The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-08 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR,—Now that every one's attention is turned to the
War Department, a few remarks may not be deemed out
of time. A. War Minister, a Cabinet Minister, assisted
by a secretary for each department, should have entire
management over the following :

1. Commander-in-Chief. 4. Cortraimeariat.

2. Ordnance.
3. Baggage.
4. Clothing.

6. Medical.
7. Stud Department.

The discipline of the army must rest with a military
man, call him what you will, and he must have the
assistance of

1. Adjutant-General's de- 2. Advocate-General.
partmeat. 3. Quartermaster-General.
These three departments have each their especia
duties. The miscellaneous correspondence is carried on
through the Adjutant-General, who is the medium of
communication between the Commander-in-Chief and all
subordinates, viz., application for leave, reports of all
kinds. The Advocate-General manages all matters con-
nected with military law. The Quartermaster-General
arranges all the roates for troops, marks out their en-
camping ground, and supplies all maps, surveys, and is
the source of all the information regarding the move-
ments of an enemy. Spies are paid by this department.
Each military circle or division is under a General, as-
sisted by an Assi'tant-Adjutant-General, Advocate-
General, and Quartermaster-General. This is his staff.
' Under him is the Brigadier, assisted by a Brigade-Major.
Add to this an officer from the Ordnance, Baggage,
Clothing, Commi=e-- " Medical Stud, or officers, as the
c.,se 'Lay .e nun yu se a complete military organi-
sation. Troops to be an efficient state of mili-
tary discipline nut be briged—infanti y, cavalry, and
artillery, all together ; and h:1- this purp-,c the whole
country must be completely re-ats • ' officer
should know what each branch of thu :t, vice is capable
of doing, and how it ought to be done. For instance,
few infantry officers can tell what ground is required for
a cavalry regiment to form line upon, what is the cal-
culation allowed for each roan ; and few can tell the
range of a 61b. or 9lb, Horse Artillery gun ; and yet
this !information is vital. What carriage, what food
will a regiment 1,000 strong require for a given period ?
Each of the seven departments stated above should be
under a separate head—a military man, if possible. It
is here that the army will learn its work, and non-
commissioned officers should be liberally employed in the
offices. All the offices should be built in a convenient
situation in London, together. A man will then not be
far from any point he may wish to find out ; it will be
merely a matter of a few yards' walk, not over London,
;Ind then down to Woolwich.

The Ordnance should have charge of all the offensive
and defensive weapons of war, and their belongings,
and should have a department for Design and Improve-
ment. The duties and division of each office should he
well defined and separate. An ♦udit-office will be at-
tached to each of the seven departments, to which the
subordinates will forward their accounts.

3. Baggage Department, the soul and life of an army
in the field. Since railways have come into use this depart-
ment has been more and more neglected. It will be ob-
served that not one of the seven departments can take the
field without its aid, except the Stud department. Now
whether the Baggage Department shall exist separate or
as a part of the five others I know not, but should sup-
pose it ought. What has to arrive for an army ! Tents for
officers, men in and out of hospital ; tents for stores,
clothing, and bedding. Then you must have carts for
sick, wounded, beds, cooking utensils ; mules, with rollers
to protect the back. The Austrians have a good mili-
tary waggon for medical stores, and seats for sick men.
The Clothing department should embrace all that, man
wears.

The Medical department is divided into regimental
and hospital. When a man is sick he passes for a time
out of his regiment into an hospital, which may be ;It-
tached to a regiment, or adapted to receive the sick of
many regiments. The Medical department should have
a school of design and improvement. The litter for a
man when wounded, the bed upon which he is to lie in
hospital, the clothing he is to wear, deserve the greatest
attention. The carriage for the medical department
must be certain, and the best procurable.
The Commissariat department deals with a stan's food
and the carriage of that food ; this is an onerous de-
partment, and requires a master mind alone ; then there
is fuel.

The Stud department involves the breeding or purchase
cf horses and the earriagoof fodder.

Thus you have the -soldier drilled, disciplined, and
moved through the Commander-in-Chief ; his arms, &c.,
he receives from the Ordnance, his extra baggage is car-
ried by the baggage-corps, he is clothed by the Clothing
Department, fed by the Commissariat ; tended, when
sick, by the medical ; and mounted, if an artilleryman or
cavalryman, by the Stud.
Every department meet have a corresponding office
at the seat of War, together with a deputy from the War
Minister. These remain with their stores at a depot con-
venient to the seat of war, and from thence push on
their supplies upon the indent or order of the officer of
each department attached to the Commander-in-Chief in
the field, to whom it will be their duty to find out and
represent the wants of the army. From personal com-
munication from the officers commanding regiments,
eanvedrytthhee t
armyotal
is
should commanding officer knows the warts of his men,
the want
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AIIICUS.

ST. BARTHOLOMEW'S HOSPITAL—At a special general
court of the governors of St. Bartholomew's Hospital,
held yesterday, William Foster White, Esq., was unani-
mously elected treasurer, in the room of James Bentley,
Esq., resigned.
On Sunday, 2132 of the Ist Royals arrived at Cork
from Athlone, under command of Captain Gore, with
Lieutenants Bellew, Campbell, Cortois, and Ensign
Freeborn. Lieutenant-Colonel Graham is
.to join the
draft in Cerl: after leave of absence. _

The Austrian Government, f-ays a letter from Cracow,
is at present employing 12,000 men, under the direction
of milit:lry engineers, in executing :s railway from Dem-
bica to Boschina, to join the Warsaw line. It is most
anxious to have this line completed without delayt as it
will be of great utility in military movements.
COST OF THE PUBLIC DEBT.— It is shown by a Par.
liamentary paper recently issued, that the cost of tho
funded and unfunded public debt, as interest and ma-
nagement (exclusive of 16,1961. 16s. 2d., the interest on
donations and bequests) amounted in the year ended the
.sth nit., to 27726,960/. 14s.
The incumbency of Mortlake, in the diocese of London,
I,as become vacant by the preferment of the Rev. H. H.
.`v.l"3'• M.A. It is worth 2001. a year, and is in the
gift of the Dean and Chapter of Worcester.