THE WELLINGTON ARTILLERY COMPANY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4775, 12 July 1876, Page 3

THE WELLINGTON ARTILLERY COMPANY.

Yesterday was the anniversary of the formation of the Wellington Artillery Volunteer Company, and the following is a report of the various events in celebration of the same : PRESENTATION TO CAPTAIN PEARCE. At seven o’clock the members of the company mustered in force at the drillshed, Willisstreet, Colonel Reader, officer in command of the district, and all the officers of the company, being present. The men having been put through several movements in company drill, an open square was formed. Lieutenant McTavish then approached Captain Pearce and said : In the name of the members of the battery (officers and men) I have much pleasure in presenting to you a silver-mounted sabretash, which we trust you will accept from us and long continue to wear, as a small token of the unanimous feelings of regard and confidence which we feel towards you, as well as of that spirit of harmony and hearty co-operation between officers and men which I feel quite proud to say is largely due to your influence and good example. I feel, sir, that it is quite unnecessary for me to refer, or do more than refer, to the very many acts of kindness and liberality which have made you so deservedly popular as our captain, as those acts are so well known and highly appreciated, I shall therefore not make any lengthened remarks, but simply make the presentation on behalf of the company you have so ably and satisfactorily commanded. Captain Pearce, in reply, said : Lieutenant McTavish and members of the battery. To say that I have been taken unawares—that this has come upon me unexpectedly—does not fully describe what I could wish to say. Perhaps as a public man, and as one accustomed to speak in public, I ought to be able on all occasions to express in suitable words v hat I think and feel. But there are occasions when a man may be pardoned for being both confused and perplexed. I confess I am perplexed to understand how I have so thoroughly gained your good will; and it has made me somewhat confused to think how little I have done to earn it. Ido not know how properly to thank you for this further expression of your kindly feeling. I have already been presented by this corps with a very handsome sword, and this gift completes in a most handsome manner what you have already done. I will not attempt to thank you. I can only say that I reciprocate the kindly feelings you have been good enough to express towards me. (Hearty cheers.) The Baud: “He’s a Jolly Good Fellow.” Captain Pearce having received the sabretash from the secretary, Mr. Garrard, who placed it in position, The company was formed into marching order, headed by the band, and they proceeded up Willis-street, afterwards turning into Lambton-quay, and eventually halted in front of Mr. Charles Brown’s Post-office Hotel, where the order was given to dismiss, and the officers and men entered the hotel, where a dinner, or supper, had been provided to the order of Captain Pearce, and to which the company were invited. THE DINNER. Host Brown may be congratulated on the excellence of the spread he provided, and it speaks promisingly for the success of the hotel of which he has quite recently become the proprietor. The viands and wines were of the very best, and of everything there was more than plenty, while the attendance of waiters was more than usually large. Under these circumstances, it is needless to say that the company enjoyed themselves thoroughly. There were three tables running lengthways of the room, and one ran straight across at the head, at which were seated the commissioned officers of the company. Captain Pearce occupied the chair. He was supported on the right by Colonel Reader, officer commanding the district, and Captain Stevens, commanding the cadets; and on his left by Lieuts. McTavish and Fox, Dinner being finished, The usual loyal and patriotic toasts were proposed by the Chairman, and drunk with honors. Captain Pearce then said it was well-known that they had not only come there to dine together and enjoy themselves, but to transact business, to which he thought it best to proceed at once. The first thing to be done was for him to call upon the secretary to read the minutes of last meeting. Mr. Garrard read the minutes of the previous meeting, which were adopted. The balance sheet was then read, the liabilities and assets being as follows : LIABILITIES. _ £S. <l. To mombers’a subscriptions for year ending 30th June. 1877, deducted from capitation, 1875-6 .. .. 32 14 0 „ Capitation due to band 33 15 0 ~ Honorarium, secretary 10 10 0 „ Ball account 7 14 4 „ Credit balance 05 14 0 £l5O 8 4 'ASSETS. £ s. d. By subscriptions due and unpaid .. .. 015 0 „ Amount owing by members for uniforms, but not due 83 11 0 ~ City Kifles, share of gas .. .. .. 015 0 „ City Cadets, „ 0 15 0 „ Uniforms in stock 6 10 0 „ Ammunition in stock 10 0 „ Cash at Union Bank 52 2 4 £l5O 8 4 Captain Pearce regarded the statement as eminently satisfactory. It was the ninth annual statement presented to the members of the corps, and ho thought it was most gratifying to find that through all those years the affairs of the company had been so carefully attended to by the committee. With regard to the battery, he supposed that there were perhaps only some six or seven of the original members now present. However, notwithstanding that this was the case, he did not think that the company had lost any of its efficiency in any respect whatever ; and he believed he saw around him men as good and as able for their duty as those who formed the original battery. (Cheers.) For himself, he had been seven years captain of the battery, and he could only assure them that he looked upon it as a great privilege to be at the head of a body of men who had conducted themselves so well, and who still maintained for the corps the credit of being, if not the best, at least one of the best corps in New Zealand. After some remarks from Messrs. McOredie and Lyon, the balance-sheet was adopted. Quartermaster-Sergt. Garrard was rc-elected secretary. The election of a committee to manage the financial affairs of the company was the next business. Two members of the old committee expressed themselves unable to perform the duties pertaining to the office, owing to pressure of other business. They were Quarter-master-Sergeant Lyon and Sergeant Grey, and for these were substituted Gunner Scott and Bandsman Turner. With the above exceptions, the committee of the previous year were reelected.

