REVIEW AND DINNER AT CAMBRIDGE.

Waikato Times, Volume III, Issue 165, 29 May 1873, Page 2

REVIEW AND DINNER AT CAMBRIDGE.

Saturday, 2.4 th inst., was quite a gala day in Cambridge. It hud been arranged that the Cambridge and To Awumutu Cavalry Volunteor Corps should be brigaded on that day, and meet fur parade aud inspection at Cambridge. Fortunatoly the weather was fine, so that nothing occurred to jnair the day's proceedings. About 9.30 o'clock the Catubndgs Corps foil in, and, under the command of Captain Runcitnanv started across the river to meet tlie Te Awamuiu troop. About a nulo on the south side of the Waikato the To Awamutu squadron was observed to be advancing, and the Cambridge t roop at onco opened out and the Te Awamutu troop marched through their ranks, the Cambridge squadron (na the junior corps) falling in behind. The brigade immediately started for the parade ground (MrTaylor'i paddock), which had been kindly granted by the proprietor to the Cambridge troop aa a drill «nd parade ground during their training. On their arrival there a most interesting ceremony took place. A let of colours was preseuted to the Te Awamutu corps by Mrs K;iy, wife of Lieutenant Kay, of thu To Awamutu Cavalry,, while- a like- honor was conferred upon the Cambridge corps by the presentation of a set of colours to the troop by Miss itunciman, sister to Captain Riumtnan, the ofllcer commanding the corps. After the lrigad« h«d been formed into three sides of a square, the colours were then brought forward by the colour guard, formed of two men and the seargeant major of each company ; they were then placed upon a tripod in the cntre of the square and consecrated by the Rev* T. Stewart and C. Brady, the hon chaplain* of the two corps. After this had been done, the fair donors came forward and presented tho colours to the j respective corps r Sergeant-major Bertram- taking charge of the Te Awamutu colours, uud Sergeant-Major Kirk wood doing the same for the Cambridge troop. Colonel Lyon then came forward, and in an eloquent ami impressive speech, j enforced upon the men the necessity of defending and upholding those colours with which they had just been presented, and at the same time expressed his conviction that if. ever they should be unfurled iv action they would be followed by true and stout hearts, and that every man. would die rather than tee them jjtrainpled upon or disgraced. The colours themselves, which are most beautifully designed and ornamented, wero then unfurled mid exhibited to the admiring gnze of those present. The fcAvu bridge colours have a scarlet ground aud arc beautifully oimuancnted, bearing the device, " Our Hearths and Homes." The Te Awamutu colors have a blue ground, aud the motto upon them is " Defence, not Defiance." After this ceremony had been concluded, the brigade wa* put through various evolutions by Major Jackson,, officer commanding cavalry in Waikato, and was inspected by Colonel Lyon, ofliccr commanding district. At the termination of the manoeuvres, Colonel Lyon addressed the men and complimented them upon their- efficiency. lie congratulated the Cambridge troop upon the great improvement roofciccabhc since last parade, and hoped that this improvtment would, continue. A general district- ordeu wot then read by Staff-sergeant Eraser, cautioning the men ugaiasb using their service ammunition, and stating that a fine of 2s 6d per round would be enforced for cvary round of ammunition expended without the order of the olßuer commanding the corps. The man were tben marched buck to the township and dismissed. The men gave three hearty cheers in reply for the Queen, and the fair donors of the colours, for Colonel Lyon, and' for each other, before leaving the parade ground. On the colours being morohed off. by the colour guard immediately before the corps was dismissed, tho cheering was loud and prolonged. Each troop seemed to consider its own colours B«tt«n than the other, and that their motto was more appropriate than that which was emblazoned upon their comrades' banner. In the evening a dinner was held at the Duke of Cambridge Hotel, at which were present Mr James Macky, jun., Lieut.Col. Lyon, Major Jackson, and many other gentlemen who had been invited by the Cambridge corps. Captain Runciman occupied the chair ; lieutenant Packer and Suh-Lioutenant Fuller occupying the rice-chairs. After grace had been said, (the chairman proposed the health of "The Queen," which was moit enthusiastically rocoived. The company sang the National! Anthem. Tho- toast of " The Prince and Princets of Wales" wa» i then given from the chair, and suitably responded to. The Acting-Governor's health followed. The " Array, Navy, and Colonial Forces," with which was coupled the name of Lieut.-Col. Lyon, was then drunk. Lieut.-Col. Lyon briefly responded* I Major Hay then proposed the health of the "Defence Minister, the Hon. D. McLean." He stated that from Mr McLeans thorough knowledge of Maori character and language, and considering hit long experience of native affairs, and the g-eat ability with which, he had conducted the nativeand defence administration of the country, they should have every confidence that he will in tho present crisis exert himself to bring matters to an honourable termination. Mr Sheath, Inspector of Telegraphs, replied on behalf of Mr McLean, and thanked the company for the cordial way in which the toasi had been received, and stated his conviction that the work which at present lay before the Government could not be left in. iafe» hands thain j those of Mr McLean. Major Jackson then proposed, " The health o£ Mr Mackay,." which was received with tremendous enthusiasm, and long-continued cheering, the company singing " For he's * j°My good fellow." Mr Mackay proposed, "Success and prosperity to the Waikato aud it* hard- working settlers," coupling, the touit with the name- of Major Jackson. Mr Buttle proposed, " His Honor the Superintendent," which was duly received and responded to. Cornet Fisher proposed, " The Te Awamutu Corps," which was responded to by Major Jackson. In proposing thu toaat, Cornet Fisher alluded to the good feeling which existed between the two corps, and hoped that it might long continue. The next toast on the list wa» " Our Gfueitf," which was proposed by Mr J. P. Campbell, and responded to by MajosWilson and Mr Mackay ; the latter gentleman, in hia reply, expressing his gratitude at the promptitude with which, the Cambridge Volunteer Corps always turned out when they were wanted. Sub-Inspector Smith proposed 1 , u The Ladies," which was responded to by Major Hay in a very humorous- speech* The next toast on tho list was, "The Press," which wo» responded to by Mr Brett for the Evening Star, and by Mr Campbell for the Waikato Times und Herald. The health of the clergymen who consecrated the banners was then proposed by Staff Sergeant-Major .Fraser, and responded to by the Eev. T. Stewart. This finished the proceedings, and " Auld Lang Syne " having been sung, by the- assembly, the party broke up. Nothing occurred to disturb the harmony of the evening. Dinner was provided by host Pearson, of the Duke of Cambridge Hotel.

