The Sun.
London, England, 1858-03-27 00:00:00

PASSING TOLLS.

Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY, having presented
SO,llO petitions in favour if the abolition of pasting
asked the noble lint opposite whether the Government
intended, after the Easter recess, to introduce any mea-
sure for the abolition of such ton, I
The Earl of DONOUGHMORE said a rnes.ure was
now under the consideration of the proper department.,
and they hoped aeon to be in a condition to introduce a
bill on the subject.
BARRACK EX PENDIFURE.

Lord PANMURE rose to move f r a return of the
sums of money proposed in the Army E-timates of
1356-7-8-9, to be expended in barracks, showing the
auras required fn. the caution of new barracks, and

-tating the 'different localities in which they were to be
erected, and whether they were intended to re-
place old barrack. The sums required for
supplying water, improving drainage, and ventilating
existing barracks and also the sums required generally
for sanitary purposes connected with barracks or hospi-
tals, and for the provision of quarters for married men,
commissioned officers, and soldiers. In moving for
these returns his object was to show what had been done
of late years to promote the moral and physical well-
being cf our soldiers. The evils that had recently been
pointed out in the condition of barracks had been sought
to be provided against in all the arrangements that bad
been made. He should prove to their lordships that no
claes of her Mirjesty's subiscts had bad their health
more carefully attended to, or been more diligently
looked after than that very class which they were
accused of neglecting, the soldiers of the ranks who had
7ac's shown themstlees worthy of all the care which
was bestowed upon thew. sic; was a X'Otli to do this
n-'w, because the statements that had gone abrea
alight very much tend to cheek the aspirationsEof
young men for military service, and thus do damage to
the recruiting of the country. He would first draw
attention to the changes that had been made in the
moral and physical condition of the sillier during the
last criarter of a CM•tury. He wou'd not say that al,
had been done that ought to be done. Much yet re-
mained to be done in order to carry out the view whit's
he hal alwaylt entertained, that e,f rendering the two
military pr. fessiens attractive to the youth of this
country. Eventually he hoped to tee the day, though
he feared it was yet somewhat di-tent, when dismissal
from either the army or navy would be considered as a
r at disgrace by the man as it was at present by his
officor. (Hear, hear.) It would take not only time,
but a great expenditure of money to place the army on
that tooting on which h•-i. should wish to see it. Tue
gre t point to which public attention was now turned
was the ear i•ary condition of the army. He would first
draw atter tion to the arrangements r f several years
past. When he first joined the service the condition at
'bee Idier, compared with what it' was row, was real y
and absolutely filthy. When Lord Grey was S-icretaiy
at War he amended the routine of f reign r litfe which
had not before been properly settled. By his ar-
rangement no soldier, even at so distant a station
as the East Indies, was to be more than fifieen
years a'neet, except in eases of emergency, and at the
West Indies and nearer stations the period of re-
lief was fixed at ten years. This had b7eu carried out
at a great public e xperise. Another improvement of
Lord Grey's was the introduction if enotl-eehducti pay,
and of savings banks in the army. Lord Harding,- had
done much to improve the cenditio i of the pensioners
and old soldiers ; he put an end to the frauds which had
prevailed in drawing pensions, and caused them to be
drawn in advance. Thi., body of 15 000 armed defenders
had often rendered great service to the ottuntry. When
he (Lord Panwure) succeeded to the War-office, six
years ago, ho had introduced libraries into barracks, and
ho belieev.d that great advantage had resulted from them.
Up to 184 S, it was the practice to sell spirits in the can-
teens ; the result was to introduce a habit of drain drink-
ing. With the consent of Parliament, the commander.
ira:Lief abolished the practice : it was now utterly given
up ; and there did not now exist in the army the men
heretofore known as "sponges." (Hear, bear.) Every
csulti now retire, after twenty-one years' service,
with a pension of eigbtpence a day e and for every five
years rervice in the colonies he had an extra penny a
day ; so that he might be entitled after twenty-one
years' service to one shilling a day. Great improvement
had been made in the rations, at a considerable cost to
the country. Formerly there were only six chaplains
in the army ; now there were twenty-two, an-I thirty-
five aseistant chaplains. The bounties given were placed
on a better footing ; a free kit was now given, and the
soldier knew that he should receive in money the full
