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A FEW WORDS ON CANADA. mada, in ihe Office Now that Canada has fairly entered upon the discharge of the difficult and important task she has undertaken, of consolidating and centralizing the powers hitherto administered by many local governments in British North America, it be- comes necessary to assume responsibilities of considerable magnitude, compared with those which hitherto devolved on the respective Pro- vinces, now happily joined in confederation. It will therefore not be amiss to consider what the country has been in the past, what it is at pre- sent, and wh«it it may be in the future j at the same time keeping in mind that the martial spirit inherited from our fathers, and the remem- brance of their victories and glorious achieve- ments in the past, have enabled their sons to drive back the Fenian hordes who lately molested us J and that will, under Providence, and with proper foresight and provision on the part of Parliament, give us and our sons the same mea- sure of success against our enemies in the future. Only lately, the scattered Provinces of which the Dominion is composed were groping their way alone, each jealous of its own rights and of eaeh other, apparently ignoring the fact, that 4 from geographical and other considerations, their interests as British Americans were identical. The course of events, ever onward, has however, imperceptibly impelled us forward, and now Canada is rapidly emerging from the petty jea- lousies of Provincial sectionalism, and is fast reaching to the status of an important power. New subjects have been opened up for consi- deration, new measures have in consequence be- come necessary. The local requirements of a single Province, sink into insignificance when compared with those of the larger Dominion. Statesmen who from this time forth become the leaders of public opinion in Canada must there- fore be the exponents of a policy wider in its range thiin wo^ald be suitable for merely local requirements. The provision in the Union Act. giving each Province the control of its local affairs, has been beneficial in its results, and has been the means of more surely cementing the feelings of the whole people, than any other course which could have been devised. The confederation of five Provinces has been consummated in peace and harmony. No money has been spent in fighting, no blood has been shed in anger, and there is no reason to doubt, that the three Provinces necessary to complete the confederation of British North America into a great Dominion, extending from the Atlantic on the East, to the Pacific on the West, will become applicants for admission within a brief period. The only battle we are now fighting is on the part of men accustomed to the use of the axe, the plough, the pick and the shovel, in bringing surplus land into cultivation, opening up rich mines, and in making roads, railways and canals, to facilitate communication and take surplus productions to market. But to enable us to protect these great interests in cases of necessity, and make us self-reliant as a people, there should undoubtedly be continually trained up to a knowledge of the use of arms, and side by side with those men who are developing the natural resources of the country, those who will make the protection of our hearths and homes a first consideration. Canada is not likely to take the path in an aggressive warfare, and her interests are involved in keeping peaceful relations with her neigh- bours ; but having been granted the rights and privileges of free government, there cannot be a doubt that those rights and privileges are worth defending to the full extent of the resources of the Dominion^ in both men and money. The Duke of Newcastle tells us in his des- patch to the Governor General, under date of Dec. 20th, 1862 : " The main security against aggression which Canada enjoys as a portion of the British Em- pire is the fact known to all the world, that war with Canada means war with England ; not in Canada only, but upon every sea, and upon the shores, wherever situated, of the aggressive i i power itself. It does not therefore follow, that this country can consent or afford to maintain an unlimited number of troops in Canada, at her own cost, even in time of war, much less in t ime of peace ; and it remains true, that the defence of Canadian territory must depend mainly upon the Canadian people itself" The question of defence does not, therefore, rest upon the fact, that Canada has only a population of 4,000,000; but upon that of Canada's 4,000,000, the 32,000,000 in Great Britain, with the most powerful fleet that floats upon the ocean, and the actual as well as the moral support of the British Empire in every part of the world. When the time shall come for the completion of necessary territorial acquisitions, and the whole of the British North American Provinces are joined into one Dominion, Canada will be a power having resources of no mean order. Her unrivalled inland navigation and water powers ; her fisheries, shipping, mining, manufacturing and railway interests; her arable lands and forests of timber, with a hardy, industrious, fru- gal, and loyal population, are sufficient warrants for material progress and prosperity, equal to anything'^heretofore known on this continent. It is not therefore doing too much to express the hope, that Parliament may have the wisdom to grasp the situation of affairs, and by wise and enlightened legislation induce a tide of immiglra- tion to flow into the several Provinces, and at ■ ,-ft. oUow, that I maintain ada, at her 3SS in t ime he defence ainly upon therefore, I as only a I that of ) in Great that floats rell as the re in every completion L and the L Provinces I will be a •der. Her ,er powers ; lufacturing lands and trious, fru- it warrants ^, equal to itinent. It jxpress the wisdom to J wise and f immigta- ces, and at the same time cause a development of all the resources within its reach. Not many years ago, we thought it of vital importance that our commercial relations with the United States should be extensive and per- manent. The Imperial Government, at our request, entered into a treaty on the part of Canada, for a reciprocal trade in agricultural productions with the United States. That treaty went into operation and was mutually benefivial in its results during the eleven years of its exist- ence. The United States, however, expr'^ssed its belief that the advantage was on the pur t of Canada, and so, when the period stipulated for expired, tl at Government abrogated the treaty. It is unnecessary to give figures, shewing the extent of the trade which had thus been created. It will, perhaps, suffice to say, that the treaty was of undoubted advantage to both the United States and to Canada. The great extent of con- terminous frontier, 3,000 miles in length, and the difficulty and expense attending the sending of produce to distant markets, was considerably lessened by a direct exchange of commodities across the lines; both parties being benefited, and both receiving what they required from the growth and produce of each country, at first hands, and at the least possible cost in money. Previously, we had obtained, and still retain, the privilege of receiving and sending merchan- dise and agricultural productions through the United States in bond ; the same privilege being 8 granted by Canada to the United States. This agreement enabled those portions of the United States in the West, to have a choice of routes to and from the Atlantic seaboard, and has given us the same privilege, with Portland as our winter port. The President of the United States, for reasons set forth in his recent message, asks Congress to give him power to suspend the bonding system ; We may therefore, without impropriety consider the position we occupied before the adoption of the reciprocity treaty, the effect the treaty and its abrogation had upon us, and the gain which will surely result to the people of Canada within a brief period, if the bonding system is suspend«d. Up to a recent period so great was our appa- rent wish to inculcate in the minds of the rising generation the great destiny which awaited our neighbors in the United States, that we actually permitted the general use of school books, at least seven -tenths of the contents of which re- ferred to the United States, their history, their glory and great resources — England and British North America being so dwarfed that five or six pages sufficed to record all that was said res- pecting them. Under these circumstances it is surprising that our British feeling has not been undermined. Nothing but the honest con- viction that we had equal advantages and were living under the very best form of go- vernment that could be devised, has saved to the country those who were in Canada, and edu- eated in the English common schools more than J 9 •tates. This ' the United routes to and J given us the ■ winter port. 3, for reasons } Congress to ding system : iety consider ! adoption of e treaty and le gain which anada within is suspended, ras our appa- of the rising L awaited our t we actually Lool books, at of which re- history, their 1 and British that five or was said res- istances it is ng has not e honest con- vantages and form of go- has saved to ada, and edu- }ls more than twenty years ago. A better and surer system now in operation, under which national school )oks will be chiefly used. It is, therefore, fair suppose that having commenced at the foun- lation in the matter of national education, we re comparatively safe. There are now 4,598 school sections in On- tario, in which common schools are maintain- ed, and at which 432,430 scholars attended during 1869. Of these schools, 4,131 were lupported by a tax on property, and personal at- tendance was free. ^ In Quebec, 3,913 common schools were main- tained during 1868, and at which 212,838 icholars attended. These schools wore support- id by an assessment on property, to the extent If $291,964, and by monthly lees paid by the icholars, $452,868. iWhen the reciprocity treaty went into opera- on, we had no leading lines of railway, nor Iiiitable steamships by which our surplus pro- uctions could be sent quickly and cheaply to larket. Want of lighthouses on the lower St, lawrence made insurances dear, and the Cana- lifn route so dangerous, that difficulty was [perienced in getting capital invested in suit- tt)le steamship lines for communication with lurope. The result was, that all the established 5ean lines sent their steamers to New York, rom whence the various inland transportation >mpanies successfully competed with us. A ^e portion of Canadian imports and exports 10 therefore centred in New York, for distribution in bond to ports of destination. This being the case, it was natural that a considerable trade should be otherwise diverted from legitimate Canadian channels, to the great benefit of mer- chants and transportation companies within the United States; gradually our facilities had been improved, so that when the reciprocity treaty was abrogated by the United States, we had reached a point of self dependence that carried us safely through. The impetus given, has not only enabled us to carry our own produce to the markets of Eu- rope, but to enter into successful competition with routes through the United States, for the western carrying trade. In 1853, only four ocean steamers, registering 2,000 tons in all, came up the St. Lawrence from aea ; in 1861 these arrivals increased to 38, with a register of 51,000 tons, and during 1868 to 93, with a re- gister of 97,000 tons. The Montreal Ocean Line has 21 of these magnificent ocean steamers in commission, of which the mail steamers make average passages from Quebec to Liverpool in 9 J days, and the average return from Liverpool to Quebec in 10^ days. This line is fully up to the times in speed and comfort, and is capable of expansion to any reasonable extent. The other competing and auxiliary lines are making consi- derable headway, and now, through the erection of light houses and the placing of beacons and buoys, the navigation of the lower St. Lawrence i 11 distribution 'his being the derable trade )m legitimate inefit of mer- ies within the facilities had le reciprocity ed States, we )endence that ily enabled us aarkets of Bu- ll competition 5tates, for the 53, only four tons in all, aea ; in 1861 th a register of 93, with a re- [ontreal Ocean ocean steamers steamers make Liiverpool in 9J n Liverpool to fully up to the [ is capable of nt. The other I making consi- igh the erection )f beacons and ir St. Lawrence Is not considered any more difficult or hazardous khan that of the ocean itself. We have good reason to think that the United Itates have all along treated us unfairly, first in >reaking off commercial relations and placing mdue restrictions on navigation and trade ; and, jcondly, in the encouragement given to* the fenian organization, through their leading poli- Ipcians and newspapers, causing us a direct ex- mditure of many millions of dollars in money, id the loss of many loyal Canadians, whose Ives we valued dearly. All has apparently been Jone that could be done, to force us into the Relief that our safety could only be secured by IJpming under the wings of