The Sun.
London, England, 1858-03-17 00:00:00

of it, because it would now range under the head of
acknowledged savings, And as such would form part oft
the consolidated fund. [Sir G. C. Lewie expressed his
dissent.] The right hon. gentleman shakes hie head, but
I have the highest authority for believing that he is in
error—the authority of a gentleman who occupied the
position which I now fill, and which was recently so
worthily cecupied by the right hon. gentleman. I can-
not, therefore, relinquish the opinion which I have ez•
pressed, but whether it be correct or not, I hope the
house will not disapprove the course we are taking—
viz., that where there is a clear deficiency of 500,00 V.,
we prefer to come to Parliament for a vote to supply
that deficiency. (Hear, hear.)
Sir G. C. LEWIS—If it is distinctly understood that
what is saved upon the other votes shall not be trans-
felled I have not the smallest objection to the course
that is being taken, but what I objeot to is that there
should unnecessarily be an increase of 500,0001. in the
vote for the army, because, if a saving equivalent to that
sum is made upon pay and provisions, then, notwith-
standing what the right hon. gentleman says, I appre-
hend it will be quite competent to the Government,
under the Appropriation Act, to transfer that sum to
other items. For example, they may spend that sum
in barracks or fortification,.

Mr. HAMILTON said that if there was any surplus
it would be put forward as a saving in the ordinary ways
and means.

Sir F. BIRING expressed his perfect concurrence in
the (Dowse the Government were pursuing. They had
laid down the rule strictly, and he hoped the house
would hold them t , it. (Hear, hear.)
Sir H. WILLOUGHBY said that the late Govern-
ment had taken a large surplus of above half a million
voted for one service, and applied it to another, but
the present Government had pursued a more constitu-
tional course. (Hear, hear.) He thought it was the duty
of this house to limit the power of Government, under
the 27th clause of the Appropriation Act, which gave
them in general terms the power to apply surpluses
without naming to what amount. They might take a
million under that clause and se apply it. He (Sir H.
Willoughby) thought there ought to be some limit to
this power. He thought the limit should be 50,0001., or
at all events some specified amount.
Mr. CARDWELL said the right hon. gentleman
(Mr. Disraeli) deserved great credit for the course he
had pursued on this occasion. He hoped it would be a
precedent for future Governments.
The report was received.
WAYS AND MEANS.
The house then resolved itself into Committee of
Ways and Means—Mr. FITZROY in the chair.
On the vote of 500.0001. for the deficiencies in the
militia estimates of last year,
Sir H. WILLOUGHBY wished to call the atten-
tion of the right hon. gentleman opposite (Sir C. Lewis)
to the clause in the Appropriation Act, under which
power wag given to apply surplus money voted for one
purpose to other purposes, it might be entirely different,
for instance, under it Government might take army
money and apply it for navy purposes. He had no doubt
such was not the intention of the framers of the clause,
but he wished the right hon. gentleman to state the cir-
cumstances under which that clause was introduced, and
whether it was take❑ from any previous act ?
Sir C. LEWIS said that the explanation was an ex-
tremely simple one. There was a dissolution of Parlia-
ment last year in the middle of the session, which of ne-
cessity disturbed the continuity of the estimates and the
ordinary course of proceeding. They had then referred
back to 1341, when a similar dissolution took place, and
had followed exactly the precedent set them by the Go-
vernment of that day, and the clause to which the hon.
baronet referred was taken from the act then passed. It
should, however, be remembered that this clause 'did
not enable Government to apply surpluses to any other
object than those enumerated in the 27th section of the
act.

The vote was then agreed to, and also a vote of
10,000,0001. towards making good the supplies out of
the consolidated fund.
The house then resumed.
MARINE MUTINY BILL.
This bill was read a third time.
MUTINY BILL.
On the order of the day for the second reading of the
Mutiny Bill,
Mr. BAXTER called the attention of the house to a
most injurious alteration, so far as Scotland was con-
cerned, which had been made in this act at the end of
last session, when most of the Scotch members had re-
turned to their homes. Before that time almost every
householder iu Scotland was subject to the billeting sys-
tem, which was a grievance almost intolerable, and in•
stead of devising► a proper remedy for this, the Governs-
meat, in August last, assimilated the law in Scotland to
that in England, and threw the whole system of billet-
ing upon innkeepers, although there was really nothing
in common between the two countries in this respect.
It was his (Mr. Baxter's) intention to have taken the
sense of the house on this motion. (Hear.) He did not,
however, wish to give any ground for a charge of fac.
tious opposition, and therefore, under present circum-
stances, he 'should not divide the house, but he
hoped the subject would be fully investigated. In
Montrose, there was a population of 15,000 per-
sons, and of that number 33 were publican., and
for two months last autumn a whole regiment of
militia, consisting of about 800 men, were billeted on
these unfortunate innkeepers. No less than 35,963
billets were issued during the months of October .sad
November. being equivalent to a tax of 2241. 134.
upon each innkeeper. One man paying a rent of 1701.
a-year was paying at the rate of 1331. 11.. 6.21. for the
accommodation of militia, and some of these poor pub-
Fcans had actually to sell off their effects to avoid this
cruel infliction, and wore entirely ruined. (Hear, hear.)
In Edinburgh, the state of things was worse. Some of
the publicans there had thousands of bidets issued to
them. This was a matter which demanded the serious
consideration and prompt interference of the Govern-
ment. tHear, hear.) He would put it to the Govern-
ment, whether this whole system of billeting was not a
remnant of barbarism, injurious to military discipline,
and destructive of domestic peace. These were solid
grievances which ought to be immediately redressed --
(hear, hear)—and if no remedy was granted it would be
his duty, in the coerseof the session, to bring the matter
before the House of Commons. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. A. KINNAIRD said he wished to add his en-
treaty to that of the hon. member for Montrose, that
this subject might be taken into the early consideration
of the Government. There was in Scotland every desire
to afford facilities to pass troops, but the mode in which
this was done at present amounted to a great grievance,
which by a little inquiry and consideration might, he
thought, easily be removed. He concluded by suggest-
ing teat a committee should be appointed to investigate
the subject.

