The Sun.
London, England, 1866-05-09 00:00:00

ARMY MEDICAL OFFICERS.

Sir R. ANSTRUTHER called the attention of the
house to the proposed alteration in the system of promo-
tion amongst medical officers of the Brigade of Guards, and '
moved an address for copies of the Warrant or Older
of 1860, under which a change in the system of pro-
motion amongst the medical officers of the Brigade of
Guards was to be made ; and also for any communications
from the War Office or the Horse Guards to the officers com-
manding the three regiments of Guards, intimating the
proposed change of system to the officers affected by it.
He contended that a great hardship had been dorie to the
gentlemen who had entered the service by the conceal-
ment of the existence of the warrant by which their pros-
pects in life had been altogether destroyed. He was of
opinion that the worst results would follow the altera-
tion. Tho warrant of 1858 ought to be held inviolate,
because it was signed by her Majesty, and there was no
knowledge in the service when the alteration which so
much affected the position' of the assistant-surgeons in
tiThbtrtio kgaadaeof Guards was made. He thought they had a
igthat the warrant should not have retrospec-
tive action.
Lord H. PERCY thought the medical officers in the
Guards bad a right to complain of the hardships inflicted
on them. He thought that retrospective measuresa ought
only to be sanctioned in the extremest
thought tho difficulty could be got over by
allowingcses the
gentlemen at present complaining to have their
in due course under the regimental system, and ithroarat otion
en
they were absorbed their promotion for the future When
they were absorbed their promotion for
be by brigade. the future could
be by brigade.
After a short discussion, in which Mr. By, Colonel
DAWSON, and Mr. INGHAM took part,
The Marquis of HARTINGTON said be should not
oppose the motion, but he could not agree with
the mover of it, that great injustice had been done.
He thought the decision of 1860 was quite in accordance
with the warrant of 1858, and that although it had not
dhe wtlhole ollf the medical
reepitaaeun,atrse
toaf
hits
existence. If it was good
been officially promulgated, yet the
officers in the Guards
wefroer rthee eocthyer w
Majesty's service,
he could not see why it should not be
good for the brigade
HofuGßucaHrds.
RATES. •
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, inm
movingu l s o r
for leave to introduce a bill for the abolition oco
thatp noy
church rates, stated that the measure provided
suit should hereafter be instituted, or proceedings taken
in any ecclesiastical court, or before any magisterialin
court, to compel the payment of church rate any
parish or place in England and Wales. It also made pro-
vision for the discharge of debts coptracted on the
security of church rates under the system now existing.
it
further providedthat,
tained in the
suits and act with regard to the abolition of
processes for the recovery of church rate, it
should be lawful,ith the exception of parishes where
church rate was
sufficiently provided for by endowments
or fixed funds, for the
t parishionersbe
c in vestry assembled to
assess a voluntary rateapplicablee to any purposes for
which church rate had been
heretofore lawfully applied.
Another clause defined the
class of persons who were to
enter upon the discussion or decision
t, if at any discus-
ing the voluntary rate. It provided gar. proceedings affect-
ing
a difference of opinion arose and a Poll was demanded„

the votes should be entered in a book or on a schedule, de-
claring the willingness of the persons who gave their votes
to pay their quota towards the rate in case it were passed
by a majority. But the most important clause in the bill
was that which provided for compensation for the compul-
sory abolition of processes. He further proposed that
persons who declined to pay a rate should, after a certain
lapse of time, be deemed ineligible to fill the office of
churchwarden for ecclesiastical purposes. The only other
material provision was that persons who had declined to
pay a voluntary rate should, if they changed their minds,
on payment or tender of payment of their proper propor-
tion of the voluntary assessment, be entitled to all the
power of voting, as if they had in the first instance volun-
tarily paid their share of the assessment. He made the
proposal in a spirit of peace, and the offering had already
been accepted by a large portion of those who had been
engaged in this controversy ; and being made in the spirit
of peace he sincerely trusted that the attainment of peace
would be the result.
Mr. NEWDEGATE feared the measure would be at-
tended with the danger of introducing elements for con-
firming a variation in the system of carrying out the ser-
vices of the Church in different parishes.
Mr. B. HOPE appreciated the excellent feeling and good
spirit in which the Chancellor of the Exchequer had subor-
dinated politiCal and religious differences to an honest
desire to settle this vexed question. He believed the mode
proposed was the only one by which that object was to be
secured.

Mr. CANDLISH inquired whether the bill would over-
ride and supersede local acts empowering an assessment to
church rates.

Lord J. MANNERS, so far as he could form an opinion
from the statement of Mr. Gladstone, did not think that the
proposal could be regarded by Churchmen as a satisfactory
compromise.

Mr. CHAMBERS agreed that it was not a compromise
but a victory for the Dissenters, inasmuch as it abolished
church rate. As a Churchman he objected to it that it
kept up the form of compulsion without the force. The
truth was that the church rate was abandoned, and that
the Dissenters had won the whole battle.

