The Sun.
London, England, 1860-02-18 00:00:00

had been entered into with France in regard to that
event. He repeated that Government were of
opinion that the treaty would be faV-ourably received by
the house and country. (Hear, hear.) He would take that
opportunity of stating Gat it was intended to proceed with
the discussion of the treaty on Monday next, and it was
proposed to go on with the discussion from day to day
until it was concluded, and the subject had been finally
arranged. He trusted that hon. members would permit
the Government to go on with the discussion without
interruption. (Hear, hear.)
ARMY ESTIMATES.
Mr. ELLICE asked the Secretary of State for War,
with reference to the discussion on the Budget on Monday,
whether the Army Estimates comprised the whole
sum to be asked for the defences of the country for the
ensing year ; or when an estimate for any additional sum
was to be laid upon the table,

Mr. S. HERBERT, in reply to several other questions,
said—The noble lord (Lord Elcho) wanted to know whether
it was the intention of the Government to arm the volun-
teer artillery with carbines. He had to say in reply that
the regular army would bo first supplied with the new car-
bines, which were being manufactured, before any could he,
given to volunteers, but if they would accept of the old car-
bines they could have them. As to the question by the
hon. member (Mr. Wyld), his reply was, that it was not
the intention of Government to supply the volunteers with
the use of grounds for target practice, as he knew from ex-
perience that the sum required for such a purpose would be
very large. The volunteers codld either hire or buy land
with much greater advantage than the Government could.
(Hear, hear.) To the question which had been put by the
honourable member opposite (Mr. Hassard) he was afraid
ho could not give a satisfactory answer. Every exten-
sion of favour would be given to the officers in question
that was possible, but it must be remembered that
officers in the Indian service received higher pensions than
those in the regular army. A captain in the latter had a pen-
sion of £127, and out of that he was charged £4O for placing
his son at Sandhurst, while the Indian officer of the same
rank received £355, and paid £lOO for his son at Sandhurst.
He mentioned this to show the different positions in which
those officers were relatively placed. He now came to the
question of the right hon. gentleman (Mr. Ellice), who had
asked whether the army estimates contained the whole of
the sum which Government would ask for the present year.
He (Mr. S. Herbert's) answer *lust be in the negative, be-
cause the disembodied militia would cost a further sum of
£500,000. He would guard himself against speaking posi-
tively with reference to supplemental estimates, as last year
there were two supplemental estimates. He did not, how-
ever, see at present that he should hive occasion to ask for
more. The estimates were no doubt exceedingly large, and
he should presently have to perform the difficult task of
showing their necessity for the safety of the country. (Hear,
hear.) There was a sum for fortifications of no small amount.
As to the report on that subject, it was the duty of the Sec-
retary for War to see what should be done, and if the Ad-
ministration agreed in the conclusion which he had arrived
at, it was the duty of the Government to recommend it to
Parliament, and he had put down the exact sum that would
be required. As to the war with China, about the sum of
one million would be wanted—one half in the present finan-
cial year, and the other half in the next financial year.
CONSOLIDATION OF THE STATUTES.
__ _ _

Mr. COLLIER asked the Attorney-General whether it
is the• intention of her Majesty's Government to take any
measures for the consolidation of the whole of the statutes.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said he hoped the whlle
subject would shortly be committed to a department or
public board, in order that it might meet with the attention
its importance demanded.
INDIA HOUSE RECORDS.

Colonel SYKES asked the Secretary of State for India
what foundation there was for a report that the business
of the India-office was to betransferged to apartments in the
Victoria Hotel, Westminster ; that a portion of the MS. re-
cords at the India-office were to be destroyed ; and that the
museum and library were to be dispersed, and, in case of
there being any truth in the above report, asked what ar-
rangements were contemplated to enable the East India
Company to conduct. their affairs?
Sir C. WOOD said he was not pledged at present to are-
moval of the records, but it was a more question of time, as
it was intended to erect a new building for the Indian de-
partment, which was only delayed upon a question of archi-
tecture. When Cabinet Councils met it was the greatest
possible inconvenience to have to go three or four miles to
the east end of London. It was not a matter of personal
convenience, but an advantage to tho public service. He
had always been an advocate for a council being formed for
India, but unless the Secretary of State was able to be pre-
sent, no business could be properly transacted, and the pub-
lic interest suffered. Now, something must be done to put
an end to that, and until the disputes now existing respect-
ing the style of architecture in which the new India House
were settled they must have some place more convenient
than the present distant building for that purpose. Under
these circumstances it was determined to take one-half of
what was kßown as the Victoria Hotel for that purpose,
and an arrangement had been made, which would come into
operationin the end of June or the beginning of July next.
As to the despatches, they had not been destroyed, and, in-
deed, they were in duplicate and triplicate in almost every
case.