ENGLAND'S PEACE ESTABLISHMENI.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XL, Issue 194, 7 August 1876, Page 4

ENGLAND'S PEACE ESTABLISHMENI.

(Peace Society's Papers ) Mr J. W. Pease, M,P. for South Durham, has stated (in view of the recent extravagance which has not only prevented remissions of taxation, but increased the income-tax) that the present British army of regulars and auxiliaries of 528,000 is the largest establishment which this country has ever been asked 1 to provide, and certainjy, in bis opinion, larger than the country requires. In 1873, the last year of Lord Cardwell's administration, the cost of the army was £13,200,000; and now, in 1876, it has risen to £13,989 000, being an increase in three years of £750,000. The army estimates having increased by three quarters of a million, tbe navy estimates have also gone up £1,500,000 during the Bame time, besides a deficit of £281,000 in the navy appropriation accounts; being altogether an increase in these two services of £2,400,000. At present it appears that there are 95,000 regular troops at home, besides £30,000 of the reserved forces; and the militia, volunteers, and yeomanry, are all declared to be in an efficient and satisfactory state. These men are kept up in order to secure us against panics, of which we have had three or four of late years. In 1858-9 there was a panic of a French invasion, when 180,000 volunteers were raised to keep out the French, and they still remain a standing memorial of tbe event. Another panic occurred at the out-break of the Franco-German war, when Lord Cardwell aßked Parliament to vote £2,000,000 and to increase the army by 20,000 man, who still remain on the army list. The argument now is that tbe army is to preserve us from invasion. But we look around in vaiu to diacover from what quarter we are to be invaded. Her Majesty in her Speech from the Throne, spoke of her relations with foreign powers as being " most cordial." But what can be more insulting to thoee Powera than to say that, to guard ourselves from invasion from them, it is necessary to raise an army of 526,000 men? There are only three or four Powers who can posßtbly invade us, namely, Germany, France, Russia, or America, and there is no human probability that any of ihem in the lifetime of the present generation, will ever attempt the invasion of this country. France and Germany are arming against each other, and in Germany the people are almost rebelling against the strictness of the military rule which is enforced in order to maintain the country's position. As regards this country, the panic argument and the invasion argument fall together. There never was a time when apparently, we were more free from attack, and I when our diplomatic intercourse was carried on in a more conciliatory spirit than in 1876. The honor and dignity of the country are not consulted by maintaining unnecessary armaments ia time of peace. By so doing we are acting in violation of the teaching of political economy, and we are infiictiog upon our population the evils of war in time of peace. An army expenditure of £15,000,000 is an insurance premium out ot all proportion to the risk we are running. We are asked to spend a million more than last year, and £2,400,000 more than four years ago, and that at a time when the state of trade makes it absolutely necessary that we should economise.