The Sun.
London, England, 1857-02-18 00:00:00

THE METROPOLITAN WORKHOUSES.

Lord RAYNIIAM gave notice that on that day fort-
night he should move for a select committee to inquire
into the state of the poor in the metropolitan work-
houseg, and the state of the poor generally in the me-
tropolis.

THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION.
In answer to a question from Sir D. L. EvANfi,
Sir C. WOOD stated that 34 soon as the Government
Ina collie to a determination whether or not they would
send out another txpedition in search of Sir J. Franklin,
he *Gold inform the house, and if in the affirmative a
vote would be taken in the new estimates.
REGISTRATION OF VOTERS BILL (SCOTLAND).
Mr. BAXTER. asked the Lord Advocate if he iv-
tended to bring in a bill this session extending to the
scotch Counties the visions of tile Registrations of
Voters B? 11, passel last year for the Burghs ; and also
if it was his intention to introduce a Police 13111 for
Siotland
The LORD ADVOCATE Said that bills would shortly
be introduced on bath subjects.
THE MEG2ERA TROOP-SHIP.
Sir JOUN pAKINGTON asked the First Lord of
the Admiralty what
was the cause of the detention of
the Megera tro?!
).Bhip at Portsmouth after the time
for the Mauritius with troops ; fixed 'for her ealliog
uphreohsaahilleyd'hijahvee
we hhoi re thl y
would
whether it was true tbatl
sprung a 'da;rigerous leak,
again undergoing at Ply-
caused the loss of the ship
had the accident occurred
at a greater distance from land; whether the repairs
whicis.the Me sera was now
monthware such as would enahla the Admiralty to feel
confident that she would be in a fit state to convey 400
or 500 of her Maje,ty's troops to so
distant a part of the
w )rld ?

Sir C. WOOD said that the cause of the detention of
the Mega3ra arose from the officer commanding her hav-
ing miscalculated the time it would take to get her in
order for the troops. It was not true that she sprang a
leak, but it appeared that two small screws at the bottom
of the vessel were not fastened as they ought to have
b:en, and the car.sequeuca was the water came in, but
only in so small a quantity that with an ordinary hand
bneket she might !lava taken a voyago round the world,
These bolts had been stopped, and she was 'now in a fit
state to convey troop.
Lord A. V. TEMPEST asked the irst Lord of the

I Admiralty if a similar circumstance did not happen to
the ship when taking troops to the Cape ? He had re-
ceived a letter from a person who was on board the
vessel when she put back to Plymouth at variance with
the First Lord of the Admiralty's statement. (Cries of
" Order.") His lordship, to enable him to read the con-
tents of the letter, moved the adjournment of the house.
The letter stated that the ship had only been to sea two
days when she spracg a leak, and had three feet of water
in the cabin.
The motion having been recorded,
Sir C. WOOD said that he had made his statement
on the report forwarded to the Admiralty.
Major S. KNOX also put a question to the First
Lord of the Admiralty relative to the state of this ship.
The motion was then withdrawn.
INCOME TAX.
Mr. MUNTZ postponed his motion relative to the
income tax to that day fortnight.
PUBLIC PROSECUTOR.

Mr. J. G. PH[LLIMORE asked the Solieito!.

General whether it was the intention of her Majesty's
Ministers to bring forward any measure founded on the
report of the committee of last session on the appoint-
ment of a public prosecutor ?
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said he was not in a
position to pledge the Government to the introduction
of such a bill. The introduction of such a measure
must greatly depend on the state of public business.
THE LORCHA. ARROW.

Viscount GODERICH asked the First Lord of the
Treasury whether it was true that the case of the lorcba
Arrow was not the only one in which the authorities of
Canton had recently seized or entered upon boats sail-
ing under British colours, or furnished with a British
register ; and, if so, whether he would lay upon the table
of the house any papers relating to such proceedings ;
and also, whether he would have any objection to lay be-
fore the house any instructions which might have been sent
by the Home Government to Sir John Bo wring on his
appointment as Governor of Hong Kong, or at any sub-
sequent period previous to October last, on the subject of
the exclusion of the British authorities and merchants
from the city of Canton ?
Lord PALMERSTON said that the papers that had
already been presented to the house relative to the China
war distinctly showed that on two former occasions
lorchas had been molested by the Chinese, and that the
papers also showed what steps had been taken by Sir J.
Bowring on the subject. There would be no objection
if the house wished it to lay the instructions referred to
on the table of the house, and he (Lord Palmerston)
would undertake that it should be done.
THE TWO SICILIES.

