The Sun.
London, England, 1870-02-05 00:00:00

TURKEY.

The Levant Herald of January 20 says that the Viceroy
has at last sent up the "accounts" of his ironclads. lle
chose for his messenger Abram Bey, who had been sum-
marily expelled on account of some money transactions in
which he had been engaged. The Grand Vizier refused to
receive him, and sent a complaint to Cairo that such a
messenger had been selected. The accounts, which were
subsequently received, justify the opinion already formed
of the Viceroy's extortionate demands. The sum asked
for the three ships is no less than £800,000—X250,000
more than vessels of their size and armament would
cost in England. The Viceroy further states that
he has paid a portion of this amount, and must be reim-
bursed before he can authorise their transfer. The Grand
Vizier is willing to pay a fair price. The obvious plan
would be to have the ships inspected and valued
by a competent commission, and to pay only
such a price as might thus be put upon them.
In the meantime it will be seen that their surrender to
the Porte is still very far from being a fait accompli.
The Alexandria correspondent of the Levant Herald says,
with respect to the rifles, that only 40,000 stand had been
purchased in all, and that three-fourths of these having
been already distributed to the troops cannot, of course,
be taken from them, while the remainder are fairly wanted
to meet regimental contingencies ; reste a savoir if the Porte
will quietly pocket such an answer. If it does, the Khedive
will deserve success.

THE PROPOSED ALTERATIONS OF THE
VOLUNTEER REGULATIONS.

A meeting of metropolitan commanding officers Wll4
held on Friday, at the rooms of the National Rifle
Association, Pall Mall East, to receive the report of the
committee appointed on the 6th of January last, to con-
sider and report upon the suggestions recently made
by the Secretary of State for War for the
alteration of the regulations of the volunteer force. Among
those present were :—Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Elcho,
Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Truro, Lieutenant-Colonel
Viscount Bury, Lord Gerald Fitz Gerald Lordßanelagh and
Sir F. Buxton.

The committee, of which Lord Elcho was chairman,
presented a long report, in which they dealt with the sug-
gestions of the War Secretary in detail, dividing them
into three branches-Ist, Suggestions as to the policy of
which there can be little or no dispute; 2, suggestions
which, although sound in principle, may to some extent
be open to practical objections ; and, lastly, suggestions
whio4 appear to be mistaken in principle, of doubtful
polity, and resting upon untrustworthy calculations.
Under the first head they included the proposals
for improved organisation, and the principle of State
payments for " efficients only." Under the second head
the committee placed the suggested examination of non-
commissioned officers in drill for the grant and badge,
and the similar examination of officers for a certificate,
and the limitation of. separate corps in each district. The
list division comprited the proposal to abolish the 203.
rate, and retain only the 30s. rate of capitation grant ; the
proposed requirements with regard to volley firing, com-
pany and battalion drill, and some minorpoints. Concluding
the report was an amg.ysis of the replies received to the circa-
hr sent by the committee to rifle corps, artillery, engi-
eers, and light .horse, and mounted corps through-
ut the provinces. The replies, the committee
observed, sufficiently shew that the disapproval
of the Secretary of State's " Suggestions " is
:et confined to the Metropolitan district, but is
rery general throughout the force. "And while endea-
vuring to avoid in our report any expressions that might
unacceptable to the Secretary of State, we
thould be wanting in our duty, when analyzing
the returns we have received, were we not to state that
the suggested alterations aro viewed, as a whole, with
extreme dissatisfaction, many officers going so far as to
express a belief that in the suggested alterations there
larks the intention greatly to reduce, if not
altogether to get rid of the volunteer force.
We ourselves do not ire any way share
in this belief, although, as already stated, we fear
t:iis result, if the "Suggestions" were to become law. We
have full confidence in the good iutentions of the C.A'ov ern-
ruent. We cannot forget the defenceless state in which
we were before the volunteer organisation; we cannot
forget the feeling of • turning shame at our
dependance on foreign forbearance for national existence
that drove us to take upon ourselves the duties of citizen
soldiers; and we cannot believe that the nation is willing
to return to the state of defencelessness in which it then
stood, or that it is prepared to substitute for its volunteer
army a vastly more expensive equivalent foree.of regular
troops or militia. We think it right thus to speak,
because at the present time there appears to be se% disposi-
tion to bargain withthe volunteers, as if they were seek-