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THE WAR OFFICE. I

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THE WAR OFFICE. I In the session of 1864, when the estimates from the Titary department were under consideration,—the ÐCODOmists discovered, that the cost of the French army r man was about 100 per cent less than that of Eng- '?' ? it was asked how this additional expense was .? '—the French soldier being clothed, fed, and •d aa well as our own 1 The solution was found in that increase of patrouage which has been going on III largely since 1831; and which has increased most im- mensely the number of civil employis in the War Office, and its dependencies; and the expense of the civil branch f the service. It is in that branch, we are informed, that rte secret of the extra expense of our army is to be found. English army, man for man, costs the State scarcely more than is drawn from the treasury of the empire for that of France. The Government, after its attention was called to the subject, appointed, last autumn, a committee to inquire into the subject, and to consider how the War Office could be reorganised. The committee consisted of the three under-secretaries of State for the War De. nartinent, and two gentlemen of high standing in the Treasury. They did not give a very long time to the inquiry, the result of which was three reports, which Was laid lipon the table of the House of Commons early in the present month, and have since been printed. It is difficult to gather from these reports the exact nature of the remedy which the Committee propose for the admitted evil; though they suggest what appears a feasible cure for another. There are in the War Office first second, and third-class clerks; and they are divid. ed into fourteen branches; one having charge of the stores, another of the clothing, a third of barracks, a fourth of food,-and so on. It appears, that though thus divided, and each branch having entirely different duties to perform,—yet, when a vacancy occurs in any wav it is not filled up out of that particular branch; but the heads of all the fourteen branches meet and consult, and recommend some one for promotion, who may or may not belong to the branch, the duties of which he will have to perform. If he does, well and good: if he does not, this system gives rank and salary according to the supposed merits of the individual, with. out reference to the duties to be provided for; and it not unfrequently happens, that ordinary duties are re- warded with higher pay, and posts of comparative re- sponsibility are left in charge of. officers of lower rank, because their superiors are in utter ignorance of what they ought to do. The Committee recommend,—Sir E. Lugard dissenting-that a clerk should be promoted only in that branch to which he belongs and this cer- tainly appears to be the correct and prudent course. Sir E. Lugard objects to this recommendation, as he thinks that the more clerks are enabled to become ac quainted with the duties of the different branches of the office, the more generally useful they become." No doubt; but then this acquaintance with the duties ought to be obtained by training juniors in all the branches and not by promoting a clerk from the stores branch, for instance, to that of the barracks," when he knew nothing whatever of the duties devolving upon him in the latter. This re-organization of the office, will, no doubt' cause the duties to be more efficiently executed; and to lessen the expense, Earl Grey has discharged about 50 extra clerks, who have been employed since the Crimean War began. It is also stated, that if" dunces are not employed, the civil expenses of the War Office might be diminished at least 10 per cent. We thought the competitive system would prevent the appointment of dunces;" and that, even before the adoption of that system, the test of fitness resorted to was sufficient to prevent the employment of persons, who could not, with any justice be placed in that class. However, this appears not to be the case: and there is no suggestion to meet the evil. We have no doubt, however, that if the author- ities sanction the recommendation, to restrict the promo- tion of clerks to the branch in which they have served up to the time that promotion takes place, that that change must be beneficial; and that the duties of the various branches of the department will be better per. formed. Au reste,-such is the necessity of patronage to the possession of place,-infinitely more now than be- fore the Reform Bill was passed,—that we have little hopes of seeing the expenses of the War Office decreas- ed, as the result of the inquiries of the Committee; whilst the step Earl de Greyand Ripon has taken, to lessen that expense by dismissing, at a month's notice. 50 clerks, who in 1862, were declared to be part of the permanent establishment of the War Office, appears to us to be an act at once arbitrary and unjust. +

THE FALL OF RICHMOND. j

BEAUMARIS. ! I

DENBIGH.

FESTINIOG.

I - HOLYHEAD..

LLANDUDNO.

I MENAI BPJDGE.- - - - .

I PWLLHELI.

I TOWYN.