motion of the army. Temporary rank signified an exception, and was Lenerally given to those who aised men for rank, and for other reasons which occasioned the granting them high commissions. It was also confined to particular corps and services, but did not give full brevet promotions with the rest of the army, nor did it confer half pay. His lordship went on to state the different conditions on which foreign corps were serving in our army; and said, that the order, in fact, did not apply to all the German officers, but only to those of higher ranks who had entitled themselves to to favour and reward. All these officers, however, were serving under a law which declared a limit to their services; and the order could not be meant to operate in defiance of the law. It was, he conceived, clear, that when the operation of the law ceased, the commissions must fall to the ground with that act in which they originated. The advantage they received from the order was that when the act expired, their rank having been ordinary and permanent, their names would be printed in the army lists, in their respective ranks, and they would have their honours and titles remaining. His lordship then pronounced an encomium on the German legion, and concluded with saying that it would be well that the new parliament should have its opinion understood of the legality and propriety of continuing the present system of employing every means of carrying on an offensive warfare which offered itself in the present circumstances.

Mr. Ponsonby particularly ob. jected to the last part of the noble lord's speech, and hoped that the House would not on the present, or any other occasion, express an opinion on a subject not connected with the motion that was before them. He concurred in the praises of the German corps, but adhered to the opinion that parlia ment ought to look with a constitutional jealousy to the employment of foreign soldiers, especially within this realm.

Lord Milton having alluded to the conferring of the command of a district in England on Baron Linsingen, a German; General Stewart asked why, when foreigners were intrusted with commands against the enemy, they should not be equally trusted in this country? But he was reminded by Mr. Canning, that while he viewed the subject with a military eye, it was the duty of the House to view it in a constitutional light also; and he referred to the case of king William and his Dutch troops, which parliament had obliged him to dismiss. In the further discussion, some censure was pointed against the prssent rage of Germanizing and Frenchifying our troops in their dress and equipments, and various bad consequences of this mode were pointed out.

The motion was thes put, and negatived; but three others were agreed to, relative to returns of the foreign officers and soldiers employed in the British service.

On Dec. 17, a message was sent to both Houses from the Prince Regent, recommending the granting a relief to the suffering subjects of his Majesty's good and great

ally,

ally, the Emperor of Russia. It was ordered to be taken into consideration in both Houses on the following day.

In the House of Lords, on the 18th, the Earl of Liverpool rose to move an address pledging the House to concur in the object. of the message. He made an introductory speech, in which he stated the circumstances of the French invasion of Russia, and the system of defence adopted by the government of that country, an essential part of which was the sacrifice of habitations and property, that the enemy might be deprived of the advantage of possessing them. Besides the destruction of the great capital of Moscow, which he represented as a voluntary act on the part of the inhabitants, a num. ber of towns and villages had shared the same fate, by which very great sufferings had been brought on the people; and as the purposes of the invasion had been to strike a deadly blow at the resources of this country, our gratitude was engaged to contribute to their relief.

Lord Holland said, that he found himself placed in a very painful situation by the considerations on which this motion was urged; for whilst he must doubt whether this was a wise or politic grant, he felt, that when once proposed, it might be unwise and unsafe to reject it. He then stated some reasons why he thought that it would have little efficacy in producing the intended relief; yet he would not oppose it, principally because he would not have it imagined that

any member of that House could be insensible to the merits or the sufferings of the Russians. He further hoped that the proposal might be regarded as evidence of a complete co-operation and concert between the two governments, not merely for carrying on the war, but as to its objects, and the grounds on which a general peace might be established.

The address was then unanimously agreed to.

In the House of Commons, the House having resolved itself into a committee of supply, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, où rising to move the grant, said, that had it not been from some intimations of dissent given yesterday, he should not have thought it necessary to preface his mo, tion with many observations. It had been suggested that the message had taken the House by surprize.

The surprize was as much upon government, as upon the House: it arose from the gratifying intelligence that the enemy had been driven beyond the bounds of the ancient Russian empire; and it was thought bet ter that parliament should not delay a relief to the people who had made such sacrifices to the common cause, lest it should be anticipated by the generous contributions of individuals. Another consideration was, that a great subscription had been entered into at Petersburgh, and committees had been appointed in Russia, to inquire into the losses of individuals, and to apportion the relief to be distributed. As to the sam which ought to be granted,

granted, there would probably be a diference of opinion, but, considering the occasion, it obviously would be improper that it should be a scanty or penurious grant. He concluded with moving "that a sum not exceeding 200,000!. should be granted to his Majesty, to be applied towards the relief of the sufferers in Russia."

Mr. Ponsonby said, he should vote for the grant, but not for the reasons assigned by the last speaker. It would not afford either speedy or effectual relief to the sufferers; but he looked upon it in the light of a gift to the Emperor of Russia, and as a mark of gratitude for the extraordinary efforts made by that country in resisting the power of France, and opposing the continental system which was at tempted to be forced upon it.

Mr. Bathurst defended the words "speedy and effectual" applied to the grant, as being used relatively, and in conjunction with other measures of relief.

Mr. Whitbread said that after fully exercising his judgment upon the question, he could not suffer the vote to pass unanimously. He thought the proposed grant would prove ineffectual, and that it was inconsistent with the sentiments of justice which the House was bound to entertain for the distresses of their own countrymen. The sum was too paltry to be of any real use; and it was the duty of the Russian goverment to protect its people, and to alleviate their wretchedness, oc

casioned by an act unparalleled in the History of the worldthe conflagration of Moscow. The sum appeared to be in reality a contribution to carry on the war, and no other than a paltry and contemptible subsidy.

Lord Castlereagh strongly dis claimed the appellation given to the grant by the last speaker, and said, that by the vote now proposed, we were subsidi zing the sensibilities and ge nerous feelings of all the world.

Sir Francis Burdett could not consent to give away money which, whilst it could not be effectual to relieve the calamities of Russia, would add to the bur dens already so severely felt by the community at home. He thought it was hard that the people of this country should be called upon to support the emigrants of all nations; and yet when relief was requested for our starving manufacturers, the answer was, that in times like this, economy must be attended to, and it was impossible for the House to grant relief to an extent that would be of any avail.

Mr. Wilberforce did not doubt that the sum asked for would be of material benefit to the Russians, as similar grants had been in other cases. It would shew at least the sympathetic feelings of the House for the distresses of the Russian people; and he could not conceive why nations should not be generous, as well as individuals.

to.

The resolution was then agreed

Nothing

Nothing further of importance occurred in Parliament before its adjournment for the Christmas recess.

It should be recorded, that in

addition to the parliamentary aid granted to Russia, considerable private subscriptions were entered into for the relief of the sufferers in that country.

CHRONICLE.