The Sun.
London, England, 1849-03-20 00:00:00

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1 il.toLitat t,1115

LONDON, TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 1849.

The Secretary of War last night, in submitting

the Army Estimates for the ensuing year, entered

into a very clear And satisfactory statement respect•
ing the improvements that have been effected of late
years in the management of our military establish-
ments. Much has undoubtedly been done. The
situation of the soldier has been materially ame-
liorated ; his health and morals are now in some
degree thought of. He is looked upon as a
human being, and the brutalizing and degrading
punishment that was so frequently resorted to in
former years, if not altogether abolished, is yet
very rarely resorted to, and then only for
crimes of an infamous and disgraceful character.

There has also appeared an inclination to keep down
the non-efThctive branch of the service. Many
reductions have already been made, not perhaps to
the extent we might have desired, but such changes
must be gradually, almost imperceptibly, brought
forward. It is by keeping a steady eye to all
vacancies, and abolishing all unnecessary- expenses,
that economy can ultimately be obtained.
The main question to be decided last night related
to the numerical force to be employed during the
forthcoming year. It was proposed on the part of
the Government "that a number of land forces
not exceeding 103,254 men (exclusive of the men
employed in the territorial possessions of the East
India Company);commissioned and non-commissioned
officers included, be maintained for the service of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, from
the let day of April, 1349, to the 31st day of March,
1850:' The night Honourable Secretary stated that
it had been the intention of the Government to pro-
pose a reduction of 10,000 men in the numbers en-
rolled last year. The recent intelligence from India
had, however, led to some moiiiications. When
the reconnt of the sanguinary skirmish at
Rainnuggur arrivalit was deemed prudent
to reinforce the Indian army. Three regiments of
infantry, amounting to 3,300, were selected for the
service, and it was consequently decided that 7,000
men only should be discharged. The subsequent
tidings of the still more fatal conflict at Chillian_
wallah rendered an additional force advisable, and
two other regiments were placed under orders for
India, and the reductions were consequently limited
to 5,000 men. So it was stated by the Right non.
Gentleman; but from the numbers voted a more
considerable diminution would appear-113,847 men
were borne on the army estimates last year, while
the number demanded by the Government, and even-
tually carried, amounted to 103;254 only, or 10,494
less than the number voted last year. There was
altogether a decrease in the expenditure on the non-
effective service of 48,0291., and of 330,5291. in the
half-pay and non-effective votes, showing in the whole
a saving of 378,624/.

The Right Honourable Gentleman subsequently
entered into a comparison between. the military ex-
penditure for the model year 1835 (which Mr.
C°BnEN has selected as the basis of his
budget) and the present votes, and there
certainly does not appear to be much ground for
Complaint so far as the army estimates are concerned.
It is true that there are 30.000 men more in the ser-
vice at present than in 1835. The streno-th of the
army has been materially increased, and it is now in
a much more efficient condition than it was in the
^
former year ; but the increase of expenditure is by
no means proportioned to the increased force. In
1835 the gross charge on the army estimates was
5,906,789/. The gross charge for the army during
the ensuing year i.s 6,142,211/, the difference being
only 234,000/., for which we have, as already stated,
30,000 additional troops. But this is not all:
many charges have since 1835 been transferred from
other departments to the army estimates, so that if
the same subjects that are now included had then