The Press. — London, England, 1855-04-14 00:00:00

APRIL 14, 1855. lieutenant-colonel, major, or captain wore transferred at once from a Royal regiment of the line to a native regiment, he would be noc only useless as being wholly ignorant of thu language of the men, but he would most probably, from ignorance of their prejudices, ere long create a mutiny. For though no men can be more loyal than the native troops, there is not on earth a more fanatical set if through design or inadvertance their reli gious or caste prejudices be aroused. A good natured attempt, for instance, to see that the men's dinners were properly cooked would probably cause the well-intentioned colonel to be shot dead on the next parade. As regards the Company s European regi ments the case is different: they are in every respect, except in being much more under officered, on the same footing precisely as the regiments serving in India belonging to the Crown. Why the Company should have been allowed to raise so many of such regiments for their establishment we never could under stand; and we think that nothing could be better than the transfer of all of them bodily to the Queen's Army List as infantry regiments of the line. None of the men would probably object to this course, but of such as did the services might be made available in some other manner, while the officers who declined to accede to the amalgamation might be trans ferred as supernumeraries to the several native infantry regiments in which they are bound by their existing engagements to serve. This would remove a fertile source of jobbery, and at the same time afford nine more British regiments of the line opportunities of seeing war practised on the most extended scale. Of the artillery in India we should not be sorry to see the European troops and compa nies amalgamated with the Royal regiment of artillery, and thus made exchangeable from time to time with troops and companies from home ; but the European and the native ar tillery are so mixed up in India that the sepa ration on the instant would be difficult, if not impossible. We think, therefore, that for the present all that could be done would be to abolish Addiscombe and giving a proportionate extension to Woolwich to send out all future artillery cadets from the latter college, on the understanding that they were appointed for general service, so as to lay the foundation for that future union of the Indian and the English artillery which would be most difficult to carry out just now. All future engineer officers for India might be similarly appointed from Woolwich to serve in India as long as might be deemed requisite but to take rank and standing according to their position in the Royal Engineer corps. This and the Royal Artillery are the corps, it must be remembered, in which the officers rise entirely by seniority, as in the Company's army. They do not, therefore, present that obstacle to a complete amalgamation which is exhibited in the system prevailing in the cavalry and infantry branches of the service in England. But, while we are of opinion, for the reasons given, that as regards all but the Com pany's European regiments the most that can be done towards amalgamation at present is to lay the foundations for carrying out such a measure at a future period, yet .ve do think that this should not prevent an immediate transfer of the chief command of all the Com pany's troops to the Commander-in-Chief appointed for the English army by the Crown : and we also think that the patronage of all future East India cadetships should rest with the same functionary, limited, if any limitation be thought necessary, by the setting apart a certain fixed proportion of them to be divided annually amongst tho sons of deserving officers, of clergymen, and of distinguished men of letters ; or to be competed for as prizes at our public schools. We further are of opinion that the separate college for the education of the Company's officers of the scientific branch should be abolished, and that Sandhurst and Woolwich should be the acade mies for the training up of all : and we also think that all future appointments to India should be of gentlemen engaging for general service, and who might therefore be afterwards transferred to any other portion of the Royal army at pleasure. In the meantime officers of the Indian army might be made eligible for THE PRESS. employment equally with those of the British in any department of home or foreign service for which their peculiar training may have rendered them especially fitted. And in the same way officers of the British army ought not to remain excluded from the greater part of the appointments on the staff of the Indian army as they are at present. General officers of either army ought to be eligible to com mands in either service without the mutual limitations against their employment now ex isting ; and thus, a perfect system of recipro city being introduced, the officers of both services would largely benefit. Those of the British would gain in having free access to the vast school of staff employment which the regulations in operation in India preserve now almost exclusively for the Company's officers, and those of the Indian army by opening to their talents the fields of European warfare in which, after all, the highest honours in the profession are only to be obtained. Each army would, in fact, gain precisely what it wants from the other, and the most per fect united service in Europe would be the result. THE LAST RUSSIAN SORTIE. ALTHOUGH our officers and soldiers eminently signalised themselves on the occasion of the recent sanguinary struggle in the trenches, still it is deeply to be deplored that so much blood should have been shed while a Peace Conference was sitting at Vienna. During the progress of this contest we have often heard the phrase of " civilised " as distinguished from " savage " warfare, and while warlike passions have frequently been stimulated, there has been an appeal occasionally to some of our nobler feelings. It certainly would have been more humane, as well as more indicative of a sincere desire for peace, if there had been an entire suspension of arms during the Con ference. A brief cessation would not have been of more advantage to one side than the other. It is lamentable to think, should the Conference have a favorable result, how much blood has been recently wasted which, for the sake of the country, we could well wish to have been