The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-31 00:00:00

HE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY

duty. He regretted that the Chancellor of the Exche- 1
. as if. lri :iess., sees-, ks to i
make which would have been of importance ; but he
might say that it was well worth the attention of the
Government thst the expense of removals under the
new system would not be less than half a million a year.
Then there was the revenue derived from the
purchase of discharges, as much, he believed as that
required for the whole expense of the recruiting service,
He would also particularly call the attention of his Hon.
Friends, that under a system of ten years' service, they
would also lose all the advantage of stoppages for provi-
sions, from which a great benefit was derived, especially
on the Canada, the Nova Scotia, and the Cape of Good
Hope stations. Nor must it be believed that this was no
small advantage, for on the Canada station the saving
was at least 13,0001. a year. At the Cape of Good Hope
he believed it was quite as much, and he could say, from
his own knowledge, that the six regiments under his
command there had been a contribution of no less than
6,000/. a year to the general fund ; and if this
new system were to be adopted, the whole
of the benefit derived from this source would be
lost, for they could never impose those stoppages again.
He had shown them that this change was not called for
by any political, social, or peculiar evils that now existed
in the British army. That army was, at the present
moment, in the highest state of discipline, and fit for
employment upon any service in any part of the world.
—(Hear, hear.) Thanks to the liberality of that House
the condition of the soldier had been in every way
improved. His quarters were more comfortable, his
appointments better, and the means of advancing in life
were more fully opened to him. He was happy also to
say that his intellectual condition was also decidedly
improved, and that the opportunity of securing what he
had earned was also provided. Twenty years ago he
had assiduously laboured to introduce savings-banks
into the army, and he was glad to find that the establish-
ment of them constituted a part of the Government plan.
It was said that the British army afforded no career of
advancement to persons in an humble sphere of life; but
so far from that being the case, the military page of
history of this country was adorned with instances of
noble heroism and admirable discretion in trying and
dangerous moments on the part of private soldiers ; and
yet it was said that this Bill was necessary to open a
career to the private of the British army. There was
no denying that the present system had worked well, and
as he was particularly desirous that it should not be
changed, he felt it to be his duty to move that the Bill
be recommitted that day six months, •
Major LAYARD had been most anxious that
this Bill should be fully brought before the
public, and he was glad that the Honourable and
Gallant Officer opposite had an opportunity of stating
his views upon the subject. Still he regretted that the
Hon. and Gallant Officer, after his lengthened experi-
ence, should feel himself called upon to oppose the Bill,
while he thought the reasons the lion. and Gallant
Officer had adduced in favour of his amendments were
most extraordinary. Ia his opinion the Hon. and Gal-
lant Officer's reasons, instead of supporting his amend-
ment, were directly in favour of the Bill itself. It,
however, was really most unjust to argue that a man
ought to enlist for life, and yet not be allowed to make a
will, or to marry, or to leave the army without leave,
while Government could dismiss him at any moment.
Indeed, the system was so bad, that dissertions without
end were every day taking place. And it was to be
expected that it should be so, for was it fair
that after serving fsr a length of time abroad, a private
soldier could not return to his wife, his friends, or his
family. A greater argument could not be adduced in
favour of this Bill, than the one he advanced in that
House some short time ago, namely, that one out of
every twenty deaths in cavalry regiments was from
suicide. He freely admitted that the present system of
pensioning was by no means liberal, but he could not see
why that reason could be advanced against the passing
of this Bill ; on the contrary, it was a strong argument
in its favour. He supported the Bill, because he
sincerely believed it would tend to induce a better
class of individuals to enlist in the army. It was really,
paltry to tell him that because the removal of re-
giments from the colonies was expensive this Bill ought
not to be carried, but like every other argument the
Hon. and Gallant Officer had advanced against this
measure, it tended rather to support it. He was rejoiced
that Government had brought it forward—it was in
accordance with the advanced spirit of the age, and
in spite of all the opposition it might meet with from a
certain class of political economists, he was confident
the House would pass it.
Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT felt called upon, at
this stage of the Bill, to state his views
upon the measure. As a principle, he thought
unlimited enlistments were highly objectionable.
Out of 110,000 men who were serving in the army in
1840, there were not more than 2,500 who had served
21 years. About 12,000 men left the army every year,
3,000 left with pensions, 3,000 deserted, and 6,000 left
by discharge. The great number of the latter generally
left to obtain some other employment. He was, there-
fore, of opinion that if the natural time had been taken
by the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. F. Maule) the ex-
periment would be much less hazardous. Ile thought
that a system should be adopted by which
the whole population would be induced to enter
the ranks and acquire a knowledge of military discipline.
His own opinion was, that fourteen years instead of ten,
should have been the period for enlistment; and by this
means a soldier would have an opportunity of taking his
full term of home and foreign service. The lion. Gen-
tleman considered that the measure would introduce a
different class of men into the army. Now, he was
of opinion, that that was not so very desirable.
He threw out these suggestions for the Right
Honourable Gentleman's consideration ; he had no
intention to vote for the proposition of the Gallant
Gentleman, he did not at all agree with him, but he did
consider that if the Right Hon. Gentleman would take
a few suggestions from the Gallant Officer (Major
Layard), who had paid so much attention to this sub-
ject, he would render the Bill a much better one
than it now was. It would be a hardship for such
men as would enlist the day before the Bill received the
royal sanction. When they compared their lot to
those who enlisted the day after—unless there was some
provision of this kind there would be a great deal of
dissatisfaction in the army—if the Right Hon. Gentle.
man gave the Bill some further consideration, he was of
opinion that he would make it more acceptable to the
army.
Mr. FOX MAULE said that notwithstanding the
ateness of the hour, he would detain the House for a few
moments while he would reply to the observations of the
lion. Gentleman, who had acknowledged the principle
of the Bill, while he objected first to the period to which
it was proposed to limit the enlistment of soldiers; se-
condly, to the system which offered to those who left the
army after ten years' service a pension; and, thirdly, to
the expense which the whole system would throw upon
the public expenditure. The Right Hon. Gentleman
suggested a revision of the pension warrant of 1833, and
stated that there were other modes by which the service
might be rendered mare acceptable to the
army. With reference to the first of these
objections, namely, that a period of fourteen years be
substituted for ten, he would say that the latter was not
chosen by him on mere vague surmise or uncertain
chance, but because he thought it a much better period;
for supposing a man had enlisted at 18 years of age,
after 14 years service he would be 32 years of age, and
he believed no Commander would be willing to re-enlist a
man et that age. He would object also to giving him a pen-
sion, which would be a very heavy burden upon the public.
On this account he had preferred the period of ten years.
lie would go to Canada. In the time cf the Canadian
rebellion, when every attempt was made to seduce the
men from their allegiance, to a man they remained loyal.
He had not the smallest fear of the men, after

