The Sun.
London, England, 1855-06-29 00:00:00

TO TilE EDITuR OF THE SU,V.

Srßy—Seeirg a few remarks in your paper, on a lette r
written by me a short tune since, in which I sug4ested
the practicability of forming a lsrge volunteer corps of
50,000 men for active service in the East, I feel anxious
to trespass st 11 further on your tuns add space by adding
a few more details in explanation of my plan.
But before I do so, allow me to revert to that period
of our history when the followers of our knights and
barons far exceeded our present army in numerical force,
and although the composition of this force differed ma-
terially from that which we have at present, wanting
the permanent embodiment of the regulars, as the feudal
soldier after the campaign relapsed into the yeoman, till
again called upon to fight, yet superior to the militia,
as his services were available for foreign ware, following
the persons of the mailed knights to the East against
the Saiacen, and to France, as Cressy, Poictiers, and
Agincourt can testify.
In the three kingdoms there could have been little
short of 200,000 of these fine troops.
And now in the 19th century we can scarce find more
men than a third-rate Power can afford to lend us from
her superfluity.
It would appear therefsre that our military force bag
diminished with the increase of the population.
Perhaps it will be argued because we did not want
men to fight, but to work.
A good argument in-time of peace. At present how-
ever, a reesere at least of 100,000 men is necessary, and
under the existing system cannot be procured. We
must, therefore, follow our forefathers' plan, and wake
an offer more attractive in former times. The barons
and the different grades below them held their lands by
military tenure, a rather more appreciable arrangement
than the miserable present and hopeless future of the
modern recruit.
The stout yeoman of old readily jumped foto the
saddle, in consideration of his acres, and was ready at
the beck of his lord to do a little private or public busi
ness, as the case might be. We bad better then imitate
our ancestors, and if we cannot give our soldiers broad
lands in England let them have it in the colonies, not
l
in lieu ot, but in addition to, their half pay and their
pensions ; and I cannot see why they should not have
the choice of the colony, if possible.
I propose, therefore, to hold out to the volunteer
corps, as inducements to serve the country, pro-
motion, without purchase, land in the eoloraes,
if an officer, in addition to his balf-Pay'if
soldier, to his pensien. Officers should be al—„aari-nt d
n-
es,
to the corps on its first formaiion by the Norse.'
Alt subsequent vacancies to be filled up from the no
commissioned officers of the corps itself—by electi?n.
After the candidate has passed a military examination
he is then to be recommended for promotion.
The volunteer to be entitled to his land at the expira-
tion of the term he has agreed to serve for—the quan-
tity according to his military rank.
if wounded, or incapable of service from Sickness,
then to receive it at once.
The land orders to be transferable, either by will, bY •
sale, or by gift.
To be forfeited under certain grave circumstances.
All other regulations of the army to be in force ; CoIn:
missions, &c., made` out in the usual way. The appoint
merit of in litary commissioners for enrolling the men,
think, would work better than the halfaipsy recruiting
sergeant.
A man entering such a corps feels that the door of
l
promotion is to be unlocked by merit, and not by ,
_
golden key. He would feel that he had been fairly
dealt with, that no one had been thrust over his bead
because he was not rich. int-
Tile profession of arms at present entails disappoint
meat on far too many when in the service, and Barre,"
circumstances when out,
zpitianng maymen
to
oe
fight
tetoeudr tob,atbouets,itwhmicuhstisbae
tbal‘lnyh
declaration of weakness, and has hitherto significantili
marked the decline of nations.
If, therefore, the men of England who boast of their
power, who aspire to set bounds to a mighty nation,
should turn out unab• to carry on with sufficient force
the gnat struggle they have had the courage to com-
mence, then they will sink fram their high
and be considered a nation who wages war without 8.01,
(hers, trusting to money to hire from one Continental
living in
country soldiers to cut the throats of people
another. fearfulbe better
battles
Why should we be less able to fight our own
with our own brave population than Sardinia or any
other small State ? Because we will do anything,of.
earth sooner than do justice to the soldier or the oannis
Anything and everything is preferred, and will always
be preferred, to increasing either pay or retcard3.
Your ()bed. servant, position?,
y. DUPP2I"
modities ; and, fearing high prices from a short suPPIII!
The supply and demand regulates the price of cor
the Government fall back upon free trade, that by
portation they may reduce the va, ue of the home article

