The Sun.
London, England, 1856-12-05 00:00:00

rare and golden opportunities. His Royal High-
ness has the po• ever, and, be it said, he has
evidently the plu ek also, to leave behind him at the

Horse Guards—when the term of his sway there

shall, in due course of things, have arrived—the
reputation of a :Unitary Reformer, who did not
hesitate, whenever the opportunity for so doing
presented itself, to carry the work of any change
that might be ri 3quired to the limit of absolute

reorganisation.
Yesterday we took occasion to publish in our
columns the latest and, beyond all doubt as yet,
the most signal evidence of his Royal Highness'

" power" and " pluck " as a Military Reformer,

in the annouxcement which will be found in
The ,dun of that date—a memorable date enough
for the Horse Guards—December 4th, 1856

the announcement giving promise of a total change
in the entire system of Staff appointments. A

little while longer, and there will be an end to

Nepotism in the Military Department. A little

while—and the Staff Officers of the British Army
will be the very flower of that army, its glory and
its pride, instead of being—simply the favoured

relatives merely of some Major-General Sir BAR
NACLE STILTSTALKING, G.C.8., his beloved son, Or
his cherished nephew, or his much-loved cousin.
A little while—and the Staff of the British Army
need not be the most deplorable contrast in the
whole wide world to the Staffs of the Armies of
the great military nations of the European Con-
tinent. Say to the glorious Staff of the French
Army, a Staff every memb©r of which must, prior
to his admission into it, have served in the
infantry, in the cavalry, and in the artillery, in
all three branches of the service, and who must, in
addition to all this, be a first-rate engineer, and,
generally speaking, distinguished by the scope and
variety of his scientific acquirements ! A regular
system of military instruction, with a view to the bet.
ter filling up in future of the various Staff appoint.
ments, is announced by order of H.R.H. the Com-
mander-in-Chief to be actually at this moment in
preparation. A month or two, it is hoped, will
not have elapsed before this promised reform shall
have been so far realised as to have been, by that
time, at least fairly inaugurated. Aspirants to the
Staff will then invariably, and as an absolutely re-
quisite preliminary, have to pass through a regular
course of examination before being nominated to
any one of these appointments. The highest
field for promotion will by this means be opened
to the whole service—in a manner be it said
—unconditionally. Happily, what renders a
root-and-branch reform of this kind, at once
more practicable and more desirable than ever, is
the simple fact of our having actually attained
that epoch in our military career which we our-
selves were among the very first to anticipate.
Years ago this journal advocated that systematic
organisation of our maritime steam-force, which,
by bringing the ends of our vast empire together,
so to speak, by means of regular and rapid inter-
communication—must necessarily tend, on the one
hand, to the better security of the central seat of
our power ; and, on the other, by wisely economis-
ing our troops_ (keeping them more ear masse at
home, instead of scattering them as it were in
driblets over many remote colonies), render
their general efficiency more within reach of rea-
lisation. What The Sun yearned for, now a score
of years since, is at length in 1856 attained—
that period in our national history, that stage in
our national fortunes, that epoch simultaneously
in our military and maritime annals, when Eng-
land can safely and judiciously keep the bulk of
her troops together, to the end that the whole
army may be improved, and, as far as possible,
perfected, in its general organisation. A strong
bold hand, at the same time, it must be con-
fessed, was requisite when the period should at
length arrive (as it has, thank HEAVEN, now at
length arrived)—a strong bold hand to cut
through the tangles of red tape woven about the
Giant-Reform by the little Mannikins of Power
and Precedent swarming about its huge and
even now only half-awakened bulk, as the Lillipu-
tians swarmed of old about the prostrate form of
our old*iend Captain LEMUEL GULLIVER. That
strong, bad hand, we believe and hope, has been
found in H.R.H. the Duke of CAMBRIDGE. How-
ever flinty the obstacles before him may be, let
him give heed to the words addressed by the
Augur to the Roman King—Cut boldly ! The
Gordian-knot of Folly binding the great wheel of
the complicated machinery at the Horse Guards
requires but a keen edge and a trenchant blow to
be at once severed. The pear is ripe—the bough
needs only to be shaken. The ball is at his foot
—it requires but one single effort more to be pro-
pelled through the goal. Everything—almost—
is expected from the new Commander-in-Chief.
Something at least must be done by him : so that
the nation may not at this propitious crisis in its
military annals be doomed altogether to disap-
pointment.

