The Sun.
London, England, 1853-07-07 00:00:00

THE CAMP AT CHOBHAIsr COMMON.

Yesterday the troops enjoyed a well -merited day of
rest after the fatigues of the pontooning; operations at
Virginia Water. On all such holidays as these the
camp presents a scene of interesting anintstion, which
is as characteristic and picturesque as can w ell be ima-
gined. Before most of the men's tents is a kind of
extemporaneous clothes-rack, made of a small Er tree,
with its branches lopped off short, and its root stuck
in the ground. Upon this accoutrements and clothes
of all kinds hang out to dry or air, and the aspect of
the ground thus seen at a distance, covered with habili-
ments of all colours fluttering in the breeze, gives, an
extraordinary appearance of gaiety and life, which can
only be appreciated by those who have seen the camp
thus on a fine summer day. In addition to this, the
different streets among the tents on a holiday are
thronged with busy thousands, clad in every variety of
costume, and engaged in every variety of occupation or
amusement which can charm the eye or interest the
general spectator. Here is a little group of sun-burnt,
hardy veterans, reclining full length in the shade of
their tents, enjoying the luxury of the fragrant weed,
and criticising, with rather more than military freedom,
the whole of the manceuvres of the previous day, or else
scanning, with an offended aspect, the civilians who
loiter about the lines affecting to pity the hard-
ships of a soldier's life. Others again may be
seen collected iu a circle, round some serjeant or corporal
of their company, mending up with careful hands such
parts of their uniforms as may have sustained a rupture
in the shifts of camping—while the serjeant, seated
in the midst, with a newspaper three or four days old,
reads aloud from its columns the account of their
achievements on a field day. On these occasions, if the
name of their particular regiment happens to be praised
for its martial appearance or superior discipline, there
is a general pause while the flattering paragraph is re-
read again, when each man smiles and looks more
proudly round, and seems to feel as if the eyes of the
nation were upon him. On the open space between the
general line of tents and those of the quarter guard,
crowds of the soldiers collect to indulge in those athletic
games which are so much encouraged by their command-
ing officers as tending to keep the men in cheerful
spirits and good health. The English soldiers as a body
have always been renowned for their great physical
powers, and certainly the feats of strength and activity
which we have seen them display in their sports at the
camp would do honour to the athlw of ancient Rome.
The various nationalities of the regiments are strikingly
displayed in their respective sports. With loud shouts,
and occasionally a strong expletive, the English indulge
in their favourite games of cricket and foot-ball—the
Irish, with all that energy of excitement peculiar to the
natives of the sister isle, have fiercely-contested games
of " hurley," or leaping and running matches—while
the cool and cautious Scotchnien collect in little knots
to put the stone, or toss the caber, and witness with
unmoved countenances the most stupendous throws,
reserving their admiration until the precise number of
inches the stone has been tossed beyond the mark is
ascertained, when their applause at the exploit is
given with the same slow, punctual accuracy as the
measurement by which the length of the throw was
decided. But the hardy Scot is not always so phleg-
matic, when the " pipes are up," and the air of
some favourite fling or reel is struck up, the fierce ani-
mation with which he indulges in the pleasures of a
dance has something in it, which, if not beautiful, is at
least strangely fascinating. Such scenes as these we
have attempted to describe meet the spectator of the
camp on a holiday at every turn.
There is a kind of settled comfortable look, which
seems to increase about the camp every day according
as the men get more thoroughly at home in their quar-
ters. This cleanly—if we may use the expression—ap-
pearance of permanency, is more observable in the
quarters occupied by the household regiments than in
any other part of the field. We stated a few days since
that their ground was decidedly the neatest and the
best drained and dyked in the camp, and a more minute
inspection has only confirmed this opinion. This locale,
when the Guards first pitched their tents, was undoubt-
edly worse than that assigned to any other brigade, it
being nothing more than a mere morass. Any person
who visits it now can scarcely imagine it to be the same.
Deep broad drains intersect their ground in every di-
rection, which are here and there bridged over, when
they cross a roadway, with much strength and neatness.
The drains round the tents are neatly cut, and kept
carefully clear of obstruction—the latter piece of neat-
ness being one which appears to be quite overlooked by
the other regiments. Many of the officers of the Guards
have also displayed a taste for floricultural pursuits, which
if properly directed and zealously persevered in might, in
course of time, entitle these gallant cultivators to other
and more pacific medallion decorations they are ever
likely to meet with than in the field of Mars. Several of
them have contrived to make a garden bloom in the
wilderness, by planting flowers in the little spaces of
ground around their tents. Of course such floral inno-
vations on stern camp rule were at first much derided ;
but among the officers of the household troops at least
the example has been pretty generally imitated ; and this
incident, slight as it may at first sight appear, has not
been so trivial in its consequences, for to its example we
believe may be traced the superior order and neatness
of the Guards' ground. We, however, merely mention
it as a symptom of the spirit which exists among the
household troops to make their allotment as cleanly and
cheerful in appearance and as coro4.'oratble in reality as.
the rough of camp life will permit . As might be ex-
pected, after this description of their quarters, the men
of the Foot Guards are also about the cleanest in their
undress uniform of any infantry force in the camp.
The most untidy men, when off duty, we are sorry to
say, may generally be found in the quarters of the High-
land regiments, though upon parade there are none
which make so orderly and soldier-like an appearance.
All military men look anxiously forward to the result
of the present encampment to relieve the soldiers of
some of the oppressive burdens under which they now
literally groan.
The following table gives the principal of the weights
carried by the Guards, and an ordinary marching regi-
ment, the 42d Highlanders, and we think it will show
at a glance that the memoria's which we believe have
been addressed by old muitary officers for years past to
those high in office, to lighten the men of some of this
packing, have been most unjustly and undeservedly
slighted :

