The Sun.
London, England, 1856-05-09 00:00:00

MERCANTILE LAW AMENDMENT ACT.

The LORD CHANCELLOR said in deference to
the wishes of tke merchants and bankers of London,
as well as to other parties, he would consent to refer the
bill to a select committee.

Lord CAMPBELL said the measure was a very valu-
able one, and regretted the referring of the bill to a select
committee, as it would now be very uncertain as to
whether this bill would be proceeded with any further this
session.

After a short discussion, in which Earl Grey, Lord
Overstone, and Lord St. Leonards took part, the bill
was ordered to be referred to a select committee.
THANKS TO THE ARHY AND NAVY.

Lord PANMURE, in moving that the thanks of the
house be given to the Army and Navy and Marines em-
ployed in the operations of the late war, and to the em-
bodied militia, said the house had that day presented at
the foot of the throne its thanks to her Majesty for the
announcement of the return of peace ; but before they
surrendered themselves to the enjoyment of that peace,
before they hung up their sword against the wall, from
from which, he trusted, it would be long ere they should
take it down again, there was a duty which remained for
the n to perform—namely, the duty of returning
tinake to all the branches of her Majesty's service
for for zeal, their courage, and their endurance dur-
ing the war from which they had just emerged.
(Hear, hear.) In so doing he should endeavour to
avoid every controversial point which might tend in
any degree to lead them from that unanimity which
he was quite sure their lordships would wish to el)
serve on the present occasion. The first branch of her
Majesty's service to which he would refer was the
Navy. They had on this occasion no great triumph to
celebrate ; but they had services on the part of her Ma-
je Sty's navy to acknowledge which, though not brilliant
were nevertheless of the utmost importance, and must
command their gratitude. In the Baltic they had seen
the navy maintain in that inhospitable sea one of the
most difficult blockades which he believed could possitly
be, and yet they had maintained that blockade under all
daculties without the sacrifice of a single one of her Ma-
jesty's ships, and almost without injury he might say, to
any individual. They had distinguished themselves by re-
ducing one of the strongholds, they had blockaded with
success the strong fortresses and harbours of the enemy,
they had swept from the sea every vessel belonging to the
enemy, and confined within its ports the navy of the ene-
my. Such were the deeds done by the navy in the Baltic.
In the Black Sea, although, again, no brilliant action
had been performed by the combined navy, yet by their
attack on the fortress of Sebastopol, their attack on
Kinblurn, ,and the manner in which they twice
swept the Sea of Azoff, they had rendered the greatest
service to the army. But the services of the navy had
not yet been generally known in a direction which he
should take the liberty of explaining to their lordships.
The assistance which the navy had rendered to the cim-
bined army in carrying on the war, by furnishing the
means of transport of the army and its stores, he thought
ought to be more publicly known. The following was
an account of the troops, horses, stores, &c., conveyed
in British transports, ships-of-war, during the years
1854 and 1855 :

L—TuooPS.
British, from Great Britain (including
militia) t• Mediterranean, Foreign
Legion, Transport Corps, &c 123,105
British, from Mediterranean to Black Sea 26,659

Total British
French, from France to Baltic and Alediterraneal 52,919
Sardinians

Total troops to seat of war 221,984
Troops moved in Black Sea 170,634
Troops moved coastwise, &C..... 43,185

Grand total troops conveyed
IL—HoRsEs.

British, from Great Britain----- 13,302
British, ftom Mediterranean

Total British .

French
Sardinian,

23,061
2,195
3,325

Total horses to seat of war
Horses moved in Black Sea 24,038
Horses moved coastwise.

Grand total horses conyeye I
M.—STORES.

Tons. Tons.
British, from Groat Britain 281,001
British, from Mediterranean

Total Blitish

French.—
Sardiuian

316,7A9
18,881
4,298

Grand total stores conveyed
He might fairly assume that their lordships with one
voice would accord to that branch of her Majesty's ser-
vice their cordial thanks for the services they had ren-
dered during the war. He could not close this enume-
ration of the services of the navy without saying how
fully he concurred in the tribute paid by his noble friend
(the Earl of Ellesmere), the other night, to a gallant
admiral now no more. He meant Admiral Boxer,
who endeavoured to organise some system in the small
and narrow harbour of Balaklava, which they afterwards
worked out in greater perfection on the principles
that he laid down. He passed now to the next branch
of her Majesty's service, which he did not hesitate to say
had most won his affection and sympathy, seeing that in
that service he passed his early days. In moving their
lordships to accord their thanks on the present occasion
to the army he had no doubt that he should secure their
cordial concurrence to that proposition. The army of
England first embarked in the year 1854 to take part is
the war upon the enemy's territory. In alluding to that
service he could not forget that this army was led from
England by one to whom it looked up to as its great
leader—the most distinguished pupil of the illustrious
duke, one who perhaps better than any other man knew
almost every inlividual officer in the army, who com-
manded its affection and respect, and who concentrated
in his own person its fullest and entire confidence. It did
not please Providence to permit Lord Raglan to see the
end of the triumphant career which he commenced. But
when that army left this country, so full of ♦igour and
so small in number, no one felt any doubt that the
honour of the country was completely safe in his hands
—no one felt any doubt that its banner would be al-
ways carried foremost in the fight—no one felt any doubt
that the fame of England would be fully maintained.
But there were some considerations which gave room
for some doubt. That army was called upon to fight in
the same field and on the same side with the army of
France. Old animosities and antipathies were to be
wiped away and forgotten, new rivalries of friendship to
be established, and he had no hesitation in saying that
by the tact, skill, chivalry, and generosity by which
Lord Raglan was dietiogwehed, be accomplished, that

