The Sun.
London, England, 1851-03-29 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY

altered, looking at the quantity of business before the
House, he did not intend to introduce that measure this
session. He added that when the Ecclesiastical Titles
Bill had passed through Committee he thought it desir-
able to proceed with the remaining stages of that Bill as
expeditiously as possible.
The House was occupied for a considerable time in
the consideration of petitions respecting the St. Alban's
and the Aylesbury elections.
On the motion for going into Committee of Supply,
Mr. HusrE complained of going on with Supply before
the Budget was brought forward.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL defended the conduct of the
Government.
In reply to a question from Mr. B. OSBORNE,
Lord J. RUSSELL said he would bring forward the
Jews' Relief Bill on the 3d of April. He also gave
notice that on Monday next he would move the appoint-
ment of a Committee to inquire into the nature of our
South African relations.
Sir W. MOLESWORTH gave notice that he would
move, as an amendment, that the Committee should be
appointed to consider the best means of relieving this
country from the expense of Kafir and other wars in
South Africa. _ _

Colonel DUNNE moved, as an amendment, the follow-
ing resolution:—" That orders having been given not to
receive any more pensioners into the Royal Military
Asylum at Kilmainham, it may be inferred that it is
the intention of her Majesty's Government to abolish
that establishment, and it is the opinion of this House
that such abolition is not advisable."
Mr. GRATTAN seconded the amendment.

In the course of the discussion which followed,

Mr. Fox MAULE declared that the soldier preferred
the out-pension system to the in-pension one, and that
there was at this moment ample accommodation in Chel-
sea Hospital for all the in-pensioners, but that no one
would be removed from Kilmainham who was entitled to
be there.

Lord Jour/ RUSSELL expressed his opinion that it
would be unadvisable to come to any decision on the
subject until the Committee should have made its report.
On a division the amendment was negatived by a ma-
jority of 32, the numbers being—for the amendment,
105; against it, 137.
After a short conversation on the subject of the recent
increase made in the salary of Mr. JOHN WooD, the
Chairman of the Board of Inland Revenue, the House
went into Committee of Supply, and
Mr. Fox MAULS brought forward the army esti-
mates, and said he should propose for the present
year a vote for 98,714 men, being only 414 less than
the number voted last year; but of the 414 thus
reduced, no less than 101 were officers and 25 non-
commissioned officers. The Right Honourable Gentle-
man then stated various reductions which had been made
in the army estimates in the course of the last year, and
said that the second vote he should propose would be the
sum of 3,521,0691. to defray the requisite expenses of
the men, being 41,3601. less than the sum voted last
year. He dwelt on the improved condition of the
soldiers, in consequence of the establishment of schools,
libraries, &c., and showed that notwithstanding in-
creased expenses in some particulars, there was a total
saving on the estimates for the army, effective and non-
effective, of no less than 93,4521. The Right Hon.
Gentleman also congratulated the House upon the fact
that punishments in the army had greatly decreased.
The number of imprisonments last year was considerably
less than those of the year preceding, while corporal
punishments had actually diminished nearly one-half.
Mr. HUME moved the reduction of the vote by 5,000
men.

The amendment, which was seconded by Mr. WIL-
LIAM WLLLIA.MS, and supported by Sir W. MOLESWORTH
and Mr. MACGREGOR, was opposed by Lord Jon)? Rus-
SELL; and, on a division, negatived by a majority of
139, the numbers being for the amendment, 47;
against it, 186.
The vote was then agreed to.
Mr. W. WILLIAMS moved that the Chairman do re-
port progress, as it was not right to proceed voting large
sums of money without discussion at that late hour.
The motion was opposed by Mr. Fox MAULE, and ne-
gatived by a majority of 139, the numbers being—for
the motion, 29; against it, 168.
Mr. HUME then moved that the Chairman do leave the
chair,
On which Lord J. RussELL consented not to proceed
further that night, but to take the Committee of Supply
the first thing on Monday.
The CHAIRMAN then reported progress, the House
resumed, and after the transactioa of same routine busi-
ness, adjourned.

