While Aldersbott is receiving, rather late in the summer, the
first detachments of regular troops in the camp formed there, the Morn- _ ing Post is explaining how it is that the Canadians withheld one inducement which they were asked to give towards the formation of a Foreign Legion in the British service. Land was to be offered to the legionaries in a British colony, and in Canada land is a drug; but, when invited by the Government to spare the land, the Canadians demurred. The colonists had offered to form a corps of their own, and they were immensely disgusted at learning that their officers would not have commissions above the rank of subaltern. No doubt, it was requisite to reserve the highest com- mands for Imperial disposal ; but why not let the colonists have all below those ranks, and even an equal chance of rising to the chief? The inexpediency of granting settlement to foreigners se- lected by military enlistment, from such cosmopolitan classes as will enlist, was a presentable reason for refusing the favour asked by the British Government from Canada; but, without any such reason, the refusal of the commissions must, in Colonial eyes, have merited the counter refusal of acres.
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