The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-19 00:00:00

THE MILITIA.

The 28 days' training of the Essex Rifles commenced
yesterday at Colchester. On Saturday the work of " bil-
letting" the men at the various public houses in the town
was completed. On Monday the Colchester men were
marched to the bath-house, Osborne-street, to undergo
the customary ablution previous to being served with
their regimentals. After the arrival of the countrymen
next day they were also to be marched to the bath, and
then furnished with their dresses. The total strength of
the regiment is said to be 846, but in consequence of
many having enlisted into the regulars, some deserted,
and others having removed from their parishes, and not
receiving their notices, it was thought likely that there
would be numerous absentees, and the regiment very far
short of its complement, Last year the regiment was
brought to a state of great military efficiency, principally
by the valuable services of a detachment of the 2d bat-
talion of the Rifle Brigade, but, the gallant fellows
being now ordered to the seat of war in the East,
it is expected that the instruction will devolve
upon the officers and the regimental staff. The
eight Colchester corporals, who were a short time ago
at Dover, being thoroughly initiated in the routine of
discipline and duty as riflemen, will also act as instructors
of their comrades. We are happy to hear that arrange-
ments are being made for instructing the men in reading
and writing, as last year ; and that the public hall will
be fitted up as a reading-room for the non-commissioned
officers and privates.
The Royal Dorset Regiment of Militia will assemble
for exercise at Dorchester on the 2d of May next. The
period appointed for their training is 28 days, during
which time they will be under the command of Colonel
Bingham. The conduct of the men on the last occasion
of their assembling at Dorchester has been such as to
call forth the special approbation of the Mayor.
The 3d West York Militia, under the command of
Colonel Ferrara Loftus, assembled at Doncaster for 28
days' training yesterday. The full complement of the
regiment amounts to 1,030, but, owing to enlistments
into the line and other causes, the present strength of the
corps is, we understand, about 200 short of that number.
It may be mentioned, however, that the deficiency is not
so great this year as it was last, and that several of the
recruits who for various reasons failed to present there-
selves at the last training have turned up on this occa-
sion. The regiment is called up two months earlier this
year than last, in order to avoid training the men under
the oppressive heat of summer. The list of office"
posted in the regimental order-book includes, besides the
colonel of the regiment, Lieutenant-Colonel John Bar-
nett, of Kirk Hammerton, Boroughbridge Major
Ralph Cre3lce, Rawcliffe-hall, Selby; Adjutant Pro thero,
Doncaster, 10 captains, 11 lieutenants, and 9 ensigns.
The Hampshire Regiment of Militia assembled at
Winchester on the 4th of this month for 28 days train-
ing under the command of Colonel the Marquis of Win-
chester. During the short period that has elapsed since
the commencement of the drill the men have • improved
wonderfully. It cannot be expected that in so short a
period as 28 days a body of men couldnttain a great de-
gree of discipline, but in 6 months this regiment, to all
appearance, would be very efficient, and produce, if re-
quired, good and effective men to serve in the line.
Yesterday morning 1 sergeant and 14 corporals be-
longing to the Monmouthshire Militia, who have been
at the infantry barracks, Windsor, for the last 3 weeks,
t Western Railway for Monmouth,
and have been regularly drilled with the recruits of the
97th, left by the Greg
where the regiment ajm,-lbh% for training and gereiee
eon Tlauraday latizt ti o nth zt•