Mr. COCHRANE asked the First Lord of the Trea-
sury whether the Neapolitan papers presented to Parlia-
ment comprised all the despatches from Lord Clarendon
to the British Mission at Naples between the 19,h May,
when her Majesty's Government recommended the
Government of the Two Sicilies to grant a general
amnesty, and October the 10th, when the British mis-
sion was instructed to leave Naples ; also, at what period
and on what canditions her Majesty's Government in-
tended resuming diplomatic relations with the kingdom
of the Two Sicilies ?
Lord PALMERSTON said, in answer to the first
question, that the papers presented to the house did not
contain all the despatches that had been sent to the
British Mission at Naples, but only such as bore on the
matters for which the papers var.) presented. He must
answer the second question by asking the hon. gentle-
man another question, viz., if he had full power from the
King of Naples to put the question ? (Laughter.) Be-
cause, if so, he had better apply to Lord Clarendon in
Downing-street rather than in that house. He thought
the house would agree with him that this was not a pro-
per place to enter on the subject. (Hear, hear.)
THE RESOLUTE.

Mr. ROEBUCK said that it was currently reported
that the " Resolute" Arctic ship that had been fitted out
by the American Government, and presented to this
country, had been put into dock and pulled to pieces.
He wished to know from the first Lord of the Admiralty
if it were true, and if so, why it had been done? (Bear.)
Sir C. WOOD said that his answer must necessarily
be short, though not the less satisfactory, viz., that it
was not true that the Resolute was being dismantled.
THE BOMBARDMENT OF CANTON.
Sir J. PAKINGTON asked the First Lord of the
Treasury if it was true that Admiral Seymour used
red-hot shot in the bombardment of Canton, and if there
were any papers or despatches referring to it, if he would
present them to the house ? (Hear, Hear.)
Lord PALMERSTON said that there was no foun-
dation for the report. The Chinese set fire to some of
the Hong& A number of the Chinese congregated in
the spaces between them, and in order to disperse them
Admiral Seymour threw some shot amongst them, but
not red-hot shot.
COLONIAL SHIPS REGISTERS.

In answer to a question from Mr. WALPOLE,
Mr. LABOUCHERE said that the Government had
laid on the table of the house the papers relative to co-
lonial registers.
MR. SHEEPSHANKS' PRESENT OF PICTURES.
Mr. G. VERNON asked the First L)ri of the Trea-
sury to lay on the table of the house the correspondence
that had passed relative to Mr. Sheepshanks' present of
pictures to the nation.
Lord PALMERSTON acceded to the application.
The country were deeply indebted to Mr. Sheepshanks
for his valuable present.
THE IRISH FISHERIES.

Mr. IWM.A.HON moved for leave to bring in a bill
to a isimilAte the law as to the sea-coast fisheries of Ire-

land to that of England.
Mr. 1101ISMAN, on the part of the Government,
gave no opposition to the introduction of the bill, but if
the bill was identically the same as that the house had
repeatedly rejected, it was a question for the house to
decide.

Sir G. GREY said that if the Government gave their
consent to the introduction of the bill, they reserved the
right of opposing its details if they found it necessary.
Mr. G. H. MOORE said the real question involved
was one between the salmon fisheries of Ireland and those
of England and Scotland, and no doubt the proprietors
of salmon fisheries in England and Scotland would be
glad to assimilate the law in that respect to that of Ire-
Isnd. All his hon. friend asked by his bill was that the
law relating to fisheries in Ireland should be assimilated
to those of England and Scotland.
Mr. F. FRENCH said if he understood the objection
of 014 Secretary for Ireland, it was that it bad been in-

traduced on former occasions and ha I not received the
sanction of the house. He wished the right bon. gentle-
man would act on that principle with regard to the 'Judg-
ment and Executions Bill, to which all the Irish members
were opposed, and which had been this session intro,
diced for the fifth time.