BRIGADE OP Gtqups.
Heavy Marching Order. Lighi marching Order.
lb. oz. lb. oz.
Contents of knapsack 35 5i Contents of Oaapsack 22 1.
Pouch and belts 6 5 Pouch and beit,s 6 7
Am munition 6 7 Ammunition 6 7
Grenadier cap 2 7 Grenadier cap 2 7
Cook' ng kett1e........ 2 4 Rifle and bayonet l4 0
Canteen (full) 6 0
Rifle and bayonet l4 0
Blanket 3 11

51 61
Odd blanket 3 11-

Total 76 7:1 I T0ta1............ 55 1i
Now we believe that the total of heavy marching
!Wes not include the weight of the great coat, and it
mot certainly does not count the weight of the three
days' provision which every man e.,rries when in
heavy mai-ehing order awl upon actual service. It
likewise excludes from the reckoning the weight
of the knapsack itself, exclusive of the contents,
and which we believe amounts, with its support-
ing-straps, to about 41b. Boz. Taking it, therefore,
at this, and the weight of the great coat to be as much
as the blanket 31b. 11 oz., and the three days' provision
to be 101 b. more, it gives a grand total of 941 b. 18ioz. to
be carried by every man in the household brigade when
in heavy marching order, and exclusive of the actual
uniform or dress in which he stands.
In the 42d Highlanders the packing is not carried out
so systematically as in the Foot Guards, though it is
still more than sufficient to call for the serious attention
of the military authorities. It is as follows :-
42D HIGHLANDERS.
Heavy Marching Order. Light Marching Order.
lb. oz. lb. oz.
Contents of knapsack 18 0
Bonnet 2 3
Belts , 4 2
Haversack and ammu-
nition... 6 15
IMusket ...,.., l4 0

Contents of knapsack,
(including the blan-
ket) 2B
Canteen (full)
Cooking kettle
Bonnet, belts, haver-
sack, and ammuni-
tion l3 4
Musket

G 3 14
To this heavy marching order, as in the case of the
Guards, must be added 181 b. 3oz. for provisions, great
coat, and weight of knai.isack, making a gross total of
821 b. loz., also exclusive Pf the dress in which they
stand.
It is almost unnecessary to coLnment on theso facts;
To every intelligent and humane rescler, or one who has
the true interest of the service at heart, they speak for
themselves.

