The Sun.
London, England, 1839-11-28 00:00:00

with advantage. They only encumber the progress
of the narrative, and, as documents, are of little value.
We subjoin a curious anecdote, wherein an old
Greenwich pensioner being asked to describe Sir Sid-
ney Smith, did so in the following nautical style :
.6 Why, Sir, after we skivcred the mounseers away
from Acre, Sir Sidney was looking as taut set up its the
mainstay by a new first-lieutenant ; but, for all that, Sir
Sidney was a weaselly man,—no hull, Sir,—none ; but
all head, like a tadpole. But such a head ! it put you
in mind of a flash of lightning rolled up into a ball ;
and then his black curly nob—when he shook it, it
made every man shake in his shoes."
" Was he then handsome ?"

" Blest if I can tell! You know, Sir, as how we
don't say of an eighteen-pounder, when it strikes the
mark at a couple of miles or so, that's handsome, but
we sings out beautiful ;' though, arter all, it's nothing
but a lump of black iron. You're laughing, Sir. And
si you thinks I'm transmogrifying Sir Sidney's head
into a round lump of iron shot ! Well, I'm off like one.
All I can say is, that he was most handsome when
there was the most to do."

ARMY PROMOTION.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR-I remember the time when your still most
valuable and widely circulated Paper was the leading,
if not the only one, that advocated and espoused the
interests of the army ; at present that advocacy is
usurped by one or two self-styled :Alilitary Weekly
prints, which no one but military and naval men
ever see. This is not as it should be ; the people of
England should know what is going on in the Army
and Navy. At no former period of the history of this
country were the interests of those two professions so
shamefully neglected.
It is nor, I believe, officially announced that we are
very shortly to have a Royal Marriage, and it is to be
hoped the occasion will be embraced to give a stimulus
to the present drooping spirits of both professions. The
last Brevet was a shabby one, disgraceful to the occa-
sion, and not creditable to those who measured out so
pitiful a boon. After a suspension of seven years'
promotion, from 1830 to 1837, two Brevets took place,
promoting 89 Colonels to the rank of Major-Generals ;
but, since the promotio❑ of 1837, no less than 86
Generals have died, so that the Army is now with
three Generals more than it had after a seven years
suspension: of all promotion, and the grim tyrant will
be sure to equalise the numbers long before the end of
the present year. The Navy is still in a worse condi.'
tion, with reference to',;the age and state of the senior
ranks of both services. I consider it no less essential
to the interests of the State than to theirs that this
subject should be seriously considered.
Bath, Nov. 25, 1839. F. W.

[F. W. may rest assured that we are as much as ever
disposed to advocate and espouse the interests of both
professions, when we can do so with effect. Consider-
able promotion, no doubt, will take place on the occa-
sion alluded to, but our Correspondent ought to remem-
ber that Government cannot always carry their wishes
into effect. While one party urges them to be mare
liberal, another is constantly urging them on in a con-
trary direction, and exclaiming against the vast expense
of a standing army awl needless promotion.--ED. Sun.]

REPRIMAND BY LORI) HILL OF
COL. THOMAS, MAJOR MACLEAN, CAPT.
AINSLIE, AND OTHER OFFICERS.

Horse Guards, Nov. 20, 1839.

Stn,—By Lord Hill's desire, I have the honour to
communicate to you his Lordships sentiments and
decision upon a case which has lately occurred in the
district under your command, which has occasioned
his Lordship the utmost concern, and of which the fol-
lowing are the facts :
Oa Wednesday, the 30th ultimo, a meeting, called
the " Conservative Association," was held at Ashton-
under-Lyne, at which Colonel Thomas, Major Mac-
lean, and other officers of the 20th Regiment, as
well as Captain Ainslie of the Royal Dragoons, were
present. _ _

One of the speeches spoken upon that occasion
having been reported to have contained expressions in-
sulting and disrespectful towards her Majesty, Colonel
Thomas was required by the General Commanding-ia•
Chief to state whether he had heard these expressions,
and, if he had, whether he had expressed disapprobation
of them.