the great eagle. The Result has however been, that each tightening of le cord has tended to bind the Provinces, and cement the people more closely together, and ias given us the self-reliance necessary in laying le foundation for that national greatness to rhich we shall surely attain. While we deplore the loss of life which has jsulted to us from these actions on the part of ir neighbors in the United States, we cannot fut express the hope that a better state of feel- ig on their part may be brought about, and that ^0 occasion will arise for misunderstanding in the Lture. There is room for two great nations on ds continent ; and if Canadians remain true to lemselves and to each other, there will be no jason, so far as they are concerned, why these ro nations should not grow up side by side, in - 12 harmony and good brotherhood. If such a desi- rable result is to be attained, the policy of the United States towards us must be changed, from | that of direct commercial hostility to that which shall at least carry on its face expressions of national friendship and good will. With the addition of each Province new and varied interests are springing up, which require attention ; these must be acted on as promptly as possible, having in view the interests of Can- ada as a whole. We cannot tell what may or may not please our neighbours across our south- ern border, but we should know in which way our own interests can best be served. We are not likely to do anything knowingly against the interests of the United States, that we should not do, and are disposed to act towards them as under similar circumstances we should wish them to act towards us ; and, in this spirit, there can be no doubt that if we had a Canadian agent in Washington, who would watch the course of events from our point of view, and act in con- cert with England's representative there, an un- derstanding might be arrived at which would ripen into a policy carrying with it extensive trade relations, profitable alike to both Canada and the United States. Perhaps the time has arrived for some such arrangement to be entered into ; if so, th<) subject should have proper con- sideration. In the mean time we cannot delay for a single year the development of our resour- ces, waiting for a something to be brought about, 13 f such a desi- policy of the hanged, from to that which sxpressions of dnce new and svhich require as promptly erests of Can- what may or )ss our south- in which way '^ed. We are ly against the at we should ^ards them as iild wish them irit, there can dian agent in the course of i act in con- there, an un- which would it extensive hoth Canada the time has to be entered re proper con- ! cannot delay }f our resour- rought about; hich may never be acted on. Canadian states- en must therefore continue to act in the way ey think most advantageous to the Canadian terests committed to their charge. The United States are doing what they can bring about a settlement of the so-called lahama claims, and will, as usual, try to get a Bon's share. It is reported that their new fciinister to England expresses an opinion, that oney alone will not satisfy the people of the nited States, that in addition they should have e St. Lawrence opened to them, and their ermen be permitted to enjoy equal rights %ith us in our own fisheries. We have good leason to know that in a majority of the trea- jBes made between England and the United tates, the substantial advantages, so far at least Canada has been afi^ected, have been secured §n the side of the United States. We want no tetter illustration of this than our southern l^oundary line, " crooked as a ram's horn," now $ source of trouble to us, and one of the prin- lipal reasons why the bonding system between Ihe two countries became necessary. There ^ust hereafter be no hesitation on our part in Insisting, that Canadian interests have equal Consideration with imperial interests in all mat- Ts affecting Canada, which are made the subject r settlement by treaty between England and e United States. The natural outlet ot the Western States is ow and will continue to be through the St. 1 14 Lawrence. The traffic we are likely to get from g this source will, in addition to our own increas- | ing trade, tax the capacity of existing canals to f the utmost, and the day is not distant when this ] line of communication must be deepened and f enlarged. The Hon. William Hamilton Merritt, the able, zealous, and indefatigable friend of Canada, who aided so largely in building up our magni- ficent line of canals, and helped to foster and encourage our trade relations everywhere, was actually laughed at when he proposed a Cana- dian monthly line of ocean steamships to Eng- land, and yet when a commencement was made in the face of difficulties of consid arable magni- tude, it was wonderful how easily we fell into line when a semi-monthly and then a weekly line was organized. Previous to the death of that eminent statesman, his energies were cen- tered in the origination of plans for supporting a daily ocean line from the St. Lawrence, in summer, and from Halifax in winter ; and had he been spared to us a few years longer, his indomitable courage and facility of perception in matters of this kind, would have been the means of hastening the accomplishment of that, which is now a matter of absolute necessity, and which will perhaps, within the next or following year become a reality. What Mr. Merritt wanted to secure, as a first step towards carrying out the daily service, was an inland line of Canadian pro- pellerSi sufficient in number, and under one man- •^■■-x^r^irtamm^^fffn^m0'?^mm ■g CwJ-i yaMagtaadi 15 ely to get from • own increas- iting canals to tantwhen this deepened and Merritt, the nd of Canada, ip our magni- to foster and srywhere, was posed a Cana- ships to Eng- lent was made i arable magni- Y we fell into ;hen a weekly 3 the death of ^ies were cen- br supporting It. Lawrence, 1 winter ; and ars longer, his f perception in )een the means of that, which ity, and ^hich following year ritt wanted to rying out the Canadian pro- inder one man- cement, so that large quantities of freight mid be certainly and speedily conveyed from ie several lake ports during the season of in- id navigntion, and brought together at Mon- jal for export. But the necessary propellers [11 soon be secured through other agencies, fd the doi^y line to Europe will thus become a ality. All honor to the man who projected such ffline, and to him who carries it into effect. We are now building an Intercolonial Railway Halifax, a road to Manitoba, and will perhaps compelled to build a canal at Sault Ste. On completion of these lines of commu- arie. [Cation, we shall be as completely independent, mercially, as it is possible for us to be. If e United States does not then want a part of r carrying trade, for that is all the bonding stem will amount to, we shall be quite capable doing it ourselves, and shall have Canadian lantic ports for both summer and winter use. This route to and from the sea will without ubt be placed at the disposal of bii ippers in e United States lor trant.port purposes east and Ijlest, on terms which will be equaPy beneficial || them anJ. profitable to u \ We wish to live terms of good fellowship with our neighbors ross the border, but if their fishermen will al our fish, in spite of treaty regulations to e contrary, we are not to be blamed if a stray ssel gets confi&cateJ now and then. We shrtli pe for a mutual forbearance and respect for h others* rightb and piejudlces. Any i/fay, 1" n 1 1 - 1 i ! 1 i i * i ] iH ! 1 16 the institutions of Canada are Canadian and British, and her people are thoroughly in earnest in bringing about a confederation of all the Pro vinces, sensible of the fact that a great future if in store for the Dominion. In 1853 our revenue from all sources amount- ed to only $5,300,000 ; in 1861 it had in creased to $7,300,000, and in 1869 to $14,- 500,000. In 1853 our credit stood fair, but we had to pay a good round interest for all the money we borrowed, and our bonds did not reach that price to which their real value en titled them. This state of affairs continued through all the intervening years up to the period of confederation. Now, however, we have an inscribed six per cent Dominion stock mostlj held by Canadians, and its value is 110 gold in the open market, while our ordinary six pei cent, bonds are quoted in England at 106. We have in our surplus lands a sure guaran tee for all the funds necessary to complete ou: railway and canal system, and to aid in dc veloping the varied resources of our vast ter ritory, without material addition to our deb payable in London. Canadians have confidenc( in the stability of their institutions, as eviden ced in the rapidity with which stock offered ii Canada has been taken up. Deposits in th( Government Post Office Savings Banks bearing interest at four and five per cent, are increasin and if the public works now considered nece sary are pushed forward, the ability of C a a Canadian and ughlyin earnest of all the Pro- I great future k sources amount 61 it had in- 1869 to $14,. stood fair, but Brest for all the ' bonds did not ' real value en- ffairs continued up to the period rer, we have ar >n stock most!) le is 110 gold in irdinary six pei land at 106. Is a sure guar an to complete ou: i to aid in de of our vast ter on to our debi have conJ&denc( tions, as eviden stock offered in Deposits in the ;s Banks bearing b. are increasing., onsidered neces ability of Cana- 17 ns to advance money will be so largely in- ased, that the Government could, without y extraordinary effort, and perhaps without ejudice to present banking interests, make a rket for a considerable sum in legal tender tes, to be used as a circulating medium, and which no interest need be paid. The debt of the Dominion is stated at $24 head of the population, but as nearly all this s been ipcurred in the construction of public rks, the result is not startling. So long as we ve such an immense security at our back, in ds and works of utility, and provision is made the interest and sinking fund, our credit should o^tinue to be undoubted, even if the present dcj)t wero considerably increaped by aiding in the OQpistruction of the Pacific Railway and other tessary public works. The money would go at e into circulation, and in addition to affording niBcessary facilities foi transport and inter-com- iftUnication, would stimulate trade, increase settlement on the public lands, and aid very liilgely in developing the resources of the country. .The measure of prosperity Canada may reach lM the near future, can hardly be estimated by most visionary enthusiast. Besides th« id development which is sure to take place the older Provinces in the East, the vast re- n we have in the North- West, will become, thin a brief period, the happy home of mil- ns of pushing and indastrio]is settlers. Our 2 i ! ? i 18 own steady progress in the past, may be taken as an indication of what that increased rate ol progress will be in the future, stimulated as it will be by the responsibilities of local adminis- tration, and the ambition for future greatness. We have emerged as it were from the chrysalis state, and are now prepared for any reasonable amount of development. Every mile of railway constructed, evcrj schooner, propeller, and steamboat for use on the inland lakes and rivers, and every steamshij for ocean trade, added to the present number increases to that extent our resources for main taining a friendly competition . for the carrying trade of the Western States and Canada, anJ will afford necessary facilities for inter-commu nication and transport, in time of trouble, if thai time should ever come. The present isolation of our territories in the North-West must be overcome, we must not h dependent upon a foreign country, even althougl: that country be a friendly one, for means ol communication between the different portion of our territory. The passing whim of neithe President nor Senate of the United State should be allowed to bar the passage whic must always remain open for unrestricted inter course between Canadians East and West. Tb present route to Manitoba through Minnesota must not be the only one for winter use. Th communication through Canadian territory mus be opened up, and that communication must I 19 such a character as to cause it to be the best, ,e cheapest, and most direct route to and from e North- West, the year round. The valley of the Saskatchewan, stretching tward from the Rocky Mountains to Lake innipeg, will without doubt have its attrac- ns, hardy pioneers leading the way will m a nucleus for extensive settlement. The duce of great Provinces, sure to be created m present undeveloped regions, will require ilities beyond anything the St. Lawrence te or a direct railway to Montreal can afford, e must, therefore, in addition to such routes, or the carrying look forward to the certainty, that a commercial id Canada, anS p^rt for Atlantic traffic will be found at the )r inter-commu D^puth of the Nelson River, for part of the im- may be taken 3reased rate of Emulated as it local adminis- iture greatness, n the chrysalis any reasonable tructed, ever} oat for use oe every steamship i resent number Urces for main f trouble, if thai territories