THE CARTERTON RIFLES.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume I, Issue 26, 1 July 1867, Page 3

THE CARTERTON RIFLES.

As we briefly-announced in our last, a meeting of the Carterton Rifle Volunteers was held at the School-room, Carterton, on Friday last, which,'notwithstanding the very inclement state of the weather, was very numerously attended. A reporter would have attended from this office had we not been informed that the meeting Would be postponed. We have received a very interesting account of the proceedings which, on account of its great length and our limited space, we regret we are obliged to abridge The - meeting was convened by Captain Cleland for the purpose. of electing officers of the corps to replace Captain Fairbrother, Lieutenant Hooker, and Ensign Leyden, whose resignations had been accepted by His Excellency. Captain Cleland having been delayed on account of the state of the weather, a preliminary meeting was held to afford Mr. Fairbrother an opportunity of giving some information that was required.

The Chairman having been appointed, Mr Fairbrother briefly addressed the meeting, and' then read the following letter: —

Carterton, 20th June, 1867. (To the Members ;of the Carterton Rifle Volunteers.)

Gentlemen,— lt will be in the recollection of the company that I announced to 'you on parade about five months ago that Lieutenant Hooker, Ensign Leyden, and myself had tendered the resignation of our commissions as officets of the company into the hands of Btis Excellency the Governor for reasons which : I then stated to you. T have to inform you that I have this day received official information that His Excellency has been pleased to accept those resignations. T have much pleasure in thanking you for your steady and regular attendance on parade —your earnest attention to my instructions at drill—and your prompt and cheerful obedience to my commands on all occasions. It now only remains for me to state that although lam no longer your Captain I intend to join the ranks as a private, therefore I hope long to remain Your comrade, b. faiebeothbe.

Mr Fairbrother having left the room, 'a 'general conversation ensued during which the conduct of the General Government was severely censured, when, on the motion of Mr. Anderson a committee was appointed to prepare an address to their late officers, and to request them to allow themselves to be reelected. The committee Consisted of Messrs Reynolds, Hooper, Dixon, Jackson, Parker, and the mover. The following address having been prepared was read. TO H. FAIEBEOTHBE ESQ.

Sib,—Wethe undersigned, Volunteers of the Carterton Company at a meeting officially convened by Captain Cleland, having been informed by you that His Excellency the Governor have been pleased to accept the resignation of your commission as Captain of this Company, cannot proceed to take into consideration any other matter that may be submitted to us, until we have tendered to you our most sincere thanks for the prompt and energetic manner in which by the resignation of your commission you protested against the slight or insult offered to the Carterton Rifle Volunteers, by the appointment to the command of the district of a junior officer, who had never distinguished hiinself in any way, except in having at, the nick of time, a friend in the ministry who had a little brief authority in the War Office delegated to him for a few days, by one of his colleagues. We are still proud to be able to remind you that the Carterton Rifle Volunteers had the honor of having been the first organised Company of Volunteers in the district, which event took place at a time when the district was otherwise defenceless, and at the mercy of a horde of armed savages, that had assembled and resolved upon a general massacre of the defenceless inhabitants of this district who were then without arms of amuriition of any kind, and the massacre that had been resolved upon was only prevented by the prompt organisation of Volunteer Rifle Companies in the Wairarapa. At that hour of peril and danger, you was elected to be the Captain of this company and was commissioned by His Excellency the Governor as the Senior Captain in the district.

But if the Carterton Kifle Volunteers have been slighted in the appointment of one of your junior officers to the command of the district, we feel ourselves deeply insulted that the government should choose this particular time for accepting the resignation of your commission after waiting five months for this opportunity. We refer to the fact that no sooner has the Provincial Act passed for granting land to Volunteers in this province than your resignation has been accepted, notwithstanding the semi-official notice thatt appeared in the local papers that Major Smith had received instructions not to act, and also the statements that were circulated semiofficially among us that the district was to be altered in such a manner as to leave you the Senior Officer of the Carterton, Grey town and Featherston Volunteers. The Government by receiving your resignation at this particular time have implyed that we are so mercenary in our character, that because the Act referred to is now passed, that we would at once proceed to ellect other officers whenever convened together for that purpose. But as we cannot suffer ourselves to be chargeable with such a mercenary, imputation, we resolve to elect no other gentleman but yourself to be our Captain, and therefore we beg that yoii will permit yourself to be elected. Signed by the Chaiman, on behalf of the meeting.

William Parker.

Mr Fairbrother, at great length and emotion returned thanks for the entirely unexpected honor they had conferred upon him. He said that to prevent the company breaking up he would sacrifice his own private feelings in the matter, and allow himself to be re-elected. The thanks of the company accompanied by a request that they would allow themselves to be re-elected having been presented to Messrs. Hooker and Leyden. This teuninated the preliminary proceedings, and as Captain Cleland had in the meantime arrived, a vote of thanks was given to Mr Parker, who vacated the chair in his favor.

Captain Cleland having taken the chair, explained the ob ject of the meeting, and called upon them to proceed to the election of a Captain, when Mr Fairbrother was formally proposed and seconded, and was declared on a show of hands to be unanimously elected. Mr. Fairbrother having thanked the Company for the honor they had conferred upon him, stated that he would endeavour to serve them by commanding them in future as he had already done in the past. The meeting having waited about an hour for the arrival of Mr Hooker,, discussed the Volunteer Land question, and appeared to be very dissatisfied with its provisions. Mr. Hooker on his arrival having been addressed by Mr, Parker on behalf of the meeting, thanked the company for their good feeling towards him and said that he resigned because we wished to protest against the principle of the government appointing a junior Officer over the head of his senior, but their Captain having consented to command the Company again he would agree to rejoin them. Mr Hooker was then unanimously elected to be Lieutenant of the Company. Mr Hooker thanked the company for the hour they had conferred'upon him, for he felt it an honor to be in this manner re-elected.

Mr Leyden was then re-elected Ensign, and in thanking the company said that he was not a man of many words, but he thanked the

company for the honor they conferred upon him tod endeavour by doiiig, his duty to the best of his ability to’ merit their confidence. 'A vatevjef thanks to the Chairman moved by Mr .Fairbrother and seconded by Mr. Hooker concluded the proceedings.

FEATHERSTON VOLUNTEERS. A meeting of the Featherston Volunteer Eifle Corps was held at Featherston, in Mr. Spearing’s ‘ hew ; bton, oh Saturday'afternoon. After receiving ■ their pay, the company prbeceeded to elect a Captain in the room of H. Bunny, Esq., resigned. The election being by ballot, tod in consequence thereof necessitating the gentleman who should be : elected to have the votes of, two-thirds of the whole company. After balloting unsuccessfully five different times, the names of Captain Carkeek and Lieutenant W. Jackson were withdrawn, and on the sixth ballot being taken, Private Donald was declared elected, amidst loud cheers.