The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-12-18 00:00:00

THE

71,tivrpoot tanbarb.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1855

FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.

MONDAY MORNING.
ON Monday last the Court removed from Winds'or to
Osborne, where HER MAJESTY and the Royal Family will
remain till the middle^of the present week, at which time they
and the Royal Household will return to Windsor Castle, there
to celebrate, in good old English style, the Christmas festival,
and spend the season's holidays. Arrangements have been
made for having MnauL's grand Oratorio of Joseph per-
formed at the Castle on New-Year's-Day, on a scale of courtly
and musical
,magnificence rarely equalled in this country.
Madame GOLDSCIIMIDT will, it is understood, take part in
this performance.

For some little time past, great commotion has been shown
at the Military Clubs and places of resort, and within a few
days gossip has been unusually busy in relation to certain
movements connected with the army, in which the name and
alleged interference of the PRINCE CONSORT have been freely
mixed up. Intended novelties in the art of tailoring and
hating, not hutting, the army form grounds of discontent and
sarcastic remark among all ranks and grades in the military
service. So much has already been said of the infantry hat
and the cavalry coat skirts, that simple-minded men and the
ordinary run of civilians fondly imagined the inventive facul-
ties of an army clothing artist had been gratified if not
satiated ; and that the spirit of pragmatical innovation had
been effectually rebuked. Such, however, it appears, is not
the case, and a new regimental hat is promised to the officers
of the line, of such rare beauty, that it is supposed they will
deem themserfei-happy men in being allowed each to acquire
one at the moderate charge of five and twenty guineas, and
the superannuation of their present costly though inelegant
" golgothas." Everyone who has attempted to cater for the
public knows to his cost the ingratitude which pervades all
classes of that many-headed monster; and it is said that
even royal designers of military coat-flaps, buttons and jack-
boots do not meet with more than a compensating amount of
thanks from subalterns with attenuated purses, and field-
officers who are stupid enough to prefer. decorations awarded
for meritorious service to the filagree ornamentation of coat
sleeves with recondite designs in gold lace. Such an extent
of obdurate ingratitude as is implied in the last-mentioned
supposition is indeed distressing, nevertheless

'tis true, 'tis pity,
And pity 'tis 'tis true,
a head-thatch of marvellous form and surpassing esthetic
proportions is threatened to the army, and its members are
greatly apprehensive of the consequences.
Another, and a more important matter ffiin the "hat," has
unloosed the tongue of gossip, and made scandal, oral and
typographic, busy with the name of Prince ALBERT, and his
distinguished position in relation to the army. The recent
army warrant, enacting that an invidious distinction, existing
in favour of the household troops, giving to their officers an
ipso facto superiority of grade, shall cease, and that actual
service in the field shall be the future ground of grade pro.
motion, has given dire offence to the officer's 'of the three re-
giments of Guards.— These officers have prepared and for-
warded a memorial to the QUEEN, which the Times says was
secretly proposed and secretly presented, demanding that the
warrant shall be rescinded because a few officers of the Line
_will by its provisions receive a temporary priority of rank.
This memorial has, it seems, been signed by the colonels of
the three regiments of Guards, including the Duke of CAM-
BRIDGE and Prince ALBERT. The interference of Prince
ALBERT is looked on with extreme dislike and much jealousy
by all military men. His individual influence with the QUEEN,
his exalted position in the State, his personal inexperience in
military affairs, are, each and all, cited as conclusive reasons
why he should have stood aloof from any such movement,
which is loudly condemned as at variance with the spirit of the
time. This matter has given rise to much comment, and
when it is remembered how many meritorious officers have
been left behind In the competition for employment and pro-
motion, simply because they could bring no influence to bear
upon the authorities at the Horse Guards, it ceases to be a
cause of wonder that this interference on the part of His
Royal Highness should re-provoke criticism on the influence
he has exercised is reference to the highest military appoint-
ments. Jos iv Br Lmithorrgirpationt-towards accused parties,
and ever-merciful in the interpretation of questionable facts and
ex-parte allegations, is exceedingly jealous of anything bearing
the semblance of self-seeking and shabbiness, and doubly suspi-
cious upon the subject of military abuses, to which, of late, he
has had his attention most painfully directed. At this particular
juncture, the interference of the oldest field-marshal, though
one of the youngest generals, in the British army, is felt to be
particularly ill-timed and indiscreet. It has opened,up the
channels of rumour and suspicion, as to the exercise of " a
power behind the throne," and singularly infelicitous allusions
to the predominance of German policy, which is said to
dominate and thwart the constitutional advisers of the