The Sun.
London, England, 1828-12-29 00:00:00

(FROM THE -TIMES.)

There are some able and interesting letters in this
day's Tines, on the various abuses which prevail
throughoet the internal or regimental administration
of the British army. We are ourselves aware of the
difficulties which attend any and every effort to ac-
complish the least curtailment of extravagancies
which are instigated by rapacious tradesmen, are
accepted and fostered by the frivolous vanity of
empty-headed Lieutenant-Colonels, and submitted
to only because the junior officers are ashamed of
pleading poverty, and afraid of the remote conse-
quences of appealing to higher authority against
that which mare immediately oppresses them.—
Some expressions in the letters of " Plantageneto,"
and " Q. K.," which seem directed against the
Commander-in-Chief's office, are, we beg leave to
say, in our judgment, undeserved and ill consider-
ed. We believe that no man ever existed whose
affections were more devoted to the real good
of the service than those of Lord Hill, or
one to whom his well known designation or
" the soldier's friend" was more correctly atilt emi-
nently applicable. It is not from such a quarter
that the junior ranks of the army have to dread the
abandonment of their interests, when any project is
brought forward which has for its aim to protect
them; and indeed there is room to believe that the
present Commaroler-iii-chief will be sorely disap-
pointed, if an unfair and extraneous opposition, raised
for the indulgence of tawdry tastes, or of tinjesti-
fiable depredation upon officers, should succeed in
frustrating those plans of economical and most salu.
tary reform which we have felt it our duty to ob-
serve upon, as (according to public rumour), slog-
geared or at least prepared, by Sir Herbert Taylor,
the friend and official counsellor of Los d Hill. The
chffererice between regiments whose uniforms, mess,
expenses, 4e, are conformable to the spirit of the
King's segulati and others ‘rhich have no stan-
dard but the Lieutenant-Colonel's petty vanity
or caprice, is stated to be, that in the former
a young officer can lire Kith comfort, and in
the latter, that few gentlemen can afford their
younger sons such allowances as will enable
them to ,teen clear of debt, while they maintain any
appearance of decency. This enormous difference
in the financial pressure upon officers of the same
milk and in the same service, we hold it to be an
imperative duty of the Commander-in-Chief and his
Adjutant-General; toreduce, if they cannot in all
respects equalize the peeuniary berdens. But the
officers themselves, their
.families, and the public,
have a right to protest against the interference of
highly patronized tailors, who wish to have a "cab-
bage-garden" in the quarters of every regiment—or
money-lending lacemen, who seek to double, in the
shape of extra charges on twist or embroidery, the
usurious interest which they wring from the spend-
thrifts in theirbooks. The whole army, we repeat,
with its Punnexions, has a right to complain bitterly,
if the suggestions of goch harpies are listened to by
illustrious personages, in detriment to the brave men
whe do honour to their profession, who are Intrusted
with the defence both of Royalty and of the
conntry, and who are, by the iniquitous system,
alluded to, driven from the army into the King s
Bench or the Fleet, thet tailors may be enabled to
build country-houses, and usurers to extort from
embarrassed youths unconscionable interest for bonds
secured on their commissions. A third correspond-
ent recommends the abolition of purchase through-
out the army. This looks wail in theory, and has
often been proposed; but we fear that it would be
impracticable with any view to an efficient anny,in-
semuch as where the principle is already established,

—viz. in the artillery and marines,—the rank of
Lieutenant-Colonel is too seldom arrived at until
the age of the individual holding it has rendered him
hardly competent to the command of a marching
re4liment on active and .fatiguing service. The exa-
mination of young officers previous, as in the navy,
to promotion, we consider an indispensible prelimi-
nary to the advancement of Ensigns or Lieutenants,
and one which we trust will shortly tie introduced
into the service by those respectable authorities to
whose hands the whole course of military discipline
is confided.
It will be observed that Mr. Peel has addressed
to parochial officers some questions touching points
of much practical importance :in the .management of
the daily and nightly watch. We respect the Right
Hon. Gentleman for his anxiety on this most inte-
resting subject, and we are not without hope that
he will soon have obtained such insight into the na•
ture and deficiencies of that system which is errone-
ously called a " protective" one of people's lives and
properties, as may enable him to digest some vigo-
rous and comprehensive measure for the real secu-
rity of the homes of Englishmen while they sleep.
Would it be altogether out of the question, for
the police to furnish itself with a register of all
the inhabiifflits of every house in every parish
throughout the metropolis and the other great
towns of the kingdom, and their environs ?---
A list calling for the names of all the male
inhabitants, with their descriptions, is now re-
quired, for the militia ballot, throughout the
whole of Great Britain, and may it not he worth
considering. how far a more numne and tangible
registry could be reconciled with the feelings which
I%e trust will always prevail amongst us, in favour
of the freedom and sanctity of a British dwelling ?
There is a matter which also merits consideration :--
we mean the expediency of employing some direct
stimulus to parishes (in case of their being still ves-
ted with the power of appointing constables, watch-
men, anti patrols), by which they might be rendered
more careful than heretofore in the selection of
efficient Officers. If robberies be perpetrated through
the negligence or unfitness of the watch, ought not
the power which appoints the watch to be made in
some degree answerable for the losses incurred by
individuals ? We are of opinion that as in cases
where the parish becomes responsible for the damage
occasioned by a mob, so the sufferer by a. burglary
ought to have..his remedy, after a full investigation
of all the circumstances, against the body which
fails to guard him. It would be serviceable, as
seems to us, if hints upon thiE pressing subject were
to be forwarded to the Home department from vari-
ous quarters, that ..such as should turn oat to be
worth attention might find their way to the Secre-
tary of State. The urgent necessity for some general
measure we take for granted that none will question.