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Ma*ch 3,1855.] THg I.M-A3KBB. . «fiB ¦ ^...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Imperial Parliament. A Debate Took Place...
" * " ™»™ -nM-jvn OF THE TDRKKH LEVIES . Tl ™ arfrESKNB 6 BOW ^^ £ ' £ »* £ i . *^ iT thpre would be ¦ any ofcgectaon ; to lagr before J & h £ L 2 ! K * £ «*«* the ¦ w Berrices of M ^ Jortfte » °° ^ V ^ lwo had been appointed to the com ^ > : fl ^? rf 2 S & Sb- £ 3 a ( fc . h !* M not impugn the 3 S £ iS wSS »« a Viviiua * his Mdtt . ent ^ Uitie ^ a . w « 0 » f tte Madras Army showed he ¦^ J ^ SSSririTlew- but the Earl thought for the : 3 " ^ Tof ^ a ? te * y a person s hould have bee n e TT ? who hStad Sperilnce of Orientals .. Mador-S ?^ £ S ^ mS . ftUm | been only m the Madras ¦ gS ^ MdKS sSn little service of late , could not ff' 5 experience in war , a « et must beaninfo ^ ed in the management of irregular . corps , between which and regulars there is a great difference . The number of officers whom- Major-General Vivian will Sto riomniend is considerable-125 at the least . Now , where are those officers to come from ? In his Son , the Governor-General of India should be written to , and requested to . recommend the fittest officers for the service . He had at aU tow held the opinion that it was impolitic to confine the service * of Indian offleersta India alone . Service in Indians , ¦ of a larger and more instructive nature than , the ordinary service of the British army . Indian officers have more extensive and more valuable experience ? and there ia no doubt that the deficiencies observable in many branches of the military service in the Crimea might be supplied by the officers of corresponding departments in India . The military reputation of this country has been impaired ; and the only remedy consists in selecting the fittest men for the various commands . _ , Lord Panmure denied the justice of Lord Ellenborough ' s remarks on Major-General Vivian , as well aff their prudence with reference to our army in the East . Major-General Vivian is in every way qualified for the post , from the exemplary manner m which he filled the highest stations in the Madras army ; and , as soon as it was was known that he was to have the command of the contingent , applications for service poured in . Lord Panmure would undertake that fitting officers should be appointed , even ifc it were necessary to select _ them from the East Indiai Company ' s service . ,. ¦¦ , " '¦ - -.. Lord Vivian briefly spoke in vindication of his gallant . relative , and read a testimonial in his favour signed by Sir Richard Armstrong , the coramanderin-chief of the Madras army , when General Vivians resigned his office of adjutant-general . THE TRANSPORT SERVICE . The Earl of Hardwickk moved , oh Tuesday , for certain returns connected with the transport service , and enumerated the mistakes which had been committed in that department—paying for space , for instance , by measure , instead of registered tonnagefor space occupied by engines . Lord Panmure acknowledged tiiat great abuses had existed in the transport service ; but said that these were under inquiry , and wo uld speedily be amended . He had no objection to produce the "'"" " r » n f ivir > ¦»« ¦ - " ¦ ¦ ¦ — ' ¦ ™ ¦ "' " ¦ - - ' ¦""* ' ¦'
THE GREAT KENNEDY CA 3 B . Sir John Shelley moved on Tuesday for a Select committee to inquire into the grounds for the removal of the Right Honourable J . Kennedy , Commissioner of Woods and Forests , & c . Sir John Shelley described his dismissal as arising from a difference between Mr . Kennedy and a subordinate in the same office ; but he ascribed it in reality to Mr . Kennedy ' s being over-zealous for the views of certain members of the Government , and the dismissal was in effect an imputation upon his veracity and honour . Mr . Gladstone called upon Sir John Shelley to put the charge which he had made , in writing upon the table of the House , and then Mr . Gladatone would leave it to the arbitration of the House . Sir John Shelley did not accede , and then Mr . Gladstone ) explained that Mr . Kennedy had made a charge against a subordinate in the same office . The charge seemed to have been founded on a misapprehension , and Mr . Kennedy showed no disposition to do justice to his subordinate when the error was proved . Mr . Gladstone read very full details from correspondence , to show that Mr . Kennedy ' s conduct was such as to bo destructive of authority , and such that , as his superior , Mr . Gladstone , could no t' be responsible for it . Other members , on both sides of the House , expressed a feeling that Mr . Kennedy had been intemperate ; and nil tho Ministers who spoke con - curred in admitting that there was no imputation upon his honour and veracity . On a distinct ) statement to that effect from Lord Palmeuston , Sir John Shelley withdrew his motion . In the House of Commons , on Wednesday , tho Marquis of Blandford moved the second roading of tho Episcopal and Capitular Estates Bill , and explained and defondod its provisions , which were tho same as those introduced in previous years , and aimed at tho better payment of tho working clergy . Mr . II . G . Liddkll moved to defer tli © second reading for six months , ¦ as ho considered that tho property of tbo Church was not general property ,
: . bat belonged ; to the purposes of the Church , and ought not to be managed by a cetttradiaed . power . VariouS'Other members'tewing'spoken ( the Liberal memberaberag * mostly against the bill , and the Conservatives in favour of it ) , ¦¦ ,, „ „ Sir B . Ham . said , he had beei * requested by :-Sir G . Grey to state that he was anxious that the-second reading should pass if Lord Blandford would' consent to postpone the Committee until the Cathedral Commissioners had reported and untiL time had been allowed for the consideration of the report . The . Masrojuisof Bn * NDiro &» having agreed to > this proposal , flic secdnd reaxfing , after ; * 8 faert discussion , was carried tylQa to / 66 .