cordial union between the two nations, and planted good
feeling so deeply in the minds of the soldiers of both
nations, that when new levies joined a similar inspira-
tion seized on them, and during the whole of Lord Rag-
lan's career the cordial friendship which existed between
the armies of England and France was most remarka-
ble. Not only that, but when Lord Raglan's sun went
down, it left its genial influence behind. He attributed
to:Lord Raglan's influence the cordial friendship which
existed to this ♦ery hour between the armies of Eng-
land and France. It was not necessary for him to
remind their lordships of the career of that army.
When it first landed on the shores of the East it
was not immediately called into action, and the
first blow which it had to endure was from a foe
which it was most difficult to meet—disease. When
that army lay at Varna and in its neighbourhood i t en-
countered that fell disease of the country which swept
away many a gallant and ardent spirit, before the army
bad an opportunity of showing its might in battle ;
hut it had the effect of assuring the people of this country
that their army had gone forth possessed not merely of
physical but of that moral courage which enabled it to
endure disease as well as to fight their battles. He need
not call attention to the victories of Alma, of Inkerman,
and of Balaklava. On no one occasion when the army
of England was called upon to face the foe during the
whole war did it suffer the smallest reverse. He need
hardly recall to their lordships' recollection the circum-
stances of the siege of Sebastopol—that siege so long, so
wearisome, so full of adventure, in which the pateince and
endurance, as well as the gallantry of the army, were for
a longer period than was on record with reference to any
other siege so constantly tried, yet through all the difficul-
ties and dangers of that siege, all the privations to
which that army was exposed, never for a moment shook
its courage or impaired its efficiency, and at last when
the siege resulted in the surrender of the town, the army
was found ready to repair the disorganisation which such
a siege must cause in its ranks, and its formation was
re-completed, so that it was at this moment one of
the finest armies that England ever possessed. He was
tempted to read a portion of a despatch, already given
to their lordships, which would prove to them the con-
dition in which the army was, and of which the nation
might be justly proud. Sir W. Codrington, writing on
the 19th of April, speaking of a review of the army be-
fore the Russian general, said—
The English army was formed at a short distance in
front of these head-quarters ; the siege train and the Sap-
pers on the right of the infantry ; 49 battalions in contigu-
ous quarter distance columns of regiments ; two troops of
horse artillery and five batteries on the right of the line,
six batteries and two heavy batteries on the left of the line
—in all 86 guns. Two regiments of the Land Transport
Corps were complete and in good order in rear. Gen. Lu-
tiers rode down the line, accompanied by a larga assembly of
Russian, French, and Sardinian officers, and the troops
also marched past him. I have the satisfaction of assuring
your lordship of the steady, the good, the healthy appear-
ance of the array ; of its very apparent efficiency in every
branch ; of the order, quietness, and regularity with which
every regiment passed by ; and it was a subject of pride to
us all to feel that such was the appearance of the army of
England in the Crimea.

That was the testimony of the present Commander-in-
Chief of the army. He (Lord Panmure) must take the
opportunity of stating that he attributed that condition
not to anything that had been done at home, but to the
exertions of the officers at present with the army, and
to the cordial co-operation of every one of those officers,
from the lowest to the highest, with the Commander-in-
Chief. This was not the time for him to expatiate on
the sanitary condition of the army, but he was happy to
be able to say, that though it was at a considerable dis-
tance from home, and exposed to encampment in the
field, it would bear comparison with the condition of the
army at home. The last account of the sanitary con.
dition of the army, on the 20th of April, giving the
strength at about 70,000 men, gave the admissions per
week into the hospital at 1.56 per cent., the proportion
of deaths to strength 0.02 per cent., and the proportion
of sick to well 5.72 per cent. He had had the curiosity
to compare this with the sanitary state of that portion
of the army that was in this country in camp at Alder-
shott, and he found 'that at Aldershott the assumed
strength was 16,000. Of these the proportion to strength
admitted to
well
was 2,71 per cent., deaths 6.006
and sick to 3.59 per cent. It was very gratifying
to find that after all the army had gone through its
sanitary condition was so good. There was one point
more that he wished to advert to, and that was to the
casualties that had occurred during the war. There had
been unfounded and exaggerated statements on this sub-
ject. He had drawn up a table which would shortly
show the loss which the nation had sustained in these
two years of war.

