The Sun.
London, England, 1858-02-17 00:00:00

member into a discussion of the currency question at that
late hour. The operations of the committee had been
restricted by that house. The committee would not be
guilty of such manifest neglect iu not inquiring into the
laws affecting the currency, but it was not desirdable the
committee should enter into the question of standard.
(Hear, hear.)
Mr. GREER withdrew his amendment.

TENANT FARMERS' (IRELAND) COMPENSATION.
Mr. MAGUIRE moved for leave to introduce a bill to
provide compensation to tenant farmers in Ireland for im-
provements made by them upon lands in their occupation ;
and to limit the power of eviction in certain cases. He
reserved discussion on the bill till the second reading.
Agreed to.
MORTALITY (FOOT GUARDS).
Captain ANNESLEY moved an address for copy of the
report of the medical officers of the Foot Guards which
states the average mortality in that brigade.
Mr. S. HERBERT said the commissioners had not cast
blame on any one in their report, but merely had stated
facts. Some censure had been cast on the officers of the
Guards for the present state of things, but they were not
answerable for the defects complained of, but tho Govern-
ment, and since the production of the report, Lord Pan-
more had taken means for carrying out the recommenda-
tions of the committee. The c3mmissionersstopped in their
statistics in 1803 because their information on the mor-
tality of the army was derived from reports laid before
Parliament by the officers of regiments, 1,11,1 had laid on
the table of the house unchallenged since 1853. It would
have been improper to have included the mortality subse-
quent to that date, because it would have included the
mortality in the Crimea. It was not to be supposed that
the Guards had net showed a higher degree of mortality on
their return from the Crimea because they were a young
and healthy brigade, and returned in a healthy state. It
would have been an error to have taken the returns of
mortality since then (coupled with the healthy state of the
last two years) as showing an improved condition of the
army. There would be no objection to make the return
asked for from 1839 to 1r,53 inclusive.

Captain ANNESLEY said he asked for the returns ex-
tending over a period of 15 yews previous to the war.
Mr. S. HERBERT proposed an addition to the return
asked for, for completing the return ; ho thought his re-
port would be the moans of remedying the condition of the
army. The only object the commissioners had in view was
to obtain that object. (Hoar, hoar.)
Col. NORTH defended the officers of regiments from
the charges that had been made against them, and com-
plained that copies of the report had been furnished to the
press before they had been laid on the table of the house.
Sir J. RINISDEN; on the part of the Government, had
no objection to the return as amended. The report referred
to did not contain reflection on regimental officers. He
explained the delay that had ariseni n the non-delivery of
the report to hon. members. The Government intended
to carry out the suggestion of the commissioners as early
as circumstances would permit. _ _ _

General CODRINGTeN spoke iu favour of the report.
There must have been some mistake either in taking the
War-Office returns, and the medical returns, and it was
necessary it should be cleared up. He considered it was
better for that house to discard anonymous statements, be-
cause all were aware that the officers of regiments did all
they could for bettering the condition of their troops.
Col, KNOX defended the regimental officers from the
remarks that had been made on them by the press in re-
ference to the subject. He could speak from experience
that for thirty years past officers of regiments had endea-
voured to remedy the defects complained of, and lie had
never failed to bring it before the house when the army
estimates were under consideration.
After some remarks from Col. PENNANT,

The motion as amended was agreed to.
TENANT FARMERS' IRELAND) COMPENSATION

BI LL.

Mr. MAGUIRE brought iu this bill, which was read a
first time.