That was not the only ludicrous scene of the last month. There was, too, a baking of great crosses, commanderies, knighthoods, &c., such as Portugal never saw, though accustomed to see those distinctions, as vulgar and numerous, some years ago, as porters or footmen at London. Dom Pedro, in so abusing the temporary power he had been intrusted with, intended to rally his partisans; but he shot wide from the mark, for it is said that even the Marquis of Palmella refuses a title Dom Pedro had no authority to give him. Sartorius, though justly offended, had the generosity to sacrifice his resentment to the cause of the innocent Queen of Portugal, and trusted voluntarily his claims to the umpirage of General Saldanha and Colonel Badcock of the British army. Had Dom Pedro been but polite with Sartorius, all motive of discontent might have ceased; but Dom Pedro is not only silly and inconsequent, but rude. At last he was obliged to replace the ViceAdmiral in the situation he was in before his dismission, and he sailed to Vigo for provisions. The vis inertiæ, as you justly remarked in your last number, never was so apparent as now, on both sides. Solignac, who is largely paid, does not seem to be too anxious to come to the dénouement of this drama; otherwise he should have essayed a coup-de-main.on the left side of the Douro; and Campbell and St. Lourenço are waiting for the dog-days to set on fire our palisades. Two regiments of Militia rose in favour of Donna Maria at Figueiras. They expected to be supported by General Solignac; but the vis inertiæ has prevailed at the head-quarters generally, and they were abandoned to their fate. The army is in good spirits, and the Portuguese officers are persuaded that they might open their way through the enemy, if Dom Pedro and Solignac were not afraid of abandoning Oporto. The English boys our agents at London have sent us, are, for the most part, in the hospital, on account of the scorching sun they were not accustomed to. So it happened to the division of General Clinton at Lisbon, in the spring of 1827. I have the honour, &c., PORTUENSE. ROYAL NAVAL SCHOOL. THE Institution under this denomination held their general meeting on Thursday the 23d ultimo. Admiral the Hon. Sir Robert Stopford, G.Č.B., presided, and was supported by Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Codrington, ViceAdmiral Lambert, Rear-Admiral Sir J. Brenton, Captain Jenkin Jones, and other members of the council, besides whom not more than from forty to fifty officers attended the meeting. The report of the council (which has been printed for circulation) was read and confirmed. It enters minutely into the details of the establishment, as lately opened at Alfred Place, Camberwell. The receipts and expenditure of the past year were submitted, with estimates of those for the year ensuing; the latter showing a balance in favour of the School of 1547. 158. on the outlay for that period. It appears to us, however, that some items are underrated, and others omitted, in this account. A motion by Sir J. Brenton, relative to the mode in which Dr. Bell's donation should be employed, called forth an amendment from Captain Dickson, which was negatived, and the motion carried. The regulations for the government and management of the School were also read; these elicited some discussion, and are again to be submitted for confirmation at a meeting convened for the 11th inst., instead of the 6th, as previously announced. Our readers are already aware that a difference of opinion exists between the Council and Captain Dickson, the projector of the School, on the ground that the former have departed from the original prospectus in some material points. We believe that the views of Captain Dickson are participated in by no inconsiderable portion of the naval service: the council, however, appear quite satisfied with the course they are pursuing, and request but time to realize their expectations. We hope they may succeed, and that the general interests of the Service, as regards this Institution, may yet be reconciled. HALF-YEARLY PUBLIC EXAMINATIONS AT THE ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE, SANDHURST. THE usual half-yearly public examinations of the officers and gentlemen cadets studying at the Royal Military College, took place on the 16th, 17th, and 18th of May, before a Board of Commissioners, at which there were present, besides General the Hon. Sir Edward Paget, the Governor, and Colonel Sir George Scovell, the Lieutenant-Governor of the Institution,General Sir W. H. Clinton, Major-Gen. Sir Howard Douglas, Colonel Pasley, of the Royal Engineers, and Major Garvock, Assist. Adj.-General. The examinations of the gentlemen-cadets occupied the 16th and 17th of May; at the close of which, the following were declared to have completed their qualifications for commissions, and were accordingly recommended by the Commissioners to the General Commanding in Chief, in the order of their acquirements and merit, to receive Ensigncies in the Line, without purchase: 1. Douglas W. P. Labalmondière. 