The Express.
London, England, 1849-01-16 00:00:00

ARMY CLOTHING.

Sts,—Permit me to uffer a few obeervaione on one
psvicular passage in Gen. Napier's defence of the pr. sent
sweat of clothing the British army. Ti e general asserts
"that the clothing is of sup oior quality to that of any foreign
army," and he slid- nily wishes the public to believe that it
is also e'.esper. Now hat are the facts t
The clothing of the French army cost in the year 1847, in-
eluding the expense of cents and encampment is Algiers.
454,3161 95.2,1., for 377,12.5 mars cf all ranks, including
officers, or aa average est 11.134.2 d. • head.
The doable, fiche Prussian army cost in the same par
217,3781 10s., for 118,313 mea of all ranks, officers included,
or an average alit 13. 101. per bead. But this sum pro.
vided in reality, for, 1, the reserve clothing necessary tomer
pl 'te the troop, of the line up to the war establishment of
217.729 men ; and 2. the complete clothing required fur
1118,316 nit n, lsndwehr of the lit Ban. And that toe clothing
fa both purposes was ri ally in existence and in condition to
be used has been proved ; because in the year 1848 the troops
of the line were augmented to the war footing, and a,
lorge a proportion of the lsndwehr as it was thought nicer
sari to call out has also been fully clothed and equipped.
The clothing of the Bri.ialt army rot the country in 1847
402,1421. 9s. 10.1. (including great Goats, but 'swindles the
clothing f .r the ma'am, department and the colonial corps,
as also the winter clothing for the troops in Canada), for
132,959 men of all ranks, or rather more than 31. per head.
But this is not all toe difference, for is the French and
Prussian armies the soldier is supplit d for the above sum
with knapsack, foraging cap, jacket, shirts, drawers, dte.,
in fact, all his necessaries, whereas the British sold.er pur-
chases all these swaths. and several others beside out of his
daily pay.
So much for the item of comparative economy ; and now
for that of quality. The time of wear for • coatee in the
Frenc t and Pnwian armies is three years ; but the soldier
has alwais too coats and a jacket in wear; and I will assert,
without fear of contradiction, that, saving the difference of
eat and colour, which h .ve nothing to do with the paint at
WWI. the French and Prussian soldiers are &mays turned out
to parade at least a, well dressed as the Eoglisn soldier,
whose eoetee it c deulated to 1 st for one year, which, consi-
dering its quality, is quite 'Olen nt.
Now the foreign soldiers wear the government clothing
at all times, and the English soldier wears his own foraging
cap and jacket pretty nearly constantly, except when on oar-
titular duties, end his own summer miusen for six months in
the year. The time of wear of the trousers, is the same
in all three armies, re., one year.
Now England Masts itself to be • great manufaceuriii
country, and pretends to be able to sell article of clothing,
especially, muen cheaper than any other country in the
world; but this is evidently a sheer mistake; and as I am
not • free trader, I conclude that Mr. Cobdea must have been
hitherto either humbugging the country or el.ceivingltienseli.
Joking apart, the true expleastios of the above phenomenon
is that Sae cloth worn by the Prussian soldier especially is of
so Ruth better quality then that worn by the English sol-
dier that it lasts with rue three times as long, and come-
, quently, in addition to the price of the material, two-thirds
of the expenses of 'staking, racking, freight, insurance, &e.,
are saved, to say nothing of the geographical miles of win" e
moon tape with which the present amiable philosopher of
Saes Saud does not think it necessary to bedizen his soldiers.
Now, lest some great arithmetician should be inclined to
find fault with my averages, because they include the offi.
oars, I beg to mention thee the proportion of officers te men
is much greater in the Britith army than in either of the
other two =rationed ; and, further, as cavalry clothing is
Mao much more expensive than infantry clothing,
I have also to observe that the proportion of
cavalrry in the British army is much the smallest.
Coasideriog, however, the :peculiar duties of the British
soldier, and hie being obliged to move about so much more
than either the French or Prussian soldier, I do not think it
would be advis bie tide the period of wear of the Goatee at
more than two year.; but I believe that it would be perlectly
possible to give the English private and corporal toe same
kind of cloth now worn by the sergeant (a little stouter,
perhaps), and to give to the sergeant otheers cloth, which be
should have, and withal to effect a saving of 95,0001. per
'engem on the clothing of the army,. especially if the white
tape was curtailed and a proper provision made for paying
rural officers.
Now, Sir, I have reason to know that all these facts were
brought under the notice of her Majery's government ma-y
months age, before the estimates tor 184849 were voted;
but the attend' n and solicitude of the said government has
been w Ruch devcred to the Sicilian army of late that I
suppose it had no time to think of the British.
There are a sreat many other little interesting things of
the above nature, wlich I shall have much pleasure in eds.
municating to you on your dropping a hint to that effect,
provided always that you will allow me to have my own
way, which I like very much ; and that you do not expect
me, because I am anxious to assist in diminishing the
nier:scary expels e of the army, therefore to set about de-
stroying it alsogetber, which would outrage my teenage.—
A Sonoma, Germania t• A Brutal Hireling."

THE UNPAID MAGISTRATES.
Sir,—Agreeing moat earnestly in year observations
under the heading "The Unpaid Magistracy," in your paper
of the 9.h nit., we beg to devote a few confirmatory observa-
tions on one Mika reasons of unfinsass you have given of the
present eft of men to item a bench for the dispensation of
fines and imprisco swats and will at some future was,
touch on other parts of the same article, moving at
and touched on right and left as we are, with the sluts of
parsons to whew. your article kw reference.
Our observafiess now a
in which we have been pe y concerned,
immediately
to
om to the onfleress of
the present shim of magistrates
Weto adjudicanoaie cam.
ZiGe go fax about, but COMO to the rat once,
smom.a."l" • concerned,
d against under the Trelpale het tr. pursuit of
belie */ one magistrate, and whadicated oe by a btneb of