in ih ^ we must not h y, even althougl: ,e, for means ol ifferent portions whim of neithei United Statei s passage whicl nrestricted inter and West. Tb ough Minnesota,! Y inter use. Thi' an territory musi nication must ¥i ts and exports of the North- West, and that route connecting the Assiniboine and Red ver of the North, through Lake Winnipeg th fche Saskatchewan coming from the West, id with the Nelson River which flows into dson'sBay, must be rapidly improved, having B end in view. For military reasons the opening up of these ns of communication become matters of ne- sity. We cannot, and should not allow a on to exist for such an impediment as was ced in our way by the United States, in clos- their canal at Sault Ste. Marie last spring* ere must not be any doubt in the future as our right to pass Sault Ste. Marie with troops, t any time it became necessary to seud troops I I 20 that way. Our only safe course is to construct a canal at that point ; to complete the road from Thunder Bay to Fort Garry ; to hasten the con- struction of our Intercolonial Railway north of Lake Superior ; and to lend a helping hand in improving the route westward, from Hudson Bay by way of the Nelson River and Lake Winnipeg, as a military necessity. If we arc in earnest in our desire to cement the destinies of all these Provinces, and to deve- lop the resources within our grasp, there is room for a Dominion policy, which will require the united energies of the foremost and best statesmen Canada can produce, to carry out. The construction of Railways through the great prairie districts in the Western States, has as a rule been made in advance of settlement. The State has aided in the construction of trunk lines by grants of land and a bonus in money, per mile constructed. To make the land grants available, the railway companies have through the maintenance of emigration agencies in the ^Id country at their own expense, secured im- migrants who became purchasers of and settlers upon the lands, thus aiding in constructing the railway and afterwards* in forwarding the pro- duce of their industry to market, aflfording am- ple trafl&c for the line. It is, therefore, fair to suppose that the same measure of success which has attended the construction of such railways in the United States will also, under similar cir- IHUp 'glMIW i M 21 cumstances, result to us in the constr * tion of the Canada Pacific Railway. The great advantages resulting to the State from following this course, are, first, the rapid settlement and development of the country, and second, the contribution in acres of land and dollars in money in aid of construction, can be calculated with certainty before the work is un- dertaken. Mr. Alfred Waddington, the zealous advo- cate fo;* the constru:*tion of a Pacific Railway, having expended mu:;h time and money in pre- liminary explorations, says : " The ' Canada Pacific Railway* presents the shortest line of route between Europe and Asia, whilst it passes over the most favorable ground in the world for a railroad. The grades and curves are easier, the altitudes infinitely less, the climate more temperate than on any of the other routes across the American continent, and the line is nearly free from snow, thus enab- ling it to be worked with regularity, rapidity and economy. Timber, ballast, and water car- riage in every direction furnish the greatest fa- cilities of construction ; coal is abundant both at the termini and along the road, and the country traversed offers a succession of fertile lands and water communication unrivalled in North America, and presenting such induce- ments to settlers as Canada has hitherto never had to offer. These will soon create a local or way traffic, which, added to that of the treasures 1, -.-Hi' am mr ijlii 1 iii'i 22 from the East, tlie general through traffic, and the many other advantages of the route, will make the ' Canada Pacific Railway' beyond a doubt the best paying line across the American continent. '• Settlement and civilization will follow the road step by step, as fast as it advances, and its results acquire more and more importance, till it would be difficult to gay what amount of po- pulation the opening up of such an extensive and fertile territory, aided by all these advan- tages, may attract ;— at the end of a couple of years, probably not less than ten or twelve thou- sand settlers annually. In the adjoining State of Minnesota, the population has increased, in the last eighteen years from 5,000 to 500,000 ; and on the ' Illinois Central,' the sale of lands more than paid the cost of the road. ''On the north side of Lake Superior, at Nee- pigon Bay, close to which the proposed route passes, traces of valuable copper and silver ore are abundant, and are believed to extend through the hills that form the divide between that point and Winipeg river. In the plain of the Sas- katchewan, beds of coal crop out on the projec- ted line of road, near the Touchwood Hills, 400 miles west of Fort Garry, and again 400 miles miles further west, near Long Lake, in long. 113^. These will become invaluable, both for the use of the railroad and of the future inhabi- tants of the plain, where wood is scarce. In British Columbia, the road traverses the cele- 23 brated Bald Mountains, which are known to be rich in gold, silver, copper and lead ores ; and here the construction of the railway will no doubt lead to important discoveries." The location of the route of the proposed Par cific Railway has not been decided on, and al- though that must depend entirely upon the result of practical surveys yet to be made, and the public interests to be served by the construc- tion of the Railway, we may, for purposes of estimate, give the distances, as stated by Mr. Waddington, as follow: — *' From the junction of the Mattawan and the Ottawa (the proposed starting point), to the summit of the Yellow Head Pass (limit of British Columbia), at 2,062 miles, and from the summit of the Yel- low Head Pass to Waddington Harbour, at the head of Bute Inlet, at 445 miles, or say 2,507 miles in all." » Following the practice which has resulted so satisfactorily in the construction of railways, and populating the Western JStates, we may readily estimate the extent of aid required from Canada towards the construction of the Pacific road as follows: 2,507 miles, at say 12,000 acres per mile, equal to 30,084,000 acres of land, and a bonus of $10,000 per mile, equal to $25,070,000 in money. Of land we have an abundance, which will only become valuable after a railway is con- structed. The grant of land can 'therefore be easily settled, and if it be made in alternate If I If ■'■:1 HiiiiMl 24 blocks along the line, the remainder will have a greater cash value to us after the railway is constructed, than the whole now has without a railway. The aid in money will be more difficult ; but, if the matter is taken in hand in earnest, the way to the money will no doubt be as easily found. It must also be kept in mind, that the Hudson Bay Company should bear its proportion of the grant in lands and money, if that company is to participate in the increased value of lands, in the districts hereafter to be opened for settlement. In p^ace, this and the other great public works are necessary for purposes of inter-communication and transport between the several Provinces ; while in war they would be indispensable requi- sites to successful defence. After the war of the revolution the United States commeaced their career with nearly the same population we now have. That country had, however, been drenched in blood, a heavy war debt rolled up, continental money, after the war, absolutely worthless, and they had no railways, no telegraphs, nor ocean or inland steamships. Under what different auspices do we stand. Friendly with the Imperial Government, the whole power of the Empire at our back, a mo- derate debt incurred in the construction of I works of utility, and with peace, contentment and undoubted prosperity apparent everywhere. If confederation has been the means through which all these materials for a great future! \ 25 have a .way is thout a B more hand in :)ubt be n mind, bear its Loney, if icreased jr to be lie works inication :ovince3 ; )le requi- e United early the ntry had, eavy war • the war, railways, eamships. ve stand, iient, the ick, a mo- ■uction of ntentment rery where. s through i eat future 1 have been secured, and the country is not hampered with the future payment of large sums of money, except for works of utility, re- presenting indebtedness incurred, we are able to present an united front, and favorable compa- rison with our neighbors across the line, and nothing should be allowed to stand in the way of the enjoyment of a season of prosperity un- exampled in the annals of modern civilization. We have a fair field before us, and should be prep-^^ed to enjoy these benefits by grasping the situ, on, by a masterly policy turning all these advantages to account, and thus cause Canada to be respected as a power soon to occupy a pro- minent position on this continent. The British Colonist^ British Columbia, of the 16th November, 1870, says, '' the terms of confederation have been endorsed at the re- cent selection of councillors, the colony has spoken as with the voice of one man in favour of union with Canada, and that on the first of July next the union will, without doubt, be proclaimed." The day is, therefore, not far distant when, through completion nf confederation, our Inter- colonial Railway must be pushed westward to the Pacific. "When that day arrives then, with Quebec, St. John, and Halifax as our sea ports for the Atlantic, and Victoria in British Colum- bia as our port for the Pacific, we shall by means of our steamship lines on the Atlantic, have quick and uninterrupted communication \y I' W' w ^ 26 with Europe through each year ; while in the We»t, with Victoria as our coaling station, and the route 1,000 miles shorter to Japan and China, we shall be in a position to undertake a commercial rivalry with our friends in the United States, for at least a part of the carrying trade of the world. Having these prospects before us, and relying upon our own good faith and intentions, it hurts our national pride to believe that politicians in the United States, who enjoy the reputation of statoHmen, should for one moment think it pos- sible that the destiny of Canada is ever likely to be linked politically with that of the United States. International trade on terms mutually beneficinl arc desirable and would be agreed to on our part, but beyond that our desires do not load us across our southern borders. Rice, cotton, and sugar cane cannot be profitably grown in Canada, but we have in other respects such a climate and lands as enable us to pro- duce all the necessaries of life. And a race of hardy, persevering, pushing business men are growing up here, that will equal any on the con- tinent of America, and who will prove fully able to grapple with all the difficulties incident to a competition, which from appearances must be maintained for the present, with a commercial Chinese wall between us and the United States. Canadians may not be able to carry their trade over this» but they will undoubtedly find a pro- fitable market for their surplus productions, and 27 employment for their capital in other direc- tions. While we do not object to the people of the United States arrogating to themselves the title of '^ Americans," which they claim exclusively as of right, we should take care to impress on our emigrant agents abroad, the fact that Canada is also a part of America, and that while we are proud of being called Canadians, we are also Americans. The impressi u on the minds of many of the poorer class in Europe who desire to emigrate, that America means only the United States, and that New York is the only port through which America may be reached, must be counteracted by correct information. The sad experiences of our neighbors in the United States with the Indians on their vast plains, should afford us an illustration of the folly of neglecting those marks of courtesy in our intercourse with the various tribes, which we use in every day life with each other ; and the absurdity of permitting federal agents to disregard solemn treaties, made in good faith between contracting parties, even although those contracting on one side be aboriginal. The various tribes of Indians along the route of our projected Pacific Railway, and through- out the North- Western territories to be opened for settlement, must be kept in good humour, and be made our friends before surveys for the railway are undertaken. Overtures must be made, and our desires and intentions clearly ez- m I- -ii 28 illlfi^ m': ■ pressed. The pipe of peace should be smoked around the council fire at every board, and every legitimate means be taken to shew these abori- ginal tribes our honesty of purpose, and ability to carry out such treaties as we may make. The Indians within our territory have hereto- fore been kept our friends and faithful allies, there can therefore be no reason to suppose, that now new territory has been added, we shall ex- perience any new or additional trouble in treat- ing with the aboriginal tribes we may find there. We wish these Indians no harm, but as