2. Henry B. F. Dickinson. 3. Robert W. M'L. Fraser. 4. Francis J. Thomas. 5. Henry Bridges. 6. William E. James. 8. William Walker. 9. William H. H. Anderson. 7. Richard W. Hopkins. Gentlemen-cadets Labalmondière and Dickinson, having each passed two examinations, and Gentlemen-cadets Fraser, Thomas, Bridges, and James, one examination, beyond the required course, were presented with honorary certificates of approbation. By the result of the examinations, above forty other young gentlemen were declared to have made various steps towards qualifying themselves for commissions, in those branches of the mathematics which are applicable to military purposes; in permanent and field fortification, and the attack and defence of places; in Latin and general history, and in the modern languages. And sixteen had also, during the half year, completed the course of professional education in military surveying, and twenty-two in the actual construction of intrenchments and saps in the field. The third day of the Board's sitting was occupied, as usual, with the examinations of the officers studying at the senior department of the College; when Captains R. Rumley, of the 60th Regiment, and R. W. Huey, of the 68th Regiment, after undergoing a satisfactory trial of their acquirements, were presented with certificates of qualification of the first class. Sir Howard Douglas, by whom the examination of these gentlemen was principally conducted, first caused them to investigate several intricate propositions in the higher branches of mathematics; among the applications of which were exhibited some remarkable circumstances concerning the real trajectory of a shot in air. At the conclusion of the mathematical course, were shown several problems connected with mathematical geography and practical astronomy, with the investigations of the trigonometrical formulæ by which numerical results are obtained. In all these subjects Captain Rumley particularly distinguished himself. In the examination on fortification, after detailing the construction of permanent works, according to the methods of Vauban, Coehorn, and Cormontaigne, and pointing out their respective qualities, a good account was given of some of the more modern fortifications, particularly of the system proposed and partly executed by the celebrated Carnot. The formation of field-works was next described, and the circumstances were stated in which they are respectively required; such as strengthening positions, forming têtes-de-pont, containing the magazines of an army, &c.; and, lastly, on the great model belonging to the Institution, was delivered a spirited description of the attack and defence of fortresses supposed to be countermined; and the interest of this description was heightened by frequent references made to corresponding proceedings in the late siege of the Citadel of Antwerp. As a test of the qualifications of Captains Rumley and Huey in the sketching of ground, a large survey performed by those officers, in conjunction with Captain Michel, 64th Regiment, Captain Finne, 8th Hussars, and Lieutenant Hutchinson, 74th Regiment, was laid before the Commissioners. This sketch, containing nearly one hundred square miles of country, in Sussex, and embracing Brighton and its environs, displayed great beauty, as well as accuracy of execution. While the examinations on the 17th and 18th were proceeding in the Board Room, various field-works were traced on the ground in front of the College, by parties both of gentlemen-cadets and officers; the latter under the direction of Major Hutchinson, 76th Regiment, and Captain Townsend, 83d Regiment, as seniors in rank. The works to be traced were selected by Colonel Pasley, and the mode in which the areas and angles were calculated, the lines directed, and the working profiles set up, appeared to receive the approbation of that distinguished engineer. ABSTRACT OF PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS CONNECTED WITH THE ARMY AND NAVY. HOUSE OF COMMONS, FEBRUARY 26, 1833. Mr. Hume rose to move for a return of the names of all colonels of regiments at present in the service, together with the dates of their appointments and promotions, a statement of their services at home and abroad, what other offices, if any, are held by them, and of all emoluments which they receive. He insisted that, excepting the duty of clothing the regiments, these offices were strictly sinecures. The motion was agreed to. Mr. T. Attwood presented a petition from the Birmingham Political Union, complaining of the improper interference of the military in elections of Members of Parliament, and calling upon the House to declare all elections, where such interference had taken place, to be null and void. The Honourable Member declared that his observations chiefly related to the borough of Walsall. Mr. Foster, as Member for Walsall, declared that it was not till an attack had been made on the inn in which the electors in his interest were assembled, by a vast body of men from Birmingham, that the military had been sent for; nor was it till the election had virtually closed that they arrived. Happily they arrived in time to save Walsall from the fate of Bristol. Mr. Buckingham complained of the interference of the military at Sheffield, where a man on duty for the preservation of the peace had been killed, and several children wounded. An Honourable Member asserted, that if military interference was justifiable any where it was at Sheffield, for by it the town had been saved. MARCH 7. Distribution of the Forces.