The Sun.
London, England, 1824-05-06 00:00:00

r reedy contravening a distinct Parliamentary enactment. It
. will hence, perhaps, be felt necessary by your lion. House, that
. some measure should be adopted to ensure compliance with the
enactment of so important a part of the statute, especially at a
I moment when the consideration of the house is drawn to a re.
I viral of some parts of the Act in question.
(Signed) " J. C. HIPPISLEY."
Mr. HOIIHOUSE said, the great object of the Houses should
' be to prevent an abuse of the discretionary power which the
existing Act placed in the hands of Magistrates. Now they
1, must be all aware that that power wa; very much abused in
. one or two instances. He would not enter into the merits of
the case alluded to by his lion. Friend, but he could not help
thinking that Magistrates, when intrusted with so arbitrary
a power, ought to keep a very strict guard over their con-
duct. It was always an object in punishment to avoid de-
- grading the culprit in his own eyes and those of others, as far
as possible; but certainly no man could ever look upon himself
as a man was entitled to do, after being made to run round
like a dog in a wheel, for the'amusement of those who might
choose to stand and gaze at him. The tread wheel might be a very
fit and a very proper punishment to be inflicted for sonic: of-
fences, which now subjected those who committed them to
transportation or to death ; but, as applied at present, it accru-
ed to him, and he was bound as such to treat it, to be in the
last degree mischievous, cruel, and absurd. -
The petition was then ordered to be printed.
HIDES AND SKINS.
Sir R. FERGUSON presented a petition in favour of this
Bill from the butchers of Dundee. Also a petition from the i
leather-sellers of Dundee in favour of the Bill.
OIL GAS.
Mr. lIOBHOUSE presented a petition from certain house.
holders in the Strand, against the Oil-gas Company's Bill.
IRISH MILITIA.
Colonel DAVIES rose, pursuant to notice, to move for leave
to bring in a Bill to alter the present state or the Militia eats.
bliahment in Ireland. The expence of the Irish militia staff'
(taken with reference to its extent) was rather more than a
third greater in Irelend than in Great:Britain ; and unless a
very sufficient cause for that excess of charge could be assigned,
lie trusted that the House would support hitn in moving for a
reduction. The Honourable Member then proceeded to state
the items in which he thought that saving. might be eirected.
He did not-understand why the appointment of quarter-master
should be continued in Treland--certainly not beyond the
lives of persons already • holding such commission. As it
seemed to him, wiseneverquarterniastershiPs fell in, quarter.
master.serjeantcies only should be kept up in their stead; nor
was clear to him just now,.when.it was desirable to get rid of -
• every experee which could be avoided, that without even the
quartermaster-sergeants, the necessary duties might not be per-
formed by the paymasters. He also objected to the very large
sums charged, under the present system, For "lodging-mosey"
and " fuel" for the staff, when there were abundance of bar-
racks in the country standing unoccupied. By reforming the
practice upon these-two points—the last of whiehamoun tett, in
fact, to an abuse; for the charge of " laciging," while barracks
were to be had, was made merely to •suit the convenience of
colonels of regiments, who wished to keep their staffs imme-
diately about them—by making these two alterations, and eta.-
ting the stuff generally as low as possible, 20,001. a year would
probably be saved. Ile should sit down, theretbre, by moving I
for leave to bring in a Bill, enabling his Majesty to reduce the,
establishment of regiments and battalion's' of Irish militia : his
measure applying, of course, to battalions and regiments not
embodied.

Sir GEORGE HILL wished that the Gallant Member's
motion had been brought forward earlier in the session. With
respect to the future appointment of Quarter-masters, the ar-
. rangement which the Honourable and Gallant Member pro-
, posed (that of substituting serjeatucies) was already resolved
upon ; but he (Sir G. Hill) protested against any further retitle-
, tion in the numbers of the staff. Th.! lion. Baronet then pro-
ceeded to eulogise the conduct of the Irish Militia Staff during
. the late war, in raising and discipline, troops fur the line. The
reduction, as it seemed to him, had already been carried too far ;
and he could rather have wished to see the lion. and Gallant
' Member opposite bringing in a Bill to relieve those individuals
who (after ;,10 years' service some of them) were now left starving
' without provision,•than making a motion which tended to reduce
other meritorious persons to as condition equally distressing.—
Mr. HUME observed,, that the main points in his Gallant
Friend's speech had not been touched upon by the Hon. Bart.
The charge for lodging, when barracks were standing empty,
had not been justified or answered: lie was far from agreeing
that the reduction had already been carried too far; and, on the
contrary, he thought that the Colonels who had resisted that
reduction ought to here been brought to a court-martial for
their conduct, and dismissed the service. Ile was distinctly of
opinion, that the letters written upon that occasion would hare
justified such a course ; and he could scarcely wonder at some
recent instances of disobedience by officers, seeing that that
course had not been adopted. For the distress to which men
might be reduced who were discharged from the militia, he re-
gretted it ; although it should be remembered, that the non-
commissioned officers, after 2U years service, had a provision ;
but the plea of individual distress (however strong) he could not
allow to operate, because the Came objection might have been
applied to reduction of the army altogether.
- Dlr. GOULIIURN justified the reductions which had been
made in the Irish militia, and expressed his surprise at the
readiness of the lion. Member for Aberdeen to place that con.
stitutional force at the direction of the Commander-in-Chief,
rather than the civil power. lie eulogized the promptitude with
which the militia staff had always stepped forth to the support
of Government in times of trouble and difficulty.
Mr. HUME explained. -
Mr. C. H. HUTCHINSON bore testimony to the good con-
duct of the militia officers, and promised to support the motion.
Colonel DAVIES briefly replied.---The House divided—
For the Motion, 10 Against it, 2G j Majority M.'
SCOTCH J.URIES BILL,
The Bill was re-committed, and the Report ordered to be
taken into further consideration on Monday next.
SLAVE LA WS CONSOLIDATION BILL.
This Bill was re-committed, the Report to be taken into
further consideration on Tuesday next.
Dr. LUSHINGTON gave notice, that on the third reading
he would move for 'the consolidation of the Bill which had
already passed for nicking the traffic in slaves piracy, with
this Bill. •

The other Orders of the Day were disposed of, and the House
adjourned.

LIST OF THE MINORITY

Who voted for leave to bring in a Rill to reduce the Stsff of
the Irish Militia to the Sallie establislunent as the English
Militia.
Ferguson, Su R.C.. Kennedy, T. F.-
Hobhouse, J. C. Lushington, Dr.
Hutchinson, Hon. blonck, TILLXRS.
C. 11. Moberly, W. L. Davies, Colonel
Heron, Sir R. Pelham, J.-C.. Hutne, J.

Sykes, I).