Royal Scots of Canada Highlanders - Electric Scotland

,-//; ROYAL SCOTS OF CANADA 6i
These guards were taken in rotation by the various city
corps and it was fifteen days before they were dispensed
with.
As the dreaded date approached many citizens sent
their families out of the city, and some of the banks and
business houses along the route of the procession nailed
up and barricaded the doors and windows of
of business.
their places
The whole militia force of the city was called out by
a magisterial requisition served vipon Lieut. -Colonel
Fletcher, D.A.G., and A. and B. Batteries R.C.A., from
Kingston and Quebec, respectively were ordered to Montreal,
the mounted divisions being armed as lancers. By
a sub.sequent requisition, a force from the Frontier corps
was called for, and the nth Argenteuil Rangers, 50th
Huntingdon Borderers, 51st Hemmingford Rangers, 53rd
Sherbrooke Battalion, 54th Richmond Battalion, and 100
of the 64th Voltigeurs of Beauharnois were ordered to
Montreal, and arrived on the nth of July. The High
School Cadets furnished a guard for their own armory
on Dorchester street. The battalions ordered turned out
in full strength, making a total force of about 3,000 men.
The requisitions were dated .Tulv 5th and 6th. I/ieut.-
General Sir Selby Smvthe, at the time coinmanding the
Canadian Militia, came to Montreal, and assumed personal
command of the force. Several more or less serious
aiirays took place before and after the 12th, but
none on the dreaded day. Early on the morning of the
Twelfth, the outside corps were moved to commanding
I'ositions down town, along the route of the projected
procession, the Montreal brigade being drawn up in reserve
on Dominion Square, where it remained under
arms all day. The procession did not take place, the
leaders of the Orangemen, being arrested by the municipal
authorities, charged with inciting to a breach of the
peace, as they were leaving their hall. Towards evening
their followers quietly dispersed. The Montreal force
was relieved from duty on the night of the 12th, and the
outside corps were sent to their headquarters on the
13th.
The General Officer Commanding published in General
Orders of July 19th his thanks to the officers and men
of the force on duty in Montreal on this occasion, and in
hi.s annual report for the year he wrote:— "I invite attention
to lyieut.-Colonel Fletcher's report of Military District
No. 5 stating the prompt and effectual support to
the civil power aflordcd by the militia during the past
year, which speaks highly for the force, whenever or
wherever it may be called upon to act. This report is
in itself a plain answer to an ungenerous expression uttered
by some one in a iMiblic address this year, to this
effect, as published in the press:~"\Vhat has the government
got now? A lorce on l)a])er whicli has cost a
great deal of money and is doing us no good. An unjust
charge which needs no coniiiu iit ."
The Or;mgi- cxi ilement, as this unpleasant era of
fanaticism is somewhat incorrectly called, had reached
its height, and gradually and steadily died away. Montreal
OrangeiTien now parade the streets in full regalia
with bauds ])laving, and flags flying, and they excite no
hostile demonstrations and no more attention than any
ordinary benevolent society. There is in fact, no mixed
commimity anywhere in the world that gets on better
and more pleasantly than the people of Montreal. Roman
Catholics and I'rotestants dwell side by side and
mingle together socially, coinmercially and politically,
without assimilating, but with all due respect to one another's
beliefs, and with a full concession of each other's
rights. The days of bitter sectarianism appear to have
disappeared again from Montreal, it is to be hoped for
ever, and it looks as though the city had quite regained
1st
LT.-COLONEL H. L. ROUTH
Commanding Officer 1st Battalion Royal Light Infantry
the honorable reputation for liberality, that it held for
many years.
The 5th Royal Fusileers participated in the grand
military review on the Queen's Birthday, May 24th, 1878,
on Fletcher's Field. The Governor Genoral, Lord Dufferin,
was present, and the division on parade included
the following units:—Montreal Troop of Cavalry, Captain
Tees ; B. Battery, R.C.A., Captain Montizambert,;
Montreal Field Battery, Lieut.-Colonel A. A. Stevenson;
Ottawa Field Battery, Capt.John Stewart;
Montreal Garrison Artillery, Lieut.-Colonel Fraser;
"Montreal Engineers (two companie.s), Lieut.-Colonel
Kennedy; the Governor-General Foot Guards, Ottawa,
I,ieut. -Colonel Ross; ist I'rince of Wales Rifles, Lieut.-
Colonel Frank Bond; 2nd Queen's Own Rifles, Lieut. -Col.
W. D. Otter; 3rd Victoria Rifles, Lieut.-CoL Handyside;