The Express.
London, England, 1850-03-08 00:00:00

tile rtoo.

orroorso MAIM
The wain for British North Amain and the tailed
Met% will be aide up this riming.
The mill for Lisboa, Spain, and Gibraltar will be made
tr. ea ire I;ti inst.
Ti. Best lad Mails. eaciadiag Bermuda, Hamaaals,
Bums. darn, New Gamins, Sid Mutes, aid including
*see tor Madeira. St. Jasa-tle-Nisamita, New Granada,
Qua, aid Paced' be made up an the ITth inst.
Ti' Mile for Gibraltar, liana, farm*, the linen Islastds,
Lis. Ceylon. India, tad China. Me Southington, will
be grin so en the riorniag Muni 90.
Its rids rit Marseille., to the Mediterranean, Egypt,
C lid* lionglioag, La, will be made tap on ne
owing el the 24th inst.
Tba midi kr Modena, tle Bridle, and Bunn Ayres, will
be aids ay a the emir( et April 4.

Slot tT LONDCIII trIDOL
11l ISt
Atlonme. I. 33m

LONDON, FRIDAY, MARCH S.

TEE Arron.sEr-G Es ERAL it tithe opinion that we
con tax.the colonies. Abstract rights are little worth
csotend.ng for in these days. But, in truth, it does
sum an anomaly that colonies are to contribute in
nothing 13 limir military defence, which the inhabi-
tant of England is alone to pay for. There are two
put:es whin have no cause to be dissatisfied with this
engagement—the colonies which avoid a burden, and
our souping classes, which monopolies military pa.
tro-agt and emolument. But why poor John Bali at
home should be made t 3 pay for the exemption of the
one, or the rank and honours of the other, does seem
u kris inquired into as migifaineet
It ea system of taxation be the true one, which is,
ti.st money to meet rate expenses should be raised
fnm profits and from wages rather than front pro-
geny, no countries are so well able to bear taxation
e calculi,. The old times, when Eoglish youth
vent forth to make money in colonies, and return
now in restore age to spend it, have passed by.
bad climates have tested to be profitable, and to
god climates men go now to settle
and abide permanently. There is no reason
eihy the horee-etaying Englishman should pay
for the security of the colonial Englishman. But if
so. there is (gully little reason for the home-staying
knolishman to monopolise the appointments, the
emcdstsents, the honour,, and distinctions of the mili-
tary pro!ession. Throw open the army to the colonial
poperlation, interest and connect their families in
it, sad there will be no objection on their parts to pay
their share. This participation in our burdens may,
ilamdontlit them join in our efforts for retrenchment,.
It will prompt them to inquire whether there be such
need for an immense moveable and permanent force.
And it will induce them to devise means for main-
taining in each c•lony that kind of defensive force
which, whilst it disciplines men to military MAW
and habits, does not neutralise them as industrious
and active citizens.

The question of our own military economy is time
boned up in the larger question of colonial reform.
And if boil were rightly managed, and conceived in
a truly statesmanlike and comprehensive spirit, a
great diminution of our burdens might be accomplished
by knitting the bonds with the colonies, rather than
dswilving them. And we might admit the colonists to
adorer fraternity and, quality with Englishmen, thin
our churlish and 'mit(' monopoly of patronage and
power, and our coistquent privilege of providing for
al, military expanse, at present allow.
If ever we are to compete with the other great
powers of the world—we do not mean in actual war,
tot in the relative estimates of strength, which now
enter into all calculations of war, and which prevent
them turning to anything dangerous—it is plain that
we must look to our colonies, colonial population, to their
wealth, erect:intent to the mother country and the
English name, as well as their readiness and ability
to contribute to the common defence. For if our
colonies are a source of weakness and expense to am,
whilst the large provinces and population of. other
countries are united in strength, wealth,
and sapprt, we shall never assu that ttitude
which renders war so formidable,me as toa almost
preclude the possibility of its occurrence. Under the
present system our c-ilonies are a source of military
ss
weakne; they neither provide soldiers, nor f
for soldiers; they do not pay for fortifications or per-
manent military eiFentes. If our soldiers cost double
Cr net& what other 'Adieu, cost, it is owing to the
expente of trarsport ; the distance which renders so
many trotps ineffective for the time ; end the leas
occasioned by sending European troops to climates
unfavourable to their health.
In order to form • clear idea of this, let
us cat a glance at the military ststngth and expendi-
ture of several European eaten.
The British army emits about 130,000, being 6,004
Menlo 1000 nos-oommissioned officers, who cost
ir 4.641,0004
TOO French army coon's about 400,000, of which
IhilSro ere elan, 27,000 sub-officers, and 33,000
corowels, who cost above seven millions sterling.
The pay of the 6,004 officers of infantry and
cavalry cf the English army amounts to 1,140,4671.;
the pray cf the 18,000 French officers of infantry and
randy ismounts to 32,000,0001 r., or 1,240,0001.1
ltrnsua speeds, bat threemind-crhslf millions stet-
knit in maintaining an army of 600,000 men. Austria
rood to maintain a more regular and active, if not a
mare alheisat army, for the ..as ram.
Piarosollv. says the author of tree" Revelations./ Iterels,"
the coat ef sowie,, io these countries, seem*, dee
titares wasise, isia read numbers. per seta, in Ruda absdi
is Austria and in Prum•is, 1:,1.,im Prams 261. emuslip.
"116 soldier, inclusive of the due properties a
mad and ofillfl, of transport to diatom esiewillos
mo bentch-soomi at home, emits somewhere about 601. per
us. sad doubt., the price or the French, treble of the
Aestriae, sad irsiold of the hessian.
We should therefore thick of how we should best
econonvse to very tip naive an article a. the British
141fLer. We do not at ail deny that he is to the full