The Sun.
London, England, 1848-04-01 00:00:00

SATURDAY EVENING, APRIL 1, 1848.

being effected, but not an immediate one. The colonial
service was one that admitted of a great reduction in
the army, by teaching them to rely upon themselves for
their own defence; and in this opinion the lion. Member
for Oxford, and his Right Hon. Friend the Member for
Coventry, had on a former occassion expresssed their
assent.

Mr. B. OSBORNE said, that when the estimates were
first proposed he was of opinion, considering Europe was
in a state of profound peace, the number of men de-
manded was too great, but the recent events that had
occurred had tended to modify his opinion. lie objected
to the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. F. Manly) taking the
year 1835 as that which gave a proper standard for the
number of troops. The standing army, which was in-
troduced by Charles IL, a Icing of whom the nation
ought ever to entertain the deepest abhorrence, had gone
on increasing ever since in numbers. The number of the
field officers at three different epochs would show how
the expenses had gone cc increasing. He would take the
year 1783, at the close of the American war; the year
1798, when the French war commenced; and the present
year. In 1783 the number of field officers was 824, in
1799 it was 1,863, and in 1848, a period of profound
peace, the number of field officers had swelled to 2,106,
showing a greater proportion of field officers than was
required to officer a French army of 400,000 men. The
expenditure of the army during the 32 years of
peace amounted to no less than 445 millions sterling.
Ho should not have troubled the House with these
details, had he not conceived that he could point out the
means of effecting a great saving in the army estimates.
The proposal which ho had to bring under the notice of
the Committee divided itself into three distinct heads.
First, the consolidation of all the different departments
of the army into one; secondly, by effecting a consider-
able reform in the expenditure; and, thirdly, by reducing
the number of men. The army was divided into three
branches—cavalry, infantry, and ordnance; and all three
had separate official establishments, without any one
central head. There were the Commander-in-Chief and
the Secretary at War; but they might be at issue on the
moat important points of regulation. The Committee of
1837 had recommended that the greater portion of autho •
rity over the army should be vested in the Secretary at
War, who for that purpose was to be made a member of
the Cabinet. He would ask why had not her Majesty's
present Ministers carried out that plan, seeing that the
report of 1837 was signed by three of the most influen
tial of their body ?—(Hear.) The Board of Ordnance
consisted of seven members, whose salaries amounted to
9,0001. a year, which sum might be saved by consoli-
dation. Then there was the commissariat, where
reform might also be effected, but not until the estab-
lishment of a complete system of colonial reform. The
cost of the military establishments were—horse-guards,
96,000/.• ordnance, 91,000!.; and commissariat, 316,0001.
lie would propose to abolish the office of Master-General
of the Ordnance and his five assistant'. He would also
abolish the Secretary-at-War and his deputy.—(Oh, oh.)
He maintained it was quite possible to do so—and also
the Judge .Advocate and his deputy. These two reduc-
tions would save 8,0001. a year. There was the agency
also, which might safely be abandoned. It cost
32,000/ a year, and he did not see any necessity there
was for it. The Indian army had no agency, and its
stations were much more distant than ours. Then
there were such things as sinecures in the army. The
colonels of regiments might in his opinion be safely
done away with. The duty was all done by the lieu-
tenant-colonels, and, besides, the manner in which the
colonels were paid was disgraceful to themselves and
the army.—(Bear, hear.) Then profits on clothing
were calculated at 6001. a year for each battalion, so that
when a regiment contained two battalions the colonel's
profit on the clothing was 2,2001. a year. In
this way 95,000/. per annum might be saved.—(Hear,
hear.) He found that there were 387 generals on the
army list, of whom 147 were colonels of regiments, re-
ceiving in that capacity an aggregate of 90,000/. a year.
The second majors were almost useless, and might easily
be dispensed with, and there 45,000/. more might be
saved. The next point to which he would call the at-
tention of the Committee was the system of brevet rank.
It obtained in no service but ours, and was the cause of
great and useless expense. Then, in the miscellaneous
expenses, there were a great many items which might be
done away with. For instance, the table allowance at
Dublin and St. James's was quite useless, and cost the
country 32,000/. a year. Another great anomaly of
the British army was to be found in the ordnance de-
partment. Our army was the only army in the world
in which the artillery was an insulated force. In every
other service it was part and parcel of the army. With
us they were ruled by a separate board, consisting of
officers, not one of whom had ever served in the depart-
ment over which they were appointed to rule. Under this
head there was charged 825,0001. for stores. Of that
sum he believed that a great portion might be saved if
the stores were taken by contract. The Indian army
was supplied with everything by contract, except pow-
der, and with the most beneficial effects as regarded
economy. Hon. Members had alluded to the superiorly
of our weapons, but he begged to assure the Committee
that the French muskets were much superior to ours,
and had a considerably greater range. In all the items
he had enumerated there might be, if his suggestions
were adopted, a saving effected of 570,0001. a year with
out the reduction of a single man.—(Hear, hear.) But
there was yet another saving which had been proposed
by his Hon. Friend the Member for Montrose—he
meant a reduction in the number of men. He believed
that before that was effected a general alteration and
reform must take place throughout the whole of our co-
lonial system.—(Hear, hear.) A large portion of the
army was required for Ireland, but he believed that it
Government had taken up Irish questions with much
larger views, and had shown a sincere wish to amelio-
rate the, norolition of the people, Lclaud tv mild not be in
her present unsatisfactory condition. He could not sup-
port his Hon. Friend's motion for a reduction of 13 00(1
men; but, nevertheless, he trusted that be should have
his Hon. Friend's support iu the retrenchments which he
proposed.
Colonel SIBTHORP was surprised to hear such
attacks on the British army from one of its own distin
guished officers the Hon. Member for Middlesex.—(A
laugh.) He (Colonel Sibthorp) maintained that the effi-
ciency of the British army was celebrated all over the
world, and had been proved wherever it had been tested.
He should support the Government against the amend-
ment of tho Hon. Member for Montrose.