Mr. BUCHANAN said that the injustice of the pre-
sent billeting system was so obvious that it hardly required
any furthei notice to prove that it was a grievance which
ought to be remedied. If it costa certain sum per night
to maintain the soldier, be did not see why that expense
should be saddled upon one particular class of the com-
munity. It was a gross injustice. (Hear, hear.) Why
should this particular class of tradesmen be exposed to
be plundered by a lawless soldiery ? (Hear, hear.) It
was a very great annoyance to have these men coming
wrangling about the money which they were to receive.
(Hear.) He noticed that in the report of the sanatory
state of the army the mortality was stated to be greater
in the army than it was iu other classes of the com-
munity, and no wonder, for these soldiers having
wrangled till they got as much money as they could,
went and spent it in low haunts, and thus got into a state
of health from which they never fully recovered. If this
4d. per night were devoted to the purpose, a very good
place might be provided in E linburgh, and justice would
be done to all parties ; but he could not conceive of a
greater injustice than that some four or five hundred out
of a large population should be victimised. (Rear.)

Mr. RIDLEY complained that the publicans were
out of pocket by complying with the act. When troops
were marching through the country, billeting perhaps
could not be alt3gether done away with, but he would
be satisfied if the present Government would give the
same assurance as the late Government, viz., that it
should be resorted to as little as possible.
Mr. E WART supported the proposition to refer this
subject to a select committee, because he was sure that
such a step would give very great satisfaction. At
Liverpool they had good barrack accommodation, and
therefore the town was exonerated from this burden.
General CODRINGTON said it was settled by the
late G tvernment that the laws of England and Scotland
should be assimilated on this point. There was not in
Scotland the same means of accommodating the soldier
that there was in England, especially in the more popu-
lous parts of England. It was no doubt very much
better for the soldier that he should be in barracks ; and
it was certainly not fair that the sum allowed should not
be proportionate to the expense incurred ; but they
could not in the present state of things give up the power
of quartering soldiers where they could be lodged and
fed when moving about the country.
Colonel NORTH said that it was as bard for Ireland
as it was for England ; but there must be some provision
far troops when marching about the country.
Mr. ELLIOT said there was not a Scotch member in
the house who would not agree with the objec%ions
which bad been made against the present system ; for it
was a grievance which was felt severely throughout the
whole of Scotland, and it would be a great boon to that
country if the Government would carefully consider the
,natter and take some steps to ascertain the real state of
the case, and what was the best mode of remedying the
admitted evil.

Mr. BLACKBURN said, as a Scotch member, he felt
bound to say that he did not see how the billeting
system could be done without. He did not see that
there c iuld be a better plin than to quarter the soldiers
at the public-houses, which were open at all hours for
the purposes of trade. It was by no means so great a
grievance to have soldiers billeted on public•houses as 013
private houses,
Mr. COLEBROOK said that many of the Scotch
publicans had not the means of lodging the-siren
billeted upon them, and had to provide lodgings •Mst--
where, which pressed particularly hard upon them. The
Government could readily meet the evil, either by pro-
viding proper barracks for the troops, or else by taking
the simply course of paying these persons certain 811(11,4
on account of the expenses to which they are put. He
suggested that the hen. ..ad gallant member the Minis-
ter fur War should take the subject into his careful con-
sideration.
General PEEL said he would do so, but the only
pledge he could give them was, that the subject should
receive his earnest attention. He bad agreed on Thurs-
day next to receive a deputation on the sajec, from
Etlinbur,,h. He admitted the hardships of the billeting
system. The hardship varied from year to year, for, with
all the fluctuations in the price of provisions, the sum
allowed had remained the same since 1830. What was
the best mode of dealing with the difficulty it was im-
possible for him at the present moment to say, Ile could