The Express.
London, England, 1858-03-08 00:00:00

THE WEBT.INDIA MAIL.

ht 11.114111. TRLIORAPH.)
(Rol OUR Owl OD/unarompa

9OUTHASIPTON, MONDAY.

The Parana has arrived with the Weet India
mail. She left St. Thomas's February 18. She has
above two millions of dollars in specie on board.

The West India Islands are generally healthy, .
and the crops look well. Comonfort, the ex-presi-
dent of Mexico, had arrived at Vera Cruz, and was
going to the United States. The revolution in Pera,
is likely to terminate shortly.

UNIIID SERVICE mummy.

The twenty-seventh annual meeting of the meat.'
ben el this society was held on Saturday, at the Initialise,
Whitehall-yard ; the Right Honourable Siuxsw Hauge;
la the chair.. . .. . . . . .

—fie —repch wan read, stated that the embarketion
for India of ort,
a large port) of the army had been dissdvan.
=i to the institution; bat at the same time the craned
much satisfaction in abating that the pest year had been
one in which more had been • done to elevate the chi.
radar and confirm the stability of the establishment,.
. . . . ,

No less than 176 new members- had joined the institte;
tion daring the year, while the deaths and reeignatihni
amounted to 164. The names of 48 tat =ben whose snlocrip.
dons bad been in arrest for upwards of four years had beet
removed from the list, making, oa the whole a docreme is
the members of 36. As to the receipts and expenditure, the
racedpts had exceeded the estimate by 1751., thereby covering
a deficiency of 921. The trail annual subscriptions 4m
1,2581. 45., and with a grant from government of 4001. 10
meet the heavy rent and taxation imposed on the 'noes,
lion, in addition to entrance fees, 1791. ; donations, AU 12s. ;
dividends, 211. 15e. 3d. ; life subscription', 781. ; ostetendiag
life autectiptions 261. 2a. 9d.; made a total receipt of
2,0161. 14e. The total ordinary expenditure figured
1,7361. 19s. Id., and there had been invented in the purcham
of 3761. An 6d. Canada 2601., which left • balance at the
bankers of 181. 12s. 2d., and a balance of life subscriptices to
hand of 31. 2s. 9d. The stock, by the purchase of the Commie
alluded to, now =canted to 1,0381. 3 per Cent. Cowell.
The estimated income and expenditure for the present yeas
WY 1,4301. The council alluded with regret to the death of
the late secretary of the Institution, Mr. L. H. J. Tomei
who had been connected with the institution twesty-eau
years, during which period it had derived great benefit Oen
his ability and seal. Captain Bargees, of the Indian amp,
had been appointed to fill his post. The council had also le
regret the deaths of two vice-presidents during the pa:2r
Vice-Admiral Lord Badatonk, and Rear-Admired
' Beaufort. The Minn of the Belgians bad become a
of the instittalost_end bad accepted the office of vice-perm,
Mr. SIDNIT HULBERT, the chairman, in acknowledg-
ing a vote of thanks, observed that the perils
of the army had greatly improved. One advantage re thee
had resulted from the war; for when war was goleg oat, MI
danger imminent, and moons was fresh, the English
were very grateful to those by whom sumer was atb
sad their interest compelledthem to increase the efileiseey
the woke on which their encase depended. (Bear, Meat)
The array had every Framer of becoming still more popular.
The country bad get into what he might call a war
sad for sea years to come young officers wo
have to complain of the want of means of ascertaining grape
from Bhrsposil. (" Hear, bear," and a laugh.) Another
advantage to the army valid arias from the introduction it
many militia officers Into the HOLM of Commons. In look-
ing at the transectiona of the Institutions for the peat year,
and at the lectures which had been delivered, he had been
struck with this fact—that during • time of peace /oust
attention was paid to everything concerning the common
pert. of the two profession,. Lectures were sure to be deli-
vered on strategy, tactics, fortification, engineering, granary,
and projectiles. But there were other subjects mach more
difecult—questions relating to the feeding of armies and one
nitary pretentious for maintaining the life of armies. (Her,
beer.) A few yews ego, when he was secretary at war, sell
wee anxious to give the army an opportunity of seeings:4o
movements in the Geld, • literal member expeeseed Wadeable
whether the advantages gained by forming the amp at
Chobbam amid be put in eon:Tarim with the loss of ttfo
artillery horses which were drowned on that
(Laughter.) That feeling had gone by, sod epee=
were afforded of swing large bodies of troops together. Bpt
the question as to how modes see to be fed could not he
S y solved In time of peace. There was no comely in the
world me
under such disadvantages, considering the adventagetit
England. Troops might be parked in the
frd,mgetu ea t
artificial difficulties could not be raised
in order that the commissariat might be tasked to overcome
them. A commimariat maid not be properly taught during
pros and it was important to keep such subjects in view so
that the theory of what could not be brought into medico
should be studied as much no possible. In this respect the
navy had enormous advantages over the army, because thee
was but little Memos between peace and war to the naval
man. His conimiesariat, his hospital he carried along with
him. But the =NI was very difertnt with regard to the
stay. The soldier was thrown on his own resources, std
bed to provide for every possible emergency. The task wee
Imposed upon him of making bricks without straw. For
these reasons be treated be Mould not be thought Stimeeti-
emit in expressing a hope that the council would am eve-
look sanitary questioas I. the lecture' hereafter he be Mile
mired. (Hear, hear.) There were no instances of whole
armies being destroyed by the sword, bat there were Imerfal
Inseams, on record of mules perishing from dream. The
Weichersexmodition, for instance, where the mortality woe
smoothing like 900 out of 1,000 per annum. Theo these was
the eautpaurn of Nspoleou, an which, as was semereed
by almost ill Frenchmen, the great army was destroyed by
the severity of the climate. Bet if the statistics in the Free*
War office were to be bared this wee en entire invention
en cover the reputation of the Emperor, who had sacrificed
the army to defective ommeisesriat arrangements, became Of
that army, which emedeted of 600,400 men, thee went may
66,000 left three days Were the frost began, and so far from
the sonylaving been deetypyed hy the frost, a most meted,
✓etreat was effected, 40,000 men laving retinue( le ?MOO,
end only 16000 Tees having been lest During the Penin-
ears war 20 per cont of theme were In the hospitals bed
rely 11 per asst. were aufferiag front wounds. Bach,
la-
seemee bed of Ws yeas been ate la civil life of what caooppesW
be abated by sanitary arreiegemests that it would be
isamaity not to extend asaltery 110111100 to the army. fiat.;
res.) In corkerse be holed to express his grata:4oG
at having had the herein to tabs part in the propionate
the day, and the Geme loiterer whit* be felt in the wane of
the tere asevimeLessi hie pop.II•1 ROO*, Of hi. faaa: obr
dose t=aeffiree teem be had been rem&
eider ht Grew reviler the other. (vhllBo4
The reettifttlem separated.