The Sun.
London, England, 1808-09-08 00:00:00

TO THE OF THE SUN.

SIR, •
The very great attention which has of late been
rid to every department both of the Army and the,
Nsivy,. and the various metlied which .at different
times have been adopted for increasing rf-`e c:omlort,
and ameliorating the condition both of Officers and
,are deserving of theltighest commendation
from every true lover of his country. But there is-
oil• Department, which, I think has not met with
that attention which its gallant and, meritorious
'services so justly and so loudly demand. The
brauch to whtch.l allude is the Corp, ollioy. a/ Ma-
rines. The nlble and spirited conduit of this
highly reSpetiable Regiment, -both by sea and land,
is., I ain confident, too well known to require any
frotn me. When we contrast the rapid
promotion in every rank, which has taten place
thrritighout the Army, with the slow advanee in that
. of the Marines; when we look at the numbtir of
years that many, very many. of its gallant Members
have served, 'and who still 'have attained no higher
ratikAhan that of Sul,alterng-; and when we eon-
lik4wise the small number of. Field Officers
attached to this Department of the service, small
inaeeA in pryportion'to that either of the Artillery
or the Line, .and which are the only rewards the
011ioer can Lope to attain, and: \A inch under
• the pre,...i sKstern so tew c.in expo It to arrive at,
we are urr...* struck with a difference s() app:rent,
and are conseque;tfiy induced to iuquiie, why such
_.an its. Itality in- the military system is -suffered to
ex,4 ? I. we attentively -consi&c the forniation of
truly vaitiable Ceps, we "shall easily perceive
the priiirtot ion is '.'So inciy
%vill be mend the number
. ,je Field OVicers, cue' want of ,c'econd Captains,'and
tie circur:istance of trio &and Lieutenants. being
ao3chea..to.- each (.;`6...tpany. T;!eintrOduction of
See.ond Captains, 'and the cons:equeof redutlion. of
i.ieutenaiit iii eath Company; 'would no
d \:.)t tend considerably: to aecelet ate 'promotion,
and- ameliorate the -conditiori of the Subalterb.
'Where, let 'Leask, is there an itittance in 'the Line
of an Officer remaining an Ensign dUring the long
term of four or five years. lii the Artillery,: the
promotion has been most rapid, and it 'has rarely
happened of late years, that an Officer has remained
_a
-Sectind Lieutenant much longer 'than a twelve-
month. Indeed it wobid be 'highly desirable to
Model the Marine Corps on that of the Artillery.
On the abolition of Captain Lieutenants, the rank
of Second -Captains was introduced' into that
me:it. -Why then 'should not the same favour be
extended to the Marines? That' an increase in the
number of Field Officers is both highly necessary,
and would be eminently advantageous, must be ob-
vious/to every one. In fuo, these are the -only
prizes, if the expression
.h•lay be used, which are to
reward the long 'and clan i;erous services of the gallant
veteran.. But alas! the 'paucity of their numhei

affords but a slight prosped of any ample reward for
past labours ;
.and the small proportion they bear to
the great body of the Officers, who form the Corps,
forcibly-suggest the immediate necessity of a con-
siderable addition to their present number. That
these improvements would tend essentially to pio-
inotee the respedability of the Regiment, must be
obvious to every one; as I am confident, that the
's;o‘v'ilesii' of jromdtion is. a strong reason that deters
many from becoming members of it. It has always
been .a subject of complaint, that the services of this
. Corps hate been-i.iviqlooked; and I am-afraid that
the complaint IS but too justly founded. It is true
tuiey have been
..honoured with the addition of Iloyal
to their title; but if deservinLof this honour, this
circumstance alone is surely a sufficient argurnenk of
- what has been:already advanced in favour of their
amelioration. .Shone.l these suggestions meet the
eye o( the present Noble Lord. 1.4,.110-so ably pre-
: sides over the Board of Admiralty, they may, per-
haps, s6rve to - draw his attention to this negleaed
&quilt of
.his Lordship's department.
t. t, inns.

C. L. M.

Yesterday two military Gentlemen walked from
Bucklugham-house to the Horse-guards, for a bet
~of a /too and dozen. One was corpulent, and the
ot4er thin ;, bgt the corpylent Gentleman out-walk-
ed hl4 alwa.;obist by three steps, and consequently,
won, ti;t b. t.

LONDON : Printed hy RICHARD H* AR IS, of No. 4, Maitlett-court: Bow-street; a
At the SUN-Olirca No. 112 btrand ; where ildveilisements, Orders