MESSRS. ALLSOPP AND SONS' BITTER BEER.—Yes-
terday Messrs. Allsopp and Sons formalljr opened the
new warehouses, which have been erected by the Lon-
don and North-Western Railway Company, in Hayden.
square. A branch line of railway in connection with
the East and West India Dock Junction enables
Messrs. Allsopp to convey their beer the entire distance
from the brewery at Burton-on-Trent to Haydon-squere
by rail. It is not the least interesting sight to obsecz
how skilfully not only the barrels but heavy-htd!'n
are raised with great rapidity by means of btir,',A,,t'
cranes to the higher tiers of the warehouses. isiZocelmss3
means a vast amount of labour is saved, and. the
of loading and unloading greatly
.sinni
Com-
pany havinc, inspected this portio
ilgeshst bsueeseemen.
Poir the: waThreheouses
twieerreafctoenrdtuiec°rteedf tlahrroguegheasthkes cellars,
uwpilienrenind
sion. Some idea may be formed of the business done,
which Dr. Johnson, in reference to another celebrated
brewery, termed "the potentiality of boundless wealth,"
when it is known that the stores in Haydon-square alone
contain an area of 20,000 square feet, and the quantity
turned over averages per week about 2,000 tuns. The
company then proceeded to Poplar and Blackwall, and
inspected the warehouses there, which are used entirely
for the export trade. The area of the former is 20,000
square feet, of the latter, 25,000 square feet. The com-
pany then passed over to Greenwich, and partook of the
hospitality of Messrs. Allsopp at the Trafalgar.
DISCOVERY OF A PORTRAIT BY RAPHAEL.—A person.
at Nismes had for a long time in his possession a draw-
ing in red chalk, to which he attached so little value
that it was thrown aside among some waste paper. An.
amateur having recently seen it, purchased it from him.
for 21. The purchaser having brought it to Parie
showed it to some artists, who told him it was an ad•
mirable sketch, and he accordingly presented it to the
director of the Mus6es. Soon after his return tea
Nismes he received a letter of thanks from an inspector
of the Beaux Arts, in which it was stated that after
minute investigation the drawing was found to be the
portrait of La Fornarina, by 'Raphael, -and was esti!
, mated as being worth, at the lowest, 10,000 f.

