250 Public Establishment for 



quarters for the non-commissioned officers and privates ; 

 and instead of being obliged to take these into their 

 houses, and to furnish them with victuals and lodgings, 

 as had formerly been the practice (and which was cer- 

 tainly a great hardship), a small house or barrack for 

 the men, with stabling adjoining to it for the horses, 

 was built, or proper lodgings were hired by the civil 

 magistrate in each of these military stations, and the 

 expense was levied upon the inhabitants at large. The 

 forage for the horses was provided by the regiments, 

 or by contractors employed for that purpose ; and the 

 men, being furnished with a certain allowance of fire- 

 wood and the necessary articles of kitchen furniture, 

 were made to provide for their own subsistence, by 

 purchasing their provisions at the markets and cook- 

 ing their victuals in their own quarters. 



The officers provided their own lodgings and stabling, 

 being allowed a certain sum for that purpose in addition 

 to their ordinary pay. 



The whole of the additional expense to the military 

 chest, for the establishment and support of these can- 

 tonments, amounted to a mere trifle ; and the burden 

 upon the people, which attended the furnishing of quar- 

 ters for the non-commissioned officers and privates, was 

 very inconsiderable, and bore no proportion to the ad- 

 vantages derived from the protection and security to 

 their persons and properties afforded by these troops.* 



Not only this cantonment of the cavalry was carried 

 into execution as a preliminary measure to the taking 

 up of the beggars in the capital, but many other prepa- 

 ratives were also made for that undertaking. 



* The whole amount of this burden was not more than 30,000 florins, or about 

 ^2727 sterling a year. 



