The Sun.
London, England, 1841-03-06 00:00:00

Sir ROBERT PEEL would certainly give his cordial
su.-,port to the proposition before Ole Committee, with a firm
conviction on his mind that the demand made by the Exe-
cutive Government did not exceed the exigencies of their
foreign serv'c e He should be exceedingly sorry if their
proc clings would form a pretext fur any foreign powers
to increase their forces, and there might be some justice in
the remark of the Noble Lord, that tie long duration of
peace did not necessarily indispose men to the recurrence
of war. The present generation were not practically
ecquainted with the horrors of war, and therefore they
were not so much indisposed to encounter its calamities
as those who had had practical experience cf its evils. He
thought that those Governments and countries who were
unnecessarily increasing their military force., made a very
false estimate of the people whom they govt erned, if they
supposed that there were not other evils besides the actual
devastation of the country, which were the result of these
expensite and unnecessary armaments. That, he had no
doubt, would soon be felt by every Government ire Europe,
and they would find that the enormous taxation by which these
would so fetter the indus-
try, establishmentsa interfere wereferew uPisthtPrhceiranquillity of these countries,
that it would result in something Wee 1114 of actual colli-
sion with the people, and thereby convince them of the
necessity of preserving the relations cf a tity and peace.
( Hear, h -ar.) The presetit state of tin ir finances might
certr ioly he said to affect the wee they wet e called upon
to give, and no one could contemplate with more regret
than himself the growing deficiency in the revenue, which
within the last three years a nounted t a f nut and a half
millions. But that was no reason why they should not
take timely precautions, although it rnieht be a good
around far diapeising with superfluities. The uusatisfac
tory sate of their finances could he no reason far neglect-
ing those proper precautions which would sate them tei-
fold the expense hereafter. —( jlt as.) fis saw nothing in
V-eir present state, which would prevent them placing the
nay l and military force of the country en a I roper footing.
He certainly gave Lit vote with very impe feet means of
information, and he never knew a time when they had such
scanty inormation as to the real posiien in which the
country was paced. What knew they of the state of
their affairs in Central Aaia? What did tl.ey know of their
prcs,:ects on the banks of the Indus? They kne ei not at
what inst tnt they might be called on for an increased mili-
tary force in that qua-ter. With regard to the expedition
to China, they a e.e in a state of utter ignorance and ha l no
means of forming a judgment as to the result.—( Hear,
hear.) Again, with regard to the Unite.' States, there
was a strorg impression that the state of their relations in
that %parer, did not admit of th ir making any reduc-
tion r f their military establishment. He had that impres-
siin, although he had no means of forming a con est judg-
meet. Not withst ;riding all that, they had been repeatedly i !-
formed that every state a-idirincipa'ity on the face of the
(Bath had gven them the most unqual:fiei assutasces of
their desire to preserve their f :eadly relati):.s with this
country ; and yet on too Continent they were raising their
milit try establishments to 400,000 and 500.000 men, and
neighbouring Powers were evoking their energies and re-
sources, to the detriment of commerce, industry, and
civilization. He trusted those Governments would learn
that they owed a responsibility to the permarent public
opinion of the country, which would enable therm to resist
such a step. If they were now to be involved in a war,
they were going to be involved in it upon grounds that would
never terminate. It would leas to long and exhausting
mutual animosities, without any one intelligible object,
and he should be sorry there were any of the glories of war
attending such a struggle. He never knew a period in
the history of Europe when there was less assignable or
rational ground for hostilities than at present.._( Hear.)
He trusted that that power of public opinion which was so
inseparably connected with civilization and refinement,
would put down and overpower the hot and hasty
spirits who were so desirous of war. —( Loud cries of
it Hear, hear.") H 3 said that as an Enelishman,
because if they were compelled to go to war, then Foreign
Powers would see that in this country the -e would he an
tiler oblivion of all internal animosities and dissensions—
( Loud cheers)—and th t he (Sir R. Peel) could afford to
forget all the councils he had ever f. iven for peace. They
would se e that Englishmen would staad by thair ancient
redutation, and prove to the world that the military name
and repotatien of Great Britain remained as high as ever.
—( Loud cheers.) That England aid Scotland, aye, and
Ireland too—( Loud coeers)—thosa three great parts t f
one Uoited Kingdom—were as ever indomitable—that
the ir ancient prowess had not bean lessened, and that they
;sere ready to vindicate the honour and glory of the B itish
name. —(Cheers.) So much fcr the general pi iciples on
which he should support any increase, if it had been pro-
posed by her Majesty's Government. With respect to
the midi iin to the naval force which had been so wisely
made, he entirely approved of it, and little as his confidence
was in their policy, ho should, if the interests of the country
required ir, be prepared to give his ready assent to
any vote for an increase of their present establishment.
He did hope that the prospects which had cast a shade over
the general tranquillity would shortly vanish. Independently
of all these things, their duty towards the army should
prevent there pressing too hardly upon then. Wheu he
heard that a regiment had been 20 years in India, and
only 10 years out cf 60 at home, he confessed he could not
contemplate such a at tte of things without great regret.
It was a'great evil to separate soldiers for so long a time
from their native country. It was of immense importance,
instead cf sending them to the Celonies where they mixed
in a different state cf society, to have them for a hanger
period at home. He should hail such an arrangement with
great satisfaction. When he read the aec,unts of what
had recently occurred in the United States, after orders
ha I been sent out for the liberation and protection of Mr.
M.Leod, and after the burning of the C roline had been
openly av ,wed by the Government, and when he saw
what had since occurred there, while prcreaing the utmost
horror of any interruption of their amicable relations, he
M.Yile'ngertyhnd Jong. afiiishonourable course by making
any unjust conressions.—(Cheers ) He hoped they would
n ver f trget the claims which the inhabitants of the North
American Colonies had upon the mother country, and
while he deprecated a war with that country, still the
more the honour and the interest; of tie country were
involved, the higher must be their feelings of indigna-
tion against injustice, and their determination to stand by
the cause of their ceuntry, and insist that justice should be
done to it.—( Cheers.)

