The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-19 00:00:00

THE ARMY.

In consequence of the great demand made on the
War-office for properly qualified instructors for
those corps of Volunteer Engineers recently formed,
as well as those in course of formation, the number
of non-commissioned officers of Royal Engineers
specially qualified to fill those positions has been
con-iderably exceeded. Orders have accordingly
been received at the headquarters of the Royal En-
gineer establishment, Chatham, directing a return
to be made of the names and service of those non-
commissioned officers of Royal Engineers who are
desirous of becoming candidates for instructors of
corps of Volunteer Engineers, in order that a selec-
tion of those found most fitting to fill that post may
be made by the authorities at the War Department.
The non-commissioned officers so nominated will be
released from ordinary duty at headquarters, and
go through a complete course of sapring, mining,
and the various branches of field fortification, includ-
ing the customary drills, in order that they may
become thoroughly proficient in the several duties
which, as instructors, they will be called upon to
perform.

Col. W. R. Nedham, commanding the Royal
Artillery in the Chatham district, completed the
half-yearlyinspection of the Ist division of the
Depot Brigade yesterday, in which he had been
occupied some days. The inspection, which was of
a very searching character, was brought to a close
yesterday by
a parade of the entire Ist division of
the Depot Brigade,
when the guns on the fortifica-
tions and the other descriptions of artillery used for
instructional purposes were manned, and the officers
and troops tested in their knowledge of the use and
working of the heavy Armstrong and other guns,
as well as the numerous appliances for the transport
of heavy ordnance of modern and ancient invention.
An experimental 6-pounder rifled gun, on a new
breech-loading principle, the invention of Mr, par_
sons, C.E., of Blackheath, which had Previously
undergone the Government test, was yesterday
fired at the Royal Arecnal butt, Woolwich, in the
presence of the full committee of the Arsenal. The
gun fired 20 rounds in rapid eneeee!iinn, the trial
oeeniqini,P only Saiin. 35,3ec., ieelieling the inter •
vale between each discharge. It is nuderetood that
a favourable reeult will be reported to the Secretary
" state for War, under whose direction the gun
et ' for trial.
was ordereu

- nearly completed his

.111,. HOWARD GWVER,uu. "'ie—to be entitled
to be pre-
new comic opera —libretto as well as mu._
"Giralda, the Unmarried Wife." 'lie work is
doted by the Pyne and Harrison company daring tl'is ;,-
PrOCIUDg easoll9f. Rbglie)a Opera at Co-Feat Czaxde!

" A' strike' among the fig-packers is almost the only
item of news the week has produced. This novelty in our
local industry happened on Monday last, and has hardly yet
altogether subsided ; bat inasmuch as the circumstances
permit of no sympathy whatever with the complainants, it
has merely been a matter for the police, and these, I am
glad to say, have dealt with it at once with the firmness and
the moderation the case required. The affair is not unsimi-
lar to the strikes of workmen and labourers in the capital
at and after the final withdrawal of the caime's, when those
parties held out for payment in metallic at the old exorbi-
tant paper-money rates. So here again ; it was, as you
know, only last season that we got rid of our three or four
circulating standards, and have gradually attained to some-
thing like a uniform medium. These people were last year
paid in base cheirouk currency what was about equivalent
to from 13p. to 19p. a-day in the present good money; yet,
though they are now receiving from 16p. to 20p, in the good
currency, they complain and demand the same number of
piastres now that they formerly got in chdrouk. Of course
this could net be listened to, and accordingly the grumblers
struck work in a body on Monday, and for some hours
created considerable disturbance throughout the town. At
length they proceeded en Inasse to the knock ; to invoke the
support of 'he Pasha. Here, however, they caught a Tar-
tar. Achmet tried first to convince them of the unreason-
ableness of their demands, and did his best to persuade
them to resume work ; but this moderation only encouraged
them, and seeing that, the Governor-General had recourse
to the more effective logic of arresting and imprisoning the
ringleaders of the movement, This brought the majority
of tho others to their sensc,, and next day most of them
quietly went back to their work. There is still, however,
considerable ferment in what may be called the "trade ;"
but it will, I doubt not, subside in another day or two, and
all will go on as before. It is true that the price of living
has increased here greatly for all classes; but so too have
wages in proportion, as may be inferred from the rates I
have mentioned for this one class of the working popula-
tion. Their case, therefore, excites no sympathy whatever,
and is consequently all the more easily dealt with by the
authorities,"