The Evening Star. MONDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1871.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2691, 2 October 1871, Page 2

The Evening Star. MONDAY, OCTO BER 2, 1871.

On no .subject ought there, in tlie.se days, to bo plainer speaking than on that of national defence. As colonics, w« have received warnings enough from the Imperial Government to lead us to place ourselves in a state of elliciency. We are informed that a naval force will be at hand to ward danger off our shores, should Great ibituiu

engage in wav with other countries ; hut we cannot, in fact,we ought not to imagine—however valuable such a safeguard may be—that it secures us against danger of attack by an enemy. Whatever vigilance may be exercised by the commander of a cruiser or fleet, ships are not übiquitous, and since other ports need protection as well as Dunedin, while oft' Wellington or even Lyttelton, Dunedin might be sacked i and burnt. Not being able to deal with the matter of defence technically, we, like our fellow-citizens are obliged to estimate our means on general principles. We are not inclined to accept

the opinion of Colonel Duett without considerable qualifications ; but at the same time it will not do to turn a deaf car to the opinions he has expressed in Parliament. The reply of the Hon. Mr Holmes, who bravely stood up for the efficiency of our volunteers, proves how necessary it is that the subject should be searchingly investigated. It was amusing on account of its absurdity. Colonel Duett and he well represent the few who do know what they are talking about and the many who do not; and as there are more of the latter than the former, the difficulty of dealing with the matter is increased. Colo-

nel Duett finds fault with our Volunteer system, which he pronounces worse than useless. He affirms that two thousand well-disciplined troops would march through the length of the Colony, even if opposed to our seven or eight thousand volunteers. Even this may be granted without ■coming to tlft conclusion that he does, that a volunteer system is useless. Much allowance must be made for the prejudices of old military officers against citizens and citizen sol liers.

They are accustomed to look upon men i as so many machines to be marched right or left, in column, or in lino, just as an engineer would “ stop” or “ ease” O 1 1 a steamer, a stroke forward or a stroke backward, according to the exigency of the case. He forgets that added to the drill of a volunteer he brings intelligence and education, and that those have always been found to give efficiency to training and steadiness and calm courage in action. If, then, our system is faulty, the fault lies in making bad use of good materials. This is notorious enough. We have had enough told us of the Prussian system

to make it plain that our two great faults are inefficient arms and incompetent officers. With regard to the first, the more plainly we speak the better. It is a disgrace to ns as a coin inanity that our volunteers are armed with weapons that no courage nor discipline could render effective when opposed by trained men using the improved breech-loaders of the present day. This unwise niggardliness, for we will not dignify it with the term economy, has cost the Colony many valuable lives and vast sums of money. A few thousands spent years ago in obtaining a supply of the most improved weapons would have secured victories over the Maoris' where repulse was met with, and placed many in positions of safety who were needlessly brought within range of the fire of the inferior weapons of the Maoris. If modern improvements in crease the destruction of equally armed combatants, they give increased advantage to civilised as compared with savage troops; they multiply the effective power of a small army, and place the men in comparative safety —to our minds no small advantage —for however courageous a man may be, he is far more use in battle alive than dead. One great need is then to provide our Volunteers with the best weapons. The next great want is good officers, and herein is our system mainly defective. We do not doubt the courage of the officers any more than that of the men : but we are quite of Colonel Duett's opinion that numbers are placed in command who are utterly unfit for their positions. This is the great drawback to the system. The consequence of want of training was scon in the United States at Bull’s Bum When the qualifications of the Prussian officers arc compared with ours, there cannot bo any doubt that there is groat reason for Colonel Duett's condemnation of them. It is notorious that in Otago are to bo found commanders who cannot put their troops through their evolutions while men apt to command arc overlooked and kept in subordinate positions. Our system has hitherto been to shew too much sympathy for rank and too little for active intelligence, just as we have had justices of the peace multiplied, and the rank confened upon men who have no idea of what law or justice is. If our volunteer system is to bo made effective, there must be an efficient examination of the qualifications of officers, for without them the best troops would stand before an enemy only to be shot down. Volunteers (an not, wffh due regard to discipline, call attention to these two necessities to their efficiency. It is therefore for the Press to speak, and until the utmost that can be done is done, wo shall not cease from time to time to open up the quo.foil.