the ne- cessities of Canada require the occupation, by a white population, of portions of the new. terri- tory, we must keep in mind the fact, that if hunting iirounds now affordins: an ample subsis- tence, are to be curtailed or interfered with, we are in duty bound to shew the several tribes another means through which their simple wants may be supplied. The maintenance in Manitoba of a reliable contingent of well-drilled and effective regular soldiers, until the active militia to be raised in that Province is organized and trained, must be considered one of the necessities of the times. No doubt, the disbandment with a view to set- tlement, of men now stationed there, would give a military tone to the population, and enable the Government to rely upon a certain number of trained men for service at any time ; but the newness of the territory, the comparative freedom from restraint hitherto experienced by the peo- i: ' 29 pie, under the lax administration of the Hudson's Bay Company, will require (ime to bring about that state of governmental control apparent in the older Provinces. In addition, the proximity of powerful tribes of Indians, f^ome of them warlike in their tendencies, and the probability that large bodies of laboring men will be engaged in constructing railways and other public w^orks, makes it imperative to keep at hand such a force as may seem adequate to secure the administra- tion of law, and the maintenance of order. For these reasons it does not seem likely that a local police force, ample though it would prove for purely police purposes, will be sufficient to give that decided appearance of stability, so absolutely necessary to the peaceful carrying out of the improvements in Manitoba and adjoining territories, which the completion of confederation will render absolutely necessary and indispens- able. With all these elements for attaining to great- ness and prosperity before us, we cannot forget the responsibilities which will naturally devolve upon Canada, as part of that Empire whose glories in the past are recorded in every clime, and under whose protection we are permitted to enjoy self-government, and to work out a great future for ourselves as Canadians and subjects of Her Majesty. The evident desire implied in the present policy of England, that Canada should place herself in a position to provide for her own in- h i: .; i ii '4- Hi. ml mm .1' •Ifh Vi _ J'J't 30 iniii lit!! iiil|l ternal police regulations, in time of peace, and assist in her defence in time of war, therefore, gives to the organization of the militia a new claim for careful consideration and attention, and im- poses an obligation on every man interestedln the welfare of the country to render such aid as may be necessary to bring that system to the highest state of perfection possible, keeping in view the capabilities of the people, and the re- sources of the country which may be annually devoted to this end. It is apparent that we should avail ourselves of the experiences of older countries, and adopt, from time to time, such improvements in the detail of organization as may seem necessary to enable us to keep pace with the times. " Fore- sight and forethought are the cheap defence of nations. To know what to do ani how to do it, at the right time, to provide beforehand where provision is necessary y to be forearmed for expensive contingencies , will cost little and may economize muchJ^ The state of war now existing between Prus- sia and France, has been taken advantage of by governments in Europe, and by that of the United States of America, in sending trained experts to watch the progress of events, and to report all matters of detail by which their army organization may be improved. The result of this is already apparent in the many excellent articles which have appeared in English period- icals; and, as from one of these some useful les- 81 sons may be taken by Canada, a few extracts relating to the organization of the armies of Prussia and France may prove interesting, and possibly aid us in perfecting our own militia system. The article in question, '' Ihe French avd German armies and thn campoiqn in France^* supposed to be written by Colonel P. L. MacDougall, was published in the October number o^ i\ie Londrm Quarterly Review ^ 1870. The writer handles his subject in a masterly manner, points out most forcibly many defects in the organization of the English army, based upon results of the war in France, and makes suggestions for improvement which should have great weight in the proper quarter. It is only now intended to make such extracts as may have direct application to the subject of organization in Canada, the research necessary to collate these details for the Review is therefore credited to the proper source. The Review says : '' General Trochu, in his philosophical pam- phlet on the French army has the following re- marks : ' Armies, like all machines destined to pro- duce powerful effects, form a composite engine which works by means of a motive poioer and of a mechanism, ' The motive power of an army in this sense is a force entirely moral in its operation. It is composed of the elevated sentiments of peoples ; national pride, love of country, a jealous regard for its honor and interests ; and of the great m ^m m m ■I 32 principle of armies ; the spirit of devotion, of self-sacrifice and of discipline. * The mechanism of an army is a force purely material. It is composed of the numerous and diversified wheels, for the successful operation of which the most essential condition is that they shall work in harmony. ' The principal force of certain armies lies in the strength of the motive power ; the principal force of certain others consists in the perfection of the m cell a ?? ism . ' Any army which should unite in an equal degree these two elements of superiority would be infinitely formidable in war.' " '' In this pregnant quotation," the Revieio says, " are summed up the causes of the wonderful suc- cess of the Prussian army ; it was greatly supe- rior, both in motive power and in mechanism to that of its antagonist." The foundation of the territorial organization of the military forces of Prussia, which is one of the main causes of her success ; was laid by the father of Frederick the Great. In 1733 he decreed the division of the territories into can- tons, to each of which was allotted a regiment, to be maintained at its effective strength from the cantonal population ; on all of whom, with the exception of the nobles, military service was made compulsory. Frederick the Great extended and improved this system, by allotting to each district the supply of arms and stores necessary to enable its brigade or division to take the field )i 33 fully equipped and ready to march on the mere order to mobilize. ^ In 1815 the Landwehr was organized terri- torially in brigades, each Landwehr brigade being joined to a brigade of the line, and toge- ther forming one division of the army for service in the field. For the Landwehr, or reserve forces, a body of instructed officers has been provided by re- gulations so pregnant with wisdom and affording such an excellent example for our imitation that they merit some detail. Conscription is univer- sal, but all young men of the educated classes, who are able to provide the means of their own equipment and maintenance and to produce cer- tificate of conduct and attainments from school or college, are allowed to serve for one year in the different light infantry or rifle corps. When the yo'^ng cadet or einjahrn/er, as he is called, joinf^ the corps to which he has chosen to be attached, he is posted to a company, after which his attendance is rigidly exacted at drills and parades, but except when on military duty, his time is at his own disposal. The military en- thusiasm of 1813 has so far survived that it has long been regarded as part of the education of the son of every manufacturer, proprietor, pro- fessional man, even of every prosperous shop keeper, to spend one of the years between his seventeenth and twentieth birthdays in passing through this volunteer course. Such of these cadets as do not aspire above the average level I i i'i 1; ¥■*■ i# I k i 34 return to their homes, with the prospect of takinj^ their places in the ranks of the conscrip- tion in their turn ; hut any cadet who desires it may, by special aptitude obtain a certificate of qualification, entitling him to the first vacancy as sergeant, and in due course to a commission, in the Landwehr battalion of his particular district. The organization of the Prussian or North German army, as it now exists, is generally as follows : — The population numbers about thirty millions. The nilmber of recruits annually raised by conscription is 100,000 ; or one to every 300 of the population. The age of con- scription is 20. The period of military service is twelve years, divided into three portions of three, four, and five years respectively ; three years being passed by the recruit with the co- lours of a regular regiment; the next four years in the regimental reserve ; and the final period of five years in the Landwehr or militia of his district, after which he is enro;lod in the Land- sturm, or service for home defenc in case of in- vasion. All men who attain {)»<? age of conscrip- tion in any one year, and are not drawn for the army, are exempt from military service except in case of war. The regiments of the regular army during peace, are, on the breaking out of war, raised to double their number by recalling an equal number of men from the reserve ; and each reserve man so recalled returns not merely to the same battalion, but even to the very same 35 •company in T^hich he had passed the first three years of his military life. All officers of the Prussian line have to pass six months in the ranks. For two thirds of them this a probation, at the end of which they have to satisfy a standing committee of the corps to which they seek admission, not only as to professional attainments, but also io parentage and means. The remaining third have received their appointments direct from the different cadet schools, and may be considered, therefore, to be nominated by the King. The North German armies are in the highest state of efficiency that can be reached, by scien- tific preparation for war, by concentration, by compact discipline, and by forethought. The instruction of officers and men is carried out in camps formed in the different districts, where the troops assembled learn as much of the business of war as it is possible to learn in peace. Major Goodenough, R. A., who wit- nessed the manoeuvres of the Rhine camp ia 1868, writes, " The great peculiarity which gives such % superiority to their system of field manoeuvres lies in the character of reality which is given to the whole of the operations ; in my opinion, our manoeuvres are too much in the line of a gigantic field day : and those of the French fail in interest from the laborious detail of their plan. The Prussians, on the other hand, place two opposing forces in the field, give them a stragetical plan of operations, and then i> ■i ,1 1' iff i. 36 !ii leave the two commanders to plan their own tac- tical movements, the troops work every day over fresh unknown ground, and so the interest never flags. To sum up, the Review says, the Prussian army, by means of its organization, and of the perfection of its departments of supply, was al- ways ready for war ; and the officers and sol- diers, by the intelligent instruction imparted by the yearly field manoeuvres, learnt as much of the business of war as it is possible to learn in peace. Turning now to the organization of the army of France, the Review says ; The organization which had been given to the French army by Louvois lasted with no mate- rial changes until 1793. Previous to that date enlistment was voluntary, commissions were ob- jects of sale and purchase, and the army was officered exclusively by nobles. The revolution republicanized both the nation and the army, merit was recognized as the sole qualification for an officer's commission, and every conscript carried a marshall's baton in his knapsack. The enthusiasm thus created in the rank and file, when directed by the genius of Napoleon, . car- ried the French Eagles into nearly every capital in Europe. But victory is the indispensible con- dition of the success of such a constitution. Un- der reverses which try the confidence of the sol- dier in his superiors, discipline under such a aystem must surely break down. Since the res- toration of Louis XVIII. the French army has 37 l}een officered on a mixed system of promotion from the ranks and of direct appointments from the military school, the former class constituting one third of the whole. Promotion is determin- ed by selection or nominally by merit— a prac- tice obviously open to dangerous abuses. Whe- ther it be a result of this system or not, the fact remains, on the testimony of General Trochu, that whereas English soldiers, when allied with the French, showed all the military marks of respect to French officers, the latter found it extremely difficult to obtain any such marks from the soldiers of their own army. The conscription was not established in France by law until 1798 ; and the statute, which placed the whole population at the dispo- sal of the state, as each generation completes its twentieth year, preceded the supremacy of the man who was to make so tremendous a use of it. The proceeds of the annual conscription, fixed at 40,000 men in 1818, was raised to 80,000 under Louis Phillip. Under the second Empire it has never been less than 100,000 men, and during the Italian and Crimean Wars it was 140,000. The efficacy of the conscription was, however, materially lessened by the system of " exonerations," which permitted drafted men to commute their personal service for a money payment ; so that in times of danger the men who were urgently needed were represented by the unsatisfactory substitute of a bank note in the Treasury. •. .. 