THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON AND REFORMS IN THE ARMY.
(To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."]
Sm,—I see in the review of General Sir George Higginson's book in your issue of January 27th the remark : " The Duke in his old age had done nothing for the Army." That will certainly give a wrong impression. The Duke of Wellington a few years before his death urged strongly on the Government an increase of both the naval and military forces and certain reforms. But his representations remained unheeded—indeed, were scorned and ridiculed by some of our public men. John Bright, for instance, in a minute on the subject of the Duke's proposals, wrote that he had not much regard for the opinion of military commanders, and did not consider that there was any reason to increase the number of "idle men dressed in red and blue." This was Mr. Bright's pleasant way of describing the Army and Navy.—I am,
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