45 4

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS--(YESTERDAY.)
EXPENSES OF ELECTIONS' BILL.
On the motion of going into committee on this bill,
On clause 1,
Mr. BARROW moved the omission of words, so as
to limit the responsibility of the candidate to acts done
by himself, and not leave him liable for the misconduct
of an agent of whose proceedings he had been quite in
the dark.
Mr. MULLINGS consented to strike the objection-
able words out.
After a few words from Mr. HENLEY and Mr. VERNON
SMITH, the amendment was agreed to.
Some other amendments were made, and the clause
was then passed.
On clause 2, relating to bells and bell-ringers, a long
discussion took place, and after a division upon some
verbal alterations, and a promise by Mr. Mullings that
on the bringing up of the report he would endeavour to
further amend the clause in order to meet the views of
hon. members, the question was put that the clause as
amended be passed.
Col. SIBTHORP moved that the clause be rejected.
The committee then divided, when the numbers were—
For the clause
Against it l7-82
The clause was then agreed to as was also clause 4.
The remaining clauses of the bill then agreed to, and
the house resumed.
PROBATE OF WILLS AND ADMINISTRATION
BILL.
On the motion for going into committee on this bill,
Dr. PHILLIMORE appealed to the hon. gentleman
the member for Sheffield (who had charge of the bill)
whether, after the statement of the Government last
night, he would press the bill at the present time.
Mr. HUME thought this was a reform per se, and he
thought there was no occasion for waiting for the Go-
vernment, especially after the delay which had taken
place in introducing the Government measure, for which
no adequate reason had yet been given.
Mr. HADFIELD said the bill had been approved of
by most eminent authorities in the three kingdoms,
and he should certainly not relinquish it unless some
more satisfactory assurances were given by the Govern-
ment that they would take the matter up in earnest.
Mr. HENLEY thought if the bill were carried into
law it would lead to the greatest confusion.
Mr. CROSLEY said that as none of tie members of the
Government were present, he should move that the con-
sideration of this bill be adjourned until this day week.
The motion was agreed to, and the debate adjourned.
SIMONY LAW AMENDMENT BILL.
Dr. PHILLIMORE moved the second reading of this
bill, the object of which was to prevent for the future,
the next presentation to any benefice. Up to the time
of the Reformation, the repression of this offence had
been left to the censure of the ecclesiastical power, but
the earliest acts of some our most pious reformed monarchs
had been directed against this offence. The house had
always dealt with this subject in the largest spirit, conceiv-
ing always that the spiritual trust was essential, and the
rights of property only accidental. At present, ac-
cording ?to the canon law, it was simony to sell the liv-
ing when it was empty ; but if it was sold while the
present holder was alive, though he might be
on his death-bed, and only have 25 minutes to live,
it was a valid contract. (Hear.) The scandal that
this practice led to in the church was most prejudicial to
its real interests, as every one must acknowledge who
read the newspapers in which the advertisements for the
sale of livings appeared in such numbers. He had care-
fully guarded the bill, so as to make it prospective and
not retrospective, and he should be perfectly willing to
receive any alteration in committee.
Mr. BOUVERIE moved the adjournment of the de-
bate, as there was important business on the paper.
Sir R. H. INGLIS thought that the motion for ad-
journment of the debate ought to have been moved
before the speech of the hon. and learned gentleman,
Mr. BUTT said this was not so much a bill far the
m endment of the law of simony as to make that
simony for the future which was not simony now.
The bill interfered with the rights of property in a
most unjustifiable manner. He differed from the prin-
ciple of the bill, and also from the details by which the
principle was carried out. He yielded to no man in
his desire to advance the spiritual welfare of the people
and the efficiency of the Established Church. The hon.
and learned gentleman had taken extreme and exceptional,
cases for the groundwork of the bill, and instead of pro-
viding for these cases only he had dealt with the general
system of Church patronage on these exceptional princi-
ples.
Mr. MALINS supported the adjournment.
Mr. WILSON hoped the debate would be adjourned
before six o'clock, because the Government had some
Customs resolutions to pass before the rising of the
house.
Mr. BANKES said that Wednesday was a day pecu-
liarly set apart for private members, and he was not
disposed to give way to the Government. If they had
wished for an adjournment it should have been moved be-
fore the speech of the hon. and learned gentleman the mem-
ber for Tavistock (Mr. Phillimore). He intended to speak
till six o'clock, and he hoped the lesson would be of
use and profit to the Government. (Cries of " Oh.")
He was in possession of the house and they could not
prevent him.
The right hon. gentleman continued to speak until
six o'clock, when the house adjourned.

X message from the Lords, announced yesterday to
the Commons that they have agreed to the following
bills :—Malicious Injuries (Ireland) ; Wimpole, Wrest-
lin,,,,worth, and Potton Road ; Hull and Holderness
Railway ; Glasgow and South Western Railway (No.
2) ; Rochester Bridge, without amendment. South
Eastern Railway (North Kent Railway to the Thames,
&c.), with an amendment. That they have passed a bill,
intituled, "An Act for continuing and amending the
Act for facilitating the Sale and Transfer of Encumbered
Estates in Ireland." Also, a bill, intituled, "An Act
for incorporating the Trustees of the Bingley Free
Grammar and General Education Schools, and other
Charities at Bingley, in the county of York, for autho-
rising the Sale, Exchange, or Mortgage, by the Trustees,
when incorporated, of the several Estates belonging to
the said Schools and Charities, respectively situate in the
parishes of Bingley and Bradford, both in the said county
of York, and for other purposes relating to the said
Schools and Charities."