1 k m :^1> II 88 The result was that, in the Crimean and Italian Wars, France could only place and main- tain in the field one army, not much exceeding one fourth of her effective strength on paper. The system of " exonerations" was accordingly abandoned in 1868, since which date drafted men must either give personal service or pro- vide an efficient substitute. The reorganization of the French army, effected under Marshal Neil's administration in 1868, is as follows : The number of recruits raised annually by conscription is 100,000, giving a proportion of about one in every 370 of population. The period of military service is fixed at nine years, of which ^ue years are passed with the regimen- tal colours, and the remaining /t>wr years in a general reserve, called the second reserve. There is no territorial connection between the army and any particular districts ; also none between the regular regiments and the reserve men who have passed through them. The age of con- scription is twenty-one, and all men attaining to that age in any one year, who may not have been among the 100,000 drawn for the army, are enrolled in the Garde Nationale Mobile, in which they continue ^ye years. These remain at their homes, and the only militaiy duty re- quired of them by the law in ordinary times is the performance of fifteen drills in each year, with the proviso that no drill shall take them from their homes for more than one night. This 89 part of the law, however, has never been en- forced, as the present war has found the Garde Mobile totally untrained. In time of war the Garde Mobile are to be employed in garrison duty, in guarding communications, or in fur- nishing reinforcements to the field army. Of the 100,000 recruits drawn yearly for the army, 70,000 are at once drafted into the ranks, while the remaining 30,000 are enrolled in the first reserve^ in which they continue for nine years, no military service being exacted during peace, except that they shall be drilled during five months in each of the first two years. At the conclusion )f the nine years they are dis- charged. These are the men, as implied by the title of the first reserve, who are first taken to complete the regular regiments to their proper strength at the commencement of a war. The 70,000 drafted into the ranks, after completing ^6'e years' service, are enrolled in the second reserve, and continue therein for four years ; after which they are held to have fulfilled their military obligations, and are finally dis- charged. In contrasting the comparative preparedness for war of the French and Prussian systems, General Trochu eulogises that territorial organi- zation of the latter, by means of which the dif- ferent corps, divisions, and brigades, with their proper material, field equipment, and staff, are constantly and permanently acting together, and with their proper reinforcements in reserve, are w m «:i./i 1.1. 40 maintained always in a condition to take the field on the order to mobilize. Such a system givas advantages of all kinds in the preparation o/ MJir, which can thus be carried on without throwing the country and the army into a state of violent agitation by sudden and exceptional efforts, which have the serious evil of disclosing beforehand intentions it is o^ vital importance to conceal to the last moment. In his remarks on the lutendence, General Trochu says : — *' II faut, pour etre bon forgeron, avoir forg6 toute sa vie." To be a good administrator, one should have passed his whole life in the study and practice of business. He therefore considers it a serious error that the heads of the Intendence, the regulators of existence of the French armies in the field, should be superannuated generals ; and that all their subordinate functionaries, having passed great part of their lives as ofticers or sub-officers of the army, can have no knowledge of the ope- rations of trade by which alone supply can ad- just itself to demand. During the Italian cam- paign of 1859, the troops were often without bread in one of the richest corn producing coun- tries in Europe. Biscuit was equally deficient. In the Crimea the Intendence broke down so completely that recourse was obliged to be had to a great commercial house at Marseilles, which thenceforth successfully supplied the wants of the army. 41 It is perhaps superfluous to make such copious extracts relating to the systems of Prussia and France ; but, as we can only estimate the degree of excellence of our own system, when comparing it with that of older and more advanced nations, taking into that consideration the difference between these countries as regards their require- ments for defensive organization, and the cir- cumstances of the people, it is perhaps well that the opportunity for making such comparisons is afforded us from time to time. Our organization is in many respects unlike either of the two systems referred to, but ap- proaches nearer to that of the Prussian than of the French, and, as far as we have gone, the provisions of the law are, no doubt, more in accord with the spirit of our institutions, and the circumstances of our people, than either of these systems would prove, if adopted pure and simple, but there are many points of detail in which we are wanting, and it becomes our duty to take advantage of the knowledge placed with- in our reach, let it come from whatever source it may. It may be well, under all the circumstances, for such an ambitious country as Prussia is, to insist upon a lengthened period of drill, and an almost universal training of the young men of the country, but then, she has a population of 30,000,000, and is, in our sense of the word, without an extended territory in proportion to that population ; in consequence, labour is cheap '■i ii' i « I % 42 '■I ''' i i and abundant. But in Canada, with a popula- tion of only 4,000,000, and a desire only to guard the rights she is permitted to enjoy, the case is different. Her territory is considerable in extent, her population is sparse and the win- ters long, which requires as a necessary conse- quence, the concentration of a considerable por- tion of the agricultural operations of the year within those months c* ^nng which drill can only be successfully earned on in camps ; the result is, that duriig that portion of the year there is an extra demanu for agricultural labour at high rates. Besides this, the fact of our having such an abundance of uncultivated land for sale at low prices, and in many instances, it is actually given away to actual settlers, tends to give the labour of able bodied militia men a com- mercial value in the eyes of the people. As by settling on these lands, and without extraordinary effort, any industrious man can in a few years make a comfortable home and independence for himself, he helps to make work in the rural dis- tricts more plentiful, and labor of all kinds more difficult to manage. It turns out, therefore, that a necessity prevails for every eligible mili- tia man to have some occupation or calling, and it matters not what that occupation or calling may be ; the more important it is, the greater the necessity for his becoming, through personal knowledge of all the details, able to rely upon his own head and hands, for persevering industry to carry him safely through. The man of 43 capital, equally with the man of more moderate means, has ample occupation, and hence the difficulty arises as to the exact extent the indus- try of the country can be diverted from these pursuits, for purposes of drill and training. This difficulty has not resulted in inconven- ience as yet, for the reason that Canadians have not forgotten the traditions of their fathers, and the new blood infused, has not lessened the mar- tial spirit of the people. A considerable portion of the population is naturally inclined to the profession of arms, and it is not surprising that Canada has utilized this element by accepting voluntary oiFers to serve in her army, instead of drawing indiscriminately by ballot from the ranks of the reserve. By selecting those portions of the year within which the men composing the rural corps can best be spared from their industrial pursuits, much has been effected in the way of drill. The days intervening between the spring work and hay harvest, before and after the grain harvest, and after the fall seed has been put in, are the brief periods best suited for this purpose, and the few days thus to be spent in camp, can be, and is, to a great extent, looked forward to, as a season of comparative relaxation from the more laborious occupations incident to agricultural pursuits in Canada. The active Militia, as now organized, is made up entirely of men who have voluntarily joined the force, so that no necessity has yet arisen to i : m [4 !« I M .■If , 44 1 ;' f ';1| make use of the ballot in providing reliefs to take the place of those who have completed their periods of service from time to time. It is therefore evident that the military spirit of the people is fully equal to the requirements of the law as regards primary organization and drill, and it is fair to suppose that, should the neces- sity for a more extended period of continuous annual drill be acknowledged by Parliament, the same spirit of patriotism which has animated the men in bringing the organization to its present development, will tend to keep the ranks filled by voluntary enrolment. The Reserve Militia is, however, the back- bone of the organization, as additional men, re- quired to fill the ranks of and to supplement the present activ^e force, must in cases of necessity be drawn from the reserve. The necessary ma- chinery to enable this to be effectively done, is therefore kept in working order from time to time. The different stages of progress in organization may be stated briefly as follows : After the war of 1812-15 the militia was in a quiescent state, the population was sparse and limited in number. The country new and undeveloped, demanded the concentration of the energies of the people in other pursuits. The rebellion of 1837-8 attract- ed attention for a time, but being crushed, no steps were taken towards permanent organization until 1846, but then the money resources of the country were not considered sufficient to warrant 45 men, re- expenditure, and very little was done, prior to 1856. Then, a small active force was organized, and the strength added to from time to time, until 1861, when the war of the rebellion in the United States, and the seizure of the steamer Trmt, having Messrs. Mason and Slidell on board, awakened us to the necessities of the times, and found us with an active force num- bering not more than 12,000, and with a militia in other respects entirely untrained. The Im- perial Government, impressed with the urgency of the situation, and the want of preparation for defensive measures in Canada, took active and effective steps to indicate to us the duties free government imposed. Quoting the words used by the Duke of New- castle in his despatch to Lord Monck, under date, 21st August, 1862: " The growing importance of the Colony, and its attachment to free institutions, make it every day more essential that it should possess in it- self, that without which free institutions cannot be secure — adequate means of self-defence. The adequacy of those means is materially influenced by the peculiar position of the country. Its ex- tent of frontier is such that it can be safe only when its population capable of bearing arms, is ready and competent to fight. That the popu- lation is ready, no one will venture to doubt j that it cannot be competent, is no less certain, until it has received that organization, and acquired that habit of discipline, which consti- 11 .ii 46 ill i it tute the difference between a trained force and an armed mob. *' The main dependence of such a country must be upon its own people. The irregular forces which can be formed from the population, know the passes of the woods, are well acquainted with the country, its roads, its rivers, its defiles ; and for defensive warfare (for aggression they will never be wanted), would be far more avail- able than regular soldiers. *' It is in time of peace that preliminary mea- sures of defence should be perfected, so that in the event of war they may be found so far ready as to ensure that an enemy shall not obtain a footing in the country, before aid is forthcoming from other portions of the Empire." In 1863 additions were made to the strength of the active force under an improved organiza- tion, so that in 1866, when the Fenians made their