Leave was then given to bring in the bill.
THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE NAVY.

Capt. SCOBELL rose to move for a select committee to

inquire into the naval administration relating to the lists of
officers, the patronage, the promotions, and the retire-
ments, and the efficiency of the service in all its grades.
Ho said when he niade a similar motion list year we
were in a state of war, and he felt the force of the objec-
tion that that was not a proper time to go into an inves-

tigation of the state of naval affairs. Now we were at
pc,:ce, and no time could be more fitting for such an in-
quiry as he asked. The gee:Aim did not partake of
Ivey ; it was a question of naval administrative reform
If the Admiralty was perfect, no inquiry was wanted ;
but there was a prevailing feeling in the navy that it was
unfairly governed, and that its government required
amendment. Naval officers stood in various classes and

its, sharing in the hardships which they said precise-
minated in the navy. He did not mean to attack the
present Beard of Admiralty, or any other, but
the system.
He would probably be told there had been an inquiry into
the administration of the navy in 1848 ; but it was an in-
quiry into all its branchee, and not this one in particular,
and all the recommendat:ons made after that inquiry
had fai ed. He would show that the number of naval
officers on half-pay so preponderated over those on full
pay, that great experpe was caused, and there was little
opportunity for naval officers to acquire experience in
their profession. In the French and American navies
there was some limit to the number of officers of the navy
appointed, but in this country there was none. The hon.
and gallant gentleman proceeded to urge that a sum of
60,0001. a year had been granted for the purpose of al-
lowing officers of the army to retire on full pay, while
there was no such provi,ion for the navy. Tile army, at
least, had the advantage of ha,ing a milita'y man at its
hoad, whose office was as nearly permanent as possible ;
but how different was the government of the navy. The
head of the navy was a political officer, and was influenced
by politics. lie ir:w came to a mere practical quest'on,
that is, as t) the eifference in the situation of nai al officer
as celupared with those in the sister service. On the la t
occasion wh n he brought the suj ;et b. f ,re the house,
h 3 &Manse' many oases of men in the r avy who had
gainei their first cap from imtenant to post-captain in
from three to four years, atd other cases in which that
step had not been gained in 1 es than from 30 to 40 years
One of the Lords of the Adria ratty was one of those who.
got on thus rapidly, and he trusted that gallant officer
would not get up and beat down the claims of his brother
officers. (Hear.) The' first class of officers to which he
would call the attention of the house was the active list of
admirals. Teat list contained 100, of whom only 14 were
employed, and he believed it would be difficult to find 14
others who could be employed. There were therefore 86
unemployed admirals; and one groat grievance r:specting
that list was that the men who were made active admiral*
were often older than the inactive admiral,. The total
number of active captains was 389, of whom only 112
were employed, the remaining 277 being on half-pay.
(Hear, hear.) The number of active commanders was
542, of whom there were 'employed 144, inolnling the
Coast-guarJ. Tne number on half-pay was 393. Now, let
the house look at the half-pay of these officer!. A
naval captain of three years ranked with a colonel in the
army. The half-pay of the first, 70 was 14s. 6J. per day ;
tl-.e neat 100 got 12s. ; the remaining 228 get 1013. 6'.
Of commanders who ranked with majors in the army,
the senior 150 got 103. per day, but the remaining 392
got only Bs. 61. These sums were all considerably loss
w ith
numbere captains p
only
ys
34 got
gtobte
78 army
than the amounts paid to officers of cerreepondicg rank
in. the army. The number of active eireuants ranking
of 43 per
wan 1,133,' whom 795
were employed, and 343 were on ht f.' ay. Of that
average standir,
per day, the nkx.. 820 154 got 64.
The' next .
and tuf.! remaining 120
tal''aeabyll;e7eo.o,maandd during. that period
gofot coandle3t. s4na.dmritrt7eind ear to 1057, the number.
o.o3:sl.kid.Ba4yTharji te3se .34 had an
wily 836 lieutenants had
of cadets in fifteen years of 964
was such, that of those who ent.ercd onet-third made, an excess
:the ofda
that
neverth l e
navygot
beyond the first step. The only cure far
to admit a less number of cadets into the navy.evi INwroa''t
more than 40 or 50 ought to be adnuited sah
during pca2e. But last year the number ailteittedyee-aars
116, whilst in the previous ycay the number was 140 or
160, and the year before that not lose than 200 were

