IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET {MT-3)
1.0
I.I
1.25
IM 112.5
IS |||22
1.4 II 1.6
Photographic
Sciences
Corporation
#
4,
^^
^
r^
^
V
.V
N>
^U
6^
\j
"9.^
23 WEST MAIN STREET
WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580
(716) 87J-4503
%
CIHM/ICMH
Microfiche
Series.
CIHM/ICMH
Collection de
microfiches.
Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut canadien de microreproductions historiques
Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques
The Institute has attempted to obtain the best
original copy available for filming. Features of this
copy which may be bibliographically unique,
which may alter any of the images in the
reproduction, or which may significantly change
the usual method of filming, are checked below.
V
Coloured covers/
Couverture de couleur
I I Covers damaged/
Couverture endommag^e
□ Covers restored and/or laminated/
Couverture restaurde et/ou pellicul6e
D
Cover title missing/
Le titre de couverture manque
I I Coloured maps/
Cartes gdographiques en couleur
□ Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/
Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire)
□ Coloured plates and/or illustrations/
Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur
D
Bound with other material/
Relid avec d'autres documents
□ Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion
along interior margin/
La reliure serr^c peut causer de I'ombre ou de la
distortion le long de la marge intdrieure
D
D
Blank leaves added during restoration may
appear within the text. Whenever possible, these
have been omitted from filming/
II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajoutdes
lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte,
mais, lorsque cela dtait possible, ces pages n'ont
pas 6X6 filmdes.
Additional comments:/
Commentaires suppi^mentaires;
L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire
qu'il lui a dt6 possible de se procurer. Les details
de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-dtre uniques du
point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier
une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une
modification dans la mdthode normale de fitmage
sont indiquds ci-dessous.
I I Coloured pages/
y
D
Pages de couleur
Pages damaged/
Pages endommagdes
Pages restored and/oi
Pages restaurdes et/ou pelliculdes
I — I Pages damaged/
I — I Pages restored and/or laminated/
Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/
Pages ddcolordes, tachet^es ou piqudes
□ Pages detached/
Pages d6tach6es
0Showthrough/
Transparence
□ Quality of print varies/
Quality indgale de I'impression
I I Includes supplementary material/
Comprend du matdriel supplementaire
Only edition available/
Seule Edition disponible
Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata
slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to
ensure the best possible image/
Les pages totalement ou partiellement
obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure,
etc., ont 6t^ film^es 6 nouveau de fapon d
obtenir la meilleure image possible.
This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked beic
Ce document est filmd au tiiux de reduction indiqud c
10X 14X 18X
)W/
ides
sous
22X
26X
30X
J
12X
16X
30X
24X
28X 32X
tails
> du
odifier
une
mage
The copy filmed here has been reproduced thanks
to the generosity of:
Library of the Public
Archives of Canada
The images appearing here are the best quality
possible considering the condition and legibility
of the original copy and in keeping with the
filming contract specifications.
L'exemplaire film* fut reproduit grAce A la
g4n4rosit6 de:
La bibliothdque des Archives
publiques du Canada
Les images suivantes ont 6t6 reproduites avec le
plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition et
de la netteti de l'exemplaire film*, et en
conformity avec les conditions du contrat de
filmage.
Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed
beginning with the front cover and ending on
the last page with a printed or illustrated impres-
sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All
other original copies are filmed beginning on the
first page with a printed or illustrated impres-
sion, and ending on the last page with a printed
or illustrated impression.
The last recorded frame on each microfiche
shall contain the symbol —►(meaning "CON-
TINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"),
whichever applies.
Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at
different reduction ratios. Those too large to be
entirely included in one exposure are filmed
beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to
right and top to bottom, as many frames as
required. The following diagrams illustrate the
method:
Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en
papier est imprimis sont filmis en commen^ant
par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la
derniire page qui comporte une empreinte
d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second
plat, selon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires
originaux sont filmAs en commenpant par la
premiere page qui comporte une empreinte
d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par
la derniAre page qui comporte une telle
empreinte.
Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la
dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le
cas: le symbols — ► signifie "A SUIVRE", le
symbols V signifie "FIN ".
Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre
filmis d des taux de reduction diff6rents.
Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre
reproduit en un seul clich6, il est film6 d partir
de Tangle 8up6rieur gauche, de gauche A droite,
et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre
d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants
illustrent la m^thode.
srrata
to
peiure,
m d
n
32X
1
2
3
1
2
3
4
5
6
'•«'***-.'%wt;»
If.
i
s
THE DOMINION MILITIA.
PAST AND PRESENT.
By LIEUT-COL. MacSHANE.
4#J;
r
w^
C
\y?)
p
A
di
in
ol
y.
in
V(
in
n
St
a
a^
C
C
su
th
ju
bi
in
cc
la
til
th
itj
so
ac
SS96'^
THE DOMINION MILITIA,
PAST A^D J>KESENT.
Bv LiKiT-CoL. MacShank.
I^ut few C.inadians woukl relish the idea of being thought
provincial even in the acadeinic sense imputed by Matthew
Arnold to his own coujitr)'mcn, (see his letters) yet with all the
disabilities of the parent state deprecated first and last by so
inexorable a censor ; disabilities magnified here by the incidents
of the Geograj)hy and (jovernment the truth is that the Colonial
Mark remains on Canada to give einjjhasis to its provincialism
in a sense more humiliating because radically antagonizing the
\ery name "Doininion " which it has adopted.
The substitution of a written for an unwt'tten Constitution
in the Dominion has not altered the Colonial character of the
n'i^i/f/r "the Provincial {jovernments" founded on the royal in-
structions which obtained before the Union have given place to
a " Charter Government " for the whole Prci-inces, under which
as well understood the Doniiiius or executive not alone in the
Civil order but the head of the Militia comes not from the
Canadian people either in point of fact or b)' force of law.
The word, the name Domim'on with such conditions is
surely misleading and the conditions differ only in degree from
those ajjplied in the tutelage of degenerate l*>g>'ptians or sub-
jugated Indian rarcs with whoin Canadians can surely have
but little in common. Recent experiences have shown here how
ill suited are Colonial Militar}' Methods when not exercised in
conjunction with suzerain powers over a de|)en(lent sphere.
Canada, the equal in people and superior in resource of Eng-
land in the P^lizabethan era, presents nf) such a sphere and the
time being opportune it is proposed in this |)aper to deal with
the anomalies consequent in the administration aud command of
its Militia.
The history of the office since the union of the Dominion is
somewhat of a constitutional cpiestion, and to pursue it into the
administration of the sejjorate pro\ inces would be such a digres-
sion as could offer no return proportional to the trouble it would
entail.
The Doinini(>n Act ( Sect. 91 Sub-sect. 7 ) inter alia gives
exclusive legislative authority to Parliament over the Militia,
Military and Naval Service and Defence, and the Militia Act
(31 Vic. Cap. 40 Sect. 28 Sub.-Sect. 2) which is the practical ap-
plication of that authority enacted that the .Adjutant General
should have the rank of Colonel in the Militia and should be
charged under the orders of Her Majest)' with the Military com-
mand anil discipline of the Militia.
liy an Act passed subsecjuently ('14th .April 1871) the section
last referred to was amended to allow the appoinment of Colon-
els and other (jfficers of superior rank in the Militia, but iti ho case
to exceed tluxt of Major Cicncral, And thus it was that the Ad-
jutant General until then ex officio commanding was enabled to
take the local rank of a Maj(»r (ieneral. In this relation it ap-
pears strange that with the federal rights regarding Militia and
Defence secured by the Constitution, the Legislature should of
its own motion have limited its power to appoint such officers as
the Services required, and should have illustrated its original fail-
ure by the limited extension of its power under the amending
Act, the autonomy or dominion of the people must be illusive
when the power of appointment, the \er\' naming of their own
officers is restricted.
