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Lyttelton Times, Volume XII, Issue 723, 12 October 1859, Page 5

Every Prussian subject on attaining his twentieth year is compelled,to serve in the ranks of the army. Those |who have received a military education, and who are intended to follow the pursuit of the army, pass their examination, after a service of some months, and become officers. The great mass r however—the whole of the.private soldiers —serve in the ranks for three years, and then join the reserve, in which they remain for two years longer. By a curious condition of the military organization these reserves can only be embodied when theLandwe)ir are called out. Having completed his service the soldier doffs his uniform, and resumes his peaceful pursuits as a citizen. But lie cannot beat his sword into a ploughshare, nor his spear into a pruning-hook, for he remains in the Landwehr until his fortieth year, and must devote 15 days annually to military exercises. The Landwehr is divided into two classes. The first contains all between the ages of 25 and 32 ;.the second those between 32 and 40. Even at 40 the Prussian subject has not' completed his military allegiance to his country^ for lie remains in the Landsturm until the age of 60, and his services are called for in case of foreign invasion. Such, in a few words, is the Prussian military system, and it is sufficient to show the enormous results of the mobilization which took place last month. The Prussian armj r is divided into nine corps d'armee, ond on the Ist of January 128,000 were serving in its ranks." The reserve consisted of-60,000 and the two classes of the, Landwehr of about-.200,000 more • whereof about 130,000 were in the first' .appear.' Of these nine corps six have been mobilized, and the order to mobilize the remainder may be expected daily, By this mobilization the reserves are called ont, and all Prussian subjects in the first division of the Landwehr—viz., the whole male population under 32 years of age, are brought' into active service. The army is thus increased to, upwards of 300,000 men, and, when the second division of the Landwehr is summoned, to upwards of 400,000. No excuse avails, every man must obey the call. The banker leaves his money bags and the lawyer his briefs, the merchant his books, and the farmer his crops. The farm horses are taken for the cavalry and artillery. All peaceful pursuits are abandoned, commerce languishes, and, while the harvest is plenteous, the labourers are few. The expense is also a most serious matter to a poor country like Prussia, as it adds from £12;000,000 to £15,000,000 sterling per annum to the budget. The produce of the lean will therefore be speedily exhausted, and increased taxation becomes an inevitable necessity. The price, of the necessaries of life has already, augmented and the youthful manhood of Prussia is debarred from other pursuits save that of arms. . Such are the consequences of mobilizing the Prussian army. It can be justified only on the ground of inevitable necessity and of some danger so pressing that delay would be dangerously and inactivity fatal. '. '.* ' . .",•'.-.. ' :. A Reasonable Guess.—A tipsy Irishman, who was leaning against a lamp-post as a funeral procession was passing by, was asked who was dead? "I can't exactly say, sir," said he," but I presume it is the jintleman in the coffin." , Verdict op a Negro Inquest.—"We, the underscribed darlciesrbein' aKurnet's Juray of disgust to sit on the body ob de nigger Sambo, now dead and gone before us, have been sittin' on de said nigger aforeside, did on the night ob, the fusteenth ob November come to deaf by falling from the bridge ober de riber into de Said riber, whar we find Ijewas subsecomely drown'd, and afterward washed on de riber side, where we 'spose he was froze to deaf.— American Paper. :