The Sun.
London, England, 1850-08-01 00:00:00

" CONFIDENTIAL MEMORANDUM.

" horse-Guards, May 14, 1850.
"Her Majesty has been pleased to command that the
candidates for commissions, and fur promotion in her
army, should be qualified by knowledge and attainments
previously to their appointment to commissions of the
tint named, and to the promotion to superior rank of
those thus appointed.
" The qualifications required of candidates for com-
missions have been made known to their friends, and the
time and place of examination will be stated in each
case, so as that an examination may take place before
any one is appointed to a commission.
Before officers can be recommended for promotion
to the rank of lieutenant in any regiment, the command-
ing officer must have them examined by a board of
officers, consisting of himself, another field officer, it' there
should be one present with the regiment, and the senior
captain of the rejment; and if there should be no livid
officer present with the regiment, the two senior cap-
tains present.

" This board must report to the Military Secretary,
(or the information of the Cemmander•in•Chief, that thp
officers about to be recomm,,nded for promotion to the
rank of lieutenant are instructed on the following
puint.:7

" 1. They must have a perfect knowledge of the stan-
ding orders of the regiments in which they are serving.
"2. They must have a krowlelge and must give an
account of the duties they have to perform as regimental
orderly officers, and as officers commanding guards, or as
subaltern officers of guards under command of officers
of superior rank.
"3. They must have a knowledge of the words of
command for the manual and platoon exercise.
"4. They must be able to put the company through
the manual and platoon exercise, and be capable of ex-
ercising both a squad and company in the drill and evo-
lutions as prescribed in the first two parts of the regula-
tions for the field exercise of the infantry.
" 5. They should know exactly the place of all the
company officers in every situation of the battalion,
whether in line, or in open, close, quarter, or half-dis-
tance column, and whether right or left in front.
" 6. They must have a knowledge of the general re-
gulations and orders of the army, and of the Mutiny
Act, and Articles of War.

"7. They should be acquainted with the Queen's re-
gulations and warrants regulating the description and
qualities of the necessaries of soldiers, of the price of
each article, and the regulations applicable to the same.
"8. They should know the weight of the knapsack;
the weight of the soldier's firelock; of his pouch, with
or without the ammunition which it is calculated to
curry; of his accoutrements, with or without the bayonet;
the weight of the musket, with or without the bayonet;
of the bayonet., with or without the scabbard.
" 9. In addition to such portions of the above as may
apply to the cavalry service, the cornets should be re-
quired to be well acquainted with all their stable and
barrack duties, to have completed their course of instruc-
tion in the riding-school, and to be able to exercise a
troop both on foot and mounted.
" Lieutenants who shall have entered the service since
July, 1849, will be required, before they can be recom-
mended for promotion to the rank of captain, to have—
" 10. A competent knowledge of geography.
" 11. Of history, ancient and modern.
" 12. Of the first six books of Euclid.
" 13. Of the properties of the circle.
" 14. Of algebra, to quadratic equations inclusive.
" 15. Of the use of logarithms.
" 16. Of plane trigonometry, and
"17. Mensuration.
" 18. They must have studied permanent and field
fortification, and

" 19. Have so far a practical knowledge of the science
as to be capable of projecting a front of fortification,
according to the first system of Vauban.

"20. They must be -perfectly acquainted with the pro.
visions of the Mutiny Act and Articles of War.
"21. And with the forms and proceedings of courts•
iaartial.

"22. They should have studied some of the standard
worko on courts-martial.

"23. They must understand perfectly the evolutions
of a battalion of infantry or regiment of cavalry, as laid
down in the regulations for those services respectively.
" 24. They must be acquainted with the light infantry
drill.

"25. They must perfectly understand the interior
economy of a troop or company, the regulations for the
messing and subsistence of the soldiers, and the esta-
blished system of keeping their accounts.
" 26. They must have a knowledge of the Royal
warrants which regulate the pay, provisioning, pen-
sions, rewards, periods of service, clothing and equip-
ment of the soldier.

" 27. They must be acquainted with the general re-
gulations and orders of the army, more particularly with
those for the Government and management of the troops
embarked in transports or convict ships.
" 28. And it must be ascertained that they are com-
petent to take charge of a company or detachment in
every position in which It might be placed.
" Lieutenants who entered the service prior to July,
1849, will, after July, 1552, he required, before they can
be recommended for proinotion to the rank of captain, to
have—

" 10 (a). A competent knowledge of geography.
" 11 (a). Of English history.
" 12 (a). Of the first four books of Euclid.

" 14 cr-). Of algebra, to simple equations inclusive.
"19 (a). And so far a practical knowledge or the
science of fortification as to be capable of projecting a
front or fortification according to the first system of
Vauban.