Why should ai y rank be closed against the arm)- of the
Dominion, its own Militia ? As a foil against their claim a dense
Philistinism might invoke -the alleged vulgarity of superior rank
across the border, but the recommendation of the Adjutant Gen-
eral and of the proper officer is anijile guarantee against abuse,
and the danger of invidious comparison becomes apparent when
it is recalled that the war office was responsible for the presence
of eighteen General officers with twelve thousand Imperial bay-
onets at the operations round Tel el Kebir.
The officers who have held [the command up to the jjresent
time, were first Colonel (afterwards Sir P. L.) McDougall, Ad-
jutant General Comdg. Canada and Dominion of Canada from
July 1865 until April 1869, to him succeeded Colonel Patk.
Robertson Ross, A. G. Comdg. until August 1873, to him, E.
Selby-Smyth, Maj. Genl. Comdg. until January 1880, to him,
R. G. A. Luard, M. G. Comdg. until July 1884, to him, Fred
Middleton, M. G. Comdg. until July 1890, to him, Colonel
Walker Powell, A G. Comdg. until 5th December 1890, and J.
J. C. Herbert, M. G. Comdg. until March of the cui'i'cnt year , a
5
hiatus then occurs until ist October last when Major Gcnl. Gas-
coij^ne assumed command.
Hefore bein^ in command a few of these officers, as Sir P.
L. McDou^all and Colonel (afterwards Maj. Genl.) Robertson
Ross had previous knowledj^'e of the force and were thus in touch
with it from the beginning ; but the majority failed to acquire
that touch until their five years' term had well advanced towards
completion, and the last to depart was at no time during his tenure
of the office en rapport with the command. Mis conge was not
of the kind to inspire the Homeric measure.
True friendshi|)'s laws are by this rule expressed
«««««« speed the parting guest.
The punctilious observance of the rules of disci|)line by the
Canadian Militia alone shielded him from the just criticism due
to the maladministration of his office.
There is an unwritten law for the soldier, if he knows his
C. O. is an unfit jierson, he must not say so. Reticence
is a cardinal virtue iu such case, but the obligation ceases when
the relation of command ceases, so the heroic Wolfe thought of
his ijHoiidiini Chief Hawley, the Butcher of I'alkirk and Culloden,
when he wrote of him, "the troo[)s dread his cruelty, hate the
man and hold his military knowledge in contempt." In the case
now under consideration the difficulty has been to know when
the relation ceased.
Vxoxvi March last year until 1st October, the Militia General
Orders contained no exjjress intimation who was the officer
charged with the command, the time of dejmrture of Maj. Genl.
Herbert, or the ap|)pintment of an interim successor had no of-
ficial existence. As a consequence all the routine orders from
the A. G. and O. M. G. offices meantime appeared as by the im-
plied command or order of Maj. Genl. Herbert, that is the di-
lemma, making it quite consistent with the public records that
while the Militia outside Head Quarters had reason to suppose
the G. O. C. in Ottawa, as a matter of fact, he was beyond seas
and orders might be issued from Constantinople or .St. Peters-
burg. To be sure there was a Newspa|)er report of his resigna-
tion and dejjarture sometime in March, but the report was
contradicted, and not until i8th Sept. last did a G. O. appear
dated the 1st Aug. ulto, which as a valedictory gave the first
intimation of the absence of the G. O. C. it is useful now to .show
either gross ignorance or total indifference to the rules in such
case governing the service. When he passed the littoral bound-
aries of the Dominion in the month of March last year, his right
6
to appear In orders departed with him, not even a valedictory
bein^ an e.\ce|)ti<)n. It should have appeared in orders before
he departed, or been transmitted for re-publication by order of
his successor.
" An officer while absent fr(jm and noi in the exercise of
his command cannot issue orders relating to such command
(Queen's Regulations Sec. 7, par. 13.J" I'nderhis regime owin^
to his vacillation and \aj;aries the authorit)' of (leneral Orders
from Head Quarters have become so discredited that a loii}^ time
must elapse before confidence can be restored. It has been
nothinj.j unusual to have orders issued, cancelled and reiterated
in bewildering succession. It happened with orders of the
Court of Iiuiuir)' followinj.; his suspension of two staff officers in
this District (No. 9), illej^ally convened at first and dismissed,
re-constituted, a^ain assembled, aj^ain dismissed and its office
in the end assumed and bundled b}' the (i. (). (". in |)erson, to
the public an expensi\e itKuiiry in the Department, a scanda-
lous abuse of office estimated to have co.st ten thousand dollars
and uj)ward.s.
Three j-ears a^o one of the rural corps in this District had
the route ordered for mobilization at a distant point, assembled
pursuant to order, which was then cancelled and reiterated, all
within 4(S hours, and strange to sa)' the last order notwithstand-
ing all the bunj^lin^ was faithful 1)' carried out to the letter.
Another instance of misleading orders, more serious in its
consequences to the force, were those issued for the annual drill
in camp at Aldershcjt of the Kind's troop of Hussars, 72nd, /Sth
and 94th Hatts. pcomul^^ated on 27th April 1894. More than
two months afterwards, /. r., on 29th June a cancellation riiii(itiir of then (apt. now .Sir Redv ers liuller and
Col. now (ienl. Ilawle\-, when respectiveh' Adjutant and Com-
mandant of the 4th fmd Cyo{\\ R. Rifles in tactics, and the man-
agement of a regiment " with \er)- hi^h recoimnendation " in
confidential report of both these officers. ( Report Robcrt.son
Ross on Mil. 1870, p. 20.) lie has never been absent from a
cainp of Instruction while stationed in N. H. or N. S. since i(S66,
and has accom[)anied .Summer Manoeuvre of the troops in I'o.x-
hills and the Lon^ \'alle\- Aldershol, therefore fairh* (|ualified to
challenge the statement of Maj. (ienl. I lerbert t/i- as i to .?./ specific
enou
i^i th
IS to
places of decimals, and th^-n after scaling down 28,710 Privates
to 19.S56 bv' the casualties, previously enumerated, this last
result 19,856 is for the shameful rea.son stated in his Report
"quickh' reduced belcnv 10,000. which represents (he sa\-s) the
" nia.iiniuni total streni^th of Infantry that would receive elemen-
" tar)' instruction in drill, if the whole k'orce were called out."
Did the Minister of Militia read this Report, and if he did,
why was it printed and laid before Parliament ? It is a ^aoss
libel on the lM)rce which the C'oimtr)- can never pav for its past
unselfish and self-sacrificini; sorv ices, tirant that tlie (lovernment
of all complexions, as well as Parliament always reliiuiuish their
claim to common sense when dealiiiL;' with ?.lilitia matters, surely
a Minister however oblivious of what is ^oinLj on, and confiding
in an empirical noncntit\' like Genl. Herbert, miij^ht know the im-
possibility of some seven or ei;4ht thousaiul X. C O. beinj.; in an
I'lstablishment of .some 2S.7 10 (correctly 30,157) or that 10,000
is the maximum of the Infantr}- which would be drilled if the
I
1:2
whole Force in the Dominion were called out. There are twelve
Districts in the Dominion with Head Quarters and reduced ICs-
tablishmcnts as fixed by the Government enumerated below, the
last Kstablishment's list thus reduced, (ag^rej^ating 36,051) is
under the estimate stipulated by the Constitution and Militia
Act.
Dist
fict.
Head Quarters.
All Ranks.
1
^ No
. I .
. London
4.3 '9
0^
uX
c _
fli
T
Toronto
•••5.577
C5.
. Kini^ston
. 3,306
u
a
. . . 2,207
15 •
. Montreal
4,992
\6
«
...2.306
-^3 S^
7 •
. Quebec
• 5,^73
1890,
hand
bert.
8
h^redericton
■ ■ ■ 2,437
9 •
. . Halifax
3.705
— .' '^
10
\Vinnipe<^
... 1,126
Q§
1 1 .
. Victoria, B.C. . . .