Sir W. MOLES WORTH, who spoke amidst manifest
signs of impatience from both sides of the House, reca.
pitulated the statements he had made on a previous
evening as to the growing increase of the military ex-
penditure of the country since 1835, which he contended
had been the main cause of the deficiency of the income
as compared with the expenditure in the estimates.
There would have been no deficit in the present year
had the estimates for the army, navy, and ordnance re-
mained at the same amount as they stood at when the
Noble Lord (Lord J. Russell) last came into office, in
1845-6. It was obvious one of three things must
result--either they must reduce tho expenditure,
increase the income, or consent to a permanent defi-
ciency. The inconvenience of the latter course all
must admit ; and whether the income of the country
could he materially increased, at least for the present,
might well be doubted. The question then was, in what
way the expenditure of the country could be diminished.
First, they had to consider whether, without detri-
ment to the public service, the army could be reduced.
lie felt bound to say, that while we maintained our pre•
sent numerous colonial dependencies, no reduction of
any amount could safely be made. The army was noa
the hardest worked force of any. He believed, however,
that by a reform of the colonial system,
much of thr.
force might be dispensed with. I e was as much in
favour of colonisation as any man, but he thought under
proper arrangements the work of colonisation might be
Carried on without military aid. Soldiers were the worst
of colonists. Then what necessity was there for keeping
up so large a military force in this country ? The force
at present kept up at home was much beyond the
average, and he contended that there was nothing in the
state of the country to justify this.—(Oh.) There was
no great question at this time agitating the minds of
the people. The number of men voted last year was
103,600; this year the number proposed was 113,000.
What ground had been stated for this increase ? He
should vote for the number of men being limited to the
number voted last year.—(The Hou. Baronet was fre-
quently interrupted by cries of " Divide").
Mr. COBDEN observed that, where so much impa-
tience was evinced on the question whether they should
vote 7,100,0001. for the army, in addition to 7,900,0001.
for the navy, he could scarcely hope by anything he
could say to bring back the feeling of the House to a
proper sense of its duty to the country.—(Hear, hear,
and ironical cheering.) His Honourable Friend pro•
posed to reduce the navy expenditure one-sixth, and now
proposed to reduce that of the army one ninth. [An
lion. Member observed it was not a question of ex-
penditure," but " men."] But the number of men settled
the whole question.—(Hear, hear.) The Committee of
Inquiry on the army, navy, and ordnance began by de-
claring that they had no right to interfere with the
number of men, and the question could therefore be only
dealt with by the House. The country was now suffer-
ing heavily from taxation, and anxiously looking for
some remission; but the House by passing these large
items would not leave itself any room for retrenchment.
They could not touch the interest on the national debt,
which was 27,000,0001, nor the unfunded debt, nor the
consolidation fund; and if they nowconsented to this vote,
they would have disposed of 49,000,0001. of the esti-
mates of the country. Wheu the miscellaneous estimates
were brought forward, it was possible that some mise-
rable trumpery vote about a messenger's wages would
receive a warm opposition ; some patriotic Member
would, perhaps, raise his voice against the expense of
the buckhounds, or against some clap-trap vote of the
kind. But it was only right the country should know
that if that House once allowed these large items of the
public expenditure to pass, there was no hope of retrenoh•
ment. Were Hon. Gentlemen opposite prepared for
the great discontent which was rising up in the minds of
the people in consequence of the present enormous
weight of taxation.—(lronical cheers and laughter.) He
wished that those Hon. Gentlemen who jeered and
laughed would come to him some morning and read the
letters which he received on the subject,—(Moro ironical
cheers.) He believed that Hon. Gentlemen opposite
had not a single partisan amongst the working classes,
and that they knew little or nothing of the feelings of
the middle classes.—(Cries of
" Oh.") He wanted to
know
how the Government were to make up the deft
ciency of 1,800,0001. on last year and 3,000,000/.
on this. They were now asked to vote away money
before they had got it, and he wanted to know
how they were to get it. They were not to have
an increased income-tax. Would the Government
propose any other tax, and if so, what was it to be ?
Would it be a tax on property ? Were they pre-
pared to propose a legacy and probate duty on land?
or would they have recourse to the Bank at the risk of
another panic? It was lamentable to hear talk of the
danger we wore in from France, or Russia, or any
other country. The danger was in the state of our
finauces.--(Cries of " Oh.") He repeated what he said