first attempt to cross our border, we had made such progress as to enable us to place men in the field, who, although defective as regards equipment, had courage and discipline to carry them safely through, and adverting to the effec- tiveness of the force as then organized, the Ad- jutant General, (Colonel MacDougall,) in his report on the state of the militia for 1866, says: "On his first arrival in Canada the Adjutant General was disposed to undervalue the impor- tance of the existing Volunteer Force. "Experience has convinced him that both as regards material and spirit, and also as regards 47 Fnri proficiency in drill, acquired under great disad- vantages, that force is of great value. '^ A more severe test of the efficiency of the Vo- lunteer system for defence could not have been applied than that which was furnished by the circumstances of last winter, and in no respect has it been found wanting, but on the contrary, fully equal to the calls made upon it. *' During the past autumn and winter an uneasy feeling was naturally produced along the whole of the frontier bordering on the United States by the preparations and threatened incursions of the Fenians, which was not allayed by the mea- sures adopted by the Government in November of placing 500 Volunteers on service at Wind- sor, Sarnia, Niagara, and Prescott. *' In these circumstances all the Local Volun- teer Corps along the frontier line showed an ex- cellent spirit, and the alacrity with which they turned out spontaneously to defend the lives and properties of their fellow citizens at those points most exposed to anticipated raids, when those raids appeared imminent, is worthy of the high- est commendation. " On the 7th March, 1866, the Adjutant Ge- neral, on his way from Ottawa to Montreal, re- ceived at Kemptville, at four o'clock p.m., a te- legraphic message from the Honorable the Min- ister of Militia, as follows : * Message. ' Ottawa, March 7th, 1866. ' To Colonel McDougall. ' Call out ten thousand (10,000) men of Vo- i I M I 48 i^ I lit '1 III I fit lunteer Force. Send me by telegraph names of Corps. They must be out in twenty-four (24) hours, and for three (3) weeks and whatever further time may be required. Telegraph direct this evening from Prescott to Brigade Majors and Ofl&cers commanding such Corps as you think most desirable to be in readiness to move on your orders to morrow. ' (Signed), J.ohn A. Macdonald.* " By making use of the Post Ofl&ce van, the Adjutant General was enabled, in the course of the journey to despatch messages and letters to the Militia StaiF Officers of the several districts, prescribing the quota to be furnished in each district. On the arrival of the train in Montreal at midnight, answers were received from all the districts announcing that arrange- ments were in progress ; and by 4 o'clock p.m., on the following day (8th), it was reported to the Adjutant General that the total number of 10,000 men were assembled at their respective head-quarters, waiting further orders. ^' By the afternoon of Saturday, the 10th, that distribution was effected without mistake and without accident ; which, considering the great distances and the scattered nature of the Volun- teer Force in the country parts, reflects great credit on the zeal and alacrity of the Staff Offi- cers of the different districts, and on the spirit and loyalty of the men composing the force. * The country too is greatly indebted to the Managers of the different railroads for their in- nr 49 valuable hearty co operation, which could alone have enabled the Military Authorities satisfac- torily to carry out their plans, and the prompt- ness with which every service was executed, and the entire absence of casualty, speak volumes for the efficient management of the lines. " It is quite certain that in place of the 10,000 men called for, 30,000 could have been muster- ed within 48 hours ; and indeed when the Re- turns were received a few days after of the strength of the Companies on service, it was found that the number called for by the Gover- nor General had been exceeded by 4,000 men ; and that in place of 10,000 men, there were ac- tually 14,000 doing duty with the Service Force. '^ This excess was occasioned by the fact that the Staff Officers, in view of the limited time al- allowed for the muster of the force, were obliged to call out the different Companies at their actual strength ; but the eagerness to share in the de- fcBfce of the country was such that the Com- panies were increased to their full strength by men coming to join from distances which could not bo anticipated. There were many instances of Volunteers coming in from distant parts of the United States, having given up lucrative employment at the call of the duty which they owned to Canada. " The Fenians would indeed have proved the invaluable, though involuntary benefactors of Canada, if the only experience derived from their foolish proceedings had been ihe proofs of 4 I 50 i'::l li warm attachment exhibited by Canadians uni- versally for the land of their birth or adoption. But the benefits conferred by the * Brother- hood' do not stop here. By uniting all classes, and by the opportunity afforded of testing the military organization, they have given to the Province a proud consciousness of strength, and have been the means of obtaining for it, in England in particular, and before the world at large, that status and consideration as a great people, to which by the magnitude of its re- sources and by the spirit and intelligence of its population, it is justly entitled." The corps under Major General Lindsay's observation, elicited from that officer the follow- ing remarks, in his report made at the time : " In March and June the Volunteer force was suddenly called out for active service, on account of threatened Fenian incursions. These calls were obeyed with such alacrity, that the enrolled men literally sprung to arms on their services being required by their country. "The latter emergency took place at a period where the greater part of the members of the I orce were exposed to much inconvenience and personal loss. They cheerfully left their agri- cultural and commercial pursuits, and at once responded to the demand of duty to the state. "I now proceed to call attention to some defi- ciencies in organization as they appeared to me during the recent emergency, with a view of 51 ns uni- ioption. Jrother- classes, ting the to the rth, and ►r it, in ?^orld at , a great r its re- rence of iindsay's le foUow- time : force was account ese calls enrolled services a period •s of the lence and leir agri- , at once J to the some defi- red to me I view of more complete arrangements in the event of the force being again called into the field. "COMMISSARIAT. "On both occasions when the Volunteer Mili- tia Force has been called out, troops have been sent to occupy certain stations at very short notice, and on arrival they are billeted and make their own arrangements for their subsistence. This is, no doubt, the simplest mode of action, as well as the most convenient, and, as long as the force is small, no difl&culty occurs. But it is evident that if a large force is suddenly thrown on a locality unprepared for their reception, danger exists of the troops being without suffi- cient food— and this actually occurred at Hun- tingdon, although 1 thought it my duty to issue an order to officers commanding corps to the effect that they were responsible for the arrange- ments for certain commissariat supplies for their men; yet I think it desirable that upon any future occasion when the force is called out that a Commissariat Staff should be at once formed. An officer at head quarters of a district should, for the period of service, be responsible for making any necessary preparations at the loca- lities to which troops are ordered, and with whom officers commanding should communicate. If the militia authorities think it would be more satisfactory, there is no obstacle to the commis- sariat of the regular army furnishing supplies when the volunteer force is at a station where Wl 62 :u f ,« '1| there are regular troops ; but at other stations this cannot be done. <* MEDICAL DEPARTMENT. " On the force being placed on active employ- ment, it would be desirable to have a medical officer attached to the head quarters of the Mili- tia Department, who would be responsible for arrangement in communicating with the Inspec- tor General and principal Purveyor of Her Majesty's forces, and who would carry out the necessary measures for the due provision of the probable requirements of the troops at each station." In closing his report, Major General Lindsay adds : *' The general conduct of the Volunteer force has been excellent. There have been very few court martials for so large a force, and wherever they have been, I have reason to believe they have secured the good will of the inhabitants of the locality in which they have been stationed. " I have only to add that the Volunteer force have proved themselves loyal and enthusiastic in the defence of their country. They have shown the obedience so necessary in soldiers. They have exhibited fortitude and cheerfulness in the discomfort and difficulties of camp life, outpost duty, patrolling, &c." In June, 1866 the Fenian force actually crossed the border at Fort Erie, but their recep- tion (now a matter of historical record,) was J3uch as caused them to follow quickly in the 53 footsteps of all who had in previous years, made attempts at aggressive warfare on Canadian soil. Referring to the state of the force in 1867, the Adjutant-General in his report for that year, says : " The experience acquired during the last two years and nine months of the working of the Volunteer system, has convinced the Adjutant Creneral tha^ of the several weak points which are inherent in an organization which is neither altogether civil nor altogether military, that which is most opposed to its success, is the feel- ing entertained by the men that their military service subjects them to a burthen of expense and inconvenience, which is not shared by other classes of the community. A volunteer contri- butes in the same proportion with those other classes towards the expense of the military establishments of the country, but he gives his personal service in addition. In peaceful times, this personal service, under the system hitherto pursued, is as little onerous as possible. But it is far otherwise when, owing to any emergency, the volunteer is placed on active service for a continuous period. The pay he receives in re- turn for his continuous service is, without doubt in most cases, a very inadequate compensation for the loss of his usual employment|. It is an axiom which few will dispute, that all citizens should contribute equally in proportion to their powers, towards the burthens imposed for the defence of their country ; and those who do not \l h y i E'i 54 I i; I contribute their personal service should be forced to compensate for thoir exemption by a money payment. The State has a right to require that every citizen should make some sacrifice of his ease and comfort towards the object of providing for the common defence ; and the volunteer or militia man may equitably be required to give his personal service whf , but not unless, the other classes of the community are compelled to make a pecuniary sacrifice from which the vol- unteer or militiaman is exempt. And the only sound basis on which, in a country like Canada, any successful system of compulsory Militia ser- vice can be erected is the practical recognition of the principle, that every man not actually con- tributing his personal service during any one year, should pay a tax in money which should bear some proportion to the property for which the military force of the country is to aiFord protection. Without the practical recognition of this principle it is impossible that the com- pulsory militia service of the country can ever be cheerfully performed by those on whom it is imposed." " As a preparative against any further emer- gency requiring the volunteer force to take the field, the whole force was, in the autumn of 1866, told off in field brigades and garrisons of posts, and an arrangement for combining in the most useful manner the action of that force with that of the regular troops was made by the Lieuten- ant General Commanding. 