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where there is absolutely no approach even to a well-considered and effective system of train- ing the soldiers to the use of arms. The public exposure which has taken place in more than one instance of the habits of extravagance and idleness which prevail among too many of our young officers, and their disgraceful conse- quences, have necessarily attracted much at- tention. It is believed that if officers had occu- pation in acquiring professional knowledge, these things would not so often happen; nor is it less notorious to the public nor less generally complained of, that a very large proportion of the soldiers of the Army instead of having been taught, like the French soldiers, to judge dis- tances and to shoot with the most extraordinary precision, have on the contrary had little or no opportunity of learning to use their arms with effect, having frequently when enlisted had to join their regiments in quarters where there is not a possibility of finding places for ball- practice, and having never had any sufficient opportunity afterwards of such practice.
I am convinced that when the means of defence possessed by the country come under discussion at the opening of the session, the Government will be much pressed to state what are its views on this most important subject, and what are the practical measures it has in contemplation. My own opinion as to the necessity of increasing the efficiency of the army', and the means of doing so, is so fully stated in the following paper, written in Oc- tober 1846, that I have not much to add to it,
I would, however, observe, that in the five years which have since elapsed something has been done to carry these views into effect. The employment of enrolled Pensioners has been introduced with most complete success in New Zealand, and is now in progress of being introduced in Canada, Western Australia, and Van Diemen's Land. system of limiting the term of enlistment to ten years has been introduced by Act
The
of Parliament, and a system of examining officers as to their knowledge of their pro-
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But
fession, has been partially introduced. towards the great improvement of all, and that on which the success of everything else entirely depends, the introduction of an improved system for the instruction of soldiers, nothing what- ever has been done. Such improved instruction never can, I believe, be afforded without some change in the existing arrangement by which soldiers on enlistment are at once sent to the depôts of their regiments, these depôts being constantly quartered in such places as Man- chester or Liverpool, and placed under officers who are frequently changed, so that no steady and perfect system can be expected to be carried
on by them.
There are two modes in which this de- fective arrangement might be remedied: either the depôts of regiments might be placed on a different footing, and made really effective for the instruction of recruits and young officers in the manner recommended by myself when I was Secretary-at-War in the year 1838 (a plan
I must remark in passing, on which I consulted many of the best commanding officers of the day, who all concurred in approving of it, and in deprecating the continuance of the existing arrangements); or if this change is still objected to, six or seven stations might be chosen in different parts of the United Kingdom, in suit- able situations, where establishments for the training and education of soldiers might be created under the best officers that could be found for the purpose.
Such establishments might serve for the Army nearly the same purpose that the excellent gunneryship answers for the Navy. But whether either of these plans, or some other that has not occurred to me, be adopted, I must press
on my colleagues the absolute necessity of taking some measures or other to meet the just demand of the public for an improved system of training our soldiers.
Colonial Office,
January 30, 1852.
GREY.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
L། །། ། །
C.O.
Reference :-
885
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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