when the vote for the navy was before them—that we
should be stronger with a surplus revenue, and fewer
ships and soldiers, than with an increased armament
and a deficient revenue.—(Hear, hear, and cries of
" Oh.") Hon. Gentlemen talked of the state of Europe,
but the people of Europe were too much engaged with
their own business to come and attack us.—(lronical
cheers.) He would not now attempt any argument on
the subject, but would merely ask if Hon. Gentlemen
opposite were ready to incur the discontent of the
working classes at the present amount of taxation?—
(Cries of " Oh.") In their name he protested against
the manner in which the question before the Committee
had been received, against the perfect recklessness with
which the public money was to be voted, and the im-
patience with which any opposition to it was met. He
warned Hon. Gentlemen that they would repent of
having voted money which they had not got to spend.
Lord J. RUSSELL said that the impatience referred
to was referable to the topics introduced by Honourable
Gentlemen, and not to the question before the Com-
mittee. All that they had said respecting the details of
finance, the navy estimates, the constitution of the Ord-
nance Board, and so forth, might have been conceded,
and the question before them, of the number of men,
have been entirely untouched.—(Hear, hear.) Surely
it was no reproach to the Committee that they were
patient, seeing that no argument upon those details
could in the least degree assist them in making up their
minds on tke question before them —(Hear, hear.) He
admitted, with the Honourable Member for the West
Riding of Yorkshire, that this and similar votes deter-
mined the general amount of expenditure for the present
year, and that reducing small votes, although it might
show a disposition to economise and retrench, would
have little influence on that general expenditure. The
Honourable Member for Southwark was mistaken
in supposing that the Government proposed a
large increase to the naval and military ex-
pense. Since their accession to otßce, taking the
number of men, which was the great test, they had
only added 3,003 for the navy, and about 3,200 for
the ordnance. That certainly was not so great an in-
crease as to justify the remarks of that lion. Baronet.
He said that the Government were now proposing an
addition of 5,000 men to the army, the fact being that
the general amount of the army remained the same. But
it did so happen that men who had been employed in
India, and who were not included in last year's vote,
were included in this. It was admitted that 22,000 men
was not too great a force for India, with its 12,000 miles
of frontier; there were continual demands from Aus-
tralia ; Mauritius must be protected ; Malta and
Gibraltar could not be left without proper garrisons;
and the force of the West Indies must be kept up.
Looking, therefore, to our colonies, and to the rule of
reinforcement by which troops could only be kept ten
years abroad and five at home, there was, he considered,
sufficient ground to justify the estimate proposed. It
had been said that we should seek to defend our institu-
tions, not by military power, but by the affections of the
people. He readily admitted that our case would indeed be
desperate if we had to rely upon the force we now pos-
sessed in order to defend the throne and institutions of the
country.—(Loud cheers.) He quite admitted as much
for Queen Victoria as for Elizabeth, that the best guards
which these could have were to be found in the affections
of their subjects. It should be recollected that we were
not living in times when every man was a soldier, or in-
structed in military tactics. The state of our society
was such, that a great proportion of the people, being
entirely engaged in pursuits of industry and commerce,
found themselves, in the event of the slightest disturb-
ance, in want of protection.--(Hear, hear.) When he
was in the Home-office he did not think he had ever been
appealed to to defend the institutions of the country; but
he had been often appealed to by manufacturers and
merchants from Lancashire and Yorkshire—(Loud
cheering on the Oppositition benches)—stating that the
amount of troops must be increased, or they would not
be safe where they were; and more than once had he
been told by respectable men that they must take
their wives and families to a different part of the coun-
try unless a greater military force was granted.—(Hear,
hear.) The fact was, that all those alarms and disquie-
tudes which occurred in towns containing from 20,000 to
50,000 inhabitants were caused by about 500 boys from
fifteen to twenty years of age, who went about with
torches, and put the whole town into a state of commo-
tion and disturbance. It was not for protecting the
throne and institutions of the country, but in the civi-
lized and social condition of England, for the purpose of
defending the great majority, and saving them from the
disquietude and trouble of arming themselves, the pre-
sent amount of home force was kept up.—(Hear, hear.)
de hoped, therefore, that Hon. Gentlemen would not
think it necessary to repeat such commonplaces.—
(Cheers.) He should have thought, too, that the condi-
tion of foreign affairs was such as to prevent any Mem-
ber of that House from selecting this particular year for
making any reduction in the military or naval force of
the country.—(Hear, hear.) No man could look to
that state of affairs and say that no danger would
spring out of it, or that he was sure of the course which
foreign oountries would take, or the relations that
would exist some time hence between those countries
and this.—(Hear, hear.) Up to the present moment,
he was happy to say, nothing had occurred to induce
England to interfere by a protest, or even by so much
as a remonstrance with any continental state. But
till, although there was nothing which should in-
duce the ,Government to add to the estimates they
proposed before these troubles broke out over the whole
continent of Europe, he did think it would not be wise
to make any reduction at the present moment. The
