The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-15 00:00:00

PI tli A=M,, WV Ml 4 141,'ICLI

RArLwArs.

Compaii

qnamene et Le
thia day.

Bedford and
Buckgbanisb.
Clydesdale le.
Col. Stour Vy.
Sud. and Hal.
E. Lin. g. 5 pc
E. Un. H. Sh.
Glam. Barr. &
Neils. Direct
Do. N0w......
Glstr.dt Dn. Fr
Hrtlpl. Die. &
Railway
Hull & Selby
Do. Shares.
Do. Shares.
Lon. & Groenw
Do. Preference
Lon., Tll., & S.
Lowestoft gr.
4 per cont.
Do. 6 per ct.
Manch. Bxtn
and Matlock
Middlesbro' &
Redcar

London S.
N. W:1•t,
L. &N.W.
E. tin. &
E. C...„.
at.Nrttu..
E. Count.
Caldonimu..

Do
Gt. Went
Yk. New.
& Borw.
Y. &NM
Do
Do

103 -- 166

all
all
10J
100

S. Easter,
Do

12 = li*

Peto k Co

'llO - 115

Norfolk
Do
L.Sc N. NV
& Midid.
Stekton
Darlingt.
Slidland

,» ''"'" • • •

21 - 2i

Midld. Bradfd
Newmarket
Bury Exten..
N.& Est.s p c.
Do. 6 vw'r et.
Do. Fixeds p
Prest. k
Do. Shrm. A
Roystn.& Hit.
Shef.Roth.and
Gooleg.s p.c.
Shrews. &Her
S. Staffordsh
Wear Valleygr
6 per cent
Do
~rpt

91
par ip
55 57

I En. Conn.
E. Coant,
DO
Do.

'L. St N.W.

(fit North':
,Lancash
York sh.
T. Brassoy
M. MCI k,an
itockt.
T>s.rlingt
')o

128 - 1132

3i

30 -- 31
80 - 85

Pm
141

li i

241 1

55 a

63 i
301 1

li 2k .

341;

'lOO
4.00

a:w~xf n.

PREFERENCE SHAILE3.

Aberdeen
Do. N 0.2, 7 p. c.
Ftlyth and Tyne lOpe,
C. pref. t5Ol
Brie. & Ex. 4 p. c. St.
Do. 4 p. c. Shares
i:'aledonian £lO
:`beater
Guar. 5. per cent

Do. do. Pref. No. 2.
Do. do. Pref. No. 2..
Cork &Bandonslp e.
Dun.Prth .dr. Aber J.
Z. Anglian Cls. Ash.
Do. do. Cls. B 6 p. c.
Do. do Cls. C 7 p. c.
Eastorn Counties Es-
tension 5 p. c. No.
Do. No. 2

Do. New 6 r. C. St
Mast Un., G. 6 p. e
00. 5/., 10 per cent
Do. 16/. Debentr. Sh.
Do. do. 4 per cent
Fact Lanca.4l. 6 p. et,
P.I.&W. York. J. sths
Prth.&Dun.4p.c
Furness

&5.W.G.5 p.c.
Great Northn. 5 p. c
Do. 5 p. c. Redeem.
at 10 p. c. prom.
Do. 41 p. a.
Do. 5 p.c. Scrip, Red.
at 5 p. c. pm...
(It. N. of Scot. Ist Pre
Gt. S. & W. (Ireland.
Do. 4 per c. Pr:f. S
It. Westn. (Rorke
lauts Ex . 5 p. c)
Do. con. red. 4. p.c
con. red. 4 p. c
Do. irred. 4p. c.
Do. Birm. Pref. Sh...
DJ. Choster 8 p. c.P.S.
Do. do. 5 p. c. d 0...
Do. Birm. Gua. Stk
Do. Ches. Gua. Sh..i
Do. do. ......
D do. do
Lan. &York. F. £2,
Do. 6 p. c. St ick
Lon.&Brigh. G. 5 p.c.
Do. Pref., 5 p. c. St.
Do. New Guar.6 p. c.
Do. do. 5 per cont
Lon.StN. W., Coy.
Nuneaton 5 p. ct
Lon.& S.W. 7 per et
fondy. Sh.
f,ondy.& Ennid.. .
\fan., She., &
New, £lO
Do. 6
Vfarypt.&Carl.4p
)o. 4i per cent

