The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-07 00:00:00

DE RE VESTIARIA.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUE.
Sir,--It would be difficult to select a better specimen
of the incomprehensibility of the system by which the
British army is at present clothed than was afforded on
Friday last by the answer given to Sir Gilbert Heath-
cote by the Secretary-at-War.
We have recently been engaged in a long and arduous
contest at the Cape ; many of our European regiments
were employed in it. The climate of the Cape is ex-
cessively hot.
We are at the present moment carrying on a war in
Burmah ; several Queen's regiments are also employed
there, and hare suffered severely from the climate, which,
as is well known, is far hotter than that of the ape.
The Commander-in-Chief of the British army, Lord
Harding°, in addition to his long Peninsular service,
has very lately had considerable experience in India of
the conduct of great military operations in hot climates,
and must necessarily be thoroughly conversant with the
wants and sufferings of the European soldier under a
vertical sum. . _

Therefore, when England was called upon to !end out
to Turkey a contingent of 25,000 men, it might reason-
ably have been expected that they would have gone
forth armed, dressed, and accoutred in a fashion calcu-
lated to conduce to their health and comfort in the
climate in which they were about to act.
It turns out, however, that our troops sailed for Asia
attired exactly as if they had been destined to garrison
Athlone ; and now, when your "own correspondent"
has given the public and the Government some idea of
this extraordinary mismanagement on the part of some-
body, and of the serious and unnecessary suffering which
it has occasioned, the Secretary-at-War informs the
House of Commons that Lord Raglan, who is serving
in the East for the first time in his life, who has been
there but a few days, who must have his time fully occu-
pied with other duties, and who is "at Varna or else-
where," has been written to, and invited, " as being
on the spot, and better able to come to a conclusion
as to the nature of the materials and the description
of the clothing required for the troops serving in the
East, to give the earliest information of what changes
he thinks are necessary in these respects." If
" early information" as to the best mode of
clothing our troops in a hot climate were really de-
sired by those whose duty it is to clothe them (I know
not who they are), it would surely have been far easier
to have obtained it from Lord Hardinge, in Whitehall,
than from Lord Raglan "at Varna or elsewhere." It is
the especial duty of the former to send out thousands of
British soldiers annually to relieve and recruit our
armies in the East and West Indies ; but a few years
have elapsed since he personally shared their dangers
and their sufferings at Sobraon and Ferozeshah, and his
opinion on the subject might have been elicited in five
minutes, while that of Lord Raglan cannot be ascer-
tained for months or acted upon until next summer's
campaign ; and for that reason, possibly, it is sought
for, in preference to that of the Commander-in• Chief.
I cannot think that " the collection of the patterns of
the uniforms and accoutrements of the different armies
of Europe" which Lord Hardinge has informed Kr.
Herbert he is making " with a view to the consideration
of the dress of the army" holds out any very great pro-
. spect of advantage to any one. Were such a collection
really desirable, it ought to have been made long ago, an d
could now be commenced and completed in a few weeks;
but surely intelligent and practical Englishmen need not
scour Europe for tailors' patterns before they decide upon
a dress for their soldiers comfortable, cheap, durable,
easy to clean, and adapted to the climate in which the
men are to serve.

We have never sent round to the navies of Europe for
instruction as to the best mode of clothing our seamen.
If we order them to the tropics, our common sense tells
us that straw hats, duck frocks and trousers, and open
necks are the most appropriate dress. If to the North
Sea, pilot cloth and tarpaulin. Our policemen have been
suitably attired without any searching reference to the
costume of the mouch,tudd of France or the sbirri of
Southern Italy; and the genius of our railway directors,
unaided by the contemplation of the uniforms of the rail-
way servants of the other powers of Europe, has hit
upon a most excellent and durable working dress of cor-
duroy for their men.
Obvious improvements are, indeed, daily taking place
in the uniforms of our militia, which, I believe, are under
the immediate control of the Secretary at War. I never
saw troops more sensibly dressed than are the Militia
Artillery of Colonel Cator, and the Rifles of Lord
Jocelyn, and the Middlesex Regiment, commanded by
Colonel Bagot ; but it is painful to see that these im-
provements are confined to our militia, who as yet are
but playing at soldiers, while a morbid and occult influ-
ence, existing somewhere in the machinery of the Horse
Guards, deprives our regular troops from benefiting by
them.

