The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-16 00:00:00

pointed to award compensation to the loyal owners ' but to offer a premium to vice. If the ser-
of slaves placed in the Union army :—For Missotri vice could be so constituted that thousands
—John A. Mills, John C. Billinger, and Boswell were willing to take the place of those discharged,
Marsh. For Kentucky—N. S. Moore, George W. and a sentence of dismissal would be as much of a
Blakely, and Archibald APAllister. For Tennessee punishment as it would be to a policeman, the
—O. E. Davis, henry Thompson, and Russell whole character of the service would instantly be
houston. For Maryland—William Flinn, Win. changed, and nothing could then be more easy than
11. Stewart, and John M. Miller. For West Vir- to introduce sweeping measures of reform. The
ginia—Wilson P. Ames, John Ashley, and Roberts first step is to make the army popular, so that the
Browne. ranks can be filled without an effort. All other

A Commission was commenced at Baltimore,
December, 1863, and continued in session until
October, 1865, at which date it was dissolved. One
was also commenced at Georgetown, Delaware,
about August, 1864, and was dissolved March, 1865.
It was composed as follows :—M. Gunn, Albert
Curry, and Thomas Ainsey. The commission in-
vestigated and reported upon nearly 4,000 claims.
The commissioners for Missouri (October 10th)
say the negroes enlisted in the army in that State
were enlisted as general recruits, when sent by the
various district Provost Marshals, or the autho-
rised recruiting officer to the general rendezvous
at Benton Barracks. They were subject to a
second medical examination, but no notice
was given of the assignment. Not only this,
but in some cases at least which have
come to their knowledge, the recruits were sent out
of the State before assigned to any regiment. Many
cases have been brought to their notice, in which
loyal owners, living on the western border of Mis-
souri, themselves took their slaves into Kansas and
enlisted them in the United States service. This

changes, then, with regard to the men, would be
easy enough. Dress, restraints, drill, and occupa-
tion of time are mere details which could be soon
settled if that one great change could be wrought.
The Government increase the inducements to
enlist in such a manner that they are not
easily seen by the recruit. They add a quar-
ter of a pound of moat to his rations, shorten
the period in which " good-conduct" pay can
be obtained, and allow extra articles of clothing
free of cost. If money be given instead the induce-
ment might be more quickly perceived, but it is
known that the effect would be but to increase
drunkenness in the ranks. The question is a very
difficult one, and will tax the powers of Parliament
to the utmost ; but the people may depend upon
this, that no effectual change for the better can be
wrought until the service has been rendered popular;
when a commanding officer can dismiss from the
ranks a drunkard and other incorrigible bad cha-
racters on his own authority, and that punishment
is felt severely by the men discharged, Army Re-
form will be effected, but till then all change is but

often occurred before any authority to receive
coloured recruits in Missouri was given. A large

patching old garments with new cloth. —Anglo-
American limes.

number of slaves were also enrolled under the same

circumstances. The following abstract shows the
labour performed and the number of claims acted
upon by the Commissions formerly in session for

COUNTRY MARKETS.

the States of Maryland and Delaware :

Tho number of claims filed in the Maryland Com-
mission was .. 3,869

Number of claims upon which awards were made ... 786
Number of claims upon which awards were rejected,
returned to claimants unacted upon, by reason of
the dissolution of the Commission

Total 3,867
The number of claims filed in the Delaware Com-
mission was 114 ; number of awards made, 43 ;
number rejected, 9 ; number re,turned to claimants
by reason of the dissolution of the Commission,
52 ; total, 114. The aggregate number of claims
with the Maryland and Delaware Commissions
was 3,981.
The banquet to the delegates of the Boards of
Trade of Oswego, Chicago, and Milwaukee, given
by the directors of the Huron and Ontario Ship
Canal Company, came off at the Queen's Hotel, on
December 18—the Mayor of Toronto in the chair,
supported on the right by D. T. Cepreol, president
of the company, and on the left by Lieutenant-
Governor Brown, of Illinois. About two hundred
guests were present, among whom were L. P. Hil-
ford ; Captain Parker and Thomas Letour, of
Chicago ; C. Ames and D. Foot, of Oswego ; Ames
Young, of Milwaukee ; the Aldermen and City
Council of Toronto ; Solicitor-General Cockburn ;
Hon. Asa A. Burnham Thurston, the United States
Consul; the Directors of the Huron and Ontario
Ship Canal Company ; Sheriff Jarvis ; Dr. M'Caul,
President of the Toronto University; Mr.M'Donald,
and other prominent personages.
The vote upon Mr. Ashley's resolution to suspend
the rules of the House for the purpose of appoint-
ing a select committee to inquire whether any
officer of Government has been guilty of acts which
are in the contemplation of the Constitution, high
crimes and misdemeanours, may be taken to be an
indication that Congress is not in a hurry to proceed
toward the impeachment of the President. The
vote in favour of the resolution was eighty-eight
Yeas, to forty-nine Nays, not sufficient to carry it
by consent of two-thirds of those present. One
hundred and twenty-seven votes, in all, were cast.
The Representatives in Congress are now one hun-
dred and ninety-six. The House of Representatives
may impeach the President on the vote of a majo-
rity, which, in a full House, would require ninety-
nine members. We suppose that it may be done by
a majority of those present at the meeting when the
question is put to vote. The trial would have to
be held by the Senate, and there two-thirds of the
members would be required to vote the removal.
Counting upon party majorities, it may therefore
be assumed that, under the present circumstances,
a vote of impeachment might be got through the
House, and sentence of removal be passed by the
Senate. Is it likely that it will be done ? This,
under the preseat aspect of affairs at Washington,
may be considered doubtful. The appointment of
a committee may be carried, and that committee
may make report, but the impeachment would be so
grave an act, and the consequences would be so
serious in the agitation that would ensue, that it
may be assumed that many members of the ma-
jority would hesitate before voting for a measure
which has not been demanded by the people, and
which might involve very serious consequences.
Congress has power to cut down the President's
patronage, and that is most probably all that will
be done. Impeachment, and threats of impeach-
ment, will be " rods in pickle," soaking for Pre-
sidential flagellation, and remaining in terrorem as
monitions of the necessity of good beheaviour.