The Sun.
London, England, 1861-10-12 00:00:00

THE ARM},

A meeting of the Royal Commission on the Sani-
tary State of the Army in India was held at the
War-office on Saturday last, the Right Hon. Lord

Stanley, M.P., in the chair. The other commis.
sioners present were Sir Proby Cautley, K.C.B.
Col. Greathed, C.B. ; Dr. Gibson, C. 8., Director•

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General Army Medical Department ; and Dr. Farr.
Mr. T. Baker, the secretary, was in attendance.
In order to guard as much as possible against
accidents from carrying on practice with cast-iron
ordnance, and also with the view of ascertaining
correctly the present condition of the armaments
mounted on the forts and batteries of the United
Kingdom, a scientific examination of the whole of
the guns connected with the defences is now pro-
ceeding, under the direction of the Ordnance Select
Committee. The great number of guns, mounted
and dismounted, which are distributed over the
land and sea defences of the kingdom, and the
large amount of practice, regular and experimental,
carried on annually from guns in position, render
it desirable that the closest inspection should be
made to guard against the dangerous contingen-
cies which accrue from the use of cast-iron ord-
nance. By direction of the Secretary of State for
War, a correct register is now minutely kept of
each gun's service, in order to guard as much as
possible against guns bursting from being over•
vented, or from fissures in the diameter of the bore.
The battalions in Colchester camp have this week
had a field-day in the presence of Col. Guy, the
Commandant, and the 9th Battalion has been offi-

cially inspected, the general appearance of the men
having elicited approval of the gallant officer. The
customary time marches of the troops into the
country during the winter months will shortly
commence. The last detachment from the batta-
lions in Colchester camp will this day be with-
drawn from Landguard Fort, and the station for
rifle practice closed till the spring.
On Thursday a garrison ceurt-martial assembled
to try Private Allen, of the 38th Regiment, upon
the serious charge of loading his weapon with the
intention of murdering Sergeant Robinson, of the
same company. The matter assumed a very serious
aspect, and there is little doubt that but for the
prompt conduct of a corporal who seized the delin-
quent in the act of putting the cap upon his rifle
the sergeant would have been murdered. The sen-
tence upon the prisoner awaits the confirmation of
the Commander-in-Chief. He has been 20 years in
the service, and is decorated with four medals, but
his general conduct has been very bad indeed.
Other acts of insubordination have taken place in
this regiment which call for a more severe punish-
ment than a garrison court-martial can award, and
an application for power to hold a general court-
martial on a desperate fellow named Grosser, of
the 38th, has been made to the War-office.
The erection will bo shortly commenced of a fort
and casemated barracks at Shotley Point, on the
Suffolk coast, at a cost of about £25,000. A meet-
ing of building firms has been held this week for
the purpose of electing a surveyor to take out the
quantities on which the contracts will be based.
i There were nine building firms present, and Messrs.
Lansdowne, of 34, Bedford-place, were appointed

surveyors.
The Artesian well in connection with the new
cavalry barracks at Colchester has been commenced
this week. The barrack buildings are expected to
be ready for occupation by the end of next year.
Two of Mr. Lancaster's cast-iron guns;strength-
ened upon his improved system, have been severely
tested during the last few days in the bombproof
cave in Woolwich Arsenal, with a view of ascer-
taining their utmost amount of durability. The
improvement consists in the gun being clad through-
out with longitudinfil layers or bars of wrought
iron, hooped over with rings of the same metal,
The test is stated to have been exceedingly satis-
-1 factory. One of the guns has so far resisted every
effort to burst it. The second only gave way at the
breech after having been fired several rounds loaded
to the muzzle.
After much delay and expectation the bronze