The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-13 00:00:00

GREAT WESTERN PROJECTS.

Mr. SPOONER presented upwards of a hundred peti-
tions against the several projects of the Great Western
Railway Company.
Mr. lIUME presented a petition from the provost and
corporation of Addington praying for the repeal of the
inventory stamp tax.
EXAMINERS OF PRIVATE BILLS.
Mr. HUME gave notice that to-morrow he would
move for leave to bring in a Bill authorising the Speaker
to appoint examiners of the proceedings of all- private
Bills before the House.

REGISTRATION BILL (SCOTLAND).
Lord G. BEN TINCK pro sented several petitions from
Ayr and other places in Scotland against the Registra-
tion Bill (Scotland).
GOVERNMENT SCHEME OF EDUCATION.
• Mr. MATHESON presented four petitions. against
the Government Education scheme from Dissenting
congregations at Ashburton, Buckfastleigb, and
Newton Abbott.

ANATOMY ACT.
Mr. F. FRENCII presented a petition praying for
inquiry into the operation and working of the Anatomy
Act.

WASTE LANDS IMPROVEMENT BILL.
Mr. LABOUCHERE postponed the Waste Lands
Improvement Bill until to-morrow (Tuesday) week.
EDUCATION.
Mr. WILLIAMS presented a petition from a place
near Coventry against the Government scheme of edu-
cation. _ _

