THE REBATE ON THE MILITIA AND VOLUNTEER VOTE.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 18, Issue 1160, 31 October 1871, Page 2

THE REBATE ON THE MILITIA AND VOLUNTEER VOTE.

In the Jlouse of Representatives, on the 19th October, wjien the militia ans volunteer vote came on for discus? sion, — Mr Ingles made a fierce charge against the vote, proposing that the amount should be reduced by about ,£IB,OOO, and that a force of three ljundred men, at" a jeost of about «£I2,(H)Q, should he substituted fop the present yote of £28,593 13s Qd. Of these three hundred men he would place fifty in each of the principal sear ports of the colony, to, wprls: heavy guns on the plan suggested by Captain, Hutton. Nobody could dispute that, £he present volunteers were a ridiculous and most inefficient force. He would mention particularly the volunteers of BTelson ? Marlborough, and Wellington, although he would except the Wellington Artillery, yhich he considered as fine a body of men as could he found in the world. He believed that some

i of the provinces had done good service, particularly Otaga, the volunteers of which province were good marksmen, and that was the kind of thing ha would liberally support. He would offer every encouragement to rifle shooting, so as tq make men really familiar with the rifle, Mr Bathgate supported the which he helped would not he reduced pne penny. He denied that the volunteers were one whit behind the regulars, in efficiency. Most of the improvepients of modern days were attributable to the energy and efficiency of the volunteers; {o such men as Captain M'Donald, to whom 'vas due the credit of the reforms contained in the new drill book, and to Capt. Moncreift for his improvements in rifled ordnance. He would say on behalf of his corps, that they were vyilliug to accept a challenge from ten men of the regiment of the line.

Mr Bunny said there were certain, pf the red tape forms which added I greatly to the expenses of the volunteers, which he would like to see altogether abolished. They did not want half of the clerks, who did a little correspondence of an entirely useless nor did they want an army of colonels, and lieutenants., who were useful only in eating up a great amount of the vote, Mr D. M'Lean replied to the arguments of Mr Ingles, defending the vote and the volunteers generally, but admitting thac the volunteers of INelson, and Marlborough were not up to the general standard of the volunteers of the colony. Mr Pearce retorted on the disparage ing remarks made upon the volunteers, as a body. As tp the compliment paid to his own corps, he would never consent to accept such a compliment at, the expense of the rest of the volunteers of the province or of the colony. The sneers of the hon. member were just the counterpart of a speech delivered in another place a few days ago. The debate on the vpte occupied the greater part of the time of the and was ultimately passed without, reduction.