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A British army, as it was,--is,--and ought to be : $b illustrated by examples during the Peninsular War; with observations upon India; the United States of America; Canada; the boundary line; the navy; steam warfare, &c. — John Shaqi

History

A British army, as it was,--is,--and ought to be : $b illustrated by examples during the Peninsular War; with observations upon India; the United States of America; Canada; the boundary line; the navy; steam warfare, &c.

Name: A British army, as it was,--is,--and ought to be : $b illustrated by examples during the Peninsular War; with observations upon India; the United States of America; Canada; the boundary line; the navy; steam warfare, &c.
Author: Campbell, James

Campbell, James

Great Britain. Army

"It becomes very essential, however, to inquire by what process such
proposed conversion could be carried into effect: and here I would
again advert to the amendment moved by the Hon. baronet the member for
East Cornwall in 1836, "That the Foot Guards be placed on the same
footing as the infantry of the line," the particular wording of which
amendment implies a supposition that the House of Commons or the
Sovereign possessed the power of converting the household troops, as
at present constituted, into troops of the line. But I humbly presume
that any such conceived power would be subject to question; because it
is quite unnatural to imagine that either the Sovereign or the House
of Commons could ever commit a breach of faith with any portion of Her
Majesty's forces.

"It is well known that the commissioned officers, the non-commissioned
officers, and soldiers of the household troops have, one and all,
engaged or enlisted to serve Her Majesty in those particular corps,
and in those particular corps only. And in consideration of the very
privileges which are peculiar to the household corps have the officers
thereof been induced to submit to extraordinary sacrifices in the
purchase of their respective commissions, the regulated price of a
lieutenant-colonelcy in the Foot Guards being double, the price of
every minor commission more than double the price of corresponding
commissions in battalions of the line. The supposition therefore that
the existing establishments of the household troops can ever "be placed
on the same footing as the troops of the line" is entirely out of
the question; when they are no longer to be maintained as at present
constituted, they must be disbanded altogether.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

A British army, as it was,--is,--and ought to be : $b illustrated by examples during the Peninsular War; with observations upon India; the United States of America; Canada; the boundary line; the navy; steam warfare, &c.

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