A significant article has recently appeared in a
supplement to the Teheran, Gazette, in reference
to the existing state of affairs between Great
Britain and Persia. It speaks in an official
tone as to the good feeling of the Persian Go-
vernment towards England, and the oonfidence
entertained in the " kindness, perspicuity, and
perfect equity of the English Cabinet." It
declares that even if the English were to
enter the Persian Gulf, " the Cabinet of
Teheran would not consider that fact as an act of
hostility, but would demand from the British
Government its intentions, in order to be well as-
sured of the true cause of the event." It also
speaks of "the old and vale ble intimacy that for
many years existed between the two Powers f"
Now, we ask, what has occasioned the cessation
of that intimacy ?—what has led to the cessation
of diplomatic intercourse, and the necessity for
armed demonstrations, in place of peaceful expla-
nations ? What, but the conduct of Persia itself,
which heaped insults on the representative of
Great Britain until he was compelled to strike
his flag and to withdraw from a Capital where a sini-
ster influence predominated. Why, then, did Persia
make an unprovokedand unwarrantable onslaught
on the territory of a friend and ally of Great
Blitain, when they were well aware that we were
bound to protect that territory from invasion,
and that were it even otherwise we could not per-
mit " one of the chief gateways of India" t o pass
into hostile hands without a decided effort to
prevent so great a calamity ?
In the present instance Persia has been to all
intents and purposes the aggressor, and, a 3 we
have already repeatedly explained, she was in-
stigated thereto by the avowed opponent and
bitter enemy of England. If she now assumes
the appearance of moderation, it is altogether
ascribable to the very decided demonstration
made, and the appearance of a powerful British
force in her waters. But she is prepared for any
alternative. She has private assurances of sup-
port from Russia, on which she relies to enable
her to meet the emergency, whatever it
may be. An article from a Warsaw journal, the
C:as, which will be found in another part of our
impression, explains how " Russia, noiselessly and
unostentatiously, is getting ready to come to the
succour of the scaaii." It tells of the reinforce-.

ments to " the Orenburg corps d'arrnee," and the
power of bringing it " by the rivers Oxus and
Jaxartes to the frontiers of India." It also speaks
of the activity prevailing on the Caspian Sea, and
in the army of the Caucasus. All these matters
are clearly intended to render the SCILAH more
obstinate, and induce him to resist the just re-
quisitions of the British Government. Should he
unfortunately be persuaded to incur the danger, be
will himself be the chief sufferer. Whatever may be
the result it will most injurfously affect the per-
manence of his dynasty and the welfare and pros-
perity of his people. Should he ever succeed by
Muscovite assistance he might find it more diffi-
cult to deal with pretended and grasping friends
than of avowed and magnanimous opponents.
The doubts respecting the alleged capture of
Herat still continue. The Presse d'Crient contains
accounts from Teheran that seem to negative the
prevailing rumours as to its downfall. It would
appear that the rumour originated in the
treacherous admission of a small party of
Persian soldiers into the fortress, who were
driven forth with great slaughter. The besiegers,
it is said, anticipate speedy success. We trust,
however, that the demonstration by the British
Government, and the pecuniary assistance sup-
plied to DOST MOHAMED may prevent the realisa-
tion of these hopes, and that the gate of India
may not pass into the hands of a Persian, which
is virtually the same as a Muscovite master.

Is the present Metropolitan Board a bad life—
;hat the assurance offices AA% help it, and the

Chancellor of the Exchequer is so afflicted with
dolorous contingencies in relation to it The

poor Board—that has hardly learned to talk with
discretion, much less to earn its title to be desig-

nated the Board of Works. It really looks very

hard to treat the youngster after this fashion !
Such may be the comment of a superficial
reader of the report of yesterday's proceedings at
the interview of the deputation of the Board with

he Chancellor of the Exchequer. It is not, how-

ever, precisely the comment which the proceed-
ings call for. A more careful perusal will show

;he Board want a large sum of money to carry

out certain needful improvements, including the
drainage ; and, having serious doubts whether
they *an get it at a reasonable rate of interest from
the assurance offices, if at all, have applied to
Government to render them assistance by improv-

ing their borrowing powers (now practically limited
to these offices) by advancing the sum required,
taking for security the rates on the metropolis.