10
St.
20

all
!00
10
6

lo

4itl. Consol.6 p.e.`:l
Do. Consol. Bristol
Rim. 6 per cent,
Do. 4i p. c. Pref. S.
Do. Pref. 4 per oe,,
iDo. 5/. Pr. f. 4 p. c.
Ditto L. & 11. Prof. SI
Norfolk Doteature
Do. Prof. 4 p. o. St,
Do. 5 p.o. Eat
(1)Q. 54 per et.prof
Do. Wm,. Val. 5 p.
North British

IN. E. Berw, 4 p .e. P
Do, do. do
Do Leeds 6 p.c
Do, do. Quarters 4
Do.Yorkii.& "4. Par
North Staffordshire.
Oxford, Worcester, •
W6lverh.Xls. 6 p.c
Do R. Pref. 101. Sh.

Scot. Cent. ,New Pro,
South Devon

iDo. fixed, 4t percent
S. Eastern (Roadie'
Ann.) of £1 Os. 6d.
Do. 4} per cent
.Do. Fixed 4t p o
IS. Wales Gua. 4 p. c.
ID°. do. 4i p. a....
IS.Yorksh.4p.c.Guar.
Stock.& Dar., 5 p. c.'
Do. do. do.
Stock. & Hartl. g. 5
p. o. till July 1,'56
Watered. & Kilk. 6 p c

107 -- 109
104 - 106

80 8i
:)2

9,3 95

15 - 16

-61

I ;
- - 1
P 1
Ili - 12;

i - 59

- 115

1105 - 107
99 - 101

par 4..
9i

6 - 6A
- 87
73 - 82
78 - 82
91 - 9i
151 - 16}
9i - 10
-6;
17 - 18
el
- 9
11
124 --
134
- 132

••• .... ...

LAN ts 4,11f,1) • :Yr 'O'lX El) KitNTAL.s.

login
y stc:rlay.

90 - 93
91 - 08

1..3i. -- iii

Amin:tele
this day,

93 2

Pm
at

li dig

POLICIA' INTELLIVAINCIP,—(This nay.

THAMES.
FIRST AND SECOND COUSINS MAY LEGALLY MARRY.
—A popular delusion has long prevailed in England that
first cousins may marry, and that second cousins cannot
marry, and an equally absurd idea seems to prevail
amongst the ignorant racantly, that second cousins can
marry and that first cousin 9 cannot do co. The fallacy
of both opinions wera decided by Mr. Ingham this
morning.

A re;Pectable woman, the wife of Mr. Slowman, an
outfitter, in Upper East Smithfield, to whom she has
been long married and lived on terms of happiness, en•
tens(' the witness-box, and was about to address the
magis'rate when her agitation and sobs prevented her
doing so. She remained for some time crying, until Mr.
Ingham requested her to compose herself, and not being
able to do so begged of her to wait upon him again when
she was less agitated. After a pause Mrs. Slowman said,
" pray sir, can first cousins marry ?"
Mr. Ingham—That is an odd question. I have a no-
tion they can.

Mrs. Slowman said she was married to her first cousin
and her husband's brother:bad stepped between them and
happiness, and said the marriage was not legal.
Mr. Ingham—lt is perfectly right and legal, be as-
sured of that.

Mrs. Slowman—My brother-in-law says my husband
is not bound to support me.
Mr. Ingham—He will find his mistake out if your
husband repudiates you or turns you out of doors. You
are tho lawful wife of your husband, and he is bound to
maintain you.

Mrs. Slowman thanked the magistrate, and left the
court much happier than when she entered it.
A smart and interesting young woman next entered
the witness box, and, holding down her head and blush-
ing, said, "If you please, sir, my young man," and then
stopped.

