The Sun.
London, England, 1860-06-27 00:00:00

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fluence those who selected officers. They wanted in the
officers of a militia regiment good county connection on the
one hand, and on the other military knowledge and effi-
ciency. If' they could combine both there was no doubt or
difficulty in the matter; but they had very often a man of
great county influence, who would attract recruits to the
ranks, and who on that account it would be most desirable
to appoint, but who as an officer would be inefficient be-
cause of his want of military knowledge. Again, they might
have a man with great efficiency and military knowledge,
but who would have no influence in strengthening the
numbers of the regiment. In such cases ho had always
felt that every consideration should be given to the lord-
lieutenant in making the selections ; but he-plr. S. ller-
bort) had always insisted, when the lord-lieutenant made
his selection, that he should state the reasons which influ-
enced him, and when he had done so he felt it his duty
to support him. (Hear, hear.) Then it was re-
commended that officers, previous to promotion, shouldpass
some kind of examination. That was a good principle no
doubt, and if always insisted upon would induce officers to
learn their drill, and fit themselves for their duties ; but the
application of it was not easy. Well, officers on the perma-
nent staff—adjutants, and so on—had also been allowed to
send their sons to Sandhurst, receiving in this way all the
advantages which attached to officers of their rank. He
would pass over minor details as to the facilities for appre-
hending and punishing deserters, merely observing that
militia men frequently had it in their heads that desertion
from the militia was no crime, and that to desert and to en-
list in the line was, on the contrary, rather a praiseworthy
act—for they argued to their own minds that, although they
took the two bounties, they entered far a new and a longer
period of service. This it was necessary to check, and this
was the object of some of the minor changes. There was
another alteration which was not exactly in accordance with
the recommendations of the commission. The commission
recommended that good conduct pay should be allowed after.
five years; but there was this difficulty : good ecutute,i,.;
*as -cue penny a day,while thrmen
veer
under training,
penny n al A.. DO kl.....vear WAS scarceiy-wertli
their having ; and the Government coma nor& su ra. en cw .
give a penny a day during the whole year, the greater por-
tion of which the men would be at their homes. Therefore,
he (Mr Herbert) thought it better to give every man who
re-enrolled at the end of the five years 10s. in addition
to the bounty; and he was given to understand that
this arrangement was working well. Besides this, they
gave to every man who re-enrolled a free kit,
or if their old kit was tolerably perfect they were allowed
to have the value of the new one in money. Their school
fees were abolished and schoolmasters were allowed free. All
these changes tended to the advantage of the men, and to
the improvement of their position. There were certain
things proposed to be done by this bill. First, they desired
to have the power of uniting in maritime counties portions of
the counties for the purpose of forming artillery corps, as
was. done now in the North Riding of Yorkshire, so that if
they had not enough for two battalions, and too much for
one, the surplus might be joined to the force of another
county to make xp an efficient artillery corps in that county.
For that purpose no machinery was required beyond what
they had for the amalgamation of counties for militia ob-
jects generally. The difficulty was as to the union of coun-
ties for the purposes of stores. That he had attempted to
get over by adopting the same principle which existed
under the act for establishing county lunatic asylums, viz.,
leaving it to be decided, by a joint committee of the magis-
trates of the united counties, where the stores should be
placed, and upon what terms. There was a further power
with regard to the counties recommended by the militia
commission, which ho was sorry did not' receive the sanc-
tion of his right hon. friend opposite, but which he thought
upon tho whole would be advantageous to the militia, the
counties, and the Government. That power was that the
county authorities should build accommodation for the per-
manent staff, and the Government on their side should pay a
fair interest on the outlay. This was not to be compulsory, but
he could see no objection to it, and he thought in many cases
the counties would be able to make a good bargain by build-
ing the necessary accommodation themselves, while the Go-
vernment on the other hand would not pay more than they
would do if that accommodation were provided in other
ways. Of course the power of training was limited to 6 days,
but if the men were brought up beforehand for 10 or 14
days, there was no doubt the time would be much better
spent afterwards, and a more efficient drill would be ob-
tained. It had been proposed that the men should be
trained immediately after enrolment. He doubted the
policy of that proceeding. It would add much to the ex-
pense, and would not operate as a check on fraudulent
enlistment. Power was taken in the bill to increase the
Scotch and Irish militia, in the same proportion as they had
power to increase the militia in England, in case of danger
of invasion. In England the 80,000 might be brought up
to 120,000. Ile proposed to take power to increase the
Scotch militia from 5,000 to 10,000, and the Irish from
15,000 to 30,000 ; im.king the total force 120,000 in peace,
and 180,000 in war. The commission had recommended
that the permanent staff should E e put permanently on
embodied pay. Since that recommendation was made, the
movement in favour of volunteers had greatly modified the
necessity for keeping sergeants of militia. The year was a
palmy year for non-commissioned officers. They might
command any sums for giving instructions in drill ; and
those whom they taught had certainly profited by their in-
structions. (Hear.) Certainly no one who was in H 3 de-
park on Saturday last would say that they lamented the
existing demand for non-commissioned officers ; for it had
supplied one of the most striking spectacles that had been
seen for years. (Hear.) He proposed in the Militia Pay
Bill, to put the permanent staff upon embodied militia pay.
(Hear.) He only proposed one other change, and that
would be effected by regulation, not by the bill. They ob-
tained field officers and captains !and lieutenants without
any difficulty ; but there was the greatest difficulty in get-
ting ensigns. The result was that they had gone rather
below the proper class for ensigns. It would be easy
enough to get them in time of war, if the regiments were
embodied, however difficult it might be in time of peace.
If they got a parcel of raw lads as ensigns during
the twenty-eight :days' training, they were more trouble
than they were worth. He proposed, in disembodied regi-
ments, to allow the existing ensigns to remain, but not to
fill up the vacancies. At present there were 66 deficient in
the embodied, ana 601 in the disembodied regiments. In
lieu of them he proposed that there should be two extra
lieutenants to carry the colours in each regiment. Their
duty was to keep to the tradition of the militia as it was,
and see whether it could not be got into a much more effi-
cient state. (Hear, hear.) He believed that it had been dis•
turbed and injured by constant interference with what was
the old militia law. If circumstances at home and abroad
would allow them to revert to the old practice, and keep the
militia as a reserve at home, it would much increase its effi-
ciency, by increasing the confidence of the men that they
would be allowed to remain disembodied.

