The Sun.
London, England, 1860-06-01 00:00:00

CHINA.

Lord J. RUSSELL laid on the table further correspon.
dence with Mr. Bruce in reference to China.

TAXATION.

Lord FERMOY gave notice that on the motion for the
adjournment of the house to-morrow be would ask the
Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, as the House of
Lords had rejected the bill for the repeal of the paper duty,
he proposed to remit any other tax, considering that one
penny per pound had been added to the income-tax.
GENERAL SIR C GREY'S APPOINTMENT.

Sir D. L. EVANS, in rising to draw the attention of the
house to the recent appointment of the Hon. General Sir
C. Grey to the colonelcy of a regiment, observed :—A 71O-
lice stands in my name respecting the recent appointment
of General the Hon. Sir C. Grey to the sinecure colonelcy
of a regiment. That notice has been caused somewhat ac -
cidentally. In the Committee on Military Organization I
took the liberty, a few days since, of asking the Secretary
for War, in the course of his evidence, a question, which is
reported in the following words :
"In the highest appointments (for which you are re-
sponsible) you include, do you not, nominations to colonel-
cies of regiments?—Yes.
"There has been an appointment (to a colonelcy) which
attracted a good deal of public attention ; did that appoint-
ment come under your notice ?—Certainly ; I am respon •
Bible for it.
" I do not wish to press the question, but it might, per-
haps, be agreeable to you to state the reason for that ap-
pointment ?—I would sooner you :put that question to me
in the House of Commons."
Now, I consider this invitation as leaving mo no option but
that of submitting the question, which I now do, on the
present motion. And, considering the very serious princi-
ple involved in this recent appointment, I am very glad
that it has thus devolved to me to bring it to issue ; for,
if
it is to be regarded as a precedent, it is but right that the
fact should be made known to the army and to the public
In 1' 33 a select committee was appointed to inquire into
the grounds of similar sinecure nominations. In the evi-
dence of the late Lord Raglan (then Lord Fitzroy Somer-
set) before that committee, the following questions and an-
swets are recorded :
"Do you not consider it essential to the good of the
service that the Commander-in-Chief should have the
power to select the most meritorious officers for those
which are appointments of. reward, and not exactly
is a very appointments to which duties are
individuals
?—Yes •
consider that the just. reward of individuals in 'all
ranks, but particularly in the higher ranks,.
im-
portant duty for the Commander-in-Chief to discharge, nct
only as it affects the officers of the lung's service, but' the
credit of the country and the honour of his Majesty him-
self."
" Supposing (his lordship was asked) that there was a
genera officer who had had short service, but who had had
an opportunity of distinguishing himself in the field, and
that there was another officer of a longer service, but who
had performed that service in the colonies and had not had
the same good fortune in distinguishing himself—which of
those two classes would, as the general principle, the Com-