The Sun.
London, England, 1849-02-03 00:00:00

THE. ARMY.

REDUCTION OF THE ARMY.
Various erroneous reports having been put in circu-
lation with respect to the reduction of the standing
army of the United Kingdom, we are enabled to furnish
our readers with the following official document, just
issued from the Horse Guards :
'• Horse Guards, Jan. 29, 1849.
" Her Majesty's Government having determined to effect a
reduction in that portion of the Infantry at present employed
in the home service, and the establishment of regiments at
home and abroad having been fixed, by the Queen, at the
numbers specified in the margin (subjoined), the Com-
mander-in-Chief has been pleased to approve of the follow-
ing arrangements for carrying out that measure, and by
which it appears to his Grace the required reduction may be
effected, with a due regard to the claims and interests of in-
dividuals, and with the least possible inconvenience to the
public service.

" Officers commandinc, regiments and depots will imme-
diately transmit to this department, or to the Deputy-Ad-
jutant-General at Dublin, descriptive returns (in the form
prescribed at page 198 of her Majesty's regulations) of the
following classes of non-commissioned officers and men, whom
it is proposed to discharge-_a separate return being forwarded
for each class, viz.:—
._.

"First—Such non-commissioned officers and men as may
be considered by medical officers as of weakly constitution,
and not likely to become robust and efficient soldiers.
" Secondly— Men of short service (provided they have not
served with the regiment abroad) who, having been enlisted
as lads, have not grown to the present standard size pre-
scribed for the Infantry.
" Thirdly—Confirmed drupliards and men of bad character,
provided they are not entitled to pension or gratuity under
any existing warrant.
" Lastly—And only if necessary after having disposed of
the three classes above specified, a return of such non-
commissioned officers and men, without distinction as to age
or length of service, as may be disinclined to continue in the
army, and desirous of being relieved from their engagement.
" Commanding officers will be careful not to include in any
of the above categories, or bring forward for discharge youths,
the sons of soldiers, born in the army, or brought up at the
Royal Military Asylum, or Hibernian School, and enlisted by
special authority, without first ascertaining that their friends
are willing to receive, and have the means of providing for
them.

" Officers commanding depots will take care to reserve
supernumeraries sufficient, not only to fill up all vacancies in
the service companies, but to replace such non-commissioned
officers and men as are ascertained to be about to be inva-
lided, or to become otherwise non-effective.
" Such supernumerary non-commissioned officers and men
as may remain over, after this arrangement shall have been
fully carried into effect, will, for the present, be borne on the
strength of their respective regiments, with a view to their
being ultimately absorbed in the establishment; but officers
in command of the service companies must be careful not to
make any fresh promotions or appointments of non commis-
sioned officers until the whole of the supernumeraries at the
depots shall have been disposed of.
" Regiments will, of course, discontinue all further recruit-
ing until they shall have respectively fallen below the esta-
blishments now prescribed.
" Non-commissicned officers and men, discharged under
these regulations, will be entitled to carry with them the
whole of their clothing now in wear.
" By command of Field Marshal the Duke of
" Wellington, Commander-in-Chief.
" JOEIN MACDONALD, A.G."

" Forty-three regiments at home, at an establishment of
" 47 sergeants, 17 drummers, and 750 rank and file, viz :-
"2d battalion Royals, 2d, 3d, 4th, 9th, 13th, 14th,l 17th,
Ilst, 26th, 27th, 28th, 30th, 31st, 33d, 35th, 39th, 40th, 41st,
43d, 46th, 47th, 48th, 49th, 50th, 52d, 55th, 57th, 59th, 60th;
2d battalion-62d, G3d, 68th, 74th, 77th, 81st, 82d, 85th,
87th, 89th, 90th, 92d, 93d.
" Regiments in the colonies, at an establishment
and
of _
File.
Serjeants. Drummers. Rank
Service companies 31
6 ...... 230
Depot l6

Total

viz;--
" Ist battalion Rifle Regiment, 7th, 16th, 19th, 34th,
38th, 54th, 66th, 72d, 73d, 79th, 88th, 95th, Ist battalion
Rifle Brigade.
15th Regiment.
Serjeants. Mummers. Rank and File.
Service companies 31 ......... 11 ..• .••• 600
Depot ......... 16 ..... • • 6

Total ...... 47 17 9
Regiments
in India and Australia, togethe7r7, with the
37th and 75th Regiments, will remain at 1,000,
"
and the
corps which have been divided into two battalions will con-
tinue at 1,200 rank and file, as heretofore."