their discharge, leading the people into mis•
chief, or exciting riots in the country. He
thought the contrary effect would follow in consequence
of the habits of obedience and discipline he had acquired.
The principle carried out with respect to sailors who
were engaged for three and five years, and sometimes
to the termination of the war, was what was proposed
with regard to the soldier. Their could be no
more unwarrantable assumption than that of the
Duke of Wellington being opposed to the measure
He thought the Hun. and Gallant Member had endea-
voured, in a most unjustifiable manner, to fix upon the
Duke of Wellington all the unpopularity with the come
try which au opposition to the Bill would be sure to
create. There was no ground, however, for that deci-
sion, as nothing whatever had transpired to warrant the
conclusion. The ion, and Gallant Officer had also, in a
most unwarrantable mariner, assumed that the officers of
the army were against the limited enlistment. No suf-
ficient reasons whatever had been given for this opinion.
And to his objections to a limited enlistment, he
(Mr. F. Maule) would answer that nearly the
whole Peninsula army was composed of persons
who had been but eight or ten years in the ser-
vice. During the height of the Peninsula war, the
British army was 200,000 strong, the greater part being
in Spain ; and of those 200,000, at least 106,000 were
young men who had been from three to four years in the
service. These were the very men who had gained all
those important victories to which the ion. and Gallant
Officer had referred. Even the great victory at Water-
loo was mainly secured by recruits, as well as had been
several important ones on the other side of the Atlantic.
In looking again at the colonies, he found the advantage
of limited enlistment, for the returns showed that the
least number of deaths took place among those
who had been in the service from one to ten years.
The great proportion of deaths took place among those
beyond that length of time. These were strong reasons
why a period of limited enlistment should take place ;
and with regard to the Bill, he must say that he could
not promise any material modification of its details, as
it had not been agreed to without the greatest delibera-
tions.—(Cheers.)
. _