bounty c flared. Recently the pay sergeants had been
raised 2d. a day, with a view to compensate them for the
loss of pries-money. It was utterly unfounded to say
that the condition of the soldier had been neglected dur-
ing the last 25 years. Improvements had been made
qu etly ; the estimates had been increased ; and the
pullic had taken very little notice of it. He now came lo
the condition of the barrack.. It was said they were so
bad that to compel soldiers to live in them was worse
than a siege. The statement was an exaggeration, In
pall the new barrack s el recent sanitary improvements had
been introduced ; but when the old berraeles were
built those thines were not thought of. A room now
considered large enough for twenty-five would have been
made to hold fifty or siety. In some barraeke, he ad-
mitted, the ventilation and draining was defic'ent, and
it was almost impossible to make the improvements
which were now advocated. A very large sum cf money
would be required to carry out those arrangement'. He
was ready to take his share of the blame for not asking
Parliament for more money; but he thought that the
ca 1 for improvements in barracks was carried. further
than necessary. The recent report of the comma-stoners
snowed that the mortality was grea'est ameng the
Guards—as much as 20 in 1,000 he b slievel. He con-
srdered that the colonels cf the regiments had been ue•
justly blamed for this state of things. Had then• repre-
sentations been attended to, the seldiers would have been
much better lodged. The cost of a site atone for bar-
racks was enormous in Linden ; it could scarcely be less
than 100 0001. It was einguiar that those lately unit
often turne i out less healthy than old barracks. He be-
lieved the Wellington barracks were not so healthy as
the old Portman-street barracks, the sanitary state rf
which bad been much complained of. He believed they
were the most healthy barracks in London. The
engineers at Ceattram were far more healthy than the
t.e'ruards in London, the rostrum being that the latter were
so much exposed to the night air. He could not but
thine 'hat there were many night sentries in London
who might be dispensed with. (Hear, hear.) He had
gone int r these eletaiis in order to chow that during the
iast 25 years the in,erests of the soldier had not beet,
neglected. On the contrary, every Government during
that period bad shown itself most anxious to improve the
condition of the army, and every Government bad been
sncc.'ssful in the steps it had taken for that purpose.
(Hear.) But it must be remembered that the sanitary
condition of the soldier was not the only thing for which
the estimates were voted. (Hear ) Fur :he last two
years the army estimates had amounted to upwards of
11,000,000/. per annum. This year 630,0001. had been
voted for barrack accommodation ; but the mere wear
and tear of of the existing bnildings had cost ant less
than 220,0001. of that sum. There were new barracks
in the course of erection at Portsmouth and
of eoluer-
where, which would render the accommoodtatthiaotn
was not
troops better than it was at present. B
must also look
the only thing they mutt look to—they
to the military defences of the.cooutnotrtyho
defences([fear.) lt was
otir
just as necessary to pay attentro
and our coasts, as it was
dockyards, our great arsenals,onvertieg barracks into
to spend vast sums
palaces. At this momentupoPnortsmouth might be said to
be properly and ampdefended ; but Plymouth still re-
quired a great deal toybe done to put it in a satisfactory
condition ; and there were various other points to which
be would not morehopawratiscularly allude while speaking in
public, but which
quite sure would command the
most serious attentiond a of the noble earl opposite. Nor
was that all. We ha
number of great military stations
abroad,
and they must not be neglected. The Govern-
ment should endeavour to disperse the votes of Perla
meat throughout the whole army, and not confine its '
expenditure to the benefit of a mere portion of the
troops. He (the noble lord) was as willing as any one
could be to carry out every sanitary improvement ; but
their lordships must recollect that though the House of
Commons were always ready to agree to every plan of
this description, they were not so ready when it came to
furnishing the necessary ways and means. (Hear,) He
had thought it his duty to call attention to this matter in
order that the public might not only be made alive to
the importance of sanitary reform, but that they might
be induced to sanction the voting by their representatives
of the necessary ways and means. (Cheers.)
The Duke of CAMBRIDGE was extremely glad that
the noble baron had given him an opportuoitY _
pressing as publicly as he could the extremer_eggret
awriteh.
which he friend that some observationlonf
th bi
at ohe bad
cent occa ion had led to an imp
brought a charge either agaiv st the noble baron himself,
or against the Government_ehad
felt it hie dllt7, as the
had been connected. U.