, 1876-12-20

might easily become even an inoumbraR0s.
There might be different views as TO what this
minimum GOULD be but In face Of such Difficult.
ty, We cGnnot do otherwise than take the expert
enoe from elsewhere, and We would then fnd
shat the number of men proposed In this Draft
10 smaller than that kept ia any other place,
with which We could compare, although he never
meant, nor does he mean now to take the view
that the soldiers should be here to defend the
Island against enemies from abroad he agreed
10 looking on them ss an arm9d police force,
sad experience has shewn that such 8 force is
best established here on the military p~rinoipls
but not as q gendarmerie. In fixing the nun.
Der Of men for that purpose, ve ought to avoid
going so low as 10 become a tidlOul0 not only to
outsiders but to the military men themselves.
And II any doubts we're still entertained as 90
what may suffice for the requirements. E PTooE
is Afforded by the number 60 which the Govern.
msnt under tho force Of circumstances has Of
late had TO keep the force on account Of the pc.
ounisry state Of the Island. Ga account Of
these circumstances and 10 order TO arrive at
the lowest possible figure of expense, Il
became necessary to reduce Che 3 military
stations to ont. It is principally Che
military establishments which increase the
expense, AMI whether 100 or 50 men
be kept, those establishments would causa
the ssms expense. In accordance With this,
the chief object OF the Draft is to abolish two
Of those stssIons.-The Amendments from the
Committee are opposed to those principles,
go specially the one sub No. l, where 1t Is pro-
posed TO add 10 the Ordinances q clause provld'
ing, that Professionally for a term Of S years
8 mounted men shall be- stationed at Kingshill.
He had once explained that when 10 m9n out Of
Che total number OF 50 vera mounted. then
2 would be placed tt she disposal OF the Police
matters at Klnkshil and Frederikstel, TO aos
as orderllos, and 6 would emain in Christian
s.ed. The difference between this and the
PROPOSAL from the Committees Majority Ia,
that while according 10 the G)7GrnmenFs plan
no military station should In future be al
Kingshili, but only 6 couple OF men be there
IA order to enable the P0lisemastet 10 call
timely assistance from the headquarters in
OhristiaAsted, which 2 men could be changed
az often az it was wisho3,-the Committees
Maj0riIy't proposal says that Tor q term OF
8 years 3 men should be permanently Stationed
there, detAohed from the headquarters. Now.
be believed, that the honorable pFoposers and
the Councils Members although not being
military men, will admit THAI to send military
men for years away from the main part Of
the company would not do and to put ihem
under the control OF the PolioemaSteE, could
not a. all answer The consequence OF this
proposal would be that If 5 mounted men were
to be al Klnguhill and q at Fredorkssed, Ii
would be requisite to put them under the com
mand Of o subaltern Officer, who according
to the general rules again would require an
Assistant, making then 10 men stationed st
Kinguhill the result would ultimately be
that the whole Military Station would have to
be preserved as nobody could command men
out on service In that way without providing
fer their purvSyance and maintenance. If he
had had to make a proposal Of tha kind, he
would only have proposed a reduction Of the
present number of men (22) 10 Is. But then,
the saving which il was the Governments 10.
tention to effect by the original proposal would
not be attained. We would then have to retain
KlngshIIl as a military Station, with a perma'
nens pucveyanoe and the requisite establish
mentS, Another reason why he could not ac'
cept the e~mendmeut No. / is, chat 5 3 OF the
present Military Ordinance leaves IL TO Sue
Governor 20 fix che number OF men TO be
kept at each station if, now. il be expressly
stated that 8 certain number Of mounted men
ahsll be stationed at Ki0gshill. the authority OF
Che military Commander in Chief would be H.
terfsred with or intrudei on in 3 manner thas
could mob be allowable.
As already stated, il WAS chiefly economical
reasons that had induced him 30 make this pro-
possI buG a. the same time he had to take re'
gard to what safety demanded from this reason
= certain minimum is necessary 10 order TO So
cure the proper discipline. According TO the
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