223
• r-
< -
-
12
Charlottetown
... 581
The two first, three second, or an}' other necessary combin-
ation of the rccjuired Districts could even at the reduced Kstab-
lishment mobilize more than 10,000 allchif kept the hnperial Troops in support.
(See Militia Report of that year, page 3.)
"On the iith of April 1870 in consequence of information
" received by (joverniyent, it was considered desirable to call out a
" Force of 5,000 men to be taken chiefly from Military Districts
" No.s. 5, 6 and 7 (i. e. for dut)- on the St. Clair I'Vontier.) To
" this call the Active Militia in those districts at once resjjonded
" wite their well-known prompitude and alacrit}', and -within
"forty-eight hours after receijjt of the order very many were as-
" sembled at, and all ou their luaj' to their respeetive posts. * *
* and including the number already mentioned on the
«>*
" St. Clair Frontier, a force in all of 6000 men was stationed
" where required in a very short space of time. * * *
"By returns received from Montreal, dated 20th April, up-
" wards of two thousand of the Active Militia were held there in
" reserve, ready if required to support those on Dnty on the
" Missiquoi, Huntingdon and Hemmin^ford Frontiers and at
Quebec ',637 officers and men were there concentrated * *
"* * H. R. H. Prince Arthur was present, at the inspection
" of the Montreal Hrij;ade on the day last mentioned."
Here was a force of 9,637 men from three districts onl>'
read)' for duty in a few days notice, and the Report jtqcs on at
page 6. " By special Return fmarkcd F in Appendix,) it will be
"seen that a force of 13,489 (officers and men) with 18 guns
" were reported as being at their resjjeclive posts, under arms, on
" the 27th May last, the order for their turn out having onl>'
"been issued on the 24th of that month (3 da)s previously) a
''''sufficient example of the ease, rapidity aud spirit icith which the
''Active Militia of the Domitnon respond to the call to arms on the
" approach of danger, and of the fitness of the existing Militia Sys-
" tem. The above force of 13,489 men with 18 field guns oc-
"cupied in a ver}- quiet and rapid manner, all threatened points
"along the St. Clair, Detroit, Niagara, St. Lawrence and South-
"ern Frontiers, exeryuhere in sufficient force to resist serious
" attack, admirabl)' armed and well supplied with ammunition.
" The great mass of the Active Militia of the Dominion were not
'' called out, but held in reserve, following their usual avocations,
" ready if required at a moment's notice to move ^forward in
" support."
The service of the abo\ e force being detailed, the Report
goes on to say : — " I lad an\' attcmjit been made in force by the
"enemy to j)enetratc intcj the Countrx'. the)- would have met
" with heavier punishment than the\- experienced in this futile
•'attempt, all classes in the Dominion both i'rench as well as
" Fnglish speaking Canadians having turned out manfullv in so
" good a cause. * * * ' It is gratifying to record that
"full justice has been done to the ^iiIitia at this time emplo)'ed
" in defending their Countrv in the following order issued by
"Lieut. Genl. James Lj'tidsa)-, commanding 11. NL Troops in B.
" N. A, at that time." The order here follows, and among other
things says: — "From both these points (i.e. Missisquoi and
" Huntingdon Frontiers) the invading forces have been instantly
"driven with loss and confusion, throwing away their arms, am-
" munition and clothing, and seeking shelter within the United
14
" States. Acting with scrupulous re'ear after )ear of the setting up drill with
first-class or special courses as required super-added.
It should go without expression that to imjjose on the
schools in addition the duties of a Hrigudc Staff — a practice af-
fected in some Districts, disclose sthe degree of ignorance existing
at Head Quarters as well of the jjroper management cjf the
schools as of the exigencies of the outside service.
THK HALIFAX GARRISON.
The annual estimates of the Secretary of State for War, for
pa)' subsistence, &c. of the arm}' in Halifax Garrison, some 1,300
of all ranks is $930,000, rather more than twice as much as the
permanent schools for all anrjs in Canada. It is not a bad show-
ing for the Militia Dei)artment and for the Country that they have
36,000 men of all arms with their Head Quarters, Districts and
Brigade Staffs at an annual cost but slightl}- over ^wo thirds of
that amount, i. e. $671,318.62 made up thus : —
17
MILITIA KXPKXDITURK. 1890-91.
Salaries, Headquarter Staff $ 5,060.27
" District Staff 12,163.00
" Hri^radc Majors 14,209.42
■ Royal M i y - tar} '' CoUogc 6f;,34 l i.a 9
Ammunition, Clothing' and Military Stores. . 192,000.15
Public Armories and care of arms 60,927.93
Drill pa}' and camp purposes 272,098.37
Drill Instruction 35.996- 50
Contingencies 39,200.17
Dominion of Canada Rifle Association 10,000.00
" Artillery " 2,000.00
Drill Sheds, Rifle Ranges and Military I'ro-
perties 27,662.8 1
$671,318.62
It is no credit to ihe Countr)- that the cost of the Militia is
at that scandalous figure. i^'rom the comparison here made the
average reader era n appreciate the strictures of (lenl. Herbert.
" It is iny belief (he saj's,) that a considerabl)- larger force could
" be annually trained than has hitherto been the case, without any
"increase in the vote for drill and training. I am not prepared
" at jjresent to recommend an\' such increase of expenditure, I
" am satisfied that in the past the results obtained in the Militia
" training have not been eonniiensinuite with the expendititre"
Any Anal}-sis or s\-nthesi.s of the Militia expenditure will
show how untenable is the contention that the results are not
commensurate with the exi)enfliture. If the estimates* for the
support of the Imperial force in garrison at Halifax have been
thus useful for comparison with similar estimates for the perman-
ent force and for the whole Militia of the Dominion, the staff of
that garrison furnishes b)- its contrast the strongest condemna-
tion of the Dominion Government for the criminal disregard of
its own force in the like case, when it struck off the Ikigade
Majors, the onl)- inter-mediaries between the heads of District
Staff units in the Dominion, and tl-fc force over which they are
placed. It was intended to make this contrast more striking by
a morning state of the Halifax (iarrison which would show a
full detail of all ranks. But this was found impossible, applica-
tion for the same stating the object, haxing been met at the
♦The .MiiiiHtor of Mililiii doulitfil llie iicciinicy of thin I'Htiiiiittc wlicii coiiiiniiiiicated to
him by the writer on !ith Dt'ccmbur last at Halifax, .V. S. lie lm« hail ample time since then tg
verify its correetueHti, preHiunulily with some uUvuiitage to the force,
i8
Garrison IIca(l(|uaitcis witliaii official noii possminis, a rather
strained application of the retaliations against pubUshin^ Mihtar)'
inforniation. llo\ve\er even the perlunctor)- detail in the Arm>'
list or the authorized divisional staff unit will suffice for the pur-
l)osc. The Arni> [,ist shews 12 officers but not the subordinates
at Ucadciuarters ( )fnces in llalifax. The establishment of a
divisional or l.t.-(ienl. Staff unit ^i\es 17 officers and 41 clerks,
orderlies and servants. 1 lalifax people should know this esti-
mate can be but sli^htl) in excess, althouiih there are l)ut de-
tachments present of the .\rm\- S^-rx ice Corps, Medical Staff and
Ordnance Store Corps. The (iarrison Staff with their subordi-
nates occupy six (iovernment lUiildiiu^^s in different parts of
I lalifax. 'I'his be it remembered is for a force of sa\' 1 .^00 or 1400
of all ranks and arms, i. e. 2 C(jmpanies R. A., 1 Com|)an\' R. 1'..,
1 Company Submarine Miners, the Herkshire Re^^iment and
Detachments each of A. S. Corp, Medical Staff and O. S. Corps.