The Montreal Weekty Ctironicle remarks :— " There is on«r feature of the existing state of things in England which seems to have a considerable bearing upon the question of emigration. The London Telegraph, very recently, gave special prominence to the. fact that during the last twelve months no less than 8,360 deserters from the army bad been advertised in the Police Gazette. This surprising total does not include fugitives from the militia or the marine, nor is it a temporary epidemic of desertion, so to speak, for it is stated that desertions are continuing at the rate of seven or eight hundred a month. Mow, this amazing fact presents two considerations. First, whiit becomes of these legions of deserters ? Are they recaptured? Some of them are. It is no uncommon spectacle to witness a manacled youth led through the streets of English towns to the railway station on his way to be given up- to the authorities. But there is a strong repugnance to being concerned in any way in the detection and apprehension of military fugitives. Ev«» the police dislike the job, »nd were it not for the reward paid for capturing deserters, it is probable that very few would be given up at all. As it is, the percentages of runaways captured is scarcely ten per cent, of the aggregate of deserters, so that it may be almost entirely jeft out of the question. What becomes then of the eight thousand youths who are annually disappearing from view? They cannot return to their native villages, for they would thus become an easy prey to the vigilance of the authorities. Very few, it must be supposed, can disguise themselves in such a manner as to be able to stay within the kingdom, for they are almost exclusively raw and uneducated youths. Some may swell the ranks of criminals, but the major part must in one way or another gradually find their way out of the British Isles, and from under British rule. No Canada for them, for here they would not be safe from constant fear oi detection- and apprehension. We must believe, then, that most of these raw lads are the ready dupes of the foreign agents who are at hand to assist them in showing the authorities a clean pair of heels, and the United States or Brazil, or the first safe asylum that offers, i& gladly embraced as their destination. It is mela-neboly <» tbmk of the great loss which the cmpiie is thus sustaining. And this brinjs us to the second consideration. If the English youths are thus deserting from military service after a brief trial, is it not a fair opportunity for our emigration agents to be first in, the field, and offer these lads, before they take the bounty, and bring themselves under military pains and penalties, an opportunity of a better career ? So long as this is done in a fair, open, and straightforward way, no harm can result to the army. In fact, it will tend the other way ;it will tend to the improvement of tho service by the elimination of unsuitable material aud the formatiou of a petmaueut, reliable, aud contented organisation. Whether or not any step be taken in this direction, the mere fact that these desertions are taking place, and ate known to bo taking plaeic. must largely aid the emigration agent against the recruiting officer among the peasantry j and we may at least hope that the additional impetus thus afforded to the exodus from the old country will bring to our farms and forests a very desirable description of labour. " "^A |Moriuou woman is thoroughly aroused at last, and declares that unlood her husband cuts tlic uuniber of hie wives to seven bUo 1 will leave him.