The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-12-05
sgtaph
, DECEMBER 5, 1884.
nc srntn OF the RritIsh ARM.

mo state OF the British Army.
Az recent dinner at Ripon, Earl dc Grey and
Ripon faid There was one description of progress
which had been made by the War Department
which nobody disputed and nobody liked, an1that
was progress in the shape OF increased estimates
We had 70 pay at the present moment for our
military service much more than we paid iew
years since. In the year 1858 the total cost OF the
army estimates was little over ElOOOO,OOO. The
army estimates which twas his duty to present TO
Parliament this year we're rlt 100000; the army
estimates which we're presented 20 Parliament in
lSGl-2 were lite over ElG00O 900. ElG,JO0,00),
or nearly cl5OO0 900, as it was now was an enor.
mons snm and when they saw that in the short
spsce of nine years the army estimates had grown
fiom clOOOO,OOO first 70 ElG,0OO,0OO and then
neariy El5,006,00O in time of peace-they hld
a right 90 ask what had happened IN the interval
what was the cause Of this very considerable and
important increase Now, what has happened
IN the interval Why, great deal Since 1853
they had had In the first instance a great war-the
Crimean war. Why, it showed The imperfect aud
inadequate condition in which their military
establishments were previous TO that war
great deal Of criticism was poured out at the time
on those who bad the conduct of the war He
would not enter on that ancient story, for the
world passed 90 quickly that the Crimcan war
was almost now an ancient story; but this nc
would say, in justice to those in authority-aud
he believed the more truly that story was written
che better would be the Justice which posterity
would do them-that when he had To do with the
fitting ont of far inferior expedition when there
was no war, but only possibility of war--the
fitting out Of the expedition that took place 10
British North America at the time of the Trent
hfair-he was bound TO say that he stood
aghast at what must have been the duties of
those who had to send out the Crmean expe-
ditiOn with the means which were at their dis
pOsal. The defects he had alluded to were proved
and shelved. 1t was the duty Of the Government
then, IL was the duty of the Government now,
and would be the duty of every successive Gov
SrDment, TO see that we do not fall back into that
eOndiOn-tO see that II we have an army-and
we must have an army-It he maintained in an
efficient state, that it be ready to do the work
which 1t processes to do-wOrk which, as far as
Hs spirit, its courage, and its Yalor went. the
British army had ever been willing TO perform
Well, then, one result Of that was an increased
expenditure Before 1853 we had no Military
Train, no COmmissariat Corps, no Army Hos.
pital Corps. Our hospital arrangements, our
medical arrangements for the army were as was
then known, previously and sadly imperfect. All
these things bad to be improved, and improve
ments OF this description cost money. Every
thing had been done, and done effectively; but it
had 20 be paid for. The necessity of keeping q
large force in India, in consequence of the late
mutiny, increased the cost of the army
and another source of expenditure was that
W uhu DStu tihluhlly hWdktnlIG very rapidly oil
late years to the conviction that it was our duty
AS Christian nation 10 do everything in our
power to maintain the health, alleviate the condi-
tOn, increase the morality, and improve the
intellectual development of the soldiers of our
army. After alluding TO the steps that had been
taken TO carry these improvements into effect
and mentioning the cost Of the militia and yolun-
teers as an additional strain upon the revenue of
the department to which he belonged his Lord
ihlp said that We lived in times Of great me.
chanical change. The days of Brown Bess and
smoothbores were over; we lived in the days
OF Sir William Armstrong and Mr.. Whitworth,
and in the days Of rihed muskets aud breech-
leaders. Nothing was more certain than that
all Improvements Of warlike material tended
not to war, but TO peace. Nothing was more
certain than this, that the more perfectly
nations maintained their armies, and the more
perfectly they maintained their means of warfare,
The less likely were they TO go to war. Men were
always fighting in the days of defensive armOr,
and when battles ended with very little compara-
live loss on either side. AS to the question of re-
luCing the expenditure, he could only say that
while the Government would be bamable-
would be criminal-if they maintained any ex-
Denditure which could not be justified, they
would be more blamable and more criminal if
they reduced the army and navy to a condition
such as existed when the Crimean war broke out.
For himself and his colleagues, he could only
say that everything would be done tO reduce the
expenditure of his department. His Lordship
concluded by thanking the company for tho honor
hey had done him.