Colonel WOOD said the tendency of the course pro-
posed must lead them to the system recommended by
the late Mr. Wyndham, which was periods of seven
years, fourteen years, and twenty-one years. This
would be a better arrangement than the one
proposed by the present measure. The soldier
who had served for twenty-five years obtained
a higher rate of pension, whereas the soldier who
had been disabled would only get eightpence a day.
He was quite satisfied that the limited time could not be
re-introduced, and he thought it better, therefore, that this
warrant should be cancelled, and that a new one should
be termed. It would be better to give a shilling a day
after twenty-five years service, and eightpence after
twenty-one years service, and that good conduct should
be calculated in their term.
Sir DE LACY EVANS, after great cries of
" Divide, divide," expressed his desire that the Bill
should go into Committee, and then such alterations
might then be introduced as would be necessary.
Atter a few words from C.,lonel REID,
Sir HOWARD DOUGLAS withdrew his motion,
stating his intention that he should endeavour to get the
alteration of the fourteen years, and the twenty-one
, years service, in Committee.

The House then went into Committee pro forms, and
cr the n.,.tic,:, c:f M,. I.OX MAULE, ;t W a T., igrced
that the Chairman should have leave to sit again to-day.
MUTINY BILL.
This Bill was read a third time and p4ssed.
FEVER (IRELAND) BILL

On the motion for going into Committee on tills Bill,
The Earl of LINCOLN said that he should certainly
not oppose the motion, for be thought the sooner the Bill
was passed the better; and after referring to the pro-
ceedings of the board erected last year, said that there
was no ground for the grave accusation that
there had been a lavish expenditure of the public money.
There were great alterations in this Bill from the Bill of
last year, but as it was only a temporary measure, he
should not move any amendment.
Mr. LABOUCIIEIt`E expressed his regret at haying
to make any explanation at all at that time of night ;
but he must say that he thought the Noble Lord had
gone into details which did not affect the principle of
the Act. With respect to the differences of .this Bill
and that of last session, he might say that he had in-
troduced no alterations bat such as appeared necessary
to carry out the design of that Bill.
After a few words from fir HENLEY and Mr. VEBEY,
the Bill passed through Committee, and the report or-
dered to be received to-day
HARBOURS, DOCKS, AND PIERS' CLAUSES
BILL.

This Bill also Went through Committee.
BILL FOR THE SUPPRESSION OF TRADING

IN THE SEDUCTION OF FEMALES.
Mr. SPOONEI brought in a Bill for the more effec-
.ual suppression of seduction, to be read a second time
on the 14th of April.
IMPROVEMENT OF THE HEALTH OF TOWNS.
Lord MORPETH brought up a Bill for the Health of
Towns, which was read a first time, and ordered to be
read a second time on the 23d of April.
The House then adjourned at Half-past One o'clock.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
PORTSMOUTH, MARCH 30. The under-mentioned
officers received the thanks of the Lords of the Admiralty
yesterday, through Rear-Admiral Hyde Parker, C. 8.,
for their participation in the honourable issue to the ex-
ertions made in getting the Sphynx steam-sloop off the
shore of the Isle of Wight recently :

"TO THE ADMIRAL SUPERINTENDENT AT PORTSMOUTH.