Heartily rejoiced are we to observe that there is at
length some probability of bringing forcibly under
the consideration of the House of Commons the pre-
posterous number of flag-officers for several years
past maintained on the list of the Royal Navy of
England. A notice of motion to that effect was made
last evening by the Honourable Gentleman the Mem-
ber for Montrose. We may reasonably anticipate,
therefore, that some attention will be paid Ito this
very glaring grievance, especially taking into account
the feeling which is now happily becoming each day
more prevalent, a feeling in favour of a large and
well-considered diminution in our annual expenditure.
What is complained of is simply this—the mainte-
nance, after thirty-three years' peace, of noless than 150
admirals, whereas in 1792, at the commencement of the
war with France, we were satisfied with just 69,
nhsoln tely less than half the number. An increase
so anomalous, unnecessary, and extravagant, is, as-
suredly on the face of it, enough to justify an
inquiry, at the very least, if that inquiry does not
perforce bring about a sweeping, but gradual re-
duction. More particularly must this truth force
itself upon the recognition of the Legislature when
it is borne in mind that 75 out of the 150 admirals
now on the navy list, are upwards of seventy years of
age, so that about six more than the entire number
requisite for the service of the country in 1792, may
be said to be, in 1851, superannuated ! Anything
more lamentable than this we can scarcely
imagine to ourselves—anything more singularly
calculated to be detrimental to the interests of the
profession. It would appear as if the custodians of
those interests regarded extreme age as a necessary
qualification for fulfilling the duties of a flag-officer,
as was thought by some to be the case among the
Popes at Rome and among the Doges at Venice.
Why, than this assuredly no notion could be more
painfully erroneous. Was not NELSON, compara-
tively speaking, young in years, though old in glory,
when, at forty-seven, he purchased his last victory
with his death at Trafalgar ? Had not General
NAPOLEON BONAPARTE, when only twenty-seven,
conquered the plains of Lombardy, and twice
routed the veteran
.forces of Austria ? Did not
ALEXANDER the GREAT, before he was thirty-two,
cover Asia, and Europe, and Africa with his
fame, leaving an empire to be divided among his
lieutenants, when he had only received from his
father the kingdom of Macedonia ? Was not SYDNEY
SMITH a post-captain at eighteen ? Was the author
of " Arcadia" grey when he died on the field of
battle ? The argument, indeed, is, in every way,
ridiculously untenable. Why, Sir WALTER RA-
LEIGH was still in the ripeness of his manhood when,
after conveying his vessels across the Atlantic to
Virginia, he sat down to write his history of the world
in his dungeon in the Tower of London! Why, GUSTA.
ITUS ADOLPHUS was still in the bloom of his youth when
he fought the great fight at Lutzen ! And CONDE was
young when he vanquished the troops of Turenne
And MARLBOROUGH when he gained the day at
Malplaquet And COOK when he had twice cir-
cumnavigated the globe And COLUMBUS, too; the
greatest of geographical discoverers, was a stripling
when he firat dreamt of that new world which he
was, nevertheless, not permitted to see until his hair
was white, not with age, but with suffering ! Might
we not instance, moreover, in the same way,
that famous Scipio, who was a boy when
he measured his sword with that of HANNIBAL,
the most redoubtable of the wonderful captains of
antiquity ? Were we, however, to indulge in thes.,
biographical recollections, we .might as effectually
overwhelm those who differed from us in opinion
with a multiplicity of facts capable of appropriate
citation, as did old AUSTIN CAXTON when he drowned
the unfortunate Mr. SQUILLS in the douche bath of his
argument. It was somewhat thus, if we remember
rightly, that the travelled Jew SIDONIA overcame the
youthful diffidence of CONINGSBY. And gladly should
we witness the discomfiture by the same means
of those adventurous defenders of a great
abuse who may be bold enough to uphold
the necessity of age in 75 out of 150
admirals. The mere defence of the latter
number in the abstract will be quite enough, we
opine, to baffle the ingenuity of the most sophistical
orator in extenuation. For, assuredly, it will de-
mand no trivial amount of ability to show that, in
1851, after a period of thirty-six years' uninterrupted
tranquility, We
r equireuponthen avy list more
double the number of admiralsthaufound neces.
s try for the ',emits
of the service at the time
when we were struggling against France and Nero.
LEON. Such, however, is the line of reason-
• forced upon those who mg venture to question
the propriety of gradually reducing the number
of flag-officers within a reasonable proportion. Either
they maintain that 150 admirals are required in a
time of peace, although 69 were found to be enough
in time of war—a proposition too ridiculous to need
controverting ; or they must acknowledge that the
number of flag-officers is extravagant—itnd in that
case they must allow the demand for their reduction

