THE BRITISH ARMY.

New Zealander, Volume 4, Issue 314, 2 June 1849, Page 3

THE BRITISH ARMY.

The condition of the Brifsh service ia likely to become the object of public inquiry ut an early period of the tession ; and from the present atate of Europe no topic can be of higher importance. War aertainly appears less probable now than it was a twelvemonth ago, when Wellington made hit memorable appeal to the common sense of the country ; still no man can tell, in this day of univeml fluctuation, «hit tomorrow may bring forth ; and the defence of our soil is the first of all considerations. The fleet U the first defence; but, ai erery one knows that a fleet may be escaped, we must have an at my capable oi meeting the contingency. The Britiih troops of all arms amount to about 1 13,000 men, icattered through all climates ; (he number capable of being brought into action a r home must be under 50,000. How to give the highest tfliciency to this force is the question. We have no hesitation in saying that the secret of military efficiency depends upon the officers. How to make the officers efficient in the highest degree should now be the national question. The British army has one supeiioritj in ita rank and file j beyond any other force of Europe. It is wholly a volunteer service. Indepcnden ly of tne natur •! dm ing of the British character, an army of volunteers must always have an original superiority to an army of conscripts. But a British officer is placed in a none position than that of any of the foteign services. His is the only rank in the world which ia purchased. We are fully aware of the usual arguments for retaining the sjstem or purchase; and we ars as perfectly convinced that i s practical effects are injurious in a remarkable degree. In the first place it divides the officers of » regiment into two classes, the purchasing and the non-purchasing. This produces discontent, and discontent produces qunrrel, besides i apidly degenerating into indolence. Indole* Cj aud discontent together spoil the soldier. In the next it makes money an object, which ta contrary to the spirit of a profession of honour ; and even not unfrequently produces negotiations for the pui chase of commiskioas of .a disingenuous ,kind. At one period tue giving of a price above the regulation price was frequent, and it may be difficult to puL down the practice still. In fact, the touch of money it apt to taint every thing. Purchaic almost prohibits the demand of any per-

tonal qualification on the part of the officer. He has paid his money, and having thus exhibited the principal qualification, we have scarcely a right to insist further. Even the Duke of York's reformed code could scarcely venture beyond the mere prolongation of flic term at which a step was capable of being pu-chased.j Another result is, that while the man with money it secure of rising after a certain period, without any further merit, the man without money is never secure of rising beyond perh»pi a lieu'enancy, be his military accomplishments, his intelligence, or his knowledge of his profession what they may. In consequence neither the man with money nor the man without it will take the trouble of acquiring those accomplishments ; because in the one instance hit obj< ct can be gained without them, and in the other his object cannot be gained vrilk them. Of courie there are exceptions— individuals who will exert themiiiWes, from the manly desire of cultivating: their own minds ; but we are refening >o the conduct natural to four or fiv« thoussnd gentlemen ; and tha result of the lystem is, that the generality of British, officers know little beyond the parade. They are br*vc, and no men can do their doty letter, so far as they know it ; hut that duty amounts to nothing beyond the knowledge of a sergean*. In the continental armies there is no purchase ; 'he officers, therefore, look to otber sources of preferment ; and many & subaltern in the French, I'rus»ian, or Austrian service* could give lesions in strati gy to lome of our mfljor-generHls. The pleas for purchase are all triflirg. Thus it is said that pui chase ttkei joung men of rank into the army. The answer is, that our young men of nwte. rt quire no advantages of this nature to enter ihs army ; and that if they did the vi, titled gentlemen of England are ready, and quite sufficient, to officor the troopi. In fact, this main argumen'— -that tt introduces the young nobility into the army— is no argument at all. If the young- noblnnan will not submit to the discipline and forms of the army he had bitter be anywhere tl.e. But look to otbrr portions of the service than the line. The British artillery has no purchase, yet the officers are the most accomplished can of the whole lervice : and the corps in genrral is probably unpquulled in any other urmy of Europe. In the navy there is no purchase ; jet who can deny thy qualifications o our naval ( fficers in the highest knowledge of their noble profession, or in their practical efficiency in war? There is no purchase in cur Indian armj, jet there are not more accomplished officers in the world than the general class of our Indian officer*. So f^r purchase has not been the stimulant. Excellence bat been obtained without it. The objection as to rise by (cnioiity it but of liftla weight. We are told that it leaves only old men for the command of regiments and fleets. The remedy is obvious. Maik a certain a°e at which an officer may retire upon his full-pay. In that case we shall not be encumbered with iU| erannuated men in command. But bow does set iority act practically ? We have do men of advanced age in command of either fleets or armitS; nor s ha l l we, except in instances where aga has re ained the vigour of manhood, and combined u wiih the intelligence of years. Radetzky is eighty years old, yet who c.in speak of su<h a man as fit only to be removed 1 Wellington i* nearly as old ; yet, if there \va» public peril to-morrow, .who but must rejoice to tee Ins genius once more ruling the military activity of Englbnd ? While the principle of riie by seniority takes away all the vexation of seeing the man of money suddeuly put over iue heal of the man who has nothing but his bravery and his services to •how, it gives to all the sa iVaction of feeling that they are not dia'aticed by fits most invidious of all distinctions, but simply by the common courie of thing* ; that they are inevitably advancing ; and that, to be sure of arriving at the rank to which all naturally look, they lave only to wait the progress of time. But even the tardiness of time is eaßily obviated. Nothing is more customary in our Indian army than for the junion of any officer whose age, ill health, or exhaustion, induce him to wish for retirement, to raise a subtciption among themse'ves, sufficient for the objectf of the retired senior, and, while til y thus several j advance, they relieve the service of a niun too old for tfficuncy. Why (-hi.uld not this custom be tranifcrred to the Bri isli Line?— Britannia, D.c. 23