admitted. He now came to the class of reserved lieu-
tenants—men who were put away out of sight. They
were 641 in number. The first 37 got 7s. per day, the
next 509 (many of whom were of 44 years' standing) got
only 63., the next 80 got 55., and the remaining 90 got
4e, Two-thirds of the men who were placed on the lieu.
tenants' list never got beyond it. The commanders, re-
tired and reserved, amounted in number to 431. Of
these the first 96 got Bs. 6d. per day, and there were 245
who got only 7s. Many other men were covered with
wounds, and as deserving as any men in full commission.
The number of retired captains was 30C. Nearly the
wk )Ie of these were senior commanders, of from 30 to
50 years' standing. On receiving a step in rank an ad-
ditional sixpence was given to them. They expressed
themselves perfectly indignant at such a pettifogging
addition to their pay, which now amounted to only 103.
6d. These men had been from 50 to 60 years in the
service, and many of them were 80 years of age. Nearly
all the payments to which he had called the attention of
the house were less than those received by correspond-
ing ranks in the army. Another hardship on the
navy was that there was no such thing as retiring on full
pay, whilst in the Marines no less than 105 officers had
retired on full pay. Why did not the navy possess a
similar advantage The reason was that the Admiralty
was not a fraternal government. In the circular issued
to the retired captains offering them the additional 6d.
per day it was stated that.tbey must give up all claim to
Greenwich, and they were told that if they did not take
the 6d. they would never get anything. If the house
should consent to the appointment of a committee, he
would undertake to submit to them a plan which would
remedy the unjust system which now prevailed. He
would recommend the Government to get as many
able seamen as they could in time of peace. If they
could man the ships with able seamen in the propor-
tion of two-thirds or three-fourths, they might in the
event of a war be spread over a large number of
ships. He thought it would be desirable to give them
a small bounty and a little more pay, and that
their wages should be advanced every seven years.
The total number of active officers in the navy on the
four lists to which he had referred was 2,169. Of that
number only 1,065 were employed, having 1,104 on
half-pay. The total number of officers receiving half-
pay and full pay was 3 880 ; and of these the number on
half-pay was 2,815. He would now briefly advert to
some of the objections which might be urged against
his motion. It was said that the- half-pay of the army
was larger than that of the navy, because the commis-
gene in the army were purchased. But it should be re-
m-mbered that commissions in the army were sold as
well as purchased, and that sometimes larger sums were
obtained than the commissions were worth. And it
should not be forgotten that commissions were not pur-
chased in the Artillery or Marines and yet the parties
retired on the same half-pay as in the army. But
beyocd that he had examined the Army List, and
had ascertained that one-half of the army offi-
cers had not purchased their commissions at alt.
It was stated during the discussion last year that
the increase of 6d. per day would coat the country
11,0001, a-year, but the actual amount did not exceed
6,5001. The right hon. gentleman the First Lord of the
Admiralty also stated that these old officers had no pa•
culiar claims. Now, he considered the expression of such
an opinion on the part of the right hon. gentleman, to
say the least of it, as very ungracious and indiscreet.
The question now before the house was one which in-
volved the efficiency of the service. By altering the
mode of forming the active list the inactive list might be
reduced, and not only would a saving be effected in point
of expense, but the officers would become more contented.
His only motive was to benefit the suffering officers of
the navy, and if the G )vernment would promise to take
the matter into their serious consideration, be should be
content to leave it in their hands. (Hear.)
Mr. TITE seconded the motion.
Sir C. WOOD—My bon, and gallant friend has re-
peated to-night the motion which he made last session.
I felt it to be my
,duty to resist that motion, and the
House of Commons agreed with me that it would not be
convenient to appoint a committee for such a purpose.
I do not see that my hon. and gallant friend has laid be-
fore the house any additional reasons for granting in-
quiry, and I am therefore relieved from the necessity of
troubling them with a long repetition of the arguments
which I felt necessary to address to them last year. My
hon. and gallant friend really misrepresents the state of
the case when he says that every successive Board of
Admiralty think things are perfectas they find them, and
never take the trouble to make alterations. I wilt ven-
ture to say that, for the last 15 years—l might go back
for.her and say for the last 30 years—there has been
no naval administration which has omitted to take some
measure or another for the improvement of the condi-
tion of officers of the navy. Every successive board has
made some stop in that direction, and my hon. and gallant
friend will forgive me for saying it is a most unjust ac-
cusation which he has made, not only against me, but
against the right hon. gentlemen and noble lords who
have preceded me, in alleging that the Admiralty have
for years neglected the state of the navy. My convic-
tion is that the efficiency of the navy in the late war
is attributable to the great improvements which have
taken place, in consequence of its not being neglected ;
and I believe that efficiency has been proved and tested
in every rank, from the rank of admiral to that of com-
mon seaman. My hon. and gallant friend repeats the
charge that appointments are influenced by aristocratical
and Parliamentary considerations. It is impossible to
meet a general accusation of that kind. As far as I
am concerned, all I can say is that, if he will be so good
as to state any one case in which I have been unduly
swayed by Parliamentary, family, or aristocratical influ-
ence, I will frankly meet it ; but, in the most unqualified
manner, I challenge him to name a single instance.
My hon and gallant friend complains very much of the
number of officers unemployed. No doubt it is perfectly
true that in the higher ranks there are more officers
than can be employed. It was a subject which occupied
the attention of a commission of military and naval offi-
cers in 1840, and of a committee of this house in 1848.
The course of promotions was checked, and the result
hag been considerably to diminish the number of officers

