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Sabbatarian Sebastopol will not soon be taken , and its fall ia only ( to take your own ground ) postponed by the use of aucli affectation of contempt for a Class no ways in character contemptible . I am , &c , A Free-Chubch Minister .
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THE INDLAN ARMY DEBATE . ( To the Editor of the Leader . ) Sra , Napoleon I . repudiated the idea of " impossibility ; " Sir James Weir Hogg , a greater than Napoleon—in his own estimation— accepts that of " absolute impracticability . " Sir James—or , as Sir Charles James Napier loved to call him , " the man Hogg "regards the amalgamation of the two services , the Queen ' s and the Company's , " as not merely a matter the
of difficulty but of impracticability . " As worthy baronet is in the habit of dictating to the House on * t h 6 subject of Indian affairs in the tone of one having the authority of knowledge , it has become customary with our senators to receive his assertions as axioms , and his mangled quotations as unanswerable arguments . Besides , this pretence of deference to his superior local imformation affords them a plausible excuse for avoiding a debate on topics of such very soporific tendency .
Sir E . Perry , in a speech of great length and considerable ambiguity , moves for " the appointment of a select committee to consider and inquire how the army of India might be made most available for war in Europe , and to inquire into the steps necessary to betaken , if it should be deemed expedient to constitute the army of the East India Company a royal army . " We are told that the entire force in British India amounts to 457 , 000 men with 12 , 000 officers , and that , because this army is numerically stronger than that maintained by France in time of peace , at least 25 , 000 men of all arms could now be spared for active service in the Crimea . Of Her Majesty ' s troops there are something less than 30 , 000 scattered over
that immense empire , in addition to about 14 , 000 Europeans infantry and artillery , in the pay of the Company . The Times has therefore made a grievous error in estimating the European soldiery in India at 70 , 000 : one-half of that number would be in excess of the truth . Now , it is principally from these Europeans that reinforcements must be drawn for service in the Russian war , because the cold of a Crimean winter would prove as disastrous to the Sipahee as the snows of Afghanistan . No doubt some few corps might be constituted of Ghoorkas and other mountain tribes , but this force could not be organised in time to take any part in the campaign of 1855 . And it is questionable if the lowland
Sipahees would be any match for the Russians in close combat , for " immovable solidity" is not yet their peculiar attribute . But the witlidrawal of European troops at this moment would be attended with much inconvenience , perchance with positive danger . The state of affairs in Burmah is that of a slumbering volcano , the fire still smoulders beneath the treacherous ashes , and the slightest breath would kindle a vast conflagration . On the North-west frontier a powerful army of observation is absolutely necessary to counteract the efforts of Russian intrigue in Persia and Afghanistan . And the possible disaffectionof the former power may compel the government to dispatch a considerable force to occupy the islands in the Persian Gulf . It may at first sight appear that this presumed impossibility of making the Indian army available in the present war is in direct
contradiction to your arguments lately adduced in the Leader in favour of constituting that army a Colonial force , to be employed in cases of emergency whenover the interest of the British Empire might require their presence . In reality it only proves what has been long notorious to those conversant with Indian affairs , that the time has come for a large augmentation of the European force in that country . A portion of the artillery , the finest in the world , might perhaps bo detached without prejudice , and a few of the Queen's regiments might undoubtedly be relieved by freshly raised corps from home . But the season U now too far advanced to permit the transport of any force through Egypt , and to dispatch thorn round the Cape is obviously absurd , even if there were available shipping for the purpose , which is more than doubtful .
