Star.
London, England, 1809-04-06 00:00:00

various and absurd as the men's ; and, though very
inconvenient, we much doubt whether they have
proved less expensive than barracks of a more t.t.
tioaal and commodious construction.
We cannot omit this opportunity of noticing dur
absurd and unjust distribution of accommodation to
officers, which is, in many instances, disgusting.—
How often do we see old officers, even Lieutenant-
Colonels by brevet, generously permitted to occupy one
room, and in this respect placed on the same footing
with the boy-Ensign, who, but yesterday, had his
breech exposed to the lash of the merciless pedagogue!
But Master having now become an Ensign or Cor-
net, is entitled to the same quarters, and the same
allowance of coal and candle, as the veteran officer,
who had probably
_bled for his country, before the
former was born !
A married officer should have better accommoda-
tion than his rank allows him, and it would be desir-
able that families were accommodated apart.
We have now finished our remarks on the state
and requisites of Barracks ; but to render the Bar-

racks useful, it is absolutely necessary that they be
kept always in good repair. The miseries suffered by
the troops in consequence of studied delays, and offi-
cial procrastinations, in repairing barracks, are some-
times very great, particularly where the Barrack-
Master is ignorant and negligent. To remedy such
sufferings and inconveniencies, in cases requiring
prompt relief, a certain discretionary power should be
granted to the Commanding Officer of each barrack,
to cause a survey to be made, in conjunction with the
Barrack Master, and the Clerk of the Works, and to
direct the most urgent repairs to be immediately
made ; a special report of their proceedings ought,
of course,.to be transmitted to the Commissioners of

the Barrack Department. Without such a provi-
sional authority, the damages done to the buildings
by storms, &c. would often be productive of great
sufferings to the troops, before the necessary repairs
would be taken into consideration.

It cannot be deemed improper in this place to offer
a few observations on Barrack Canteens; a subject of
no small importance, which, with good or bad ma-
nagement, may be converted to essential benefit, or
become fraught with dangerous abuses in a barrack.
The licenses granted to the keepers of these places
are regularly disposed of to the highest purchaser.--;
The ostensible and avowed object in view in the to:,
leration of places of this sort; is the comfort of the
soldier ; but it is very questionable whether the sanc- '
tion of these establishments is productive of any real'
benefit to the service ? On the. one hand, it may be
said that the soldier has it in his power conveniently'
to furnish himself with whatever liquors or articles
such places afford, without loss of time, and without
being at the trouble to seek them at a distance from
his quarters. On the other hand, it may be objected
that, as these canteens are licensed at what may be ,
considered an exorbitant rate, the holders are temp-
ted to sell their liquors, &c. at an advanced rate, to '
cover their expences (which is literally the case), or
they are so hardened as to substitute liquors of an in-
ferior, and often unwholesome quality; that the open-
ing
of such places in the very face of the men, is an
incitement to drunkenness and irregularity, and that
there are many soldiers who, without such a tempta-