Colonel Thomas positively denies having heard these
expressions (as does Captain Ainslie also for himself),
but is unable to state what the expressions used by the
speaker alluded to really were, or to show that their
tenor was respectful towards her Majesty.
Major Maclean and the other officers of the 20th
Regiment who were present, state that they " cannot
vouch for particular expressions used by Mr. Roby
upon that occasion."
In reference to the above facts, it is most painful to
Lord Hill to observe that, upon their own showing,
Colonel Thomas and the other officers in question have
placed themselves in the mortifying predicament of being
obliged to confess that they lent their presence to a
meeting of a strong party character, at wnich ex-
pressions were uttered which they are unprepared to
prove tne propriety of towards the person of their
Sovereign.
In this state of a case, on every account very dis-
tressing to him, it remains for Lord Hill; but to order
that you convey to Colonel Thomas, and to every other
officer belonging to the forces now serving under your
command, who was present on the above occasion, the
expression of his Lordship's most pointed and decided
displeasure, reminding them that, as military servants,
they are bound to confine themselves to their military
duties ; and that when they thus ventuse to connect
themselves with any party association, under any cir-
cumstances, or upon any pretence whatsoever, they
incur a heavy responsibility, and expose themselves to
the heaviest blame.

In Colonel Thomas's first letter to the Adjutant-
General upon this unpleasant subject, be states that he
was invited by this Conservative Association " as a
Member of Parliament." In reference to that part of
the Colonel's statement, I have it specially in command
to declare that, whilst Lord Hill yields to no one in
respect for the privileges of a Member of Parliament,
his Lordship will not suffer any officer of the army to
build his justification upon them, when he thinks fit to
resort to a measure calculated to compromise the cha-
racter and discipline of bis professsion.
Lord Hill thinks it scarcely necessary to add that the
prohibition to attend party meetings, in their military
capacity (except when on duty and in aid of the civil
authorities of the country), applies to the officers of the
army at large.
His Lordship's final orders aro that you, on receipt
hereof, or as soon thereafter as may be practicable,
without subjecting the public service to injury or
inconvenience, proceed to Ashton-under-Lyne, and
there assemble the officers of the 20th Regiment, (com-
manding Captain Ainslie's presence likewise), reading
this letter to them, and intimating to them that his
Lordship will allow no further discussion on a subject
which has already been exhausted by official correspon-
dence, upon which no new facts can be elicited, and
upon which, therefore, his opinions are settled and ins-
mutable.—l have, &c.

(Signed) JOHN MACDONALD, A. G.
Major. General Sir Charles Napier, K. C. 8.,
&c. &e., Nottingham.

FAMILY OF MEHEMET ALL

A correspondent of the Semaphore of Marseilles
corrects the erroneous assertion of the European
press, that Ibrahim Pasha was not the son of Mehemet
Ali, and, in order to settle the point, forwarded to that
journal the following genealogy of the Pasha :
" Mehemet Ali, born at La Cavale, in Roumelia, in
1760 (the same year which gave birth to the Duke of
Wellington, Napoleon, and many other distinguiped
men), married an innupta female, daughter of one of
the notables of the country, aged sixteen, in 1787. The
children of that union were-1. Ibrahim Pasha, born
at La Cavale, in 1789 ; 2. A daughter (deceased), who
married Moharem Bey, the present Governor of Alex-
andria, son of the former Governor of La Cavale, who
left no issue ; 3. Toussoun Pasha (deceased), father of
Abbas Pasha ; 4. Ismail Pasha, who:died without issue;
5. A daughter, widow of Mehemet Bey, Deftedar, hav-
ing no children, and now forty years of age. All these
children were born at La Cavale.

" In Egypt, Mehemet Ali had forty-three children,
of whom are now living-1. Sau Bey, born in 1822 ;
2. A daughter, born in 1824 ; 3. Hussein Bey, in 1825;
4. Halim Bey, in 1829 ; 5. Mehemet Ali Bey, in 1833.
Abbas Pasha, son of Toussoun, was born in 1813, and
is Governor of Cairo.

Ibrahim Pasha has three sons—Abmet Bey, born in
1825 ; Ismail Bey, born in 1830 ; and Mustapha Bey,
in 1832.

" Nephews of Mehemet Ali—Ahmet Pasha, Go-
vernor of Mecca, forty years of age ; Ibrahim Pasha,
General of Division in the Hedjas, thirty-five years of
age ; Ismail Pasha, Governor of Aleppo, thirty-two
years of age ; Hussein Bey, forty-two years of age ;
and two others much younger."