The commissariat in India comes in for a share of 8 UrE . Perry ' s approbation , and very justly . But ib mtut be borne in mind that it ia more easy to pro-Vision nativo troops than Europeans . Tho former JJte fed mostly on rico and pulse , and do not require w * e attended in their march by huge droves of gWtl © or flocks of sheop . This greatly facilitates Woperationa of the commissariat , though it in no JOT'detracts from their morit in ably discharging Wb Ataeroua duties that Btill bolong to their depnvt-^ Blr'E . Perry apoko more to tho purposo when ho Igiiwwted upon tho recent selection of officers for * flftj Turkl « h contingent . It is beyond all dispute gwlufflelent discrimination was not exorcised in ^¦ Mrespoct . Many of tho gontlomon choson for )' . ¦!{ ¦
this important service were known to be quite in-I competent , and to constitute that small section of the Indian officers known as " the Company ' s hard bargains ; " and some few had actually been dismissed , or compelled to resign the service , for offences against military or -social laws . It is quite unnecessary to notice the observations of-Sir J . Fitzgerald and Colonel Dunne , further than they answered the purpose of " the carpenter ' s song " in operatic performances , and gave time to Sir James Hogg to arrange his sonorous platitudes . The army of India must be a 4 < separate , local , and distinct army , " because " we could not hold India by an exclusively European force . " This question was never mooted . The advocates for the amalgamation of the two services acknowledge the necessity of keeping up the native army , with which they would incorporate some 60 , 000 European troops . It has taken , we are told , " the wisdom of a hundred years" to build up the present fabric—it should rather have been said , " the blunders and accidents of a century and a half "—and now it is found to rest on an unsound I foundation . The difficulty as to exchanges is imaginary , for what is there to prevent an officer of the home army exchanging into one of the European regiments of the colonial army , and thus qualifying himself by lingual attainments and local experience for every kind of employment ? It is true that there are certain funds peculfar to the Indian army , but , if two officers agree to exchange , this becomes a matter of private arrangement . The one who leaves , forfeits his advantages in favour of the other , who in his turn enters upon the liabilities that would have fallen upon the former had he continued in the service . It is also true to a certain point that there is no individual promotion by purchase—at least , an officer cannot be placed over the heads of his seniors—but the custom is sanctioned of buying out an officer who , otherwise , might hang on for years . But the idea that there are 1100 officers in the Indian army who decline to retire on their pensions because they are too much attached to the country and too devoted to their profession to avail themselves of the privi- lege , is the most egregrious clap-trap that was ever heard without the walls of the transpontine theatres . Their motive for continuing to wither in that pestilent climate is simply to obtain the larger pension awarded in proportion to length of service , and as a general rule the officers of the Indian army would carry off the palm for grumbling and discon- tent from even the farmers of England . In fine , we must not look to the Indian army for
reinforcements during the present campaign , because , in the first place , it is too late to traverse the Indian Ocean and Egypt , supposing the troops were now collected at nny of the presidencies ; and those in the interior cannot be marched to the sea-coast before the ensuing cold season . Secondly , because in the threatening aspect of affairs in Persia and Burmah , it would be inexpedient to weaken our forces in the East . And thirdly , because the existing army ia barely sufficient in ordinary times for the duties it
has to fulfil . But this is no argument against the amalgamation of the two services , and Sir E . Perry acted unadvisedly in bringing the two questions conjointly before the House . They are , in fact , totally distinct . Or , rather , the first clause was not a fitting subject for deliberation—it was a point that rested entirely with the Executive Government of India . It is therefore to be regretted that the learned gentleman should have adopted such an injudicious course , which furnished his opponents with a specious excuse for throwing out his entire motion . I am , Sir , yours obediently , ¦ II -
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Boimck Explosion NEAit Dudley . —About half-past two o ' clock luflt Saturday morning , ft large tubular boiler exploded at tho Dudley Port Field \ V orks , killing two men at once , and dangerously injuring ton or eleven others , one of whom dioil almost directly . Several remain in a very precarious state . So fearful v ns the shock of tho explosion , that tho entire brick building and iron-work covering in tho boiler ' wore destroyed . Many of tho bricks of the former were hurled several hundred yards distant , breaking in tho roofs of the adjacent houses . One end of tho boiler ( between four and live tons weight ) was also thrown forward a hundred yards . Considerable further damage was do no , in consequence of which operations have been suspended for a time . —A boiler explosion has likewise taken pluco on tho South Yorkshire ltailwaj-, and has caused tho douth of tho fireman of tho engine .
TmtitE Cuisammn , named A-spon , A-poi , and A-ofiUi , were charged at the Thames Police Court with seriously wounding two of their own countrymen named Tuck-Guy , and A-ling , whoso lives aro greatly endangered . Tuok-Guy is tho celebrated knife-juggler wlio appeared at Drury-lano Theatre a few seasons ago . His wifo and Ahsnm ( a Chinese lodging-house keeper , at ¦ whoao tiouae Tuck-Guy was lodging , and where the affray occurred ) attempted to give evidence against the priaonors , but both , know so little of the English language an to bo unublo to mako themselves understood . Mr . Ingham therefore remanded tho prisoners until »
competent interpreter could be obtained . On the following day , Mr . Thom , an Oriental scholar , acted as interpreter , and the evidence was gone into . It appeared
that Tuck-Guy refused to lend the other Chinamen some money which they requested to borrow , -and that they then assaulted them with long knives , inflicting fearful gashes in the chest , the abdomen , and other parts of the body . The deposition of the juggler had to be taken in the hospital , where he lies in a very precarious state . A-ling , who is himself seriously wounded , is charged by Tuck-Guy with being concerned in the attack on him . The prisoners , who appear to have bttpi under the influence of drink and opium at the time of the fray , were remanded for a week .
