22 JULY 1871, Page 2

On Thursday night, Mr. Gladstone stated in the House of

Com- mons the course which the Government intended to pursue in consequence of the defeat of the Army Bill on Monday in the House of Lords. He explained that the Lords had not thrown out the Army Regulation Bill, but only expressed their unwillingness to assent to the second reading without further information,—a vote which in no way precluded the Lords from carrying the second reading on a later day if they chose. Now, the question of Army purchase is not only by the Constitution, but by positive statute, taken out of the hands of the Legislature. It is enacted by statute that only such terms of purchase as it shall please her Majesty by Royal Warrant to permit shall be allowed. Purchase, therefore, absolutely depends on the Executive Government, and it was competent to the Administration to cancel it without any legislative measure, though on a point of this importance it would not have been wise to avail themselves of this power. The Government had, however, now advised the Queen to cancel from the 1st November next the Royal Warrant under which purchase is legal, the queen had accepted that advice, and consequently from that date it is no longer legal. Having thus relieved the House of Lords from all the responsibility to which they so much objected for the cancelling of purchase, Mr. Gladstone hoped "that august body" might proceed with the Bill which awards fit compensation to the officers, and he would not contemplate as yet the other contingency. In any case the Government would use its utmost power to secure just and liberal terms for the Army officers. Mr. Gladstonee statement was received with enthusiastic cheers. A similar communication was made by Lord Granville in somewhat more deprecatory terms ; but the " august" assembly to which he addressed himself did not receive it with the same enthusiasm as the House of Commons.