The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-06-21 00:00:00

army anb Nabu.

The public half-yearly examination of the gentlemen
cadets of Her Majesty's Indian forces took place cm
Saturday week at the Military College at Abbiscombe,
in the presence of • large and distinguished assemblage.
The day's proceedinp terminated with • parade of the
cadets.

Lieutenant-Colonel his Grace the Duke of Wellington
impeded the Victoria Rine Corps on Wednesday after-
noon at Kilburn, and expressed himself highly gratified
at the smart and soldier-like manner in which the
various evolutions were performed.

Every available spot in the Arsenal at Woolwich is
now ordered to be taken up by the Laboratory Depart-
ment, in aa to extend the facilities for the manufacture
of shot and shell by accommodating ex many additional
hands as may be requisite to meet the unprecedented
demands now on hand. The present factories have been
considerablyly enlarged by the erection of large sheds
of corrugated iron, raised against the outer walls, which
afford much convenience and space to the factories,
crowded to excess and danger. With an establishment
far outnumbering that of any previous date, the works
are briskly carried on by relays of men, without inter-
minion, day and night.

• -
Mr. Trotman, the inventor of Trotman's patent
anchor, has issued a statement exposing some of the
peculiarities of the Admiralty administration. In 1553
a Government Committee, appointed to test the merits
of competing anchors, reported six kinds as being
superior to the Admiralty anchor, and that Trottuan's
was the bed of these six. The experiments were made
at the cost of the patentees, and each competitor looked
for reward in toe certainty that if the report should be
in his favour his invention would be adopted. No snob
result took place; outside persons have received marks
of Admiralty approval, but the only answer Mr. Trot-
man can obtain is that, if be desires it, "My lzirds will
permit further trials of his anchor." As this would cost
him £2OO in addition to £4OO already expended, and
could had at the best to no result beyond that already
attained—namely, an unequivocal report in its favour—
he has declined to entertain the offer, and has invited
the production before the House of Commons of all the
correspondence on the subject. ldeanwi.ile he points
out that in the case of the Royal yacht, where the
Admiralty dare not tride with the safety of the Queen,
they have ordered its use. He also challenges a compe-
tition at his own expense of a " Trotinan't anchor" of
50cwt., costing IVO, against any anchor now in Her
Majesty's dockyard, of 100 cwt. or more, the contract
value of which exceeds £36.5. It shall, he says, sustain
a higher proof. possess greater holding power, and per-
form in a niore efficient manner every duty required,
although only one-half the weight and one-fourth the
cost of the larger anchor.

Tug ARMY AND Miuria.—Tlie aggregate amount of
the grants for army and Militia services in 1857-58 was
£33,443,235, and the total expenditure, £13,217,615.
Certain excesses (being the sums expended "more than
voted ") are detailed and afterwards explained as fol-
lows .—There are excesses on Vote No. 7, wages of arti-
ficers, &c., £100,329 2.5. 7.1.; Vote No. 8, clothing, kc.,
£289,909 13s. Id. ; Vote No. 9, provision, forage
Le. E 351,6.511 16s. 2.41. Vote No. 10, warlike stores,
£218,546 15s. 9d. ; and Vote No. 12, buildings and liar-
racks, 1.68,871, 2s. Id. ; making a total of £1,029,308
9s. Bd. The above excesses are attributable to the
following causes, via. :-Ist. Votes 7 and 10.—The
neceuary increased activity at the msnufacturing
departments, consequent upon the Indian mutiny and
the Chinese expedition. 2nd. Vote B.—The augmenta-
tion of the cavalry and infantry regiments. 3rd. Vote
9.—lncreased supplies for the Chinese expedition. the
special vote of credit for which was absorbed by the
excess upon the Admiralty account; also, the aat of
provisions, &a., at certain stations abroad having been
higher than was contemplated. 4th. Vote r.aiii
works of an important character which were ordered by
the Secretary of State, and approved of by the Lords
Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, not having
been included in the Estimates. As the above expendi-
ture in excess could not have been foreseen when the
' Estimates, 1857-58, were prepared, the services for
, which it was incurred being urgent, the supplemental
vote of £1,050,000 was granted in aid of the deficiencies in
question. There are other excesses which hardly require
notice, except £282,326 for miscellaneous charges of the
land forces. These excesses were more than covered by a
Ins expenditure on certain items, for which larger sums
had been voted. These items include £24,368 ("less than
voted") for fortifications. £494,385 for pay and allowance
of the land forces, and £134,472 for the disembodied
militia. For the embodied militia an excess of £27,326,
was spent, on out pensions one of E 69,848, and on the
manufacturing establishments one of £25,107. For
volunteer corps there is an item of £5,639 " less than
voted." The excesses on the land forces (miscellaneous
charges), the manufacturing establishments and the out-
pensions, are thus explained—Vote No. 3. —Land Forces,
Miscellaneous Charges, £382,326 18s. sd. This has
arisen from the increased charges for levy money, and
contingent disbursements incidental to the augmentation
of the Army, and the removal of Urge forces to the coast
for elaboration to India, the revenues of which country
are not debited with any charge prior to the date of
shipment, and also from the arrears occasioned by the
Russian war. Vote No. 6.—Manufacturing Establish-
ments, E. 35,107 3s. 11d. This excess partly arises from
the increased activity in the Stores and Commissariat
Departments, in consequence of the Indian mutiny and
the Chinese expedition, and partly from the extra
requirements under the head of salaries to the engineer
establishment, rents, taxes, and contingencies, which
last is always an uncertain item of expenditure. Vote
No. 20.—Out-Pensions, £69,848 21, sd. This exams has
been caused by the number of wounded and disabled men
newly placed on the pension list, in consequence of the
' active operations in Ind* beyond the number of
ordinary casualties. The exams of £27,326 on the
embodied militia arises from arrear chines.