THE TORY HORSE GUARDS.
Tux Whig Government, although now in power for nearly six years, still leaves the control of the Army in the hands of the Opposition; abandoning to the powers at the Horse-Guards mime .se patronage—constitutionally the most dangerous of all patronage—to be employee in thwarting in every way the measures of the King's Ministers.
Though this is no new grievance, we are led to remark on it at this time from a new regulation made at the Horse Guards. The regulation requires that officers, who ask leave of' absence to pro- ceed to the Continent, shall certify on their honour that they will not enter Spain,—that is, that they will not join General EVANS and the British Legion, or in any way aid the cause which the Civil Government is making avowed efforts to support. Thus, one department of the Government is allowed to use its influence to render null the measures of the Cabinet. Thus, the immense expense of stores and arms, which Lord PALMERSTON has ad- vanced to the Liberals in Spain, and English loans which have been sacrificed to that cause, are perhaps to be fruitless, because Lord FITZROY SOMERSET is allowed to hold the Horse Guards as a fortress for the Tories.
The spite towards the Legion, does not, however, date from the order alluded to; it has been manifested from the beginning. Every one, whether civil or military, is aware of the importance of good officers in the forming of an army, and more particularly one from raw recruits to be immediately taken into the field to face experienced enemies. When the Legion was first formed, per- mission was given for officers to serve in it. But then. the Horse Guards made those who availed themselves of such permission go upon half-pay,—that is, virtually relinquish their situation and prospects in their own service.
The officials at the Horse Guards (for they nearly all served in the Peninsula) will recollect the very different system which was pursued when we formed the Portuguese army. Some of the most efficient officers in each regiment were then asked to enter that service, and still allowed to retain their rank and full pay in their own.
; From the Ordnance Corps, it is true, (for they are not under the Horse Guards,) two experienced officers, Majors REID and Cosiaursoutv, were allowed to join General EVANS on these terms. But very shortly afterwards, this permission was with- draws, by the personal desire of the highest authority in the king- dom. There can be no doubt at whose instigation this intimation was given.
The Foreign Secretary is in consequence obliged to resort to shifts in order to avoid the authority or influence of the Horse Guards ; and Major Coseueouse with several other officers of Artillery, and Artillery-men, Engineers, and Sappers and Miners, have returned to the Legion; but to be under the orders of Lord Joitat HAY, of the Navy !
It is time that this state of government should be put an end to. If a proper Whig-Radical Commander-in-Chief cannot be found —and men of such politics are particularly rare in the high ranks of the Army—let the office be placed in commission, as the Ad- miralty is.
The patronage of the Horse Guards being left with the ene- mies of the Government, affords them much political power. Thousands, who have sons to provide for, look to commissions in the Army, and get their names placed as candidates for such on the Commander-in-Chief's list. Again, men in the Army desire promotion, exchange, stafrappointtnents, &c.: such things can easily be made to tell in Parliamentary elections.
To return, however, to Lord PALMERSTON'S policy in the Penin- sula. The same measures to thwart him were resorted to when Don PEDRO fitted out his armament to expel Minuss front Por- tugal. °divers joining PEDRO, indeed, went in the face of the Foreign Inlisttnent Act; but still many went, for officers fond of their profession are not easily deterred, and many availed them- selves of borrowed names. Several, however, under the act just mentioned, %%ere deprived of their commissions and half-pay : amongst them, the gallant Admiral NAPIER, and this after an action one of the most brilliant ever performed by British sailors. A bill to repeal the Foreign lnlistment Act was brought in at that time, by Mr. MURRAY, the Member for Leith, anti was car- ried in the Commons ; but was of course immediately rejected by time Horse Guards branch of the Legislature.
The folly of a law to restrain the free-agency of officers on half-pay, is self-evident. The object of keeping up a standing army is, not to parade about St. James's, but for efficiency in the field. For this, experience is essential,* but above all, officers possessing experience se and there is no question that the officers who have served with the Legion, if allowed to return to the ser- vice, will be infinitely more valuable than those who have re- mained during the same time at home. Independent of this, it is unjust to officers, who were placed against their desire on half-pay, that thee should not be allowed to take employment of the only kind which ninny, from their habits, are capable of accepting.
Such perfect freedom to officers on half-pay was always allowed until the period of the contest in South America, when Lord CAS- TLEREAGH brought forward the Foreign Inlistment Act, in order to please FERDINAND the Seventh; tc whose baneful reign, after his restoration, the present unhappy state of Spain is chiefly to be attribu ted.
While upon the subject of the Horse Guards policy and pro- ceedings, we think it right to advert to a measure which is in contemplation for saddling the nation with a considerable increase to the Army Estimates, and bestowing almost exclusively on the op- ponents of theGovernment, a large amount of patronage. It is confi- dently reported in the Military Clubs, and amongst the underling officials and persons about the Court, that a large Brevet promotion is to take place either on the 1st of January 1837, or en the birth-day of time King. To many of our readers the term may not be under- stood : to them we say, that the Brevet will make a certain num- ber of the senior Lieutenant-Generals full Generals, of the Ma- jor-Generals Lieutenant-Generals, and so on down to the Captains to be Majors. Now this will, of course, add a larger sum to our annual expenditure, particularly to the Dead-weight—the Half- pay and Retired Allowance List—which still remains so enormous, after twenty-two years of perce. Look to the Army Estimates, ye independent Reformers, who are preparing to support the Ministry in a different fashion from that of the last two sessions: Lord Howtex wants your assistance On the list there are indeed many officers, even of so high a rank as Lieutenant-Colonel, who did not enter the Army till tong after the close of the war. It is not, therefore, in consequence of service to their country that they have such a rank and receive half-pay, but merely through favour at the Horse Guards, and from their connexion with the aristocracy. It cannot be argued that the public service requires more Gene- rals or Colonels; for we find on the list about 400 of the former and 700 of the latter ; whilst the number of the first employed is only about 25, and of the last 150. Nor can it be argued that our regiments are not efficiently commanded; and such a Brevet would remove many officers from such command, to be placed on the list of Generals with little prospect of ever again being called upon, or rather of being allowed, to serve. But, on the other hand, this measure would create a great deal of patronage, by vacating a number of appointments, which would be at the disposal of the Horse Guards. Ay, ay ; that's the use of the Brevet—more pa- tronage for the Tories—more rewards for the Opposition—more taxes to be pad by the People. Independent Reformers hasten to the rescue of your much-abused allies the Ministers, from their perilous and degrading relations with the Army.
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