Mr. Ingham—Well, what of your young man ? He
has not bum false to you, I hope ?
Applicant—No, sir; but if you please, sir, we want
to be married. (Titters from the men, and sly glances
from the women.)
Mr. Ingham—What impediment is there to the mar-
riage ?

Applicant—Please, sir, we are second cousins; and
people say it is not right for second cousins to marry,
and that it I marry bier it will be unlawful.
Mr. Inghatn—A marriage between second cousins of
the opposite sexes perfectly lawful. You can go and
marry your second cousin as soon as you like.
Applicant—Thank you, sir. lam so glad. (Laughter.)
The anxious fair one then hurriedly left the court,
concealing a very pretty face as she best could with her
handkerchief.

THE t Ey:A tin. ANO aI? Lnim.

The relative positions of the Guards and t`,

Line are thus described by a professional corres-
pondent, whose letter appeared in the Daily News
yesterday
"For many years past the Foot Guards have had the
greatest possiblQ privileges in the way of promotion. A
young lad who, fresh from Eton, Harrow, or any other
school, obtains a nonirnisAion as ensign in the Guards,
becomes ipso facto a lieutenant in the army, and can,
and often dues, exchange with an officer of the Line of
the latter rank. Now, when we consider that until the
war broke out there were in many Line regiments en-
signs and cornets of four, five, and six years' standim,Y.,
—I remember a cornet in the 7th Hussars who, although
he had plenty of money, and was always ready to pur-
chase, remained in that rank eight years,—when we re-
member that even now, in wros serving in the colonies
and in India, there are ensigns and cornets of two,
three, and fuur years' service, this start in the race for
promotion which the Guards obtain-ought to satisfy
those most greedy of patronage. But this is only the
commencement of their advantages. At every step as
they advance a like double promotion is granted them.
Thus a lieutenant in the Guards becomes by that very
rank a captain in the army ; while their captains have
the rank of lieutena•-d-culoi:els, and can exchange with
that rank into the Line. Before the commencement of
the war—l copy from a table made out and given me
ten years ago in India by a very gallant Guardsman and
brave soldier, who lost his life in battle, the late Major
Fitzroy Somerset—the average time which an officer of
the Foot Guards took to obtain the rank of lieutenant-

colonel was 13 years ; while in the Line—taking cavalry
and infantry together, and considering only those who
had money to purchase—the same rank upon an average
required 25 years to arrive at. Thus the Guardsman got
the start by no less than 12 years in the race for the ma-
jor-general's epaulets, Take up the Army List, and see
in the names of general officers the result of this system.
Although there are but seven battalions of Foot Guards,
whi:e there are 23 regiments of cavalry and about 110
battalions of infantry, the general officers who have risen
from the household brigade are as numerous as those
who hare gone through the various grades in the Line
taken altogether. Of these the great majority are all
mon who, as regimental officers in the Guards, were
never above the rank of mere captains; but, having the
double army rank, they jumped from the command of
companies to he general officers. Take one instance out
of many :—On' of these favoured persons, the Hon. Ger.
Anson, was 29 years ago a captain in the Guards and a
lieutenant-colonel in the army. The only regimental
duty he ever did was as a lieutenant in the Guards and
a captain in the army. From the very day of his promo-
tion he retired upon half-pay, and continued a gentleman
at large for 27 years, when he was given the command
of the whols of the Madras army, and is now made
Commander.in•Chief of all India !