Convocation . —On Friday week the Bishops again assembled : the Archbishop of Canterbury in the chair . The proceedings were for a time conducted with closed doors , and eventually the prolocutor of the Lower House brought up the Address as amended , which was , after much discussion , accepted , and the house adjourned . The Lower House did little but debate on the address to the Crown , which it abridged by omitting the reference to the province of York , and to the opinions of the counsel who had been consulted . The Society of Akts held its annual dinner on Monday at the Crystal Palace . The Duke of Argyll was in the chair , and announced that it was intended to provide a temporary building for the exhibition of raw produce and of manufactures ; to which Sir Joseph Paxton replied , by offering the Society all the space they might require in the Crystal Palace .
i ' ¦ Frisky Young Ladles . —Miss Lucy Thomas , a young lady about sixteen years of age , has brought an action in the Court of Exchequer against Miss O'Beirne , a schoolmistress , for breaking a contract and discharging her . The defendant , among other pleas , said that Miss Thomas had behaved with impropriety ; and the young lady herself , in her evidence , admitted that , one of the pupils in the school having received a valentine on the 14 th of last February , she ( the plaintiff ) had , together with some others , concocted , and caused to be sent to the same young lady , a letter purporting to be from some gentleman deeply smitten , and containing allusions to the " fine eves" of the recipient . It was
' ^ ^ ^ J * signed "An Officer , " and an answer was requested , which was to be directed " Post-ofl&ce , Southampton . " Miss Thomas added , in explanation , that " the truth was , Miss Trail ( to whom the letter was addressed ) was very proud of her eyes . " She was very much pleased with this letter , and was constantly talking of it with the greatest delight . It further appeared that Miss Thomas used to perform the parts of Highlanders when acting charades , and that she had ridiculed Miss O'Beirne behind her back to the pupils , and had stuck a ball of cotton under the collar of the writing-master ' s coat . Notwithstanding these facts , however , Miss Thomas obtained a verdict—damages , 20 / .
Nelson ' s Daughter . —We perceive by an advertisement that the children of Nelson ' s daughter Horatiu are now all provided for . The subscriptions of the public amount to 1427 J . New Asylum for Idiots near Reigate . —Prince Albert inaugurated this new huilding on Tuesday . The Tkade Accounts from the manufacturing towns are on the whole satisfactory ; the excellent prospects of the harvest , both in this country and the United States , having produced a general increase of confidence . Health of London . —Ia the week that ended last Saturday , the deaths of 1273 persons , of whom G 69 were males , and 604 females , were registered in London . The births were , 879 boys , and 853 girls ; in all , 1732 children . In the ten corresponding weeks of the years 1845-54 , the average number was 1484 . —From the Registrar-General ' s Weekly Jieturn .
Dennis Mahoney , an Irishman , has been committed for fourteen days for running at tho side of the Queen ' s carriage in Kensington , shouting loudly . He asserted that he merely intended to give her Majesty three cheers . Proposed New Bishoprics . — Arrangements have been submitted to her Majesty ' s Government , and , it is said , agreed to , for tho erection of foiu * out of the twelve new bishoprics proposed by the commissioners . The seat of the first will be at Nevcastle-upon-Tyne , and will comprise tine whole of the Archdeaconry of Northumberland , including , among others , the towns of Tyiiemouth , North and South Shields , Wark , Hexliam , Knaresdale , and Bedlington , at present forming part of tho see of Durham . The second new bishoprics will bo formed out of tho diocese of Rochester , and will comprise tho archdeaconries of St . Albans and Essex , including ,
among other towns , St . Albans , Hertford , Nerkhumpstead , Kickmnnsworth , Triiig , llomel Hcmpstoad , YTelwyn , Hitchen , Bishop Stortfonl , Chelmaford , and Miildon ; the scat of tho bishopric will bo at St . Albans . Tho third see will bo formed out of the present diocese of Lincoln ,, tho seat of tho bishopric being at Southwell . It win com ri 8 o , among others , the towns of Nottingham , Kotford , Worksop , Tuxford , Cliuehoroi . gh , Newark , Farndon , Normanton , Mansfield , and <* nm by . rh ° fourth now see will bo formed out of ho diocese of Kxoter , and will comprise tlie whole of tho county of Cornwall . Tho ' soot of tho s « ie will bo at St . Columb , near Truro , tho proceeds of which valuable bonefico wiU bo made over in perpetuity , ly tho present rector < uui patron , towards tho endowment of tho bishopric—Observer .
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3 * i& % ± ®?> Z . ~\ TiSEMlBIB ; . % & )
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), July 7, 1855, page 649, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2098/page/13/
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