The Sun.
London, England, 1861-10-23 00:00:00

THE ARM ,

An important general order has just been issued
to the Royal Artillery, by command of the Duke of
Cambridge, in which his Royal Highness, after exa-
mining the returns of drills carried on by the
brigades of Royal Artillery, expresses his regret
that so large a proportion of the non-commissioned
officers and men of some of the brigade have not
undergone the annual course of re-drilling prescribed
by the general order of the 11th of August, 1859,
His Royal Highness has taken into consideration
the statements made by officers commanding brigades
in reply to certain questions respecting their ability
to carry out the course of re-drilling. Ho is aware
that at some stations, and under peculiar circum-
stances, great demands are unavoidably made on
the personnel of all garrisons, and that it is at times
impossible to exempt artillerymen from garrison
and other duties to the extent necessary to enable
them to be put through a course of adequate in-
struction ; but his Royal Highness trusts that the
returns of the present year will show a great in-
crease in the number of men who have been
thoroughly re-drilled, and he urges commanding
officers to renewed vigilance, and to cause a portion
of their men to be constantly in the hands of the
gunnery instructors and their assistants. He feels
assured that officers commanding brigades will, on
application, receive every assistance in carrying out
his views respecting the instruction of the artillery
soldiers. He also trusts that commanding officers
of field brigades will use every exertion to have
their drivers instructed in the several drills, and
directs that in future annual returns of the gunners
and drivers may be shown separately in order that
it may be seen to what extent the latter have re-
ceived instruction. A tabular statement has also
been Publishedivith the general order, by direction
of the Duke of Cambridge. It shows the number
of artillerymen who during the past year have not
received instruction to anything like the extent
contemplated, and also the number of those who
have received no instruction at all. At the same
time the Duke of Cambridge
makes these remarks
he is glad to be able to allude to the great improve-
ment in the mode in 'which the annual practice
appears to have been carried on, as shown from the
It .
reports received from time to time. evident
that at some stations—particularly at
Gibraltar—
very great pains have been taken to use to the
greatest advantage the ammunition granted for in-
struction.

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A further supply of upwards of 1,400 stand of
arms, consisting chiefly of the short rifle for seal
service, with the improved bayonet sword attached,
have been received at the Ordnance stores,
Chatham, froethe factory at Woolwich, the War
Department transport Baltic having completed the
landing of the arms yesterday. A complete rear-
rangement of the armouries has been made at
Chatham. Additional stores have been formed
sufficient to receive arms for the entire British
army. At present the rooms formerly used are filled
with some thousand stand of arms, all of the im-
proved pattern Enfield rifle, and as fast as addi-
tional rifles are received from Woolwich they are
stored in the new buildings devoted to
that pur-
pose.

Orders have been received at Chatham for a fur-
ther discharge of 160 non-commissioned officers and
men of various cavalry and infantry regiments, the
whole of 'whom will leave the garrison to-morrow
morning, and be forwarded to their respective homes