The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-05
THE ENGLISH MILITIA.
low IL Is Constituted, Maintained,
and Called Ont.
From the L,ndon Mail.

and Called Ont.
From the L. ndon Mail.
Tha calling out Of the militia, which was
communicated to Parliament yes erday tY
a royaf message. will undoubtedly cause
great sausfac ion, especially among is Of
heers, whose complaint Of recent years
has been that their force is neglected by
the government.
The militia OF the United Kingdom is
maintained for the purposes Of augment
ing the military strength OF the country in
case OF imminent national danger or great
emergency. ny royal proclamation the
whole OF part Of the force is liable 10 be-
embodied and placed on active mill airy
service within the confines Of the United
Kingdom. but men may volunteer TO serve
in the Channel Islands, Isle of Man. Nal
ia, and Gibraltar.
Recruits who are drawn from practic-
afy the same elias ses as the regular army,
undergo preliminary training Of not more
than six months, and an annual training
usually lasting twely-eight days for the
six years of Their service. ad at the end
of each training are given a bounty of Il
AT the close of their first riod of ser
vice the men can re -enl st for another six
years, during which time the annual boun-
" is increased by one-haf
Attached TO and forming part of their
territorial battaSions, the officers and men
when called out are liable for duty with
the regulars, and are, to all intents and
| purposes, regular troops, and this also
| applies to the militia artillery, engineers
| and submarine miners.
The system OF recruiting Is practically
| the same as for the egufars-voluntary
enlistment-but In the event OF any coun-
| ty or place not providing sufhc ent men
the ballot may he resol ted TO- Each m IL
| tia regiment has a permanent staff con-
ssting of an adjutaut, a small body OF
| non-coInmissioned officers and drummcr7
| to conduct rec uiting, drills, and the ordi-
| nary business of the corps.
The militia reserve Is formed of men
who, belonging TO the militia, voluntarily
| Undertake the liability to JON the regu-
| lar forces and serve i'm any place TO which
they may he ordered i'm case of ne eessity.
| These men receive a double bounty of q
! at each training and are on the same foot
| ing as the army reserve. The returns for
| last wear give the strength of this force
| as H.761.
The effective strength of the entire mill
| tia force according 10 the latest returns,
| is about 1876 600, cons.s ing of 1876 infantry
| battal ors, 30 corps of or il'ery, fortress
| corps of eng neers 10 dtVisic ms OF subma-
| rine miners, and two companies OF the
| medical staff corps
| There is nothing particularly extraordl-
nary in the procedure ordered by the
| Queens proclamation as during the Crl-
mea, the Indian mutiny, and the Soudau
| war of 1885 the militia were embodied and
| did, as they viii now, garrison service to
| replace regiments ordered abroad. There
is no suggestion that events in the Trans
| vaal WIN need The dispatch OF any OF the
militia reserve and the embodiment is
simply what has been for some days con-
| s.dered certain by military authorizes.
| A represent alive Of the Daily Mail who
| inquired at the war Office yesterday was
| informed that at present no decision az
to the regimen 10 be called out has been
made, although the scheme for moo.lz1-
| ton was in course of consideration.