The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-02-28 00:00:00

THE ARMY ESTIMATES.

The house went into committee of supply, when
Mr. S. HERBERT, in stating the outlines of the esti-
mates, premised that they must not be looked upon as the
final estimates of the year, the government having
thought it better that the house should discuss their
policy before the whole estimates had been framed as for
a time of peace, though in anticipation of war. This in-
-1 crease in the number of men was nominally 10,694; but,
owing to the reductions in certain colonial corps, the real
augmentation was about 11,000, and the real increase in
the cost of the effective force (allowing for certain reduc-
tions) was £260,000 or £270,000. Having stated the re-
ductions effected in the colonial staff, he proceeded tO
explain in minute detail the changes which had been
made and were meditated in the interior organization of
the army, showing, he said, that the military authorities
had paid close attention to the comforts and the character
of the soldier, at the same time that they had not neglected
the measures necessary to secure the general efficiency of
the force. He then, with reference to a motion regarding
the diminution of the troops in the colonies, showed that
the number of those troops had been considerably dimi-
nished. He added that her Majesty had decided upon
issuing a commission of inquiry into the subject of the age
of the general officers of the army. Adverting to the ob-
servations of Sir J. Walsh, he did not, he repeated, pro-
pose these as war estimates he was afraid that before'
very long it would be his duty to bring in supplemental"'
estimates. He then moved the following votes, which,
after undrgoing discussion, were agreed to :
112,977 officers and men (effective).
£3,923,288, pay and allowances.
£151,382, general and medical staff.
£105,093, public departments.
£17,401, Royal Military College.
£10,756, Military Asylum and Hibernian Mili-
tary School.

£BB,OOO, volunteer corps.
£20,500, rewards for military service.
£46,000, army pay of general officers.
£49,600, full pay of retired officers.
£356,000, half pay and military _allowances.
£33,671, foreign half-pay.
£115,889, widows' pensions.
£75,500, compassionate allowances.
£30,694, in-pensions.
£1,215,712, out-pensions.
£38,000, superannuation allowances.
THE NAVY ESTIMATES.

Sir J. GRAHAM moved the Navy Estimates, prefacing
the votes with a statement of the general result, and with
brief observations upon particular items. The first three
votes (for the men, wages, and victuals), had been already
agreed to by the house. The total increase was £1,202,455,-
but the sum required for these estimates was by no means
the largest which had been voted within the last seven
years. In 1848-49 the amount was nearly £8,000,000
the sum of the present estimates was £7,480,000; but in
1848-49 the number of men was but 42,500, whereas the.. .1
number voted by the house this year was 68,500; so that
more men were maintained for a less sum. He enter-
tained a confident belief that the estimates would be suf-
ficient to cover the expenditure, except, perhaps, in the
article of provisions. In conclusion, be gave great praise
to the late Admiralty for improvements made in the navy,
and felt assured, he said, that come what might, the
British navy was now in a highly efficient state.
A vote of £138,467 for the Admiralty-office having been
agreed to, the committee adjourned.
In a Committee of Ways and Means, a vote of £8,000,000/
out of the Consolidated Fund, was agreed to.
The Towns Improvement (Ireland) Bill and the
Irn-
provement of Towns (Ireland) Bill were rein a second
time.

THE COLONIAL CHURCII.—The SOLICITOU-GENERAL
moved for leave to bring in a bill to relieve the colonial
clergy from certain disabilities, arising from a statute of
Henry VIII., which impeded their meeting for the pur-
pose of making orders, canons, and constitutions ecclesi-
astical. He explained the nature of the bill, which would-
confer no binding authority upon the acts of the clergy.-
After a few remarks from Mr. HENLEY and Mr. Br
PHlLrxmonE, leave was given. '
OATHS BILL.—On the motion of Mr. J. WILSON, the-
order of the day for the second reading of this bill, which
stood for Monday, was discharged, and the bill ordered to,
be read a second time •on Friday, the 24th of March.
The house adjourned at five minutes past one o'clock.

Mr. ROBERT STEPHENSON, the eminent engineer, hai,
offered to pay off half of a debt of £6,200, incurred by
the Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle-
upon-Tyne, provided the other half can be liquidated
before its next anniversary, in gratitude for the advantage
derived, while young, from its library, which is one of the
best in the north.