-Mr. Hume rose to ask the House to order some information of considerable importance. Our army estimates were for 90,000 troops. Now he wished to know in what manner they were distributed, in order to judge of the practicability of reducing them. They were scattered over our possessions, and he did not see why a detailed account should not be laid before the House. The Honourable Member then moved for returns of the distribution of the regular military force in 1833, in England, Scotland, Ireland, and the Colonies, distinguishing the old from the new Colonies.. Lord Althorp hoped the House would do him the justice to give him credit for a readiness to give information whenever it could be done with security to the public service. With regard to the motion of the Honourable Gentleman, it had been made in 1819 and acceded to, and likewise last year. In the interval, however, such information had never been laid before the House, nor, he believed, prior to 1819. Although therefore, there were precedents for the motion of the Honourable Member, it had not been the ordinary custom; and it might be, on some occasions, very undesirable to give public notice of the distribution of our force. It would be extremely inconvenient if it were the habit and practice of the House to call for this information; for if that were the case, it might be very difficult for the Government to resist giving it when it might be dangerous to do so. For this reason, it might be objectionable to accede to the motion in the present session (though this, he admitted, was a trifling objec tion); but in addition to the objection of making it the permanent practice of the House, he stated, on his responsibility as a Minister, that there were circumstances which rendered it inconvenient to the public service to state the direct distribution of our force, and therefore he was bound to object to the motion of the Honourable Member. Colonel Davies observed that, when he saw the motion on the paper, he never supposed there could possibly be an objection to it. We were in profound peace, there was no danger of any of our foreign possessions being attacked, and if there was, that was a poor excuse to the House of Commons. If foreign powers wished to know the force of any of our garrisons, they could ascertain it in spite of all our precautions. He wished to know why the information could not be given. Sir J. Hobhouse said, there was sufficient information before the House already for all purposes of argument on the estimates. The House would never require an account of the distribution of the army abroad, which should be left to the discretion of Government. With colonies spread all over the globe, in the East Indies, and in the West Indies, and in all parts of the world, would it not be the grossest imprudence to call upon the Government to tell what number of regiments were placed in the different parts? It would be doing what the House of Commons ought not to do-exposing this information to the eyes of those whose interest it might be to take advantage of the information. Let it be remembered it was not to the Honourable Member, nor to the Parliament only, for he should be ready to communicate it to the House, but it would be told to all the world in what part of the globe our force was distributed. Mr. O'Connell trusted the House would insist upon the information being given. It would neglect its duty to the public if it did not insist upon it. The House was only able to guess at the expense. Sir J. Hobhouse said that the amount of expense was given. Mr. O'Connell.-Yes, the aggregate; but he wished to know the details. The Noble Lord had put it upon his own character. Lord Althorp observed that he had merely stated upon his responsibility as a Minister, that circumstances rendered it unadvisable to give the information. Mr. O'Connell-The Noble Lord had said he was not in the habit of withholding information, and that was the reason he (Mr. O'Connell) said he had put it upon his own character. And then the Right Honourable Baronet had said that it was the prerogative of the Crown to distribute the army. Why, who denied it? But it was the duty of that House to curb the prerogative of the Crown, in disposing of the army as it pleased, and to save the expense even of a single drummer or fifer. Before the House voted one shilling for the army estimates, there should be the fullest information as to where the army was stationed, in order that the House might see if any retrenchment could be made. An Honourable Member, whose name we knew not, contended that the