Annell avens...
An 11
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CONFIDENTIAL.
༄།?། ། །
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
12
C.O.
Reference →
885
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
THE ARMY.
THE present state of the army requires, in my opinion, the early and very serious conside- ration of the Government, in two points of view: first, as regards the force habitually kept at home, and the means which we have of promptly increasing it in the event of a sudden attack from a powerful enemy; and next, as regards the necessity of improving the general charac- ter of the army, in order to meet the growing objection to the use of corporal punishment for the maintenance of military discipline.
As to the deficiency of force I entirely agree in the opinion expressed by Sir J. Graham, in his secret and confidential memorandum of August 26th, 1844, that it is necessary for our safety, to be able to command, at any moment,
a very considerable military force at home, and that our present means of defence are so inade- quate as to cause great danger. His recom- mendations for meeting this danger are to re- organize the militia, and to increase the regular army. I am not prepared to offer any argu- ments against either proposition. The militia ought certainly either to be improved or abolished, and though I should myself be rather inclined to its abolition, I should have no objec- tion to the other alternative, and to an attempt being made to improve this force, provided it were not in the mode proposed by Sir J. Gra- ham, or with the expectation of its becoming any very important part of our means of defence against a foreign enemy.
(162)
B