THE DEFENCE MINISTER ON OUR VOLUNTEERS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3689, 11 May 1883, Page 3

THE DEFENCE MINISTER ON OUR VOLUNTEERS.

Wellington, This day. At the annual presentation last night o;

prizes won by members of the Wclhugtoa. Rifle Association the Hon. Mr Bryco presided as Defence Minister. The presentations were made by Miss Pearce. At the conclusion of the presentation, Mr Bryce, alluded to the value of volunteers in cases of emergency. During his recent stay in the North he had occasion to put some of the volunteers to a test. A band of fanatics on the frontier of the Waikato were coming down and threatening the settlements, i:nd it became necessary to take precautions. After rousing up the telegraph officer he managed to communicate with the officer in command of the local eavahy. Tho men belonging to the corps wc'C .scattered over a clistilct"extending over fifty miles, yet he received a reply that they would all be re.idy in six hours, and when that time had passed they were ready to a man. That was a degree of promptnes which reflected the greatest credit upon the officer and the troop which he commanded. The men were ordered to parade at 10 o'clock, and by a quarter to 10 they were all there. A failure on their part would have meant embarrassment to the Government, aud nothing shoifc of serious calamity to the colony, for the enemy would have'carried off many Europeans as prisoners. It was exclusively through the volunteers that it was averted. On the same occasion he called on Major Hamlin, who commanded a cavalry corps scattered over a district of 40 miles nc.ir Auckland, and asked lii-n what time he would have his men ready ? Major Ham i: u replied that they would be all ready in five hours, and he (Mr Biyce) believed that when that tiiie had passed away every man was on the railway line ready to proceed to the Waikab. That showed what valuable services the volunteers co.ild render to the colony.