rank of admiral. A diminution of several years has thus
been effected, and the effect is that we have a number of
officers on the admirals' list who are more efficient that,
they were 20 years ago. My hon. and gallant friend has
referred to the case of the retired commander who has
'resented a petition this evening. Tho commission said :

" With regard to retirement the commanders have some
exclusive ground of complaint. They urge that there is no
provision in the establishment of Greenwich Hospital for
any officers of their rank, and further that there is no re-
tired list for the seniors of their class similar to the rank
of retired rear-admiral, as opened to the captains, or that
of the retired commander, as opened to the lieutenants.
For both of these grievances we should consider it expe-
dient that redress should be afforded.
"The advantages of Greenwich Hospital should be opened
to commanders, as they are to captains and lieutenants; and
we would therefore recommend that four commanders
should ba added to the establishment of that institution.
" With respect to a rate of retired pay for commanders
we would suggest to your Majesty that the principle adopted
in regard to the firstloolientenants should be applied to the
commanders. These 100 lieutenants have the option of re-
tirement as commanders, with the lowest rate of half-pay
of that rank, viz., 84. Gd. a day. We would recommend
that a precisely similar indulgence should be extended to a
limited number of the senior commanders ; and we should
consider that it would be fair to allow 50 of the seniors of
that rank the option of receiving the retired rank of cap-
tain, with the lowest rate of half-pay allowed to a captain
—viz., 10s. 6J. a day.
" It is not in our view to reduce the numbers entitled to
the half-pay of 10s. a day as commanders by the proposed
boon. We contemplate the institution of a class of 50 re-
tired captains, with 10s. Gd. a day, to be followed by the
same number of commanders, viz., 150 at 10s. a day, as are
at present allowed."
These are the recommendations of Sir G. Cockburn,
Sir T. Hardy, and Sir C. Adams, and they were im-
mediately carried into effect. Four commanders wire
added to the establishment of Greenwich Hospital, and
50 commanders retired with the rank of captain and
with the lowest rate of half-pay of a captain. In 1851
my right hon. friend (Sir F. Baring) doubled the num-
ber of retired commanders, and added 50 to the re-
served list, thus trebling the number of retired com-
manders, with the rank of captain. I thought the com-
manders would be still more benefited by increasing the
number of retirements, and last year I added 150 to
the retired list of commanders and 50 to the reserved
list. I thought it desirable, however, that the 50
should not be added at once, but the result will be that
there will be 250 retired naval commanders, instead of
se, as recommended by the commission, and there will
be 100 permanently on the reserved list of commanders.
The larger number has been raised to the 10s. 6d. lis',
and the expense of the whole will be about 11,0001.
My hon. and gallant friend then comes to the new cadets
who have entered the navy. I took the liberty on a
previous occasion of stating that the entry of cadets
has not been unduly swelled, and that the establishment
of mates, midshipmen, and cadets is no less than 600
below the establishment : during the war the number
w.,s reduced. The number of lieutenants is not above
that prescribed by the orders in Council, but at present
the complaint is that the ships have plenty of lieute•
nants, but not enough mates. The number of cadets is
