The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-02 00:00:00

WITNESSES BILL.

Mr. I. BUTT moved the second reading.
The ATTORNEY-GENERA.Id said the object of the
measure was to enable courts of justice to issue subpoenas
to persons residing in any part of the Tinited Kingdom ;
but it contained no machinery for the enforcement of such
subpoenas. It would be better to adopt the plan of requir-
ing the court in whose jurisdiction the witness lived to in-
dorse the writ.
Mr. BUTT promised to insert a clause in committee for
that purpose, and after some conversation,
The bill was read a second time.
WAYS AND MEANS.
The report of the Committee on Ways and Means was
brought up and agreed to.

DUBLIN PORT BILL.
This bill passed through committee.
THE MILITIA LAWS.
Lord PALMERSTON moved for leave to bring in a bill
to amend the militia laws. The bill was intended to alter
the law in one respect only. By the act of 47th Geo. 111.
the crown had the power of embodying the militia only in
case of an invasion or danger thereof, or in case of rebellian.
In the present state of things, considering how large a por-
tion of the regular army had been sent abroad, and con-
sidering the time that must elapse before troops could be
enlisted to fill their place, it was of importance that Go-
vernment should avail themselves of the service of the
militia. He was happy to say that the country, though at
war with Russia, was not in danger of invasion ; but it was
important that the law should enable the crown to avail
itself of the services of the militia. The object of the bill
was to enable the crown to embody the militia whenever
the country was in a state of war. He also proposed to take
power, that if the militia were called out, and there should
be occasion for continuing it for 56 days, that that should
be done without the necessity of giving fresh notice.
Sir J. Y. BULLER said he was sure there would be no
objection on the part of the officers or the privates in the
militia to go into service either for 28 or 56 days, but there
was one matter to which he would call attention. For-
merly, when the militia was called out, the wives and
families were relieved by the parish. Since the new poor-
law they had only a workhouse order; and as it was im-
possible to maintain them out of the pay of the men, that
was a great hardship. Another point was with regard to
the depots, which at present were insufficient, and if the
deputy-lieutenants ordered anything to be done, the quar-
ter sessions had not author ity to pay for it.
Colonel KNOX suggested that the militia should be en-
couraged to volunteer into the!army. But he knew an in-
stance in which a colonel advised his men not to enlist.
Mr. GROG AN asked if the Irish militia would be
called out. .

Lord PALMERSTON said he intended to bring in a
bill to consolidate the militia law when the matters spoken
of by the hon. baronet would be considered. It was not
intended to call out the Irish militia at present. It was
not desirable to incur an unnecessary expenditure at
present.

Sir J. YOUNG said it had been determined to increase
the pay of the Irish constabulary 45,0001. a year.
The bill was then brought in and read a first time.
Mr. BEAMISH moved that the returns relating to the
Grand Canal (Ireland), ordered 17th March, be laid before
the house forthwith.
_ _

Mr. MOFFATT said it was a question between two pri-
vate companies, and he moved that the order be discharged.
Colonel DUNNE hoped th'at the house would enforce
this order.

Mr. P. O'BRIEN said that inasmuch as this return
arose merely out of a dispute between two railway com-
panies, he thought that the house ought not to call for
these papers.

Mr. CARDWELL thought that this matter arose out
of an attempt by a railway company to effect an arrange-
ment for taking the grand canal, which Parliament a year
or two ago refused to sanction, but which it appeared had
now been effected by private arrangement. Under these
circumstances he thought it might bequestionable whether
these returns could be viewed merely as private matters.
Mr. MOFFATT, upon this explanation, withdrew his
amendment, and

The returns were accordingly ordered.
The house then adjourned at five minutes to 1 o'clock.

BALANCES IN THE EXCHEQUER. —A parliamentary
paper moved for by the Chanceller of the Exchequer
shows the state of the public balances remaining in the
Exchequer on the sth day of April, 1854. It appears
that on the sth of April, 1853, the balances in the
Exchequer were 7,859,2691. 16s. 3d, No money was
raised during the year by the creation of Funded Debt.
The Unfunded Debt embraces the following amounts :
Exchequer bills, 17,742,5001., authorised by 16th Vict.,
c. 25; 5,890,504, ditto; 7,418,5001., ditto; and ap-
plied in aid of money grants, 3,128,0001. Total of
the above Exchequer bills, 16,437,0001. Exchequer
bills on credit of the Consolidated Fund, in part of
10,634,0871. 2s. 4d., 790,000/. ; total Exchequer bills,
17,227,000/. ; Exchequer bonds, in exchange for Ex-
chequer bills, 405,9001. ; excess of income over expend--
ture 3,524,734/. 14s. 11d. Total, 29,019,9541. lls. 2d.
The following are the issues during the year :—To the
Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt,
for the redemption of the same, 2,936,4181. 14s. Bd. ;
deducting, however, the sum transferred to the redemp-
tion of Consolidated Fund Deficiency Bills, there remains
624,5621. 16s. 9d. applied to the redemption cif the
National Debt. Under the head of Funded Debt ;it ap-
pears that 8,048,1301. 14s. 41, was issued to pay off
the non-assentient South Sea Stock and other anne ities
under the 16th and 17th Victoria, chap. 23 and .132.
Under the bead of Unfunded Debt 3,134,4001. was
issued out of Ways and Means grants applied to pay off
supply Exchequer-bills ; 13,309,0001. Exchequer-bills
in payment of supply-bills, and 408,9001. Exchequer-
bills in lieu of Exchequer-bonds. The advances for local
works under various acts of Parliament were 2,467,835 L
the E"lxechli ePq
uu
re
Pr
18s. 2d. ; leaving, after the repayments of advances to
the amount of 1,751,3231. Os. 7d., an exccess of advances'
005ne5t,he0f5th71A6p,561121.815145:27,d7.71911.348.1r,8ce550in.
Total as before, 29 • • 019951/ 2d.
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