Under these circumstances, the Board and the
Chancellor of the Exchequer stood forth much in
the relation of borrower and agent of the pro-
bable lender—thus accounting for the general
characteristics of the interview. The borrower
had to make out as good a case as he could, and
the party applied to to sift it, and satisfy himself
as to the nature of the security.

The proposition of the Board, stated in brief,
is—Enable us to borrow or advance us four mil-
lions, to carry out the main drainage—to supply
the population with parks, and in part to improve
the thoroughfares of the metropolis ; the money
to be repaid, principal and interest, within fifty
years; and we will pledge you, by way of security,
the rateable property in our jurisdiction. That
property we estimate at about eleven and a-half
millions —its value is increasing—and the rate
required to repay the loan, principal and interest,
in half a century.4-as it appears to us—
will not exceed threepence halfpenny in the
pound. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, in
reply, after some remarks on the rate of interest
usually demanded by Government, inquires a
little into details. What is required for the
main drainage ? Answer—About three millions ?
How much for parks and other metropolitan im-
provements? Answer—Half a million for parks,
leaving half a million for metropolitan improve-
ments, exclusive of 600,0001., or rather 500,0001.,
for the new street in Southwark, to be raised by
loan, subject to ground rents. " You reckon
you would raise 200,0001. per annum on the
sinking fund and interest ?'' Answer—lf the
4,000,0001. is borrowed at 31 per cent., we
should have to furnish 162,198/. as (diminishing)
interest. May there not be some dispute as to
the validity of the tax, or the mode of levying it,
which might invalidate the security ? Suppose
there is a new Board in ten years, and the people
are dissatisfied with the result of the drainage,
and both parties object to pay the interest—what
would be the position of the Government—would
it not have to tax the town ? Answer—No diffi-
culty whatever ; the rate could be enforced by
mandamus. The Chancellor of the Exchequer
puts the case still more strongly, and meets with
additional assurance. To make, however, assur-
ance still more sure, he inquires—What would be
your total demand upon the ratepayers ? You
think that with the interest on the four millions,
and sinking fund, 6d. in the pound would be all
you would have to levy for all purposes what-
ever. Mr. THWAITIIS—That is a hard question
to answer. That would depend upon the im-
provements that are carried out.
We should think it would. The Board, it seems
to us, is hardly aware of what improvements are
required, and makes too niggardly a demand. As
to the security—of the goodness of that there
can be no doubt, provided the money be judi-
ciously expended—indeed in any case. The large-
ness of the amount sought for, and still more
required, makes it, as Sir G. C. LEWIS seems to
think, all the more desirable we had a Board in
which more reliance could be placed. The people
of London are too public-spirited to grlidge what
is necessary for the real improvement of the
metropolis if the rates are duly supplemented by
Government aid ; but they have a right to look
for the most judicious administration of the
money they will be called upon to pay.
It is because we would have the calcu-
lations of the Board thoroughly sifted we
have given a resume of the principal points
eliminated at the interview. The Chancellor of
the Exchequer has promised to give the proposi-
tions of the Board his most careful attention, and,
on the part of himself and colleagues, to see what
can be done in the matter on the meeting of Par-
liament. Let a thorough calculation be made,
and care be taken to borrow enough when the
Board is about it. One of our reasons for be-
lieving the sum sought for is not enough is, we
see no allowance made for the freeing of
the Metropolitan Bridges of tolls, and the
construction of a bridge at or about Charing-
cross—both measures demanded on every ground
of public utility, and necessary to rescue the
metropolis from a great and long-standing re-
proach. Three millions for the drainage and half
a million for the Parks—leave but half a mil-
lion out of the four millions for improve-
ments, to say nothing of the 500,000/.
debts and liabilities, bequeathed by the late
Commissioners of Sewers, and the 500,000/.,
out of the 600,0001. required for the new street
in Southwark, which must be met. The Board,
we feel confident, will have to ask for .more, if
they persist in demanding only four millions now;
and every one acquainted with municipal matters
will agree with us in thinking it were best to
borrow what is really likely to be wanted at once.

So great a quantity of snow fell lately at Arlon
(Netherlands) and in the Ardennes that the roads wt re
rendered almost impassable. The Liege mail arrived at
Arlon (1 t day seven hours behind time.