The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-11-06 00:00:00

PREVALENCE OF INEBRIETY.

To the wholesome labour and activity that now prevail, as
well as to the fineness of the weather, the healthy condition of
the army is doubtless due. It certainly is not attributable to
sobriety and abstinence, for I regret to say that drunkenness is
very prevalent among the men. The well-intended kindness of
the Queen's sixpence" is doing, I fear, much harm, used as it
is by a very large portion of the soldiers as a means of exces-
sive drinking. The consequence of this, and of the insubor-
dination and many offences it leads to, is a large amount of
punishment of various kinds—extra guards, stone-carrying,
and flogging. The cartwheel (here substituted for the
triangle) is frequently rigged, and the Provost-Marshal and
his assistants have plenty on their hands ; but twenty-five
lashes, or even fifty are all insufficient to wean the British
soldier from his favourite vice. I hear of regiments in which
there are literally scores of men under punishment of one
sort or other for intoxication. One regiment was cited to me
(I refrain from naming it) in which there were 60 offenders of
this sort at one time. In another nine sergeants were broken
for drunkenness. On Saturday -there was an issue of back
pay (the extra sixpence), and I never witnessed a more dis-
graceful scene than was presented by the part of the camp in
which I happened to be at about an hour before sunset on
Sunday afternoon. I have uo reason to believe that it was
confined to that part of the camp, but I mention only that
which I and a military friend who accompanied me actually
saw, as we leant against a railing enjoying the beauty of the
evening. Half the men who passed along a track a little in
our front were more or less intoxicated. Some were merely
unsteady, others staggered and straggled out of the path.
Some were pugnacious, and we saw two fights begin, which
were only put an end to by the arrival of a patrol. None
more than myself would advocate every reasonable indulgence
to an army which has deserved so well of its country as that
of the Crimea, displaying, as it has done, on repeated occa-
sions, and for long periods, the utmost valour, fortitude, and
patience. But if means are not found of checking the great
drunkenness that at present goes on here, the result will be
a grievous scandal to the service.
PROMOTION OF COLONEL WINDHAM.

Last night's general orders contained full confirmation of
news that had reached us a few days previously—namely, the
promotion of Colonel Windham to the rank of Major-General
" for distinguished services in the field," and his appointment
to the command of the Fourth Division, with which he served
as Assistant-Quartermaster-General until he was named (less
than two months ago) to the command of that brigade of the
Second Division, at the head of which he fought so gallantly
on the Bth of September. The fiat of the Horse Guards is, in
this instance, stamped and confirmed by the approbation and
applause of the army.
Lord William Paulet has assumed the command of the 2nd
brigade of the Fourth Division, and occupies Gen. Bentinck's
old quarters on Cathcart's-hill, where, unlike their previous
tenant, he may quietly dwell, without risk of a cannon-ball
plumping into his soup-tureen, or tumbling into his bed.
Miss Nightingale is at the Castle Hospital.
SUPPOSED PREPARATIONS FOR EVACUA-