The Sun.
London, England, 1854-12-23 00:00:00

THE MILITIA BILL.

The Duke of NEWCASTLE moved the third read-
ing of this bill.
The bill was accordingly read a third time and passed

SA.VII~ BANKS.

Lord MONTEAGLE, in moving for 'some returns
took the opportunity of correcting a misstatement that
had appeared in a morning paper, The paper in ques-
tion made it appear that he had stated that the interest
of the depositors had been materially affected by the mea-
sures of theGoverament. He had not only denied that he
had used sueh an expression, blithe had expressed a totally
different opinion. The noble lord moved for a return
of the statement of exchequer deficiency and other bills
in anticipation of the public revenue issued in each
quarter s►nce the sth of April last up to the sth of April,
1855. What are the dates of their issue, the dates of
redemption, and amount outstanding on the sth of
January, 1855, setting forth also the rate per cent. of in-
terest paid in eaoh quarter upon such description of
bills ; showing also out of what funds they had
been redeemed. (Hear, bear.) Of all Exchequer-
bills or other Government securities purchased and taken
by the Bank of England during the said period ; of all
sales or purchases of stock or other securities by the
Commissioners of the National Debt ; of all •alles in the
Exchequer during the quarter of the same period ; of the
additions to and reductions of the funded and unfunded
debt for the same period; and of all su►ns certified after
the expiration of each quarter by the Lords Commis-
sioners of the Treasury to the Commissioners for the re-
duction of the National Debt.
Earl GRANVILLE said her Majesty's Govern-
ment had no objection to the return.
Return ordered accordingly.
Their lordships then adjourned till a quarter before
nine to-morrow morning.

ROUSE OF COMMONS.—(THIS EVENING.)
The SPZAKER took the chair shortly before 4 o'clock.
Mr. LAYARD presented a petition from an individual
named Smith, praying that he might have an opportunity
during the war of trying experiments with some new de-
structive missile which he alleged he had discovered.
SAVINGS BANKS BILL.
THE CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER brought
in the Savings Bank Bill, which was read a first time
and ordered to be printed.
THE TEA DUTIES.

The CHANCELLORt of the EXCHEQUER gave notice
that, in the event of the Continuance of the war, it was the
intention of the Government to propose, when the time ar-
rived for making the financial statement of 1855-6, that the
duty upon tea instead of falling progressively to ls. per lb.
should continue at is. 6d. per lb. until peace was restored.
TAXES ON KNOWLEDGE.
Mr. BRIGHT drew the attention of the Chancellor of
the Exchequer to the fact that the Inland Revenue De-
partment had resolved to prosecute an nnstamped Notting-
ham publication. Now so long as the Telegraph Company
were allowed to publish their information without a stamp,
some leniency ought to be shown to occasional publica-
tions that publish intelligence on the subject of the war.
MILITARY UNIFORMS.

Mr. EWART wished to inquire of the Secretary-at-
War what measures had been or would be adopted for the
assimilation, as far as may be practicable, of the uniforms
of officers and privates in tho army ?
Mr. S. HERBERT (Secretary-at-Par) said the new pat-
tern in the army had done away with the distinction be-
tween the dress of the officers and privates.
CORPORALS' PAY.

Mr. PELL A.TT asked the Secretary-at-War whether a
corporal, having good-conduct money in addition to his
usual pay, would be deprived of that allowance on his
• promotion to the rank of serjeant, so that his aggregate
Fay might be reduced below what he had previously en-
jeyed as a corporal ; if so, what were the reasons, and had
Government contemplated a remedy for such apparent in-
justice?
Mr. S. HERBERT said his attention had already been
drawn to this subject, and he intended to draw up an alte-
ration in the warrant which would be immediately promul-
gated to meet this particular case.
SICK AND WOUNDED IN THE CRIMEA.
Mr. WHITESIDE asked what number, according to
• the very latest accounts of the soldiers who were landed in
the Crimea, were in hospital ; and what proportion of pay,
if any, was deducted from each soldier while so in hospital?
Mr. S. HERBERT said the last returns ho had received
were dated the 25th of Nov. and sth of Dec. The last ac-
count from Balakla,va gave as in the hospital 2,395, while
in the hospital at Scutari the number was 3,550; making
a total of 5,945 ; but he was afraid the next accounts would
make a considerable addition to that number. With regard
to the second question, the amount of ttoppage from each
soldier in hospital was 34d a day, being the same amount
of stoppage that was made for rations.
Sir J. WALSH asked if those numbers included the
wounded as well as the sick ?
Mr. S. HERBERT said the figures included both sick
and wounded.

