The Sun.
London, England, 1861-02-22 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS.—(Tms EVENING).
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on. the woolsack
at five o'clock.

CHURCH RATES.. _ -
Petitions against the abolition of chinch sates were pre-
sented by several peers.

MARRIAGE WITH A DECEASED WIFE'S
SISTER.

Lord WODE HOUSE presented petitions from a place
in Norfolk, from London, and other places, in favour of
legalising the marriage with a deceased wife's sister.

SECOND READINGS

The following bills were read a second time :—Dumfries,
Lochmaben, and Lockerby Junction Railway ; Dartmouth
and Torbay Railway; Esk Valley Railway; Glasgow
(City) Life Assurance Company; Weston-super-Mare
Gas, and South Essex Water.
THE TIPPERARY MILITIA ARTILLERY.
The Earl of DONOUGHMORE rose to call the atten-
tion of the house to a proposal for forming a brigade of
Royal Artillery. In bringing the subject forward he did
not do so with any feeling of hostility to the Government
or to the authorities at the Horse Guards, but
merely with a view of setting himself right with their lord-
ships. Having mentioned the circumstances that led to
the embodiment of the Tipperary Militia Artillery, and re-
marked upon the high state of discipline to which it had
arrived, the noble lord proceeded to say that, in
the year 1859 a rumour got abroad that it was the intention to
add considerably to the Royal Artillery; he thought it might
be considered highly probable that a body of disciplined
men might be acceptable to the Government. He wrote
to the authorities suggesting that the Tipperary Militia
should be accepted and transferred into the regular regi-
ments of the line. He thought then, and he still thought,
that the claims of the officers, should the proposed
arrangement be carried into effect, ought not to
be overlooked. He therefore proposed that a certain
numborlof commissions be given to regiments of the line
not in the Royal Artillery—" Hear, hear," frau the Earl
of Derby)—and he wished their lordships to particularly
recollect they should be granted to them in consideration
of the transfer of the men. After a correspondence the
arrangements failed. Subsequently he' proposed to the
Commander-in-Chief, at the wish' -of the 'officers, if
the Government were willing to accept the
services of the officers and men, together
as a regiment of the Line, shoud the plan
be approved of. In all tne correspondence it• would
be observed, that ft had never been proposed
that commissions in the Royal Artillery should be
given the officers of the militia. After a lapse of time he
heard that it was proposed to incorporate the men with
the Royal Artillery, and give commissions to
the officers in the same regiments. He heard
with surprise of the determination ; but although he took
no active steps in the matter, he was told that
the matter had been decided at the War -office.
Up to this time he had made no public
announcement of the negotiations he knew were
going on, but when he was told that the thing was
settled, he mentioned the offer to the regiments. !It
was at once accepted, and preparations were made
for the altering of the uniform of the men, when an order
was received that the noble lord at the head of the War
Department had abandoned his intention. He had never
broken any promise he had made either to officers or
men during the time he had had the honour to com-
mand the regiments, and the altered determination of the
War-office placed him in a very humiliating position, and
he eculd not but sincerely regret that the arrangement that
had at one time been looked upon as settled had not been
fully carried out.
Lord HERBERT said be could not complain of the
manner in which the noble lord had brought the subject
forward. When:he ff rct became acquainted with the proposed
alteration, he wrote to the noble lord saying he thought it
his duty to decline the proposed scheme, He frankly
stated the difficulty in which he was placed, end he gave
him the public grounds upon which he acted.,
[LEFT SPEAKING.]