord PALMERSTON apprehended that the proposal of
the noble lord would not be consistent with the established
law and practice of the army. The noble lord (Hotham)
was aware that all officers in the militia who had been in
the army must be upon half-pay, and that they could not
accept positions in the militia except upon that condition.
He apprehended, therefore, that, upon that ground, no
such officer could exercise military authority under the
Mutiny Act over any portion of the army that might be
stationed at any foreign garrison. The provisions of the
Mutiny Act would require an entire change if the proviso
of the noble lord were adopted. No officer on half-pay
could exercise military authority unless he was upon that
staff. That, he (Lord Palmerston) conceived, was of itself
a sufficient reason why the proposal of the noble lord ought
not to be adopted. The arrangements which had been
proposed in the bill were precisely the same as those that
were made with regard to the militia in 1814, and he was
afraid that any advantages that might arise from the pro-
position would be more than counterbalanced by the incon-
veniences that it would occasion.
Lord HOTHAM would not press his proposal if her Ma-
jesty's Government were not disposed to agree to it.
He begged to observe, however, that the noble lord him-
self had admitted that there was no partiality whatever
between the present state of things and that of 1814. Tho
arrangements were totally dissimilar. He conceived that
he had simply asked for justice with regard to those half-
pay officers that might serve in the militia at foreign
garrisons.
Col. NORTH submitted that the officers in question
would be placed by the Mutiny Act in exactly the same
position as the officers of the line.
Cul. DUNNE did not apprehend that half-pay officers
would suffer much by the omission of the proposal of Lord
Hotham, because he did not think that many, half-pay
offices e would accept in the militia a position inferior to
that which they held in the army- (Hear, hear.)
After some further observations, the proviso was nega-
tived.
Clauses 7, 8 and 9 were agreed to.
,Clause 10,wap omitted.
Clause 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 were agreed to;
Clause 16 was omitted.
Lord TAO VAINA moved clause, the (Nod If which