55 Of these field brigades, three were formed in Western Canada, four in Eastern Canada. The component corps and brigade staff were detailed, and the points of assembly fixed. The Staff officers are provided with a list of the stores which are required to enable each brigade to take the field, and will draw them from the storekeepers, who have orders to issue them on the shortest notice. Similarly, the Commissariat officer of each brigade is prepared to provide the necessary transport to enable it to move at the shortest notice. Those volunteer corps which do not form part ot the above moveable columns are formed into brigades by districts, of which each will have its Volunteer Commandant and Brigade Major. These corps will be employed in garrison duty, in guarding frontier towns and villages, and im- portant points on the lines of canal or railroad communication. The duties of the Commandant and Brigade Mai or will be to organize a system of look-out parties and patrols suited to the loca- lities ; and to visit constantly all the posts within their respective Brigade districts. The adoption of these measures enables Cana- dians to laugh at the grandiloquent plans of the Fenians for the invasion of their territory. One or more of the field brigades above described could be assembled with certainty at any point threatened by an enemy having any pretence to military organization before that enemy could 66 reach the same point; and supposing the Fenians to be able to bring up to any point on the frontier 5,000 men at one time with any semblance of military array, which is a gratuitous and even preposterous supposition, any such force opposed to one of the field brigades above described, would be like a child in the hands of a giant. Since the confederation of the several Pro- vinces, a new militia law has been brought into operation, and under its provisions the whole force has been reorganized ; many defects which had been found to exist under previous organ- izations were removed, and the system made uniform for the whole Dominion. The present organization of the army of Ca- nada is, therefore, briefly as follows. The po- pulation numbers about 4,000,000. Of these the number liable to ^rve in the Militia is about 675,000, and divided into four classes, consists of all the male inhabitants of the age of 18 years and upwards, and under 60 — not exempted or disqualified by law, aind being British subjects by birth or naturalization. 1st class, ages 18 to 30, unmarried men or widowers without children. 2nd class, ages 30 to 45, unmarried men, or widowers without children. 3rd class, ages 18 to 45, married men or widowers with children. 4th class, 45 to 60. The following persons only, between the ages 57 of 18 zud 60 years, are exempt from enrolment, and from actual service at any time : The Judges of all the Courts of Law or Equity in the Dominion of Canada. The clergy and ministers of all religious de- nominations ; The professors in any college or university and all teachers in religious orders ; The warden, keepers and guards of the peni- tentiaries, and the oflBcers, keepers and guards of all public Lunatic Asylums ; Persons disabled by bodily infirmity ; The only son of a widow, being her only support ; And the following, though enrolled, shall be exempt from actual service, at any time, except in case of war, invasion or insurrection ; Half-pay and retired officers of her Majesty's army or navy ; Seafaring men and sailors actually employed in their calling ; Pilots and apprentice pilots (fering the season of navigation ; Masters of public and common schools ac- tually engaged in teaching. The enrolment is held to be an embodiment of all the militiamen enrolled, and renders them liable to serve unless exempt by law. In order that the enrolment of the militia may be correctly taken from time to time^ and the organization perfected for easy communica- tion and command^ the whole country is di- if I- 58 \i i. ■ > ' ill 11 vided into Military Districts, subdivided into Brigade Divisions, again into Regimental Divi- sions, and, lastly, into Company Divisions ; each regimental division has appointed to it one Lieut. Colonel and two Majors, and each company di- vision one Captain and two sub-officers of reserve Militia, who must be residents therein. The Captain is charged with the duty of keeping at all times a correct roll of the whole of the militia within his division, and, when called upon, is required to furnish for active service such num- bers of men, either as volunteers, or through the operation of the ballot, as may be necessary to make good his proportion of any quota required from the regimental division, of which his com- pany division forms a part. To interfere as little as possible with ordinary routine, the limits of these regimental and com- pany divisions are made, as nearly as practicable, idehtical with the limits of the territorial divi- sions, for electoral and municipal purposes, and through this means the men are not called upon to remember any other territorial divisions for militia purposes than those within which they, or those representing the property within the company division, exercise their elective fran- •chise. The officers of the Reserve Militia being ap- pointed solely for purposes of enrolment and bd- lot, their being resident within their respective divisions, which is insisted on, will enable them to become personally acquainted with the men 59 liable for service, and tend to secure fairness ia all the details of the ballot whenever the neces- sity for supplementing the active force through that means may arise. To the several regimental divisions grouped into a brigade division, a Brigade Major is at* tached, and for the brigade divisions which com- prise a military district, a Deputy Adjutant-Ge- neral is appointed, who will reside within the district, and who has the local command of the militia in his district, while the Adjutant-Gene- ral, who resides at headquarters, Ottawa, is charged under the orders of Her Majesty with the militiry command and discipline of the mi- litia in Canada. The active or that portion of the militia to be annually drilled is 40,000, a number slightly ex- ceeding one in every 100 of the present population; the actual strength is, however, upwards of 42,500, or equal to 1 in 16 of all the men liable to service. The men are raised in the several regimental divisions in proportion to the strength of the enrolled militia constituting the reserve in each ; the period of service for purposes of drill in time of peace is three years, and the men who have thus completed such a period of drill are permitted to return to the reserve, and are not liable to be again taken for drill and training, until all the other men in the same com- pany division have volunteered or been ballotted to serve. In case of war every man is liable to serve or furnish an approved substitute. 60 The active force is armed with breech-loading rifles, and has suitable equipment for service in the field. The present force has been raised by voluntary enrolment, and although the men are governed by very stringent regulations when under arms, they are found to be tractable and apt, and no serious breaches of discipline have taken place. The readiness with which all the corps turned out along on extended line of fron- tier, when ordered' on service at the time of the Fenian raid in 1870, and the rapidity with which the corps were concentrated at the several points where an attack might be expected, shews that Canada has an effective force, composed of men on whom the greatest reliance can be placed, who are able to maintain order in the country, and form an ample contingent to repel any Fenian attack, which may be made hereafter on any part of the Dominion. On the 24th May, 1870, it became known that the Fenians were concentrating in the ter- ritory of the United States with mischievous in- tent on Canada. Accordingly a portion of the active militia was called out to prevent these misguided men from obtaining a foothold on Canadian Territory. On the 27th May com- manding officers reported that 13,540 officers and men of the active militia had mustered at the several posts in their respective districts, and were under arms, ready for service along the St. Clair, Detroit, Niagara, St. Lawrence, and Eastern Townships frontiers^ In the mean 61 time the Fenians had been repulsed at Eccles Hill, on the Missisquoi frontier, on the 25th, and again at Holbrook's, on the Huntingdon frontier, on the 27th. These attempts frustrated the enemy became so demoralized, that the de- monstrations originally intended to be made at other points, were abandoned, and so the raids of 1870, ended in utter disaster to the Fenians. Although only a small number of our men participated in the actual conflict, and that number deservedly carried off the honors, the same spirit and determination to resist which was manifested at Eccles Hill and Holbrookes was apparent everywhere ; and had any similar invasion been made, it would have been repulsed with equal promptitude and certainty at any point along the five hundred miles of frontier which at the time appeared to be threatened. There can be no doubt, that if previous to the war now existing, France had had such a terri- torial organization as that now in operation in Canada, she would have occupied a very different position. The rapidity with which she could have brought her population into service where needed, would have kept the Prussians out of France, or at least have rendered their advance a much more hazardous and tedious undertaking than the march to Paris proved to be. The establishment of Military Schools at con- venient centres in the several Districts, in con- nection with Regiments of the Regular Army, had placed; and continues to place the means for 62 instruction within the reach of the Officers. The numbers (over 5,000) who have attended these schools, shews that the advantages afforded have been properly appreciated, and the result has been such as to enable the formation of corps everywhere. Even in the remote localities where, until military schools had been opened, many of the young men had never seen a regular soldier, the country can now boast of corps of active militia, ably commanded and provided with com- petent instructors. In addition to those who are now officers, very many young men have passed the allotted period of three months in these schools, who, although they hold certificates and have not yet obtained commissions in the active force, remain available, and are candidates for such whenever vacancies occur, or the opportu- nities for their appointment may arise. ^ The system of military instruction which was introduced and successfully carried on prior to 1865 in the Normal Schools, most of the col- leges, and in many of the grammar and common schools of the country, has proved so beneficial in its results, that direct encouragement and support should not only be continued, but the system should be so extended as to embrace all public schools within its provisions. No^' can tend more to frame the future men o ue Dominion, physically and mentally, in habits of discipline, than making military acquirements a ^ndamental portion of the early education of youth. A reasonable amount of military in- struction, when the recipients are young, is far 68 . The these Ihave It has corps sphere, any of oldier, active li com- ho are passed these bes and active tes for )portu- eh was ►rior to lie col- jmmon aeficial at and 3ut the race all ue abiitt of rements ition of ary in- ;, is far less liable to be forgotten, than that which is imparted to adults. Besides this, as the scholars attending these schools are drawn from every class of society in the several communities in which they live, and where they are having im- parted to them an education, superior or other- wise, in proportion to their means, inclination and position, — fitting them for employment in the several professions and duties of life — the acquisition of military drill and discipline, and the muscular development incident to such instruction, would have a vast and beneficial effect, as regards the future, in the event of any contingency arising which might require their employment for defensive purposes, in any part of the Dominion. The army of Canada is a purely popular one, the men in it comprising 1 in 16 of all those eligible for militia service, and residing as they do, in their civil capacities, in every city, town, and hamlet within the country, where they take part in every work that tends to the prosperity of the several communities in which they live, necessarily causes the material interests of the army and people to be identical. The system now in operation for concentrat- ing reserves of stores in each of the military dis- ^-ricts, whereby the arming and equipping of the active militia can be carried on with ease, expe- dition and effect, has worked well, but the re- serves are not at present of suf&cient magnitude to provide for any great accessions to the force, nor to make good deficiencies which are likely to 64 1 1, .1; IS' '-■ft i.