VOLUNTEER CAVALRY AND INFANTRY.
SIR—In addition to an increase of the Army and Navy—a precautionary measure imperatively required owing to the present state of Europe—it ap- pears to me that a large Volunteer force might be readily organized, which, if practically carried out, would probably prevent any midden attempt at in- vasion being ever contemplated.
Anticipating the support and encouragement of the Executive Govern- ment to such an organization of the physical force of the country, I would suggest that the Volunteers should not be clothed at the expense of the State, and that they should receive pay only when called upon by the Crown to perform military service; but that a permanent staff, consisting of an ad- jutant and a certain number of drill-sergeants for each regiment of Volun- teers, should receive daily pay, to the end that the Volunteers might have an opportunity of being instructed, at their leisure moments, in whatever drill may be necessary to enable them to act together as a military body. The several adjutants would of course, on the score of economy, be selected from the Half-pay list of officers, and the drill-sergeants from the list of Pen- sioners.
The arms and accoutrements should be furnished by the State' on the re- ceipt of which each volunteer should deposit in the hands of a Government officer their cost price; which sum should be refunded to him whenever he ceases to belong, to the Volunteers, upon his returning them into store in a proper state, allowance being made for fair wear and unavoidable accidents on military duty.
By this arrangement frequent inspections of arms and accoutrements would not be necessary, as it would be the interest of each volunteer to keep his own arms and accoutrements in proper order; and the money payment re- quired as a deposit from each man would be to a certain extent a guarantee of his respectability. The arms should be the most efficient that can be manufactured, as parsi- mony in that branch of the military service is most impolitic. The Volunteers should not be required, as a sine qud non, to clothe themselves in military uniform, for their ordinary costume would suffice ; but the officers should wear in addition some distinguishing badge. Knapsacks for the infantry and valises for the cavalry would, however, be necessary ; the cast of which articles would not amount to many shillings to each individual volunteer.
The Volunteer Cavalry and Infantry, always ready to be embodied on the shortest notice, would form the vanguard of the regular Militia ;. a post of honour that would be fully appreciated. W. B. C.
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