Supreme Court.—The trial of the case of Wilson v. Cilmour and another (part heard) will be continued to-morrow. The Moteuka.—The cost of prosecuting bis c'ahn to a scat in the House of Representative will c->st Mr Parker, the sitting member, over L2OO. Posta.oe Stamps. —We think it of importance that attention should be d:rcciod to die new postage stamps now on sale at the Pod Ofii c:—The penny stamp is now of a light ’crown color, same as the former sixpenny slump ; the twopenny is rod, and the sixpenny is blue. The Timap.u Hah,way.—Wo hear that Messrs Allen and Stumbles, of Port Chalmers, arc the ; uccss-ful tenderers for the No. 1 contract of the Timmm and Temuka Railway, 'the local paper publishes a rather absurd rumor that it is the intention of the contractors to employ 200 Chinese on the work.

Accident. —A seaman, named William McDonald, who had recently joined the barque Midas, unfortunately fell down that vessel’s hold on Saturday last, Dr Urquhart who attended was of; opinion that injury of of the spine had been sustained. The injured manwas yesterday conveyed by steamer to Dunedin to be place I in the hospital for medical treatment. A Good Suggestion. Farmers both in Otago and Canterbury are not sufficiently impressed with the necessity of growing only the .very best kinds of barley, and in so harvesting this kind of grain as to make it suitable for malting purposes. We observe that prizes arc offered by the brewers and maltsters of Canterbury for the best malting barley. The first prize is L3O, for the best 300 bushels, and the second Llo for 200 bushels. Will our Otago brewers and maltsters do likewise? We believe that if oar millers and oatmeal and pearl barley manufacturers wore to unite in offering good prizes fur wheat, oats, and barley, much good would be done.

Walking on a Tel eg hark Wire.— A fortnight ago Mr Jas. Braham, the young American, performed his feet of walking cm a telegraph wire stretched acro-'s from the Albion Hotel to the Government wharf, at the Port of Nelson. The height ot the wire was promised to bo 50ft., but iu reality it stood only about loft from the ground, and it was fortunate for Braham that such was the case, lor although he succeeded admirably in his trip, yet, on attempting to return, he had scarce]}' taken half a dozen paces when the wire broke and abruptly abandoned its occupant to trrmjirind. Not having very far to fall, he contrived to land fair upon his feet, and so escaped without any injury beyond a little shaking and bespattering with mud. The Volunteers. —The fourth competition for No. 1 Company’s challenge belt took p’ace at the Anderson’s Bay Mange on Saturday. The shoot’ng was on the whole g>od. Ensign Douglas and Volunteer M. G. Crcngh were the highest scorers, with 51) points each ; and as they tied also at the lowest range, they have yet to decide which is to take prize, by firing three shots each at 600 yards. Should Volunteer Creagh bo sue cessful, he will take the cup, having already won it twice in succession. The fourth competition on Saturday for the Anderson's Bay Nava! Company’s challenge medal, r suited in a tie between P. 0. Brown and Gunner Cntten, each scoring 59 points. On shooting off, the latter was declared the winner. This is the second time that Volunteer Cutten has won the medal.

