WELLINGTON.

Evening Star, Issue 3593, 28 August 1874, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

[By Electric Telegraph]

(From our own Correspondent.)

August 27. Major Gordon’s report on the Volunteers is most damaging to the movement. He charges some of the Napier and Auckland corps with gross insubordination, and speaks thus of the result of his inspection of the Otago VolunteersOn inspecting the district. I found Volunteer matters so unsatisfactory that I transmitted to the Government an interim report, not however of the corps’ honesty, but of their pretensions to efficiency. The corps ia the best condition was the Bruce Hiflea, and its state was all the more creditable, seeing that it does not avail itself of the services of the Government Inspector The Dunedin City Guards is also in good order, as well as its Cadets. The Dunedin Artillery showed a small attendance, exclusive of a good band; but those present were expert in the use of their guns. But for this fact, its good band, its having assets ef LSOO, and its agreeing to rescind a private rule operating against recruits joining, I would have recommended its discontinuance, and would have been supported in the request by the captain of the company, who complamed bitterly that he was unable to obtaid a large or regular attendance at parade. The greatest number of the corps in Otago scarcely approach mediocrity in knowledge of drill, and it can hardly be expected they should, because companies in the Provinces are located over an area impossible for supervision some being inaccessible I did not visit Queenstown, because of the distance; besides, the corps has not been armed, nor had it ever seen any members of the Government staff. The services of this corps have been accepted and gazetted without the intervention or recommendation of the officer commanding the district, who seemed to lo A upon it as hardly under bis command, for he styled it * The Superintendent a Company’ whatever that may mean. My interim report recommended that the commissions of Majors Bathgate, Jones, and Steward should lapse or be cancelled for their not having fnl idled the commissions. On Major Cargill’s resignation, Major Bathgate assumed the command in Otago, but on my recommendation he was superseded in favor of Mr Atkinson. My interim report says that L satisfied myself by personal inspection and other evidence that the following corps had for a considerable time been allowed to rest in a state of chronic inefficiency from almost total uuacquaintance with simple drill requirements resulting from the commanders’ aud the majority of their members’ absence from instruction drill, and I recommended their disbandment 'The No. 2 c cottish, VVaikari, North Dunedin, Riverton, Dampden Hifles, Dunedin, Norta Dunedin, Port Chalmers, Invercargill, and Otepopo cadets ; also the Orepuki and Queenstown companies’ because they are so remote as not to be instruotable. The Invercargill Highland Company should be discontinued, because of the imposition practised on the Government when petitioning for formation—forty-five persons petitioning and only seventeen enrolling themselves. The following corps, from attenuated strength, should be instructed to amalgamate; Dunedin and p ort Chalmers Naval Brigade as one Brigade, with its head quarters at tho latter place ; East and West Taieri Biflea, with its head-quarters at Mosgiel; Nos. 1 and 2 Clutha, with head-quarters at Balclutha, and if not amalgamated to disband. There are three battalions in Otago, but no batta lions organisation is ever attempted, f J he officer gazetted in command of the first battalion never appeared on parade for three years ; the second battalion never assembled; the third, though irregularly constituted, once attempted to assemble with a strength only" equal to that of an ordinary company. The only purp se served by the construction of these battalions was that three officers were advanced to the rank of major, none of whom complied with the of their commissions. The cause « { the unsatisfactory condition of the force in Otago might be attributed to two reasons : first, the exceptional prosperity preventing attention being given to military duties ; second, tho officer commanding hitherto being unpaid was an irresponsible officer, whose business avocations precluded him from giving the time and attention to his volunteer duties which tho Government had a right to expect and demand, and the volunteers were entitled to. The Otago district was of such magnitude and had hitherto contained so many companies (37), that a staff of twelve drill sergeants could net perform the duties, yet only two were available, who, with the adjutant, were constantly travelling I recoinmend that if a redaction be made, the staff consist of Major Atkinson and three sergeants exclusively for dull” The foliowing are general observations on the force • The future uniforms Major Gordon recommends for volumoer infantry is the rifle green of the Engish Rifle Brigade. He then admits the inefficient conditions for years past, and goes on to say : “I regret to have to record my conscious belief tLat the amount of public money expended in capitation grants is lamentably in excess of the sum which otherwise would represent the efficiency of the force, so that immediate and effectual measures should be had recourse to, to arrest for the future the useless and wanton expenditure so long carried on, and for which the officers commanding districts are primarily responsible.” He then PJ^ ,cce( i 8 to bring grave charges against the officers, and cites innumerable cases of the Government officer recommending the procuring of capitation money for men who never earned certificates as efficients, and who never had such documents. There were cases where certificates had been thrust into the hands of men who thereby attained the capitation grant’ and who admittedly did not profess the knowledge the certificates affirmed they possessed. He then proceeds with a discussion as to the causes of this condition of things, and says they are, firstly, incompe tent commanding officers and unqualified drul-instructors; secondly, he blames captains of companies for arming men without preliminary drill, and placing them in the u lde better-drilled comrade!; ‘birdly, the Frets exercises a most pernicious and detrimental influence on the movement hy sometimes giving tho movements oi. Companies on parade, when no pariffie took place, or by condemning what tukt* place when the attendance k (afge, apd tho movements are creditably executed. The