Lord HO WICK regretted exceedingly that he had
missed the ea-ly part of the discussion. In the sentiments
expressed by the Went Hon. Gentleman he fully concurred,
and he was convinced that by whatever power the gen:ral
peace was first broken, it would be compellei to submit to
public opinion. He trust ad that the Government. would
use their best exertions to promote the great commercial
interests of the country, as the best means of averting the
calamity of war which was at present impending ; hot if
the country had no other alternative left it, he felt satis-
fied that that House would not hesitate to come forward
and, merging all minor and party differences, take such
steps as would best maintain the hon,ur and independance
of the British name.—(Cheers.) With regard to the
length of serci‘_e of the regiments abroad, he would re-
mind the House that in 1838 he had been authorisei by the
Government, of which he then formed a part, to devise a
plan for relieving the pressure upon the:iegiments abroad.
Since then three years had passed away, and he regretted
no steps had beea taken to carry that plan into effect.
He did not wish to go into details. He thought there
was ioconver.i,i.ce in discussing &tails of the number of
men requi ed in particular parts of our dominions. Per-
haps he could hardly elver into that discussion without
availing himself cf the information which he possessed,
from having held office recently is the department to
which the subj. et under discussion belongel. He would,
therefore, avoid all discussion on the matter. But this
plain, bread, and simple fact he would state, It
appa, el on the Gee of a public journal, devoted to military
matters, that the number of battalions sent abroad com-
pared with the number at home, instead of augmenting,
sine the year 1838, had, on the contrary, been di-
minished. He had been referring that afternoon to a
Journal which was devote.] exclusively to matters C.M-
obsei ved in that
Jno%ctrenll'‘riethurnthseofttre fie tria't4:o(llB oar theheßritish army on the
Ist of March, and by that it appearei that only twenty
co:110e ebatta'ions were now abroad.
Sir H. 1-IARDINGE—Nine.een.

1838 the nunionher
muchf
battalionsof
period falla
below t senty.five. Thst was a vex-J. serious alteration
with respect to the condition of the soldiers—an increase
amounting to near one-fifth of the regiments abroad as
compare Ito what it was these years ego. With respect
to the 27th Regiment, so severe was the pre'sure of our
service-, that that regiment, which returned from upwards
of ten years' service in Jamaica to this conntry in
Apr:l, 1837, must now be sent abroad for,
probably, twenty years to India. That was a
f.ct that nau.l carry conviction- with it to the
minds cf Hon. Members of the pressure of the ser-
vice. His Noble Friend referred to the depit system. He
(Lord II.) would not then enter into that question. It
WAS ono of some difficulty. Every gentleman who ever
considered the subject was of opinion that the system of
depots was essential from the nature of our service. He
(Lord 11.) had proved so in spite of the high authority
which had been brought against him, and be was of opi.
nion that modifications might be made in that system which
would, with iut at all iaterfering with the objects of those
depots, increase the facilities of making reliefs. If they
adhered to the present system of depots all he (Lord H.)
could say was, that the consequence of it would be that
it would keep up the pressure of the troops, but if they did
not take that mode some other one must be arrived at for
relieving the troops. He thought that they ought
deliberately to weigh all the reasons for and against .
the improvement of the depot system, and they
were of opinion that the system ought to remain un-
altered, it was their duty to provide some other
means of relief. His Noble Friend (Lord John Rus-
sell) was aware that these were hi; opinions, and that
he did not bring forward it that place opinions which
be
had not advocated in a place of higher authority. His
Noble Friend was aware that he (Lord Howick) agreed
to the army estimates in 1839, on condition that some
mode would be adopted of relieving the pressure on the
British a-my. Vaiious measures were in agitation for
that purpose. He did not say they were agreed to, but
,
c linty those estimates would raver have been moved
were it not that he was under the impression tnat the pres-
sure of Vie British army would be relicved. He entirely
concurred with the Right Hon. Member for Tamworth in
the opinions he expressed of the miserable short-si▪
ghted
economy evinced in the management of that branch (the
infantry) of the British army. No circumstance, he was
convinced, more than another tended to rendar the service of
the British army at the present moment so unpopular
as it was, than the fact that the relations of the men who
enlisted in regiments of the line, under the present system
in the army, considered that they would never again be-
hold them. It was that feeling, existing in the minds of
the relations and friends of those classes which supplied
our army with recruits, that rendered our infantry service
unpopular, notwithstanding the great pains taken of lat
years to do what was possible to improve the conditi▪
on of
OUT troops. He would not enter further into that question
at the present moment. He would only state his great
disappointment at finding the army estimate.; brought for-
ward three Years after the time when those measures of