One thing, however, is certain, that whoever the par-
ties are who have hitherto controlled the clothing of our
army, they are utterly unfit for the trust, and ought to
be summarily excluded from any further interference
with it. And to prove this I will take you, sir, no fur-
ther than to St. James's-park, in which the Horse Guards
are situate, and which the Commander in• Chief crosses
every day of his life. . _

Her Slajesty's Guards enjoy certain privileges and
immunities over the rest of the army. They are supposed
al.va.ys to be in readiness for active service, and, when-
ever war does break out, they are always the first to be
sent to the scene of it. Their London duty is said to
be rendered extremely severe by the number of sentinels
which they are reauired to station in exposed positions,
and their men suffer much in consequence from pultric-
nary affections brought on by cold and wet. You inus t
have felt, sir, as well as other people, the bitter wind s
and the driving rain of the last week. If, during any
hour of the day or night during that time, you had cat t
your eyes on the sentries of the Guards posted at th e
National Gallery, the public offices, St. James's, .or
Buckingham Palace, you would have seen that they
were defying the elements in white duck trousers.
Our men-of-war's-men, even in tropical climates, ar e
always compelled to change duck for cloth when the sun
goes down, no matter how hot the weather may be ; at
Malta and Gibraltar the same rule is enforced with re-
gard to the troops in garrison ; but there were, and there
are still, these wretched Guardsmen shivering at mid-
night at the corners of our streets, clad in linen—and in
pipe-clayed linen, too—which readers it far more wretched
and unwholesome in wet weather ; while the policemen,
who ever and anon cross them in their beat, are conifol7t-
ably cased from top to toe in broadcloth and mackintosh.

Whose fault is this ? Whose business is it to amend
it ? And cannot it be amended until the Commander-
in-Chief has completed his collection of the military uni-
forms of Europe, with a view to the consideration of the
dress of the army ?
It seems that Lord Raglan proposes to do away with
the stock at last (I think the British soldier may thank
the Times and Punch for that), and that he is also about
to endeavour to adapt bearskin caps and black felt and
patent leather shakos to the summer sun of Turkey by
casing them with white calico.
So far good. It is not for me to say whether a wicker
cage covered with a bearskin, ornamented with much
bright brass, and finally crammed into a white calico
pillow-case, is a reasonable headdress for a reasoning
man ; and I confess I think that the new undress cap
of the Guards, to which Lord Adolphus Vane appears
to object so strongly and, in my humble opinion, so
reasonably, will, when covered with white calico, assume
-very much the aspect of the common cotton nightcap,
as known to the ancients ; but I would ask, why did
not the Commander-in-Chief, taking into consideration
the destination of our army in Turkey, and profiting by
the military experience which he must have acquired in.
India, take off their stocks and provide them with a
rational uniform and headdress suited to the climate to
which they were about to proceed before he shipped
them off for the East ?
If Sir Gilbert Heathcote would procure a direct an-
swer to this question, he would, indeed, do good service
to the army.--I am, Sir, your obedt. servant,
June 3. J. 0.

ME.

