The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-12 00:00:00

THE ARMY.

The corps of Royal Marine Light Infantry, which
was recently ordered to be augmented by 1,000 men,
in order to raise its full strength to 18,000 men of
all ranks, is still nearly 800 men short of its full
complement, most of the divisions being consider-
ably below their required strength. Additional re-
cruiting parties will, however, be sent out from the
head• quarters of the various divisions, and there is
no doubt that the number of men to complete the
corps will shortly be obtained, especially as the
bounty paid to recruits in the Royal Marines is
double that given to those in the regiments of the
line, the former receiving £4 and a free kit, and the
letter L 2 and a free outfit.

The order for the depot of the 51st King's Own
Light Infantry to proceed from Chichester to
Chatham to relieve the depot of the Bth (the King's)
Regiment at that garrison has been countermanded.
Capt. F. Reeve, 73d Regiment, has joined at
Chatham garrison, and taken the command of the
depot companies of that corps.
Orders have been received at Chatham directing
Capt. A. Wright, 81st Regiment, Inspector of Mus-
ketry to the 3d battalion; and Capt. W. M. Lees,
23d Royal Welsh Fusiliers, to embark for India to
join the headquarters of their respective regiments.
A regimental court-martial, which had been
sitting for some days at the Ordnance Survey-office,
Southampton, to inquire into certain charges
against four non-commissioned officers, terminated
on Monday. It appears that a party of the corps
of Royal Engineers—sergeants, corporals, and pri-
vates, together with Colour-Sergeant Spalding—
were out on leave on Saturday afternoon, the Ist
inst. There being in the Southampton water a vessel
used for the purpose of conveying stores to the
Hebrides and other out-stations of the survey, they
proceeded to the vessel, took a large boat belonging
to her, and went to Hythe, a village on the opposite
side of the estuary,to spend the day. A jealousy seems
to have arisen respecting certain appointments
among the non-commissioned officers engaged on
the survey, and on the return trip some of the party
made observations respecting Sergt. Macdonald; he
did not, however, then notice them, but rowed on;
on which Sergt. Jenkins, who was armed with a
short loaded stick, struck him so severely upon the
hand as to disable him, and cause him to let go his
oar, which was lost. Sergt. Macdonald turned
round and, in mistake, struck Corporal Hopper.
There then arose a melee between the non-commis-
sioned officers ; Sergt. Macdonald's head was cut
open, his face was disfigured, and he was otherwise
seriously injured. The privates not wishing to be
mixed up in the fracas, got out of the boat into
anothe. Sergt. Spalding and others cried out
" Murder !" Two boats -put off from Hythe with
men, who separated the belligerents and placed
them in different boats. The party arrived at the
Ordnance Survey-office at 11 o'clock at night. The
corporal of the guard reported them as excited, but
sober. Colour•Sergt. Spalding's duty was to have
put them at once under arrest, but this he omitted
to do. On mustering on Sunday morning previously
to Divine service Sergt. Macdonald was found, from
the severe injuries which he had received, to be
unable to muster, and an inquiry being immediately
made by Capt. Trench, the officer on duty, he there-
upon ordered all parties concerned under arrest.
Col. Sir Henry James, the Superintendent of the
Ordnance Survey, was the President at the court-
martial, the result of which was that Colour-Sergt.
Spalding was reduced to the rank of an ordinary
sergeant, Sergt. Macdonald acquitted, Sergt. Ten
kins reduced to the ranks, and Corporal hopper
also reduced to the ranks. There was an immedi-
ate muster at the conclusion of thecourt-ymoaurnatitg, in
the
court-martial on
Monday afternoon, and Quartermaster
the presence of the whole corps stationed
Southampton head-quarters, removed the stripes
men
was,
from the men's uniform.
Each of h ene
was, previously to the unfortunate
head of a department of the survey
impor-
tance been ;
so that the
result of the inquiry is of much
greater
a
tance than if theyordinary non com-
missioned officers. Our correspondent was in-
formed that it would require 14 years in one case
for the man to reattain his rank, but that without
buying out he is entitled by length of service to
leave the corps.
A new 91b. field gun, built somewhat on the
Armstrong principle, but much simplified, was tried
on Monday by Mr. Clay, of the Mersey Steel and
Iron Works, Liverpool. The principal object of the
trial was to ascertain how many times it could be
fired in a minute. The trial was scarcely a fair
one, the gunners being flurried, and the friction
tubes too long, rendering their extraction from the
vent difficult. Twelve-and-a-half rounds in a mi-
nute were obtained, and Mr. Clay appears confident
that when his gunners become more efficient they
will accomplish 20 rounds. Wooden shot was used.

%T h e Act to enable the Savings Banks Commis-
sioners to make investments in any Parliamentary securi-
ties guaranteed by the Consolidated Fund has been printed.
It is dated the 28th of August, and does not contain the
clause which Lord Monteaglo was anxious to insert, making
it a misdemeanour for any bank or banking company to
style itself a savings bank.

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