The Sun.
London, England, 1861-03-14 00:00:00

THE ARMY.

The augmentation which the Government has
decided on making in the corps of Royal Engineers,
consequent on the amalgamation of the Royal and
Milian Engineers, will take effect on the Ist of
April, on which date two additional companies
will be added to the corps, making the number of
companies belonging to this branch of the service
38. The two new companies will be formed from
the Chatham detachments now at headquarters,
and each will consist of 100 non-commissioned offi-
cers and men. By direction of the Adjutant-
General of the Royal Engineers, the 37th and 38th
companies will, on their formation, be attached to
headquarters until they are required to embark for
foreign service. The recruiting parties recently
despatched from Brompton to raise additional men
for the corps of Royal Engineers have been very
successful, and a number of fine young men, most
of them skilled mechanics, have been sent up to
headquarters.

During the whole of yesterday a district court-
martial, of which Major F. G. T. Deshon was the
president, was engaged at Chatham garrison in
trying a number of non-commissioned officers and
men belonging to various regiments now serving in
India on a charge of having, on their arrival from
India, reached Chatham in a disgraceful state of
intoxication. The prisoners during the time they
were travelling to Chatham from the port at which
they disembarked became entirely unmanageable,
setting the non-commissioned officers of the staff
who had them in charge at complete defiance.
Their conduct during the journey was most dis-
graceful, nearly the whole of th©m becoming help-
lessly intoxicated, and in that condition fighting
and behaving in the most improper manner. On
itihaedi rb
laarorik veayl
ea Fort P
st
ondtheiirttfaHcoosspciotvaelromdawnyitbo f them
blood.
Immediately on the facts being reported to the
Major-General commanding the forces at Chatham
a district court-martial was ordered to assemble to
try the delinquents. The prisoners, in their de-
fence, urged that they had been in India a
great number of years, and the liquor they par-
took of on landing in England took an extraordi-
nary effect upon them. Several of the prisoners
tried have been in the service upwards of 21 years,
and had been sent home from India to be granted
pensions and discharged, most of them being men
of very good character. By their conduct, however,
they have placed their pensions in jeopardy, be-
sides making themselves amenable to other punish-
ments. The sentences passed on the prisoners will
not be promulgated until the proceedings and find-
ing of the Court have been confirmed lily Major-
General Eyre.
The colonelcy of the 6th (Royal Ist Warwick-
shire) Regiment has become vacant by the death of
Gen. H. J. Riddell, K.H., which took place at Ox-
endon, Dunse, Berwickshire, on the Bth inst. The
gallant deceased served as deputy assistant quarter-
master-general at the capture of Copenhagen, in
1807, and as assistant quartermaster-general on the
eastern coast of Spain and at Genoa, with the army
under Lord W. Bentinck. His commissions bore
date—Ensign, March, 1798 ; lieut., April 19, 1798;
capt., Dec. 24, 1802 ; major, Dec. 10, 1807; lieut.-
col., June 4, 1813; colonel, July 22. 1830; major-
gen., Nov. 23, 1841 ; lieut.-gen., Nov. 11, 1851;
general, Sept. 26, 1857 ; and colonel of the 6th Foot
June 25, 1851.

A detachment of the depot Royal Artillery left
headquarters, Woolwich, yesterday morning at 9
a.m. by special train for Sheerness, to take up the
garrison duties performed by the Tipperary Militia.

ARCHBISHOP WITATELY ON THE
MARRIAGE LAW.

uinsurFpraatinonces:e7eeSlein'
~
The following annotation of ArchbishopliThately'g
in his edition of " Paley's Moral Philosophy," has
a peculiar interest at the present time, when the
defective state of our marriage law has been so pro-
minently exhibited by, the recent cases of Beamish
and of Yelverton : and it is only necessary to add
that the law recommended by the archbishop has
subject
I:,eAeinarfrioargessomineEtnimglaenedsdtaurbi
Inigshthede
nised before a justice of the peace; but for what pur-
pose this novelty Was introduced, except to degrade the
clergy, does not appear."
As it does not appear that the parties were prohibited
from superadEting any religious ceremony they might choose,
Paley's censure of the law seems unreasonable.
As long as this full liberty of conscience is left, such a law
appears the wisest—indeed the only wise one—on the
For, marriage may be considered in two points of view •
as a civil contract, referring to the legal rights a • (Ist)
of the parties concerned, and their offspring ; which
duties
Nv
properly within the province of the civil gove ich comes
('idly) as a religious engagement; which is rnment ; and
be-
tween each person's own conscience and his a matter
this, it is best for the secular governments God. And in
especially when there are so many differentt. to interfer.
suasions. If the parties, of whatever religious per-
tion, were required (with due r religious denomina-
ec
precautions against fraud) to
make a regular contract before
duly registered by him, they beinga magistrate, and have this
to go through any religious of course left at liberty
_. ceremony (before or after) that
their conscience might dictate—and
made
universally, the sole evidence of a legal and valid
marriage, no ones
escape at once and conscience could be hurt, and we should
for ever all the anomalies, and griev-
ances, and abus
subject. es, of our patchwork legislation on the

