BILLETING is a mode of provisioning and lodging soldiers when not in camp or barrack. It is one of the many vexed questions connected with the organization and administration of the British army. When in camp or barrack, the soldier is supplied avith hot food daily by the commissariat officers; or rather, with undressed food. and the means for cookintr it. But mien it is necessary to keep soldiers for one or more days a town unprovided with barracks, a difficulty occurs which has never yet been prop erly surmounted; a burden is sure to rest on some one who is unwilling to bear it. In the early times of our history, monarchs were often wont to quarter their troops on the monasteries. In later times, the soldiers often compelled the inhabitants of towns to receive and support them: and the authorities were either linable or to prevent this. The mutiny act, passed for the first time in 1089, put a stop to this pernicious practiee, by declaring That no housekeepers should be compelled to necommo date soldiers except on some recognized and fairly administered system. The chief civil magistrate of a town, on requisition from the military authorities, quartered the soldiers on the inhabitants as fairly as he could. This continued in England until 1145, when all kinds of persons were exempted from this burden except certain traders; and the new system has been maintained with minor alterations ever since. The alteration was not made in Scotland until 1857.
At present, the persons liable to have soldiers billeted on them, are the keepers of public-houses, hotels, inns, ale-houses, beer-shops, wine-shops, spirit-vaults, livery-stables, and such like licensed houses. There are certain exceptional cases provided for; and in and near London there are special regulations concerning the 13. of the guards; but the general rule is as here stated. The persons liable are bound to accommodate soldiers, tinder a system that may be described in a few words. When troops are on the march from one barrack or station to another, and cannot cover the distance in one day's rail way or foot traveling; or when they are to remain for a few days in a town unprovided with barrack accommodation, or where the barracks are already occupied—the command ing officer sends previously to the chief civil magistrate, and demands billets for a certain number of men for a certain time. The magistrate has a list of all the houses subjected
to the B. system, and he quarters the men on those houses as fairly as he can. Rules are laid down to prevent the magistrate from B. too many soldiers on one house: any excess in this way is remediable at the hands of a justice of the peace. The billets are pieces of paper prepared under these rules. On the evening before the arrival of the troops, two or three non-commissioned officers enter the town, and present an order for the delivery of the billets to them, in order that no delay may arise when the main body enter. After the arrival, the soldiers go to the houses on which they are billeted: all those belonging to one company being quartered as near together as may lie, for con venience of muster; and the sick are billeted near head-quarters. The licensed victualer, or other person, is bound to provide each billet-holder with food, drink, bed, and accom modation, either in his own house or somewhere near at hand. A specified sum of 10d. per day is allowed for this; or, under other circumstances, a trifling stun per day is allowed for fire, candles, cooking-utensils. salt, and vinegar. • The sum per day allowed for hay and straw for a horse varies with the price of forage. The officers visit the houses, to see that the amen really have one hot meal per day, instead of taking the value of it in money. The soldier may demand facilities for cleaning his arms and accouter ments. The financial officer of the regiment makes the payments. There are often unpleasant disputes between the innkeeper or others, on the one side; and the officers of the regiment on the other, concerning the occupancy of the "best room," and on minor details. The militia are frequently billeted like the regulars.
There being many untoward circumstances connected with this system, a committee of the house of commons, in 1858, sought how best to remove them. In their report, the committee could not recommend the cessMion of the B. system altogether, but they pow ed out certain possible ameliorations; and since that, by camping out the troops and other means, great efforts have been made to reduce B. to a minimum.