The Sun.
London, England, 1850-09-02 00:00:00

(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)

We consider it but justice to lend our aid in advo-
cating the cause of a deserving and meritorious body
of cfficers of the army—the captains—the only rank
in her MAJESTY'S service at present debarred the
hope of reasonable promotion. Ensigns become
lieutenants, lieutenants are made captains, and majors
become, i❑ due course, lieutenant-colonels ; but it is
almost impo'sible fur a captain to obtain a majority
unless he should be possessed of thousands of pounds
to induce a major to sell to him, or the more unlikely
occurrence of a death vacancy should give it to him,
an event which now very seldom takes place, u field-
officers of the line naturally retire from the service
before they are old men, or when their health begins
to fail ; and, in nine cases out of ten, by the sale of
their commissions instead of the full-pay retirement,
which so few in the line are now inclined to
accept, the purchasing system holding out much
greater inducement to men advanced in life, and
which system has been ruinous to the promotion of
officers without money. It certainly places them
sooner at the bead of their respective grades, but
with equal certainty it keeps them there. In-
stances are numerous. But we must allude to one
corps, where the senior captain, a very deserving
officer, has actually been twenty-five years in the
same regimental rank, and fourteen years at the head
of the list.

We could mention numbers who have served as
captains on full pay in all parts of the world for
twelve and thirteen years, and who are still without
any likelihood of regimental promotion.
For their present advancement but one hope re-
mains—that hope is a brevet. The expense to the
country for each old officer thus promoted would be
but two shillings per day. Is there any economist
in England who would object to such an act of justice
towards men who have served their country so long
and so faithfully ?

FUNERAL OF LOUIS PHILIPPE.
(THIS DAY.)
This morning Claremont was at an early hour be-
seiged by a large number of persons anxious to pay the
last tribute of respect to the remains of a royal exile.
Amongst the persons present not the least conspicuous
were a large number of the visitors fr am Paris, attracted
to our shores by the cheapness of the excursion trains,
and who have fur the last few days been residing in
the immediate vicinity of Claremont. The adjournment
of the funeral from Saturday to this day also tended in
a great degree to an increase of spectators, a large
number having arrived from town yesterday.
At nine o'clock a solemn funeral service commenced
in the private chapel at Claremont, after which a pro-
cession on foot was formed, which accompanied the
body as far as the gate of the park, when it proceeded
in mourning coaches to Weybridge, in Surrey, about
four miles from the palace at Claremont. Agn at
number of persons had here assembled to witness the
removal of the body from the hearse into the Roman
Catholic chapel of St. Charles Barromes, where the
body will for the present be interred, and will ultimately
be removed to its final resting place in Paris. The
body having been placed in the chapel, the service was
commenced and conducted by Dr. Whitty, assisted by
the Abt6 Guille, the chaplain to the household of the
deceased, and others of the Roman Catholic clergy. After
the conclusion of the services, which were of the most
impressive character, the numerous persons assembled
separated, and the mournful cortege wended its way
back to Claremont.

VACANCIES IN THE HOUSE OP COMMONS.—There
are now 'three seats in the House of Commons vacant by
thechoeun Ltyort( if Hereford.
ofthe
T
deaths, since the close of the Parliamentary session. They
are.—the University of Cambridge, the borough of Poole, and
Treasury have accepted the offer
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yp e rhaansnom in e
roplaeylledthveesseclos.rner.
of Mr. Laming to convey the mails to the Cape of Good
consented s rer
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stone of a literary institution in the manufacturing town of
Bury, where the Derby family have large landed possessions.
The foundation-stone of a new infirmary has been
laid at Torquay, by the Prince of Oldenburg.
It is with extreme regret that we announce the fact
of Viscount Fielding having seceded from the Church of Eng-
land and joined the Romisli Communion. Whether the
formal act of reception into the Papal church has actually
taken place we are not enabled to state, but ot the secession
of the Noble Lord and of his destination there can be no
doubt.—John Bul'.
A charter of incorporation has been granted to
South Shields.
Sir George Grey, it is said, has offered Mr. Robert
Stephenson the honour of knighthood, which, however, Mr.
Stephenson declined. —Herapath's Journal.