The Sun.
London, England, 1858-12-03 00:00:00

ARMY :CLOTHING COMMISSION.

Mr. Selfe and Colonel French, two of the Army
Clothing Commissioners, were engaged the whole
of yesterday forenoon, and a portion of the after-
noon, minutely inspecting the stores at the Tower.
Mr. Turner, M.P., the third commissioner, was still
absent from indisposition. The commissioners
Were attended by Col. Daubeny, military inspector
of clothing, Mr. Elliott, from Mark-lane, Mr.
Eaton, the principal storekeeper, and several of his
officials. Every room in the department was
thrown open to their inspection, the sorters, exami•
ners, and•superintendents explaining as they went
along the various stages of routine through which
each article of clothing has to pass in its disposal
at the Tower. In the course of their rambles the
attention of the commissioners was aroused by a
noisy clamour proceeding from behind two walls of
bales, and upon asking for an explanation they were
told that the voices they heard were those
of the bidders at a sale of condemned stores,
which was then at its height. One corner of
the warehouse tad been partitioned off to
convert it into an auction mart, and fabulous
quantities of valuable but discarded stores were
being rapidly knocked down to the highest bidder.
The commissioners expressed a wish to see the sale,
and forthwith they were hurried to the presence of
a motley crowd of speculators, whose visages
showed at a glance that they were of that restless
race whose scattered members are supposed to be
the greatest barterers in the world. It seemed as
if the commissioners had suddenly come upon a
w commission of the old" do" fraternity, but although
their external aspects • betokened anything but
• wealth, they were not slow to engage in competi-
' tion for lots that ran up as high as £5O. Nor were
the bidders confined to the ruder sex only, there
were women with dark eves and sable locks who
were equally eager to make bargains. Jacketed
Ilooys, too, were in the throng, who if not
actually purchasers, were loud in their responses
to the auctioneer's cry of " any advance ?"
- It seemed; in a word, as if the youth and age of
Houndsditck were bent upon becoming customers
of her Majesty. The greater number, of course,
were of the middle class of speculators ; but
there were several capitalists present whose diamond
rings were fortunes in themselves ; and, no doubt,
these are the lucky bidders to whom are knocked
down the plumbs of such sales. The commissioners
were recognised by some of the crowd, and were
favoured with a cross fire of sarcasms, 'intended for,
if not pointedly directed at them. There were re-
quested to observe that "the lots was goin' at werry
good prices to-day ;" but the remark was ill-timed,
as at that particular moment some thousands of
blankets were knocked down at about 2s. 6d. each,
which had originally cost the country 4s. 6d. There
appeared in some instances to be an understanding
amongst most of the bidders as to which lots each
should be allowed to secure, and repeated disputes
arose when the hammer fell as to who had made the
final bid when purchases were made by parties not

in Ithe compact. .In one case the agreement was
broken by one of the " parties," and when next his
turn came for a selected lot his bidding was forced
up £3. The lot consisted of some 160 blankets,
which had previously been sold for £l9 or £2O,
but the delinquent was forced up to £23, and
then the hammer was allowed to fall. The
commissioners remained in the saleroom some time
an audible cheer following them as they retired to
resume the examination of the remaining ware-