The Sun.
London, England, 1867-06-13 00:00:00

REORGANISATION OF THE FRENCH
ARMY.

The following is the new draft of the bill for the
reorganisation of the army, as adopted by the Com-
mittee t the Chambei and the Council of State,
under the reserve of the amendments maintained by
the former : _ _

_
" Chap. I The Active Army and the Reserve.
" Art. 1. The army consists of the active body
and the reserve ; their effective is increased to
800,000 men. They are recruited :-1. By voluntary
enlistments and re-engagements ; 2. By the annual
raising of a contingent.
" Art. 2. The strength of the contingent to be
summoned annually for the recruitment of the
army is determined each year by the Legislative
Body in a special law. The same measure also
divides the contingent into two portions, one of
which is incorporated in the active army, and the
other left in the reserve.
" Art. 3. The duration of service of the young
men incorporated in the active army is five years,
at the expiration of which time they serve four
years in the reserve. The period of service of the
young men left in the reserve is five years. Those
left in the reserve can only be called intoactive ser-
vice by a decree of the Emperor. The soldiers who
enter the reserve after the completion of five years
service can only be again called under the flag by'
a decree of the Emperor, and by classes, com-
mencing with the most recent. They may marry
without authorisation during the last two years of
their service. This faculty is suspended by a de-
cree recalling them to the active army. Married
men of the reserve remain subject to all the obliga-
tions of military service.
"Art. 4. The length of servicein the active army
and in the reserve dates from the Ist July of the
year of the conscription. In time of peace the sol-
diers who will have completed their time of service
receive their liberation on the 30th June of each
year. In time of war they only receive it cn the
arrival of the corps of the contingentdestined to re-
place them.
" Art. 5. Are repealed Chaps. 11., 111., and V.
of the laws of the 26th April, 1855, and the laws of
the 24th July, 1860, and 4th June, 1864. The sub-
stitution of men on the list of the same canton and
their replacement are authorised in conformity with
Arts. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 28, and 29, of
thelaws of the 21st March, 1832, which are revised.
Chap. 111. of the same law is also re-established ;
the duration of the voluntary engagements is, how-
ever, for two years at least. Voluntary enrolments
do not, however, confer the exemption pronounced
by Sec. 6 of Art. 13 of the law of the 21st March,
1832, only when contracted for a period of nine
years, in conformity with Par. 1 of the above-
mentioned Art 13.
" Art. 6. The causes of exemption mentioned in
secs. 3,4, 5,6, and 7 of Art. 13 of the law of the
21st March, 1832, must, to produce their legal
effect, exist on the day on which the council of re-
vision is called on to decide. Those which arise be-
tween the decision of that council and the Ist July
—the starting pointof the period of service—do not
modify the legal position of the young men desig-
nated to form definitely part of the contingent.
"Art. 7. The young soldiers who shall not
have accomplished their period of service on the Ist
January, 1868, may, at the expiration of their fifth
year, obtain permission to pass from the active ser-
vice into the reserve, on condition of contracting an
engagement to serve in it four years.
" CHAP. I.I.—THE NATIONAL GUARD MOBILE.
" Sec. I.—lts Composition, Object, and Duration