The stren}.;th of the Militia has alread)' been L;i\en at 36,000 all
ranks and all arms, eciuixalent to the strenL;th of an Arm)' corps
War strcni^th, and the defence of a Countr}' {greater in extent
than the whole United States. The authorized staff of an army
corps is ^.jiven in the rerl books at 29 officers and 70 clerks. Or-
derlies and servants. This inde|jend(Mit of IntelliL;ence Dept. and
those attached, it is not intended to more than hint at the War
Office Staff, a little army in itself, or the staff of the 15 District
Commands into which (ireat Britain and Ireland is divided, the
staff in each consisting;' of 13 officers and subordinates to corre-
spond, or to the stationarv cam[:)s of l'",nL;lanci and Ireland, or
the staffs of the ICducational and Manufacturing^ establishments
of the arm}'. In view of the examples L;iven from Imj^erial
practice, contrast the (ieneral IIeafl(|uartcrs Staff iit Ottawa,
consisting" of 6 paid officers, i. e. the (i. O. C. and Aide, A. G.
2 A. A. G. & O. M. Ci., the list of subordinates is not available
but is doubtless in the same modest projjortions, then come the
district commands 12 in number, the smallest of which in area
might equal independent .States in luirope.
In view of these fii^ures the General's idea (jf Staff origan iz-
ation will seem peculiar, writini;" on the subject at pat^'e 43 Report
of 1894, he sa\'s " parts of my recommendations have been carried
" out. * * * (^ '('rtai)i siipcrjhtoiis appoiutiiicuts on the
" district staff hav e been abolished." .And will it be credited that
a <^enerous government, acting on his suggestions and members
from Halifax, aware of the facts and not lacking in j)rofessions
of patriotism and devotion to a national polic)-, v\ ithin three years
19
actuall)' cut down the Staff of each District coimnand to the
hteral definition of a Staff unit, nainel\' one ofji'-cr, the D. A. (i.
who perhaps owes liis existence onl)- to the sti|)ulations of the
Mihtia ,\ct in his regard. I'he (ioxernnients witliout rej^ard to
part) ha\e now had their innings, both have starved and insulted
their soUhers, not infrec|uentl\' declaring" their hej^'j^ar!)' pa)' and
allowances were thrown a\\a\-. Miin'sters in I'arliainent and
members who as Militia men |)asse(l throui^h the Militar\' School
in presence of the uritei' ha\e heard it staled in the Parliament
that no officers of the force could fill the office of (J. M. (i. and
aj^ainst so shameful a HIk-I failed to enti-r an\- protest. W'h)'
the present O. M. (i. Colonel Lake if left to his own resources
and uithcut the inte!lii;ence and dockets fonriulated and furnish-
erl b)- the writer to the Militia 1 )>.'partment, duriiiL;' his term of
office would be helpless in an\' reasonable lime in case of emer-
t^enc)- to mobilize the force in this District alone, 'No. 9,) not to
s|jeak of the force throu^diout the Donn'nion, and he could
neither intcrpohite or cut out a word of the e.xistin^f orders for
.scttinti^ the force in motion. excludiiiL^ hours and dates. I'he
Vi. AT. has mobilized the c(jrps. the most distant in Xo\aScotia,
i. e. 365 miles in 30 hours, e\er)'modeof lrans|)ort| beini; called
in re(iuisition.
Of course the Hrii^ade Majors oi- their e(|ui\alent under some
other name must be restored ; l)ut the old duties and the old
names are known to the force, and cannot be chant;ed with ad-
vantaLjc. The scope of their duties is unknown outside of
Canada.
To be Adjutant of the Hri_Li'ade, lead the route, and collect
intellii^ence, about sums up the duties of the B. M. in the Imperial
Service. It is but a tithe of the dut)' assigned to that officer in
Canada, where in arlditifjii he is charged with the duties of Dist.
O. M. R., Mobilization, preparint4' camp L;rounds' semi-annual
insj)ection of arms and ecjuipmenl, suppl)in^- deficiencies, keepinj^
up orj4'anization and i^riirrd/ fdctotitiii of corps in camp and
quarters. To suppose these duties could be assumed b)' the only
executixe officer at District I leadciuarters, in addition to his own
without idtimate destruction to both, could be only suggested
by one without practical knowledge of Staff duties, or resolved
to destroy the I*"orce where attempted. Of the services of Bri-
gade Major, Colonel (afterwards Maj.-Genl.) Robertson-Ross,
A. G. writes : —
" A Brigade Major is an officer belonging to a brigade, and
" not attached personally to the officer in command thereof,
20
" as soon, therefore, as several battalions are brought together
" in brigade, the services of a Bn^^at/c-Mtr/or n/r itidisf^cHsiblc
" otherwise all would be confusion, for he is the Staff officer who
"under the orders of the lirigadier regulates the duties of the
"whole brigade, and he is the proper channel anil nietlium of
" communication with the various corps, he is to a brigade, as
" it were, what an Adjutant is to a battalion. Moreover it is of
" great importance to have at all times, (r Jirii^aih'- Major n-si-
" dent in cacli brii^adc division who necessarily acquires local
" knowledge and exi)erience thej-ein." (Report 1S69, pp. 3
"&4-)
Maj.-Genl. Robertson-Ross was an officer and soldier
thoroughly up in practical duties of the Staff, being a divisional
A. D. C. throughcnit the Crimean campaign, and afterwards
divisional A. D. C. in H. N. A., knew what he was writing about
although defining the above duties in the limited sphere of the
Imperial Service. How much more necessary in Canada, the
reader can judge from the summary above given for such ser-
vices there.
DISTRICT STAFl'. .
On the same subject Lt. Col. Maunsell, D. A. G. No. 8
District writes: — " In my Report for 1878, when thanking the
" Lieut-General Commanding for his successful efforts to place
" the Brigade Staft" on a more satisfactory footing, I expressed
" the hope that the Brigade Staff had been reduced to the
" ntinintiun, there being but one Brigade Major in this district
" (i. e. No. 8) instead of three as heretofore. (Similar reduc-
" tion had been made in Nova Scotia.) " To further reduce the
" Staff would in my humble opinion, strike a fatal blow to the
" Brigade system, and what can be substituted for such a system f
" The relative position of an Adjutant to his commanding officer,
" of the Adjutant General to the General Officer in command,
" the same relative position the Brigade Major holds to the De-
" puty Adjutant General conmianding the District, and where
" can his duties, responsible and difficult to define, be more
" clearly pointed out than they are in the Regulations and
" Orders."
" For the efficient discharge of the duties there laid down,
" by which men, trained men, have assembled on Parade when-
" ever required, and money in no small amounts has been saved
" to the public by the careful periodical inspection of arms,
ii
the
Lfict
iic-
thc
the
-mf
icor,
nd,
De-
lere
lore
and
wn,
len-
ved
ms,
" cl(tlhin^ and L(juii)nient, as well as fur his loyal and ready
" support, afforded nie at all times in the dischar^^e of my duties,
" I have to offer my best thanks to Lieut.-Colonel MacShanc,
" Brigade Major in tiiis Distriel." (Report 1H79-80, p. 59.)
Iktween these t\\») officers, Col. Robertson-Ross and Lieut.
Colonel Maunsell on the one side and Maj. (ienl. Herbert on
the other, the public are put in a position to judj^'c of the rcla-
ti<*« value of their opinions regardin^^ Staff Services of Hrij^adc
Majors, h'urther commentary on their " siiperjlnoiis" nature as
reported by Maj. (ienl. I lerbert is unnecessary. No other officer
\v(juld violate, as he, ever)' sanction of the body of the law mili-
tar)'. The (Juecn's Reijulations, .Sec. 5, p. 35, provides that
the substance of an unfavorable report a{^ainst an officer should
be communicated to him when or before being forwarded to
general headcpiarters, and the report should ncjte " these instruc-
tions have been dul)' attended to." .Such instructions were ig-
nored in the case of Col. Bingham of the 94th liattalion who
was illegally deprived of his command in 1S93 under cover of
an unfavorable report against him, copy of which was refused
b>' the G. O. C. as well as b\' his predecessor in office. This
led to another wrong on the 94ih Battalion by tile selection of
its Medical Officer, and railroatling him through the Infantry
School to take the command t)ver the heads of all the combat-
ant officers of the corps. The report so made without the formal-
ities enjoined and the super-cession of Major Hill (the senior
officer) by the extraordinary selection referred to were subver-
sive of discipline, and unwananted by the existing conditions.
