The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-21 00:00:00

THE ARMY ESTIMATES.

The estimates of the effective and the non-effective
army services, from the Ist April, 1853 to the 31st of
March, 1854, bearing the signature of the Right Hon.
Sidney Herbert, the Secretary-at-War, have just been
printed, in pursuance of an order of the House of Com-
mons, made so recently as Thursday last. From this

document—one of more than ordinary interest, perhaps,
at the present moment, when the question of our national
armaments is so canvassed, we propose to make a few
extracts, in anticipation of the discussion which it must
shortly and necessarily undergo in the House of Com-
mons. Beginning with the effective services, the land
forces prOposed to be maintained for the service of the
United Kingdom (exclusive of the troops in the East
Indies), for the year ending 31st March, 1854 on which
the first vote will be taken, amount to 102,283 men,
being an increase over the last year of 346. The
estimate of the charge of the land forces at home and
abroad (vote 2) is 3,625,7831, being an increase on
the preceding year of 23,716. The charge of
the general staff officers and officers of the hospitals
serving at home and abroad, and of the garrison of the
Tower of London (vote 3), is estimated at 162,8971.,
which is less than the cost of last year by 6,7101. The
estimate of the allowances to the principal officers of the
several public departments, their deputies, clerks, and
contingent expenses (vote 4), amounts to 98,4641.
higher by 2,507/. in comparison with last year. The
charge of the Royal Military College (vote 5) is put
down at 16,8881., which is lower than that of last year
by 2531. The expense of maintaining the Royal Military
Asylum and the Hibernian Military School (vote 6) is
estimated at 18,0201., being an increase of 4841. upon
the previous year. The estimate of the charge of the
volunteer corps (vote 7) is 88,0001., showing an increase
of 4,0001. over that of last year. There is, therefore, a
total increase of the estimate for the effective services
over that of last year of 23,7441.
Turning to the non-effective service, in which there is
a very marked decrease in almost every item, the esti-
mate of the rewards for distinguished military services
(vote 8) is stated to be 20,2501., being an excess of
4,607/. over that of last year. The charge of the pay of
general officers, not being colonels of regiments (vote 9),
is estimated at 55,0001., less by 6,0001. than the previous
year. The full pay for reduced and retired officers (vote
10) is stated to be 50,000/., being the same as the pre-
ceding year. Half-pay and military allowances to re-
duced and retired officers of her Majesty's land forces
(vote 11), 358,000/., being a decrease of 7,0001. Half-pay
and reduced allowances to officers of disbanded foreign
corps, pensions to the wounded foreign officers, and
allowances to the widows and children of deceased
foreign officers (vote 12), 34,6281., being a decrease of
2,288. Pensions to widows of officers of her Majesty's

land forces (vote 13), 117,6371., being less than last year
by 1,750/. Probable charges on the compassionate list
of allowances, as of the Royal bounty, and of pensions,
gratuities, and allowances to officers for wounds (vote
14), 79,5001., a decrease of 3,5001. Charge for Chelsea
and Kilmainham hospitals, and the in-pensioners (vote
15), 28,149/., decrease 6661. Charge of the out-pen-
sioners of Chelsea Hospital, of pensions granted to dis-
charged negro soldiers, of pensioners from Hanoverian
corps which served with the British army in 1793, 1794,
and 1795, and of the military organisation of out-pen-
sioners in the United Kingdom (vote 16), 1,235,8001.,
showing an increase of 8,9971. Charge of allowances,
compensations, and emoluments, in the nature of super-
annuations or retired allowances to persons formerly
belonging to the several public (army) departments (vote
17), 36,0001., being a decrease of 1,5001. Thus it will
be seen that there is a decrease, more or less consider-
able, in the non-effective service estimates in every vote
save two, viz., the rewards for military services and the
out-pensions ; but the increase in those two votes,
amounting together to 13,6041., weighs somewhat seri-
ously against the aggregate ecrease (22,704) in the
other items, reducing, as it does, the decrease in the
non-effective service estimates to 9,1001.

The sum of the figures given above is, that the total
estimate for the effective services for the year ending
March, 1854, is 4,010,052/., as compared with 3,986,308/.
the estimate of last year, showing an increase for the
forthcoming year of 23,744/. ; whilst the total estimate
for the non-effective. services for the ensuing year is
2,014,964/., as compared with 2,024,0641., the estimate
in 1852-53, being a decrease for the forthcoming year of
9,1001. The total increase in the estimates in both the
effective and the non-effective services, taking them toge-
ther, for the year 1853-54, as compared with that of
1852-53, is 14,6441.
From a statement at the end of the document of
which the above is a summary, we also learn that the

sums passed to the credit of the Exchequer, in the books
of the War-office, between the Ist of January and 31st of
December, 1852, pursuant to the Treasury minute of the
2d May, 1848, amount in the aggregate to 84,7061. odd,
including 17,353 received from soldiers in the land forces
permitted to purchase their discharge ; 1,1131. received
from men paying smart money; contributions from
colonial revenues in aid of military expenditure, viz.,
Ceylon, 24,000/. ; lonian Islands, 721/. ; and Malta,
6,200/. ; contribution from the colonial revenues of the
lonian Islands, in aid of the staff expenditure, 5,2601.
Os. 7d. ; and subscriptions from gentlemen cadets and
officer-students, &c-, Royal Military College, 18,0921.