Officers. Men.
Killed in action from 19th Sept.,
1834, to 28th Sept., 1855 l5B 1,775
Died of wounds during the same
period
Died of cholera 35 4,244
Died of other diseases to 31st Dec.,
1855
Died of wounds and disease from
Jan. Ist, 1856, to March 31st,
1856

Total.
1,993
1,599
4,279
11,451

Total deaths 270 19,314 19,551
Discharged from the service since commencement of the
war to 31st March, 1856 :
Wounds
Disease ... 998

Add deaths as aboTo

2,873
19,551

Total loss
Now, when he came to compare this with the loss of the
Russian army and the loss of our allies, he thought we
ought to be thankful to Almighty God for having thus
lightly permitted to fall on this country the scourge of
war. Ho was told on good authority that the loss of the
Russians was not under 500,000 men. He had no autho-
rity to state the loss of our allies. He would not mention
the names of any of the living officers engaged in these
operations, htcluse he found that on returning general
thanks to the army it had not been the practice to do
so ; and, besides, the number of those whom they should
have to thank would make a catalogue of almost every
officer in the service, But they could not but remember
with gratitude the names of Cathcart, and Goldie, and
Strangways, and Torrens, and Adams, and Sir John
Campbell, besides many others who had died in conse-
quence of their wounds. Ho was happy to say, that
while they reposed on the field where their fame had
been earned, the cemetery in which these heroes lay in-
terred would, be was certain, be regarded with respect
by that nation which was now no longer our enemy. He
also proposed that the thanks of their lordships should
be given to the foreign legions which had entered into
her Majesty's service. They amounted to fully 15,000
able-bodied activesoldiers, ready, had the war continued,
to enter into active service. These consisted of the
British German Legion, under the command of Baron
von Stutterheim
At home
Abroad
- 9,051
Swiss, at home
Swiss, abroad
- 3,138
Italian, abroad 3,662 3,662

TURKISH CONTINGENT.

15,821.

Natives
British, the ranks 3,208

20,479

Osmanli cavalry .....
Ditto artillery

2,733
327

3,000
All those linen wore drilled, organised, and ready to
march to the field bad there been occasion to require
their services. Some were quartered at Scutari, two
regiments of Swiss were at Varna, and all were eager
for the field, desirous of showing what they could do.
He trusted that when the time came to dispense with
the services of these troops we should not forget the
zeal they had shown in rallying round the standard of
England, and that by our treatment of them we should
make our good name respected throughout Europe ;
and should occasion arise again, which he trusted never
would, we might be able to invite them again with the
expectation that the invitation would be cheerfully re-
sponded to. The only other portion of the British army
to which be would refer was more intimately connected
with Turkey—he meant the Turkish contingent. The
Turkish contingent was made over to the service of this
country by a special convention with Turkey. It was
officered by officers of the British and the Indian army,
and was commanded by an officer of great distinction,
General Vivian, of whom he must do the justice to say,
that he formed that contingent so effectually, that had
it. been called into the field it would have been found
that it was amply provided with transports, and that all
its arrangements for active service were fully organ-
ised. He now came to the last branch of the service
to which he would refer, but he did so with as much
satisfaction as he had felt in asking their lordships
to give their thanks to those branches of the ser-
vice he had already named. lie proposed that their
lordships should thank the militia of this country
for their zeal in her Majesty's service. (Hear) He had
promised not to introduce any controversial point. IT
would not say that the militia had been placed upon thee
most advantageous footing ; but this he would say, that
all the assistance which the zeal and energy of the militia
could bring to her Majesty's service had been zealously
and promptly afforded. There was a remarkable fact
connected with this war to which it was necessary for
him to draw their lordships attention. In all former
wars in this country we were compelled to have recourse
to pressing for the navy and to the ballot for the militia.
On this occasion we had mustered a more numerously
manned fleet and a larger body of troops than upon any
former occasion without its being necessary to have re-
course to the pressgang or the ballot. It was a proud
position for this country that we could assemble so nu-
merous an army, every man in that fleet and in that
army being a volunteer in his country's servios. (Hear,
hear.) The militia upon this voluntary system now
mustered 63,663 men, and it bad given to the army,
since November, 1854, no fewer than 33,102 recruits.
It had not only done that, but it had exhibited its de-
sire to serve her Majesty in foreign parts. No fewer
than eleven regiments of militia, mustering very nearly
6,000 men, were now serving the Queen in the Mediter-
ranean garrisons. And not only that, but they hal been
obliged reluctantly to decline the offers for foreign ser-
vice et no fewer than 52 regiments. It was only the
knowledge that their services would not be accepted that
prevented every militia regiment in the United King-
dom from tendering their services, not only for Gibral-
tar, Malta, and the lonian Islands, but for any of the
colonies ; nay, he knew that many of them were most
anxious to enter the field with the allied army. (Cheers.)
He had great satisfaction in stating that on those regi-
ments who had been fortunate enough to go to the
Mediterranean service, her Majesty had beta pleased to