GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND. 



407 



The Army. The army estimates for 1883-'84 

 provide for the following forces, constituting 

 the peace establishment of the British imperial 

 army : 



Officers 

 PEACE FOOTING. and men. 



Cavalry 16,993 



Artillery 84,044 



Engineers 5,732 



Infantry 132,004 



Colonial corps 2,475 



Administrative troops 8.025 



Total regular army 199,273 



Regular-army reserve 43,000 



Yeomanry and militia : 351,793 



Volunteers 246, 180 



Indian native army 120,882 



Total 761,133 



The distribution of the regular army, as pro- 

 posed in the army estimates, is as follows : 



STATIONED IN Number. 



The United Kingdom 111.058 



India 61,641 



Gibraltar 5.193 



Malta 5,932 



South Africa > 3,343 



Halifax 2,263 



Antilles 2,867 



Bermudas ". 1 ,594 



Hong-Kong 1,214 



Ceylon 1.236 



Singapore 1 ,023 



Other colonies 2,404 



Total regular army 199,273 



The total number of troops with the colors, 

 on Feb. 23, 1883, was 196,232. 



There is a force of military police, 14,000 

 strong, not provided for in the army estimates ; 

 also, a native military police in India, number- 

 ing 190,000 men, the superior officers of which 

 are English. Most of the colonies have militia 

 and volunteer organizations. 



The scarlet uniform, which has for many 

 generations been worn by British troops, is 

 about to be discarded, in accordance with the 

 report of a committee of military and scientific 

 experts, notwithstanding the sentimental at- 

 tachment of a large portion of the public 

 to the traditional color of conservative mili- 

 tary circles, represented by the Duke of Cam- 

 bridge, who, during the discussion, discoursed 

 with effusive feeling of the " thin red line " of 

 the British army in the field. Out of consid- 

 eration for this sentiment, and for the attract- 

 iveness of the bright colors to recruits, the 

 committee recommended that the red uniforms, 

 with pipe-clayed belts, together with the blue 

 uniforms of the marines and green ones of the 

 rifle corps, be retained for full dress. The 

 committee found a dark shade of the Ichalcee, 

 or earth-color, in use in the Indian army, 

 and a darkish gray, equally invisible at long 

 distances ; but recommended that the gray be 



I adopted as the uniform color, with brown for 

 the belts and haversacks, since it proved a more 

 permanent dye than the Tchalcee. 



TROOPS AND CREWS. Number. 



Seamen 40,554 



Boys 4,804 



Marines (one half afloat) 12,400 



Eoyal naval reserve 21,750 



Total 79,508 



Of the 240 vessels constituting the active 

 navy in September, 1883, 128 were stationed 

 in British waters, viz., 6 ironclads constituting 

 the Channel fleet, and 9 constituting, with 6 

 other steamers, the first reserve ; 27 vessels in 

 port service, 39 school-ships, 4 royal ynchts, 1 

 steamer on hydrographic service, 28 sailing-ves- 

 sels, forming with the first reserve the coast- 

 guard, and 8 vessels out of commission ; 20 

 constituted the Mediterranean fleet, but this 

 was temporarily increased by vessels detailed 

 from the home station and elsewhere to 13 

 ironclads and 31 other vessels, together 44 ; 2 

 ironclads, 14 other steamers, and 1 sailing-ves- 

 sel were stationed on the east coast of Ameri- 

 ca ; 1 ironclad, 6 steamers, and 1 sailing-vessel 

 on the west coast of America ; 8 vessels in 

 Southern and Western Africa ; 13 in India and 

 Eastern Africa; 20, including 1 ironclad, in 

 Chinese waters; 6, including 1 ironclad, on the 

 Australian station ; 5 were employed in hydro- 

 graphic service, 5 were on the return voyage, 

 and the remaining 10 were transports. 



The armor-clad fleet numbered 3 iron-, 3 

 steel-plated, and 2 turret- ships of 10,000 tons 

 and over ; 8 iron- and 3 steel-plated frigates, 2 

 of the latter unfinished, and 6 iron- and 2 steel- 

 clad turret-ships of between 8,000 and 10,000 

 tons; 14 ironclads, 2 building, in steel, and 1 

 ram of special construction of from 6,000 to 

 8,000 tons; 4 battle-ships, 1 turret- ship, and 2 

 rams of from 4,000 to 6,000 tons; and 7 tur- 

 reted and 3 other ironclads of less than 4,000 

 tons' displacement, fit only for coast and har- 

 bor defense. Of the large vessels 12 are too 

 lightly armored, and carry guns too small for 

 ocean warfare, though most of them are swift 

 and efficient as cruisers. Besides the vessels 

 enumerated above, which make an efficient 

 iron-clad fleet of 61 vessels, there are 9 which 

 are relegated to the harbor service and 3 small 

 ironclads which were built for colonial defense. 

 Of the efficient navy 11 are turret and barbette 

 ships of the heaviest armor and guns, among 

 the strongest in the world, and 9 are smaller 

 battle-ships of equally modern construction. 



Finance. The net revenues from various 

 sources are stated in the finance accounts for 

 the year ending March 81, 1883, as follow : 



SOURCES OF REVENUE. Amount. 



The Navy. The personnel of the navy, ac- 

 cording to the navy estimates of 1883-'84, is 

 as follows : 



tuamns 11,841,000 



Btamps * * 



Land and house taxes i?'85'88 



Property and income tax 11,900,000 



Post-Office ' 7,300.000 



Telegraph service 



Domains 



Interest on local advances and Suez shares 



Miscellaneous receipts ^ 



Total receipts, 18S2- 1 83 89,004,456 



The expenditures under the various heads 

 are given as follow : 