lion. Member for the West Riding of Yorkshire in-
vited them to the consideration of another point—
namely, the great pressure of taxation. That question
ba-t already been urged in the debate on the income tax.
Looking at the distress which prevailed in many parts
of the country, it was_ a fitting subject to consider
whether any of these taxes pressed unduly, or whether
a more equitable apportioning of them ought not to be
made. He deeply deplored the distress and embarrass-
ment which many of our richest and lately flourishing
towns had felt, owing to the scarcity of food and other
visitations. He should therefore have been most happy
to have proposed a great reduction of the army, nary,
and ordnance estimates, if possible; but under the pro-
sent circumstances which pervaded Europe, and what-
ever might be the purport of the letters which the Hon.
Member for the West Riding of Yorkshire (Mr. Cobden)
might have in his possession, whatever the remon-
strances which might be made from any quarter, he
(Lord John Russell) thought he would be abandoning
the permanent and general interests of the country to
the ill understood complaints of those who hereafter
might reproach the Government for yielding to them, if
he did not ask the Committee to agree with the
Government in their proposal of the military force
they now asked, feeling convinced that such a force was
necessary for purposes essential for the safety of this
country.—(Loud cheers.)
Sir D. L. EVANS said ho had no wish to protract
the discussion, but he must deny the assertion made by
the Hon. Member for Montrose (Mr. Hume) that this
was in fact a war estimate. In fact, the difference be-
tween the present estimate and that of last year was a
decrease of 126 men and an increase of 300 horses. The
truth was, that the present was essentially the same
estimate as that of last year. And what was the regular
force which it was asked to keep up for the defence of
this portion of the kingdom—this very centre of the
British empire. Why, it was only 22,000 men, cavalry,
and infantry. In the course of the discussion America
had been pointed to as setting this country an example
in respect of the reduction of the naval and military
establishment. Though America, owing to the concen-
tration of her dominions, was more secure than this
country, whose territories were spread far and wide,
still America kept up a regular military force of
56.000 men, besides having a militia amounting to
1,300,000 strong. But in this country the Executive
Government wore, he must say, ?laced in a difficulty,
for they were told they must neither have a sufficient
regular military force, nor would they be allowed any
militia whatever. He (Sir D. L. Evans) had to night
waited to hear the Hon. Member for the West Riding
(Mr. Cobden), but that Hon. Member had to-night made
a most inoffensive speech, as compared with those de-
livered elsewhere, which he (Sir I). L. Evans) had read.
To-night the Hon. Member had been much milder than
on former occasions, for he had talked of the merits of
the army, though formerly he had said much of the
demoralisation of the army and navy, and of the inutility
of both services in times of peace.—(Hear, hear.) Last
year nothing had been heard from the Hon. Member,
except on the subject of free trade, but in the present
session the Hon. Member appeared to have wholly
abandoned his vocation. After having achieved for him-
self an immortal triumph, which had obtained for him
the tributes of every capital in Europe, the lion. Member
had come back, but had not uttered to the [louse one
word on the great question of free trade.—(Hear, hear,
from the Protectionists.) Nay, on the 19th of February
last the lion. Member had told the House that in a
great part of Europe, and in France especially, there
existed no other feeling on the part of the people but the
desire for the extension of the principles of free trade;
but in one single week afterwards it had been found that
these very people were thinking of something wholly
different.—(Cheers.) The Hon. Member had on his
return eschewed the question of free trade. Ho had,
though oft invited, declined to enter upon it unless the
question was put, as he himself said, in some tangible
shape. It was true the Hon. Member had stated that
free trade was settled; but what was the fact? Why,
that on some of the British manufactures 200, 300, and
in some cases 1,000 per cent. duties have been placed by
other nations; and so far from free trade making the
slightest progress in any other country, the matter was
wholly out of the question.—(Hear, hear, from the pro-
tectionists.) He (Sir D. L. Evans) knew not how it
happened that the Hon. Member had taken to naval and
military matters—perhaps, however, during the Hon.
Member's sojourn at Malta, he had become a naval and
military character, and had returned to this country to
regulate both those services.--(A laugh.) Without
wi-hing to detain the House on many other points, he
(Sir 1). L. Evans) must remark, that during the last two
or three weeks he had been invited to attend meetings
which were about to be convened for the purpose
calling upon her Majesty to dismiss her present min-
isters and to invite the Hon. Member for the West
Riding to take the reins of government into his own
hands.—(Hear, and laughter.) The opinions of the
[lon. Member, therefore, seemed to be held of impor-
tance, and as such he (Sir D. L. Evans) had a perfect
right to remark upon them. He was rejoiced, however,
that her Majesty's government had not thought proper to
yield to the propositions of the Hon. Member, who had
nothing whatever to do with the naval and military de-
partments, but who had declared at many public meet-
ingsa
that he knew better than the government what was
necessary for the elefenee of this empire, and moreover,
yof
that on that subject he was a greater authority than the
illustrious chief who was at the head of one
great and important branches of the public
servitchec.)--se
(Hear, hear.) The present question was simply as to
the number of men; and all the details into which the
Hon. Member for Montrose (Mr. Hume) had entered