considerably short of what is wanted at this moment. It
must be remembered that a great number quit the ser-
vice in one way and another. It is not every boy who
takes a fancy to the navy who likes the service after he
has seen a little of it. The service is said to be unpopu-
lar, but I should hardly suppose this to be so from the
number of applications made to me, which place me in a
position of considerable difficulty in deciding upon them.
The cadets who entered in 1847 were 196, of whom 83
for one reason or another are no longer in the service. I
am, therefore, inclined to think that the entries in the
navy have been too much restricted, and certainly if
another war were to occur we should have a great defi•
ciency of subordinate officers, without whom it is almost
impossible to maintain proper order and discipline. It
does not appear to me that my hon. and gallant friend
has shown any ground for the appoiutment of the com-
mittee for which he asks. The questions relative to the
reserved list and the retired list were inquired into by a
very competent commission, which made recommenda-
tions, and the same subjects were reterred to a commit.
tee of this house, under the presidency of the present
Duke of Somerset. The combined system recommended
by the commission and the committee has since been
fully carried out by thesuccessive Boards of Admiralty,
and the result has been the gradual diminution of the
officers of the higher ranks to the numbers fixed by or-
ders in Council. Ido not think any better course could
be adopted for the attainment of the object which my
hon. and gallant friend seeks to effect, and it does not
appear to one that his motion is warranted by any of the
grounds he has urged upon the attention of the house.
Mr. LINDSAY said, in his opinion the navy ought
not to be subject to a First Lord of the Admiralty, who
was changed with every administration, but should be
under a permanent commander-in-chief, as the army was.
He should like to see a committee appointed to inquire
into that subject. Another subject that ought to be
inquired into was the large number of officers on the
active list compared with the number employed. In
July, 1855, when in .the midst of the war with Russia,
and when we had a fleet in the Baltic and another in the
Black Sea, we had on the active list 21 full admirals,
and one was employed ; 27 vice-admirals, and two em-
ployed ; staff officers 99, of whom tia were employed ' •
captains, 399, 137 employed ; commanders, 555, 192
employed ; lieutenants, 1,122, 883 employed. By this
system the country was put to great expense, and the
offictre were made discontented.

Admiral WALCOTT was of opinion that the patron-
age which the First Lord of the Admiralty had was far
too great for any one man to have. He thought the
Board of Admiralty ought to consist of naval officers,
and he would make them responsible for the patronage.
Captain SCOBELL briefly replied. The First Lord
of the Admiralty had alluded to the report of the com-
mission ; but it sat in 1841, and now we were in 1857.
The right hon. baronet alluded to Sir George Cockburn ;
but he left a document stating that in his opinion the
Admiralty was far too political. It seemed that some-
times it required a man to die before he could speak the
truth. (Laughter.) He had not brought forward the
motion without having many cases to relate of offiezrs
who had served from 40 to 60 years without obtaining
promotion. He had a great many- letters, bat would
not read them.
The house then dividee—
Ayes 76
Noes
The motion was therefore lost.
' BRIBERY AT ELECTIONS ACTS.

