The Sun.
London, England, 1845-10-21 00:00:00

WOOLWICH.

ROYAL MILITARY ACADEMY, WOOLWICII.—GentIe
man Cadet Francis Place, who received an injury on
Tuesday last by the whoa of a light three pounder gun-
carriage passing over his head, is quite convalescent,
and less injured than could have been anticipated from
the nature of the accident. The only fear now ent. r-
tained is, in case of the eye being injured and the sight
impaired, the swelling having prevented its examination
sufficiently to -be able to express a decided opinion on
that point.

RECRUITS FOR THE ROYAL ARTILLERY.—It is
usual fur all the recruits of. the Royal Regiment of
Artillery to assemble every Thursday miming from
their various stages and places of drill, and march past,
at slow and quick time, the head of the drill de-
partment for inspection. On Thursday morning,
the 16th instant, the number that marched past on
the garrison parade at Woolwich was 335. and although
there are so many, the regiment is stilt greatly under
the required strength. Major Greenwood, C. 8.. left
Woolwich in the early pert of August ;or Eglin, North
Britain, on the recruiting service, with one non-commis-
sioned officer, and several gunners and drivers, and letters
have been rest ived from them, stating that they had not
obtained one recruit. This has not arisen from any want of
exertion on the part of the gallant major and the men en-
gaged under his directions, but is entirely owing to the
poor prospect held out of sixpence per day of pension on
retiring from the service. Formerly some of the best
and well-educated young men in the northern counties
of Aberdeen, Banff, Moray, Nairn, and Inverness. joined
the Royal Regiment of Artillery, and several of them
have been deservedly promoted from the ranks, and now
enjoy Ow highest position they can attain as commissioned
officers and staff non-commissioned officers, with certainty
of excellent retiring pensions on quitting the service. It
is doubtful, however, if these parties would ever have
been induced to enlist in the Royal Regiment of Artillery
had not the prospect of Is. per day been held out to them
under any circumstance, and without rising from the
ranks; and it is well known that the poor pittance of 6d.
per day held out to young men, as the reward for serving
their country during the best part of their lives, is the
cause of the great reluctance of Scotchmen to join the
Ordnance corps, and even line regiments at the present
period. It is not generally known that the pensit
warrant, reducing the former pension warrant from
Is. to 6d. per a day, held out a prospect of Id. addi-
tional per day to every soldier's pay at the end of seven
years of good conduct; 2d. per day at the end of fourteen
years; and 3d. per day at the end of twenty-one years ;
which he may enjoy in addition to his pension; but young
men do not comprehend these gradations, and, conse-
quently, are reluctant to enter the service when they
imagine that there was a power retained of depriving
them of their good conduct pay for a trivial offence.
Were the pension warrant of 6,1. a day rescinded, and
Is., as formerly, substituted, the difference of charge,
to the country, would be insignificant, and an
excellent class of young men be induced to enter
the corps. The Royal Sappers and Miners branch
of the Ordnance service find no difficulty in obtaining
recruits in Scotland at present, and Glasgow has fur-
nished a large number. The preference is given to the
Royal Sappers and Miners, because the men are allowed
pay for working as well as soldier's pay, and Sco chmen
with their generally provident habits, place deposits in
the saving banks, to assist them in increasing the amount
they have to depend on when they are discharged from
the service.

CHELSEA PENSIONERS.—The pensioners of the Weol-
wich division in the London district received their new
uniform and appointments on the 17th and 18th
instant, and are to be called out on the 20th for
the fitting on of the same. The first company will
assemble at Woolwich fur exercise on the 20th, 2 1 et,
22d, and 23d instant, and the second company
on the 24th, 25th, 27th, and 28th, and then both
together on the 29th, 30th, 31st. and Ist of November..
Each oompary consists of 1 eAripany st rgeant,3
4 corporals, and 80 privates; with 1 sergeant-major, and
1 quarter-master sergeant, on permanent pny, quarters
and fuel; the whole under the command of Captain John
Forbes. Two other companies are to be added in the spring
of 1846, previous to being called out for exercise in the
summer. The men, on showing two good shirts, two pairs
of stockings, one pair of boots, and a worsted Gueruse%
frock, will each rective 11., and the like sum for each
time thuy are called out fur training or any other duty.
they are to drill from half past <ix o'clock to 'eight
o'clock, and ninu to eleven o'ckek A.m. each day ; L:ed
after finishing the period for ',A Ilia they are crokd out
their clothing and acc.,utreinents will be returned into
store for the winter.

CROPS IN PRINCR EDWARD'S ISLAND.—It_ appedrs
that the potato pestilence has made fearful ravages in Prince
Edward's Island, and that the grain harvest has been also
unpropitious.