" 20 (a). They must be perfectly acquainted with the
provision. of the Mutiny Act and Articles of War. '
"21 (a). And with the forms and proceedings of
courts-martial.

" 22 (a). They must have studied some of the standard
works on courts-martial.

•` 23 (a). They must understand perfectly the evolu-
tions of a battalion of infantry or regiment of cavalry,
as laid down in the regulations of those services respec-
tively.
" 24 (a). They must be acquainted with light infantry
drill.

"25 (a). They must perfectly understand the interior
economy of a troop or company, the regulations for the
messing and subsistence of soldiers, and the established
system of keeping their accounts.
"26 (a). They must ha►e a knowledge of the Royal
warrants which regulate the pay, pro►isioning, pensions,
rewards, periods of ser►ice, clothing and equipment of
the soldier.

" 27 (a). They must be acquainted with the general
regulations and orders of the army, more particularly
with those for the government and management of troops
embarked in transports or convict ships.
" 28 (a). And it must be ascertained that they are
competent to take charge of a company or detachment
in every position in which it might be place d.
"It is to be distinctly understood that they are to
complete the remainder of the course prescribed for the
lieutenants who entered the service subsequently to July,
1849, before they can be declared eligible to become field
officers.

These examinations of officers for the rank of cap-
tain must be made by boards of officers, to be appointed
by the commanding officer, composed of the three senior
officers of the regiment, as far as relates to matters of re-
gimental economy, detail, or discipline, and must be re-
ported to the Military Secretary in every case of a lieu-
tenant recommended by the commanding officer to be
promoted to be captain of a troop or company.
"Till the month of July, 1852, officers recommended
for promotion to the rank of captain in their several re-
giments need not be examined .on the points stated in
Nos. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, of this order,
unless it should be known to the Commander-in-Chief
that such officers had passed one year in the United
Kingdom subsequently to theist of June, 1850, in which
case he will require that such officers should pass an ex-
amination as required by this order for the lieutenants
who catered the service antecedently to 1849.
" Any officer of the rank of lieutenant in a regiment
serving within the United Kingdom, who may have en-
tered his name as a purchaser of a troop or company,
may, through his commanding officer, express his desire
to be examined in respect to his required attainments, as
specified in this order, upon which demand the Com-
mander-in-Chief will give such orders as may be proper
and necessary.
"Orders will hereafter be given to provide for the
examination of officers serving abroad, in respect to their
qualifications and attainments, preparatory to their being
recommended for promotion to the rank of captain.
" By command of Field-Marshal
" THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON,
Commander-in-Chief.
"G. BROWN, Adjutant-General."

" Horse Guards, Juno 6, 1850.
"Sir,—l have it in command to explain, with refer-
ence to the circular memorandum of the 14th ult., that
although the educational part of the examination of offi-
cers, preparatory to obtaining the rank of captain, is
proposed to ho deferred for two years, the professional
portion of it is to be carried into effect immediately;
and that henceforth the qualifications of candidates for
promotion to the ranks of lieutenant and captain respec-
tively, as far as relates to military evolutions and to the
details of regimental discipline and economy, are to be
duly ascertained by a board composed of the three senior
officers present with the regiment, as therein prescribed,
whose certificate must accompany all future recommen-
dations for promotion. " I have, &c.,
" G. BROWN, Adjutant-General.
" Officer Commanding."

COTTON CULTIVATION IN THE WEST INDIES.—
MAN ti ESTER.—On Tuesday a meeting of spinners and ma_
fi
nufacturers was held in the Clarence Hotel, by adjournment,
to take into consideration a plan (by the medium of a joint
stock company) for the cultivation of cotton in the West
Indies. A sample of West Indian grown cotton was exhibited,
which the chairman stated to be long, strong, and worth ls.
per lb. Mr. Hacking read letters from Messrs. J. Bright,
M.P. the Right lion. I'. M. Gibson, M.P., W. Brown, M.P.,
J. Kershaw, M.P., G. Thompson, M.P., expressive of
various opinions on the propriety of forming joint-stock
comp3nies to promote the growth of cotton. Mr. Cross was
addressing the meeting in favour of the cultivation of cotton
in the West Indies when our parcel left. Amongst the
gentlemen present we observed Sir E. Armitage, Messrs. 11.
Ashworth, W. R. Callender, E. Ashworth, F. Warren,
Alderman Morris, Rev. Dr. Pennington (an American of
colour), &c.
WOODS AND FORESTS —The total amount paid nut
of the revenue of the Woods and Forests to the Commis-
sioners' law agent in Scotland during the four years ending
March, 1850, is stated in a recent return at 7,1391. 16s. 1 Id.,
of which 4,1341. 19s. 7d. is for professional services, and
3,0!)41. 17s. 4d. outlay and actual expenses. The number
of suits in respect of which emoluments have arisen is 169.