CAPTAIN ESMONDEsaid, he put a question yesterday to the Under-Secretary for War which was not satisfactorily answered. His object was to ascertain if artillery militia regiments were liable to be moved in the same manner as other militia regiments, and also if it were competent for such regiments to volunteer for foreign service upon the same conditions as ordinary militia regiments?
§ MR. F. PEELhad stated yesterday that the purpose for which a portion of the militia of this country and of Ireland had been allowed to form themselves into artillery corps was to furnish the Government with the means of occupying garrison towns, and taking charge of defences on the sea-coast. As it was intended to adhere to that arrangement, it would be useless to send those regiments to camps which were formed for instruction in field movements. There was no intention to exchange artillery regiments between this 674 country and Ireland, nor was there any general plan with regard to employing them in any particular spot. It would, of course, be competent for those regiments to volunteer for foreign service.