Colonel PATTEN had heard the speech of the right hon.
gentleman with great pleasure. There was no doubt the de-
ficiency in the disembodied militia was owing to the uncer-
tainty in which they were kept as to being embodied. In
Lancashire, where wages were high, this was peculiarly felt.
In 1852, the ranks were filled, and continued so during the
Russian war; but when the system of disembodiment and
re-embodiment commenced the :numbers naturally fell off.
Ho would venture to suggest that the great essential for
making a disembodied militia perfect was the perfection
•f the staff. Ni officer ought to be on the staff who was
not competent to instruct the men in the new rifle exercise.
(Hear, hear.) Without a competent staff the men could
not be sufficiently instructed in 28 days. He was glad to
hoar that greater accommodation was to be given in the
building fer the staff, and that this would be effected with-
out increasing the county rates. lie would not express
any opinion upon the bill itself until he saw it ; but he be-
lieved it to be worthy of support. Every regiment ought
to be kept as much a county regiment as possible. In his
regiment he effected this object by introducing county gen-
tlemen at every third vacancy in preference to the regular
system of promotion.
Lord ENFIELD thought it would be a great improve-
ment to have the time of training determined a year before-
hand. It would produce a much better attendance. He
rejoiced to hear that there was t• be a definite scheme as to
the disembodiment or embodiment:of the militia, and that
the militia was not to be looked upon in future as a mere

nursery for the line. lle hoped that such arrangements
would be made that every regiment would be embodied in
its turn. The right hon. gentleman said ho could not Sc.
the advantages of a local militia. Well, sonic seven or eight
years ago the existence of the Government was made to
depend upon the question as to whether the militia should be
local or general. Most of the regiments were distinguished
by some designation connected with the county, which ho
thought was of great uso. He thanked the right hon. gen-
tleman for bringing in the bill.
Col. GILPIN also tendered his thanks to the right hon.
gentleman 14 bringing in the bill. As he had been pointedly
alluded to, he might say that he remained of the same opinion
as he had formerly expressed with regard to the buildings
for stores.
Gen. UPTON concurred in the opinion that there should
be no uncertainty as to whether a regiment should be em-
bodied or not, and that every militia regiment should have
an opportunity to acquire a proper discipline.
Leave was then given to bring in the bill.!
LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT AMENDMENT.
On the motion of Mr. CLIVE, leave was given to bring in a
bill to amend the Local Government Act.
SOUTH KENSINGTON MUSEUM.
Mr. LOWE moved that the following members be nomi-
uatod the select committee on South Kensington Museum :
Mr. Hutt, Mr. Blackburn, Mr. J. Locke, Mr. Stirling, Mr.
Kinnaird, Lord W. Graham, Sir J. Shelley, Mr. Alderman
Cubitt, Mr. Joseph Locke, Mr. J. Cole, Mr. Hankoy, Mr,
Adderley, Mr, Beami6h, Mr, G, Cayencli.sl3. Bentinck, and