THE DE-MILITARIZED-CONSTABULARY.

Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 86, 2 October 1869, Page 5

THE DE-MILITARIZED-CON-STABULARY.

The "Wairarapa Mercury" com-? ments as follows on the military policy of the Eox-Yogel ministry : —

"Our force is numerically reduced ;by something like one half and the 1' weeding ' process, is • still going on ; thd military training bestowed on the 'men at ,such ; an, expenditure of time ■and labour, and the skill experience had taught tliein in Maori warfare, are both to be thrown away, and the remnant of forc^ "de-militarized" that is,. ( " 'into a .sort of jinodel pdlieein'en'. The advanced posts iare abandoned, ''and "the money they icost spent in vain ;- those' who 'now direct Native : and defence affairs, seem to, pjit their, trust; ill the chapter of •accidents, and'ho'pe that the war will idie a natural fteatlr;' 'after the manner of the ostrich who covers its head and fancies itself -invisible ; and of thenew^ commander or Commissioner, what can we, say? A , very" good police officer no doubt; an, excellent 'man to hunt down a thief; versed in the tricks of the "old lags," from Tasmania; an eye like an hawk for an unfortunate' bob,by who may sneak down an area when he should be on his beat. But; who in the name of fortune is Mr. Brannigan that ne. should be "pitchforked'into such a ; pbsition;''as'he ! now holds over the heads of th« Veteran Officers who served thfe Colony'? * Ther. Ministry profess : that the, 600 remodeled men they intend keeping on foot, are not to be maintained as a fighting force, and they are going to procure' lmperial- troop's. But in the event of an outbreak which may, occur any day, the Colonial forces "demilitarized,", and the English troops not arrived (if ever ' they' do) who is to do the fighting' then ?. ~> Does Mr. Brannigan -tinder-stand taking , men with inusliets (not' pot sticks) in their hands' into action ? Does he know \ how to invest a pah, or provide for the exigencies of a protracted campaign ? It is much to be feared that the field force entrusted to his generalship would speedily come to grief, and it is most certain that no good officer would serve in the field under a Police Inspector."