-i ,■ I' f. ;*i' tf^i occur through fair wear and tear in the early future. To meet the circumstances of the country, more particularly the sparsely settled districts, and, ahove all, to interfere as little as possible with the industrial pursuits of the people, the primary organization of the active militia has been effected in the rural parts by the formation of companies, acting at first independently of each other, and when firmly established, grouped into Battalions for annual drill in camp, at Bat- talion Head Quarters, and finally, as illustrated during the present yeai, in the more advanced districts throughout the country, by the assem- bly, under the direction of the Adjutant-General, (Colonel Robertson-Ross), of the majority of the corps in Brigade camps, and the force con- sisting of cavalry, artillery and infantry thus brought together at each camp, drilled and acted in concert as a Brigade, rations furnished under contract, and officers and men lodged in tents. It will therefore be seen that we have the ter- ritorial organization, and the necessary machinery through which the men in the reserve can be brought into service, either by voluntary enrol- ment, or through the operation of the ballot, whenever that course may become necessary, but we are yet wanting in the provision for that extended period of drill, which is necessary, before these men can be made effective sol- diers : the authorized drills have, however, been utilized to the fullest extent In these camps ; corps thus concentrated for drill, undergo the 65 I early untry, jtricts, Dssible ie, the bia has [nation tly of rouped it Bat- strated vanced assem- eneral, rity of 56 con- y vhhus i acted I un*3er tents. ;he ter- jhinery can be r enrol- ballot, ry, but )r that pessary, ive sol- jr, been 2amps ; rgo the same duties they would h^ called on to per- form in actual service. Drill by brigades in camps has therefore resulted in good to both ofl&cers and men, and the staff and commanders of corps have had opportunities for that practice, necessary to make their commands effective* There are reasons, no doubt, why the system of voluntary service bears more heavily upon some portions of the country than upon others, the most important is, that in many instances in the newly settled districts, the first organiza- tion of a. Volunteer company absorbs the whole of the volunteer element for the time being, within a radius of miles from the company head quarters, so that when the period of three years, for which these men volunteered to serve, ex- pires, other men cannot be found within a con- venient distance who will volunteer to fill vacan- cies, the consequence is that in order to main- tain these company organizations many old volunteers continue to serve in the ranks, for even four, five or six years. The authorized strength of the active militia in each Regimental Division being fixed, and the number of companies allociated, it follows that in these thinly settled districts there will always be a difficulty in keeping up a continu- ous company organization by voluntary enrol- ment, there would, howcverj be no such difficul- ty if company head quarters were changed from place to place, as the period of service of each set of men expired from time to time, but then distance from the places of residence of the pre- 6 66 ■'I M h S 4 ■si sent officers, to the new head quarters would be such an obstacle as to prevent many from taking that active personal interest in the company, in- dispensable to secure efficiency, and would result in an absolute necessity for cancelling commis- sions and the appointment of other officers, who would qualify themselves and undertake the duty. Under existing regulations, if the old officers had served the necessary period to en- title them to retain rank, they would of course do so, but where the whole period has not been completed, even although an officer had passed through a military school and obtained a certi- ficate of qualification, he would necessarily be deprived of rank, but if three years service had been completed he would be entitled to count it as the three years he is liable to serve in his turn as a militiaman. These difficulties are understood, and will al- ways be felt in maintaining the organization of a purely volunteer force in any country situated as Canada is. The remedy suggested by some of the officers is, that in all cases where a volun- teer company now organized cannot be kept up to its full nominal strength by voluntary enrol- ment, that the officers be authorized to ballot from the reserve for the number of men neces- sary to complete from time to time. It is ap- parent that this course would, under the present system, only complicate matters, and would fail to accomplish the desired result* The present system makes provision for the issue of arms, accoutrements and clothing to 67 Battalions in the cities and larger towns, and to companies in the other portions of the country, the commanding ofiBicer in each case being held responsible. They are required to keep the arms and accoutrements in armories, but are permitted to allow each man to take his uniform clothing to his own house, for care and safe keeping. Such a system could only be applica- ble to a purely volunteer force, where each man joins from love of the service, and in consequence may be expected to take an interest in the care of the articles placed under his charge, but as soon as individual service becomes compulsory, then the emulation, which under other circum- stances incites the volunteer, will doubtless cease to be apparent in ranks filled by conscrip- tion. Whenever the time shall come for a change as regards the rural corps, from a purely voluntary to a compulsory service, then this diflficulty must be met, by the erection of Batta- lion armories in each Regimental Division for the reception of arms, accoutrements, clothing and other necessary eqv^ment, for issue only when required from time to time, for use during the periods of continuous drill. In the mean time as trained officers will al- ways form a most desirable element in reserve, for employment in such an army as Canada will no doubt continue to maintain, there should be no serious objection against permitting such qualified officers as have served three years in any corps, whose head quarters it may be neces- sary to remove to another part of any Regimen- 68 i i tal Division, to retire retaining their rank with a view to further service, whenever an opportu- nity or the necessity for their being so employed may arise. If this course were pursued, no in- justice would be done to these officers, and the inhabitants of those portions of the country most iFavorable to maintaining their quota of ac- tive service men, by voluntary enrolment, would be afforded the necessary opportunity for so doing. So long as an active force can be satisfactorily maintained by purely voluntary enrolment, there can be no doubt that such a force is the one best suited for a country situated as Canada is. The facility of movement, and ease with which a volunteer force can be warned for duty, and turned out for service, makes it peculiarly suited to meet emergencies, such as have arisen during the last few years, along our extended frontier. Besides this, the material of which such a force is necessarily composed, is better than could pos- sibly result from conscription, and compulsory service in that sense. There is however no doubt that when any great emergency has to be met, the ballot is the only means through which the necessary number of men can be satisfac- torily raised. Perhaps, within a brief period, the cities and more thickly populated rural dis- tricts will have reached that point when the ballot will prove the most satisfactory means of supplying their respective quotas ; but that must remain a question to be solved by circum- stances as they arise. So long as the number of men to be furnished each year is fixed, and each 69 regimental division is required to furnish its quota, the decision as to whether the force is to be raised by voluntary enrolment or by ballot rests with the militia themselves, and so long as this remains the case there is no doubt that the result will prove which mode is most satisfactory, and best suited to the requirements of the different localities in which the men reside. The organization of the Landwehr in Prussia is in advance of the system which prevails in Canada, as under that organization all the men who have served their periods in the active force are classed. Here when a man passes from the active, he goes at once into the general reserve, and although the knowledge he has acquired remains with him, and will become available in cases of necessity, we have no separate system under which these men are classed and ofl&cered to form a first reserve ; on the contrary we exempt from further drill, all those men who have so served in the active force, until all the other eligible man in the reserve have been taken in their turn. While the active force absorbs such a considerable proportion of the population, per- haps we are as advanced in this provision as the circumstances of the country will permit ; but when the country becomes more advanced in population and wealth, and such a system as the Prussian Landwehr represents, can be adopted in Canada, the separate organization of men who have served in the active force, as a first reserve, will prove a most formidable addition to the strength of our army. ilj; I k h , TO While every man has a duty to perform in the matter of defence, and he owes it to himself and to those around him, that that duty be per- formed in such a way, as to aid in bringing the organization of the army to the highest state of perfection, consistent with the time and means at his disposal ; the Government owes it to the loyal men who will fill the ranks of that army, that seasonable and efficient steps be taken to provide reserves of arms, stores and ammunition, and to organize, and train a sufficient staff in time of peace, to facilitate the concentration of the effective strength of the Dominion in time of need, and to provide transport, food and all the other necessary supplies, requisite to ensure success in every department. The staff need not necessarily be large, but it should be sufficient, to provide heads for each branch, and the necessary assistants to prepare and keep the various parts of the machinery in working order, so that by use, while the annual drills are going on in time ot peace, no difficulty may be experienced in making the most effective use of all the men and means at the disposal of the Government, whenever an actual necessity for their use in war may arise. Each Province added to the Dominion neces- sarily adds to the labour of the working staff at Head Quarters, for the reason that the militia in that Province must be enrolled, and the strength of the active force increased by the organization of additional corps, in proportion to the extent of the population in the additional territory embraced ; •iri distances from Head Quarters become great, and oflScers residing there cannot be expected to know the local requirements of the new force so organized, nor the means of local supply as fully as they would if the extent of the country was within narrower limits, and matters of detail came within personal observation. The addi- tion of territory, therefore, while it increases the importance of the Dominion, from a political point of view, necessarily adds to the labor and responsibilities of administration. Matters which, under the smaller organization, came within the personal observation of officers at Head Quarters, were comparatively within their grasp, but when distance renders such personal supervision impossible, a necessity arises for the appointment of local officers, who being resi- dent within the diflPerent districts, can correctly carry out the regulations and orders promulga- ted through their chiefs from time to time, and requires the subdivision of work under different heads, so that each branch may have proper su- pervision, and all details be promptly acted on where prompt action is necessary. So long as the regular troops remained in the country, we had the right to make use of the Im- perial staff in perfecting our organization for de- fence, and the knowledge, that in 'all cases of emergency the militia would act as an auxiliary force in conjunction with regular troops, enabled us to rely upon the Imperial authorities keeping an effective surplus staff, and reserves of stores. Through this means, Canada has had the maxi- 72 I mum of benefit while bringing her little army into its present effective state, at a minimum cost to the country. The removal of the troops with the working staff and reserves of stores, therefore, places us in a new position. The sooner we realize that position, and take mea- sures to make good the defects which that re- moval may make apparent in our organization, the sooner we shall feel that safety, and utilize that strength so necessary to give stability to the institutions of the great Dominion we are now engaged in building up. The question of making adequate provision for defence is therefore of paramount importance, and now that the regular troops are withdrawn, and the responsibility of defending the frontier from Fenian attack is as a necessary consequence to devolve upon our own people, the active mili- tia as now organized becomes the advance guard in the army of the Dominion, and the men com- posing that force being the first liable for such duty must be looked upon as our standing army and defenders fur the time being. That that army is animated with patriotic desires and the best possible spirit, there can be no doubt ; that it is ready for duty whenever and wherever required, is equally certain. It is therefore not doing too much to express the hope th it Parlia- ment will show its appreciation of that spirit and readiness for duty, when deciding upon the degree of perfection the force is to attain, and the extent it will be sustained in so doing. e army inimum 3 troops ' stores, I. The :e mea- ihat re- lizatioD, i utilize t)ility to we are Drovision 3ortance, bhdrawn, frontier sequence Live mili- ice guard oaen com- for such ing army rhat that 3 and the ubt; that wherever jrefore not lit Parlia- hat spirit r upon the ittain, and )ing.