" Admiralty, March 25.
" My Lords desire that you will convey specially and
publicly their Lordships' approbation to Mr. Bellamy
and Mr. Watts, for the indefatigable exertions by which
they and the artificers under their orders contributed so
effectually to the preservation of the Sphynx.
"By command of their Lordships.
" 11. G. WARD."
Mr. Bellamy is Assistant-Master Attendant, and Mr.
Watts Senior Assistant-Master Shipwright of this
dockyard.
Mr. Nicholls, secretary to Rear-Admiral Sir 11.
Pigott, Cork, recently appointed to the post of Clerk of
the Cheque, at Greenwich Hospital, has been twenty-
six years in the service, instead of twenty-two, as stated
by a Contemporary. We may infer the appointment
has been conferred upon Mr. Nicholls from his merits,
as he never directly or indirectly solicited it ; it is there-
fore doubly gratifying to the worthy recipient. Mr.
George Nicholls. paymaster and purser (1809), late of
the Formidable, succeeds his nephew, as secretary to the
Commander in-Chief at Cork.
The Agincourt, 72, Flag of Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas
Cochrane, was at Penang on the 6th ult., looking out
hourly for the Vernon, 50, with Rear-Admiral Ingle-
field, to relieve her.
The Scout, 14, Commander Loring, was at Shanghae
on the 18th of January.
The Childers, 12, Commander Pitman, was at Wham-
poa on the 30th of January, where she was stationed to
keep in check the turbulent Chinese during their carnival
(the new year opening), one mode of showing their en-
joyment being the demolition of the British factories,
which they are in the habit of attacking, in spite of the
numerous examples which have been made to deter them.
About five weeks from the date of our letter 20 heads
were struck off as an example to the rioters to refrain
from such lawless depredations upon the British and
other property. In her passage from Spithead to China
the Scout touched at Bahia, Simon's Bay, Mauritius,
Hobart Town, Van Diemen's Land, New Zealand, Hong
Kong, &c., in all a run of about 23,000 miles; one por-
tion of the passage extremely tedious and squally.
The Driver steam-sloop, Captain Hayes, has been re-
lieved on the East India station, and is on her way
home; and we are informed by the latest advices the
Castor, 36, will immediately follow.
Mr. Airey, Master of the Iris, 26, Captain Munday,
died at Singapore on the 22d of January from dysen-
tery contracted at Labuan. A number of the crews of
the Iris and Wolf were also attacked with fever while
at that station. Lieutenant Heath, of the Iris, has been
placed in temporary command of the Wolf, vice Gordon,
deceased, and Mr. Jayling, Midshipman, has been made
an Acting Lieutenant.,
Mr. Winstanley, late Clerk of the Royal Yacht, is
promoted to the rank of paymaster and purser.
Commander C. H. Douglass (1844) is appointed to the
Coast Guard service.

The Dragon steam-frigate, Capt. Ramsey, is loading
seed for Ireland.

