The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-22 00:00:00

(Front the. Morning Herald of this day.)
Last nigh the Earl of Derby drew the attention. of their
lordships to the anomalous condition of our war departments,
and drew from Lords Paumnre and Hardiage replies which
will hardly satisfy Parliament or the public that the present
state'of things is likely to impart efficiency to our military
services, or that the present system should be any longer
tolerated. The recent changes which have been made in the
civil department of the any were forced upon the Govern-
ment by the utter conftision—the dead lock, in short, to
which matters have been reduced: The consolidation of the
Oeduence, the stores, the contract and clothing departments,
suit of a pressure which—COT-AI `teeltoirAini4arelvAel.l3e re-_
although a step in the right direction, was not sufficient, as
events have proved, to a perfect organisation or anything Mee
it. There are still those departmental colisio es between the
Eloise Guards and the War Office—that absence of unity of
action so essential to the working of sny, but especially of a
military system. My Lord Panmure mey tell us that be-
cause he communicates occasionally " with his noble friend
the Commander-in-Chief," whenever, in the judgment either,
an occasion arises, that everything goes on pleasantly stud
smoothly ; but the public think differently, and every nose
and then the public are strengthened in their distrust by the
appearance of some crushing revelation like that contained in
the late rep rt of the Crimean Commissioners. Lord Pan-
mure may also assert that any attempt to define, by a
line of demarcation, the civil and military duties in
the management of the army is impossible ; but
Lord Panmure is too clear-headed an administrator really to
believe aay such thing. The duties of the two departments
are separate and distinct, although unquestionably in their
action they mutually affect each other. Whether the com-
plete consolidation of both under a responsible Minister, on
the French plan, would be desirable, presents a fair quoithen
for discussion ; but a clear definition of the functions of the
Horse Guards and the War Office is, with Lord Panmure's
leave, neither difficult nor unadvisablo.
Lord Derby stated, with brevity and force, that two things
are essential to the due administration of the public service
where two departments are connected, however
without which it is vain to hope for effective action. "tee
first is," observed his lordship, " that the duties of those toe)
depa tments must be so distinctly defined, their responsibi-
bilities so ascertained, and the limits of their authority and
jurisdiction so clearly set forth, as that there should be no
possibility of conflict of authority between the two depart-
ments on matters relating to them both. Aud the next
thing necessary was, that in carrying on the business of the
departments there should be on the part of their respective
heads a mutual desire to facilitate the public duties, by
coaf c ht h
ec a
or et fhuelrl
wahviloei d
prge
pea nr
ec
dr oatcoh mt
afford
e u pon
each tohtehearutchooridiitayl
assistance in performing their public duties." No one
acquainted with the character and functions of both de-
partments of the army can maintain seriously that the
demarcation here demanded is impossible, or that, having
' been laid down, it could not be adhered to. The contrary is
the fact, for in 1812 some such-definition was directed by an
order in council; it was effected, and, although incomplete,
has formed to the present day, on Lord Panmure's own ad-
mission, the recognised guide to both offices in the discharge
of their duties. That definition is not as rigid as it might be,
but that is a reason we submit for making it so. Lord Pan-
mure's logic is somewhat novel; - he admits the rule which
defines the duties of the two departments to have been ne-
cessary ; ho admits that it is acted upon, although imper-
fectly, with good effect, but he denies that it can be made die-
Una and intelligible, and of wider application. Common
sense would seem to point out that if a particular machinery
is found valuable, it is because it contains a good principle,
and that the further the principle is applied the better will
bo the working of the machinery. Eut Lord Panmure thinks
otherwise ; so does Lord Hardinge ; and, of course, they
point triumphantly to the evidence in the report of the Cri-
mean Commission in support of their somewhat inconclusive
reasoning.
If the controversy of 1812 settled the question between the
chiefs of two departments, it might, for all practical purposes,
as well never have-been raised. If the "private communica-
tions" between the heads of the departments in this our day
arc sufficient for the efficient administration of the army, that
no confusion exists between these departments, and that the
system is mechanically perfect, then Lord Derby's motion of
last night was highly irrelevant, and the conversation to which
it gave rise a mere waste of time ; but Lord Panmure him-
self will hardly go the length'of asserting that he is not em-
barrassed by the Horse Guards, and the Horse Guards know
they are liable to be let and hindered by the War Office. The
broad fact is, that the British army has been miserably ad-
ministered in both departments—the obvious truth is, that
the departments conflict incessantly--the unfortunate result
is, that our military operations have been a failure. Tho army,
bo it remarked, is neither the property of the Horse Guards
nor of the War Office, but of the nation ; and if such a hint
as Lord Derby gave last night is not attended to the public
dissatisfactian will find voice elsewhere, and will make itself
heard too.

ADVANCE SQUADRON FOR THE BALTIC,

An advance squadron will proceed to the Baltic
forthwith, comprising her Majesty's ships Imperieuse,
51 (screw), Captain R. B. Watson, C.B. ; the Euryalus,
51 (screw), Captain George Ramsay, C.B. ; the Pylades,
21 (screw), Captain D'Eyncourt : the Dragon, 6, paddle-
frigate, Captian IL Stewart, CB- ; and the Falcon
screw sloop, 17, Commander Pullen.
All the above are with the fleet at Spithead, except
the Euryalus, which is ordered there from Devonport.
They are all prepared for sea, and will be under the
orders of Captain Watson, who is the senior captain of
them. They will probably leave for the Downs, and
start thence for Kiel, if the Belts be open. They will
await for further orders from the Admiralty at Kiel.
The blockade will depend upon the progress and tone of
the forthcoming negotiations. The Arrogant, 47 (screw),
Captain Lyster, will probably join this advance squa-
dron. She will go to Spitbead on Monday next.

__—
DEATH OF SIR BENJAMIN OUTRAM, M.D.—We re-
gret to announce the death of Sir B. F. 0 utram, K.C.8.,
which mournful event took place at Brighton on the
Vith inst. He was formerly senior physician of the
Marylebone Dispensary, and surgeon to the Nymphe,
a hen, in conjunction with the St. Fiorenzo, she captured
the French b izates Resistance and C mstance, at Brest ;
also of the Boadicea in 1798.1799, a-id one in the action
in the Straits of Gibraltar in 1801; and an inspector of
hospitals and fleets. -
. ...