LIVERPOOL, June 28.—The Liverpool and Melbourne
Royal mail clipper ship Lightning, belonging to Mesara
Baines and Co.'s " Black Baal" line of Australi°
packets, is telegraphed as being off Queenstown, after
fine run of 68 days from Melbourne. She has 69,0600.
of gold on board, and will bring later advices.
HER MAJESTY'S LEVEL—We are reellestA to state
that the name of Lieutenant Boothby, ot the 95tti 11%1'
fromiio which Crimea,
w e
p
meat, who lost a leg at the battle of the Aline, and 17
us
n
was presented at the Levee on Wednesday, hig
übblyi,hed yesterday,Lieutenant-GeneralSio ....u-
Sir John
goyne, was accidentally omitted in the list of preeeeta
r
The private letters from Paris yesterday mention the
it is now at ted the new loan will be 20,000,000/. onil,
instead of 30,000,0001. ; also that the proposal for taxing
the railways will be immediately laid before the Legiv
lative Assembly, and that a demand will be made for ell
increase of 150,000 men to the army. •
The impression is very general in diplomatic circles la
Berlin that England and France have determined to let
the well-known four points drop entirely, i. e., no longe
to use them as indications of the objects and scope of
the war with Russia. It is even asserted that Lord
Westmereland and Baron Bourqueney have intimated as
much orally to Count Buol.
RAPID PASSAGE.—The ship Evening; Star, of Jers
acc implished her outward passage to Port Philip in 82
days, and was becalmed on the line for 11 days. ffer
homeward one was proportionably short, and she ran
from the longitude of the Cape to Port Philip in 23 day'
an event supposed to be unprecedented. Her log show°
some extraordinary days' work.
DETERMINED SUICIDE.—Yesterday afternoon a rrsO.II
nam :d Haynes, a whitesmith in Derby, committed sti •
cide in the public street. He was following a cart loaded
with gravel. On the cart turning the corner of Sache-
verel-street, he stepped forward, placed his hat on the
pavement, and deliberately knelt down with his head in
front of the cart wheel, which went over his head and
killed him on the spot. This is the second suicide coin"
minted in Derby this week. —Derby Reporter.
In the Rolls Court yeee rday. the case of Pennell and
anoth-r v. Millar and others excited considerable interest
from i he peculiar character of the circumstances disclosed
by the bill, most of which had previously acquired noto-
riety threegh the bankruptcy of Lord Huntingtower, in
1842. The suit was instituted by the
alaipantiffs, r
fromassignees
of the bankrupt nobleman, to obtain ordethe
Court to the defendant to deliver up a deed for 20,0001.,
°even by Lord Huntingtower on the Bth December,
1841, to a Mr. Dobson, to secure to the latter the pay-
ment of various acceptances of his lordship to nearly
'that amount, for which his lordship, being under age,
was not liable. The Master of the Rolls said the evi-
dence was sufficient to induce the Court to order that
the deed should be delivered up on payment to Mr.
Dobson of the last advance made by him to Lord Hunt-
irgtoi,ver, namely 9481. Decree for the plaintiffs.
A BOTANICAL DOUBT.—Sir John S. Forbes has com-
municated his vie wFi to the Edinburgh Botanical Society
on the disease called " finger-and-toe." He consider,'
turnips and other cultivated roots to revert,
it not a disease, but an attempt made occasionally by •
cultivation, t'.) the natural type. He recommend A
careful selection of the roots for seed, and culture on
soil of good ccndition—refraining especially from fowl
seed in a poor soil which had been raised on rich act's.
Those who wish to observe the origin and progressoX:
to °'
fiegrr-and-toe" in turnips should commence
out in June or July at the furthest. f
Henry Humbles, a shepherd in the empinY per
zirl, is in custody,
CetAting, a farmer, of Southcoot, near Leighton
in spite CL
charged with wlifully °swing
death of his wife. cloth
STATE OF TRADE—MANCHESTER, June
ndencY in
and yarn market is dull, with a declining weleid rather
wianrdp:ilcoew, earn dratthe:.tenAdesncy ef the
apprthrnatgeo
and-
itsnotro e prices. Spinners obliged to sell have had generally
retake more
prices
nearly to the values established two In°ll--' ai bur
1
before the late speculation in the raw relate decline.
show more disposition to operate, and when the
be wo„
is complete to the old range there will probablY t.lon oa
confidence on all hands, and a moderate rea°l3lP-
laisiness. of c°lll-
- or COMMON COUNCIL.--At a Courto
wa
mon Council yesterday a petition to Parliament,e
ve,
adopted, praying to be heard by counsel enon
e t giver
cessity of introducing protecting clauses in the I,ir.
Lea Water Bill. A report was brought up by ee.
White from the committee appointed to considertrievre''.
plane for repairing the detective pier of Black' nd
bridge. It stated that Messrs. Walker, Burgess, a
Cooper had estimated the expense of executing the Pro-
posed repairs at 39,5001., which was an increase _
9,0001. upon a previous estimate made by those gentle_
men. The difference was stated to arise chiefly
the general advance in the price of provisions. „.
Cox inoved—" That no further expense be at pro.i.en"
incurred in repairing the arches of Blackfriars-bridogl
referred to, beyond keeping the wooden centres in go 7
order and repair." A discussion of great lengths
the
Court t t
place, iwouldn whicnothbe just
te opinion geneexpending an enorna rally p i
revailed ht
o.„.:
sum of money upon a questionable improvement.
most
some of the members it was contended that the s
prudent and economical course would be to construct
new bridge, which might be formed at the expense
about 400,00/. on the site of the existing bridge, but t.. s
suggestion yielded to the argument that the funds, b,einjf,
largely engaged in more pressing improvements, cone.
not fur some years be applied to any purpose except on .
of extraordinary emergency. An amendment was proo
posed by Mr. Dakin that directions should be giren t.
the Bridge-house committee to cause certain rep mended
be executed at an expense of 16,0001., as recom mendec!
in the report of the committee of October, 1854, but
ultimately the proposition of Mr. Cox %las reed
from
te bp
a majority of 16. Mr. Otaves eresented a pag
,etn
De Beau-
the Rev. Irwin Lloyd, mieister of St. Peter
erection
Obections 13,
voir Town, Kingslaad, for a grant towards the erec
be-
of a church in the parish of Shoreditcb.
j
irig made to the request, the petition was disposed of hi
its being ordered to lie on the table.