Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1864.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume IV, Issue 193, 23 September 1864, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1864.

By reference to our advertisement sheet it will be seen that the drill of the Militia and Volunteers is to conclude at the end of this month. To the rate and tax-paying part of the community, that is, to those who will have very shortly to pay rates and taxes, this subject of drilling the Militia and Volunteers gives rise to some very grave reflections. The Militia is merely a political contrivance for the purpose of dispensing patronage, and it is not to he expected that the privates will be actuated by any more lively feeling of patriotism in the discharge of their duty than

can be induced at the rate of 2s. 6d. per day, seeing that, for the most part, they have little confidence in their officers, and the general tone of the whole affair is decidedly that of “ under compulsion.’’ But the worst of it is that that 2s. 6d. comes out of one pocket to go into the other, which operation leaves it an open question as to who is the gainer by the transaction. It is, therefore, unnecessary to discuss the subject further, and we will pass on to the Volunteers. The Volunteers, however, present an entirely different aspect. Here we find a number of active strong young men, mostly with some direct stake and interest in the prosperity of the Province, giving up their time, attention, and money to their Country, and forming a most important and most valuable branch of the irregular forces. We refer particularly to the Mounted Volunteers. We had the satisfaction, a short time since, of witnessing a parade of Capt. Gordon’s troop of Mounted Volunteers, and a finer or smarter body of men probably it would be difficult to find in New Zealand. They are butfairspecimens of the rest, and represent their brothers in arms at Waipawa. We observed in the ranks gentlemen holding responsible positions in the community, and young men of intelligence and smartness of no moan order. They find their own horses and uniforms, and are put to considerable personal charges and inconvenience in order to keep up the esprit of this corps, in which it is evident they take great pride. Officered by men of their own choosing, commanded by a gentleman accustomed from his youth upwards to the management of cavalry—himself a cavalry officer of standing in the Queen’s Service—Captain 14th Light Dragoons, we believe—extremely and deservedly popular amongst bis troop and amongst his fellowsettlers, this troop of horse should have been carefully and studiously encouraged to pursue with ardour their duties, so as to fit themselves for service upon occasion. But we never hear them spoken of by the authorities—we never bear the Commandant in his despatches and this or that even noticing their existence—although this troop combines every necessary qualification to make excellent soldiers. But we are always hearing something of the Colonial Defence Force —we are always hearing of them as a model of everything—tney are inspected by this officer, and paraded by that, and a vast deal of ostentatious display is made of this troop — the most expensive on the face of the earth. One hundred men to cost the colony £I O,OOO a year! ! ! —a very pretty tune indeed to march to. There are some extremely anxious to get up a cry about the necessity fur maintaining this troop en pcrminencc, inventing all sorts of terrible consequences as likely to ensue supposing this hundred men wore disbanded and absorbed into the ordinary channels of industry, but we apprehend that the sources of these alarming reports, are to be traced to motives so purely interested that they will not bear a moment’s calm inspection. With our Volunteers under the command of this highly respected, brave, and excellent Captain, we are prepared to say with confidence that this Province is well able to take care of itself against any probable or improbable contingencies which may hereafter arise. And we think it most unfair on the part of the military authorities to snub and check the aspirations of these gentlemen, who cost nothing, and could be made very efficient, just to enhance the value of a kind of troop whose only merit is that it has absorbed all the idlers in the Province, to whom the Country pays .-£'16,000 every year ; which sum finds its way into the pockets of a few storekeepers. We are speaking for a large section of this community, who would be satisfied to trust their lives and properties against any ordinary number of bushrangers, whether white or black, to the keeping of our fellow-settlers, who will be found “ ail there” when required ; and are not desirous of maintaining, just

to suit the convenience of a few interested people, a kind of troop which costs, to say the least of it, three times as much as it is worth, although officered by and composed of as fine a body of men as ever was seen. We rely a great deal more fully upon the manhood of our own settlers, supported by a sufficiency of regular troops than upon any amount of mere hirelings;