BIB . KOEBtJCK S COBTMlTTEEMr Benttn-ck moved that Sir George Tyler , be substituted-in lieu of Sir George Corne wall Lewis in the Army before Sebastopol Committee . He thought it fitting- that in this case there shauld be a naval man on the Committee , as naval witnesses would have to be examined . Captain Scobell supported : the motion ; bnt Mr . iRoEBUCK could not admit the alleged necessity , as lie considered the Committee would be perfectly competent to decide upon the evidence of the professional witnesses . _ . Upon the House dividing ; the numbers ! were—For the motion , 74 ; against , 87 ; majority against the ¦ motion , 13 . , — ¦*¦ . ¦¦ , * ¦ Mr . Roebuck then proposed Sir John Hanmer in . the place of Sir G . C . Lewis ; but a quarter to six o ' clock having arrived , the motion was postponed , and the House adjourned . On Thursday Colonel Dunme proposed that foir Lr . B . Pechell should be added to the Committee . This was opposed by Mr . Rokbugk , and negatived ; and subsequently Sir J . Haruner was appointed . In the House of Commons on Thursday , Mr . Roebuck brought up-a report of-the Select Committee to Inquire into the Condition Of the Army before Sebastopol , which had resolved that , in their opinion , the objects would be best attained if the committee were a committee of secFeey . On the same day , Mr . Roebuck appeared at the bar of the Lords with a message from the Commons , requesting their lordships to-give the Duke of Newcastle leave to attend and give evidence before thei Committee of Inquiry into the conduct of the war . PROMOTION BY PURCHASE . In the House of Commons , on Thursday , Xord ; Goderich moved an Address to her Majesty , praying that she will be pleased to take into her consideration the present syste of promotion in the army , under wich non-commissioned officers rarely attain to the rank of commissioned officers , and scarcely ever to that of field-officers , and humbly to > express to her Majesty the injustice and danger of the system . He said , the people of this country , including the wisest among them , are impressed with the necessity which existed for the fittest men in the right places . In the army , the theory of promotion is , that the power is vested solely with the Crown ; but the selection of officers was greatly influenced by the purchase system . That-system ,-which he believed had never been established by any law , is only a system of barter and sale . The officers of our array , generally speaking , are drawn from the wealthier classes , and the privates from the poorer classes ; and between the two there is a wide and almost impassable gulf ; It is true , any attempt to abolish the purchase system at once would be simple confiscation ; but a beginning might be made . No doubt particular instances might be brought forward of promotion from tho ranks ; but these are only exceptions ^ the rule . The present period , when the high and the low were fighting side by side , was the fittest for the inauguration of a different system . He appealed to the example of France , and more especially to the case of Ney , who rose from the ranks to be a Marshal and a prince ; and , referring to the noble letters written by our soldiers from the Crimea , asked if such men did not possess an amount of reason , loyalty , and gentleness not to be surpassed by the highest ? It had been said there was a difficulty in obtaining fit men for recruits ; but he believed this difficulty would vanish if the men had a f 5 * i » chance of promotion . M $ my young officers were sant oat raw and untutorod , very shortly after receiving- titeir commissions , and h » d to be instruoted by the s « r'geanta , who ought not to havo such m « n put over their heads . A number of commissions would Bhortly be at the disposal of tho authorities , who * might give them away to the deserving . He did not believe that the gentlemen of England would ohjeet to serving 1 with men who had risen from the ranks ; and ho believed that by adopting the presoa * motion , the House would be performing a truly conservative act . The motion was supported by Mr , Oiway , Mr . Waknek , Captain Soobbljl ( who pronounced tho present system to bo a ahopkeeping mode of getting on in a profession ) , Mr . J . Ball . Sir Dk Lacy Evans , Sir EusitiNK Perry , oud Mr . W . O . Stanley ; and was opposed by Mr . Jb \ Peel , Lord Lovaxne , Coi loncl Sibthoapid ( who thought it advisablo to " lof well oloue" ) , Sir J . Walsh , Lord Sjsymour , Loud
