The Sun.
London, England, 1864-04-02 00:00:00

THE ARMY.

The annual Easter holidays granted to the garrison troops
terminated on Thursday at Woolwich. The general com-
manding, Sir Richard Dacres, yesterday commenced his
muster of the Royal Artillery Brigades for a course of
season drills. The 13th Brigade, in command of Col.
Buchanan, was paraded in front of the barracks, marched
past, and went through the usual course of drills, to be con-
tinued through the season.

The Legislature of Nova Scotia has long acted with great
illiberality towards the English troops stationed in the co-
lony. It has imposed duties on the wines consumed at the
officers' mess, which are not taxed in this country or in any
of the other colonies. Some months ago, on a change of
Government, the duty was taken off, the anomaly having
been noticed by the press, but it has been reimposed. The
House a Assembly has also put a tax on the tea, coffee, and
sugar supplied to the troops oy contract through the Com-
missariat since the contract was taken. This is all the mote
unjustifiable as there is no colony deriving greater advan-
tages from the large expenditure of the army and navy, that
of the former alone at Halifax being little, if at all, short of
£200,000.

The Nile, Indiaman (one of Messrs. Green's Blackwell
fleet), Commander Owens, R.N.R., arrived at Spithead
yesterday from Calcutta, with military invalids and time-
expired men from her Majesty's regiments serving in India,
in the following strength :-16th Brigade Royal Artillery,
Capt. Price and three men; 2d Dragoon Guards, nine men
and one woman --Ist battalion 20th Foot, seven men-23d
Foot, Lieut. Lysons, Mrs. Lysons and child, 14 men, one
woman, and nine children-38th Foot, Lieut. Caldecott and
41 men-52d Foot, 18 men and one woman-90th Foot,
Assist.-Surg. Crane-91st Foot, eight men, one woman and
two children-97th, 18 men, one woman and two children.
They will be disembarked this mornini,,, and the invalids
will be forwarded to the Royal Victoria Hospital at Netley,
the time-expired men being sent on to the stations of their
regimental depots. Four soldiers die I during the voyage
home. The ship's private passenger list comprises Mrs.
Goad and three children, Mr. and Miss Jarler, Mrs. Phil-
lips and child, Mr. and Mrs. Brown, Mrs. and Miss
Richardson, Mrs. Owens, Mrs. Hills and three children,
Mr. Cockburn and three children, Messrs. Lee, Jones, and
Reed, Masters C. and V. Campbell, Messrs. Halpen and
Parker. Th 3 Nile embarked the troops at Calcutta on the
12th Dec., 1863, and sailed thence on the 16th; arrived at
St. Helena on the 9th of February and left again the same
day for England. She made the Western Islands 17 days
before her arrival at Spithead, and since then has had to
contend with heavy gales from N. by W. to N.E. Yester-
day afternoon the officers accompanying the troops on board
and the private passengers assembled in the main saloon of
the ship t-nd drew up an address, which they presented to
Captain Owens. A piece of plate awaits Captain and Mrs.
Owens' acceptance in London, as a further mark of esteem
from their passengers,
Some specimens of experimental guns, intended to be

fired shortly at Shoeburyness, are approaching completion
in the Royal gun factories at Woolwich. One of the guns
is rifled on Commander Scott's principle, and others are on
those of Mr. Jeffery, Bashley Britten, and on a French
system recommended by the War Department for trial
Mr. Parsons, who has introduced a system of strengthening
the old cast-iron guns by means of internal tubes, has also
submitted some working plans of breech-loading guns,
which, it is stated, will effectually remedy the defect of the
Armstrong system, caused by the failure of the vent• pieces,
which arises from their inadequate weight and strength.
One of the guns has been fired at Woolwich butt, and bore
the test satisfactorily.

The deaths of the following general and other officers
have been reported at the War-office since the Ist of
March :—Gen. Irving, Royal Irish Artillery—Lieut.-Gen.
T. R. Swinburue—Major-Gens. E. Harvey, H. Poole,
Royal Artillery, and W. J. Kiug, Royal Staff Corps—
Lieut.-Col. W. Raban, 22d Regiment—Majors E. J. Hol-
worthy, 14th Regiment, and C. H. L. Tinling—Capts. T.
G. Danger, sth West India Regiment, L. Bonavita, Royal
Malta Fencible Artillery, N. F. Dromgoole, 35th Regiment,
J. H. Kinneir, 2d Provisional Bat' alion,and G, C. A.Girse-
wold, Brunswick Cavalry—Lieuts. A. Tibeaudo, 7th Royal
Fusileers, G. Edge, 11th Regiment, R. J. Cochrane, 34th
Regiment (accidentally shot), H. 1 innahan, 99th Regi-
ment, H. Lyster, 7th Dragoons,L Maay,42d Highlanders,
W. H. Hollis, 57th Regiment, and J. W, Little—Ensigns
A. oucrow, 40th Regiment, C. H. Panlet, 60th Rifles, H.
E. Wilkins -in, 105th Madras Light Infantry, and F. B.
Swecny, 62d Regiment—Pap:l2E4ston J, Court, 73d Itegi-