The Arkansas banner., 1845-05-07
EHract 0f Sir Robert PcchS speeeh 0t dte


 opening of tte session.
 s.The army that you possess is a very #eX- pensive and complicated machine, and you may depend upon it you will not consult true economy if you permitit to be dislocaed and deranged by attempts at reduction without calculation of facts. Now, ill the year l792, which has frequently been referred to as the criterion of what our military establishments ought to be--in the year l792 you had p CO., lonial dependencies; in the year 1920 you had 34 colonial dependencies; and in tie present year l845) the colonies (which were 22 in l7924 have increased to 45. IL is the num- Der of your colonies, and the dispersion ol forces employed in them, that leads 10 the necessity of frequent relief, and imposes on you, with reference to your army particular lv, as distinguished from the armies of the continental powers, in order 10 maintain the efficiency of that force, a considerable anuu- al expenditurc. IL may be said that it Is ill., furious to possess our colonial empire; but l deal with the fact that you have colonies that you must provide competent force for each, and that, having competent force, you must have some supply for the relief of them. Sir, should be unwilling though know our colonies are expensive, and know they will iyetrouble-I should be unwilling 10 give up that policy which led to the foundation in different parts of the globe of dependencies animated by the spirit Of Englishmen, speak ing the English language, and laying the foundation, perhaps, in the future time, of populous and important commercial states. Hear. hear. Looking to our population, looking to its members, looking 10 its enter prise, cannot say that think it is unWise to provide an outlet for that population and that enterprise. Hear, and cheers. And though it may be attended at times with something of expense, you must remember, however that may be, the fact that you have at the present moment 45 colonies, for the military defence of which you must provide. For the services of each of these 45 colonies vou have force, consisting, first, of three battalions of guards, $500 cavalry, rank and file, and you have one hundred and twelve batalions of infantry, consisting, rank and file, of 92,900 men; and that is the amount of the British army with which you are to garrison all these torty-five colonies, with which we are to provide against occasional internal commotion and the chance of foreign attack, and to provide also for the internal service of this country. And this is to be eff fected, and is effected, by an infantry force of l12 battalions, amounting to 92,500, rank and file. Now, what is the rule established with regard to relief? The rule IS this- Thata regiment shall remain ten years abroad and five at home; and will any one say that is an unreasonable regulation-that 1t would be desirable for the efficiency of the army that any regiment in the British service should re- main more than ten years abroad, or that it should not have the advantage of remaininp five years at home? Hear, hear. After it's return it generally arrives in such state that it requires year 10 bring it into an efficient state, Hear, hear And if her Maiestv's government thought il advisable-that it was consistent with true economy, with humanity. the military force, it would be their bounden duty to do so But what is the fact with re- gard to the service of those regiments abrood2 Of ll2 battaloas of infantry in the British service, there are now 23 in India; 50 are serving in the colonies, and are on tbeir passage, giving 77 battalons employed in inc defence of your colonial empire. You have 35 batlalions at home-not. as its snpnosed but for the purpose of restraining the ponn- lation' but for the purpose, and you effect it incomplelely, of maintaining the system of reiiet. We propose to increase out mili- tary establishments; but, at the same time. we doaot think it woald be desirable to re- commend to the House to diminish the mill lary force Of this country, Consequently, we propose that the vo.e for the army esti