The National Register.
London, England, 1818-11-16 00:00:00

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NO. 6.-VOL. XI.

POLITICAL DISQUISITION.

REDUCTION OF THE ARMY.

As length we have reached the period so long wish-
ed for, that of the redaction of the army to a peace esta-
blishment. There are, however, two ways of doing
this; either by reducing the number of regiments, offi-
cers, and men, or by reducing the numbers in each
regiment. The former plan is that which is to be
adopted. The Morning eltrossick says,
The more closely that the scheme of army reductions
is examined, the less satisfaction will be derived from
it as a measure of retrenchment. In the House of
Commons, last year, Lord Palmerston distinctly said,
that it would be infinitely more economical to reduce
regiments altogether, than to keep up a number of
* skeletons. Seventy regiments at SOO men each would
be infinitely more advantageous to the country than
ninety at GtO each; and he held out this as the plan
of reduction to be pursued, stating the amount of say-
'lug that would thereby accrue. How will the go-
' ble Secretary at War reconcile the plan of reduction
actually adopted with that which he announced ?
The extravagant course is preferred to the economical.
e The country is saddled with much more expense than
would have been incurred by following the plan
of the Noble Lord ; anti what is of almost equal im-
l• enience, influence would have been diminished in
the same proportion as expellee.
• But through the whole arrangement, official regard
• has been paid to the preservation of patronage ; and
• acordingly we see that that branch of the service
• which is the most desirable to young men of interest,
the Cavalry, is to be kept on a much higher scale
• than the Infantry. The expense of this is not the
• only evil. The Line will be made merely a transit
•to the Horse. Every Cadet of Parliamentary fami-
• lies will look for removal to the Cavalry, that he may
• not be sent to the West Indies ; and the influence of
the Crown will thereby be promoted to a dangerous
extent in time of profound peace. At no former time
was the Cavalry kept up to so high a rate, and there
can be no good reason for it in the present state of
our resources.'

The argument adduced by the Courier is, that by
preserving skeletons of regiments, we may, in any war
breaking out, in a few months raise our army to a war
establishment, for that there will he nothing to do but
to distribute the new levies anion the skeleton regi-
ments thus preserved, where they will be commanded
by veteran officers, and surrounded by veteran soldiers ;
whereas, were the regiments reduce I altogether, the
new levies must in such a case be formed into new re-
giments. and they would be much longer being
brought to a state of discipline. But, granting this
argument its full force, on what supposition does it
proceed ? On one of preparhlg now for a future war.
But was. not this painful necessity the very thing
which was to be avoided by restoring the Bourbons ?
Was it not the very evil we complained of in Buona-
parte% time, that pestee must always be accompanied
11 preparation for war ? What have we gained, if this
necessity still exists ? The fact is, this necessity does
not exist to the extent alleged, but in some measure it
does, and the reason is plain ; we di 1 nut finish our
work after the battle of Waterloo. Our Ministers im-
puted too much of the past evils to the sole character of
Buonaparte, and imagined they did every thing in re-
storing the Bourbons They fin-got, in Buonaparte 's
crimes, those of Louis XIV. anti of Louis XV. lizta
they remembered these tilt), would have been satisfied
in expelling Buonaparte, and instead of insisting on
Louis XVI IL's restoration, they would have insisted
en the cession of Alsace and Lorrain, and the iron bar-
rier of the fortresses of Flanders.