tion perpetually before their eyes, would seldom think
of frequenting the liquor-shop, but who, unable to ,
resist so strong and constant an impulse, become, in
the end, votaries to Bacchus, and negligent and piof
fligate soldiers. It is also objected againt canteens,
that in situations, where they are not tolerated, it is
impossible to prevent drunkenness among the soldiery,
by confining the most dissolute and abandoned to the
precincts of the Barracks, and only permitting the
most orderly and regular soldiers the indulgence of
passes to visit the neighbourhood, for the purpose of
providing themselves with the articles they may re-
quire. But while canteens flourish, such restrictions '
answer no good end.
From what we have above said, and what we have
learned from the best authorities, on this subject, we
are confident that Barrack Canteens, as they are now
tolerated and conducted, are, in many instances, un-
questionably pejudicial, instead of being really use-
ful, to the service. The high rent given by the can,
teen-keeper for his licence, renders his profits very
uncertain, as this must depend on the number of sol-
diers in the barrack, but more upon the number who
frequent the canteen. In several regiments the soldiers
are enabled to procure liquors from other sources than
the regular canteens ; and although there is a posi-
tive public order prohibiting the sale of liquors, &c.
within the barracks, except by the person licensed,
there are occasional instances of this order being in-
fringed or evaded. This is another great drawback
on the profits of the canteen-keeper, particularly as
the illicit venders of liquors and other articles, can
afford greatly to undersell the retailer who pays high
for a licence.
All Barrack Canteens, which are intended for the
real benefit and convenience of the soldier, should not
be, strictly speaking, Liquor Shops only, but respec-
table marts for all kinds of provisions and other ar-
ticles usually wanted by the soldiers. It would be desir-
able that the venders were restricted to the sale of
malt liquors and cyder, as the general unrestrained
sale of spiritous liquors is destructive to the health
and morals of the soldiers, and in the end saps their
constitutions.
It would, at all events, be very necessary that the
liquors, &c. -vended to the soldiers, were frequently
inspected by a Committee of Officers appointed to
meet bn the spot, under the authority of the Com-
manding Officer of the station or barrack. The
Committee would find :t essential to ascertain that
the liquors sold were of a good and wholesome qua-
lity, and that nothing was sold at an extravagant
rate. The weights and measures used by the Can-
teen-keeper should also be regularly submitted to the
usual examination of the police officers.• Defaulters
in any of the above particulars should be prosecuted
by the civil magistrate, ...cording to the nature of
the.offence, either by mulct, or in more serious in.
stances, by imprisonment ; and they should, more-
over, be made to forfeit their licence.
Every Canteen should be-shut up at a regular hour
in the evening, not i iter than the beating of the tat-
too, under the risk of the most severe penalties.
We come, lastly, to conclude our remarks, with a
few words on the duties, &c. of the Officers employed
in the Barrack Department
The formation of a Board for the direction of the
Barrack Department, is undoubtedly proper, and it
is of the utmost consequence that ;' should