Elcho , Mr . Sidney Hhrbejit , and Load FAfcun-Mr . F . P bbl said the present' system aartd nofhe charged with having iejured the : interest * trf tise country or of the army . Lord Goderifthr httd £ aiteil to * show ! in what way ther sjwtena w < a » uajlust to . the ( private ; soldier . If merit < was to-be'the rule o £ p « 0-• motion , who was . to . be the judge ;? Thera weueaiii' vantages ia the present system , and iocon venieneiea - in-that proposed , ¦ 'which should induce the floosB' 60 hesitate before it assented to the addreae . Tk & chief speech , of the evening w « s that © f Sir , C-S . LACY Evans . Referring to ' the declaioas of Ihe Duke of Wellington in favour of tlieparchase » yAi » ta } ; he asked if we ¦ were to- be for ever bound to tiae opinions of one man , and that man one who was . influenced iu . his judgment by political feelings ,. 'Qfjr aristocratical sympathies , and by a belief thdt . the ¦ iatereetaof the aristocracy were of greater im-portftnte than the welfare of the army . The opinion of the Duke also influenced those of other military Man , who were afraid to differ , seeing that those'who had i the courage to do so suffered for it . The Duke-bad . opposed all itnprovements in the acoay—the Minie . rifle included ; and yet we-are-teld we : should newer deviate from , whait he said . . "If the system of purchasebe ao atoairable a thinqg-, why nat intrpcluGe it into all tha > in » ti * u * idns of the eouatry ? why not introduee it ia * o yova . navy and into yeurcivil ' offices ? why not set up yoor Secretaryships ! of State for sale ? ( ChteatA and laughteri ) Sir ) . * he system ' . ia a eormptioa—^ ift isi didhoHOUtable ! te tke country—it will be a disgrace to tbia House if yon continue to ^ sanotion it , and tke peoplte'of Europe wonder a * its existence . But . some geatlfenaea comewkh . their afa-; penny ac « ioiniy and teH . « s , fossoafch , that if *& atteaaopt to establish a , system ) of promotion by merit . k will eost lis . 100 , 000 i a year . That is the statement of ihe gentleman who has been selected to-fill the second place in . the conduct of the war . WelJ ,. sir , I tWnk it is a very cheap thing if you can get it for 10 Q } OOO £ a year . . QCheers . y Sir , it is said that it is not the sons of the aristocracy merely who purchase their promotion , but also the 8 ohs of the manufacturer and the shopkeeper . But it is not so easy to pass some- © f ; the higher steps when he goes to the Horse- Guards if He isi the son of a humble person ^ My objection tt > the , system of purchase is , that it afibrda facilities , for th « ntanifestation of a : favouritism whieh entirely eschews the commonalty , and admitsonly to the higher prizes of the profession the sons of the gentry and nobles . ( Cheers . } I desire very much to seea largerpropdrtion , of the nobility and gentry than of-thecommonalty in the comakand of the army , but what I object to is , " the exclusion of the latter , and that those should he deprived of the opportunity of coming to the higher appointments of the State who by nature are possessed of the : talents to . render great service to- their country . ( Cheers . ) It has been well asked , why we should 1101 upon the same principle set up situations on the bench for sale ? But that is aot so , and the resuit is , that we see upon the bench what never occurs in the army—namely , that the sons of the humblest per- * sens in tlie scale of society have risen to the highest rewards ia their profession . ( Cheers . ) This is morally impossible in the army . ^ It is almost impossible even for the bomb of the genfaor . Q " 0 h ' P and ' Tteor , Tiear . 'J Look at my own position ! We are beaten by time . ( Cries of ^ hear , hear . ') We are kept back ( said the gallant general , with feeling ) until we are worn out . ( ConUmied cries of hear , hear . ' ) Those who have more friends get up to the higher ranks of the-amay ; but , if there is a question of selecting some one for the command of a corps or an army , the answer ia— ' Oh ! such , a man is not of such a class , ' and ' Don't talk to us of him . ' When the hon . gentleman toe Uuder-Secretary for War tells us that fifty or one hundred commissions have been sold for appointments in-the Crimea , and when he talks © f . economy and ulterior , expense , I really think that he takes a very Low . and inferior ground on , this question ( eheera ) , and that he take * , in . tfcutb , a moat discreditable view © f tlie subject . ( Cheers ^ Because men have 400 ? . or 500 £ are they to < be put . over the heads of all those non-commissioned officers and private soldiers , and especially those non-commlseiened officers who are bearing with exemplary patience and fortitude dangers , toils , and difficulties in tho Crimea . ? All these men ore to be set aside because 60 , 000 / . ia to be mado of it . ( Clteera . ) These woa a time when it was contended that all the soldiers should be nobles , and in . some countries it was nooesaary for a man to have ten or twelve quartering ? of nobility before ho could be admitted into the army . But that has p « u * ed away . There havo been great officers of all elates ^ jrs ^ 'srisr JTi's ^ ffi vouhavo 10 grot oilicors in one cnao , you hav « 60 in tLo other . In the ti . no of Louis XIV . tliore were gwat couimnmlorH no doubt , but wo had a P" * " " » " £ than all bin . Our own Kevolution wvsvpoUtioal rather han military , but still thero waa a e ^ man ^ great power And iiUon-Mr . Oliver Gronwwllr- ( o if . i ^" who BUMla hiinwK aonrd Of . Bat oampate tho . com-
Ma*Ch 3,1855.] Thg I.M-A3kbb. . «Fib ¦ ^...
Ma * ch 3 , 1855 . ] THg I . M-A 3 KBB . . « fiB ¦ ^ ¦ ^
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), March 3, 1855, page 3, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_03031855/page/3/
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