Our Will and Pleasure is that you, Edward George Fitzalan Howard, (commonly called Lord Edward George Fitzalan Howard) Deputy to our said Earl Marshal, to whom the cognizance of matters of this nature doth properly belong, do require and command that this Our Concession and Declaration be recorded in our college of arms, in order that Our Officers of Arms and all other Public Functionaries whom it may concern may take full notice and knowledge thereof in their several and respective departments. And for so doing this shall be your Warrant, given at our Court at St James, this twenty-sixth day of May, in the thirty-first year of Our Reign
By Her Majesty's command,
(Signed) BUCKINGHAM AND CHANDOS
"SEAL OF THE DOMINION OF CANADA—Messrs J. G. and A. B. Wyon have now on view, at 287 Regent Street, impressions from the seals of the four provinces of Canada and the Great Seal of the Dominion, just completed, with the gold medal that has been struck in commemoration of the union of the provinces. They are all designed and executed in a very high style of art. Of the seals, that for the Dominion is, of coarse, the largest. It represents the Queen seated under a Gothic canopy and holding the ball and sceptre, while the wings of the canopy contain the shields of the Provinces—two on either side—hanging on the stem of an oak. These Gothic canopies occupy nearly the whole of the middle space of the seal, the ground between them and the border is covered with a rich diaper, and a shield bearing the Royal Arms of England fills the space beneath the centre canopy. The border of the seal bears the inscription, "Victoria, Dei Gratia, Britanniae Regina, F. D. In Canada Sigillum." This work would add to the reputation of any other seal engraver, though it can hardly do so to that of the Messrs Wyon, whose productions have long enjoyed a high and deserved celebrity. The seal is well filled, as it should be in a Gothic design, but it is not crowded, the ornaments are all very pure in style, and the whole is in the most perfect keeping. The execution is not less remarkable, the relief is extremely high in parts (although it does not at first appear to be so, owing to the breadth of the composition), but, in spite of this difficulty, the truth, sharpness, and finish of every part have been preserved as well as they could possibly be on a medal, or even on a coin. The smaller seals for the provinces are engraved on one general design. The crown surmounts a central shield bearing the Royal Arms, below which is a smaller shield bearing the arms of the particular province—New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec, or Nova Scotia. The Royal motto on a flowing ribbon fills up the space at the sides; a border adapted to the outline of the design runs outside this, and touches the circular border of the seal containing the legend. These seals are no less remarkable for carefulness of execution than the one to which we have referred. The medal which has been struck to commemorate the confederation of the provinces is in solid gold, and is so large and massive that its value in metal alone is £50. On the obverse there is a head of the Queen, for which Her Majesty recently gave Mr. Wyon sittings; the reverse bears an allegorical design—Britannia seated and holding the scroll of confederation, with figures representing the four provinces grouped around her. Ontario holds the sheaf and sickle; Quebec, the paddle; Nova Scotia, the mining spade; and New Brunswick the forest axe. Britannia carries her trident and the lion crouches by her side. The following inscription runs round a raised border: "Juventas et Patrius Vigor Canada Instaurata 1867." The relief on this side is extremely bold, and the composition, modelling and finish are such as to leave little to be desired. The treatment of the head on the obverse is broad and simple; the hair is hidden by a sort of hood of flowing drapery confined by a plain coronet, and the surface is but little broken anywhere. The ornaments are massive rather than rich; there is a plain pendant in the ear, and a miniature of the Prince Consort is attached to a necklace of very chaste design."—Morning Chronicle, Quebec.
[See page 148.]
MILITIA UNIFORMS.
Canadian militiamen will be interested in the following letter which appeared in the Toronto Globe.
SIR,—I observe in your "Notes from the Capital" a paragraph to the effect that Major-General Luard has taken exception to the gold lace worn by certain arms of the active militia. I am aware that this point has been raised before, and perhaps it is not a very material issue; but there is a feature—an historical one—in connection with the subject that deserves attention, and I remember when the militia was more active than now, in the face of danger to the peace of the country, this historical point was brought into prominence. I simply suggest that a certain warrant signed by the King after the war of 1812 be unearthed. I believe it lies somewhere in the militia archives, having been transferred from the Public Record Office. According to an old officer, now dead, who was familiar with it, this warrant authorises the Canadian militia—a royal force, by the way— to wear the same uniform as His Majesty's "Royal Regiments." Hence it is that the characteristic features of the royal livery has been assumed by the artillery and the other arms of the service. My informant, who had served in 1812, also stated that it was owing to an accident that silver was assumed in 1862, the contractor in London, who supplied, in great haste, uniforms for the militia at the time of the Trent affair, assuming that "militia" uniforms must be after the style of the English force, which bears silver ornaments. The Canadian militia is, of course, on a different footing, and takes precedence after the regular army. I think, therefore, that for the sake of history and the prominent position of the Canadian militia in a warlike sense, and in view of services rendered, such as no other militia in the British service ever rendered, this point is worthy of revival and investigation. Apart from this there is the fact that a change of dress is a source of expense and embarrassment to officers. I have served in various corps for seventeen years, and I know. L. A. M. L.
[See page 24.]