MEDICAL OFFICERS IN THE ARMY.
On the order of the day for going into Committee of
Supply being read,
Sir H. DOUGLAS begged to call attention to
the cases of medical officers, surgeons, and pay-
masters of regiments, who have not been included in tae
warrant issued in July, 1846, consequent upon the motion
made in April, 1815, for an improved retirement to a limited
number of medical officers, and all officers of regimental
staff, to extend to them in limited numbers, the bene-
fits conferred by warrants dated 1840 to limited numbers
of officers of all other branches and arms of the ser-
vice ; which motion appeared to receive the unanimous
approbation and support of the Committee, and was
only withdrawn on an express assurance that the pro-
position, for art improved retirement to all officers of
regimental staff, would be taken into favourable con-
sideration. He was deeply impressed with the
calamity which had befallen the sister country,
and he would feel a great difficulty in recommending
any measure which would embarrass the Government at
the present moment, but the act of justice which he re-
commended would not be of such a description; and he
was sure that if his Right Hon. Friend the Chancellor of
the Exchequer were present he would be very much
surprised at the smallness of the amount of
money requisite to perform this act of justice.
He would tell the Right Hon. Secretary at War that
this demand on the public purse would not, at the
utmost, exceed 1,3001. per annum. He would state
briefly to the House the case of those whose interests he
advocated. In the year 1842 a warrant was issued
granting a full pay retirement to a limited number of
officers of the infantry and cavalry. There were 20
lieutenant-colonels, 20 majors, and 115 captains, 45 of
whom were brevet majors. This boon was extended
soon after to the cavalry, the engineers, and the
marines. To the officers of the latter corps was granted
permission to go on in the service, which, however,
was not permitted to the cavalry and infantry. He
thought that such a difference ought not to have been
made. The bcon coat little or nothing, and he said that
it should in his opinion be extended likewise to the
officers of the cavalry and infantry. It was, however,
extended to them at length, but the officers of the regi-
mental staff, the surgeons, the quartermasters, the pay-
masters, and the veterinary surgeons, were still ex-
cluded from its benefits. In 1845 he had given
his opinion upon this exception, and the Hoe.
Secretary at War who was then in office
promised that some alteration should be made. In 1846
a warrant was issued, granting an increased retiring
allowance to the quartermasters and veterinary sur-
geons, to the exclusion of the paymasters and surgeons.
The maximum pay of a surgeon on full pay after thirty
years' service was IL 25., while the retiring pay allowed
them when they left the service was 15s. a day. Now,
what he wanted was to make the retiring pay of the
surgeons and paymasters in the army 18s., instead of
155., as at present. This was a very small increase,
indeed. This arrangement would, to a certain extent,
be self-sustaining. At present, when one of these officers
retired he was allowed 15s. a day, while the party who
succeeded him got but 12s. for the first five years at
least. There was, therefore, an actual saving in this
arrangement. But, he would ask the House, under such
a plan who would consent to retire and take 15s. for
IL 25., and give up in addition the barrack allowance,
servants, attendance, coal, candle, &c.? This in addition
was equal to 10s., so that the actual pay was about
II 12s. a day. The consequence of this system was
that the surgeons, rather than retire, cling longer to
their appointments than was consistent with good service.
The Hon. Baronet then read certain letters from offi-
cers in some of the regimerts of the line in support of his
position. Having granted a boon to the quartermaster, the
House ought to extend the same jusiice to the paymaster,
but with regard to the surgeons and medical officers
of the army, in their case the claim was stronger. An
army surgeon had arduous and difficult duties to perform;
distressingscenes were continually passing before his eyes,
and 13 years was generally the extent of his servitude.
It would appear, from the returns, that that service of
the surgeons had been altogether overlooked. Ile
might take all the returns which had been made to the
Government, and of these be might cite the ser-
vices of Mr. Lewis, of the First Dragoon Guards,
who had served for thirty-nine years. He
might also cite those of Mr. Stevenson, of the
Third Dragoon Guards, who had given forty-one years'
service as well as of several other gentlemen who had
been injured by the present rules of the service. He
ought also to say, that they had to complain of the posi-
tion given by the present regulations of the service. Ac-
cording to these regulations the surgeon was to
receive three shillings a day, whereas the pay of a regi-
mental lieutenant colonel was eighteen shillings a day.
Then as to medical rank, it was always made subservient
to regimental service, and not only were the men de-
prived of their advantages as regards rank, but as
'fleeted pension also. The Hon. Baronet then went
into the several gradations of rank, but showed that while
the pensions for a regimental officer for a forty years'
service were 601., those for a medical officer were only 601.
The Gallant Member then proceeded to read a letter
which he had received from the widow of a medical
officer who had served in the Peninsula and in the West
Indies, stating that she had lost her husband in the dis-
charge of his professional duties, but that the
pension which ought to have been given to her
by virtue of the relative position which her husband
held in the service, had not been paid to her, and
that in consequence she, with her three orphan chil-
dren, had been reduced to the most distressing situation.
He would now conclude, and be hoped that in bringing
this question before the House he bad not s2oken a va:n.
Mr. F. MA ULE had only a few observations to make
on the subject. His Hon. Friend complained that the
warrant issued in 1846 had not included certain cases of
medical officers, surgeons, and paymasters. He (Mr.
F. Maule) did not think that the arrangement so lately
made should be disturbed. With reference to the
case of paymasters, his Honourable Friend said
then that he had no fault to find with the arrange-
ment as far as the paymasters were concerned.
There was no question that the paymasters bad con-
siderable duties to perform which required serious at-
tention, but at the same time it was scarcely fair in
arranging retiring pensions to place them on a footing
with those who risked life and limb in the service, an&
who at all times were required to perform arduous duties.
He found in looking to the provision made for them pre-
vious to last year, that their half-pay was only 12s. 6J.,
and by the warrant of last year it was raised
to 155., so they had received a certain benefit.
He did not mean by anything
which he at present said,
to pia elude himself at a future time from considering their
case further. With reference to the surgeons, their case
was more worthy of consideration, and he did not
mean lto use the word in an invidious sense; they
were called upon to perform most arduous servlees—
(Hear, hear)—and he was, therefore, inclined
oteumrabolfe
peryo,emuoptoionothaemironelgaimose.
tToheloroekwwasitha
gaenmeorrael
sfyays
medical officers of the army already xisting, and in his
F opinion -the subject brought forward by the Hon. and
Gal ant Munte r was one _ vslfels ought not to
be viewed apart frcin public considerations and
the finance of the country. During the course t f

ho present year her Majesty's Government had
made a sacrifice for the benefit of the army
of the sum of 50,000, by the abolition of
the poundage of the pensions of the soldiers.
Other great alterations were made, or proposed to be
made, calculated to improve the condition of the soldier,
and he could assure the Hon. and Gallant Member that
the Government would give its fullest consideration to the
subject, and any alterations which could be beneficially
introduced would be brought forward upon the earliest
occasion, with, however, a due regard to tho public ex-
penditure of the country.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. HUMS thought that in regard to the pensioners,
the Government had acted wisely, but he was not dis•
posed to agree with the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. F.
Mettle) respecting the brevet. He considered that that
was money thrown away, without producing any
benefit whatever. They had so many demands at
present en the public purse, that they should ,be cau-
tious what they did. Still, Hit could be shown that any
one had been un'airly treated, he thought he should be
redressed, so as to deal equal justice to all. He considered
the warrants should be produced, and then it would be
aeon what were the grounds on which the distinction was
made.

