Flirts to flit tailor.
CAPTAIN VIVIAN'S MOTION.
Belfast, 11Ih June 1858.
Scat—The importance of the question raised by Captain Vivian'e motion can hardly be overrated. The single objection to the abolition of double go- vernment in the army is that it might increase Parliamentary corruption: but this may be prevented by leaving the patronage and discipline in the. hands of the Commander-in-chief, as at present : reserving to the Minister the power of setting aside the decisions of the Commander-in-chief, with the obligation of stating his reasons in writing.
The 'relation of the Minister of 'War to the Commander-in-chief ought to be precisely that between any Parliamentary Minister and the permanent head of his department. Except that as the army must look to a military man as its commander, the Commander-in-ebief must have a higher osten- sible position and larger powers than the head of a civil department. But the principle of the relation between the Parliamentary Minister and the. permanent staff is the same in all departments : and its civil as well as in- military departments, the patronage ought to be intrusted_ as much as possible to the permanent heads : partly in order to avoid Parliamentary corruption, and partly because it will thus be really better used.
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