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

" ARMY DarAztmorrs.

" Jan. 22.

" The committee of the House of Commons on army and
navy expenditure recommended that the army departments
should be simplified and consolidated. What is now pro-
posed is, that there should be a board of-1. Secretary of
state; 2. secretary at War; 3. Master-General of Ord-
nrncs ; 4. Commander-in-Chief - 5. Inspector-General of
Fortifications. It iscontomplatedthat there shall exist at the
same time aßoard of Ordnance, consisting of-1. The 111 as ter-
General ; 2. The Storekeeper-General ; 3. The Surveyor-
General ; 4. The Clerk of the Ordnance ; under whose di-
rection the Inspector-General of Fortifications will remain.
It seems obvious that these two boards, acting at one and
the same time, instead of consolidation and simplification,
would produce complication, disorder, and delay. There
are but two modes in which unity of direction and rapi-
dity of action can be procured. The one is to give tie
Secretary of State the entire direction of all existing offices
and boards connected with the army ; the other is to make
a board, with the Secretary of State at the head, absorb-
ing the Board of Ordnance, and controlling the whole
civil and military management of our military force. The
constitution of this board and its functions would be :

"1. The Secretary of State, to preside over the board
and be responsible to Parliament.
"2. The Secretary at War, to pay the army and control
its finances.

"3. The Master-General of the Ordnance, to arm the
army and the navy.
"4. The Commander-in-Chief, to command the army.
"5. The Clerk, Storekeeper, and Surveyor of the Ord-
nance, all in ono, to lodge the army.
"6. The Commissary-General, to clothe and feed the
army.
" This is nearly the Duke of Richmond's plan.
"J. Rneetnn."
The noble lord said ho had no reason to think that his
views would be adopted by the Cabinet. But when the
noble lord says that I can most positively state that 1 have
no reason to think that his views would have been rejected
by the Cabinet—(cheers)—because the first step which my
noble friend took ou receiving the communication from the
noble lord, after showing it to my right hoe. friend the
Secretary at War, was to send it to me. In my answer I
said that there were but two points on which the noble lord
differed from my right hon. friends in the Cabinet. One
of the two was that he wished that there should be a new
board, absorbing the Board of Ordnance, and having two
additional members. I said that I thought this principle
manifestly right, for as I was not very fond of boards, I
thought it Would be proper to institute a superior board,
and do away with the interior boards. As to the second
point, the two additional members, I doubted whether one
of them should be added, and as for the other, there was
no such officer as commissary-general. Formerly there
was an officer called the commissary-in-chief, but that
office was abolished many years ago. I believe that so far
from the noble lord having reason to complain that his
views connected with the war have not been carried into
effect, I have already stated that I knew of no proposal of
his which was rejected; that I may equally say that I
know of no objection of his which was overruled.
(Cheers.) I need hardly say that upon such important
questions as the conduct of the war, there were differ-
ences of opinion upon incidental matters of detail; but
this I may say, if I were to point out the member of the
Cabinet from whom I rescued the most general assent
to my views when they wore discussed—most kind
and generous as were all my colleagues—it was the noble
lord. (Cheers.) If I were to point out, I say, those mem-
bers between whom there was the most complete identity
of views, I should say that there was a more complete
identity on all questions between the noble lord and myself
than between any other members of the Cabinet. (Loud
cheers.) I have erealy referred gto the easy manner in which
I consented to abandon any views which I understood to
be adverse to the institution of the board ; and, perhaps,
it might be said that I ought to have insisted en them a
little more strongly; but I did not feel that I was ina po-
sition in which it would have become me to oppose
the
general views of my colleagues respecting public matters.
Notwithstanding the arrogance, self-love, and presumption
which I am supposed to have exhibited, I was not unaware
—God knows it would have been strange if I had been—
that the public feeling had been roused against nay admi-
nistration of the war. I felt shortly before the meeting of
Parliament that the feeling of the public mind had become
so strong that it would be impossible for me, in justice
to the public service, to continue to occupy the office which
lords, the meeting of Parliament being so
I felt thatif I had read aright the history
close
laseeld at.
hManyd,
of constitutional government, it would not have been pro-
per at such a moment to anticipate the verdict of Parlia-
ment with regard to the manner in which the ditties of my
office have been performed. (Cheors.) The noble lord, in
his statement the other night, said that until notice of his
motion was given by Mr. Roebuck, he had not fully con-
sidered the course which ho ought to take. My lords, I
had. (Loud cheers.) I had maturely considered it, and I
had made up my mind that my official career was practi-
cally brought to a close ; but I made up my mind at '
the same time that I would face the ordeal of censure in
your lordships' house, and that I would submit the
conduct of my administration to the House of Commons.
(Cheers.) I stated my determination to the noble
lord at the head of her Majesty's Government. I did not
tell any other of may colleagues, from motives and feel-
ings which I think, my lords, you will appreciate, but
I told my noble friend that, whatever might be the result
of the discussion in the House of Commons, whether the
Government succeeded by a large majority in their resist-
ance to the motion, or whether uhe other alternative pre-
vailed, I would tender my resignation as soon as that
judgment had been given, and the verdict of Parliament
had been pronounced. (Cheers.) My lords, no doubt that
was the origin of the rumour to which the noble lord le-
ferrod—namely, that an arrangement had boon proposed
which the noble earl at the head of her Majesty's Govern-
ment had found it impossible to recommend, but which he
bad found perfectly consistent with his honour to adopt
now. My lords, lam sorry that such a statement should
have -gone forth, but it is baseless. I told my noble friend
that I should secede from the Cabinet—that I would not
consent to lacliango places With my noble friend the Home