Colonel LINDSAY quite agreed with the latter par,
the observations of the Right Hon. Gentleman as to
the conduct of the late and the present Governments in
attending to the comforts of the soldiers. Still he
thought the Hon. and Gallant Member for Liverpool
had made out a strong case for placing the surgeons
on the same footing as the other officers in the service.
Sir DE LACY EVANS regretted that this wis the
course of the English law, for it it had been otherwise
there would have been some reason for allowing the
claim which now had been made. With respect to the plea
that was made for medical officers, he must allow thatitjwas
a subject that was fairly cognizant for rniEttsry purposes.
His Hon. Friend the Member for Montrose was mistaken
when he supposed that the British army was much more
expensive than the French. The fact was, that the
maintenance of the French army cost considerably more
than that of England, while the service performed by the
British army was more severe than that of the French.
There was another point to which he would allude.
Those gentlemen who had been so much concerned
in the repeal of the corn-laws last year dwell on the fact
of the statement that the armed professions were
unproductive classes. The great master in political
economy, Mr. M'Culloch, had given an opinion directly-
he reverse. He maintained that the soldier and sailor,
were magistrates by securing and protecting the rights of
the community, and were pre-eminently useful.
The motion was negatived without a division.
ADDRESS TO HER At AJESTY.
REGULATIONS IN THE ARMY.
_ _ _

Sir DE LACY EVANS begged, on going into Com-
mittee of Supply, to bring under the consideration of the
House :-
1. The treasury regulation respecting ration stoppages
in the colonies, whereby the Government derives profit
at the expense of the soldier, by the variations in tht.
price of provisions in several of those colonies, contrary
to the treatment of the troops stationed in the home
territories.

2. Whether the treasury order or arrangement re-
specting the liquor rations in Australia has teen of a
decisive and general nature applicable to other colonies.
and sufficient in the judgment of the Commander in
Chief to prevent any future probable recurrence of
mutiny from this cause.

8. T 1 to propriety of amending the 72d clause of the
Mutiny Act, containing a special provision for the
"wholesome" maintenance of troops on a line of march
in England, no similar or proportionate allowance being
made for troops on the same duty in Ireland or Scot-
land. _ _

4. Tho case of the former pensioners of the army,
whose petitions have been lately presented to the House,
complaining of having suffered great misery and distress
during many years, owing to their having agreed to an
inadequate commutation of their pensions offered by a
warrent issued from the War Office in 1832, which they
were unfortunately induced to accept, through delusive
promises emanating from authority—the warrant res-
pecting which having been cancelled in the following
year.
5. The omission again in this year's estimates, of any
vote being proposed for improving the barrack accommo-
dation (especially with regard to the sleeping rooms), so
requisite, in many instances, for the health of the troops,
and for more suitable and decent quartering of the mar-
ried non-commissioned officers and privates.
6. the claim of old Peninsular officers who have sold
their commissions to the medal to be granted'for that war.
7. The claim of the retired officers of the line (cavalry
and infantry) who, worn out by wounds or broken
health, cccasioned by service with their regiments or on
the staff, have reluctantly accepted the retired pay
offered by the warrant of October, 1840, but who,
though by seniority sufficiently eligible, find them-
selves excluded from the last brevet, which in their case
would have cost the country nothin,.7, although they see
this favour extended to their brother officers similarly
satiated on the retired lists of all the four other branches
of the service—namely, the marines, artillery, engineers,
and navy.
8. The expediency of gradually modifying (but with
all regard to the just claims of those at present filling
these posts) the rules practically observed for more than
a century in rur army, in selection for the responsible
command of regiments, whereby seniority and money,
coupled with influential connexion, are almost the ex-
clusive grounds of appointment.
9. Why it is that general officers of the engineers,
artillery, and of the East India Company's army, who
may have distinguished themselves by their ability and
conduct, should be deemed ineligible for appointments
on the general staff, in whatever part of the world their
services may be available.
10. The inconsistency and injustice, both as respects
individuals and the public, of the warrant of the Ist of
May last, regulating the pay of the higher class of offi-
cers, which admits some as eligible to the allowance at-
tached to their rank, without the least proof being
required of meritorious conduct in peace or war ; while it
precludes others whose conspicuous and useful exertions
before the enemy on many occasions may have been
repeatedly recognised by their commanders and the
Government.
ill
ilia
rTyh
Co
os rl se
gt eemo
fo
sf lateand hyuerasrts, pt
hu
er sued in
only
so
urrecsep respect t
ft
pr
oo
ftehse
sional education provided by the British Government for
the officers intrusted with the discipline, guidance, in-
struction, and ultimately with the commands in chief of
our armies.