Pr *®? * Ja » incites insubordination by the publication of statements calculated to bring the force into disgrace, Another cause of the decline in the efficiency was the force receiving an assurance that new . regulations were being prepared, but the anticipated imslow of production. The pmSlv U8 A h ° WeT s “ L A “ * r f tned y for eH this, Major «rT? nendß that •flw the annual throughout s? A-sLnr'sauS arms, so as to complete the neoesear/nnm. ber of parades to ensure the camtatinL money On March 31, 1875. to diab?nd {K entire force, all commissions lapsing on April 1, to allow the force to re -enrol after previously having employed an able commitsion, not compo-ed of officers commandins districts, to visit the various centres of population to obtain opinions from reliable sources on the regulations. The commission to commence operations immediately so as to present before the end of March a .well digested schema before accepting the reenroUmeut. Bach corps to come under an obligation to conform in every way to the new co.le. Te tbejnew corps breech-loaders to be issued when thoroughly acquainted with the firing exercise, by these means only can an efficient and manageable force be obtained. He does not think the existing regulations Zfnt r pr ° ved * *V*»Pting in minor points, they are excellent as far as they go, bun, tor some nnaceonutable reason, they have keen set aside by those whose duty it T he procesa oould aUow men not wishing to re-enrol to earchase their Bnfields at a reduced cos? in order that they may be enabled to retain the knowledge acquired. By such an arrangement companies would not be embarrasied by the occasional presence of men who, although expert shots, were in other respects useless. ouch men should betermed that ÜB r r v r r r r Gordon denied that the Volunteers were mere rifle dubs. and, in conclusion, passed a high tribute to the men m the North for their habitual attendance te drill. w

The prorogation of Parliament place to-morrow or Monday, it rtwiwndn the action of the Council re Works Advances BiU. At the oroniog Si! ting last night a message was received m astrsr Bil l t ° aufchoriw ** advance*! LbO °OO to Otago to assist the construction of ifthnJAilways there. Mr Vogel explain^ if the House next session agreed to the scheme on the Bill for the L6O O«iQ now proposed- it r° u 'f *!«* *■> I A,’ Provincial railways. If not agreed to the money would go as an advance to tho Pro! vince in the same way as to other Provinces. Mr Macandrew thanked the Government** their anxiety to assist Otago, but desired it to be understood it was not the fault of the °f A be legislative Assembly that had placed Otago in the humiliating position of having to ask assistance. ThS BiU then passed through all its stages. ih« OuardiauV att lek on Mr Wales ia considered uncalled-for. The week before B J on vi on M ho or i giQftl ««ol«tion ha intimated to Mr Macandrew he would support the Government. This facts was stalled in the course of Mr Stafford’s speech on Mon-

wi?? e ,«n hj( * be BaUed South a t noon to-day with 180 passengers. Mr Macandrew is a passenger by her. M * *i£jff fcy n iX P eo P le „attend the dinner f f”! 0 Gov emor Fergueaon to-night. Sir J. Fergusson gees Home in November