DEFENCE OF THE COLONY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 208, 2 September 1874, Page 2

DEFENCE OF THE COLONY.

(Hansard) . : The Hon. Colonel Brett. — Sir, my object in bringing this motion before the Council is not„tp act in any factious spirit, or from any hostile spirit towards the Government. It is simply to ascertain the opinion of this branch of the Legislature as to the advisability of our present - forces being remodelled and reorganised, and brought into a proper state of efficiency. Sir, I feel proud when I look around this Council and see the elements of which it is composed. I feel gratified and proud to see the military profession so c well represented— represented by four arms, of the service. Tou, Sir, of the Horse Artillery; my friend" opposite, of a dashing light cavalry regiment of India; two other honorable friends belonging to regiments. of the Hoe— regiments;! have had the honor to know, one of them being commanded by a cousin of mine; a staff-sergeant of the army, and' a gentleman of the sister service — of the royal navy. lam also proud to know that those gentlemen wear on their manly breasts decorations received from Her Majesty for distinguished services. I also feel proud that this House is possessed of statesmen — men who have fearlessly and honestly won their spurs — men whom we would be proud of in the British Parliament, and who would hold their own against most able men of our country. . I aho see here members of the learned professions -r-of tbe legal and medical professions ■' — men holding eminent positions in their several professions. I aiso see around me men of vast wealthmillionaires — men who are liberal and generous, and men whom we ought to be proud of. I see other private gentlemen around me, who, in their social positions, are men to be envied. It is for the protection of the country where those gentlemen reside that I raise my voice against the deplorable state of our defences. We know not the hour wben our country, Great' Britain, may be at war with the greatpowerß of Europe. War, Sir, now is a science; it is not child's play. It is not to be looked upon with contempt, — it is to be looked upon with fear and dread ;and we should use all exertions in our power to prevent such a calamity befalling a country desolate and isolated like this. It is in the recollection I have no doubi, of honorable members, that the polioy of the Weld Ministry was a self-reliant one. That policy was ratified, I believe, by the British Government. But the British Government impressed ua with tho belief tbat we were not to expect any assistance J in future from them. Sir,' are we to allow ourselves to sleep in the reckless manner that we are doing? Are we to be allowed to be smoking our pipe of indiffereuce in apparent security? Take care that, when the war breaks out, privateers are not sent out to find us unprepared. The country would be invaded at every point. And, Sir, let us take care that the day does not arrive when the privateer will come into this harbor, land a hundred men, and, Sir, when the Parliament may be sitting even, and the captain of that ..privateer be placed in your chair, Sir, with ono hundred men around him .rifles loaded and bayonets fixed. When the word "shoulder arms" was given, then we should see the blanched faces of my honorable friends around me; when the word " present " was given, would be seen the lips ' trembling with fear; and before the word "fire" was given, the cry would go forth, -'Ob, I wish I had taken the advice of the old colonel." They would levy tribute upon us before they left our shores; our banks and merchants' houses would be robbed, and probably our wives and daughters carried away. Sir, tbat is a picmre of what is on the cards, and wa must try to prevent such a calamity. Now, I ask the House, what are our defences ? The external defences are — nil, nil, nil. What are our internal defences? A few Volunteers —an undisciplined body, consisting altogether, on the 30th June, of 4942 men. Out of that number, I would say, without fear of contradiction, that there are not 500 efficient men. There are not 500 of them that I could lead into the field with confidence. Honorable gentlemen may laugh. I hear a laugh — probably, Sir, from ignorance. " A little knowledge is a dangerous thing." It is