ROYAL MILITARY ACADEMY.
The Gentlemen Cadets of the Theoretical Class were exa-
mined on their return from the Christmas vacation, to ascer-
tain their fitness to be advanced to the practical class study-
ing at the Royal Arsenal, and the following, having been
found qualified, have Lem removed from the Academy on
Woolwich Common to the quarters for study in the Royal
Arsenal :—Willoughby D. Alars, Trevor C. Molony, William
J. Stuart, Walter C. Nangle, A. H. Wilmot Williams, George
B. Gurney, Herbert M. G. Purvis, William H. Goodenough,
Richard Old&ld, Campbell Hardy, Henry H. Connolly, An-
drew Noble, Lewis F. Hall, William S. M. Wolfe, Henry L.
Balfour, Frederick C. Griffin, John IL Piele. Charles F. Cock-
burn, Charles J. Dowse, Henry Strover, William W. Hagan,
Charles D. Fisher, John Kelly, George K. Taylor, John C.
Cowell.
The following prizes were, at the close of the examine-

~ ~
~~.--~

WWI

-, / • -t.
- f •,.; ,:-/ .--:.
tion, awarded to the Gentlemen Cadets of the Theoreti :'-"
Class : -
First-class prize for fortification, Mr. Cockburn. V') •
Second-class prize for fortification, Mr. Fox Strangeways ' •
Second-class prize for mathematics, Mr. C. Fraser. - . .•
The prize for French language, C. J. Dowse. .....____,.•
The prize for German language, Mr. W. H. Goodenough. V.
The prize for history and geography, Mr. F. C. Griffin.
The prize for geometry, Mr. Elliott.
The prize for military plan drawing and sketching, Mr.
Pickering.
The prize for landscape drawing (sth room), Mr. Marsh.
The prize for landscape drawing (6th room), Mr. Pickering.
The students at the preparatory establishment at Carshal-
ton, under the charge of the Rev. Mr. Andrews, about eighty
in number, resumed their studies yesterday, Feb. 2, having
joined after the Christmas vacation.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
CaPp°taITuSLouHT.IIII,
.TEMlTer:Al3.7oTpirole
at which place she is to be paid advance, and embark
cuCedifbtaeunrcesttoeavml3triogauttbe: _
Com-
modore Fanshawe, C.B. She hauled off from the jetty this ,
afternoon.
. The Arrogant, 46, was hauled from alongside the Victo-
rious to the jetty this morning.
The Sprightly steam-vessel, Lientenant-Commander H. •
Barnard, was put out of commission last evening.
The Racer, 16, Lieutenant-Commander Bacon, is hourly
expected here from Plymouth. She is ordered on her arrival
to be prepared for sea immediately.
'''
In the recent trip to Plymouth of the
five steamers=
Growler, Driver, Salamander, Rattler, and Jackal, the
latter proved the fastest vessel, which is confirmed by the statements of various persons who were on board the re-
spective steamers. ~It is well known to those who were in
the vessels that when the signal was made at daylight on,
Sunday for the squadron to proceed without reference to
seniority, the Jackal, although her steam was down at the
time and then being twelve miles off Plyncioutb, was the
first into Hamoaze; the Growler followed. The Jackal is
one of the condemned half-dozen iron vessels. •
Wind, S.E. by E., light breezes and thick hazy weather.
.. with drizzling rain. ,

PROMOTIONS.
Assistant-Surgeons to the rank of Surgeon—C. A. Ander-
son (1841), of the Asia flag-ship, in the South Pacific ; and
John Simpson (b 1841), in the Plover discovery ship, in the
Pacific.

Clerks to the rank of Paymaster and Parser—Wiliiam
Ellis (1840), in the Grecian sloop, on the Brazil station;
W. H. Bateman, of the Geyser steam-sloop, on the Cape of
Good Hope station ; H. W. Rowlstone (1835), in the Vol-
cano steam-sloop, in the Mediterranean.

