Canada; its Defences, Condition, and Resources: Being a third and concluding volume of "My Diary, North and South"Russell, William Howard, Sir
History
Canada; its Defences, Condition, and Resources: Being a third and concluding volume of "My Diary, North and South"
Russell, William Howard, Sir
Canada -- Defenses; Canada -- Description and travel
“Of the corps in Class B, 3 troops of cavalry, 8 foot companies
of artillery, 2 engineer corps, 49 rifle companies, 15 companies
of infantry and one naval company have certified to the
performance of 12 days’ drill in accordance with the General
Order of the 4th November last, and have received from the
Government $20,952 therefor.”
In the twenty-one districts there were recorded 468 battalions of
sedentary militia. Seventy-six drill associations, composed of
the officers and non-commissioned officers, had been formed, and
were to be supplied with arms and instructors, to which number
considerable additions have since been made. The total number
of militiamen in Lower Canada was estimated at 190,000; in Upper
Canada, at 280,000. In the former, 63,000 first-class service men;
in the latter, only 33,000 first-class service men. Second-class,
58,000 and 83,000 respectively. Reserve, 20,000 and 25,000
respectively. The cities of Upper Canada gave 29 volunteers for
every 1000--the rural districts only 9 volunteers for every 1000.
In three counties containing 50,000 people there was no volunteer
or volunteer corps. In thirteen counties the average number of
volunteers was 250, and in sixteen counties it was only 125.
In Lower Canada, however, the zeal of the people for militia
volunteering was by no means remarkable. Thirty counties, with
a population of 450,000, had not a single volunteer corps, nor
one volunteer. The towns gave 36 volunteers per 1000, the rural
districts only 5 per 1000. In fact, the people of French descent
appeared to consider militia volunteering a sort of playing at
soldiers, which had no particular attractions for them. England had
taken them in charge, and might do as she liked with them.
By degrees, a great change occurred in the sentiments if not in
the actions of the people. A little more address in dealing with
their prejudices; a little more of a conciliatory tone; somewhat
greater tact in legislative business, produced beneficial results.
The foundation, at all events, was laid of a sound militia bill.
The Commissioners who reported in 1862, including Mr. Cartier,
Mr. John A. Macdonald, Mr. Galt, and Colonel Lysons, proposed
a scheme which was very comprehensive and ably conceived; but
it was not considered suitable to the means of the country by
the politicians, and the debates which arose on the Militia
Bill prepared in accordance with its recommendations, were
characterised by an acrimony and party spirit which flavoured
the subsequent discussions on the same subject. They recommended
complete battalions as the base of the system, for reasons
which are in the abstract irrefutable. They then recommended
that the Province should be divided into military districts,
as the Commander-in-Chief might direct, and that each military
district should be divided into regimental divisions. They further
recommended as follows:--
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