The Sun.
London, England, 1869-02-25 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY, FEB. 25, 1869.

lhe question which Lord ELCHO put to Mr. Caen -
WELL on Tuesday evening with respect to the
government of the army was one of great import-
ance, and at the present time peculiarly significant.
So much has been said, written, and thought on the
subject that the sooner it came before the house in
some shape or other the better. The noble lord
came to the point at once, and asked the First Lord
of the Treasury, " Whether under the warrant, ap-
pointing the Commander-in-Chief of the army, any
doubt arises as to the relative position of the Com-
mander-in-Chief and the Secretary of State for
War," and further on whether or not the authority
of the Secretary of State was supreme in relation to
the administration of the army, and could be brought
to bear upon minor promotions as well as upon
higher appointments of a military nature ? Lord
ELCHO met the difficulty that is in most minds
on this subject, by asking boldly whether
there was any approach to " dual government,"
in the management of the army, and wound up by
the pertinent question as to whether any steps were
being takenito concentrate the War Departments in
one building. To this long string of questions Mr.
CartnwEer, replied in his usual clear style and corn-
prelaensive manner, and so far as we can judge from
the cursory view that has been taken of the subject,
it would appear that the Government have acted in
a right spirit in the affair as yet, and are contemplat-
ing their future course of action, with a firm resolve
to improve the position of affairs. In the first place,
he begged to inform the noble lord that his Royal
Highness wag not Commander-in-Chief, but that his
proper title was Field-Marshal Commanding-in-
i Chief, and as such he was not appointed under war-
rant, but by a letter of service addressed to him by
command of h r MAJESTY through the Secretary of
War. Mr. CARDWELL furthermore assured the House
that the authority of the Secretary for War was suprem
in all that related to the administration of the army,
and could
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In continuing his reply, Mr. CARDWELL gave some
direct intimations of the change that had taken place
in the plans of the Government in respect to the
military conduct of the army. He entirely concurred
in the opinion implied by the noblre
oloogrdb,tthtaot the
e
authority of the Secretary of War
brought to bear upon the matters connected with
the discipline of the army. At the same time he
said that there was in principle no " dual" govern-
ment. The most important part of the right hon.
gentleman's statement may be said to be contained
in the latter passage,
where he says that a great im-
provement in the transaction of business might arise
from the two departments of the army administra-
tion being associated in the same building.
No doubt when the question of the amalgama-
tion of the public offices comes on for
the discussion, much of old system that
has for so long a time exclusively prevailed, will be
altered, and, without making invidious comments on
any one, it is right to say that a change forof thethe
publicbetter
is desirable in many of the d,:pat tme
servict.. Perhaps in no one more ess3ntially than the
army, as that, for some cause or other, has not kept
pace with the march of public intelligence ; and so
far from the rules of the service furnishing aid for the
development of militaryskill or the resources of mili-
tary genius the, greatest generals and most success-
coMmanders. seem 'to have triumphed in spite of
them rather than through their agency. Be that us
it way, it would seer as if the restless spirit of the