§ LORD ROBERT GROSVENORsaid, he would beg to inquire of the noble Lord at the head of Her Majesty's Government whether any plan was under consideration for the gradual disbanding of the army and militia, so as not to throw upon the country a great amount of unemployed labour at one period, as was done in 1814 and 1815, and thus to incur similar distress to that which was prevalent at that time?
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONsaid, that of course Her Majesty's Government would endeavour to arrange those matters in such a manner as would be least inconvenient to the community at large. His noble Friend must, however, remember that the militia could not be kept embodied for any very considerable time after the conclusion of peace. It was desirable also, with a view to agricultural employment, that the men forming the militia regiments should be disembodied at such a time as would enable them to fall back into the natural course of their industry in their respective counties about the time of harvest. With respect to the army, that portion which was abroad would not return for several months to 2037 come, and then would come to this country in successive detachments, so that no difficulty would arise from the reductions that it might be necessary to make in the respective regiments.