The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, APRIL 28, 1879.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 100, 28 April 1879, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, APRIL 28, 1879.

Tke Volunteers who attended the recent Easter Encampment at Invercargill have by their conduct on that occasion gained for themselves an unenviable notoriety. From the many censures tbey have received from tbe press of the colony we take the following from the Ntw Zealander-. — Writing not in disparagement, but dealing with plain solid indisputable fact, it is only necessary to refer to the result of Jthe late Volunteer Review at Invercargill, to show tbat in the art of war our Volunteers blunder even in the veriest rudiments. If reports of that socalled review do not woefully belie the fame of the Volunteers, the whole affair bad better have been described, not as a review, but as a Volunteer apree, in which the public, some willingly and some unwillingly, were made participators. They marched and countermarched, opened lire and retired, each regiment apparently very much as it pleased, or aa the impulse of tha moment prompted. Volunteers and civilians became mixed in a most happy -go - lucky fashion, and quoting from a local authority, when "the attack was supposed to have been repulsed, the troops were marched back to tbe review ground and, at the close, received the usual complimentary praises," a tribute, by the way, the public were not slow to recognise as being as much a sham as the attempt at mimic warfare. Were this all that need be said the failure might be condoned, but apart from reports of unskilful nianoeuvreing and a disregard for discipline in the field, the Volunteers have tarnished their reputatiou by behaviour in their leasure hours degrading to citizen soldiers. There is no need to recapitulate stories now going the rounds of the Press as to tbe manner in which the Volunteers of the South Island behaved at the place of rendezvous and in their journeying to and fro. These are sufficiently well known as a subject of unfavorable public comment, to justify an expression of regret that the prestige hitherto enjoyed by tbe Volunteers of the Colony has been imperilled by a section of the force whicb, first betraying its inefficiency in the field, intensified disgrace by roystering in their hours of leisure. The skill of individual members or companies as trained marksmen will not avail for want of discipline in the field, nor will it maintain public esteem if individual members forget their self-respect and the respect due to the garb they wear and the Queen they have sworn to serve.

A walking matcb, which excited a considerable amount of interest, took place on Saturday afternoon, Mr Roderick M'Rae having backed his brown gelding Rainbow for £5 a-side to walk five miles within the hour. The distance having been chained off on the Wakapuaka Road, the match commenced shortly after three o'clock, and resulted in the horse beating old Father Time by three minutes. We understand that the owuer of Raiubow has received two or three cbaileuges to walk against him for an amout similar to that which he wou on Saturday. A coN'VERSAzroNE and exhibition in connection with the Young Men's Christian Association will be held in the Temperance Hall on Thursday evening next, wheu many articles and instruments of interest will be exhibited, including the telephone, electric p :n, papyogr aphic press, gai- making machine, mysterious clock, pictures, paintings, printing press, vnluable mineral specimens with microscope with which to examine them, together with many other curiosities, which will f uily repay inspection A cargo of sheep arrived by the Lyttelton from Marlborough yesterday afternoon, and the steamer was anchored just below Mr Everett's house with the intention of landing them there. The attempt, however, proved a disastrous one, as several of the unfortunate animals were swept away by the ebb tide and carried out of the harbor. We {Marlborough Express) are sorry to hear that our esteemed fellow-townsman, Mr Gorrie, is about to leave Blenheim, and take up his residence at Nelson. Mr Gorrie has been an active and useful citizen here, and has taken a prominent part in matters con nected with the Fire Brigade, of which as captain he has discharged a difficult duty so as to give general satisfaction He has been most zealous in endeavoring to press upon the Municipality the desirability of having a steam fire engine, and however much people may differ from him as to the expediency of adopting his views, they cannot but give him credit for the pains and trouble he has gratuitously taken Upon himself in the matter.