power of distributing the army ought to be left in the hands of the Government. Mr. Wynn had never recollected a time when an individual, however strong might be his disapprobation of the measures of Government, upon a Minister stating that the information asked could not be given without material inconvenience to the public service, had not considered the answer as given on the responsibility of the Minister and been satisfied. To call on his Majesty's Ministers to state, under any cir cumstances, the exact amount of force which it was intended to assign to each particular place would be extremely inconveneint. But it was said, “ tell us why it is inconvenient"-one of the most extraordinary questions he had ever heard, for it rendered necessary a disclosure of the very circumstances it was desirable to conceal. Mr. Bolling opposed the motion. Mr. Sheil thought the information ought to be produced. Colonel Torrens objected to the motion. Captain Dundas was understood to oppose the motion. Mr. Hume expressed his astonishment at the observations which had fallen from the Noble Lord and the Right Honourable Secretary at War. The House were told that the country, might be attacked if the information were to be produced; but, in the name of common sense, by whom was it to be attacked? What Power was suspected of a disposition to attack us? There was nothing in the Speech from the throne to justify the apprehensions of war; and now that he had mentioned the King's Speech, he would observe that the country had been disappointed at finding that it contained no recommendation to reduce the establishments. By and by, when the estimates should be under discussion, if he were to move for a reduction of the army, Ministers would ask him to show how any part of the force could be spared, and yet they refused him the only means by which he would be enabled to do so. He should like to know, for instance, how many troops were maintained at the Ionian Islands, because he might feel it his duty to propose that not a single soldier should be retained there.-(Mr. W. Brougham-"What! not one?")-The Hon. Member was pleased to be merry. Perhaps it was supposed, in Southwark, that the Ionian Islands belonged to this country, but he could assure the Honourable Member that that was not the fact. He should certainly take the sense of the House upon the motion.— ("Question.") Oh, yes, they should have questions enough soon. There were some Members of that House who would not suffer observations to be made, or even a question to be asked, without crying "Question," but that would change soon. Lord Palmerston contended that Ministers were justified in opposing the motion, because the production of the information might be detrimental to the public service. The Honourable Member might found his calculations upon the returns for the last fifteen years. The Committee then divided, and the numbers were : New Pension Warrant.-The Earl of Darlington wished to know when the Mutiny Bill would be brought forward. His reason for asking was, that he meant to take advantage of the occasion, as the most fitting and convenient for offering some remarks on a Royal warrant, bearing the signature of the Secretary at War, in relation to soldiers' pensions, which had been lately issued, and which, he conceived, contained enactments very prejudicial to the soldiers' interests. Sir J. Hobhouse hoped to be able to bring forward the Mutiny Bill before the holydays. The warrant to which the Noble Lord had alluded was wholly prospective in its operation, and had not, as he should be able to show at the proper time, been issued without the maturest consideration and the fullest approbation of the military authorities. MARCH 19. Garrisons-Lord Ebrington wished to know whether the Right Honourable Gentleman the Secretary at War could inform him at what period he contemplated laying before the House, those returns which he (Lord Ebrington) had moved for respecting garrisons at home and abroad? Sir J. Hobhouse said he had written letters to the commanders of the different garrisons, requesting them to forward the desired information, and the returns could not, of course, be made up until the answers to those letters were received. This, he feared, would be some time yet. He took this opportunity of stating to the Honourable Member for Middlesex that it would be out of his power to present the returns moved for by that Honourable Member relative to the profits of colonels of regiments until nearly the end of the Session, because a great number of those officers were residing at great distances abroad. Lord Ebrington trusted that the returns relative to the garrisons at home would be shortly laid on the table, and gave notice that he would move, on the army estimates being brought under the consideration of the House, that a Select Committee be appointed to inquire into the salaries of the governors and deputy governors of garri sons at home and abroad, with a view to ascertain whether any reduction might be made in them, without detriment to the public service. |