The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-24 00:00:00

that they deserved promotion, there would be no diffi-
culty in the matter.

The English Admiralty showed in 1851 how questions
of this nature, and even much more difficult ones, can
be resolved.

But if, on the contrary, the particular object is to
accelerate the promotion of captains, and for that pur-
pose rear and vice-admirals are to be raised from the list
three years sooner, and thus prevented from rendering
to their country the most important and perhaps the
most glorious services, then opinion becomes divided in
a most marked manner and we think we may say that
men who know best what a naval life is will energetically
oppose the system of the proposed bill.
The report then enters at considerable length into a
statistical statement of the changes in promotion in the
navy daring the last ten years, comparing it with the
scale of promotion in the English navy. It then gives a
list of admirals of seventy years and upwards who ren-
dered great services to their respective countries.
The report concludes as follows :

The project of law tending to the law of 17th
of June, 1841, relative to the naval staff, submitted to
the Senate, would, if adopted, be detrimental (fune3te)
to the marine service both present and future.
It is illegal. It is an infringement on one of the great
interests placed by the Constitution under the protection
of the Senate.

The commission is of opinion—
That the Senate should oppose its promulgation.
The following is the project of law :--
Art. 1. Vice-admirals at the age of 65 years accom-
plished, and rear-admirals at 62 years accomplished, who
cease to belong to the first section of the cadre of the
general-staff-major, to pass into the second.
Art. 2. No one can be promoted to the grade of vice-
admiral without having served for two years at sea,
with the rank of rear-admiral, in a squadron or naval
division.

Art. 3. Are maintained the dispositions of the laws
of April 20, 1832, and June 17, 1841, which are not con-
trary to the present law.

THE ARMY.

A. circular memorandium has been issued for the guid-
ance of the troops about to be encamped on Chobham-
common, and in other suitable localities during the pre-
sent summer :

" Horse Guards, May 11.
"1. It having been found necessary to revise the
existing regulations for the encampment of her Ma-
jesty's troops, the General Commanding-in-Chief has
been pleased to command that the following instruc-
tions be prepared and promulgated for the information
and guidance of the army.
"2. Although troops must be guided in the position and
form of their encampments by the shape and nature of the
ground, the proximity of wood and water, and, in actual
warfare, by a variety of considerations which defy all rules,
it is nevertheless desirable that certain definite forms of
encampment should be established by authority, to be
departed from in all cases whenever circumstances shall
make it desirable to do so for the convenience and effi-
ciency of the troops.
"3. The following are the principles which have
mainly led to the establishment of the forms of encamp-
ment which are laid down in these instructions, and
which should, as far as possible, govern the disposition
of all camps of whatever form, viz.:—
" 1. That the front of the camp be made to corres-
pond in extent with the front occupied by the troops in
line.

"2. That the means of passing freely through the
encampment with a large front be maintained.
" 3. That the tents be disposed with a view to the
greatest amount of order, cleanliness, ventilation, and
salubrity.

" f. That the camp be as compactly arranged as the
above considerations permit.

" OF INFANTRY.
" 4. The ordinary mode of encamping a battalion of
infantry has been in open column on the reverse flank,
but with the alternate companies closed, and encamped
back to back, with a wide street in the centre, as shown
in plan 1.

"5. The space occupied by a file is 21 inches. Thus,
supposing a battalion of 850 rank and file could be
brought under arms complete, its front would be :-
425 Files. 10 Captains.
1 Subaltern on the
left of the line.
2 Colours.
1 Centre Serjeant.

To which add for
officers and co-
lours

14 Files,

Total
...... 439 Files. Total 14
" But from this total (or indeed from the total rank
and file actually in the field) the following deductions
must be made, viz. :

Rank and File.
Band
Pioneers ll
Sick and hospital orderlies
Mounted officers' batmen

90 or 45 s.
" Calculating five sick men per company, file
and one
orderly to every 10 sick men, with lieutenant-colonel,
two majors, and adjutant.
"This would reduce the front of a complete battalion
of 850 rank and file to 394 files.
"394 files at 21 inches=229 yards 10 inches (say 239
yards).
"In computing the frontage of a brigade or division,
the intervals between battalions and brigades in line
—viz., five yards, or six paces--will be maintained be-
tween the encampments of the contiguous battalions
and brigades.

" 6. The circular tents now used occupy a front of
nearly 18 feet, and 15 men are allotted to each tent.
" 7. A battalion encamped, as shown in plan No. 1.
(occupying a front equal to its own line), will, under
ordinary circumstances, cover ground to the rear ex-
tending perpendicularly to a distance of about 139 yards
from the front line of tents, and a space for the parade
in the front towards the quarter-guard of not much less
than 80 yards in extent, being a total of about 220 yards
from quarter-guard to rear-guard. The leading com-
pany's tents being placed on the prolongation of its
front, as it stood in column after wheeling back from
line, an interval is thus left between contiguous bat-
talions of the front of a company and six paces, whereby
the .free passage of troops is provided for through the
lines on a large front, without traversing the actual en-
campments of battalions.

"8. But the mode of encampment, shown in plan 1, is
not always practicable, as the ground may not in every
case admit of the extent or depth indicated ; on such
occasions the camp must be compressed. The diminu-
tion of the frontage may simply be effected by diminish-
ing the distances between the companies, and pro-
portionally likewise the intervals between battalions ;
and the depth of the encampment may be lessened as
shown in plan 2.
" The batmen and horses do not in all cases require a
line, and in plan 2 they are supposed to be picketed in
•
any convenient spot affording shade or shelter.
"9. Although the system of encampment in double
streets, with a wide street in the centre (which has been
used for parades of non-commissioned officers, musi-
cians, duties, &c,), has long prevailed, there is reason
to believe that a simple encampment in open column,
as shown in plan 3, each company encamping on the
prolongation of its own front, may be occasionally
adopted with advantage_

"In this case the duties may be formed, as is the case
in barracks, on the general parade.

"According to this arrangement, the companies' tents
can be turned in any direction, so as either to place the
tent doors to leeward in driving rains or cold winds, or
to windward in hot seasons ; and an encampment on this
plan is more expeditiously formed than that arranged on
the double principle.