Major Hill had a first qualification, was of splendid ph3'sique,
hard as nails, of an old family, good social position, always
zealous and painstaking, anddevoted to the service of the Militia.
A cruel wrong was done Major Hill of which all its agents may
be well ashamed. The ostensible reason that he was exactly fifty
years of age, was the merest subterfuge, a scintilla Juris the age
limit of the Militia law being permissive, not compulsory, save
to avoid obviously incompetent officers. In the same year.the
Junior Major of the 78th Battalion was the \ictim of an official
trick. The Senior Major Sutherland had for some years after
the retirement of Col. Blair, at the instance of the writer, been
acting in command, loath to retain the command, he at length
resolved to retire in favor of the Junior Major Lawrence, and
sent in a fonnal appointment of that officer for the command.
This was duly transmitted to Ottawa, but subsequently as there
i
32
was delay in the dazcttc, was siirrc[)tilit)iisly recalled from
lli'a(l(|iiarters, ami the Inst, iiUiiiiatioii to Major Laurence re-
^artlin|4 the case, was the ( iazetle of Major Su4tl)5;iaiul iiiniself
as Lieut. -Col to the coniin.ind. I'ersonally both officers were
^c>o(l and practical nun, but this was not honorable dealing.
J low many offences against re^ndation of this kind have occur-
e(' in the Dominion, would be vain to enumerate. Then tlu're is
the Constitution of the Dominion which it mij^ht be suppositl
would not be infrinj^fed. Do'ut sujjpose an}lhin^' of the kind.
When I'. K. Island, M. D., No. 12 was admitted into the J)o-
minion, one of tin- conditions was that a Staff officer should be
api)ointed with the rank of I). A. O. The j-'ederal Cio\ernnunt
in some wa\' evaded the full condition fur man>' }'ears l)\' the
substitution of a IV i\L in the Island until the arrival of Cicnl.
Herbert. Neitlur kuouin;^ or cariiv^ about the ri,L;hts of IMvI.
he ([uickly determini.'d that even the H. M. and all local staffs
should ^o, and ,l(o he .nid the Ciovernment made them. It was
determined to join 1'. K. I. to N. S., thus obliteratint,^ the Island
as a District, and 1)\' a most unprincipled trick the design was
temporarily successful. The trick was bv a mis-leadini;' confi-
dential letter of which as it turns out, the Minister of Militia
was kei)t in i!.^norance, to j^et the writer the Senior H. M. of
Halifax out of the wa)' of promotion in his own line, and place
the Junior V>. M. of L. 1^. I. in command here. i'o that extent
the trick succeeded u ith wiiat credit to all concerned will i^e
made to appear at another time. Hut amoni; the other retribu-
tions which have come to the Militar\' authorities '.md their
unspeakable chief is the forced reco^L,niiti(Mi since of the ris^ht
of 1\ E. I. to its De[)uty Adjutant General insteatl of the Junior
official as before. Another set back for the unspeakable Genl.
Herbert. He also found means to fraudulently a\oid the oper-
ation of the annual Arm)- Act b\' the unconstitutional payment
from the Dominion Treasur}- of the Marine iXrtillery now
stationed in the fortifications of British Columbia. The public
accounts of last year are not at hand, but those of the preced-
\x\^ year show the sum of $47,000 a|)i)roi;riated to that i)urpose.
The men are there yet, and no doubt the [)ay is still forthcom-
ir»^, if not under the same, then under some other less obvious
head, independently of the amount involved it is easy to show
the first claim of the native force on the consideration of their
own people, that instead of consideration they have been starved
33
and tlicir skcli-ton st.iM.ibsoliitcI)' dismembered : that the Imper-
iid (lovenmiciit have ample resources for the pa) iiu-nt of their
own troops and that in an\ case the pa\inent of such tro()|)s, if
an>-, must he postponed to the just re(|uirenunts of the nati\e
force. Ai^'ain there is the jjrineipk' iii\(»l\ed, thi- constitutional
(h'shki" of thi- pi'oplc of (iivat Hritain and In-land to a stan/■() taiili> of tlu" amount so paid them as above mentioned,
but the crowning act of disorder in the e.\ecuti\i' of the Militia
was the usurpation of the office of I). .A. (i. in No\ a. Scotia In- an
officer of the rank of Major in the place of the lawful incumbent,
the writer of this for a |)eriod of two years from the 13th da)- of
.April, 1891, until the I4lh da\- of .\pril, 1X9^?, In- the orders of
the (i. (). C. with the consent of the (io\ernment, which shouM
ha\e been the (guardian of the law. The 41st Section of the
Militia Act provides " in and for each of the twelve military dis-
" tricts hereinbefore nn-ntioned, there shall be ai)j)ointed one I)e-
" put)- Adjutant (jeneral of Militia, :clio shall lunw tin' rank of
"' LicKtoidiit-Loli'url and who sh.J! command the .Militia in his
"district."
Surel)- plain enoui^h, the 1). .\.("j. of the rank of Lieuten-
ant-C'olonelj shall command the .Militia in his District. It is not
the fault, but the <^()od fortune of the Militia that hitherto much
active service has not fallen to their l(jt. \\ hen the\- have such
service it is (jf the last imp(jrtancethe\- should be lei^all)- (|ualified.
During 29 year's serv ice in the force and on the staff the writer
has been called out but once on active service, twice in aid of the
Civil power and once at least the manner in which the duty was
performed was thoui^ht wcjrth)- of beiny; brought to the notice of
24
the Government by the G. O. C. Gcnl. Selby Smyth. (Rep. 1875
p. 49.) Aid of the Civil power is an unpleasant dut}', requiring
the law (obeyed to the letter, if it is not, the soldier stands in
worse case than its violator, and such had hap|)ened if, during
the time he was illegally kept in office here, the Major charged
with command had occasion to fire in the discharge of such duty,
for any casualty he and ever)' man acting under him had been
liable to indictment. Without this, the illegal selection and re-
tention of that (officer in the j)lace of th(; rightful incumbent for
so long a time is an example of the indignities which may await
whatever devotion to duty in the Militia Department.
OF PAIDRKGIMKNTAL ARMORKRS, &L.FOR RURAL
CORPS.
With perhaps two exceptions, (Col. Robertson-Ross and
.Col. Ratk. McDougallj the officers who have commanded the
Canadian Militia, ha\e seemed al\\a)'s unable to differentiate be-
tween the local forces and the au.xiliary forces in luigland. One
and all, in season and (jut of .season, the)- ha\e tried to fasten on
this Country the Knglish .system of paid Adjutants and regimen-
tal armories with |)ermancnt caretakers for rural c()r|)s. It was
a foregone cc^iclusion with those who watch the reports to find
Maj-Cienl. Herbert |)arrot-like repeating the recommendations of
his predecessors in this regard. " The arms," (he writes) " should
" be drawn by degrees into regimental stcM-es, and placed under
" the t /large of a perniaiieiitly paid Adjutant a)td }ion -commissioned
^' officers, who would form \\\c permanent staff o{ the regiment.
"This introduction of the regimental .system wonld largely reduce
" the hea\y expenditure now invoked b)' a xer)- inefficient .system
" of inspection, and would 'ead in the long run both to efficiency
" and economy." (Rep. 1892, p. 7.)
