VOLUNTEER DINNER.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 29, 12 August 1871, Page 6

VOLUNTEER DINNER.

The Wellington Artillery Volunteers held their annual dinner on Tuesday night last, at the Empire Hotel. Captain Pearce occupied the chair, Lieutenants Brandon and Pilcher the vice chairs. On the right of the Chairman we observed the Hon. the Defence Minister, Colonel Reader, E. W. Mills, Esq., Dr. France, &c., &c., on the left the Ven. Archdeacon Stock, Colonel Harrington, &c. The Chairman, in proposing the usual loyal toaßts, when he came to the Prince of Wales, remarked that on the occasion of the marriage of H. R. H. to' the Princesß Louisa, he wore the uniform of a Volunteer Artillery Corps. (Applause). After the loyal toasts were duly honored he proposed the Defence Minister. The thanks of the Volunteers were, he said, due to the present Government for the large and liberal support they had given to the volunteer movement. He remembered well the Colonial Treasurer stating in the House last session that it was the wish of the Government to encourage volunteering in every way, until New Zealand Volunteers had attained the efficiency, and rivalled the reputation of the Swisßand the Belgians, and shewed the sincerity of his words by concluding with proposing that the vote of £IOOO be increased to £2500 The presence of the Defence Minister to-night was a further proof, if proof were wanting, of the interest evinced by the Government in the success of the volunteering movement. The Defence Minister, in reply, expressed his pleasure in being present, as he viewed the volunteer movement as a great national movement. The country was. young, but not too young to make preparations for its defence, and the development of this movement was but the development of a nascent nationality. Recent events in Europe had shown what could be effected by a nation in arms, and the success of the artillery branch of the same had been most marked, as bringing citizens together freely, and without the restraints of social distinctions. The volunteer movement was useful iu a civil as well as a military capacity, and he was sure any Defence Minister would feel very proud at looking round at the company assembled before him, not as a sham, but as real defenders of their adopted country. He had heard of the efficiency svith pleasure, and the meeting to-night convinced him that for enthusiastic devotion they. were not easily surpassed in any Province in the colony. Before sitting down he begged to propose a toast which he was sure they would cordially receive. The most experienced military commanders had told him often that the efficiency of any corps in the Imperial service greatly depended upon their officers. He thought this was especially true of volunteer corps, and in a remarkable degree of the captain of the Wellington Volunteer Artillery (tumultuous cheering). It was impossible not to see that the success of the company had been largely owing to Captain Pearce (continued cheering). In his presence he would forbear saying what otherwise he would esteem a pleasure as well as a duty, and renewing the assurance of the Government support in the future, he concluded by proposing the health of Captain Pearce (long and enthusiastic applause). Captain Pearce said that while he would have preferred to reply by simply offering thanks to the Defence Minister for so kindly proposing, and to the battery for so kindly responding to . the toast, he felt it was but due to himself to state that he disclaimed., in a great measure, the compliments paid him, if they implied that to him the success of the battery was due. On the contrary, Lieut. Brandon had from the first rendered most able and wiliing support, and Lieut. Pilcher had, with great devotion, applied himself to his duties, and had learned the art of gunnery, theoretically and practically. In every difficulty Lieut. Pilcher was appealed to, and his decision was always supported by drawings and calculations made by him on the spot. I he non-commissioned officers were not behind, either in enthusiasm or perseverehce. They showed their readiness to discharge their duty in a true soldier-like spirit by carrying out promptly every order given them, although in many cases they knew them to be mistakes. He confessed on several occasions that he had given orders which were nothing but blunders, but they were carried out most promptly by these faithful and soldier-like volunteers. Indeed the success of the Artillery lay in the fact that in the officers, commissioned and non-commissioned, and in the privates, he had most excellent material to work upon and he was prepared to stand y the corps as long as they were willing to stand by him. (Great cheering.) Lieut. Brandon, in a neat and eulogistic speech, proposed Col. Harrington, Inspector of Volunteers, who replied by saying that as he “ad lighted his cigar he had thought nothing but social duty was before him. He cordially sympathised with the chairman’s idea that

they were met rather in a convivial way than to hear speeches. He could only say that so he viewed his duty on the present occasion, and he felt happily relieved at once from ungenerously finding fault or bestowing unmerited praise. He hoped his duty would never be more difficult or less pleasant. He viewed social gatherings like the present as useful auxiliaries to the movement, and concluded by stating that the Defence Minister had anticipated all he would have felt disposed to say if it had been necessary. Lieutenant Pilcher next craved a toast. It was a maxim in gunnery to fire straight, and as Lieut. Brandon had shot straight before him along his table, and brought up Colonel Harrington, so he would shoot straight before him and bring up Colonel Reader. -(Grest applause.) Colonel Reader, in reply,' expressed his pleasure at being at this, their third, annual gathering. He made an interesting, humorous, and suggestive speech (beyond our limits to report) lamenting, in conclusion, that although in a time of peace the ranks of the company had been thinned by the loss of the Attorneygeneral and Mr Gilligan. (Great cheering.) The health of Drill Instructor Corliss was next neatly proposed by Sergeant-Major Lyon and eloquently responded to. Gunner Fox next proposed ‘ the Chaplain’ (Archdeacon Stock) in a short and punning speech (the pun being too atrocious to be reported), and the Chaplain responded in his usual happy style. The Honorary Surgeon was next proposed and Dr. France briefly responded. The toasts of the “Non-Commissioned Officers,” and “ Our Brother Volunteers,” were next duly honored, and suitably responded to. “ The Press” was proposed by Sergeant-Major Lyon, and responded to by Mr Hay, editor of the Independent. He remarked that as a private citizen he had always supported the volunteering movement, and felt great interest in its success. The sincerity of one’s feeling had very often, and doubtless very properly, been inferred from the readiness with which one was known to contribute to the cause they professed to espouse, and he could say that the first subscription he had paid in Wellington was for their prize fund. Without going over ground already travelled by the Hon. the Defence Minister and Colonel Harrington, lie would say that the volunteer movement eminently fostered the social instinct and the patriotic sentiment. Love of country naturally implied a readiness to defend it, and the joining together in learning the best means of doing so infused an affectionate regard for the country, the object of their common care. In the capacity in which his name had been mentioned he always esteemed it a pleasure, as he felt it a bounden duty to advance the cause of volunteering by enlisting for it popular sympathy and support. It would be out of place to make any further remarks on that occasion, but he had just been reminded of a toast which should now be proposed. They had already drunk the toast of the non-commissioned officers, but he felt sure, without any disparaging reflections on them, he was now. going to mention those most properly entitled to that title, “ The Ladies,” the really effective non-commissioned officers, the stay of the battery. After a few further remarks, he proposed the toast of “ Mrs Pearce,” to which Captain Pearce made a suitable reply. Some excellent songs were then sung, and the companv dispersed about twelve o’clock. It is impossible to conceive a happier evening, or a gathering that reflected more credit"' alike on the officers and the privates. The enthusiasm with which the names of the officers was received was a genuine out-burst of feeling, eloquent above the power of words. It was at once evident that the corps had been happy in their officers, and the latter had. been mainly successful through the co-operation of the members. We should like to see many more meetings of the kind, as they are calculated to advance the volunteer movement. Might we not suggest that all the volunteer corps in the city should unite in getting up a grand volunteer ball during the meeting of the Assembly, and so include in their festivities the ladies, now so unjustifiably left out of so many social gatherings.