THE BRITISH ARMY.

Timaru Herald, Volume L, Issue 4843, 14 May 1890, Page 3

THE BRITISH ARMY.

In the House of Commons on March 13th, Mr B. Stanhope, secretary for War, made hisotatement respecting tlio Biitish tinny, m moving a votoof £5,643,000 forpay and allowances to nn army establishment if 153,483 mon of all ranks. Tho plan thoy hid m viow assnmod tbnt t)io land forces of the country should provide for the rlefciico of forts, harbours, and coaling stations, -md second!; it waanceesiary to provide a scheme of mobilisation that would cnablo tliom lo form tlio first Hoc of bultlo mainly of the local troop?, with a eeond line formed of auxiliary forces. 'J he tiblcs for such a mobilisation liail bcon woried out, and they showed wiioro every unit of our dotonsivo forces would have to go m timo of emorfjoncy, tlio orders that woro to bo given, and the preparations that were to bo niudo, and all Iho regulations for mobilisation m various parts of the country. Huch a sohoma would require from limo to time supervision and roviaion, nnd ho agreed that no taora paper organiiation could bo ro'.ioil on till thoy hud teßted it. 'Iho primary condition of rapid mobilisation was, of course, centralisation. Thoro wiib no matter Hint wus n.ora important than atoros Alderehot, for initlunco, had been provided wilh ovcryartiolo that could bo required by tbo force thero, and Iho tamo might bo snid of other great etoro places which woro practically complete, whilst tho arrangements for others wero being pushed forward. Tho propamtioiiß foi- defenco of ooaling stations aud forts throughout tho rCmpirn woro m a very advunced staio, nnd this was specially so m reference to sub marine mining operations. Tho' garrisons for theso places amountad to 125,000 moD, besides eoino local forces. Tho Drst lino of dofenco would consist of 110,000 men, regular troops, with eomo mililia, Dnd for this army thoro wbs an ample force of artillery and cavalry. Thoy would draw thoir siippiios from local storeß, which woro iv ovory cuao ncur an important railway station, 'lucre wa« n supply of 14,000 liorsoa which they could draw upon. Th* second lino of defence was composed of Volunteers with 2fiß guno. Tlio pliico of concentration for ovory buttery and briga'lo had been fhod, and Iho troops could bo provided ut ouco with lc»t», walorproof blonltels, and cnlronctiing boots Anotbor aubjoct which hnd occupied Iho ultonlion of Iho War Ofiino wus tho possibility of calling out eomo portion of (ho Mo-iorvcs for the purposu of training. Thoy bad a wurning from somo employers, who told them plainly that anything m tho naturo of an annual training would compel lliom to disconti'iuo tho employment of tho men of the Ztcßcrvo. Tho necessity for training that forco had bocn lnrgcly incrciißod by tbo introduotion of tho ninguzino rillo, and tlipy propojod this yoar to tako a tontnUvo slop m this direction. By issuing a ccrtnin number of maKnzino rillM nt inipnrlml. point) tlioy would bo ablo to rccuro thai Iho 'men ")io passed into tlio Roporvo tliis year should reooivo Irainiiiu with tlio now wunnon. Tlio ti'ttiuiii" of militnry roomils would bo increased by Bovon d»ys, nnd Iho niu.'kotr.v insl ruction would bn curriod out at beadquarto™. Tho proposals fur tho better instruction of ofllcnri) and for improving the odleioncy of tho nou commissioned ranks, had beon odoptod, nnd for tho purpoio of getting rid of billeting, tont stores would bo issued whorovar nccowary, provision having bcon nmdo for Ihia m tho Kstimntce. 'ihp next subject was that of warliko Btoros, and so groat had been the iucrtaao under this, head, that tho valuo of llio etorca lo be inspo'utod Ihia your amounted to £0,000,000. Tho provision wliioh bad been mado for tbo minufttcturo of brcccliloading guua woe f,or

the £ir.-t time .slUisfuclory. Iv ttio year 188U there had b.en delivered' 4JB brecch-londiug Suns, ranging m cahbro f rom 4:a. to 16 25m., besides nimrhino and quick-firing guna of various sizes to tho number of between 400 uiul s'vO. At tho present timo thero was only ono ship of llio Royal Nayy — the Banspariel — which was awaiting any portion of her armnment, and while tho artnument of the coaling stations was nearly completed, the arming of tho imperial ports was making satisfactory progress. It was expected that all tho regulnr forces both at Homo and m India would during the year ba armed with tho magazine riflo, and the experiments with the sraokeleis powder bad proved exlromely satisfactory. In the course of a fow months tho whole of Ilia service batlerios and throe depot batteries of artillery would bo nrmod with tho 12-pouudc r guns, and they had rnado progress with the construction and storage of the Brennan torpedo, the oxporimonts with which had far exceeded their expectation. His ntlention had been called during tho past year to tho necessity of establishing a r.eervo, m order to provide, at tho timo of mobilisation, tho necessary clothing for our troops. Tho reports of tho clothlßg iesuod from various branches of the service wero very satisfactory, and the proportion of eomplaiuts by commanding officers had been nnnuully decreasing, "very care had bcontnlton with regard to tho contracts for clothing and accoutrements to provont anything lilio swonting. Daring tho past year tho fullest consideration bad been given to tho subject of ralionE, and the committee wiiioh was appointed to look into the question had roportod thnt they found the rations generally satisfactory and suflioient, but that the bread might bo improved, and sines then it had been improved, and there had furthor boon appointed inspectors of rations, which hud proved of great value. During ili» p.*.* i.iro years thero had been a croat iinprovoment. eireeiea i T .*i, n efficiency of the officers m tho Army, and ho thongiu.^ that thnnks were duo to mnny officials conncetod with tho various departments of tho Wnr OlUco for the general improvement which hud taken placo iv the condition of our defeneivo forces. 18 DEAFNESS INCORABLK? J. H. Nicholson, of 175 William Etreot, Molbourno, has proved otherwiao by making a comploto euro of dbapnbss and noises m TUB HEAD OFOVKE 40 YKAHs' STANDING, by a eimplo »ouiedy and without the use of nny "clap trap " co called electro-medication treatment. A full description of this remedy, which has cured thousands of other cases of long standing, will bo sent FREE on application. Tho Liberal Press m Russia is m a bad way. The only St Petersburg Liberal organ, the NovosH, is about to be taken over by a syndicate of Conservative capitalists, 03 the present manager is unable to make the paper pay. The SuisJti YydemosU of Moscow, which is tbo only other Liberal paper of note m the empire, will probably soon go the enmo way, as it is continually coming into collision wirh tbo censors.