equally dangerpos, in tfye military, aa in. Bf£Htistt bf any otjFer profession. The aaQy,J3it»Js ...a profession that lam *FBl4)^l6s*H , A>M V* a that every man should £ he, proud of. The. members of it have defended their country, and are ready to do so again. No doußfc'civilfanß : wlll dd their best-r- ----, I give tbem * % cVe3t(i for very good inforce is brought- into the field,'you,,Sir, know very well that they are more in the way than anything else. " Tbere«fore, I say it is oqr A duty t.o |o have our forces re- organised and well disciplined, and' not be dependent dpon a useless aet-ofmen who merely wear a jacket tf (Stg}t;np) andjdown the streets tojthe admiration of the young ladies, to the astonishment of the-ehildren, and to tbe {ea* rah&lJikead of poor,- timid, and deerepidioht lladies^, into whose souls these woald-be soldiers strike terror; Sir, yo^-wp now ask me what is the remedy. It is a very simple and a very JBiipeniTv* x>ne. J The Government," iii . the first place, should send home to the British o.Gdvernmen t, /and , .request them to send out an officer of the KbyftiEbgineere, with a aui table staff b^^ofi^dminis^loned officers, consisting of six or eight men. This request %oM\l?e ys£ifies " cheerfuljy, and i^ Government much. The officer eihoald have hii pay doubled, AW^il^W^paid jb; and' frb.V On -Imß^Htrarfie,^bu!d r ,^ißU,aU the ports and^uryejj^ ithejn'; and teach and jn-rnrli^^-^'lotittiheV of men in raising fortifications,' breastworks, and other military-works, -besides ; laying down tcrpe^do^SjjbuUding powder-magazines, T^oubtt,'mhyqihßr "works. Then I shonld recommend that the army be 3femo*defrelJ in^tdtoY F Would recemmendj as I have already done to the Befehe4 that at every -port ffier¥^ltf6afi ' be ; a Cadet Artillery Cferipjfny of, -say a hundred men; that there should be' a* force of fifty' men for 5 flftviaUtpnrpOßeß, including ther laying t^wifcflof .dte-pgdpes -j and a bnndred riflemen. Snch a forjce, well organised, «jp(d t ,up4ef efficient-officers, wpnld form . INiJH 3^ 08 fit an army that wpuld eventnally be of great service ' to; tbe SPJfflXfßi.¥ ft|pk» -Sir, v thati;,apme ,encouragejnejg^ be given ;to officers of the Imperial who. Jiaye, left .the service, instead of employing oQeetilUho' know/ nothing at all about military matters. : I can see the marks of who have been in the British army,'jfaitbe efficient state of some of the Volunteers, Jt.ia a credit to the officer at Wellington that the troops. here are bo yejl organised and disciplined. I can, see the work of a British officer's hand, and he is deserving of credit. This iB the stamp, of officer. l. want, to see. throughout the force. In my own province on tbe Queen's birthday^ there was" a review. about town that there WouU:bflia review of tbo troops. . pne tegimeatieonsisted. of two privates and a trßrojpetef-r-the regiment commanded r^hegVe^^Sir Cracroft Wilson. I remember anolher instance, when the officer comtnautifng the'fbraes at CanterSg^s jf ejU.^^nspectJhe Yplunteers, at Kaiapoi, and when he got there there jwss oply a.bogler present / He sent fbrLthejcommandingcofficer of the compsny, who declined lo come, add he was obliged to go Away without making any iospectiou. I[wUl take another case, from a newspaper dated 13 th August: — " Tfce : Government parade, called for . inspection of arms and i accoutrements, ofiNo. 1 Company Clutha Rifles, . took plik^ bn-Tborsday evening at tbe drill There wer.e two officers, two sergeants, and nine rank andifile present. > i Major Atkinson declined* to hold an inspection of the ; corps in consequence of the »mali attendance." That, Sir, in /Canterbary, would be considered a very, strong force. We • most get rid of this useless toy, tbis plaything, and not be. made fools of by , the Defence Minister or by his col- / ieß«ae«A- :: We must make a good stand. We should blpw'the alarm, Sir, and see |Jarwe^do n Jjpot coptinue to squander a^pfnally this £25,000-— wasting money, throwing it- -broadcast on this foolery, 4*942 men, who receive a capitatt^nj allowance of JB^ ;per head, except 1 tfie" cavalry, who get £2103 — 6 agitation allowance alone would jwojWPiMo, nearly £11,0150; " Do WOsgfta sufficient returnfor tbis sum? Ko, Sir, we do not get return for £100, I may say. Ido not want to disband the volunteers df J tbe North Island. I admit that they- have done good, service, and we ought, to be. grateful tb them. But as for ihsi Middle Island volunteers, I wonld disband- the whole of them', Sir — throw ; tbem to the winds, and send them adrift, to go and earn their livelihood in some other way, I have in a great measure, I think, refrained from any abusive language towards any one. What 17 condemn is this reckless expenditure of - public, money, and the throwing of, dust^ I may say, in our ey^s^y having so many tbooßend men , on papejp~hay ing nothing more than a paper corps. I therefore bring this motion fpr^wardj principally to open our eyes, and to let the country know how the^voiunteer force stands. 7 it. beg to move th^ .motion standing in mf name. Motion made, and question proposed, "That, considering the- extensive military organjwtionr rapidly maturing in ?^*|**£fe.fcy- country in Europe, and the general apprehension that war on a larger. B^Uibab any that- has hitherto eklsTted is not unlikely to occur, most probably involving "Great Britain and her colonieff, il will be a 'cause of the i.i&l pejlofeliriiiliaMott io this colony, and aigrievouSifinjustice to tbe mother coun. iry, if under sbch circnmstances New 7 yzinj&yi ... yyyy .-,

i . ■ -* Zealand, from her utter unpreparednes?, shonld be a helpless incumbrance^ instead of being a. willing aod efficient auxiliary : Be it resolved— (l.) That, with a view to meeting, as far as we may be able, the obligations of, duty, and obeying the. dictates of prudence, it is expedient that the . Government should, without delay, secure for a period of five years, the services of an experienced officer of the Royal Engineers, having a small staff attached, to inspect the several, ports of the colony, in order to recommend such defences against external attack as modern science demands and the circumstances of eaoh may. require ; and further, to instruct a few. well selected men in the practical workings of harbor defeaces. (2.) Tbat, with a, view to efficiency in time of need, there should be, immediately organised an Artillery, a KaVal,'and a Rifle Company at each port town, strictly limited in number, and composed only of men who have passed as thoroughly efficient, and are willia^'tbjßtibmit'/impHcitly to "regulations rqga'rdji^dhji. Jand exercise.; (?:) Tpat; while every encouragement should be given to efficient Rifle and/ Cadet drilling, no encouragement should be given to any. further. volunteer military organisation.'' -„ T , '.'.''.<