A Herd in the Ranks.— Sir C. Napier gtve lately the fol'owina note to a private soldier who fought at Ghunzee:-— '• London, September li), 1848. la the war against the Hill tribes in Cutch Gunclew*, India, during the year 1845, a party, under the command of Serjeant Power, of Her Majes'y's 39th Regiment, stormed a hill or precipice at n place called Trukibiee. Ihts party consisted of 16 men, including: the Serjeant, 12 of whom reached the summit; of these 12 there were 6 Killed, and 2 severely wounded j —the one was Piivate Rowan, the other PiivateMaloney, the bearer of this. He reached the summit, saved (he liven of Private Burke and Piivate Rowan, •lew two of the enemy, and then got away deiperatey wounded. Iwm not present in person at this gallant fight i wor do I give the above account from the lips of John Maloney him 9 If — I take it from the written, report made roe on the day of the act on by his commanding officer, who suw the whole transaction, n« did a great part of the tipops under my command, and I thanked John Maloney in general orders. Nor were the two men whote lives he savtd ordinary men* They had ascended the precipice together; Aufhony Burke shot one of the enemy, bayomt ed a second, and, dubbin? bis mu-kc-r, dashed out the brains of a third, but broke hit u uske. in piecei. He was then disarmed and overp >\v< rtd, when % Malo-iey saved his life. The other man, Rownn, had driven hi» bayonejfc tbroui h a Beelocb, ivhpn the latter, with de<perata courage, unfixed Rowan's bayonet, drew the weapon outofhisowi body, and plunged it through that of Rowan! He then fell dead, and Malonty saved the life of Rowan ; for this small party of 12 were attacked by 80 picked Belooches, who lay in ambush for and, sudden y fell upon them. I have entered at large upon this history of the brave John Ma'oney because I think it givei [him claioni on the kindness of hia countiymen. * * * Having thus given my reasons, J conclude by recommending this gallant youth to those who can serve him. — C. Napikr, Lieutenant General." John Maloney was discharged from the 39 It, at If. per day pension , is a married man. Priva'e Rowan, 3,9 th, survived hi* desjerato wound, and volunteered into the 10th Fjot, now in the field at Muoltan.

A clerg- man in Blairgowrie, Perthshire, having refuted baptism to the child of a schoolmaster, the eisa went the run of the Church Courts, and ended in the baptism of the child. The iehoolnuMet then instituted a civil action: and, in abuuiv, the Laid Ordinary found the defendant liable to £000 damage* personally, and £1500 in conjunction with his Kirk btjtsion. In the mean time, the clugynun h»» commenced a new auit against the .schoolmenter's wilY, t,r nun-attendance at church. It in said that the Duchess of Huckinghara Has £16,000 a -year in her own light, n>,j t!ic Marqaei qf Cb»ndoi£l^oo(/,