The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 1876.

Evening Star, Issue 4090, 5 April 1876, Page 2

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 1876.

N otwithstanding the energetic efforts put forth by a few devoted men, our Volunteer system seems to flag. We never regarded it as perfect. Even in its palmiest days it could not he considered thoroughly efficient. The men were there—fine, healthy, soldierly the very pick of our population, and they devoted themsolves to drill and pme-firitfg so that some of them could have taken high positions as marksmen in competition with any country in the

worW. But with all those soldierly qualifications they never received that recognition from the Government Home or Colonial—that their self-sac-rifico of time or energy should have commanded;. The public did at one time appreciate our military organisations and felt some pride in the achievements of our prize-takers, but even when they were most sympathised with, the Volunteers, as a rule, were badly armed, and had they had to meet an enemy,, however inferior in, number, they would have been marks to be shot at at long distances the flower of our youth and manhood put forward to be uselessly sacrificed through not being supplied with efficient means for attack or defence. A strange indifference to preparation for effectual self-defence has been apparent throughout the whole of our Colonial existence. This may be, in part, attributable to the expense of military preparations and to the unproductive character of the outlay. The money can be so much more profitably employed, so long as no enemy annoys us, that to prepare to repel invasion in any shape, seems almost like fighting with a shadow. It seems pretty generally acknowledged that no expedition on a large scale will be fitted out for the subjugation of New Zealand, because it will not pay, although very serious damage might be caused by flying visits of armed vessels on roving errands like the Alabama and Shenandoah of the American war. It seems quite possible too that national duels will in time to come be fought out by the forces employed, without plundering towns or making a declaration of war an excuse for authorised buccaneering. But these desirable arrangements are only under consideration, and even if adopted might, under one excuse or another, be evaded by nations whose object may be to recoup themselves the cost of the war. We do not imagine there is any immediate danger, although the European journals are consequently speculating upon some warlike outbreak, they know not where nor exactly why. It will not do, therefore, to continue to imagine New Zealand is free from all danger j nor will it do to depend upon the protective ability of the British South Sea naval force. We must still look to ourselves, and it therefore behoves us to pay more attention than hitherto to our iriAang of defence and to place our volunteers in a position to hold their own against any adverse force they may have to contend with. The conviction of a similar necessity has forced itself upon the people of Victoria, and so impressed have they been with the importance of the inquiry, that a Commission was appointed by the Governor to inquire [ ioto the character of their defensive arI rangements. The ‘ Argus ’of the 25th ult. describes their report as “in the main a most discouraging document,” and considers that there is but one “ solitary ray of light amid tbe universal gloom.” That gleam may be said to be equally applicable to New. Zealand as to Victoria, and is thus described

“ From a personal inspection,” say the Comof the various volunteer corps, we are opinion that the material comprising the force is as good as could be desired; indeed we go further and say that the amount of energy and intelligence exhibited by volunteers, the time and labor they give the country, and the money also expended by them in the purchase of ammunition for rifle practice, and in other ways connected with the working of their individual corps, more especially by those who, in addition to their ordinary dudes, bring their professional and mechanical knowledge to the service of the State, are deserving of aupraise.”

But when this is written, all that is praiseworthy is recorded. Tip to June, 1875, the sum spent on Victorian defences amounted to L139,b88, and land certificates have been issued to members of the Volunteer force, which, valued at LI per acre, brought the expenditure up to L2,073,874r, and this is what our neighbors have to show for that tenormous outlay.

But while the men are everything that could be wished as regards bone, sinew, and morale, their organisation is ineffective, and in some points radically vicious, their training altogether deficient, and their arms of an obsplete pattern. We find that up to the end of June, 1875, the total amount expended in our defences, “ including L 139.688 paid to members of the volunteer force in the shape of land certificates valued at LI per acre," was L 2,073,874 8s Bd. And what have we to show in return for such au enormous outlay ? Wo have an iron-clad monitor, which is undermanned and will not steer, and which, according to Colonel Scratchlet, is under-atmed) a guardship without an efficient crew; a number of shore batteries which are either obsolete or in ruins, and in either case totally useless; a fair quantity of food artillery, but no places to mount it; a few eld guns, which are taken out for practice under protest, as “the carriages are rotten,’ besides being “ unsuitable aud out of date,” and in the opinion of the responsible staffofficer, Captain Snee, “ highly dangerous,” and a number of small arms, which would prove about as effective as bows and arrows if pitted against rifles of modern construction. It is true that since the evidence was given with regard to the small arm, a supply of Martini-Henry rifles has been received, but they have not yet been issued to the troops because of some defect in the lock action, which renders their use dangerous.

The following are the pleasant alternatives placed before the Volunteer force:— * Luckily, it appears that the defect can be cured at a moderate cost—2s is the estimate in England—and then the Volunteers will be in possession of a weapon nearly approaching Ijerfeotion. But in the meantime, if called nto action, they would only have these alternatives before them, neither of which could be called very cheering-they could either retain their old arms, and be “ slaughtered ” after the fashion predicted by their commander, or they might take the Martinl-Heurys in their unimproved state, an arm with which they would be totally unacquainted, and which, under the circumstances, would be more likely to prove dangerous to their Mends than destructive to their foes, When we consider these things, aind reflect that an expenditure of over two million" of money has left us in this year of grace almost as naked to our enemies as we were nearly a quarter of a century ago, we are apt to ask, of what sin has this Colony been guilty that she should haye been saddled with such a succession of buqg]|ng and incojn-

we have frequently expressed'-— that the danger to the Colonies' is from hostile cruisers—-recommend #the fortification of the Heads and the construction and. of certain works considered necessary for the defence of HobsQnV Bay j they also recommend that the Cerberus (the iron-clad alluded to) shall be repaired, that a floating battery shall be constructed, and preparations made for the manufacture of torpedoes and gunpowder. The ‘Argus’ does not altogether agree with those suggestions, and expresses its dissent thus: , 5 not only the first cost of the forts or batteries that has to be considered, but the enormous outlay that would be entailed on the Colony by the necessity of keeping at “ Points NeneanandLonadale and Queenscliff ” a force sufficient not only to man the guns but also to secure the works against a coup de main. It is provision of proper garrisons would be too great a strain on our resources, while to leave them insufficiently defended woum be to run the risk of having, them captured, and finding our port blockaded by means af JST a i3 mer s/ . H th® Heads, as it is asserted by he Commissioners, were really “the key of our position,” it would of course be incumbent on us to hold them against all comers at cost but inasmuch as the inner waters of Port Phillip Bay might be rendered almost untraversable by torpedoes and obstructions in the various ship channels between the shoals, and the metropolis might be defended should o be firstly, by floating batteries such as the Cerberus, and, secondly, by batteries on shore, it is evident that the Heads cannot m any way be said to bo the “ key of our position.” J