were wholly beside it. He (Sir D.,,'„e small
in the statement made on a former evening oy.,ue ;
lion. Baronet the Member for Ripon (Sir J. Grill.'
that the augmentation by France of her naval force
matter of grave importance to this country, and Os'
naval force of Great Britain ought to be equal to tb'
any two other states. But it did so happen thst
estimate for the naval force of France for the IT
year was 52,000 men, including marines; while the
this great commercial. colonial, and naval empire
43,000 men, being 9,000 under that of France.—(ll'
Mr. BRIGHT rose amidst strong manifestatio;
impatience and loud cries of " Divide." The •
Gentleman said that, in the few words he was abo'
address to the Committee, he should not attempt tl
his knowledge of foreign affairs in comparison with
of !he Hon. Member who had just sat down, and
was so fond of war as to be ready to fight, not in'
for his own Queen, but for the sovereign of any'
nation.—(oll, oh.) He (Mr. Bright) was not
sure whether it would be judicious to adopt the opV,
of the Hon. Member for Westminster even with
to military affairs. The speech of the Hon. MO
was not the most fortunate he had ever deliSt
though it had received repeated cheers from that Of
of the Ilouse which seldom so hailed the obsertt
of the Hon. Member. He should leave that Hon,
her to square his accounts with the constituent:
Westminster—(Loud cries of " Oh, oh")--and
(Mr. Bright) ventured to tell the Hon. Member,
where one man in Westminster would 6):
thise with his speech, at least ten men 'I"
sympathise with the observations made by,
lion. Friend the Member for the West Riding.--(11
cries of " No, no.") The Noble Lord at the head,(
Government had not been more fortunate in his ePe
than had the Hon. Member for Westminster.—(Les'
ter.) Every mark of approbation bestowed upon
speech of the Noble Linal had emanated from the 11
against whom the Noble Lord had been contend
almost ever since he entered upon office.—(Loud
" No, no.") The Noble Lord had taunted the mono
turers of the north of England with coming to the 0`;
Office and asking for military assistance.—(No,,o
Even if true, that was a matter which had nothing,',
with the present question. The Noble Lord was per
bly aware that whenever soldiers were wanted in o
north of England, it had been when the price of
e,
was such as to meet the views of Hon. Gentlemen °l',
site, and it was a proverb in Manchester that theo
coats came when bread was dear. As to the ass°
necessity for troops here, he found a return showing
present distribution of the forces. In Great Britain 11
were at present 39,000 within some odd men, and Vt)
land there were 26,296 .eaen, in addition to whom hwere not less than 12,000 armed police, who had
trained and drilled, and were to all intents
purposes a military force. It was clear then that Of
men was the number of the force in that part °,
United Kingdom, and that being so he was entiVe:
take into consideration the various circumstances
which it was assumed that this enormous force oughlii,
maintained. Before ho (Mr. Bright) had becomes PI
ber of the House the Noble Lord opposite (Lord:,
Russell) had been the friend of Ireland, and had'
tended manfully for those changes with respect t°:,
country which he then felt necessary. He (Mr. IR)
remembered the almost ferocious warfare whichi
taken place in that House on the measures proper:
the Noble Lord for the improvement of the conditi',
Ireland ; and yet what was now the political posit",
that portion of the nation ? She had next to no ce:,
tuency—only 105 Members were sent to represent
this House, and wrongs and inequalities with resec
her political institutions were not denied, but oti
contrary, were more or less admitted on both
of the House. She had, moreover, a eb,
establishment—(Question, question)—which woutu,
last a single session but for the Church
blishment in this country ; and she had a con'sl
of things which our children would not b 0
possible. See what this army was for. Ireland's'
dren had died in greater numbers from famine
pestilence than the sons of England had ever perish'
war.—(Hear, and question.) What was to be dinn
remedy this intolerable and disgraceful state of th;
Talk of a great empirel—That was no credit t 0
sovereign or state if it was not a contented evil
Better have only our own tight little island, than to,
it thousands and millions of discontented subjec'
(Hear, and question.) Gentlemen opposite might ls
but they were laughing in their sleep; and some
they would be awakened by something he would
describe.—(Hear, and a laugh.) Out of doors it
generally- believed that a privileged class had a preel
nant influence in that House. Let them remember
they had an enemy at their doors, and let the/
accordingly. It was high time to show a stroeger
pathy for industry, and for the people at large.
millions of taxation could not long be patiently'
ported, shift the burden as they might. They
come to retrenchment when the taxes were refused;
he undertook to say that the burden would not be 1/,
longer tolerated by the industrious classes.—(Hear4
Mr. NEWDEGATE rose amidst loud cries of
vide," and " Oh, oh r' He begged to tell the
Member for the West Riding that the Represents'
of mixed constituencies knew the feeling of the V,
trim's classes, and that feeling was one of deep d'
pointment with the free-trade measures. If any
should soon need the protection of the State, it '
be the manufacturers and not the agricultural
terest.—(Oh, oh!)
Mr. lIUME said he observed, that on the well-r'
benches around him, he did not see six individuals
had been present all the evening. The number of,
proposed for the army was 113,821, of which 7'
were left for the service of Great Britain and Irel/
adding to these pensioners, yeomanry, and rte
dockyard men, there were 123,000 ready to be is t
for this country, exclusive of the militia.—(Hear,
With this state of things, and with the Noble .11
promise for the next year, the Hon. and Gallant ,
ber for Westminster, in his simplicity, was peril
satisfied.—(Laughter.) For twenty years we had V
had so many regular troops by 25,000.—(Hear.)
hoped the Noble Lord would at least be satisfied
100,000 men.