in the higher ranks unemployed, and to facilitate the pro-
motion of younger officers, thereby rendering the effici-
ency of the higher ranks much greater than formerly.
The argument which my hon. and gallant friend has
made use of on this occasion is totally inc insistent with
the complaint he generally makesof the want of adequate
promotion, because if you considerably reduce the number
of the higher ranks which are obtained by promotion,
the inevitable effect must be that promotions must be
limited ; and, if that be a)' young and deserving offi-
cers are necessarily deprived of the just reward of their
services. My hon. and gallant friend complained
last session that on the comtnittes of 1848 there was
no naval officer. I pointed out that both branches
of the service were impartially treateJ, and no offi-
cer of the army sat en that .committee. I am not
quite clear that officers are fit persons to sit upon
an inquiry of the kind. But, I remember, seven
years before a commission was appointed, consist-
ing principally of naval and military officers, for
the purpose of investigating this very question, and the
recommendations which they made were carried out.
The committee of 1843 recommended that there should
be considerable means of retirement provided to relieve
the active list of a number of officers who were never
likely to be employed, and that process has been going
on front day to day. An order in Council, that promo-
tions should be made at the rate of one captain for three
who retired, one commander for three who retired, and
so on, has been rigidly adhered to, except where great
services have been performed. The result is that the cap-
tains' and commanders' lists, although higher in number
than the committee recommended,' aro being gradually
reduced. It is perfectly true, although my hon. and gal-
lant friend seems disposed to deny the fact, that a great
number of persons who fill the lower ranks of the service
were attracted to it by the inordinate promotions at the
end of the war. As many as 1,000 lieutenants were ga-
zetted in one year, and I made a calculation that if every
one had been employed the last would have been 82

Viscount PA.GMERSTON said thatdoubtshad been
expressed in the course of last year with regard to the
operation of the Bribery Acts. He thought, therefore,
that the beet step to adopt would be to appoint a cam-
mittee, with a view to discover whether any parts of the
existing law were defective or susceptible of improve-
ment. He would therefore move for a select committee
to inquire into the operation of the act 17 and 18 Vict.,
c. 102, intituled "An -act to consolidate and amend the
laws relating to bribery, treating, and undue influence
at elections of members of Parliament."
Mr. WILLIAMS was glad that the noble lord was
about to refer the question to a select committee. It
was agreed that the measure referred to had been more
effective than any other plan that could be devised short
of the ballot, for the prevention of bribery and corrup-
tior.
Mr. H. BERKELEY trusted the noble lord would
take care that the committee was so constituted as to
secure a full and fair inquiry into the act, which was ge-
nerally spoken of as a pompous profession, but intended
to be inoperative. (Hear.)
PETTY SESSIONS (IRELAND).
Mr. HORSMAN moved for leave to bring in a bill to
authorise the payment of clerks of petty sessions in Ire-
land by salaries instead of fees, and to amend " The
Potty-Sessions (Ireland) Act, 1851."
Agreed to.
TURNPIKES ABOLITION (IRELAND).
Mr. HORS MAN moved for leave to bring in a bill to
discontinue the taking of toll on turnpike roads now ex-
isting in Ireland, and to provide for the maintenance of
such roads ae public roads, and for the discharge of the
debts due thereon, and for other purposes. '
Agreed to.
EXTRA_ PAROCHIAL PLACES.

when sent to sea a's commander. I need not say
more to show the utter absurdity of supposing that they
could all be employed. 'The naval members of the corn.
mission which sat in 1840 were Sir George Cockburn,
Sir Thomas Hardy, and Sir Charles Adams—men well
acquainted with and devoted to the service. I have
only stated what those naval officers asserted. They
stated :

Mr. BOUVERIE moved for leave to bring in a bill
to provide for the relief of the poor in extra parochial
places.
Agreed to.

