The Liverpool Standard, and General Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-12-19 00:00:00

ng up of the report of the
put upon points con-
to which the CUAN-

Id been

NAvr.—On

I with the con,

OR of th,

stions were

f the w

served that their answers

made the ground of charges

against them of disclosing our designs to the enemy. The
Government, he said, laid no claim to impeccability. What
ought to be expected from them was, not that their
measures should stand a minute criticism of details, but

d he generally right,

THE MILITIA. BILL.—Lord PALMEHSTON moved for
leave to introduce a bill to enable Her Majesty to accept
offers of service by militia regiments in places out of the
United Kingdom. The Government had been accused, he
remarked, of entering into the war and engaging in an
arduous enterprise without a reserve. His answer to this
charge was, that the reserve was the British nation, and
among the means of bringing that reserve into this action
was this measure, founded upon an act passed towards the
conclusion of the last war, by which militia regiments
snd portions of regiments were allowed to volunteer for
Me object it view in this bill was that
be invited to offer to do garrison duty
ean, thereby setting free regiments of
Malta, Ind the lonian Islands

the militia might
.n the Mediterra:

.../.Bxx circumstances
might induce Her Majesty to ask them to volunteer for
service in the North American colonies. He entertained no
doubt that offers would be freely made ; it was impossible
to do justice to the spirit actuating our militia regiments,
whichhad made extraordinary progress in discipline. Under
the provisions of the bill no man could be sent out of
the country without his own distinct, voluntary %ffer.—
In reply to Mr. Newdegate, Mr. S. HERBERT said the
government felt strongly the necessity of having a suffi-
for Lord Raglan's army, and it was intended
serve at Malta.—After a short discussion,
leave was given to bring in the bill, which was read a first
time, and the second reading fixed for Friday.—The house
adjourned at a few minutes after 3 o'clock.

THURSDAY,

DEC. 14

Major REID took the oaths and his seat for the borough
of Abingdon. _ _

Loss OF THE PRINCE.—In reply to a question, Sir
JAMES GRAHAM said the Admiralty had received no offi-

cial account, but he took the opportunity of making a
short statement of facts concerning the loss of that vessel.
The cables, he said, were secured before the storm ; the
report that they were not clinched was incorrect. With
respect to the master of the .Prince, it was true that he
had been represented by an officer of the navy as incom-
petent; but, upon strict inquiry, the Admiralty were
assured that he was a most trustworthy man. Neverthe-
less, they thought it prudent, before she sailed, to put on
board of her Captain Boynton, an experienced commander
in the navy, with control over the master, who expressed,
when at Constantinople, his entire satisfaction with the
conduct of Captain Goodall. '

TREATY WITH AUSTRIA..—Lard JOHN RUSSELL said
that, without waiting for a formal notification of the
treaty with Austria, the documents should be laid on the•
table.

THE LAW OP PARTNERSHIP.—In answer to Mr. Wil-
kinson, Mr. CARDWELL said a bill would be brought in
immediately after the recess to amend the law of part-

nership

PUBLIC BUSINESS.—Lord JOHN RUSSELL' in reply to
Mr. Disraeli, said only two bills would be brought in
this session—the Militia Bill, and a Bill relating to the
Employment of Foreign Troops. He hoped these mea-
su res would be passed so as to enable him to move the
adjournment for Christmas next Thursday.
NE ws PIPER STA AI ps.—ln reply to a question from Mr. Gib-
son, the CHANCELLOR of the EMCEE ClEr ER said the Govern-
ment had felt as strongly as the right hon. gentleman the
obligations incumbent on them in consequenceof the reso-
lution, without a division, adopted by the house during
the summer. A pledge was then given by the Govern-
ment that the subject difficult as it no doubt was in its
details, should have their best consideration. They had
done their best to redeem that pledge, and they had
thought it their duty to avail themselves of the power,
very carefully constructed, conferred on them by the pre-
sent law for the purpose'of preventing such infractions or
violations of the law as would interfere with the collection
of the revenue. He did not understand the right hon.
gentleman to object to the steps which the Government
had taken further than that he referred to them as illus-
trations of the disadvantages of the present state of things.
There was no dispute respecting those disadvantages, and
the Government were endeavouring to frame a measure to
meet them in the best way they could. The right hon.
gentleman seemed to urge upon them the introduction of
a measure at the present moment; bat that was a recom-
mendation which they were not prepared to carry out. It
was very true that Parliament had met, and met for the
purpose of transacting certain business ; but it was not the
intention of the Government to press on the definite-con-
sideration of the house, whatever minor or preliminary
business might be introduced, any measures with the ex-
ception or those to which Lord J. Russell had referred. It
was obvious, with regard to a question of this kind, that
prudence dictated they should not lay a bill on the table of
the house till they had a fair prospect of being able to pass
it through all its stages, and obtain upon it the definite
opinion of the house. Their opinion was, that they could
not do justice to such a bill at the present moment. The
time the house was likely to sit would not enable them to,
carry such a bill into a law, and it would be highly inex-
pedient to introduce a measure and leave it for con-
sideration till after the recess. When Parliament met
after the Christmas adjournment, he could assure the right
hon. gentleman that, so far as the Government were con-
cerned, they would obtain even from him an admission
that they had done their best to redeem the pledge which-
they had given to the house.
THE MILITIA BILL.—Lord PALMERSTON in moving,
the second reading of the Militia Bill, said, the volunteers-
would still remain the militia of the counties to which
they belonged, and it was not intended to raise any other
bodies of militia in the counties; and he wished it to be
distinctly understood that militia officers who did not
volunteer would not be liable to any imputation as de-
ficient in public spirit. Persons of rank and property,
who entered the militia chiefly for the purpose of giving
countenance and support thereto, having local duties of a
social description, were not the persons whom the govern-
-ment wished to see employed abroad; and, while no im-
putation would rest upon such persons who did not volun-
teer, those who did, on the other hand, must not consider
it any disparagement if the services of others were pre-
ferred. As to the privates, it was most distinctly enacted
that no man should be taken without his free will and
consent —The bill was read a second time, and ordered to
be committed on Monday.
The house adjourned at half-past six o'clock.