The Sun.
London, England, 1858-12-31 00:00:00

THE ARNE

The following circular memorandum has been
addressed to the army at home and abroad relative
to soldiers' wives :--

Horse Guards, S.W., Dec. 20.
It having come to the knowledge of the General Com-
manding-in-Chief that the wives of soldiers married with-
out leave, or married previous to enlistment, have in seve-
ral instances been taken upon the strength of newly-
raised battalions, his Royal Highnets reminds commanding
ffi ocers that the Queen's regulations, distinct!), direct that
soldiers married without leave are, under no circumstances,
to be allowed accommodation for their wives in barracks,
nor to participate in any of the advantages granted to mar-
ried soldiers, and this restriction applies equally to soldiers
who have married previous to their enlistment. ,
It is incumbent upon a commanding officer to take care
that the indulgences extended to, soldiers' wives, are not
tostowed upon improper objects. 'Circumstances however,
may arise to induce a commanding officer to think it desir-
able. to extend these indulgences to a soldier who, although
married Without leave, may from steady behaviour and good
soldierlike conduct have a claim to special consideration.
The commanding officer of the corps will, in such cases,.
apply to the' general officer under whom he is serving, who
will, if he see fit; authorise the wife to participate in the
advantages enjoyed by others who have been legitimately
admitted to them.
Every such case is to be noted in the half-yearly confi-
dential reports, in which the number of soldiers married
without leave, whose wives are on the strength of the regi-
ment, is invariably to be stated, and the authority is tobe
quoted, •

By command,
G. A. WETHERALL, Adjutant-Peneral.
The annexed circular has been addressed to the
commanding officers :

War-office, Dec. 24, 1858.
Sir,—l am directed by Secretary Major-General Peel to
acquaint you that Commissary-General John Wm. Smith,
C. 8., has been appointed commissary-general in chief, under
the royal warrant dated the 28th ult.; and I am at the same
time to convey to you the following instructions with re-
spect to this warrant :
1. That all reports made to this office by commissariat
officers, and all commissariet store aecounts are in future to
be addressed, in accordance with the general rule of this
office, to the Under-Secretary of State, marked in the corner
" Commissary-General in Chief," in order that they may be
referred to that officer for such action as he may think neces-
sary, and that such report shall be subject to the rules laid
down in War-office Circular, No. 156, with respect to the
authority and intervention of officers commanding the
troops.
2. That the Treasury regulations of March, 1852, referred
to as having been cancelled from the date of the warrant,
are nevertheless still to be acted upon in the cases of all
officers placed upon half-pay previously to such latter date;
and that no transfer from half to retired pay can take place
under the new regulations, even of those officers who might
be otheiwiie eligible from length of service. -
'3. That the same reg-ulations of Ist March, 1852, are to be
still in force with regard to—
Art. 13. Respecting charge pay to officers.promoted to a
rank superior to that authorised for the station.
Arts. 23 and 24. Respecting temporary charge pay.
Art. 29. Respecting date of commencement and cessation
of charge pay, and , •
Arts. 25 and 31. Respecting the commencement and ces
sation of full pay of officers.
4. That the grade of established clerk is prospectively
abolished, under clause 4 of the warrant, but that clerks now
on service will retain both their designations and emoluments
until their several cases can be dealt with according to spe-
cial instructions, which will be forthwith given.
5. That with a view to the fixing of a commissariat esta-
blishment, limited to the actual wants of the public service,
as contemplated by clause 5, the attention of commissariat
officers in local charge is particularly directed to the
question whether any, or what, reduction of the existing
establishment can be effected, and whether by a revised
classification of duties, subordinate members of the depart-
ment may not, in some instances, properly take the places of
commissioned officers, who should be confined -as much as
possible to the higher duties of their profession.
6. That the increased rates of full pay now authorised
will take effect from the date of the warrant, while the five
years length of service (including periods of leave of absence
granted therein) entitling officers to certain increased rates
of pay must be shown by special reports to this office, stating
the precise dates, sphere of duty, and other necessary parti-
culars, so that issues made under the responsibilityof officers
in charge ,may be properly checked.
7. That the increased allowance, if any, to which officers
may be citified under the new warrant will commence from
the date of the general order promulgating the warrant
within the command, and special reports are to be made to
the office of such increased allowances, for the approval of
the Secretary of State. -
8. That in any instance in which the emoluments of an
officer under the regulations which have been superseded are
greater than those to which he would be entitled under the
new warrant, ho will be at liberty to draw such „higher emo-
luments until his services are transferred to another station,
when his pay and allowances will be governed by the new
warrant.
9. That the advantages and emolunients now applicable
to officers serving on the west coast of Africa will be con-
tinued until further orders.,—l am, &c., "
' ' B. HAWES."
Yesterday orders were issued to the officers in
command of the East India depot battalions at
Chatham, Colchester, Winchester, Stirling, Aber-
deen, and Fermoy, directing them to hold in readi-
ness the following reinforcements to embark at
Gravesend for India,--viz. 27 men of the Ist bat-
talion, 3d Buffs ; 20 men of the Ist battalion, sth
Fusileers ; men of the 17th " Royal Tigers ;"
two men of the Ist battalion, 19th Regiment; 25
men of the Ist battalion, 20th Regiment ; 24 men
of the 28th Regiment ; 52 men of the 29th Regi-
ment ; 29 men of the 42d Royal Highlanders ; 27
men of the 46th Regiment ; 20 men of the Ist bat-
talion, 60th Rifles; 42 men of the 61st Regiment
19 men of the 72d (Duke of Albany's Own) High-
landers, 20 men of the 75th Regiment, 23 men of
the 76th Regiment, 21 men of the 93d Highlanders,
20 men of the 95th Regiment, and 61 men of the
Royal Artillery. The above reinforcements pro-
ceed to Calcutta, Kurrachee, and Bombay.
In order to add to the comfort of the troops
mounting guard as night sentries at Chatham the
authorities connected with the Horse Guards have
given directions for a large supply of a new de-
scription of long cloak with a thick cape to be for-
warded to that garrison to be worn by the troops
on guard during the cold and rainy winter nights.
A number of the new cloakS have'already been re-
ceived at Chatham and issued for the use of the
troops, one being hung up in each sentry-boa to be
worn by the sentry, who hands it over to his suc-
cessor on being relieved. The new garment is made
of a very stout material,, and, being worn by the
soldier over his ordinary greatcoat, is a very great
protection during the severest weather. Similar
cloaks are to be provided for the Royal Marine
Light Infantry.