ESCAPE OF A CONVICT FROM PORTSMOUTH
DOCKYARD. —A convict named William Thompson, who is
under sentence of six years' penal servitude, of which term
he has served about nine months, has made his escape from
Portsmouth Dockyard. It appears that he obtained some
articles of clothing belonging to a workman, in which ha
dressed himself, leaving his prison garb behind • and it it
supposed that he walked out of the yard when the workmen
left. Another man who attempted to escape at the Same
time was captured. The Government have offered a reward
of £5 for Thompson's apprehension, but, notwithstanding
the exertions of the police and convict authoritifsl2Perof
Monday evening no trace had been obtained of bag w
obeli%

rg-111 EA TR g-ROYAL, HAYMARK.ET.
Les'we, Mr. J. B. Backstone.
THIS EVENING, the performances will commence with
THE SUN AND THE WIND. The Leclercqs, &c.
After which, a new and original comedy, A DUKE IN
DIFFICULTIES. Mrs. Stirling, Miss Fanny Stirling, Mr.
Buckstone, etc.
And SIMPSON AND CO. Mr. Chippendale, Mr. Howe ;
Mrs. Wilkins, Miss Henrietta Linley (2d appearance.)
Commence at 7.

OVAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE.--
Lessee and Manager, Mr. A. Harris.
THIS EVENING, THE LADY OF. LYONS. Mr. G.
Melville, Miss Heath, &c.
After which, THRICE MARRIED.
To conclnde with a comic ballet, THE JOLLY MILLER,
M. Espinosa, Mr. Garden, &c.

THEATRE - ROYAL LYCEUM.
Sole Lessee and Directress, Madame CELESTE.
Last Nights of the Winter Season.
THIS EVENING the Butletta of T lAT RASCAL,
JACK.
Followed by the new drama, THE HOUSE ON THE
BRIDGE OF NOTRI' DAME. Principal characters by
Mr. G. Vining, Mr. J. Johnstone, Mr. Villiers, Mr. Clifford,
Mr. John Ronse, Mr. Forrester, Mr. Morris ; Miss M.Ternan
Miss K. Saville, Miss L. Thompson, and Madame Celeste.
After which, the Lyceum Christmas Comte Extravaganza,
CRYSTABELLE ; or, The Rose without a Thorn, showing
viz VISION OF A ROSE, ITS FADING AT EVE,
AND THE MAY-BLOOM OF THE WILD BRIAR.

ADELPHI, NEW THEATRE-ROYAL
Sole Proprietor and Manager. Mr. Benj. Webster.

THIS EVENING, AN UGLY CUSTOMER. Messrs. J.
L. Toole, C. Selby, and Warde ; Miss K. Kelly, and Miss E.
Thorne.

After which, THE COLLEEN BAWN. D. Rouelean% D.
Fisher, 13111ington, Falconer, Stephenson, C. J. Smith, Romer.
Miss Agnes Robertson, Miss Woolgar, Mrs. Billington, and
Mrs. Chatterley.

To conclude with a new Burlesique Extravaganza, entitled
BLUE BEARD FitOM A NEW POINT OF HUE.
Messrs. J. L. Toole, P. Bedford, C. J. Smith; Miss Woolgar,
IL Kell'', Laidlaw, and E. Thorne.

Doors open at hall past 0--Commence at 7.
Box-office open from 10 till 5.
No charge for booking.
Private boxes, £2 2s. ; Family Boxes,
Orchestra Stalls, 55. ; Balcony, 4s. ; Front Circle Stalls, ss. ;
Pit Stalls, 25.; Pit, ls. 6d. ; Amphitheatre, is ; Gallery, Sci:
-