A. It was made one of the Articles of the Bill of Rights that the keeping of a Standing Army in time of peace without the consent of the Legislature was against Law.

Before the passing of this Bill the guards of Charles II. were declared anti-constitutional, and the army of James II. was one of the causes of his being dethroned.

Q. How does the Legislature give its consent to the existence of a Standing Army?

A. An Act of Parliament is passed annually, authorizing the maintenance of such a number of Regular Forces as are deemed necessary for the service of the State: at the end of every year these forces would be at once disbanded if this Act were not passed.

"This instrument of defence," says De Lolme, "being capable of being applied to the most dangerous purposes, has been joined to the State by only a slender thread, the knot of which may be slipped on the first appearance of danger."

Q. What are the Articles of War?

A. Certain rules and regulations relating to the Government of the Army, which must be taken notice of whenever a soldier is tried.

Q. In what Courts are soldiers generally tried ?

A. In special courts called Courts Martial, which are held before officers selected from the regiment or the garrison in which the prisoner serves.

Q. Who has the control of these tribunals?

A. The Judge-Advocate-General, who is a civilian, and usually a lawyer; and a Deputy-Judge-Advocate, who is generally an officer, attends at every trial and sees that it is conducted according to law.

"The proceedings in Courts Martial," says the Duke of Wellington," are founded on, in a great measure, and analogous to the proceedings in the Courts of Law."

Q. What is the jurisdiction of these Courts Martial? A. Their jurisdiction is limited to the trial of soldiers for military offences, and the extent of their powers is pointed out and limited by law.

Q. If a soldier is guilty of mutiny, desertion, or shameful negligence in the performance of his duty, how is he punished?

A. In many cases he will be punished with death; as the discipline of the Army is very strict.

Q. Have any humane provisions been made for the soldiers of the realm ?

A. Yes; pensions are usually allowed to those who are sick, hurt, or maimed, and a Royal Hospital at Chelsea is open to all those who are worn out in their duty. Moreover Peerages and Baronetcies are sometimes bestowed upon the heroes of military achievements, and promotions to higher rank are also given to the worthy. Q. Is the Navy or Sea Force looked upon with more favour than the Army?

A. Yes; for no danger to liberty can be apprehended from the Navy; and since it has been England's greatest glory and defence it has been assiduously cultivated even from the earliest ages.

"Therefore we do in the most earnest manner beseech your Majesty that the Sea affairs may always have your first and most peculiar care."-Address by House of Lords to Queen Anne, 1707.

Q. Can persons be compelled to serve as seamen ?
A. They can in cases of extreme necessity, when the

public good renders compulsion indispensable. Voluntary seamen are, however, well paid, and a person engaged on board a merchant vessel may leave it without punishment in order to engage in the Royal Navy. Q. How is the Navy regulated?

A. It is commonly divided into three Squadrons, called Red, White, and Blue, from the colour of their respective flags: each of these Squadrons has its Admiral, Vice-Admiral, and Rear-Admiral, but the Admiral of the Red Squadron is the chief in command.

Q. Is the Navy in other respects regulated in a similar mode to the Army?

A. To a great extent.

Q. What is the Court of Admiralty?

;

A. The tribunal where maritime trials are conducted; it is mostly regulated according to the Civil and Canon Laws, and the Judge is generally a Doctor of Civil Law. Q. Are piracies and other crimes committed on the high seas tried in this tribunal?

A. No, it is not a Criminal Court, and therefore these offences must be dealt with in another tribunal, where the English Criminal Law is administered.

Q. Do seamen enjoy the same rewards as soldiers?

A. Yes, the same honours and chances of promotion are open to them; pensions are also bestowed upon the wounded, and the Royal Hospital at Greenwich receives disabled veterans.

Q. What are the Coast Guard ?

A. Certain seamen forming part of the Royal Navy, whose duty it is to capture smugglers and to prevent the landing of contraband goods.

Q. Who are the Marines?

A. A Military force usually employed on board ship to assist the seamen in case of battle.

Q. How are they regulated?

A. When employed in the Royal Navy they are subject to the laws respecting it, but when quartered on shore, or sent to do duty on board of transport or merchant ships, so as not to come within the naval laws, they are regulated by an annual Act of Parliament, as is the case with the Army.

Q. Who are the Militia?

A. A certain number of the male inhabitants of every county, who are drilled and disciplined at stated intervals for the internal defence of the country while the Regular Army is engaged in foreign parts.

Q. How are they enlisted and officered?

A. They are enlisted for five years, and officered by the Lord Lieutenant of the county, or the DeputyLieutenants, or some other persons appointed by the Crown.

The Lord Lieutenant and the High Sheriff are the two leading authorities in every county; the Lord Lieutenant conducting the military transactions, and the High Sheriff conducting the ministerial and judicial business.

Q. Can persons be compelled to serve in the Militia ? Yes, they can be compelled to serve by ballot, but it seldom necessary to have recourse to compulsion. Q. Are the Militia paid for their services?

A. Yes, they receive pay while on service, and during the time of training.

Q. Have the Militia been ever sent away from home?

A. Yes; during the Russian war many of the garrisons in the Mediterranean were manned by the Militia, in order that the Regular Troops who occupied them might be sent to reinforce the hard-worked regiments besieging Sebastopol.

Q. Who are the Volunteers ?

A. A force composed of men who voluntarily offer their services for the internal defence of the realm.

"His Majesty perceives with heartfelt satisfaction that the spirit of loyalty and patriotism on which the system of the armed volunteers throughont the kingdom was originally founded, at this moment forms such a bulwark to the Constitution and liberties of the country as will enable us under the protection of Providence to bid defiance to the unprovoked malice of our enemies."-General orders issued by the Duke of York, October 12th, 1763.

Q. What regiments compose the Volunteer Corps?

A. The Yeomanry Cavalry, a description of force which originated in the menace of the French invasion in the reign of King George III., and which still exists: the Volunteer Rifle Corps, and the Volunteer Artillery Corps.

Q. What gave rise to the two latter Corps?

A. The large and constant additions made on the other side of the Channel to the French armaments.

Military, soldiery; body of disciplined troops (Lat., miles, militis, a soldier).

Maritime, belonging to the sea (Lat., mare, the sea).

Army, a large number of armed men; a vast number (Fr., armée; Lat., arma, arms).

Navy, a fleet of armed ships (Lat., navis, a ship).