" For many years the officers of the Line grumbled at
the enormous advantages Guardsmen had oser them.
Veterans who hail fought their way from ensign to lieu-
tenant-colonel in every part of the globe— who had done
duty in Canada, the West Indies, India, and the Cape—
who had always been ready and willing to purchase their
various steps—found themselves superseded as major-
, generals by men who bad entered' the service a dozen
years later, and had never done a day's duty out of Lon-
don. Iu plain English, to enter and rise through the
Guards was a premium upon idleness and want of mili-
tary experience. I do not say that there bare not been
good solders and brave men in these corps, but they
have risen in spite of, not by, the system pursued.
" Last October a year a new warrant respecting pro-
motion in the Line was promulgated to the army. Among
other reforms was one which allowed all officers who
had served three years on full pay as regimental lieute-
nant-colonels to have ipso facto the rank of full colonels
in the army. The object of this order was plain enough.
It was to do away with a small portion of that measure
ot injustice which the Guards had for years inflicted on
the Line, and also to-eve-the latter some slight chance
in the race for promotion. The privilege was not ex•
tended to all the captains and lieutenant-colonels of the
Guards, although it was granted to the seniors of that
rank in each battalion who act as field officers.

" Af.ot-,t people would have thought that the household

troops might have been content with the many other ad-
vantages they enjoy in double rank at every step, and
that from mere prudence they would not have commenced
an agitation which would call public opinion to the enor-
mons 'pull' they have over their comrades in the Line.
But not co. To do them justice they have tried hard to
work the oracle' secretly, and are very angry that the
affair had got wind before the affair was made pleasant
I at the War-office and at Court for the brigade.' Within
the last few days they had got up petitions, praying that
they insy be—mark the cool impudence of the sentence
--‘ put upon the Fame footing as their more fortunate
brethren of the Line.' In other words, they request her
Majesty so to alter the warrant of October, 1854, that
every captain in the Guards—who, remember, is also a
lieutenant-colonel in the army—may, after serving three
years with that rank, and doing the duty of a regimental
captain, obtain the rank of full colonel? The result of
this would simply be that Guardsmen would in nine or
ten years obtain that which in the Line no officer can
hope for under at least 20 years' service, and that
only by sticking to his own corps wherever it may be
sent. And to whom would this boon be granted ?
To men brought up in a system calculated less
than any other in the whole English army to make
officers real soldiers. I have watched both at drill often
within the last few months, and I have no -hesitation in
saying that the officers of thei Guards know far less of
their parade duties than do those of the Militia. At
the guard-mounting at St. James's it is impossible for
any man who has served not to observe that only by
means of their sergeants prompting them, and not of
their own knowledge, the officers of the Guards manage
to get through even the every-day well-known routine
of giving certain simple words of command, The
officers of these corps never live in barracks with their
men, the adjutant alone excepted. I have resided a
long time in the neighbourhood of a Foot Guards' bar-
racks, and, except on days of drill or parade, never even
saw an officer in the barrack-yard, Officers of the regi-
ment have themselves acknowledged to me that, owing
to the very little duty they did with their companies, it
was almost impissible for the captain to know even the
faces of the men he commands ; and as to a knowledge
of their tempers, disp)sitions, habits, &c.—such as is in-
sisted upon in all infantry and cavalry re4iments by
colonels who do their duty—that is out of the question.
The work which in the line is performed by captains
and subalterns in the Foot Guards devolves upon the
pay sergeants, while what in cavalry and infantry is the
conmutuding, officer's duty is in the Guards done by the
adjutant of each battalion. This is a plain and simple
truth which no one with any knowledge whatever of the
subject can deny. The Guards are gentlemanly fellows
and brave men, but as a general—l may say univers.al—
rule they are certainly not soldiers.
" If these gentlemen think they have been badly used,
and want to be put on the same footing as their more
fortunate brethren of the Line,' let them not do the
thing by halves. Let them netition to be placed ex-
actly, and in all respects, on the standing they envy SO
much. Let their ensigns be ensigns, their lieutenants
hold no higher rank than that, their captains command
companies, and their lieutenant-colonels battalions. If
this is done— if they consent to commence and con-
tinue their military career upon an equality with the
rest of the army—then, but not until then, a ill public
opinion be in favour of granting them the privilege
they now seek."