There is but one motixe to explain this persistent advocacy
of a system which fortunately fcjr the Militia has ne\er been
carried out, that is to provide sinecures for the lame ducks of the
Imjjerial .service. It is never intimated where the money would
come from for the paid Adjutants, i)crmanent non-commissioned
officers and regimental armories of the rural corps, or what the
duties of the Adjutants would be when out of camp, (camp last-
ing at the outside 16 days in the )ear,) but the system of com-
pany armories (the rural barrack rooms) approved and adopted
in New Brunswick and No\a Scotia, has been found to work
well ; keeps the company officers and men aclept and familiar with
the arms and equipment they have to u.se, and what the Govern-
25
mciit seems to appreciate costs them nothing. ( Per Mauiisell,
D. A. G. Rep. 1879, ]). 63.) l-'or examples here see Troop armory
of Major Ryan, Kentville erroneously cited ancl praised by the
G. (). C. as a regimental armory, Captain LeCain armor)', 69th
I^attalion at R(nmdhill Station, D. A. R. or Captain Ritcej's
72nd Hatt. at Xictaux l^^dls. Paid Adjutants and permanent
non-coms., with all their pomps are not wanted here. They
make Adjutant's Regiments, and e\er\' soldier knows what that
means, the rest of the Ret;"imental staff stripped of j)roper respect
and authority. Regimental armories in rural corps are j^ood
only for the paid caretakers. In a sparsel)' settled countr}' like
this, they invoke inconxenience to an impracticable degree.
The absurdity of assemblint^ comjjanies of rural corps at distant
regimental depf:)ts to recei\earmsand ec|uipment when m(jbilizing
for camp or service, when applied to any rural say the 94th liat-
talion'distributed throughout the Island of Cape l^reton is obvious.
Company armories on the contrarx', with their homes adjacent,
are easily available to the rural nnlitia men for the necessary
change of clothing, without this, the objecticni of cost for which a
low estimate would exhaust the whole "care of arms" allowance
of the Dominion, is fatal to the adoption of regimental armoritis
for rural corps. This (ieneral by one of his amazing paradcjxes
intimates they would reduce ex|)enditure.
OF .SMALL ARMS.
The arming of the AL'litia necessarily engaged the attention
of the G. C). C. and in 1.S92, Rej). p. 7, lie writes thus : — "The
"Snider rifle and carbine, with which the Militia is armerl, is at
" the best an obsolete weapon, but in the condition in which it
"exists, in most of the regiments of the active militia, it has no
"claim whatever to be classed as an arm of precision. A large
" luunber are of the earliest mark of coinerted luifield rifles. Their
"sights and rifling are completelx" worn out, ;ind /V /.v //o iWcJi^gef-
" ^^//cv/ to sav that in man\- cases a smooth bore musket would
" be a more accurate weapon. I''or upwards of 20 x'ears they
" have had the rcuighest possible usage. A considerable number
of Martini-IIenry rifles are in store, and it would ajjpear desirable
" that these should be issued to thi? permanent corps, and be
"gradually introduced throughout the Militia."
Here is but the if>sr tH.xit of a notoriously um-eliable officer
that it is no exaggi^ratioti C'rc. as stated aboxe, against his state-
ments is the result of competitions betxveen the regular forces and
the Militia at Halifax within recent }ears in which the Militia
armed xvith the Snider Knfield, usually defeated tiie Imperial
26
troops. In siicli coinpctitions a discount practically uniinjK)rtant
in acti\"c scrxicc was allowed in favor of the older arni The
Snider l"".nfield is e\en >-et a serviceable thoii^Oi obsolete arm,
and in 8i Co's. of this District not half a dozen arc unserviceable.
Of it Maj-(ien.. StninL^e lecturing' before the R. U. S. Institution
on the Militarx' aspect of ("anada, writes: — "The Infantry
" (Canadian) are armed with the Snider rifle, an excellent and
" .serviceable weap(jn better suited to our Canadian Militia than
" the Martini-IIenry, ofivhicit it is to he regretted that the piinliase
'' hnd been eoinineuced by Canada, as the (ieneral connnandiuL^ is
"of opinion that we cannot afford to purchase the (|uantit\' in
"bulk, and to ha\e xolunteers armed with two sorts of rifles, and
"two descriptions of cartridL;"es on a line from the Atlantic to
"the Pacific, would be to court disaster ifthe\- were called upon
to take the field."
'{'here are 30,00;) additional .Snider ICnfields in store to re-
place the old issue (in hands of the l*\)rce) if and where recjuirefl,
a measure much preferable to the issue of another now obsolete
arm, the Martini-Henr)', or an\" new comersion of it, the issue of
which would imohe instruction of the whole fit^htini;' line in its
use, when ultimatel\- an up to date maL;'azine rifle must be issued.
Hut the daiiL^er oftakini^" Maj-Cienl. Ilerbert seriousl)- for any
length of time, appears in his repr)rt for liSoj, followini,^ that last
cited. He now writes, (p. 41.) " .VrraiiLjements ha\ebt;en made
" with the Imi)crial Cioxernment for the pro\ision of 9,000 stand
" of Martini-Metford Rifles. This weapon is eiiiiiiciitly i<.'ell snit-
" to be
tried on the rural force. j-'or them oiiK' it is kindl)' sut^j^ested
Martini's could be had \ery cheapl)' ; how chea[), does not ap-
pear, and the measure of cheapness for obsolete arms is an arbi-
trar\- c|uantit\-, as may be imat^ined when t(j this da}' the (Militia
Department chari^^es $i6 for one of the Snider Rifles so utterly
\alueless accordint;" to the (i. (). (". The pulilic who are the con-
stituents of this or any succeedinj4" (io\ernment, ma)- rest assured
that an\' obsolete or con\erted Kifle (is n subject of uc7<.' purcliasc
would be flear at an\' price, and that e\er\' chanL,^e must be dis-
astrous until an up to date arm is put into the hands of ///<• 7^'liolc
force ; no two arms, two manuals, two tirinj^ exercises, two am-
munitions in the fii;htin;^- line at the same time should be tolerated.
ICxcept what now follows under the sub-headin<; above,
"small arms, ov:c., " this paper was written on 2(Sth Jan. last and
co|)\- forwarded to the oflux' of the Minister of Militia at Ottawa.
Since that time new information bearinL;' on the subject has ap-
peared in man)' places and new proposals come fi'om the Militia
Department, but these proposals hia\e been so variable in the
[xist as to make discussion on the merits \ain. So the public
ma)' reall)' be preparcfl for any action however im|)ro\ident.
Rumour has it that the contract is jiwarded amouLi^ other things
for 40,000 Lee-ICnficlrl and iS,(jo0.ooo Cordite ("artrids^res, enou^ii
for nine \'ears ordinar)' ser\ ice, when not to speak of the exorbi-
tant price named for tlie Kille and the ra!>i(l developement of
new explosiv es so lari^c an cxijenditure abroad, postpones indefin-
itel)' the establishment of a new industr)*, the domestic manu-
facture of arms, when all the conditions are now so favorable.*
However the whole (|uesti(;n of the small bore Rifle and Cordite
Ammunition is still ver)' unst-ttled. That a slender bullet like
the service or Kraai; Jori^ens'.-n shcaild penetrate a bod)' at a ranj^e
of two miles is of doubti'ul utilit)' without slopping; power, and
a flat or dani^erous trajeclor)' over a tactical area of halt that
distance.
As latel)' as iSSS the Lce-.\Ietford small bore was issued to
the Inijjerial force 'neaiix reports in favor of the Snider
I'lnfield the arm still used by the Militia as a stopping weapon,
HO adepts differ and improvements come apace. Sjjccial advan-
tages being now claimed for the Murata as for the Mexican Rifle
invented b)' Major Mondragon with its slow, rai)id ;intl repeating
fire. Then Surgeon Major Van lloff, American Arniy is mak-
ing exhaustive experiments with the Kraag Jorgensen last issu-
ed to the U. S. A. with results so far very sirnlar to the exper-
ience of the hjiglish Small bore, all (jf which manifestly suggests
the prudence of thonnigh inquiry and report before final action in
so serious a matter as the choice of a new arm for Canada. It
does seem incredible that w ith the mfijrmation available and
while the Militia is in posseseion (jf so serviceable a rifle as the
Snider h-nfield and with a reserve of some 30,000 of that arm on
hand, the (ioveriment should incura liabilit}' of say $1509,400.00
for arms and ammunition whicii investigations, still in progress,
may before the lapse even of a )'ear su})ersede or discredit.