"It would be incorrect to attribute the inactivity of these
officers entirely to a voluntary relinquishment of duty on
their part, as there is no doubt that very many of them
would have been fully prepared to serve if opportunities
had been afforded to them ; but as we have shown that the
proportion of the employed to the unemployed is as small
as 1 to 11 in one class (captains) ; as 1 to 10 in a second
(commanders); and as 1 to 6 in the last class (lieutenants),
it must be quite obvious that anyfull-pay employment must
have been quite out of the reach of a very large number."
The only rule adopted was that which the commission
recommended—that those who bad served as midshipmen
and mates during the war, who had been in action, or
gained medals should receive lieutenancies. It was the
commission that reported in favour of the long list of
lieutenants of which the hon. and gallant gentleman
complained. They said :
"Oar examination of the evidence In regard to the rank
of 'naval lieutenant' has led to the conviction that a very
large number must be considered as having obtained this
commission as a provision from the public for service in an
inferior station. They did not, of course, obtain lieuten-
ancies exempted from a liability to be recalled to employ-
ment, but to many it must have been apparent that this
contingency was remote, and they must have viewed the
position they obtained as the ultimate station they would
hold in the navy. The promotion of more than I,OXI offi-
cers to be lieutenants in one year at the close of the
last war would iu itself furnish a sufficient proof of this."
The convenient mode of rewarding these officers and
giving them promotion was to make them lieutenants
and to give them the had =pay of their rank, withouie of
course, a proepect of employment for the greatest portion
of that number. It has been calouleted that if all these
lieutenants had been employed it would have taken 40
years before the list would be exhruvted, and t'iose at
the hott9ta of the list would have gone to sea as lieuten-
ants at 55 years of ago. Bui; it has been proved that (Before Mr. Frere.)
where an officer has been so long on shore it is neither Aberdeen Junction Railway.—A bill fora railway, own'
for hie benefit nor f r that of the -service that be should mencing by a junction with the Aberdeen Railway, at
intot
North-Eastern, arorfanSrtland Railway at Killybewster, aenfd
be sent to sea. The scheme for the retirement of the Aborerilleen, and terminating by a junction with the Great
admirals has at least worked this beneficial change, that IN to
Scotland 3nt
it has diminished the age of those officers who have- at-
Dundee and Perth,
tamed the rank of admiral. It used to be complained etii:;ein with the Greeatth,North
Scottish Central, tianddladlindbAurreblT and Glasgow Railway
that officers were s-nt to sea of an age that rendered Companies.—The standing orders complie I with.
he:euw:T.:l, adjoining
them incompetent to the duties of active service. What Richmond and RewExtension Railway.—A bill to snake
!lied VI South-Western Railway.
was the remedy for that state of things 1 Why, that a a railway commencing by a junction with the line of the
certain number of officers shoed I be placed on the re- North and South-West Junction Railway, in the parish of
served list with the rank and pay of rear-admiral, theft- Esling, terminating in the parish of Richmond, in the
by accelerating the promotion of captains to the rank of the Windsor line of the London doncaerd
admiral. In 1841 the junior admiral had attained the not m-
with.
rank of captain 35 years before be attained the rank ofShropshire
Union Railways and Canal, London and
admiral. The last admiral, appointed two or three North- Western Railway, and Shropshire Canal Company.
days ago, had served 22 years, and this was a reduction _The objects of this bill have already been giver.—The
of 13 years in the period ofeis attaining post rank. The standing orders were complied with. '
—The standing 6rd
second and third vacancy will bring us down to captains The 4 I
following bills were alio declared to have complied
%ho attained that rank 20 years before they attained the filth the standing orders :—Victoria Gas, Dartmouth and

SUPPLY.
The report on supply was brought up and agreed to.
—ROYAL MARINE FORCES BILL.
This bill was read a third time and passed.
The house adjourned at half-past seven.

STANDING ORDERS COMMITTEE.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Yesterday the standing orders committee met for the first
time ; Colonel Wilson Patten in the chair. The committee
consists of Sir W. Heathcote, Mr. Henley, Mr. Greene Mr.
E. Denison, Sir R. Ferguson, Mr. Wrightson, Mr. 'Lam-
ston, Mr. Thornely, and Mr. Lockhart.
After hearing the different Parties the committee de-
cided upon not nesistin,, upon /compliance with the stbnd-
ing orders in respect to the following bills f—;
Edinburgh Life Assurance ; East Kent Railway (Strood
to St. Mary's Cray) ; Islington Parish; Mid Kent (Croydon
Branch) ; Finsbury Park - Newry and Enniskillen Rail-
way ; Southampton, Bristol, and South Wales Railway ;
Stockport and Dursley Railway ; and for No. 1 and No. 3
of the railways proposed by the Eastern Counties Railway
Company, os. 2 and 4 were rejected.
In the case of the Fortmarine and Buchan Railway and
Aberdeen, Peterhead, awl Fraserburgh Railway, the com-
mittee decided that the standing orders were not to be dis-
pensed with. Consequently the progress of these bills is
suspended for the present session.