MI PS von COIIMISSION.
The Arrogant, 46, steam-frigate, at Portsmouth, has been
commenced upon by .the extra riggers, to get her lower rig-
ging over. The shrouds, which are of wire rope, have a
rather singular appearance from being apparently so slight,
the laniards, which are of hemp, being nearly as thick as
the shrouds. The Rapid, 8-gun brig, has also been com-
menced upon, and is ordered to be got ready for re-commis-
sion at Portsmouth immediately, for service on the coast she
has just returned from, and will take out the mail of the Ist
of March to the West African station. Her compliment will
be 80. Her late commander (Dixon) received a very hand-
some testimonial from the officers of his vessel after paying
her off, consisting of a splendid double-handed vase or cup,
with an appropriate inscription.
The Heroine, 8-gun brig, is ordered to be refitted at De-
vonport, and commissioned to convey the mail of the Ist of
April to the coast of Africa. The Comet and Bloodhound
steam-vessels, at Portsmouth, are being rigged and brought
forward for re-commission, to protect the fisheries.
The Dragon steam-frigate, Captain Hall, is ordered from
Cork to Portsmouth with the battalion of Marines under the
command of Colonel Willes.

EXAMINATION OP MATES FOR THE RANK OF LIEUTE-
NANT.—Mr. Shute Barrington Piers and Mr. Wm. Henry
Pym passed the necessary examinations qualifying for the
commission of Lieutenant, at Portsmouth, yesterday.
PORTSMOUTH, FRIDAY.—The Centaur steam-frigate,
Captain Claude H. M. Buckle, bent sails this morning, and
has had her compasses tried for local attraction to-day. She
is to sail for Plymouth to-morrow.
The Rolla, 6, exercise brig for the naval apprentices, has
commenced refitting for the season, and has been hauled into
Blockhouse Hole for that purpose to-day.
The Fairy, steam-tender to tke royal yacht, is refitting in
the steam basin.

The Racer, 16, arrived this afternoon from Plymouth to be
refitted for sea service.

WOOLWICH, FEB. 2.—The Hecla steam-vessel being
ready for service, left Woolwich this forenoon for Sheerness,
where she is to be stationed for the present as an advanced
war steamer. The Monkey steam-vessel, Master-Commander
Bryant, proceeded to Sheerness at the same time as the
Hecla, to bring back the riggers who navigated her.
The Black Prince, broughs from Sheerness to Woolwich, to
be fitted as a convict ship, is ordered to be taken back to
Sheerness, as it is not intended to convert her into a convict
ship at present. Commodore Henry Eden left Woolwich
yesterday for Ireland, on leave of absence for a few weeks.
Captain Bullock, employed on the surveying service in this
quarter, will perform the duties, and act as superintendent
during the Gallant Commodore's absence.
CHATHAM, FEB. 2.—The President, 50 guns, Captain
William P. Stanley, was towed into this harbour on the 29th
ult., by the African and Fearless steam-vessels, to be paid
off, without any of the bulkheads or other internal fittings
being disturbed ; she is expected to be paid off on Tuesday
next. Two able seamen, King and Edwards, received se-
rious injuries on board whilst raising an anchor at the
Little Nore, by the patent capstan breaking, and the chain
which held the anchor flew with such violence that 18 men
were thrown down on the deck. The chain was, by tl'..e
force of the tide, drawn from the hawser, and it was fo'.ind
necessary to slip the second anchor.
The Espiegle, 12 guns, Commander F. A. Campbell, will
be paid off at Sheerness on Saturday, the 3d iwst. The
Chatham yacht proceeds with the pay clerks from the pay-
office to-morrow for that purpose.
The Elfin steam-boat is to be launched on the Bth instant.
She will be then sent round to the Thames to have her
engines (which are constructing by Mr. Rennie) put in
place. She is built to run with expresses from Gosport to
the Isle of Wight.
guard-ship, on a principle proposed by Lord John Hay, is in
prdgress, and she is to be sheathed with Munta's metal.
The contemplated reductions will include one foreman of
this yard, two inspectors of shipwrights, one of joiners, eight
leading men of shipwrights, and the number of men to be
superannuated and discharged will exceed 200. The Admi-
ralty have directed that eleven apprentices to shipwrights
only be entered this year, which number is to be the com-
plement each year, instead of 16 annually, which has been
the case.

The Dido, 18 guns, Captain J. B. Maxwell, was paid off
this day at Sheerness; and the Bittern, 16 guns, Commander
Thomas Hope, was paid off at Sheerness on Tuesday last.
PLYXOUTII, FEB. I.—The crew of her Majesty's ship San
Josef, 120, were paid off yesterday.
The Racer, tender, sailed with sapernumeraries for Ports-
mouth, yesterday.

TO CORRESPONDE..TS.
No communication can be attended to unless authenti.
catcd by the name and address of the writer.
Rejected communications cannot be returned.