ditional regular force, to incurring an undefined amount of untixed expense for the sup- port of temporary levies which are constantly liable to be increased.
In this point of view, not less than as a check against desertion, Lord Normanby's attention has been called to the proposition which has been made for raising a regiment of Appendix, No. 26. veteran soldiers to be stationed on the frontier.*
The force stationed in British North America, in the spring of 1838, was distributed as follows:-
In Upper and Lower Canada twelve battalions, exclusive of 500 cavalry
7,600
In Nova Scotia, New Brunwick, and Prince Edward Island; five battalion. In Newfoundland, veteran companies and artillery.
3,000
358
In Bermuda, one battalion.
485
11,443
In July, one regiment (the 73rd) was withdrawn from Nova Scotia for Canada, in October, a second regiment (the 93rd); in November a third (the 65th); and in December a fourth regiment (the 11th), with a company of artillery, and the drafts for the 65th and 93rd regiments, were sent forward to Quebec, in compliance with the urgent applications of Sir J. Colborne. Thus between July and December, four of the five battalions in the Nova Scotia command were withdrawn for service in Canada. To replace them, four battalions were ordered to Halifax from the West Indies; of which three, the 36th, 37th, and 69th, have already arrived; the arrival of the remaining regiment (the 8th) may be daily expected.
The regular force, therefore, on the continent of British North America consists of twenty-one battalions exclusive of cavalry and artillery; and was distributed as follows on the 1st of April last :--
In Upper and Lower Canada:
Cavalry, Artillery, Engineers, and Infantry Troop Horses
In Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island:
Artillery, Engineers, and Infantry
Rank and File. 10.592
780
1.929
12.521
Nevertheless, it was found necessary during the past winter, to embody and call out a very large body of volunteers and militia both in Upper and Lower Canada. Full returns of these irregular troops have not yet been received, but it appears from a militia general order of Sir George Arthur, dated in October last, that a force of 8949 men had then been actually called out, while in a letter to Lord Durham of the 24th October, he states that he had been under the necessity of arming a part of the militia to the extent of 5,000 men, with some cavalry and artillery, and of enlisting four regiments of that force for a period of eighteen months. In a despatch_recently received from Sir J. Colborne, the number of paid volunteer forces on duty in Lower Canada on the 1st March last is stated at 8,775, while the number of volunteer corps, embodied for local or sedentary service, was at the same date 8,238. Sir J. Colborne, however, does not propose to keep up any large irre- gular force during the summer; but has directed 750 infantry and 300 cavalry to be en- He at the same time transmits a letter which he had gaged for one year's service.
addressed to Sir George Arthur, recommending that the militia of the Upper Province, which were called out for permanent duty during the winter, should be allowed to return to their homes, but that the four incorporated militia regiments which have been engaged for eighteen months should be raised to 500 rank and file.
Both Sir J. Colborne and Sir George Arthur have strongly recommended the fortifi- Appendix, Nos. 24°
as the most effectual and at the same time economical and 15.
cation of the frontier of Canada, means of security. Their despatches on this subject will be found in the Appendix. Sir George Arthur appears to limit his views to the completion of the works which remain unfinished. Sir John Colborne recommends more specifically, first, a fortified barrack at St. John's; 2ndly, the improvement and strengthening of Fort Ambertsburgh in the Upper Province; 3rdly, the construction of a fort at Mississaqua at the mouth of the Niagara; 4thly, a blockhouse, or defensible barrack at Cornwall, in the Eastern district of Upper Canada; and 5thly, two steam vessels on Lake Erie, and two on the Ontario, together with gun-boats to be stationed at Gananoque, Brockville. Prescott. Amhertsburgh, and Sandwich.
11
NEW BRUNSWICK.
IN New Brunswick the recent proceedings of the State of Maine render the presence of a considerable force indispensable. When the citizens of Maine first entered the dis- pated territory, Sir J. Harvey had under his command only the 36th regiment, about 300 strong, and a company of artillery. He immediately applied to Sir John Colborne and obtained from him four companies of the 11th regiment, while the 69th regiment was sent from Nova Scotia. An amicable arrangement having been effected with the State of Maine, the four companies of the 11th were sent back to Quebec.
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND.
IN Prince Edward Island much agitation has lately existed on the subject of Escheat and associations having been formed to resist the payment of rent, Sir Charles Fitzroy, in anuary 1838, was compelled to apply for a reinforcement of troops. In April last, the garrison amounted to thirty men. The agitation, although in some measure lessened, has not yet disappeared.
NEWFOUNDLAND.
IN Newfoundland, discontent and dissension between the Executive Government and the Assembly have prevailed for some years, and frequent remonstrances against any reduc- tion of the military force have been received from Captain Prescott. In August last, these dissensions came to a crisis; in consequence of the arrest, by the Assembly, of one of the Puisne Judges, of the sheriff, and of the jailor, for discharging out of custody an individual committed by the Speaker of that House for a contempt. On that occasion, Captain Prescott repeated his objection to any reduction of the force usually stationed in the Island, and urged its immediate completion to its full establishment; while the merchants resident in London, Liverpool, Bristol, and Poole, made strong applications for an increase of force. In consequence of these communications, Sir Colin Campbell was directed to fill up the vacancies in the Newfoundland companies by volunteers from Nova Scotia, and Captain Prescott was authorised to apply to Sir C. Campbell for any further reinforcements which he might require.
BERMUDA.
PREVIOUSLY to 1832, the force stationed in Bermuda was two battalions. In that year one battalion was withdrawn for Jamaica; but on that occasion Sir Stephen Chapman remonstrated against the permanent reduction of the garrison, on account of the valuable and important nature of the works in progress, the political importance of the colony, its proximity to the American coast, and the possibility, if it were insufficiently garrisoned, of its being carried by a coup de main before intelligence of the meditated attack could be conveyed to the neighbouring colonies, or the Admiral on the station.
In July last, on reporting the arrival of the political prisoners from Lower Canada, Sir Stephen Chapman repeated his recommendation of an increase of the garrison; and in consequence of further representations from him and from Colonel Reid, the newly appointed Governor, the battalion stationed in the Bermudas has been made up to 600 bayonets, and the Governor has been authorised to incorporate with it 60, and with the artillery and engineers in the colony, 10 native youth, to serve as volunteers.
NOVA SCOTIA.
IN reporting the various movements of troops from his command to Canada, Sir C. Campbell has never failed to urge the necessity of keeping up the garrison of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The importance of this in the present state of our relations with the United States requires no argument; considering that Halifax is a garrison town, contain- ing large quantities of Government stores, and is moreover the only port in British North America safely approachable in the winter. Sir C. Campbell's garrison will, on the arrival of the 8th regiment from Jamaica, be the same as at the commencement of ong company st year, and larger by one battalion than his usual force; but he is deficient of artillery, which was ordered to Quebec in December last, and has not been replaced, although applied for by Sir C. Campbell at the time, and again demanded in most urgent terms in a letter to Lord F. Somerset, of the 27th March last. It is understood that at precut there is no disposable artillery force which could be sent to Nova Scotia.
Anerimate of the above curps will be found in the Appendix. No. 30.
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