MINI E RIFLES.
Major REED asked whether such rifles as maybe col-
lected after an engagement aro distributed as soon as pos-
sible among those regiments previously armed with the
old musket, or whether they are placed in store ; also, if it
was the intention of her Majesty's Government to substitute
the Minie rifle for the present musket generally throughout
the army in the Crimea, and, if so, whether any and what
measures had been taken to carry out that object ?
Mr. S. HERBERT was not able to give any answer to
the question as to what was done with the rifles found in
the field, but, of oourse, it would create much confusiqn
if Minie rifles were only here and there distrlbutild
amongst divisions armed with the common weapon.
(Hear, hear.) With respect to the intention of the Go-
vernment for the future, it was intended to arm the whole
army in the Crimea with the Minie rifles, and they were
being issued as fast as they could be brought in.
PUBLIC-HOUSES IN SCOTLAND.
Mr. COWAN wished to ask the Lord Advocate of Scot-
land if he had reason to believe that the act for the better
regulation of public-houses in Scotland, passed in 1853,
has been fairly put in operation within the Royalty and
under the jurisdiction of the magistrates of the city of
Edinburgh ; if he bad received any complaints that beyond
these bounds and in the Sheriff Courts and Justice of
Peace Courts this law was virtually a dead letter ; and
whether in this case itjwashis intentionto apply a remedy
or to introduce any legislative measure in order to secure
a more fair and uniform administration of the statute re-
ferred to?
The LORD ADVOCATE had no reason to think that
the act had not been thoroughly put in operation. With
regard to the latter part of the question, it might become
matter for serious consideration whether any alteration
should be made in the law.
THE SLAVE TRADE.
Sir G. B. PECHELL asked if any information had been
received that the new Government in Spain had given effect
to those decrees relative to the abolition of the slave trade
and the registration of slaves in the island of Cuba which
were issued about the month of June last : Also, whe-
ther the number of cruisers on the coasts of Cuba had been
increased, as was promised last session and in conformity
with the report of the Select Committee on Slave Trade

Treaties.
Lord J. RUSSELL said the Government of France had
done its best to put in foice their desire, but as yet no ac-
counts on that head had been received from the new
Governor-General Concha. The General, however, en
leaving Madrid, promised to do his utmost to suppress the
slave trade, and he had no doubt the General would fulfil
his promise.
Sir J. GRAHAM, in reply to the second question, said
he had to state that since the end of the last session the
squadron on the coast of Cuba had been greatly augmented,
and the admiral had been entrusted with most ample dis-
cretion for taking such steps as he should deem necessary
for suppressing this hateful traffic.
ROSSI.A.N BLOCKADE OF MEMEL.
Mr. DISRAELI wished to know whether the First Lord
of the Admiralty bad received an account of the blockade
of the port of Memel by the Russians ?
Sir J. GRAHAM said, so far from having 'received any
such information, he had reason to believe no such blockade
had been established. He had received a despatch from
Admiral Chads, dated Elsinore, the 15th of December,
stating that our fleet was still in the Baltic, and if any
Russian ships had appeared off Memel, they would have
been inevitably attacked.
•
DUCHY OF OLDENBURG.
Mr. OTWAY asked the President of the Council whether
any communications had passed between her Majesty's
Government and oar Minister at Berlin relating to the
acquisition by Prussia of a part of the Duchy of Oldenburg,
and to the intention of the Prussian Government of form-
ing a naval arsenal in the Jande ?
Lord J. RUSSELL said her Majesty's Government re-
ee“Ted some time ago information that Prussia had acquir-
ed part of the Duchy of Oldenburg, and that it was the
intention of Prussia to form such into a naval arsenal. The
Governments of Hanover and Brunswick were likely to
remonstrate against this alteration of part of the Duchy,
but the British Government had not thought it necessary
to make any representation to the Court of Berlin on the
subject.

FOREIGN ENLISTMENTS.
•
Colonel DUNNE inquired if any officers—mentioning
the name of one—had yet been retained to command some
of the troops to be raised under the Foreign Enlistment
.Bill?
Mr. S. HERBERT said the bill had not yet received
Parliamentary sanction, and until that bad taken place
Government had no authority to move in the matter.
CHRISTMAS RECESS. •
Lord J. RUSSELL gave notice that, in the event of the
Foreign Enlistment Bill passing to-night, he should propose
to-morrow that the house, at its ri,ing, should adjourn
until Tuesday. the 23rd January, 1855.
ENLISTMENT OF FOREIGNIS BILL.
Lord J. RUSSELL moved that this b Mill be read a third

time.
Sir E. DERING moved as an amendment that it be
read a third time that day six months. The hon. baronet
wished to draw attention to the very unsatisfactory na-
ture of the reply which had been given by the Govern-
ment to the pertinent question which had been put to
them by the right hon. gentleman the member fer Oxford-
shire. The right hon. gentlemen (Mr. Henley) had asked
whether any special provision would be made for the sup-
port of the wives and soldiers of these enlisted foreigners '?
The noble lord admitted that those persons would be con-
sidered as casual poor, and their maintenance would by the
present law devolve upon the parishes in which they hap-
pened to reside. The noble lord promised to consider the
point, but he ought to have been prepared with a more
definite answer upon a point of such importance. Ho (Sir
E. Dering) did not object to tho foreign legion being
brought here to be trained; his objection to the bill rested
upon an entirely different ground. Before the country
had been asked to submit to what would be at least the
humiliation of having recourse to foreign troops, the Go-
vernment ought at least to have made out a case of over-
whelming necessity for such a step. Now, he (the hon.
baronet) waa prepared to contend that if external aid were
necessary, there were other and far more unexceptionable
sources from whence assistance might have been derived.
Besides, the measure would only prove a failure. Ho was
quite ready to admit that reinforcements of trained soldiers
were needed in the Crimea, but they would not be able to