The Press. — 1854-12-23 (London, England)

FOREIGN MERCENARIES.  THE following indignantly-eloquent remonstrance has been addressed to the Times by the distinguished historian of the Peninsular war :  Sir,—The Duke of Newcastle, with a strange prasump• tion, told his brother lords that, except Lord Hardiuge, uo officer of capacity and experience remained in England with whom he could consult to avoid the errors he had committed as a War Minister—all were in the Crimes ! He must now be taught that there are officers still in England with sagacity enough to see through his incapacity, and with indignation enough to rebuke the grovelling spirit which has dictated the degradation of the country and the army, by the introduction of foreign soldiers to tight our battles, at the very moment when the steam of heroic blood from Inkermann makes England snort and start like a warhorse iu the midst of carnage. 1 will not say that the German Legion in the last war were not good and trusty soldiers—their cavalry was excellent ; but, despite of the Duke of Richmond's generous eulogium, I will, with Lord Ellenberough, say, that neither they, nor any foreign troops, were able to equal the fighting of the British soldier. That legion was well composed; it was, indeed, a national force, with high moral motives, and with the gentlemen of their own country as officers ; they were thus presented in the best possible form that foreigners could assume in another nation's service ; and gallant things they could and did do ; but emulate the terrible fighting of the British soldier they could not. And shall a mere mercenary band, picked up for gold, without national feeling—poor miserable hirelings, selling their limbs and lives, sy! their very souls for lucre—ready, without a cause, if paid, to murder, to slay, or be slain, and, of course, ready to change sides for higher pay if good occasion offer—shall such varlets stand in line beside our noble soldiers who fight shouting " England! England!" and dying murmur, " We have done our . duty " ? Whet did German or Switzer, Prussian or Austrian, stand before the gallant French in equal battle? And those brilliant, fierce, impetuous French, could even they sustain the might and terror of British battle, though, glorious soldiers that they are and ever have been, they returned to the combat as unceasingly as waves beating against rocks ? Such as they are, indeed, fit and worthy to stand abreast with the unconquerable " red line that never yields," and, together, they will trample in the dust any troops in the world that presume to oppose them. But let them not be shamed by finding a hired third rate selection from inferior sources between themselves and their British comrades. Let them not be told to depend on the dressed-up foreigners—poor frauds, like the camels of Semiramis, accoutred as elephants, and sure to leave dark silent gaps where loudest shouts aml fiercest fires should stream forth in the hour of need. Shall the stern infantry of Inkermtum, striding in blood ; shall the proud cavalry of Balaklava--those noble horsemen who accepted, not an order, but a doubtful sign only, to go bounding on as it were to Vie open jaws of death; shall they have as comrades the refuse hirelings of Germany and Switzerland? God forbid! You, sir, say that the Ministers will go out if the country refuses to accept their degrading measure. So let it be. Let them slink away, while the universal shout arises of " God and our right." I sin, sir, your obedient servant, W. NAPIER, Lieutenant General.  ON ACCOUNT OF THE ARMY AND NAVY SERVICES, as appears from a return obtained by Mr. Disraeli, the total payments made by the Bank of England up to the llth inst., in respect of the sum of 12,874,5051., appropriated for the navy services of the year 1854, amounted to 8,825,0001. ; the same payments in respect of the sum of 8,810,0591., appropriated for the army services, to 5,029,0001., and the same payment in respect of the sum of 4,583,7011. appropriated to the Ordnance, to 2,950,0001. The. balances of credits, &e., now in the Bank are respeo• Lively as follows, viz.:—On account of the army, 38,104/.; the navy, '5,0291.; and the Ordnance, 37,8801. The above payments comprise the full sums advanced up to the 11th of December ; but it will be impossible to state how much of these advances will ultimately be chargeable upon the vote of credit for 3,(XX1,0011/. (appropriated by the said act for " additional expenses ") until accounts and vouchers shall have been received, including all the returns from abroad, showing the actual diabursements for each separate service.