The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1868-08-08
Military and Naval strength Of
Great Britain.

Notwithstanding the adoption by England of
the policy of non-intervention, which renders her
less liable now than formerly TO bedrawn into great
wars. she still keeps up her military and naval
strength at quite a high standard, and at a cor
respondingly heavy outlay. For the year 1869
the effective strength of the army Is fixed 1T 1885,
$50 men, and thar of the navy, including the ma
rines, ut 81 ,O10 men. The volunteer force of the
Kingdom now numbers 2l4 900 men; the nation
al militia IA IA men; and there are besides 49,
GOO enrolled pensioners. The grand total of the
land and sea forces, then, Is $50, I6i men. In the
War Budget for the year there Is an increase of
over 400 900 sterling for the army, over the a
mount voted for lSO7-OS, the figures being El5,-
455, 900 for the ensuing fiscal year against ElI 1885,
479 for the previous twelve months. The appro-
ations for the navy are Ga. lbs, Goo for lS6S-69,
against E13 ,33I 300 fr lS67-6S, showing an
increase of over goo 900 sterling.
On the LIST of February last, the British navy
consisted of I66 vessels, of which - are sail
ing vessels, and i23 steamers. either atloat or III
the course of construction. OF this number ~
are first class iron-clads, 40 ships of the line, and
40 ~frigates. For several years past the sums voted
bv Parliament for forts and iortiiications, and for
the defenees of the different ports most exposed TO
invasion, amount in the aggregate to many mill
ions OF pounds sterling, in addition to the money
which has been expended in building new vessels
for the navy. During all this time the numerical
strength Of both the army and the navy has re-
manned almost stationary. Men can be found at
n short notice, but iron-clads and extensive lortif-
cations are not tn be improviscd.
1t would appear that there has been n great i'm
prOveInent of late years IN the treatment of the
British soldier. and this, with the abolition of fog
ging in the army, will have the effect of making
the military service more popular, and facilitating
the work of the recruiting sergeant. When it is
remembered that enlistment is n purely voluntary
act, il is significant to find that out of % 600 sol
diers recently discharged, having completed their
term of service, no fewer than % 200 have re-en-
listed for Il number of years. There can he no
doubt but that the addition of that dissraceful
system will have the effect of raising the moral
standard of tie British army.
The Nolunteer force is what its designation inn
plies-a force of voluntary organization, thus diff
iering essentially from the citizen militia ofthe Con-
tinent, with who'll military service lis compulsory.
But although voluntary, it is strictly select, no
one being admitted to serve in the force who is be-
low a certain fixed standard, either physically or
in a social point of view. Tbemcn are not passed
for enrolment as effective until after Il rigid ex-
animation but, Notwithstanding the number of
the force are annually on the increase. Last year
the numbers were 10000; they are now 2l4 900
Of which l24 900 have been duly registered for ser
vice, against lis GOO rejected in 1867. At the
Volunteer Review 1T Brighton, i'll 1866, there were
%, 600 men on the ground; last year, at the Do
vcr Review, there were % 900 men present, with
60 pieces of artillery and at the Review held ut
Portsmouth during Easter Week, this year, the
number was still greater. The amount voted by
Parliament for the Volunteer force OF lS6S-G9 is
1855 900, being E25 600 more than was appro-
priated last year. Ii will thus be seen that from
small beginnings the Volunteer movement i'm En-
gland has grown into a great national institution.