WHAT THE LORDS THINK OF OUR VOLUNTEERS.

Evening Star, Issue 3596, 1 September 1874, Page 3

WHAT THE LORDS THINK OF OUR VOLUNTEERS.

From our own Correspondent. Wellington, August 28. We should think the Volunteers feel themselves anything but flatten'd by the kind attentions of Captain Fraser and that military fossil—Colonel Brett. No opportunity is lost by these gentlemen of airing their opinions at the expense of the Voluuteers. On August 14, Captain Fraser called for the production of Major Gordon’s report. By way of introduction to the hon. gentleman’s remarks, it may not be out of place to observe that, in a previous debate, the Hon. Mr Patterson had the temerity to chide these “ fire-eating liners,” and in consequence incurred the wrath of the gallant captain, who took this opportunity of putting “a shot in the locker” of his hon. friend. He charged Mr Patterson and those who thought with him on this subject with an overweening conceit of their own superior wisdom end self-importance and went on to say that he would allow none to lecture or dictate to him. Volunteering and our defences are about the only subjects that disturb.the usually calm repose of our Upper Chamber; and I can tell you when they come on the carpet we have some blazing speeches. It is a lucky thing for some hon. gentlemen that the days of duelling areev< r, or, 1 feel convinced, “ explanations ” would have been demanded from some of them long before this. Put to return to Captain Fraasr, who feand Mr Patterson a hard pill to swallow, but got over the operation with • struggle; and this parting salute, “when an hon. gentleman knew nothing about a particular matter (he had already told the non. gentleman he was perfectly igno-ant), and took upon himself to dictate to gentle men who had been in the profession from their boyhood, it was going a little too far.” It only wanted a concluding line, a la the old Colonel in “The Captain’s not A miss,” to have set the hon, gentleman off— Damme, sir, I’ll stand it no longer. The hon. and gallant gentleman had worked himself up into a fine passion ; and, doubt lesss, thinking he was on parade ground, proceeded to rate the Volunteers in sp’endid ■tyle :

With regard to the Volunteers, it had been said that they served their country without recompense. That was a mistake. No hon. gentleman in that House, who was master of the Darwinian theory, could be ignorant of the fact that all male birds delighted to flaunt their brilliant plumage before the eyes of their females. Surely when a Volunteer’ buckled on his sword and helmet, and strutted before his sweetheart er his wife in the full blaze of his uniform, the expressions of admiration of his martial bearing were sufficient recompense for half-an-hour’s drill on a fine moonlight night. He said of the Volunteers, and particularly of the Volunteers of Wellington and the Middle Island, Mat the movement was a contemptible sham! They were of no more use to the country than the toy volunteers in a cltild’s play-box. He had heard that the Inspector’s report was a very just one, but a very damnatory one to the Volunteers. He travelled lately with one of the best Volunteer officers in New Zealand—the oldest m drill and the oldest ad jutant—who told him that the best advice he could give to the Government would be to at once disband the Volunteers, and organise a smaller and more efficient force. L25,G00 a-year was being ■pent on a huge sham. It was natural to expect that Colonel Brett would second with “great pleasure” any motion aimed at the Volunteers, and, as he had intimated that he would “blaze” himself at a later period, the Council was only treated to a mild expression of his sentiments :

**: n ? fc believe there was any subject that deserved more serious consideration at the hands of the Council than the V olunteer movers 4 * « The “ ilitar y element was very strong m the Council. There were gentlemen there wio had fought aad bled for their country, and therefore he hoped the Council would not be dumb on this question, but that hon, members Wouldspeak their mmdsfairly, honestly, andlike men. [A few days later this challenge was taken up to Col. Brett’s great astonishment, and evident pleasure.] He would avail himself of this opportunity of bringing under the notice •f the Council the rexisfenoe in our Volunteer a one of the mmt “"military practices that had ever occurred in the annals of any aatioa possessing a standing army, and which was a violation of the articles of war, subversive of mihtary discipline, and contrary to the usages of the service. He alluded to the practice of sending a junior officer to command a senior officer and inspect his troops. Could hon. members imagine a more outrageous and preposterous proceeding » In every sphere of life there was always a senior, who as such was or should be obeyed implicitly; but Major Gordon went from north to south and from east to west to inspect troops where there were lieutenant-colonels. Ho had no objection to Major Gordon having the command, but let him be made a lieutenantcolonel. It was a violation of an officer’s feelings to have a junior sent to command him. On referring to the militia regulations he found that there was a clause which admitted the practice, but it was a clause of the dark ages; it was a clause which should be expunged at once. He would like to see a junior officer come to command over him when he was on d«ty; he would have him imprisoned in a very short time. That was a spirit which they should try to imbue their Volunteers with, and which existed in the breast of every true military man. He had tried to make these lieut.colonds understand that, and had said to them. “If Maior Gordon comes to command you put him in the guard, and send him off under a file . of men to the Defence Minister, who ought to bo ashamed of himself to outrage the feelings of a hedy of gentlemen who have kindly given Jheirjeervices to the country.” ..

It was now the turn of the Volunteers, and itwill be a consolation to them to know that there are men in the Council who appreciate their efforts in past days, and are not afraid to face the two fire-eaters to whom I have referred. Mr Patterson ventured to suggest that if he did not know the rules of military otique! te he knew what was due to a body of men who had tendered their services to their country and felt himself justified in saying a word jn their defence when he heard them assailed in their absence in what he thought was a very unmilitary fashion. He charged his military friends with having transgressed all propriety and decorum ” in speaking as they did—speeches that had merely afforded mirth and amusement to the Council. The came Mr Bonar, who, if Tam not mistaken, has seen active service in the I'-orth, with praise for the irregulars. “Be felt very strongly—and that was one reason for not saying more than he would—that beW Zealand, and particularly as regarded the IS orth Island, was the very last place in members of the Legislature should say anything reflecting upon the Volunteers. They could not forget that, during the early wars of Taranaki, a body of Volunteers were left by a body of Her Majesty’s troops to fight their owa battles. That was not a credit to the regular forces, but was very creditable to tua Volunteers.” To Dr. Pollen was left the task of answering Colonel Brett, which he did very good hutnoredly. “He agreed with the gallant colonel that the military element of the Council was very strong indeed, and ho thought, that in its most concentrated form it existed under the wai.tcoat of his hon friend.” This rally was heartily enjoyed. And finally came Mr Man tell-the Osborne of our Parliament—expressing a hope that “some future opportunity would be given when the military element might be in a more peaceable state, for those hou. m mbers who, like himself, probably felt intimidated at present, to say a few words in dr fence of the Volunteers. Re would be prepared to do it now—that was if be were allowed a brief interval to recover from the effect upon his nerves ; but he was not in a position to do so after Colonel Brett’s address, and knowing that his hon friend Captain Fraser was about to follow him, and also that probably this was but a rehearsal and that w- rs« wa- to come.” I may observe that Captain Fraser insisted on calling Major Gordon a lieutena t-co)onel “ because every man in the North Island was a colonel.” It is, however, very probable that Major Gordon will receive promotion to that rank very shortly, to which Dr Pollen in the course of the debate said he was entitled on account of his past services, position, and personal merits.