The Sun.
London, England, 1858-11-06 00:00:00

THE ARMY.

It is now positively understood that a fifth bat-
talion will be added to the Rifle Brigade early in
the spring, and that the numerous rifle militia re-
giments now embodied, and to be then called out
for training, will be called on to volunteer for the
corps.
A very disgraceful system of desertion from the
army, and enlistment from one corps into another,
for the sake of the intermediate bounty, has been
discovered to prevail, and there is good reason to
suppose that upwards of 6,000 men have accepted
her Majesty's bounty, first in one regiment and
then in another. Lieut.-General Sir 11. Smith, at
a recent inspection of troops near Preston, expressed
his opinion that fully that number of men were
pursuing the system. Her Majesty's Government,
in order to put a stop to it, have increased the re-
ward for the restoration of a deserter from 10s. to
20s.

THE MILITIA.
The whole of the artillery regiments of militia
are to be embodied for permanent duty. The corps
will be employed to strengthen the garrisons now
stationed in the forts along the coast.

COMMUNICATION WITH INDIA.

The following proposal has been submitted to
Lord Stanley as Secretary of State for India :
" Oct. 4.
"My Lord,—We ask permission to refer to the
correspondence submitted to your lordship on the
10th of August last, in which we state our readi-
ness to enter into a contract with her Majesty's Go-
vernment for a permanent transport service to India,
either by way of Suez or the Cape of Good Hope.
" This service we propose to perform by means of
eight screw steamships belonging to the European
and American Steamship Company (Limited), sail-
ing punctually once a month on a stated day from
Southampton, and leaving Calcutta in like manner
once a month, touching at the Cape of Good Hope,
going and returning, on every voyage.
"The interview with which your lordship recently
favoured Mr. O'Beirne, representing our house, en-
abled that gentleman to explain to your lordship
the principle on which we proposed to perform this
service. We now beg to state in writing, for the
information of the Council, the leading features of
our proposition.
" We have the control of the eight screw steam-
ships above mentioned, each of the average tonnage
of 2,300 tons, and 300-horse power ; they are iron
ships, built by Mare an Co., and the engines by
Maudslay, Sons, and Field. Two of these ships are
now on their way to India with troops, one is on
her way home from India, and the other five are
now in the Victoria Docks.
" Three of those now in dock are ready for imme-
diate service ; the others can be put into a state of
perfect efficiency at the shortest notice, the
whole fleet having last year undergone the most
thorough overhaul, at a cost to the company of
upwards of £160,000, or £20,000 for each vessel.
" They are sister ships, and can carry between
decks 600 soldiers, with the usual requirements for
hospital and other accommodation.
" The character which this fleet has earned for
itself during the whole period of the Crimean war,
and subsequently during the last 15 months, in
transporting troops to India, must be so well known
toy our lordship as to render it unnecessary to make
any remarks as to their admitted fitness and capa-
bility for the speedy and comfortable conveyance
of large bodies of troops on distant voyages.
" The establishment of a regular steam commu-
nication with India via the Cape of Good Hope
cannot fail to have arrested the attention of your
lordship and the Council as a matter of vital im-
portance, both in a military, and commercial point
of view, in its political bearing upon the future of
India. It will require some time, however, for
such communication to be established without the
aid of a postal contract, or without some arrange-
ment being- entered into by her Majesty's Go-
vernment that will secure a certain income against
the heavy outlay contingent upon such com-
munication. With eight ships we possess the ne-
cessary surplui:nge of tonnage to ensure regular de-
partures, even in case of accident. With a lesser
number a slight derangement of machinery or an
occasional long passage would prevent the desirable
and most important regularity. This security
against interruption in the performance of the ser-
vice is one which no other owners of steamers can

CROSKEY AND CO
" The Right Hon. Lord Stanley, M.P.,
Secretary of State for India, East
India-howse."

command.
"Provided we can obtain from the Council for
India a contract or undertaking by which they will
be bound for three years to ship to Calcutta or
Madras on or before a fixed day of each month not
less than 600 men by each ship, for each departure
from Southampton, at a price to be agreed upon,
and not less than 200 invalids from Calcutta or
Madras at a lesser price, also to be agreed upon, we
will undertake—
. "1. To despatch one of the abovenamed ships on
a fixed day of each month to India from Southamp-
ton, and the same from Calcutta, touching eachway
at the Cape of Good Hope.
• "2. The ships to be kept in good working order,
both as to machinery and hull, to the satisfaction
of the surveyors of the Board of Trade.
" 3. The men to be provisioned at our cost, ac-
cording to the scale of the Hon. the East India
Company.
" 4. One hundred tons of freight room in excess
of the room required for the equipment of the men
to be at the disposal of the Council at a low rate of
freight,
to be aerreed upon, both outwardsN and home-
wards, for the r'con •
other needful
of ammunition and ac-
coutrements, or h
needful freight ; but notice
must be given of their requiring this space 10days
before the departure of the ship.
• "5. A certainm amountrand
of cabin accommodation
manner will be in like a with like notice reserved
for military officers and employes at a reduced rate
for passage below what we shall ordinarily charge
to the public.
" 6. We will undertake to charge to the public
25 per cent. lower rates than what is
now charged by the overland
invalids arsZtgee.
Hope,
)from Calcutta or
7. We will convey
Madras to the Cape of Good e of the
200 ,abokstipulated for, to the eexexiceeenxttcolufstihve 'tween
apeca reasonable
deck sore, free of all charge
per diem charge for their maintenance.
« 8. In the event ot our obtaining
postal con-
tract from Southampton to the Cape, one half of
I
such contract will be placed to the credit of or paid
over to the Council of India.
" The question of price and other points which
may occur to your lordship, or to the Council, are
left open for negotiation or arrange_ ment. We may,
however, be permitted to remark that, if the prin-
ciple of our proposition be Fcepted, we are prepared
to fix the price for the services to be performed, and
will be disposed to accommodate ourselves to any
other views or requirements as for the same may
be practicable.
" As so large an amount of valuable shipping
property cannot remain long in idleness, we would_
beg of your lordship to favour us with an early de-
cision on the subject, so that we may be free, in
ease of our proposition being unfavourably- received,
to accept of other business we have in view.
" It i s useless to add that we hold ourselves at
your disposal, and at the disposal of the Council,
in ease an interview may be desirable.—We have
the honour to be, &c.,