Two bills are now rapidly passing through Parliament connected with
our system of national defences. One is the Army Reserve Bill ; a measure which enables the Government to retain the services of all soldiers who have completed ten years of service, and who are willing to volunteer. The other is the Reserve Force of Seamen Bill ; whereby the Admiralty is empowered to raise 30,000 volunteers. They are to be enrolled for five years, and if they please for five years again, at the end of which time they will be entitled to a pension. They are to be trained twenty-eight days yearly, and to be called out for actual service only in case of a national emergency.
Lord Palmerston has agreed to fix Monday evening for a debate on Lord Echo's Motion asserting the inexpediency of England's taking any part in the Conference at Zurich. Mr. Mnglalce has given no- tice of an amendment, which after congratulating her Majesty on the ter- mination of the war, without the territorial aggrandizement of any great Power, and expressing a hope that the Treaty of "Villafeanca will lead to a lasting peace, and the withdrawal of Foreign troops from Italy, records the satisfaction with which this House has heard that her Majesty has not hitherto engaged to take part in any conference arising out of the stipulations lately made at Villafranca by two of the belligerent Powers.
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