MINUTE
OF
THE PRESENT STATE AND DEMANDS
OF
THE BRITISH ARMY
SERVING
ON
COLONIAL
STATIONS.
Downing-Street, May, 1839.
THE object of this paper is to explain the state of several questions of urgent importance, all arising from the pressure of the Colonial service upon the army, or upon the resources of the country, which demand the early decision of the Government.
Those questions are:-
1st. The insufficiency of the present Infantry force of the army to give effect to the
established system of annual reliefs.
2nd. The expediency of reducing the garrison of the Mauritius.
3rd. The expediency of reducing the garrison of Gibraltar.
4th. The expediency of reducing the garrison of Malta.
5th. The expediency of reinforcing the garrison of St. Helena.
6th. The expediency of remitting the annual military contribution paid by the Ionian
States to this country.
7th. The expediency of raising five or ten companjes of black troops for the Jamaica command.
And 8th. The expediency of raising an additional force for the defence of Canada,
It will be recollected, that, in the month of December last, orders were given for Annual reliefs.
completing all the regiments of the line to their full establishment of 739 rank and file, Appendix, N. 10.
as already voted by Parliament. The regiments, at that time serving in India and Canada, to No. 11. being already completed to this number, the effect of that arrangement was to add eighty men to each of sixty-two reginents on the reduced establishment of 639 rank and file, making a total increase of 1960 rank and file
But as that augmentation of the whole rank and file of the army would have been in- sufficient to meet the demands of the established system of reliefs, it was at the same time determined to reduce the aggregate number of battalions at that time serving in the colonies. With a view to this object it was arranged, 1st., that all the regiments, appointed for Canada, should have their service companies raised to 600 rank and file, thereby re- ducing their depot companies, at home, to 139; 2ndly, that all the regiments serving in the West Indies and at Gibraltar, should have their service companies raised to 559 rank and file, thereby reducing their depot companies to 180, while the service companies of all other regiments should be left at 479 rank and file, and their depot companies at 260; and 3dly, that four battalions should be withdrawn from the colonies, viz., two from Ceylon, one from the Mauritius, and one from Gibraltar.
These arrangements were not considered by the General Commanding-in-Chief as adequate to the objects for which they were intended. He depots, which had been reduced to 139 and 180, would hardly be able to maintain represented that those their service companies effective, and that they would be altogether ineffective as an aid to the force employed at home. It was through the instrumentality of the depot system, that the whole efficiency of our military system had hitherto been mainly preserved; and lic, therefore, earnestly recommended, that all the depots should be raised to 260 rank and file, thereby raising the establishment of cach regiment of infantry to 839 rank and file, which would require a total increase of 8300 rank and file; or, at all events, that the depots of the regiments serving in Canada and the West Indies, should be raised to the number proposed, which would limit the increase to 3698 rank and file.
It was not, however, judged expedient to accede to these propositions, and as the season has arrived for making the relief arrangements, the question arises whether it will be proper to take the usual steps for relieving those regiments which which have completed their appointed term of foreign service?
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
C.O.
Reference :-
885
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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