Sir D. L. EVANS said he had not expressed
faction with this statement of things, but he had'
that he was glad to hear that the Noble Lord at the ,
of the Government meant to revise the whole spit°
the taxation, which pressed so heavily on the ludo'
ous classes. He would repeat, that the actual effe(
force for the whole of Great Britain was only 2.2 l
and this number he believed to be totally inadequor
The Committee then divided, when there appear
For the amendment
Against it 293
Maj.)rity 254
Sir W. MOLES WORTH then moved that the nee/
of men be reduced by 5,449, being the number I.o'
ing from India.
The Committee then divided, when there appose
For the amendment
Against it
Majority 246
201
The vote was then agreed to.
700,0001. was voted on account for defraying the
penses of her Majesty's land forces at home and abrc
The following votes were also agreed to:-
50,000/. for the charge of general officers not
colonels of regiments.
200,0001. for half-pay and military allowances.
100,000/. for widows' pensions.
60,0001. for allowances on the compassionate list.
500,0001. for the out-pensioners of Chelsea Hospit
50,0001. for stationery and the Stationery-office.
50,000/. for the works of the new Houses of F'
meat.

50,0001. for civil contingencies.
The House then resumed, and the Chairman reer
progress.
nf
ADMINISTRATION OF OATHS (COURT -
CHANCERY) BILL.
This Bill went through Committee.
ELECTION RECOGNIZANCES BILL.
On the motion that the report on this Bill be ftlOt
considered,

