ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 238, 24 September 1862, Page 5

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

TIIE DUNBDIN RIFLE CORPS. (To the Editor of the Daily Timks.)

Sir,—May I trespass <m your columns to a?k that oft-re|KateUquestiou—What are the 'Junedin volunteers doing ? Have they any oflhers (T h»ve heard of one with a salary)! If so, what are they doing ? I think those, gentlemen who enjoy the h-mour of commaml, are Itound to com? fcrwarvi with some explanation for the iion-tippcarance of the corns. Haa the JJunstan or the Nukouiai divings enticed tiie men avniy? I fou tluit neither is tite eau*e, for •he same state of colla))s8 existwi bifo're eithprci these aUractiotn wiui di.Hcoverwl. Or is the Fire Bripulo to blame for j>ed»ciu.'; our brave defenders (?; to its ranks 1 I cm an oil Victorian vtilunteer, and a.hould like U> nee a few of the *tay-uy 'qualities exhifjt€d ; by th<? volunte-rs tlun-, devejope th*?ia3?lvfes he-re. When the rus'i from t'j« n-.-ixhbouring colonies took place lru<t here, the ranks of thu various companies w»rc thiune-.i, btst Mill every corps .stuck to its Uriil, and did not nllt.w the spirit of pntrivib c-Jithu-siawu v» die out. U c r<j we luve a double sulvauta^e —-(ijzena from other corps (myself fur one), all well up in their drill, would glwlly Hbouldcr a rills again ; but we way inquire the wber«iboui« of Ui<;corps ani its oHi.eM iVoin a hundred inhabitants and not be abltt u> obtain any uat'hiiu-tory iitfonoati.->u. Wt! have some of the tiuest country around na for skiriuishiuj:, au-.l a practice ran«e uuvqnallej in the world, and yi;t a gloiiou-sifistitution like a " Vo!nt,t«<-r Hifle Cjrjra' i 4 permitted to .Uy out, from the total abssne*! of uuetvy nud spirit oa the part of those who should !ea<i the way and setau example. If the present otiicers nrrf merely drawing-room one*, let them resign—'tfe tlie only c< urse ti at can fcugscst itself to t?:i'iu if they liav* a sj^ark of dtcency in thsir hrcru-.tH. I hoj>i fhi;; k-iwrwjj! t'k-it i.omethtn^ ilx&uiUi OKCerning :ny la j'uij..-?, uiid remain, Your obeiii-ut v-ivtuit, _ , PKUCUSSION. Dane-din, 23rd Sept., 1302.