WARLIKE.—A striking proof of military ardour was
afforded by the Scots Fusilier Guards on the regiment
being drafted for the East. Several of the corporals who
were required to go with the regiment were reduced to
the ranks at their own special request, in order that they
might be eligible to march with their comrades to the
seat of war.

Tim NEW CAMP.—It is confidently stated that the
new camp will be formed early in May next. Beyond one
or two line regiments it will be almost entirely composed
of militia, which force, it is said, will be mustered to the
extent of 30,000 or 32,000 men. The open downs in the
neighbourhood of the Military College of Sandhurst in,
according to present arrangement, the locality fixed upon.
Drilling up the men, and getting the smartest young
fellows to volunteer for regular service in the East, is
said to be the immediate object which the authorities
have in view.

TROOPS IN THE Cow/rms.—ln estimating the amount
of our available military force, it is obviously necessary to
consider what number -of troops are required in the
colonies. The return laid before parliament of the number
of troops employed in the colonies comes, therefore, oppor-
tunely. The Adjutant-General's return shows that there
were, so employed at this time last year 1785 officers, 2918.
sergeants and drummers, and 37,566 rank and file-0
larger number by about 2000 than in the previous year..
The Ordnance-office return states that the number of
Sappers and Miners employed in the colonies last year was
1005, of officers of the Engineers 118, and 3699 officers arut
men of the Royal Regiment of Artillery. Excluding from
our calculation regiments taken into the pay of the East
India Company, these figures show that one-third of our
military force is employed in our various dependencies.
FORGERY ON MESSRS. BARING BROTIIBRS.—On Wed'
nesday, Spital, a detective officer of the London police,
charged two youths of the namN'of Green arid Wren, be-
longing to Woolwich, with having presented a forged bili
of exchange at the house of Messrs. Baring Brothers, with
intent to defraud them of the sum of £2,000. The bill.of
exchange purported to be signed by Colonel Colt, the in-
ventor of the revolvers, and, when presented, was e/v.
closed in a letter, requesting that £9OO in gold should be
paid to the bearer, and the remainder in notes. The
prisoner Wren handed in the letter, and the money wattle
have been paid, but for one of the clerks accidentally 017. -:
serving that the bill was three years old. SubsequentlY
Wren was apprehended at Woolwich, as also the other
prisoner Green, who admitted to the officer that be Mir
seen Wren write the letter in, which the bills of exchano
were enclosed, and signed in Colonel Colt's name. Tbef
both intended, had they got the money, to have stark'l
for America. The prisoners were remanded.

CONSERVATIVE LAND SOCIETY.—A meeting of thf
inhabitants of Reading was held at the Town-hall, 00Monday, to receive a deputation from the Coneervaii/V,
Land Society, consisting of Viscount Ranelagh,
.Colonel
Knox, M.P., H. Pownall, Esq., the Rev. Dr. Worthington,
C. E. Lewis, Esq., G. Morgan, Esq., and C. L. Gruneises,
Esq. There was a large attendance, much interest being
taken in the proceedings, in consequence of the approach-
ing, allotment of the Devonshire Square estate, on the 11
of March next. Viscount Ranelagh presided. Colonel,
Knox, M.P., gave an interesting statement of the progrO'
of the society, and -dwelt particularly on the valuable
character of the estate purchased for the society in that
locality. It was called a child of his own for be had
urged it on the attention of his colleagues in the eon"
mittee,, and, looking at its most eligible site, its cool"
mending, great, beautiful, and noble prospect, the bealtb.7,
locality, in the best neighbourhood of the most influential
town of Berkshire, he had full confidence in the restu„
that his judgment was not mistaken. Mr. Pownall, in
very eloquent speech, dwelt on the great social advantages
of the freehold land movement, as affording a safe alb.
profitable investment for the savings of industry. W.,
E. Lewis very ably described the working of the sosit
and gave some interesting particulars with respect W Its
estate on the Castle Hill. It is situate within the )10114
of the borough, in the best part of Reading, the centre v..
pe.
the railway communication of the southern counties, a
e,
in a short time will possess three lines of railway y toot ,
metropolis. The Great 'Western railway station is
more than five minutes' walk from the estate. in in
centre of the estate space is reserved for the erection o't
church. The whole had been most judiciously laid On
in lots varying in price from £5O to £325. The addrel
of the speakers were listened to with much attention, It,
a vote of thanks was passed to the deputation, for the
formation they had afforded.