to be both reasonable and judicious. Those are
the horns of the dilemma upon which they
are at present fixed somewhat uncomfortably. And
upon those horns they are about to be rather dis-
tressingly tossed by the Financial Reformers in the
House of Commons, led on by the veteran Member for
the berough of Montrose. Fortunately for the pockets
of the people and for the truest interests of the naval
profession, there is no escape just now from the an-
noyance of the argument. The notice of motion was
given only yesterday by Mr. Humz to the following
effect :

Before Mr. Speaker leaves the chair on the first Com-
mittee of Supply for the Navy Estimates, to move an
humble address to her Majesty, praying that she will
be pleased to take into consideration the statement and
recommendation contained in the report on the Navy
Estimates, presented to the House of Commons by the
Select Committee on Naval Expenditure in 1849,
namely, " That in 1792, at the commencement of the
war with France, the number of admirals was only 69.
" After thirty-three years' peace, the present number
of admirals is 150, exclusive of the retired admirals, and
of these 75 of the effective list are above seventy years
of age.
" A certain proportion of the list of admirals must be
composed of officers who have grown old in the service,
who deserve well of their country, and who are entitled
to higher rank and to higher pay on account of their
merits, although they are no longer able to serve afloat;
but when it is considered that in the last naval war with
France (the greatest on record), not more than 36 ad-
mirals were employed at any one time; and that, at the
present moment, the services of only 14 are required,
it would not seem unreasonable that the number of ad.
mirals, now fixed, according to the scheme sanctioned in
1846, at 150, should be gradually reduced to a number
not exceeding a hundred.
" Your Committee recommend that this gradual re-
duction should be effected by promoting only one cap-
tain to the rank of admiral on the death of three flag
officers, according to the rule of promotion adopted in
1830, until the lists shall have been reduced to the
maximum of 100; and thenceforth a captain may be
promoted to fill each vacancy as it occurs on the lists."

Consequently on the first Committee of Supply for
the navy estimates the matter will be revived in the
Legislature for serious re-consideration. It has
already been shown in these columns very frequently
in what manner the desired reduction in the list of
flag-officers might be brought about without inflicting
any injustice, either upon those who are at this mo-
ment admirals, or on those who are in expectation of
obtaining the same dignity in their profession.
Let the promotions, as Mr. Hums suggests,
take place at every third death, until such
tune as the number of flag-officers shall come
within reasonable limits, and the nation will not
long have reason for further complaint upon the
subject, considering the great age already attained by
so many admirals still surviving. Some modified ar-
rangement of the kind has indeed become impera-
tively necessary, and we have every confidence in
leaving to the Financial Reformers in the House the
responsibility of bringing about,the desired improve-
ment.