Captain Pearce then rose and said he regretted to bo obliged to say that probably at the end of the present year he should not be able to place the drillshod he had provided for the use of the volunteers any longer at their disposal He , had always been glad to see them ; in fact, he had built it partly on purpose for the use of the volunteers of Wellington, but he had always had the feeling that he should some day require it for his own use solely. He thought it right to state why ho was now compelled to

take the course he had indicated, so that they might not accuse him of want of zeal in the cause of volunteers. The fact was that the property was only leasehold, and the lease expired at the end of the year, and he must then give it up. He had applied for an extension of the term, but it was refused, and he should be obliged to take it entirely for business purposes. They would believe him when he said that it was with great unwillingness that he told them he should be obliged to close it for drill purposes in December next. He thought it right to mention this matter, because it would be necessary to make some other provision. No doubt it was the duty of the Government to provide drillsheds for volunteers. Unfortunately New Zealand was peculiarly situated in matters of this kind. In every other province drillsheds had been built at the expense of the Provincial Government ; but here the Government had not seen its way to do so. There was a few months ago some little agitation on the subject, which resulted in the Defence Minister being asked to see what could be done, and he thought that if steps were now taken to draw attention to the fact, something effective might result therefrom. This was one of tho subjects which the committee might take up, and at as early a period as possible. The foreshore was now being reclaimed, and a part of it might be set aside for a site upon which to erect a shed. Mr. McTavish called upon the company to fill their glasses, and said : I have a toast to propose which I am quite sure you will drink with heartiness. It is “ The Health of our Captain. (Prolonged cheering). I feel that the simple toast is in itself a whole speech, because it really conveys everything that can possibly be said. But I think while proposing our Captain’s health I should make a remark with reference to the subject he has just brought under our notice. We have been very largely indebted to him for allowing us to use his shed so long, and it is an act of liberality for which we have to thank him very much. Still, at the same time there is no doubt that if any private individual does what really ought to devolve upon either the Provincial or General Government, it results in their not seeing the necessity for performing the duty, as they will do when tho provision made by Capt. Pearce will no longer exist for us. I would associate with the toast a vote of thanks to our Captain for having so long supplied us with a shed, at a cost to himself which perhaps we cannot easily estimate, and it is much more than we had any right to expect him to do for us. I quite agree with the suggestion of Capt. Pearce, that action should immediately be taken to lay the matter before the Defence Minister. It would, of course, have to be done in concert with the other volunteer corps, with whom the secretary should communicate, and a meeting should be called to discuss the object in view. Having said this, I now have simply to ask you to drink to the good health of our Captain, and at the same time to thank him for his liberality to the volunteers. (Cheers). The toast was drunk with honors.

Captain Pearce, in responding, said : It is hard for me to say how much I am indebted ta you for the very cordial manner in which you have received the toast. It has been a great pleasure to me to be connected for so many years with the Wellington Artillery ; and I assure you my interest in the corps has never for an instant abated. I would just make one further reference to the very handsome present you have made me this evening. I could not when you made me that presentation express as I ought to have done my thanks and aeknowledgmenta to you, and I feel very unable to do so now. But I beg to assure you that although I do not say much, I am not insensible to the kindness shown me. I hope the battery may formany years continue to maintain the position which it occupies now. (Cheers.) Before I left my duties in the House this evening, I promised that I would be back by 10 o’clock, so if you will permit me to ask Mr. McTavish to take the chair now, I shall be much obliged to you. I should like to remain, but as this is a Government night, one does not care to be absent from one’s place. I wish you all good night, therefore, and I hope this time next year we shall meet again, and under circumstances as pleasant as now. (Cheers.) Captain Bearce then left, the company rising as he left his seat ; and Lieutenant McTavish took the chair.

Lieut. Fox proposed “ The Health of Colonel Reader,” and in doing so said it was well known that volunteers generally were largely indebted for success to the aid of an experienced officer such as Colonel Reader was. (Applause.) ■ Col. Reader briefly responded. He thanked them cordially for receiving the toast of his health so heartily. He was pleased to meet them, not only as commander of the district, but as a friend. He did not use the word friend lightly, for he did not believe that these meetings clashed at all with their meetings on parade. Sergt. -Major McCeedie proposed the health of tho officers; responded to by Lieut. McTavish.

Lieutenant Fox proposed the health of the band, and Sergeant Grey responded. The toast of “The non-commissioned officers,” proposed by Lieutenant Fox, was responded to by Sergt.-Major McOredie. The last toast on the programme _ was proposed by Lieutenant McTavish, being “ The Health of Lieutenant Mowatt.”

During the evening at intervals there was no want of conviviality. Several members of the company being good singers favored those present with some vocal performances, which were received with lively demonstrations of approval, and the excellent band of the company by its performances added largely to the general harmony. As will have been noticed, the business and pleasure of the evening was, as Americans would say, “ kind of mixed up.” But it was decidedly an improvement on the ordinary mode of conducting annual meetings, and it would be scarcely possible to conceive of a more enjoyable evening than that spent at the Post-office Hotel last night.