And to move an humble address to her Majesty, pray-
ing that she may be graciously pleased to direct an
impartial inquiry into the foregoing matters, with a view
to their correction, if such should be found beneficial.
After reading those details, the Hon. Member proceeded
to say that there were several other passages in the re-
port which referred to these circumstances, and he had
to say that, in the following year the Government had
endeavoured to make amends for this misgovernment.
By the decision of the following year it was decreed that
these men should have their pensions, but still this ap-
peared something like a deception, and be strongly sus-
pected that there was not sufficient publicity given to
these announcements. Now, by the decrees of 1843 and
1844, there was an evident intention to give these men
their pensions, and he claimed for them a fair and equal
apportionment ; and he trusted the House would give it
him, notwithstanding that the Hon. Gentleman seemed
indisposed to give it to him. lie was quite sure that
the House was anxious to contribute to the well-
being of the British soldier, but still he could not
see how his object was to be attained. There was a
vote of 5,0001. to be apportioned for the washing and other
conveniencies for the soldiery. Then what was shown
as to the extra conveniences of their barracks. Why
there was five inches between the beds. And then, as
respects the delicacy of the troops, why, there was not
the slightest preservation. And even in cases of confine-
ment for the wife—if a marrried woman—none in the
least, for the only distance between those beds was
nineteen inches ; and he believed that the Chancellor of
the Exchequer, whom lie exonerated from all blame,
had been sadly deficient in their provisions for the men
of the army. He certainly thought that some provision
ought to be made for the several members of the Go-
vernment and he hoped that a supplementary list would
be brought in. If he were correct, he trusted that the
deficiency would be altered, and that some means
would be provided for a recompense for the officers
who had suffered.—(Hear, hear.) He was sorry to
find that the fears of the men in the army were
too well grounded, when they asserted that their
pleas had received no attention, and that they had been
denied promotion of any kind. Now, it so happened
that in the array generally, but especially in the Irish
army, those who had served thirty-six years were en-
titled to promotion. The Hon. and Gallant Member
then went into a comparison of the several services of
the different members of the service. He held in his
hand a return of 35 years, all of them were of about 40
year's service. The majority of those had received
wounds in the service, and though others might be in-
clined to refrain from acknowledging their merits, yet
he thought that a public acknowledgment was justly
their due. Then there was another subject, and that
was, the assertion that public rights were the first to be
considered. To this he might say, public rights had cer-
tainly their due, but they might obtain much more than
their due, and he was very glad to see that the service
had been very ready to avail themselves of the assistance
of Lord Metcalfe, who had evidently shown
the benefit that the assistance a civilian might
be of to the country in the regulation of the army.
With regard to the general officers his Hon. Friend the
Member for Montrose had told them that they were too
old to be fit for service. Well he admitted as much, but
they formed but a small portion of the commanding
officers of the army. They numbered only, he believed,
305, and the majority of these were performing very
active service. Then as to expense, his Hon. Friend
seemed to think that the expense of these general
officers far exceeded that of other countries, but really
his lion. Friend was mistaken. The expense fell short
of the same item in France, while in this country
it was a fact that the 300 officers of the class
he was now alluding to had paid to the
' nation upwards of a million for their Commissions. He
must now advert to the warrant of the Ist May last.
It was an injustice to the army that this warrant was
not given more publicity to than it received ; but above
all its spirit, which admitted of any officer of high rank
claiming a retiring allowance, without reference to good
conduct or merit, was highly objectionable. Many
officers, who had strong claims upon the country for
such an allowance, were debarred from receiving it be-
cause they did not possess sufficient influence to have
their claims brought before the country, while the same
warrant deprived all officers from promotion, or
retirement upon pen-ions, if no papers could
be found deposited in the War-office supporting
their claim to advancement. In some instances these
papers might be lost, and altogether he considered the
principle of the warrant to be most unjust. No less than
*2 9 officers had recently been excluded from retiring
allowance under this warrant, of which number nine
were Companions of the Bath, while the other twenty