On Monday morning the census will be taken,
and from the admirable arrangements which have
been made by the Registrar-General, there can be but
little doubt that the information obtained will be much
more accurate and much more extensive, and conse-
quently much more valuable, than that which has been
obtained on any former similar occasion ; but, in order
to render the census perfect it is absolutely necessary
that the public should co-operate cordially with
the authorities, and that every householder should
make it a point of honour to answer
fully, accurately, and correctly, all the questions
which have been put to him in the various schedules
left at his residence by the enumerator whether those
questions be or be not such as he can be compelled to
answer by law, as the most valuable portion of the
information sought, that, -namely, which relates to the
statistics of education, secular and religious, can only
be elicited by those questions to which parties are not
compellable by law to return replies. To their
honour be it spoken, the great majority of
the teachers, secular and religious, have
determined to furnish to the Government this neces-
sary information ; the Congregational Union, the
London Congregational Board, the Baptist Union,
and the Wesleyan Methodists have cordially entered
into the views of the Government, and have
sent circulars to the various churches in com-
munion with them, recommending them to
co-operate zealously with the authorities in
this matter. The proprietors of private educational
establishments will also, we believe, lend their willing
aid to this effort to ensure something like accuracy in
the educational statistics of the country, and the true
and honest Protestant portion of the clergy of the
Church of England will aid in the endeavour.
A few of the Puseyite clergy, however,
headed by the Bishop of OXFORD, have
stood forward as the champions of darkness,
and have declared their unwillingness to furnish
any information, because the publication of
their answers to the questions put to them,
should they answer them, must serve to the
propagation of error rather than of truth
Now, what the meaning of this statement can be,
except the announcement of a foregone conclusion
to give false answers to the questions put, or
if their answers be true, how the publica-
tion of the truth can serve to the props gation
of error we confess that, as at present advised, we are
at a loss to discover ; probably the words are used in
some mystical and non-natural sense. Above all
things, the Bishop of OxFoRD seemed to have the
greatest horror of any information being fur-
nished to the public in relation to the numbers of
the congregations of these recalcitrant clergymen.
We can readily understand wby he and his clergy
should be sore upon this point ; when clergymen, by
their indulgence in clerical histrionics, have reduced
the numbers of a congregation down from upwards of
300 to a trifle below 30, they of course wish to hide
such a fact from the knowledge of the world.
" Clergymen have enough to do without counting
their congregation," said the Bishop of OXFORD on
Thursday ; he might have added, that as regarded
the petitioners the labour of counting the numbers of
their congregations would not be overwhelming.
We trust that the example of these gentlemen will
not be followed. The clergy may rest as-
sured that whenever they attempt concealment
the inference will be that there is something
to be ashamed of, something rotten in the state of
the parish. They should also consider whether
such attempts at concealment can be successful, and
whether the very fact 'of their having refused
information will not act as an induce-
ment to their parishioners to furnish it. At all
events, we have no doubt but that, by some means or
other, the information required will be obtained, and
that the census returns of 1851 will be the most
accurate ever made.

CABINET COUNCIL.—(TBIS DAY.)—The Cabinet
Ministers assembled in Council this afternoon at the Foreign-
office. There were present—Lord John Russell, the Lord
Chancellor, the Earl of Carlisle, Earl Grey, the Marquis of
Clanricarde, Viscount Palmerston, Sir George Grey, the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Francis T. Baring, the
Right Hon. Fez Malik, and the Right Hon. H. Labouchere.
The Marquis of Lansdowne was absent in consequence of the
dangerous illness of the Marchioness, and the Earl of Minto
has been suffering from indisposition.

Her Majesty, accompanied by his Royal Highness
Prince Albert, the Countess of Desert, the Hon. Miss Mur-
ray, Lord Alfred Paget, Lord Elphinstone, and Col. Bouve-
rie, visited Drury-lane Theatre last evening, to witness the
spectacle of .Azael, the Prodigal, and was graciously pleased
to express herself highly gratified.

TACTICS OF THE IRISH Memßeits.—A meeting of
the Irish Members took place yesterday, in a private room of
the House of Commons, for the purpose of considering what
course of action it would be most expedient to adopt with
reference to their further resistance to the Papal Aggression
Bill. There were from forty to fifty Illembers present. It
was eventually agreed that a standing committee of their
number should be.appointed to communicate with the Roman
Catholic hierarchy in England and Ireland, in order to ascer-
tain their views with regard to what amendments it would be
most advisable to propose, with the view of defeating the Bill
in Committee. Mr. Sadlier, Mr. Macullagh, Mr. Keogh,
Mr. Maunsell, and Mr. John O'Connell, were the committee
appointed to carry out the objects of the meeting. It was
agreed that the better course would be to study so to frame
the intended amendments as to catch as many as possible of
the votes, not only of the Puseyites, but of the independent
Liberals of the Hume, and Roebuck, and Cobden class. It
was the general opinion of the meeting that between the re-
sistance which they will be able to offer to the measure on
the ground of its going too far, and the pressure which the
Protestant party will bring to bear upon Ministers on the
ground of its not going far enough, Lord John Russell will
feel compelled to abandon the Bill in disgust, and with its
abandonment again relinquish office.—Adoertiser.

