The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-28 00:00:00

TILE dRDIT.

The following circular, relative to the erection of
separate barrack-room for married soldier; has been
just issued from the War-office by direction of the
Secretary of State for War:—

" The Secretary of State for War has had under
his consideration the question of the accommodation
in barracks for married non-commissioned officers
and soldiers. Special quarters for this object are
being erected year by year as funds can be made
available, but some time must necessarily elapse be-
fore such quarters can be provided throughout bar-
racks generally. With the view, therefore, of at
onceimproving the condition of married soldiers in
those cases where special quarters do not exist, Mr.
Secretary Herbert has decided, in concurrence with
his Royal Highness the General Commanding-in-
Chief, and with the sanction of the Lords Commis-
sioners of her Majesty's Treasury, upon the follow-
ing regulations
1. The allowance of lodging money to 3 per
cent. of married soldiers, which has been hitherto
permitted to be charged in the regimental accounts
irrespective of the accommodation available, will
cease from the Ist of October, 1860, and lodging
money will only be granted when accommodation
in barracks on the scale hereafter laid down cannot
be afforded.
" 2. Every married soldier not in excess of the
number hereinafter specified, living in barracks,
shall, when a separate room has not been specially
and permanently provided for his accommodation,
be entitled to the amount of accommodation usually
allotted to four single soldiers—e.g., a room lettered
for 12 men shall be available for three married men
and one room's issue of fuel and light in kind shall
be issued to the three families collectively. The
number of women to be admitted into barracks to
which this regulation shall apply shall not exceed
the following scale :—The wives of the regimental
staff sergeants, the wives of the sergeants of each
troop, battery, or company in the following propor-
tions, viz.,-3 out of 4or 5 sergeants,4 out of 60r7, 5
out of 8 or 9, and 6 out of 10 or upwards. The wives of
all other non-commissioned officers and men in the
proportion of 5 to 60 men, and above that number
of men at the rate of 8 per cent. of the whole num-
ber of the regiment, battalion, troop, battery,
company, or detachment as the case may be.
" 3. As a rule, unmarried soldiers shouldbe first
accommodated in barracks ; any surplus accommo-
d(tion should then be allotted to married soldiers
in the foregoing proportions, and any married sol-
diers, not in excess of the above number, still re-
maining unprovided with quarters, should receive
lodging allowance; it being clearly understood that
the sergeants and soldiers having at present a sepa-
rate room permanently set apart for their use are
not included among the number of married soldiers
entitled to the advantages of this circular, and that
in no case are the numbers of those accommodated
in barracks or drawing lodging money, to exceed
the number referred to in Article 2.

"4. The lodging money of married soldiers for
whom room cannot be found in barracks will be
increased from 2d. to 4d: a day. This allowance
will be claimed on form No. 1 of Circular 13 of the
let of September, 1856, to which must be added the
bjoint certificate f the commanding officer and the
arrack master that the number of married ser-
geants and soldiers included therein do not, with
the number accommodated in barracks, exceed those
fixed by Article 2. " B. HAWES."

A party of Royal Engineers have been engaged
in engineering operations at Rochester, where they
have been employed in blowing up the remaining
portions of the foundation of old Rochester-bridge,
and clearing away the piles and other obstructions
from the bed of the river. The few fine days are
taken advantage of at head-quarters, and as often
as the weather will permit the officers and men of
the Royal and Indian Engineers are employed on
the field-works in throwing up batteries and earth-
works, and in other sapping and mining operations.