of sea who are not only possessed of know.
ledge and respectability for such an important situ a.
60n, bet are in every edser respect fully competent.
to the office.
The Barrack Commissioners, individually, possess
no military authority whatever ; collected, they are
'vested with a certain share of controul, en ofwio,
derived from the Secretary at War and the Com-
mander in Chief, over the Barrack Masters, and, in
matters connected with the department, in some'mea-
sure, relating to Commanding Offictrs having the re-
sponsible occupation of Barracks ; but their immedi•
ate controul extends only to the Barrack Masters.--
The great source of their auth( ity for conducting
expenditure is the Board of the Treasury.
The present Board of Commissioners have intro.
duced . several salutary changes and improvements
into the Department ; and if the late system of Bar-
rack direction was taxed with the charges of profu-
sion and extravagance, whatever be the faults of the
present Board, we believe the Army, en maw, would
readily exculpate them from the slightest suspicion of
! an accusation of so unconstitutional a nature.
The situation of Barrack Keepers or Barrack Mas-
ters, as they are improperly stiled, is filled by persons
of all denominations, and taken from almost every
rank of society. This, perhaps, may be accounted
for, from the &T.:coley of obtaining respectable can-
didates for the appointment. No military rank is .at-
tached to the office, his Majesty having been graci-
ously pleased to abolish it, and to render the situation
entirely of a civil nature.
The duties of Barrack Masters are not difficult,
and do not require much activity, either of body or
mind ; the place is, therefore, often filled by persons
advanced in life, who are desirous of a small addi.
tion to their income in retirement. The appointment
is not ostensibly purchased, but securities are ch.m.i 1-
ided to an amount regulated by the size and
ante of the barrack. This situation is not unirc-
; quently filled by superannuated Army Officers, who
sometimes dispose of their commissions by sale, and,
, being partial to the society of the military, to which
they had been accustomed, contrive to enjoy a corn-
fortable retirement in the decline of life. And it is
perhaps right that old and meritorious officers, whose
prospects and future advancement in the Army had
been cut off by disappointments or premature old age,
brought on by hard sufferings, should be, in some
measure, rewarded in this manner, for their strvices,
' provided they are not otherwise unfit or objectionable
for such a situation. Indeed, such men are very de-
sirable, as they are, besides, acquainted from experi-
ence with the nature of some of the duties. We can-
not, however, suppress mentioning a general com-
plaint made by the Army of a degree of assumed con-
sequence affected by some Barrack Masters, to which
their situation does by no means entitle them.—
, Whenever this complaint is made against a decayed
officer, who shall be found to have conducted him-
' self with an unbecoming degree of insolence or con-
tumacy in the discharge of his duty as Barrack Mas-
ter, it will be found on inquiry, that the offender bad
been compelled to sell or quit the service from some
former misconduct or incapacity ; and the removal of
such an useless person fr..,m his present office cannot
be too soon effected for the good of the service. It
is well known that there have been several old decay-
ed Officers of this description, who, having long ago
sold their rank in the service, have the extreme folly
and presumption, not only to retain the empty appel-
lation of the highest commission they had formerly
held in the Army, but vainly to arrogate to them-
! selves all the respect and consideration usually at-
tached thereto. The great age and infirmity of some
of these men cover a multitude of their faults; and it
being recollected that loss of memory and imbecility
of mind are the frequent concomitants of old age,
they are usually regarded as objects of pity.
Barrack Masters are allowed a person to act under
them, who is generally an old Serjeant. This assis-
tent greatly lessens the duties of the Barrack-keeper.
Besides local Barrack Masters, resident at the dif.
ferent barracks, there is stationed in every district an-
other officer, called an Assistant Barrack Inspector
General. This officer, like the Barrack-keeper, is
not vested with any military rank, nor is it easy to
define the nature of his ditties. It is still more diffi-
cult to explain the necessity of swelling out the num-
ber of Staff Officers, already too numerous, in all the
military districts, by the addition of an officer, whose
utility is, at best, very doubtful. If the local Barrack-
keepers are active and competent, the situation of
District Barrack Inspector must be considered as next
to .a sinecure place ; and while the duties of this De-
partment continue to be carried on and ratified be-
tween the Board and the local Barrack-keepers, with-
! out any reference to the District Barrack Inspector,
as is the case at present, we apprehend that the ap-
pointment of the latterrauk is superfluous, and should
be discontinued.
Before concluding these remarks on the subject of
the Barrack Department, it might be expected that
we should bestow some consideration on the incre-
dible expence incurred by, or rather charged to, the
country, for the building and ground-rents, &c. of
barracks ; and also on the very costly system of sur-
vey and measurement which have been carrying on •
for several years past, of most of the barracks in this
country, by order and at the expence of Government,
with a view to ascertain the extent to which the coun-
try had been defrauded in the erecting of barracks.
Both these subjects might supply an ample theme for
discussion ; but we have already reached the limits
prescribed for these observations.

Saturday last the Act, permitting volunteering
from the militia into the regulars, was read to the
Lancashire, West York, Dorset, and Devon regi-
ments of militia, stationed at Plymouth and the
neighbourhood. A considerable number of the Lan-
cashire immediately volunteered Their services, but
the other three regiments seemed rather shy of the
measure, and very few have as yet turned out.
An impostor, who pretended to a supernatural heal-
ing power, lately made his appearance at Lincoln,
where he undertook to cure all human maladies by
touching the part affected. Notwithstanding his
wretched appearance, the credulity of the people was
so great, that his lodging was crowded with patients,
many of whom paid fees for admission. In three
days he obtained ie32, when the Mayor lodged him in
the city gaol as a deserter from the Militia.
Died on Wednesday night, at his house, Battersea,
Lsq.

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S it should be corn- ' ALUANDSK CIiAMPIOI4, Esq.