spared. And yet the blood shed in the sortie of the 22-23rd of March has unquestionably added one more page to the annals of our military heroism. Never since the com mencement of the campaign have our officers and soldiers behaved more bravely in the field. Suddenly surprised, with numerous foes swarm ing around them, our detached troops in the trenches showed undaunted valour, and per formed feats of prowess not surpassed by any of the former exploits of the campaign. "It " was Inkermann on a small scale," was the faithful description given of the struggle, and the brave men who died in it deserve to have their names enshrined in the hearts of their countrymen. It is admitted on all hands that our officers highly distinguished themselves in their en counter with the enemy. Two sons of Lord KILMAINE were foremost iu the fray, and while one of them survives to have the pleasure of seeing his name deservedly mentioned in the despatches, the other, CAVENDISH BROWNE, of the 7th Fusiliers, gloriously fell at the head of his men, with several musket-balls in his cheat. And not less forward in the deadly strife were Captain BUTLER, of the 20th, and Captain RICKMAN, of the 77th, while Colonel KELLY and Captain MONTAGU, wounded and over powered by numbers, were taken prisoners. On both sides valour was displayed that stirs the blood to read of; and the surviving friends of the bold spirits who perished in that des perate encounter have the satisfaction of knowing that they died the deaths of the brave. Amongst these gallant champions now laid low there was one whose fall has elicited numerous testimonies from distinct sources to his heroism and worth. In truth, the late Captain HEDLEY VICARS, of her Ma jesty's 97th Regiment, was cast in no common mould. Sprung from an honourable English race, young VICARS was trained, by family example, to the ways of the Christian and the gentleman. Embracing the professi , arms, he soon showed that he had all qualities which gain the palm of glory that he could combine martial daring the more difficult, because irksome, adherence to the most monotonous of duties. months since that generous officer ga\ affecting instance of the pure spirit of reli which was so beautiful a feature in his ratter. While the black fever in the was mowing down his regiment, this high souled officer was seen, day after day, walking through the pestilential wards, or sitting ' the bedside of the dying, reading to them sacred words of consolation. We learn pathetic circumstance from a letter _ Times of Thursday, in which it is stated in this Christian labour HEDLEY VICAP assisted by another officer, whose name known. In the daily life of VICARS might . cerned the depth of the Divine sources which he derived the moral serenity mind. The language of cant was abhorrent from his truthful soul, and he loathed thr righteousness of the Pharisee. Frank manly in his manners, he was loved brother by all the officers of his regiment, respected by all who came within the circle his intercourse. Often has his name " mentioned with affectionate regard in of the private letters from the seat of war, of his standing in the army. There an officer with brighter prospects of rising the first rank of that profession which adorned. But a Higher Power had ruled that VICARS should be called to a kingdom not of this world. On the 21st of March—the Day of Humiliation—he read the Service to several of his brother-officers and fellow-soldiers. On the next day he was with a picket of his re giment in the advanced parallel of the right attack. It seems that VICARS was the first to discern the advancing hosts of the enemy, and to raise the alarm. How he met those foes—how, against desperate odds, he rushed to the deadly struggle—how he slew two of his assailants, and fell only from the hemorr hage of a mortal wound, has been vividly chronicled by all the correspondents of the journals, unanimous as to the bravery of his deeds. To the various testators to the virtues of HEDLEY VICARS we shall only add the testi mony, that never was eulogy more thoroughly deserved. He died the death of a hero, " With his back to the field, and his front to the foe." Short as was his span, lie has won the guerdon of a fair renown, and while me mory remains to them the comrades who wit nessed his qualities as a soldier, gentleman, and Christian, will lovingly recal the glorious death and lofty virtues of the high-souled HEDLEY VICARS, who taught all men how to live, and soldiers how to die. And what more could a hero desire, than to fall first amongst the foremost in the combat of fame, loved through his life, and lamented after his death, by all the brave ? Gallant hands have placed a chaplet over the young soldier's tomb, and those well-won laurels are too bright to fade. LORD PALMERSTON'S MILITIA ADMINISTRATION. WE have alluded in a previous article to the disorganisation of the Militia force, and as the whole subject of the recent Militia Acts is not well understood, a narrative of facts may not be unacceptable for the purpose of tracing the conduct of LOTO PALMERSTON as Militia Ministerduring the t. he held the seals of the Home Department In the last war—to recollections must both in 1792 and months before tho tilities, and w•as i to its full strength. disciplined with the in barracks, marched _ brigaded in garrison and to a state of efficiency regular troops. The late in the last speech ho 343 ession of d all tho ;lory, and ring with adherence s. Some gave an if religion a his cha- llis Piraeu s his high- ', walking sitting by them the learn this er in the rated that ICARS was ,me is not ht be dis- arces from ity of his abhorrent .d the self- rank and Dyed as a iment, and to circle of iame been I in many d war, and re was not f rising to which he hat VICARS of of this 2e Day of to several diers. On of his re- the right he first to le enemy, met those he rushed iw two of e hemorr- ?,n vividly its of the ery of his virtues of the testi- • horoughly a. iero, to the foe." has won while me- a who wit- gentleman, he glorious iigh-souled Len how to what more st amongst me, loved his death, ave placed tomb, and I to fade. [ILITIA - - two years he held the scam rtment. which Lord PALMERSTON'S extend—the Militia wee, 1 1803, embodied two commencement of hos- immediately completed 1. It was trained and greatest care, quartered from station to station, and in camp, and brought cy scarcely inferior to the late Duke of WELLINGTON, addressed to the Lord.,