The Sun.
London, England, 1861-05-22 00:00:00

THE ARMY.

The annual inspection by his Royal Highness the
General Commanding-in-Chief took place yesterday
at Woolwich. The Royal Horse Artillery, the
mounted batteries of the depot, and the other field
brigades, the batteries of the Military Train, &c.,
were paraded on Woolwich-common, together with
their guns, field waggons, and marching equip-
ments. Extending in double line upwards of a mile,
they presented a most formidable and warlike ap-
pearance. The Commander-in-Chief, attended by
various officers, having inspected the entire force,
retired to the flagstaff, when the whole of the as-
sembled troops marched past in slow and quick time,
the Duke observing their motion, which was per-
formed with admirable precision. After having
galloped past the gunners prepared for action,
bugles sounded, the carriages and spectators re-
treated, and a succession of rounds of firing com-
menced. The batteries afterwards limbered up,
retired in subdivisions, and continued firing for up-
wards of half an hour, when " God save the Queen"
announced that the inspection was terminated: In
consequence of the extremely fine weather a very
large number of spectators were present. His Royal
Highness next inspected the veterinary infirmary
at the camp and the barrack quarters, and various
other establishments. Having witnessed a course
of practice with the Armstrong guns by a couple of
batteries belonging to the 3d Brigade, which took
place in the Arsenal marshes, his Royal Highness
left Woolwich for London under a Royal salute at
half-past four.

An official intimation was yesterday received at
the head-quarters of the Royal Engineers establish-
ment, Chatham, from the office of Col. Chapman,
C. 8., Deputy-Adjutant-General, announcing that
the Duke of Cambridge has decided on withdraw-
ing one of the companies of Royal Engineers now
doing duty at Malta from that island, in order to
be employed on the home defences. The company
thus selected to return to England is the Ist. The
30th Company of Royal Engineers, under the com-
mand of Capt. Creyke and Lieut. Bolland, was yes-
terday placed under orders to embark for Corfu,
instead of Malta, to relieve the 9th company whose
period of foreign service has expired. The order for
the embarkation of the 31st company is counter-
manded, and that company will remain at Chatham
until further orders.

The :Royal Marines who recently disembarked
From the Ganges, 84, received their arrears of pay

at Chatham yesterday, after which each man was
granted six •weeks' leave of absence to visit his

Friends.

In consequence of the discoveries recently made
at Chatham of the unwholesome character of the
meat furnished on several recent occasions by the
army butchers for the troops at that garrison, the
most stringent regulations have been adopted under
the direction of Major-Gen. Eyre, commanding the
district, to prevent the recurrence of such practices
on the part of the contractors, With this view the
Assist.-Commissary-Gen. of the garrison, accompa-
nied by an officer specially selected for that duty,
and one of the sergeants connected with the bar-
rack department, will attend at the slaughter-
houses of the contractor each morning, and after in-
specting the animals selected to be killed, in
order to ascertain frGm personal inspection that
they are in all respects fit for food, will witness their
being killed, and as soon as they are dressed will
place his seal on the carcass of each. On the arri-
val of the meat at the several barracks for distribu-

tion to the troops the seals will be examined to as-
eertogn that they have not been tampered with,

after which it will be cut for the troops. By these
precautions nothing but really good meat will in
future be allowed to be sent to the barracks for the
use of the soldiers. Assist.-Commissary-General
Ibbetson has not only condemned meat at Chatham
on several occasions—be has also condemned meat
at Sheerness, and both bread and meat at Maidstone;
Fresh supplies in those cases were purchased at the
cost of the contractors. The beef thus condemned
was not diseased. It was, however, of an inferior
quality.

Orders were yesterday issued by Major-General
Eyre, commanding at Chatham, directing several
hundred troops belonging to the East India depots
attached to the 2d and 3d battalions, to be placed
under canvass for the remainder of the summer.
The tents for the troops of the 2d battalion will be
pitched on the sloping ground near the Spur bat-
tery, and those for the 3d battalion at the rear of
the Hut Barracks. The tents were yesterday taken
out of the store at the Ordnance-wharf, and the
camps will be at once formed.