The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-16 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SVN.

SIR—Who should England's soldiers be ? Clearly those
who are physically fit to servo their country, and deter-
mined to do so. The country enters into a tacit compact
to clothe, feed, teach, tend, when sick, and pension her
soldiers when old. Now, who is, physically speaking, best
able to serve ?
1. Is it a man born in the country ?

2. Is it a person born in a town f
I prefer those who are generally employed in out-door
occupations, their constitution is more robust and hardy
than Ulm.," who follow tho sedentary employments of a
town. Neglect of this rule is th. 3 vti ) of much of the
sickness of our troops in the East. ook at a batch
of recruits, and many will befonalb atlai bit the traces
of a weak constitution before theyle aye Ea gland.
How ought a soldier to be enlisted?
1. Should it be compulsory ?
2. Voluntary?
3. 11:df one, half the other, backed by beer and the
seductive voice of the Recruiting Sergeant.
By our present system we teach a recruit to commence
with intoxication, and this is the source of much of the
sickly state of our troops, and a grave military offence.
Improve the condition of a soldier and he will seek, not be
sought by, the Recruiting Sergeant. Our Militiamen have
shown a truly military spirit in the way they have
enlisted.

When enlisted, a soldier should
1. Be drilled.
2. Instructed in petty staff duties.
3. Taught how to cook his own dinner, and build a hut
capable of sheltering him.
4. Should bo made to attend the Hospital in rotation.
5. Should learn some of the science of war, how sieges
are carried on, and a knowledge of gunnery.
G. Should servo as a Sapper and Miner in a company
attached to each regiment.
The use of these six heads are obvious to every one ; I
need not dwell, upon them. The age at which a soldier
should commence his career is a point open to discussion.
A man of 25 is a better man than one of 18 or 20; but men
have settled at the former age and will not enlist ; as to
the latter age, the Government must make a soldier, and
use him when he is fit for duty. This involves an exten-
sive system of depots.
Who should become an officer ? Clearly the man who
intends to devote his life to his profession. A man who
gains some knowledge of military matters and then retires
is a clear loss to the country.
How should a man become an officer? By purchase or
not ? If it is said that the service will degenerate by a
system of not purcha-ing commissions, I point to the Ar-
tillery officer, who does not purchase his commission, and
is generally, although poor, a gentleman, and better
acquainted with his own military duties than either the
infantry or cavalry officer. There are many families who
have served for generations in the army, but are so poor
they can hardly scrape together the money to purchase a
commission. To this class the doing away with the pur-
chase of commissions would be a great boon. Give away
commissions judiciously, and a class of men will serve who
are determined to make the army their profession. Money
will then not be able to step over and take the place of
merit. The Indian army is officered by men who do
not purchase, and it has produced such men in
our day as Nott, Pollock, Mackeson, Lawrence, Edwardes.
When your officers and soldiers are in the service what is
to be done with them? Are they to be dispersed all over
the country in different branches--cavalry in one place,
artillery in another, infantry in another? Are men to be
enervated by the bad effects of large cities ? or are we,
after the lapse of so many years, to revert to the old Ro-
man system of camps ? Large cities are much kept in order
by police. The military force of the nation must learn its
duty together in camp. The whole military force of this
country must be divided into so many legions, and located
in convenient positions, with a complete military organisa-
tion, ready to enter upon a campaign at any short notice.
.. 11l trlas,.. .Inoore
obliged to serve by rotation under the different staff offi -
corm, and learn the duty of each. England must be
divided into military compartments, and the whole mili-
tary force, together with the Militia and Yeomanry, must
be under a military head. In case of invasion there will
then be no need of hurry or confusion—the military
force, complete in every branch, is ready to take
the field. These camps should be built in commodious
parts of the country, and here should be the mili-
tary home of the officer and soldier ; no man will
then be ashamed of living in the quarters assigned to him
by the Government. should a foreign war break out, the
military force is ready, it knows its duty ; bat if the War
Minister fails it in his arrangements of transport, baggage
cattle, commissariat, and large additional staff, a general
paralysis will soon infest the whole army. In my opinion
a War Minister should be if possible a military man ; he
should foreknow what an army in the field will require.
The general •f an army should have everything ready
placed at his disposal by the War Minister, or available
where he may order it to be present. Every branch of
our military service is so closely connected, link upon link,
that an error committed at Woolwich, or any town office
of the military department, eventually finds its way to the
seat of war. A supply of boots has been forgotten, and
half a regiment is laid up with sore feet.

AMICUS.

THE MEXICAN AND SOUTH AMERICAN
COMPANY.

The Mexican and South American Company have
issued their circular as to the creation of 10,000 addi-
tional shares, to stand in all respects on the sane footing
as the existing shares, and to enjoy dividends from the
date of their being issued —the shares not to be issued
under 6/. 10. i. 11.-,,r share. The Company is largely en-
gaged in smelting operations, and works no mines of its
OVVII.

The quantity of copper smelted by the company has
been as follows the year 1849, 354 tons ; 1850,
1,204 tons ; 1851, 1,194 tons ; 1852, 1,195 tons ; 1853,
1,840 tons, estimated at 2,500 tons.
In consequence of information received by Mr. Alison
of the groat advantages afforded by the port of Caldera,
for carrying on the business of smelting, owing to its
proximity to the important mining districts of Copiapo
and of there being an abundant supply in that province,
not only of copper, but of silver ores, the transport of
which to the coast is facilitated by a railway, which has
a branch into the Company's works—it was determined,
in 1852, to form a branch establishment at that port.
Two of the parties had been in the company's service in
Chili, came to England for the purpose of conferring
with the directors on the subject, and of arranging for
the sending out machinery for the treatment of the silver
ores.

The Caldera establishment commenced its operations
is the month of October, 1853, and has been smelting
copper ever since. The machinery for treating the silver
ores (under a patent taken out by the company for the
republic of Chili) has arrived at Caldera, and been
put up.

Advices baying been received by the last mail from
Chili of the re.sults of the experiments made on the silver
ores with this machinery, and of there being an adequate
supply of such ores, the directors have determined on
immediately proposing an increase of the capital
of the company, to meet this additional demand on
its means.

The company pays dividends half-yearly. The fol-
lowing have been paid in the last three years, viz.:—
July, 1852, ss. per share ; Ja,nnary, 1853, 52. per share;
July, 1853, 7s. 6d. ditto ; January, 1854, 7s. dd. ditto;
July, 1854, 7s. 6d. ditto ; January, 1855, 7s. 6d. ditto,
clear of the income tax.