There are at the present time 440 acting magis-
trates in the county of Lancaster, the eldest of whom is Lord
Skelmeredale (Lord Stan'ey's father-in-law), who qualified
in January, 1800.
Sir Alexander Cockburn has been promoted to the
oflicl of Attorney-General, in place of Sir John Romilly,
and is succeeded as Solicitor-General by Mr. Page Wood.
THE VACANT COLONIELCY.—It is understood that
Major-General Smelt will be removed from the 62d Regiment
to the 37th, -and that Major-General Lightfoot will be ap-
pointed Colonel of the 62d Regiment.

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

We have received the Paris journals of yesterday.
On Thursday a very stormy debate took place in
the Assembly on the subject of the suspension of M.
MICHELE; and the dismissal of MM. JACQUES and.
GUBPIN from their offices as teachers. At the con-
clusion the order of the day, pure and simple, was
voted by a majority of 243, and the President, M.
Dun N, declared the sitting closed, thus depriving
M. ARNAUD DE L'ARRIEGE of the opportunity of
withdrawing his motion for the abolition of the elec-
toral law of May, of which he had given notice.
At the meeting of the Assembly yesterday, M.
ARNAUD DE L'ARRIEGE mounted the tribune to pro-
test, by way of incident on the proces verbal,
against the disgraceful juggling of M. DUFIN on the
preceding day in defeating his withdrawal of his mo-
tion, although he had placed a letter in the hands of
the President of the Assembly early in the sitting, to
announce the step he wished to take. M. ARNAUD
then gave notice of the resignation of his post as Se-
cretary of the Assembly. After some observations
from M. DUPIN, who bore witness to the valuable ser-
vices of M. ARNAUD, the proces-verbal was adopted.
On the order of the day for the discussion of the
proposition of M. DESMARS for applying the same
electoral law to the Assembly and the PRESIDENT,
M. VAISSE, Minister of the Interior, said that he
thought proper to come forward before the discussion
on the proposition of M. DESMARS, relative to the
election of the PRESIDENT of the Republic, to renew
and confirm, frankly, and once for all, the declaration
he bad previously made. The Government recog-
nised but one electoral law, applicable both to the
election of the PRESIDENT and that of the representa-
tives of the people. The taking into consideration of
M. Thomism' proposition he considered useless and
superfluous, but, although the Committee was of the
same opinion, be did not oppose its discussion, leaving
its expediency to the appreciation of the Assembly.—
(" Very well !")
After a short discussion, M. VATIMESNIL proposed
an order of the day thus motived :—" The National
Assembly, after having heard the declaration, loyally
made by the Minister of the Interior, in the name of
the executive power, and adhering to the conclusion
of the report, passes to the order of the day," which
was carried by a majority of 466 to 21. The dis-
cussion on the proposition of M. ARNAUD DE
L'AttainciE, for the repeal of the law of May, then
came on, but he was permitted to withdraw the motion.
It is said that the PRESIDENT of the Republic and
M. ODILON BARBOT have come to an understanding
on the subject of the formation of a new Ministry.
M. PASSY has been named reporter of the Com-
mit tee on the Budget.
The Bourse was firm yesterday, with an improvement
in the price of Government Steck. The Five per Cents.
opened at 93f. 90c., and closed at 94E 20c.; the Three
per Cents. closed at 57f. 35c.; Orleans Railroad Shares,
895 f.; Rouen, 655 f.; Havre, 292 f. 50c.; Great Northern,
481 f. 25c.; Avignon, 213 f. 75c.; Vierzon, 450 f.; Bile,
1601.; Bordeaux, 403 f. 75c.; Paris and Strasburg, 375 f.;
Tours and Nantes, 278 f. 25c.
BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE
LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, MARCH 28.

Boulogne ald Amiens, 10 LAI— Central of France (Orleans
and Vierzon), 181A—Namur and Liege, 814—Northern of
France, 1514—Sambre and Manse, 4IA Tours and Nantes, 6.

SPAIN.

Madrid journals of the 23d have arrived.
General O'DONNELL his been dismissed from the
post of Inspector of Infantry in consequence of a
quarrel with the Minister at War.
The Bolsa was closed on the 23d.