What will become of the Cartridge I'^actor)' established at
Quebec and the officers lust returned from a course of instruct-
ion at the Ro)'al Laboratory remains to be seen ; if the new
munitions really go into use they will both be superfluous and
if the old munitions are continued the new will be meantime
superfluous. Contingencies which obviousl)' suggest that if the
counsel and serv ices of the practical and experienced officers of
the Canadian Staff were occasionallv called into recjuisition more
promising results might be anticij:)ated. There is a Militia offi-
cer on the Head Quarters Staff who nn'ght with the greatest
safet)' have been entrusted with this small arm armament, his
namv: is Major Perlev-, he has made a study of Rifle ballistics
and few officers in the service outside l'',nfield Lock and the
Ro}'al Laboratory have riper kncnvledge of the subject. When
too late it may be realized that the public interests would be best
served in cases like this under discussion by incjuiry and report
of a board picked from the officers of the Dominion Staff The
Im])erial Service can draw on resources practically inexhaustible
they can afford abortive ex[)eriments without limit. Not very
29
lon
been imder the im])ression their creation datctl back before and
to the time of the inception of the Dominion. Reports like
these may awaken them to their mistake, as to how they are
viewed from the other side (jf the Atlantic.
TRAINING. CAMPS. INSi'KCTION.
In Report of 1893, pat;e 40, ai)pcars the followin<^: — "The
" ori;"anization of the District Camps of Instruction has been im-
" proved, the work to be done in them has been systematized, and
" as a consequence more definite results are obtained from tlie
" trainini;" of the Rural Militi.i. * * * * 'j')^,. com])etitions
" in militar}' efficienc}' established in coimection with the ins|jec-
" tion of the Active Militia, has had a L;()od effect on the training'
"both of rural and city battalions. At the same time the benefit
" of competition is onl\' secured when the Inspecting officer is
"energetic, and thoroui^hh' ca|)able of <^i\inL;" instruction in ever\'
"detail connected with the drill, duties and organization of the
" unit under inspection. * * * " The marked inferiority of the
Infantry (to the Artiller}'} are traceable to the same cause, viz.,
" the )>ia liner in which the duty of Inspect ion is carried ont. In
32
"the Artillery the system instituted b)' (leneral Strange, when
" Inspector of /\rtiller>', and still enicientK' carried out, makes
"the Inspection at once a test of i-flicienc)', a means of instruc-
" tion and a source of enudation. The lns|)ection of the other
"arms has detj^entrrated into a mere parade or re\ie\v."
The casual reader would he nuu:h deceived in su|)|)osinj^
there was an)' just l; round for the sweeping statements (luoted.
As scandalous reflections on the Staff of this District, the)' can-
not l)e allowed to pass unchallenj^ed. It should he sufficient to
state as the Order Hooks will attest that for the last twehe )ears
duriuLi^ which period the writer has been Hri^ade Major at Alder-
shot Camp, No. () District the diar)- of drill has been on the lines,
acciuired from the |)rest-nt Adjutant (ieueral at the War Office,
Sir Kedvers Huller and (leneral llawlc)' when respectively Ad-
jutant and Colonel of the 4th., 60th Rides, and that the Camp
(irounds were always prepared according" to tile regulations for
encatripments and with improved arrangements for water supply
and Target practice not there contemplated, and that the In-
spections like the drill until the ad\ent of iMaj-(ienl. Herbert
were carried out with "scru|)ulous adherence" to the Arm)- Or-
der from the War Office prefacinj^" all the red books, and now for
tlie first time sti^niati/ed as "degenerate" b)- the officer whose
duty should be to U])hol(l them. (lenl. I! tubert failed utterl)'
to recoi^ni/.e the uaiil of analoi;)' bt-lweeii the two arms which
makes ai^ainst the adoption for tlu> infantr)' of the s)stem of
credits on inspection established with such l;oo(1 results In- Cenl.
Stranj^e in the .Artiiler)-. .\rtiller\' are a (■///c^s7 scientific corps,
limited in numlx-r, and so possible lo be inspected b)- one or two
officers, whosi- methods of inspection and \ lews of credits are
usuall)' known to each other and alike. There is no difficult)', or
at worst none insurmoimtable. t^oiuL;" into the ramifications of
(jienl. Stran_i;e's t;xcelk-nt s\stem of credits for artiiler)' inspec-
tions. Hut in the inf;:iitr\' it is sim|il\' ph\sicall\' imjK)ssible of
application, and is not practiced in the fii.;htin|4' line of an)' ami)'
in the world. That it mii^ht be ph\sicall\' impossible in a small
permanent corps, such as the .Schools of Instruction, is not nec-
cessar)' to deii)'. lime and detail would not there; be insu|)er-
able obstacles^jul in a Militia T'orce in Cam|), i)aid for onl)' 12
or at the k»«w< 16 da)s drill, and now virtual!)' without staff, the
method is absurd unjust and mischievous. Take for instance,
a 12 days' camp of e.\ercise, with ^ or 4 thousand men of all
ranks and all arms. \\y a judicious diai)- of drill and persistent
work, it has been found practicable to !.;et through a wonderful
amount of scjuad, arms, companx' and battalion drill, not to speak
33
of.sini|)li; Hrij^adc inovcinents. lUit to obtain satisfactory rc-
Milts, such worU cannot Ix: interrupted by inspections utitil the
\iis{ />().\si7>/r (/ay. (I'liesc remarks n-fer of course to the Infantry.)
liy the ri(hculous system of inspection adopted cUirinjf the last
three years to ^^et throuj^li a Hrij^^ade, the inspection must be^in
about Tuesda)' of the second week in ("am|). What just com-
parison can then be made bc'tutn-n the credits of men inspoctefl
on that (hi)- and those ins|)ected on the follovsin^ l'"ri(hiy with
4 ckiys more for pre|>aration -^ And suppose the Inspection short-
ened by the em|)lo)'ment of additional Inspectors, their (h'fference
in (juah'ty and jud;.inient wouUI render \akielcss the cretMts to
be ^i\en. The crowning proof of tlie folly of the s)'stem as
applied to the lon^' fi^htin;^ lini-, is the credit j^iven under it b)-
the Ci. (). ('. in i)eis()n, who reported the least efficient battalion
in this district, as the best drilled corps in the Dominion. See
Report iM9i,p. 21. The fountain and orij^n'n of efficiency in the
traininf4' of the Militia is in the i'ermanent .Schools open as they
are at all times, and in sufficient numbers for the instruction of
all ranks and all arms in the dut)- of a soldier. It has been said
that appointments to the .St, ;ff of these schools have .';ometimes
been made nn political rather ihan ^n-ounds of merit. If that
is correct, it ^oes without saying that whoever would taint the
fountain could have but little rej^ard for the stream. I f an>' abuses
reall)' e.xist, it is reasonable to suppose they will soon be corrected,
as the public come to reco,L,nii/.e the fiill \alue of their .Schools,
and an experiment wf)rth tr)in^ in them would be the addition
to each School of an officer Instructor in Mn^ineerin' point of view
"of the greatest possible imjiortance, for in the time of war every
'' regimental and company di\ ision throughout the length and
'' breadth of the Dominion would becoine a recruiting district,
»' with its own recruiting agents, viz : the officers of reserve)
'' always resident therein. * * * There is no coniparison in
'■^ point of organi::;ation between the militia army of Canada and
»' the volunteer army of iMigland, and no donbt, as to the great
' for existing com-
plaints. Indeed, so good an Act is it, that ri\al claims are made
for its authorship. Col. Strange, R. A., in his lecture delivered
before the Royal United Service Institute, claimed it originated
with Sir Daniel Lysons, but the writer has the authority of Mr.
Suite that Sir George Cartier was the author of the Act. A
.soldier could not draft it so well, possibly Sir Daniel and Col.
