The Sun.
London, England, 1860-07-27 00:00:00

(IRELAND) BILL.

Earl GRANVILLE moved the second reading of this
bill, the object of which was to enable tenants to effect im-
provements on their estates, such works to become a charge
on the estate, and to be discharged by way of annuities for
a certain number of years.
Viscount DONOUGH MORE thought the bill would not
realise the anticipations of its promoters.

Viscount DUNGANNON said he must enter his
protest against the bill altogether. He thought it would
do harm rather than good, and although he entertained
such a strong opinion he should not, owing to the lateness
of the session, object to its going int ) committee. He

thought the right course to adopt was to refer the bill to a
select committee, as it was fraught with injustice to the
whole of the landlords of Ireland.
The bill was then read a second time.
TITLES TO LAND (SCOTLAND) ACT (1858)
AMENDMENT BILL.
This bill passed through committee, and was reported,
with amendments to the house.
CONJUGAL RIGHTS (SCOTLAND) BILL.
This bill was read a second time.
THE MANCHESTER CATHEDRAL CHURCH
BILL.
This bill was read a second time.
BLEACHING AND DYEING WORKS BILL.

The amendments to this bill were reported to the house.
The Lauds .Clauses Consolidation Bill passed through
committee.

The Census (Ireland) Bill and the Census (England)
Bill were severally read a third time and passed.
The Tithe Commutation Bill was read a third time and
passed.
OFFENCES WITHIN HER MAJESTY'S POSSES-
SIONS ABROAD BILL.
This bill passed through committee.
HERRING FISHERIES (SCOTLAND) BILL.
This bill passed through committee.
NUISANCES REMOVAL AND DISEASES
PREVENTION BILL.
This bill was reported with amendments.
OXFORD UNIVERSITY BILL.
This bill was read a third time and passed.
FELONY AND MISDEMEANOUR BILL.
This bill went through committee.
POSTAGE (ARMY AND NAVY) BILL.
This bill was read a second time.
PARTY EMBLEMS (IRELAND) BILL.

Earl GRANVILLE moved the second reading of this
bill, which was to prevent the exhibition of banners and
party emblems in Ireland, the doing of which might lead
to breaches of the peace.
Lord CHELMSFORD said he thought the bill was not
carefully drawn up. He did not, however, mean to pro-
pose any amendment, but he had drawn up a clause which
he would submit to the noble earl's consideration.
Earl GRANVILLE said he would consider the pro-
priety of introducing it in another stage.
The bill was then read a second time.
The following bills were also read a second time :—Me-
dical Act (1858) Amendment Bill, and Highway Rates Act
Continuance Bill.
RIFLE VOLUNTEER ADJUTANTS' PAY AND
PERMANENT SERGEANTS.

Earl FORTESCUE begged to call the attention of the
Under Secretary for War to a question of which he had
given notice, relating to the pay and allowances to adju-
teats of administrative battalions of rifle volunteers in rural
districts ; but before doing so he would avail himself of that
opportunity of paying a well-merited tribute of acknow-
ledgment to the great value of the volunteers as a body,
and a well-deserved compliment to them upon their high
state of organisation. ' He also felt that it was due to the
right hon. gentleman the Secretary for War and to the
noble earl that to the manner and spirit in which they en-
couraged the movement, much of the degree of efficiency of
volunteers was due. Their lordships were aware that since
the formation of these corps they were organised into ad-
ministrative battalions, not for the purpose of destroying
their distinctiveness as separate cores, but for that of accus-
toming them by drilling to act in combination. From that
arrangement he understood it had been determined to attach
an adjutant to each corps, with the pay and allowance of
10s. a day. He thought a fair allowance for adjutants in
town, whose duties were:not so extended as those adjutants in
the rural districts, where corps were scattered much apart,
and separated by tracts of country; and in relation to adju-
tants of the latter class, he was of opinion that it was ne-
cessary that an extra allowance should be made to them
for the maintenance of a horse. (Hear, hear.) His
question then to the Under-Secretary for War, in refer-
ence to that class was, as to the " pay and allowances to
adjutants of administrative battalions in rural districts,"
and whether her Majesty's Government were prepared to
take any step for the purpose of giving further allowance
to them than they received at present. There was another
question of which he had also given notice, and that was
the desirableness, as it appeared to him, of appointing per-
manent sergeants to each company of volunteers. He
thought such an arrangement necessary to the greater effi-
ciency and drill of the corps, and it struck him that it
would be fair and right that they should have daily pay.
He also thought it desirable, nay necessary, that armourers
should be attached to each corps, for the purpose of keep-
ing the arms in a proper state of repair and efficiency, and
that for such service allowance ought also to bo made. But
with regard to the appointment of a permanent sergeant to
each company, great efficiency must arise from such an ar-
rangement. He was aware that objection might be taken
to it upon the ground of expense; but he did not think
that the whole cost would amount to more than £130,000
a-year, or about a pound to each man, which, in relation to
the value of such an arrangement, would not, in his opi-
nion, be complained of as a high amount. The question
which he desired to put to the noble earl, therefore, was
whether there would be a grant cf a permanent sergeant, to
be paid by the Government, for each company of volunteers.
Earl DE GREY and RIPON felt very happy in hearing
the noble earl express his high consideration of the value
of the volunteers, and he begged to assure the noble earl
that her Majesty's Government were also deeply sensible of
their great value and of the ready manner in which they
had stepped forward to serve their country. (Hear.) He
also felt sensible of the very handsome manner in which
the noble earl referred to himself in reference to the en-
couragement"given in the department which he had the
honour to represent in their lordships' house to the rifle
volunteer movement. With respect to the first point to

which his noble friend called attention, namely, the present
position of the adjutants of what was called "the adminis-
trative battalions in the rural districts," he admitted that

those battalions were scattered far apart over those districts,
and the noble earl very properly pointed out that the adju-
tants of those battalions were involved in much greater ex-
Peuse than the adjutants of corps in towns. Of the correct..
'aegis of that statement there was no doubt ; and he begged
to inform the noble earl that the question had been brought
under the consideration of the Secretary of War, whether it
would not be fair to make some additional allowance to ad-
(tants in those positions to cover their extra expenses.
(Hear, hear.) Their case was deserving of due considera-
tion, and he trusted, if the increased allowance should be
granted, that there lordships would approve of it. (Hear,
hear.) But he was afraid he could not give the noble earl so
satisfactory an answer to the second question which he put,
bt,cause the sum of £131,000, which compliance would
involve an addition to the estimates, and would be a eensi-
tderable increase on the cost to the country. -He feared,
therefore, that he could not give the noble earl any hope on
that point. It would be borne in mind that adjutants had
been only very recently appointed to volunteer corps, and
until they saw the working of that part of the system, he
did not think it advisable to incur alyeadndibt,ional expense
in connexion with the movement.
also bear in mind that the Government had' alearrolad7ul:l
Guards and other corps to drillatia;
pointed sergeants of the
volunteers ; and if they were to employ sergeants who were