A Vagrant Miser. -The Wellington Imlpponh-nt of the Bth instant says “ An old woman named Mary Maloney was taken into custody on Saturday as a vagrant who had been imposing on the charitably disposed by pretensions of poverty, whereas she had in Inr possession at the time of her arrest a considerable sum of money and a quantity of provisions io supply her dMly wants for some time Her sto-y was that she had come from Napier, and was going to Dunedin, but lacked funds to convey her to her friends. The police had reason, from information which they sought and received, to suspect her story, and she was arrested and searched, when she was found to have concealed about her dross, in Id!) notes, Id notes, gold, and small silver, a sum amountin;' to upwards of 1.54. In her lodgings there wa-' also found a collection of clothing and provisions. The Arson Case. Tho second trial of F. W. Reichelt for arson, after six days investigation, terminated in the acquits,! of tho accused. Mr Barton, true to his promise, not to call witnesses for the defence, thus taking away from counsel for the; prosecution “ the last word,” did not do so, and commenced to address the Jury for the defence at a little after :j p.m. on Saturday, lie spoke for nearly four hours, his observations taking the form of a continuous attack ou the police. He frequently alluded to the valuable assistance which he had received from Mr Stout, the junior counsel for tho accused, and expressed his intention of concluding his speech without any attempt at making a peroration. Notwithstanding Ids promise, he made one of the most fiery peroral inis overheard in any court of justice. “ If any man .among you jurors,” sdd he, “for t!ie purpose of propping up those insurance comp nics in order to enable them hereafter to avoid their just liability, sticks out against the rest, as we are taught to believe that there is a warm place in which the wicked are tormented, may ho bo well grilled and hotted in it.” His Honor commenced to sum up at a quarter to six o’clock, stating that as counsel had so minutely and carefully dealt with every point for and against the accused, he should not require to detain the jury so long as otherwise he might have done. The summing up lasted a little mom- than two hours. Before the jury retired to consider their verdict, the foreman (Mr M'Dermid) enquired whether if the jury failed to agree before midnight, a verdict would he taken on .Sunday, and received a reply in the negative. Subsequently one of the jurors asked what course was to he pursued if they found that the fire was the result of an accident, and were directed jihat if they fouiyl that the premises had boon wilfully fired, a verdict of “guilty” must bo returned ; if the fire resulted from any other cause, the verdict must be “not guilty.” His Honor'having intimated that he would return at half-past ten o’clock, the Court was cleared. The interest which ha 1 been manifested fri the proceedings throughout the day appeared to have increased as the trjal wore on- to ita, conclusion, and long before'the Court doors were reopened a large crowd had assembled in front of them. His Hoiw did not resume ins scat

on the bench till about twenty-five minutes before midnight, by which time not only’was the body of the Court well filled,, but a large <rowd had assembled outside. The., jury were brought in, and in answer to the usual question by the Associate, the foreman stated that they found the accused “not guilty.” No sooner was the announcement made than rm attempt was made in the Court, and also by those outside. to raise applause; but it was instantaneously checked by the police. Mr Barton reminded his Honor tlmt another indictment, charging the prisoner with firing his premises with intent to defraud the Victoria and other insurance companies, had preferred, and the prisoner having been arraigned on it, M r Smith intimated that a notif prowini would V o entered, and a verdict o: acquittal was accordiug’y returned. Rumor lias it that the jury were desirous of making some practic'd experiments with lucinc during their deliberations ; but as the authorities " feared their number might thereby bo diminished in the event of an acci lent occurring, and consequently refused to vender assistance, they were compelled to abandon the idea. It has been further stated when the jury retired to consider their verdict, three of the number favored a verdict of guilty, and nine one of acquittal. Miss Wilson announces that the last quarter for this session of the High street ladies' school commences to-day. A melting of the Standard Property Investment Society for the purpose of receiving subscriptions, will be held at the offices i.f the society on Wednesday evening, Octob ;r 4, between the hours of 6 and S. A dramatic entertainment by juvenile amateurs is announced for this evening. It will take place at the Masonic Hall, and will bo under the. patronage of his Worship the Mayor, The nineteenth monthly meeting of the Third New Zealand Building and Mutual Investment Society, for the receipt of snl - seviptions, will be held at the office, Exchange Chambers, to-morrow (Tuesday) evening, at seven o’clock. Sale of money at ei'.'.ht o’clock.