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- -
•" ' • (Fi•ost ti rings.)
We'
. . .
We have no wish: to offer premature criticismaonthet
-iondnct of a war'whieh may Yet tax all, and more than
:all, the patienCe which.: the nation' has,to bestovi. -We
are also perfectly aware how difficult it is atthe .great
distance of tinie and place at *high we find ourselves to
form a'Perfectly-fair opinion •Of the conduct of those'
placed iu command over our fleets and our armies; hut'
-we-twist confeis. that we have 'been unable to rea4lthe
aecount which'We translate 'elsewhere freth the foicilide.-
Rsse witbont ;feelings of itnpatience almost amounting
to- indignation. It'appears, according to this statenieut
mt~m ,-
ms lead fored-orrthe eastern dbaSt-Of the
Black--eac-liety.)e-eqOhelendjik..rand.Ciagii, a series of.,
posts, or the purpose of preventing the abominable
traffic -in. Isnnan beings 'aCriwilen- by the-inhabitants of
the -Ca:Oa:ilia' wit Ul4 ..-Turkii:.:.Tlll4 is the RusSian,
yeqien. 4. 4411._ - no • doubt,. 'syggest,
..otlicrinotiv'ses,"hpt. the motive is, far the present purpose'
04 thetikeakitig.atitcef-the war these posts
liedduid cpmpjetely isolated,' and: Prince -Menichikoff
reccived.oraers ~to destroy the posts and remove their
garriSotS; a Wit: which lie executed, says
the .14va-
iiic.r. e Riqae,. with, that success which uniformly
accompanies the operations of the 'Russian fleet in the
Black: Sea.. ,r• aquadrcin, consisting of 12 vessels of dif-
ferent descriptions, the -names of which are
pompously
enumerated in the Ruisian journa!, started on this ex.
lieditipti, Which, considering the vicinity of the French
and Engliili fleets, may truly, be called aclvenfurnum, and
entitleilthbse who planned and carried it out to just and
well-earned credit. Neverwas expedition more success-
ful, 5,000 troops, the stock of provisions belonging to
the Government, the artificers, and the families of all
employed, Wert conveyed Without hiss or difficulty to a
place of safety, in defiance of the imaginari dangers of the
Black Sea and the near presence of our fleet, and—what
no doubt gave additional zest to the triumph—an Eng-
lish and-French steamer were fallen in with, and thus
secured as' witnesses of the exploit. , Thus concludes the
Invalids Russe Our military resources haye, been in-
creased by an effective force of picked troops, trained to
werhy a long service in an unconquered country;"—
no timoceptabie addition, we should suPpose, to the gar-
risiitt-ofSebastopol. It is time we should know whether
we are or are not masters of the Black Sea, and whether
the fide fleet "we hive sent, thither is to leave the Rus-
sians an unlimited license to -range at will' over the
waters which we so idly pretend to close against them.
The cotintry. will require to be told what condition of
Weather that could be which rendered the Black Sea
inaccessible to our fleets, but offered' no obstacle to the
enterprise of • Prince .Menschikoff. Are the English
becoMe such freah-water sailors 'that they are forced to
permit an enemy to snatch a prize from their grasp be-
cause: they dare not trust themselves to the elements
which he braves with impunity t- We have taken upon
ourselves the blockade of the Black Sea, and the man-
ner in which we. appear to execute that duty is by lying!
snug, in harbour ourselves, and vainly hoping that our
antagoniiit will do the same. It was not by such timid
and sleepy proceedings as these that the reputation of
the English; navy was made, nor is it by these that it
can be maintained. What avails our naval superiority
if it be so'slothfully and negligently put fOrth as to leave
the seas open to eur enemies; and' enable them to act
is if an overpowering naval- force were not present?
Our fleet has been a witness of the disaster of Sinope,
which; if iteOuld not prevent, it might at any rate have
-avenged, and it now sees our enemies reinforeed with
the same impunity as that with *hith our friends were
destroyed., Better to peril our ships in the storms of
the Enxine than to keep them safe at such an inglorious
price. If they are to avail nothing towards checking
the operations of our enemies or protecting the weakness
of our friends, it matters not greatly whether they are
preserved to us or not.
If we turn from the sea to the land, it seems not no-
natural to ask, what is being done with our cavalry ?
Are they really to go or are they to 'stay t 'lf the army'
is to be kept waiting for them,. why are they here Why
are their commanding officers 'still in London ? We are
counting too much upon Russian complaisance. Whether
their movements "be 'judicious 'or not, they are con-
ducted with vigour and -decision, -and are the acts of
men who thorougly appreciate the value of time. - The
Moment the first, relaxation of winter made operations
practicable they were in the field. Not a day was lost
in crossing the Danube and putting matters to the arbi-
trament of a battle, But these enemies, so active and
so intrepid, we oppose with generals not yet emanci-
pated.froin the silken dalliance of London drawing-rooms
.and Parisian saloons ; with infantry whom we have kept
for a month eating-oranges on the rock "of Malta, While
idle 'transports stood ready for their conveyance, and
with cavalry, three troops .only of,- whom are yet em-
barked. We shall probably be. informed that it is
„great presumption in:the press to remark on matters
of so• purely • a professional nature, but we appeal
from such: conventibnal answers to the common
sense, of, our . leaders, and ask„ without, fear of con-
tradiction, whether there be any one who either
thinks that our' army is not very.greatly needed in the
East, 4 that it has been despatched with-the vigour
and celerity ,which. the resources of the country permit
and the situation of our affairs demands. The speed
with which our men were sent to Malta showed what
could be done with the means at our disposal, and the
delay which has since supervened how easily those means
could be wasted and misapplied.' The public can only
attribute such mortifying and unexpected remissness at
,
the very moment when events call most loudly for, des-
patch to the evils of that system Of divided authority-
that multiplicationlof departments and frittering away of
responsibility which attaches so conspicuously to our
administration of war. War has hitherto been the Sa-
turnalia of Goverimient, responsibility has been relaxed,
and the-public-eye, intent on the more prominent actors
in the game, has: had little attention to spare for those
not less. potent eget:mica that are placed-behind the scenes.
But this will not be so now. The mechanism. of govern-
ment is better Understood, the 'difficulties to be sur-
mounted and the means of surmounting them are tho-
roughly appreciated, and, in proportion as the resources
of war are greater, the_ responsibility of those who put
them in motion will be greater also. We are but just
launched on the'eentest, but already we have seen, our-
selves twice baffied'without striking a blow, and our
fleet and our army loitering in compulsory 'idleness,
while the game in which 'they should ,biar . a part is
played out by other hands. .