Woolviten, MARCH 30.—The Earl of Auckland,
K.C.8., First Lord of the Admiralty, and Vice-Admiral
Sir Charles Adam, K.C.8., First Naval Lord, visited
Woolwich Dockyard to-day at a quarter before eleven
o'clock A.M., and wore received on their arrival by Com-
modore Sir Jas. J. Gordon Bremer, K.C.B. and K.C.H.,
Superintendent of the Dockyard; Captain Hay, com-
manding the Terrible steam-frigate; Captain Beatson,
R.E., in _charge of works; Lieutenant Fowler, Flag-
Lieutenant; Mr. Dyer, Secretary to the Commodore;
Mr. Lang, Master-Shipwright; Mr. Lloyd, Chief Engi-
neer ; Mr. Elson, Master-Attendant ; Mr. Jenkins,
Storekeeper; Mr. Mouchet, Store-receiver; Mr. Reid,
and Mr. Chatfield, assistants to the Master-Shipwright,
and Mr. Atherton, assistant to the Chief Engineer.
Their Lordships immediately went on board the Ter-
rible steam-frigate, at present in the harbour taking on
board grain and meal for Ireland. The quantity already
en board exceeds 500 tons, taken down the river from
Deptford in barges. She has also 400 tons of coals on
board, and six of Captain Smith's paddlebox boats, two
over her own paddle-boxes, and four on deck, in addi-
tion to her longboat, for distributing the meal when she
arrives oa the coast of Ireland.
From the Terrible their Lordships proceeded to the
Amphion steam-frigate, in charge of Lieutenant Sibbald
during the absence of her commander, Captain Wil-
liams, who went in the Odin steam-frigate with pro-
visions to Ireland. Their Lordships went down into
the engine-rooms, and the Earl of Auckland examined
the principle upon which the engines have been con-
structed, and appeared greatly pleased with the advan-
tages they possess of being entirely under water. Their
Lordships landed at the steps of the wharf wall from
the Amphion, and proceeded from the east dock to visit
the Blenheim, 72 guns, fitted with a screw-propeller and
engines by the Messrs. Seaward. Mr. Seaward was
present to explain the works, and the foreman of the
shipwrights engaged upon the vessel stated the progress
of the works upon her. The screw-propeller, cast of
gun metal by Messrs. Seaward and Co., measuring six-
teen feet in circumference, and weighing upwards of six
and a half tons, arrived to-day in a barge from their
works, and is now ready to be fitted to the vessel. From
the Blenheim their Lordships proceeded to the west-end
of the yard, and went on board the Growler steam-
vessel, lying alongside the entrance to the basin, and
minutely inspected the fittings of the vessel while the
men were taking her into it to be made ready for sea.
The Growler has had about 500 beds put into her, and
is fitted similar to a slave-vessel, only she has much
greater accommodation between her decks. The Growler
is intended for the conveyance of free blacks from the
coast of Africa to the West Indies. Their Lordships
ordered that four of Mr. Haig's pneumatic engines, each
capable of discharging 6,000 cubic feet of air per hour,
should be fitted to her. These engines only occupy a
space one foot six inches broad by one foot six inches
high, in addition to ono foot in height for supporting
them, and Mr. Lloyd worked one of them by hand fur
several minutes while their Lordships inspected them,
and stood in various parts of the vessel to feel the effects
produced in discharging the foul air, and producing an
agreeable and regular supply of pure air from above. Two
of the engines have been placed in the fore part and two
in the after part, and if the engine-room were fitted with
them, the ventilation would be perfect. They appear
so simple in their construction, and are so easily worked,
as to render them admirably adapted for troop-ships.
On leaving the Growler, their Lordships inspected the
Niger in the inner basin, fitting with engines and a screw
propeller, and after inspecting the progress of the Royal
Albert, 120 guns, and the strong manner in which that
vessel is put together, again went to the east end of the
yard to look at the residence of Dr. Luther, a request
having been made to their Lordships that Dr. Luther
should have a more suitable dwelling-house, if not the
one formerly occupied by the surgeon of the yard, but
for several years past inhabited by the store-receiver.
The greatly increased number of persons now in the
dockyard, and the additional duties required of Dr. Lu-
ther, render it desirable that the surgeon should have
ample accommodation, and their Lordships desire to
afford every facility to meet the increasing demand for
surgical and medical attendance. Their Lordships then
inspected the new buildine.; in progress of construction
for working two of Nasmyth's hammers, and shortly
after 1 o'clock rat., left for town, having been about two_
and•a-half hours on board the vessels in the harbour and
basin, and in the yard.
The Cyclops steam-vessel was taken out of the basin
to-day, and is to be taken to Sheerness to be made ready
for sea.
Reports have been received at
50 guns, Captain
thgeuAnslmciarpalttayinoAf trialsrmor
of d
the Thetis, 36
L.
rscrraoi
hlrironymg,
acbsoe
mt: simaeieatrlniadntihdne,g S;cu.tßph
tOe.
r;
caan,
guns, Captain Henry J. Codrington, C. 8.; and the re-
ports of Captain Corry, commanding the squadron, are
particularly favourable to the latter of these vessels. It
appears there have been seven trials, and that the Thetis
took the lead upon all but one occasion, when she was
second; and that she proved herself to be a splendid
sea-boat, manifesting great power and superiority in
meeting a head sea. This fine frigate was designed by
three of the members of the School of Naval Architec-
ture in 1842, and was launched in August last at Devon-
art dockyard.

lON ET MARKET.--The premium on gold at Paris is
10 per mills , which, at the English Mint 'mice of
31. 17s. 100 per ounce for standard gold, gives an
exchange of '5.40 ; and the exchange at Paris on
London at short being 25.35, it follows that gold
is 0.20 per cent dearer in Paris than in Ltndon.
By advices from Hamburgh the price of gold is 432}
per mark, which, at the English Mint price of 3/. 17s.10id.
per ounce for standard gold, gives an exchange of ;
and the exchange at Hamburgh on London at short
being 13.7, it follows that gold is 0.81 per cent. cearer
in Hamburgh than in London.