McDougall gave him the benefit of their advice. Whoever the
authors, they can show results in the Militia of every City and
3<
Camp of exercise in the Dominion far in excess of any efforts
on the part of the Go\ennnent to (le\ elope the rescnn'ces of their
Act. Perhaps new life will now be infused into it, a full meed of
justice done to the Active Militia, and the Reserve rej:![ularly
enrolled, as well for the purposes contemplated b)- the Act, as to
give the best machinery for perfect enumeration of the Census,
OV POLITICS AM) Nl-:i'()TISM IX THK FORCK.
Soine results of party politics and nei)(;tism in the militia
departinent are here submitted f(»r the impartial consideration of
the public whom it concerns the m(;st. As well understood a
soldier as such loses none of his civil ri^dits; while the law at the
same time constitutes hiin the guardian in the last resort of the
civil rights of others. Political!)' he is as free an agent as any
other citi/.en. Indeed, so well is this principle established in the
parent country that active employment in the army or navy is no
dist[ualification for sitting either in the house of lords or in the
commons. In the forum the rights (jf the soldier, be he Liberal
or Tory, are held intact and sacred. In service only his first
dut>' is obedience to his superior officer. Part)' lines are there
for the time obliterated, h'or this reason the imjjortation of party
politics into the militia department is specially to be condemned.
It was condemned in unmeasured terms b\- Lord VVolsele)-, the
new G. O. C. in chief, s(j long ago as icSjo. Chafing then under
the inflction of appointments in the militia force against which
he protested in vain, he wrote tn/cr alia thus ; " It is not a quest-
ion of obtaining good men, but of how j^arty purposes inay be
secured by a judicious allotment of them amongst political sup-
porters and their relations." More than a cjuarterof a century has
elapsed since these words were written, and that c)'clc has wit-
nessed the renascence of the semi-barbarous Japs, and their
creation of an army and navy which won the admiration of the
world, while corruption still reigns triumphant at Ottawa ; the
last act of the moribund mis-named Conservative government in
Ottawa being cjuite in keeping with the practice so condemned
by General Wolseley, the appointment by Mr. Costigan, Minister
of Marine, of his son-in-law, Major Bliss, to the second position
on the headquarter staff of the militia. There is no right to sur-
mise the opinion of the G. O. C. or chief of staff on this appoint-
ment, but the public interest justifies the statement of the belief
that either or both of these officers may in process of time repeat
the experiences recorded by Sir Garnet VVolsele)' above, and the
abuse of rightful authority is not confined to Ottawa, it is contin-
ually repeated in the districts. Political influence and audacious
37
nepotism hoiio)'C()inb the inilitiii to such a decree that the stafiT
officer has hltle more than tl'e simulacrum of a command in his
district.
Of the 12 (Hstricts in the Dominion No. 9 now referred to
is b)' no means exceptional and rej^^anhn^ it a few cases in point
arc ^iven as proof:— Major I'urcell, a retired ^ninner of the old
Second Hrij^'ade, (i. A., a |)ractical mechanic and a \er)' hand)*
man, still in his prime, for a lon^ series of j-ears until last .April
received a small stipend as caretaker at Point Pleasant batter)',
at I falifa.x, the j^uiis and stores of which are loaned by the imperial
authorities to the militia department. ,\s his name intlicates,
the caretaker looks after the stores and laccpiers, and paints ^uns
and carriages or constructs marine tar^^ets as recjuired b)* the I).
A. (i., wh(j with the H. M. (when there is one) form a board and
inspect and ri)ort annuall)' on such forts, mounted ordnance,
magazines, buildinj;s and worksiiseTl b)' the militia in the district.
Such duties as he had to perforin as caretaker Major i'urcell always
performed satisfactoril)' and he is cjuite fit for years to come.
Let it be recollected that caretakers belong to the subordinate
staff and not pro|)erl)' to aii)' se|)arate corj). \'et Major Purcell,
withtnit notice, without cause, and without the knowledge of the
officer commanding the district fMajor I'urcell is the authority
for this statement) was dissmisscd and the officer commanding
1st re^nnienl (i. A., put in his place as caretaker. Comment
should be unnecessar)'.*
An(;ther case : — - .A few \ears a^o the w riter. being at North
Sydney on dut\', \isited a U)v\. located and built by Colonel
W'estmacott, R. IC , |jrcviously to confederation and subse(iuently
transferred to the Dominion t^o\ eminent. The paraj^ets of the
work had cut stone faciiiL^s, places for si.x guns with racers, e.\-
|)ense magazines, etc., \er\' like some of the works around Ilalifa.v.
Six S. H. ^2 i)ounders, mounted on traversing platforms and
carriages, had been there. The w riter intended to re|K)rt on
their condition to the D. .\.(1. ihc denouement was a new fulfil-
ment of scripture, for the stone parapets had been carried away
for the foundation o( a neighboring church, the carriages dis-
mantled, and an unsuccessful attempt made to blow up the old
gun.s, possibly with an agricultural intent for pU/Ughshares, and
incjuiry at the time disclosed that a local member with the nec-
essary pull had sold the fortfication for some$2(X) to a very zeal-
ous popular clergyman, who wisely gave no chance by delay for
a retreat from his bargain. But what can be said for the admin-
istration which made such a thing possible.
'^Thc ciiRC regiirdiiiK I'oint I'leaHant curetuker was brought to the writt-rM kuuwiudgc while
thin paper wu8 going through thu press.
38
A rouj^h estimate would ])ut the orij^inal cost of the work-
somewhat about ^5,000 sterling. It ma\' be presumed the en-
j^ineer officers chose the best location to protect Sydney Harbor,
and the work was available for modern j^uns if required ; and
what a coincidence it would be if at some future time it should
be fouiul desirable to restore the very work so hastih' dismantled.
Arbitration may dehi}', but will never supersede defense.
A still more ^larini^ invasion of the rij^hts of the D. A. G.
in his own district is his jjractical exclusion from the command
and direction (jf the Proxincial Rifle Ranj^e at l^cdford and the
substitution in his place of an officer from the retired list, spec-
ial h' [ilaccd there without the recommendation or approval of
the district staff
Is it in the interest of the public that intruders (>n the office
of the militia staff, with naught but a pull to recommend them,
should be cncouraj^ed and maintained rather tlian the right and
dignity of the commanding officer be preserved intact.
MILITARY MA L- ADMINISTRATION.
INCORRKrlBLK.^
IS IT
In the " llislor)' of the Crimean War First to last" by Genl-
Sir D. Lysons. (London 1895) it is written "We were beaten
" more than once in the Crimea had our enemies recognized it,
" we deserved to be beaten o\er and oxer again ; that we v.ere
" not, was due to the Regiinental Officers and men with muskets.
" The War Office was helpless, the Staff ignorant and often use-
" less, the rank and file encouraged b)' the Regimental Officers
"of like fibre |)ulled us through. * * * There has been a
" marked revixal latel}- of interest in our greatest struggle since
"the Peninsular War ; it is well that it is so, for surely no more
"painful histors' exists than that which describes the imbecility
" of the s)-stem under which our men died in thousands when a
" little forethought would ha\e sa\ed their loss."
This refers to the Crimean period. ;\ contemporary writer
Col. Hrackenbury, R. A., editing Huxton's " Elements of Military
Administration" in his preface, among other things writes of the
present time. " In e\er}' campaign however small, there comes
"a breakdown in Administrati(jn somewhere. Then arise
"throughout the Countr}' cries of disappointment and of wrath
" against those who administer the svstem. * * * The best
'• and heartiest wish of the writer is that t/n's volume may soon be-
39
*' couie obsolete by a thorough chancre of administration ; and that
"our grandsons, taking it down from the dustiest shelves of the
" Hbrary, may excldim, " Was this state of things ever possible."
Since the publication of that book the Report of the Ilartington
Commission has appeared, also the order in Council on War Of-
fice re-organization, and on Commission or order favc^rable com-
ment has yet to be made. The incongruous powers of heads of
departments, again indefinitely p