The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-30 00:00:00

TILE TROOPS FOR CANADA.

The arrangements for despatching the troops
selected for service in Canada have now been en-
tirely completed. The mail packet which is to leave
Liverpool on January 4 will take the 2d and 3d
batteries of the 15th Brigade of Garrison Artillery,
consisting of 12 officers and 234 men, and this com-
pletes the list of troops forming the reinforcements.
More than 10,000 men have been despatched with
extraordinary celerity, and it is gratifying to know
that they have left our shores under circumstances
which leave no room for doubt as regards their com-
fort and efficiency. The extra warm clothing,
which has not been procured without difficulty, is
of the best quality, and perfectly suited to the sharp
winter the men will have to encounter. This extra
clothing has been in every case so placed in the
ships as to be accessible at any moment, and will
be distributed to the men on the voyage, should the
weather be such as to requite the use of sealskin
caps and similar articles. The number of transports
wholly chartered by the Government is 13, all
powerful screw steamers; and in seversl cases
troops have been sent by the Cunard mail steamers
to Halifax. Englishmen are not much in the habit of
looking at expense when the honour of their coun-
try is concerned, and we state that the cost of hiring
the Melbourne alone will be some £3,000, merely
for the purpose of showing that the Americans will
have a task before them should they endeavour to
fight us while their financial affairs are in so
desperate a condition. The expenses attending
the transport and clothing of the Canadian rein-
forcements have of course been very great, but
the country cares nothing in these days about
such matters after the experience of the Crimean
war. The men have been thoroughly well pro-
vided for, and that is sufficient. We stated last
week that a supply of Canadian boots bad been ob-
tained from "an exceptional source." The 211oria-
iny Post of Monday announced that the French
Emperor had supplied them, and we can add some
particulars in corroboration. Every source of
supply at home having been ransacked in vain,
it was resolved to apply to the Emperor, and a
message was telegraphed from the Foreign-office to
Captain Claremont, our military commissioner in
Paris, instructing him to make the request at head-
quarters. Captain Claremont was immediately re-
ferred to Marshal Bandon, the Minister of War,
who at once sent for the officials in charge of the
stores, for information. The result was that the
number of pairs required (2,000) was packed and
sent off within a few hours, and we can also state
this act was accompanied by the assurance that
they regarded with the most friendly feelings our
proceedings in the affair of the Trent, and wished
to render us every possible assistance in the way of
providing any amount of clothing or stores re-
quired. We may add that the French Government
has long adopted the wise course of keeping a large
store of every article that might be required for
service in any part of the world. The foresight
which led to providing a store of articles not
usually, nor indeed very likely to be required
by the French army, might be advantageously
copied here ; and it is to be hoped that the fact of
our having been obliged to look about for Cana-
dian boots !, will have its effect upon those
who have so persistently opposed the keeping up a
store of such requisites at Pimlico. The reinforce-
ments that have been despatched to Canada may
be estimated at 10,000 men of all ranks ; and
should it be found necessary to increase the force, a
second 10,000 have been selected, and aro ready to
embark at a few hours' notice.— Observer.