The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-26 00:00:00

TIIE LAND TRANSPORT CORPS.

Last night a very numerous meeting of the discharged
members of the Land Transport Corps was held at the
Eight Bells, St. Luke's, to take unto consideration what
measures should be adopted to prosecute their claims on
the Government. The room in which the meeting was
held was filled to overflowing, and large numbers who
could not obtain admission congregated outside.
Corporal Dlvis, who wag called to the chair, having
briefly stated the object of the meeting,
Quartermaster-Serjeant AUSTIN said
.he was sorry
that meeting should have bad to be called, because he
thought the Government ought to have done them jus-
tice without it. (Hear, hear.) He had taken it upon
himself to call the meeting at his own expense, because
he felt confident that their claims were so well-founded
that they only required to be pressed in a proper man-
ner in orler to secura a satisfactory settlement.
Every corps that bad, come home from the Crimea
and'had been discharged had received a gratuity except
their own. Gratuities of 161, 121., 171 , and 241. had
been granted to four of such corps, but they were
foreigners; (Cries of "Oh, oh.") He wanted to know
why Eoglisbnaen of good character--and no one wrs
sent out without one—should be discharged, as they had
been, with a paltry pound ? (Hear, and Same.) He pro-
posed that they should take steps to place themselves
upon an equality with the Foreign Legion, as far as the
gratuity was concerned. He proposed that both first and
second class hands should be placed in the same position
in that respect, although the second °lois men tad a bounty
of 5/., while the first class men received no bonniy, but
had 2i. &I. a day with rations. Neither of these classes
bad bAsa clothed properly. " He knew personally that in
the Ripon, the Thames, and two other vessels, 200 of
their teen had been sent out partia'ly naked. They had
never seen a coat, and many ol thorn had to encounter
the inclemency of the winter with only summer trousers
and white slopes on. He proposed that they should
memorialise the Secretary of War for compensation for
the clothing of which they bad been deprived, contrary
to engagement entered into with them when they en-
listed, and to which they were therefore justly entitled.
They were to have bad two pairs of boots, and they only
got one. He himself had got no clothing whatever,.
notwithstanding the rank he held during the one year
and seven months he had been in the corps. The next
grievance of which they had to complain was the manner
in which they had been discharged. The document
which most of them had received, containing the dis-
charge, wa., he understood, illegal, and if so, they would
be entitled to their pay until they got a proper discharge.
He did not state that as a fact, however, but only as a
paint which it was intended to take legal advice upon,
and if they found that they had such a claim, he believed-
they would unanimously determine to press it. These in-
formal paper discharges were not like the regular parch-
ment discharges which some of the men had got, and
which included a certificate of character, enabling them
t).procure other employment. Those who had no such
certificates were suffering the greatest hardships and pri-
vations in consequence, and it was scandalous and the-
graceful that men of good character, who at the mo-
ment.of need had responded to the call of the Govern-
ment, and who had nobly done their duty, should be
thus shamefully and harshly treated. (Applause.) He
proposed, therefore, in the next place, that they should
employ a solicitor to embody the facts of their case in a
petition to Parliament, and to presecute their claims, in
such quarters as might be proper. It was not a case in
which many words were needsd. The facts were suffi-
cient, and having stated them, he left the rest to his fel-
low comrades. (Cheers.)
Mr. CHAMBERS said there was one part of Serjeant
Austin's statement which he wished to correct. The
serjeant said the second-class men got a bounty of 51.
He saw many second-class men in the room, and he
li would ask, did they get 51. ? (Loud cries of "No, no.")
He knew that all he got was ss. at the time of enlist-
ment, 153. when he went to Bristol, and 11. Os. lld.
afterwards, making 21. Os. 11d. What was to be done
about the other 2/. 19s. 10Id. ? (Hear, hear.) He pro-
posed it should be applied for, as well as the gratuity
to which they were entitled. (Applause, and cries of
" Yes, yes.") They were also promised a "kit," when
they entered; but when they got to Bristol, they found
they had to pay for every article that was served out to
them, and the prices charged were shamefully high.
They were charged 3s. 10d. for smock frocks that they
could have bought.anywhere for half a-crown ; 9s. 4d for
a pair, pf shoes, which they could have bought in any
shop in London for sm. (A voice—" And a great deal
better for the money.") Yes, and a great deal better
for the money. Then, they had to pay for their
needles, thread, and c )tton, and he was sure that all
they got of these articles could have been got for a
penny, while they were charged is, lid for them.
(Hear, hear.) They were charged is. for painting two
or three letters on their knapsacks. In fact, they had
been cheated in every possible way ; and now they bad
been discharged in this scandalous and disgraeeful man-
ner, without compensation or gratuity of any kind, while
foreigners were treated with the greatest liberality.
(Applause.)

Another SPEAKER said he knew many of the men who
had been sent out with only half a kit, and who, after
being charged Bs. 4d. for summer trouseri, had never
g t any winter trousers at all.
Mr. CHAMBERS continued. He had been invalided
and sent to Scutari. When he got there he found the
place was crowded, and they then sent him on to Ren.
koi, a civil hospital, where they stopped 3id. a day from
his pay for rations. Now when he entered the corps he
expected to get his full pay, and he wanted to know why
that stoppage should take place because they had not
room for him in a military, and sent him to a civil hos-
pital. That was no fault of his.—(A Voice—"l was
stopped 30. a day for rations in Scutari Hospital.") He
did not know that before, but he thought they should
claim that money back, and he felt very much disposed
to sue fur it in some of the county courts, if there was
no other way of getting it.
After some further statements of a similar character
from other speakers, it Ns as unanimously resolved to
apply to the Secretary of War for compensation for cloth-
ing, and to Parliament for redress of their other griev-
ances, especially with reference to the gratuity.
A committee of five was appointed to carry out these
resolutions, and the meeting closed with the usual com-
pliments to the chairman.

The letters from Holland mention that the whole of
the 850,0001, of silver, bought of the Bank of Amster-
dam about a month back by London firms, was sent
to Vienna. The price at which it was sold ranged
between 105 f. 60c. and 105 f. 70c., but the Bank hare
now raised their terms, and have fixed their selling
price for fine silver at 105 f, 80c., and their purchas.
lug price at lA4 Ok,