Sir R. PEEL regarded the bill as made in the spirit of
conciliation, and cordially approving of the course taken
by the Government, trusted the house would give them its
support. He wished to know whether, if a Dissenter re-
fused to pay church rate, he might claim a right to inter
members of his family in the parish churchyard.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, replying
to the questions of Mr. Candlish, stated that the bill was
intended to supersede local acts such as had been referred
to. To Sir R. Peel's inquiry, he returned the answer that
there was no disability imposed except as to the making
and application of the rate, the election of churchwardens,
and the right of serving the office of churchwarden for
ecclesiastical purposes.
Mr. BRIGHT drew attention to the subject of Easter
dues, which he pronounced a more offensive impost even
than church rates, and recommended that their abolition
should be made part of the present measure.
Leave was then given to bring in tho bill.
Mr. M. GIBSON nominated the select committee on
the Thames Navigation Bill.
The Transubstantiation, &c., Declaration Bill, the second
reading of which was moved by Mr. Cogan, called Mr.
Whalley to his legs, and the hon. member made a charac-
teristic speech, aimed at the influence of the Society of
Jesus, who, he declared were at the bottom of every mis-
chief afflicting the British empire, and had even insti-
gated the late rebellion of the natives of New Zealand
against the supremacy of the mother country. He had
given notice of an amendment to read the bill a second
time six months henco, but he finished his speech, which
was well laughed at by the Roman Catholic members,
without making the motion. Mr. C. Fortescue and the
Chancellor of the Exchequer having expressed the
thorough approval of the Government of the bill, Mr.
Newdegate administered a sharp rebuke to Mr. Whalley,
who, he said, was always playing into the hands of his
opponents. He warned the hon. member, if he wero really
a Protestant and sincere, that he was damaging the inte-
rests and misrepresenting the feelings of the Protestant
people of the country, and bringing into contempt in that
house feelings which were deeply and sincerely enter-
tained by a large number of his fellow-countrymen. With
regard to the declaration which it was proposed to repeal,
it was in his opinion no more than a reasonable one to be
required from any man who took office under a Protestant
Sovereign.

Mr. O'BEIRNE having thrown out a challenge to Mr.
Whalley to substantiate the allegations he had made, the
motion for the second reading was agreed to.
The Exchequer and Audit Departments Bill was read a
third time and passed.

The other business on the paper was disposed of, and
The house adjourned, at a few minutes to 12 o'clock.

ELEC TIOJ IN rELLIGENCE.

-41.

NOTTINGHAM.

The election is one of the most exciting that
have ever taken plane in this town. The Conser-
vatives are making a great push, and Lady Jenkin-
son is busily canvassing for her husband. The other
candidates are all actively engaged. On Monday
evening there was a mass meeting in the Market-
place, more than 30,000 persons being present ; Sir
R. Clifton presided, and Mr. Osborne vindicated
himself from the charge of splitting the Liberal
party in the borough.

Mr. OSBORNE said that the Liberal deputation
who waited upon him in London made a distinct
proposition to him, asking him in case Lord Am-
berley did not accept their requisition, whether he
would stand under their auspices. His reply was,
" What do you take me for ? I am a gentleman
unaccustomed to play double parts, or to go
de-
putation with
one party when lam pledged to another." The
da
y (snuadsakye.d)l to ; be e
unwillinglya ll allowed
b
t o
assented, see him theuttook
in next
the precaution to have a witness the room. That
morning the deputation had publicly denied his
statements. As soon as he heard of it he telegraphed
to his friend in London telling him of the denial
that had appeared, and saying, " I will stand or
fall by your testimony as to the truth of what I
said." It was a warning to him not to have any
more private interviews with the three gentlemen of
the Liberal Society. " Liberal Society" did they
call it ? A. more illiberal set of men to have usurped
a name not belonging to them it had never been his
fortune to come in contact with. It seemed to him
that they were actuated not by the spirit of libe-
rality but of persecution, and were determined to
hunt him down. They were desirous of affixing a
stigma to his name, and acted on the principle of
throwing dirt, for some of it might stick.. But they
did not know the man with whom they had to deal;
he was not a man to fly or turn his back upon his
opponents. He would meet them foot to foot, and
if he could not give them a sound Liberal thrash-
ing in this conflict, he should call his supporters
exceedingly injudicious seconds and worthless.
bottle-holders. He was not going to mince matters
with this coterie or clique. He had had something
to do with men who

" Forget the dunghill where they grew,
And think themselves the Lord knows who."

And feeling that he was supported by the honest
and unpurchased electors in the town, he was deter-
mined not to submit to dictation on the part of those
who wished to throw dirt on an honest and straight-
forward man, and to drag him down from the re-
spectable position he had hitherto occupied. What
man with the spirit of an Englishman in his heart
would be satisfied with a set of men, however
wealthy and respectable they might be, who sent
their emissaries east and west, right and left, to
select two members for their choice ? It reminded
him more of the middle ages than of the year 1866.
(Cheers.) They were told that the Liberal party
—and who were the Liberal party if not those before
him that night ?—had done so and so. He wanted
to know who were the more Liberal—the men who,
in the light of day, accepted a stranger after listen-
ing to his sentiments, or the men who went through
the back streets, here and there, in Birmingham,
London, Manchester, and Liverpool, begging for
candidates? This was no common contest. It
was a contest where their freedom and their rights
were at stake, and if they did not willingly support
him as the exponent of independence, they would
henceforth be branded among the constituencies of
etEalanksagelatwhniediienran
ahsolaviabsoasditiyyo of serfs—as a body content to
styled
do f
Nt ho 30e theirmeeting
candidateseec n gin
froma r
o othatin
which, like another place, was paved with good in-
tentions. (Cheers.)
. _ _

Lord Amberley and Mr. 11. Cossham addressed
the electors and non-electors in the Market-place,
on Monday evening.

Mr. COSSHAM taxed Mr. Bernal Osborne with
coming down to divide the Liberal party at Notting-
ham. He said Mr. Osborne might say what he
liked, but he came here the nominee of the Tory
party. He came to damage the Liberal cause. He
came to endeavour to transfer the LiberaLsentiment
in the town to the Tory side. (Hear, hear.) He did
hope before Mr. Osborne's reputation was quite gone
he would retire. He had come here not half so
honestly and so honourably as Sir G. Jenkinson.
(Cheers.) Since he (Mr. Cossham) left Nottingham