An officer who has served six years in the cavalry,
and the same time in the infantry, in a letter to a
contemporary, says :—I proceed to make known a
few interesting particulars respecting the modus
operandi by which the " royal road" to promotion
in the English army is entered, and how they fare
who travel thereon. Let not Guardsmen complain
that the rude hand of "a mere Line officer" has torn
aside the veil which hid the sanctuary of their holy
spot. They themselves have by their preposterous
claims invited, nay almost challenged, an exposure
of what certainly will not stand the light of day.
How is an entrance into " the brigade" effected,
and by what means do a certain exclusive class of
officers obtain, from the very outside of their mili-
tary career, two steps in promotion for every one
that is gained by 'a comrade in the Line ? Or—to
put the case more clearly to civilians-110w comes
it that if two young men enter the service the same
day, the one going into the Line and the other into
the Guards, the latter finds himself a lieutenant-
colonel about the same time that the former obtains
the rank of captain ?
The reply is, partly by interest and partly by
money. These two form the double hedge by which
" the brigade" is kept alike free from the taints of
plebeianism and of poverty.
First as to interest. In order to enter the Guards,
a young man must make application to the colonel
of the particular regiment in which he wants a
commission. Tho three colonels of these corps
are at present—Prince Albert, Lord Strafford,
and. the Duke of Cambridge. The Great Duke
held for a long time one of these proitable
commands, which seem always conferred upon
distinguished soldiers. Much interest is re-
quired before a candidate can even hope to have
his name favourably considered for a cominissiox
in the Guards, and unless ho is the son of a
nobleman, or of a rich 'commoner with parliamen-
tary or other good influence, his presuming even to
ask for such a favour would be considered little
short of insanity. To judge of the great quantity
of what Americans call " the upper crust" that
exists in " the brigade," any one has but to take
up an Army List,
and if be is of the "Joames" or
"plush " school,
let him reverently uncover his
head whilst reading the sounding list .of handled
names. Thus, in the Grenadier Guards, we have
no less than one Prince Consort, one German
prince of royal blood (son-in-law of a British duke),
one younger son of a duke, one ditto of a marquis,
one earl, four viscounts, fifteen honourables, one
baronet, and fourteen nephews or other near con-
nexions of peers. In the Coldstreams there are
six lords (sons of dukes, marquises, or earls),
twelve honourables, two baronets, and eleven near
connexions of noblemen. The Scots Fusilier
Owirds have the Duke of Cambridge for their
colonel, two lords, one viscount, ten honourables,
and twelve near connexions of peers amongst their
officers. Add these together, and it will be found
that in the three regiments there are no less than
I 86 officers out of about 160—I do not include sur-
geons or quartermasters—,-who are most decidedly

- -
of "the upper cruet" of naglieh aristocracy.
:When to these we add the very large number of
Guardsmen who are sons and nephews of large
landed proprietors—scarcely, if all, less exclusive
in their ideas than the oldest families of the no-
bility—it may be fairly allowed that the officers of
these corps, with hardly a single exception, belong
to what are termed the "higher classes" of this
country. Throughout the Line—cavalry as well
as infantry—there was even before the war (and
much more so now) in almost every regiment one or
two officers who had risen from the ranks. But not
so in the Guards. Tbey only allow their meritorious
non-commissioned officers to become quartermasters
in " the brigade," or have them promoted into Line
regiments as rewerds for good conduct : the Guards
must ever be kept as exclusive as possible.
It is not generally known out of military circles
that the Commander-in-Chief of the English army
has no more to do with the nominations to or the
promotions in the Guards than I have. Although
the responsible head of service, and answerable
to Parliament for every appointment made through-
out the army, Lord Hardinge has nothing what-
ever to say to the appointments in " the brigade."
These are exclusively in the hands of those three
distinguished soldiers, the Prince Consort, the Earl
of Strafford, and the Duke of Cambridge—the three
colonels of the three regiments, and they alone, order
the promotions in these regiments. In short, the
Guards are at St. James's considered the cream of
the army, therefore not to be mixed up with vulgar
milk in any way whatever. As for the interest re-
quired to obtain an entrance into these corps, it is
of the usual description. Noblemen and gentle-
men who want to get their sons into the Guards, if
they do not happen to have interest with any of
the three colonels, manage by some means or other
to get at some one who knows a party who is ac-
quainted with another person who can get an intro-
duction to the great man. County influence does
much, parliamentary interest more, Court patron-
age most ; and by some means or other—provided
the candidate is well connected, of a good family,
wealthy, and not smelling too strong of the City—
themeans attain the wished for end.

