Population of the Province of New-Brunswick,

in the year 1824.

Counties.Parishes.Whites.People of Colour.Total
in
each
Parish.
Males.Females.Males.Females.
Above
16		Under
16		Above
16		Under
16		Above
16		Under
16		Above
16		Under
16
YorkFredericton526352470392292134251849
Saint Mary25924221622378116972
Douglas365340289306191815151367
Kingsclear22617319015515282223832
Queensbury205172149153106615716
Prince William1591421171163323545
Northampton182130133123............568
Woodstock26718118617921......816
Wakefield21727626721811......1010
Kent6455964575972.........2297
Saint JohnCity of St. John23711731236116329472139888488
Portland,
1st district		62839244734011311813
Portland,
2d district		386242228207424043421230
Lancaster2161501571513831282793
Saint Martin1541471331481.........583
KingsKingston50338638236575431655
Sussex4874604144331112791833
Hampton46238537531447571559
Norton1521151001095489502
Westfield1821811521787742713
Springfield2412122102349783924
Greenwich1841851781851218744
QueensGagetown18012414013375910606
Waterborough4866434034441107192023
Wickham3062972362592......11100
Hampstead1931881641655641723
Brunswick50643639............189
Brunswick District
Butternut Ridge		24291928............100
CharlotteSt. Andrews6534645745321281372263
St. Stephen51839339735831...31673
St. David278233230264............1005
St. George,
1st district		2451731661591...1...745
St. George,
2d district		19117466170............701
St. Patrick217203164178............762
St. James121116109107............453
Pennfield223120931202.........558
Campo Bello16712312395...1......509
Grand Manan157170138132...1......598
West Isles...........................
SunburyMaugerville152112115924333484
Sheffield2271391871565957735
Burton43229832226946431338
Lincoln2001671421581...2...670
WestmorlandDorchester7067486116728.........2737
Sackville44446439541567471744
Westmorland215208192229213119883
Hillsborough281291226344...5...31152
Monckton85948279......2...342
Botsford200216162195.........1774
Salisbury171170147177.........1666
Hopewell292256225232............1005
NorthumberlandNewcastle641326377313............1657
Chatham4512963193821...211452
Ludlow,
1st district		407191147173............918
Ludlow,
2d district		286382937............390
Northesk,
1st district		92110711996............1243
Northesk,
2d district		47604152............200
Alnwick,
1st district		93544454............245
Alnwick,
2d district		1378372801.........373
Carleton757429376402.........11965
Beresford32729422522863121086
Glenelg3231741751631.........836
Saumarez,
1st district		2992092012342211949
Saumarez,
2d district		524446408450............1828
Wellington420393335406......1...1555
Nelson5741852011663...211132

NUMBER OF INHABITANTS IN THE DIFFERENT COUNTIES.

County of York 10,972
County of Saint John 12,907
County of Kings 7,930
County of Queens 4,741
County of Charlotte 9,267
County of Sunbury 3,227
County of Westmorland 9,303
County of Northumberland 15,829
Total in the Province 74,176

The enrolled Militia amount to about twelve thousand. They are divided into twenty-three battalions; the battalions are composed of six, eight, or more companies, according to local circumstances. The companies consist of one captain, two subalterns, three sergeants, and sixty rank and file, except flank companies, which are allowed four sergeants. Where districts are in remote situations, and not sufficiently populous to form two companies, but exceed the number of sixty effective men, eighty are allowed to be enrolled in one company. They assemble by companies two days in a year for drill; and by battalions or divisions for muster and inspection, once or oftener, if the Commander-in-Chief thinks it necessary. An Inspecting Field Officer is appointed to inspect the battalions at their general muster. He visits the different corps successively, and reports to the Commander-in-Chief. He is paid a certain sum per annum, which is granted yearly by the Legislature. The Militia Law is continually undergoing alterations, and has not yet attained to that perfection, that such an important branch of our provincial constitution requires. The last year two Inspecting Officers were appointed to inspect the two great divisions of the Province.

There are abundant materials to form a good effective Militia in this Province. The youth are in general docile and orderly, and have a great aptitude to attain the requisite discipline; there are also a number of disbanded soldiers and other persons acquainted with discipline, scattered through the country; so that there are few districts, but where there are persons qualified to act as drills. The want of arms is indeed a great check to the military spirit, as nothing is more taking to boys when first put to drill, than to have arms; and although many requisites of discipline, such as marching, wheeling, &c. can be acquired full as well without them; yet nothing makes a young lad so alert as to have a musket put into his hands.

To get persons to excel in any thing, it is requisite first of all if possible to create an attachment and liking to it; and to get the youth fully engaged in acquiring martial discipline, it is a primary object to make it pleasing to them. If therefore the different corps were at their musters to be supplied with arms and a few rounds of cartridges, and taught to skirmish, it would act as the greatest stimulous to the youth, and would soon make an alteration for the better at the trainings; by making them a recreation and time of amusement: while it would make the Militia familiar with the use of arms—which is at present altogether lost sight of.

The writer is well aware that many arms formerly issued to the Militia have been destroyed, and that this might again happen; but surely some method might be adopted to prevent such abuses, and still to furnish the different corps with arms while at drill, by forming depots for lodging the arms, and appropriating some of the fines to keep them in order. In scattered districts, one, two or more companies arms might be kept together; and in towns Arsenals might be erected where two or three thousand stand might be deposited. Such buildings would not only be highly useful, but ornamental to the different places: and as there are but few serviceable arms in the Province at present, some steps should be taken to procure a sufficient number, and not to let the country remain in its present naked condition. It certainly appears like an anomaly in our preparations for defence, to expend time and money in improving our Militia, and not provide the means of arming and making them efficient if they should be wanted. If (as the preamble to the Militia Law states) "a well regulated Militia is essential to the security of this Province," it is equally necessary that the Province should possess the means of arming that Militia. If arms could not be procured from the Crown, it would be advisable to appropriate a part of the Provincial revenue for the purchase of a sufficient number to supply the Militia in case of emergency; which could be either sold to the Militiamen, or placed in the Arsenals, and issued occasionally to the different corps as the Government should think proper.

Should the Province ever be invaded, its defence will not wholly consist in defending fortified posts or in engagements with large bodies in open field, but by taking advantage of the natural fastnesses of the country, such as woods, deep hollows, hills, rivers, brooks, &c. with which the Province abounds.