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved, as an soil,'
meet, that the report be taken into further considerot
that day six months.
The House divided, when there appeared--
For the motion 92
Against it 73
Majority
—l9
The report was then received, and the Bill ordered
be engrossed.

NEW HOUSE OF COMMONS. (.06
v
On the motion of Mr. STAFFORD, a Select -0
mittee was appointed to inquire into the prof)°,
arrangements of the kitchen and eating and accoew;
dation rooms for the Members and officers of the 11°
of Commons in the New Palace of Westmineter J"
to report whether any and what improvements cou/u.,
made in the present system of supplying refreshmeow
WEST GLOUCESTERSHIRE PETITION.
Mr. GREENE called the attention of the Hou,seei
the fact that the petition from certain electors of Yiji
Gloucestershire (ordered on 29th inst. to be printe",
contained a paragraph referring to what had taken Op
in that House, and he therefore moved that the order
the printing of the petition be discharged.
Mr. G. BERKELEY suggested instead the °raise°
simply of the objectionable words.
The motion for discharging the order was, howeit
agreed to, Mr. G. BERKELEY intimating that
would have the objectionable passage struck out, 60
then again print the petition so amended.
The House adjourned at Twenty minutes to Two.

BIRTHS.
On the 28th ult., at the Vicarage, Eliag, Hants, the 18i:
of the Roy. IV. Parr Phillips, Rector of Woodford, EeC
of a son.
On the 29th ult., at Ayerhana Rectory, Nortkamptonsbii4
Mrs. Charles Sargeaunt, of a daughter.
On the 29th alt., in Upper Hyde- park-street, the !cif
Western Wood, Esq., of a daughter.
On the 30th ult., at Camberwell, the wife of the flel
Daniel Moore, of a son.
On the 30th ult., at Castle Rising Rectory, the wife of
Rev. Charles W. Bagut, of a son.
On the 30th ult., at Lewisham, Mrs. John Penn, of a soil',

MARRIED.
On the 23d ult., at Emanuel Church, Camberwell, Lientr
nant-Colonel Charles R. W. Lane, C. 8., Bengal Native 14
fantry, to Maria, daughter of the late Captain John Gibb
Royal Cork City Regiment, and of Ballinora, Cork.

(

DIED.
•
On the 25th ult., at Stoke, near Devonport, Lieutenant C'
A. Yoßand, R.N., aged 42.
On the 28th ult., at Clifton, Bristol, Colonel EdinBo4
Hardy, late of the H. E. I. C.'s Bombay Artillery.
On the 29th ult., in Chester-square, the Hos. Mrs. Waltet
W rotteslev.

London: Printed and Published by MURDO YOUNG,
No. 112, Strand, Printer, at The Sun Office, No. 111,
el
Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the couttY
11iddlesez, Saturday, April 1, IE4B.