But money—money is required, and that in
plenty. The first commission in the Guards, that
of ensign in the Guards and lieutenant in the army,
costs 1,2001., instead of 4501., as does an eusigney
in the Line; the next htep, that of lieutenant in
the Guards and captain in the army, costs 2,050/.;
for the rank ofcaptain in the Guards and lieutenant-
colonel in the army, 4,8001. has to be paid ; whilst
major in the regiment iu the Guards, with the
rank of colonel in the army, cost 8,300/. ; and to
command one of the regiments the price is 9,0001.
These, remember, are only " the regulation" prices
—the actual money given for each step is very sel-
dom less than one-third more than the sum stated.
Thus " the brigade" is most fully protected against
the possibility of any save men who can command
money obtaining rank or command amongst the
officers of its respective corps. By interest and
capital combined, young men may enter this fa-
voured corps, and once in it, the staircase of pro-
motion is mounted by two steps at a time.
It will be said that, granting the officers of the
Guards are both of " (rood" families and are
wealthy men, these facts do not prevent their being
brave soldiers. I allow that. The Guards fought
well at the Alma, and at Inkerman ; so they did
at Waterloo, and iu the Peninsula ; but not one
iota better than other regiments of the English
army. If the Guards were officered exclusively by
men who had distinguished themselves in other
corps—if, for instance, a lieutenant of a regiment
serving in India, the Cape, or Australia, distin-
guished himself greatly, and was for this promoted
to be a lieutenant in the Guards, with the rank of
captain in the army, and so on throughout the
other grades—no one could object to the favoured
brigade being thus marked out with the approval of
royalty. But when we find that, with the double
promotions at every step, the Guards are the only
regiments who do not take, any share whatever in
colonial duty, it becomes really too much of a good
joke that these privileges should be continued—
least of all that the boon, which they now have the
coolness to ask for, should be granted them. Al-
ready are the majority of our general officers Guards-
men, but should the rank of full colonel be granted
to each one of that corps who servo for three
years iu the command of a company, the officers of
the Line may bid farewell to the hope of ever rising
beyond the command of regiments. The Guards
will become to our service what the Staff Corps is
to the French army, a certain and almost exclusive
stepping stone to the highest commands. There
will, however, be this slight difference, that whereas
the French corps d'etat major is composed of per-
haps the best military educated officers in the
world, the English Guardsmen have less profes-
sional knowledge, and less means of attaining sol-
dierlike experience than any regiment in Christen-
dom. To seek for actual service in India or else-
where or to enter any regiment except the favoured
Guard, will in future be considered an act of mad-
ness on the part of those who have money and in-
terest, for it will be throwing away all hopes of
advancement, and running the chance of losing
health, and perhaps life.
The Guardsmen are, however, wise iu their
generation, for should the boon they ask be granted
them—not very likely, I should think—their com-
missions will be worth nearly twice as much 53 at
present. The purchase of a company in the Guards
will be buying that.which, after holding for three
years, an officer can, sell, retire upon half-pay,
roam about at his ease for a time, and then be
certain of his promotion to major-general.
Napoleon 111. is filling up his Imperial Guard
with officers who have undergone "the baptism of
fire" in Algiers or the Crimea ; it would be a good
deal more to the purpose if we were to do the same.
Our Guards have privileges enough in all con-
science ; any attempt to increase them will end in
a result which "the brigade " little desire. IN hen
the English army is—as it Boon must be—reorgan-
ised throughout, I doubt much whether the house-
hold troops will be allowed to retain their present
double promotion.