The private advices from Mexico by the West India
steamer are to the 3rd of May, and contain the follow-
ing paragraphs. It appears that at the departure of
the packet nothing was known of the Mesilla Valley
treaty having been agreed to by the Senate at Washing-
ton, with a reduction of the sum to be paid from
3,000,0001. to 2,000,000/.
" In consequence of the recent rebellion in the State of
Guerrero, General Santa Anna continues at the head of
his little army; and, according to the last accounts re-
ceived from head-quarters, he was besieging the fortress
of Acapulco both by land and sea. It is generally believed
that the rebels cannot hold out very long in that fortress,
and we are daily expecting the intelligence of their having
surrendered, in which case the President intends to leave
a garrison there and to return to the capital, where his
presence is very much wanted. It is also his intention to
fortifyie other stations between Acapulco and Mexico, with
a wto maintain his authority over that province in a
Peaillanthe ent manner.
meantime we hear loud complaints on all sides
owing general stagnation of affairs, and the most
sanguineo sett
news latelyhave had their spirits damped by the
receivedth from the United States, which seems
to indicate that
If such were toolipe:aes3llesilla Treaty will not be ratified.
, the Mexican Government would in•
deed have to
its habitual state of with
considerable difficulties, owing to
jaity to be received irn!'"7- The prospect of the indem-
rtue of that treaty seemed to iu-
sure the Government's's':
would be money to keep up so long, at least, as there
sufficient force ; but, how-
ever great the natural resources the country may be,
such is the incorrigible extravagance
ithoifn the bounds of
the Mexican
Government, that it can never
its revenue.
appeared at first t
about the
" However eager the Americans
Mead! come to an amicable arrangement
ter-
ritory, they have no doubt altered their nand
queue° of the warlike aspect of affairs in el in conse-
urope
it is that great opposition has been made to that t. Thus
the American Senate, and we are fully prepared rteoatiT
of its having been rejected. At the same time the Zola:
ricsn authorities in California lose no opportunity
affronting their neighbours, and they have gone 80 f
far
of
rIVO
to put the M9xican Consul in prison upon the most f • . 3
lens and absurd pretext ! The course of affairs will
therefore materially depend upon the fate of the Mesilla
treaty. Exchange on London, 45d. per dollar ; on Paris,
41. 70c."
Other letters contain the subjoined report of the
progress of Santa Anna against Alvarez :
"On the 13th of April, on the heights called Coquille
and Peregrino, the Government troops routed the forces
of Alvarez, and on the 15th a detachment of cavalry
came up with and destroyed the fugitives. On the same
day another victory was gained at a place called Chamis-
tlahuacan. The rebel chief, Alvarez, then fled to Aca-
pulco, which place having been attacked and taken by
General Santa Anna's troops, ho took refuge in the fort
with his followers, and has probably by this time surren-
dered.

" One or two attempts have been made in other dis-
tricts to foment disturbances, bnt they have all proved
complete failures, and been suppressed instanter. One
of the leaders was taken and shot forthwith.
" With Q 999 ozoptiono, trawmillity prevailed."

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

TATTERSALL'S-YESTERDAY.
TELE SETTLING DAY.

From the commencement of the afternoon to its close,
a scene of peculiar bustle, interest, and anxiety was
manifested.
The customary preparations had been made for the
safety and accommodation of the subscribers, who mus-
tered strongly from all parts of the kingdom. Near
the doors policemen were stationed to prevent the out-
side crowd from blocking up the entrance way. Hoard-
ing and matting were put up before the gates and
railings ; tables, forms, and chairs were ranged along
the flagged terrace adjoining the room, and writing ma-
terials placed everywhere ready for use.
A spectator who, from mero motives of curiosity, is
present for the first time on a great settling day like
this, must be struck with astonishment at the business-
like regularity with which large sums change hands,
and yet for none of those large sums does the creditor
hold either bill or bond, nor can he by any legal means
recover them—his only security, therefore, is the honour
of the debtor.
Although vast sums of money were disbursed in the
course of the afternoon, numerous impediments to
" smooth going" presented themselves. Unfavourable
reports of absentees were rife, and complaints of the
" tightness" of money were heard on all sides.
One party, who was present at the commencement,
suddenly sounded a retreat, and was hotly inquired after
at the close. Another, who was generally deep in lia-
bilities, was reported " quite gone," but as he had been
hit hard on the "Metropolitan," his absence did not oc-
casion much surprise. The list of " cleared out and
bound for the Levant" comprised several others whose
liabilities in the aggregate are very heavy—in short, to a
large number of persons it was about the worst " Settling
Day" they ever experienced.
Towards the close of business a novel incident in the
way of settling excited uproarious mirth, and not a little
derision, both inside and outside the room. A party
who had laid against Dervish to an immense extent, and
had afforded none of the backers an opportunity of hedg-
ing with him, was called to the door to receive payment
in bags of copper of a bet of 401. In expectation of the
" scene" a cab was in readiness, and the bags emptied
into it, and the " Potter of Potts" went off as quickly
as ho could, amidst ironical cheers for " The Copper
Captain !"

LATEST BETTING.
THE UNION CUP-ILINCHESTEN.
3to 1 agst Helena (taken).

TRADESMEN'S CUP.
3 to 1 agst Jouvence (taken).
4 to 1 agst Balrownie (taken).
ASCOT STAKES.
sto 1 agst Hercules (taken).
THE DERBY.
20 to 1 agst Oulston (taken).