VOLUNTEER COAST GUARD.

Auckland Examiner, Volume IV, Issue 271, 9 June 1860, Page 2

VOLUNTEER COAST GUARD.

Eight or nine weeks ago it occurred to< citizens of Auckland that a Volunteer C’ 0 " 16 Guard might do good service, and upon.?- 1 patriotic thought they resolved to act. Af'" discussion among themselves they agreed? draw up, for presentation to His E X cel| en ’ the Governor, a memorial in which cert? advantages likely to result from pro 'J Volunteer Coast Guard should be briefly i" clearly stated. No time was lost. Docum™ determined upon was drawn, and taken char of by a Mr. Hobbs, who undertook to procure signatures. No one empowered him to pre sent the memorial to His Excellency, ot j any way to act for other Coast Guard Volun. teers without their consent. But Mr. Hobbs' saw no reason why he should deny hi, n^( the pleamre of doing more than was required of him; so having got signatures enough for his purpose, ho, in company with Mr. Sewell went to tho Governor who read the memorial' declared for instant formation of proposed’ Guard, and at once appointed Mr. Hobbs to command it! Yes, that rather fast person left Government House with the style and title of Volunteer Coast Guard First Lieutenant, Meanwhile the other Volunteers were in blisful ignorance. Not until some time after did they discover the trick that First Lieutenant Hobbs had played upon their, T..at he would bolt up to Government House with their memorial, they had uo suspicion. Nor were they at all prepared for his appointment, It appeared to them that a Volunteer Coast Guard should be commanded by some citizen of mark and experience; some nautical man to whom the Auckland coist is familiar; some sharp witted practical fellow who would be in no danger of mistaking the north for the south shore, or of saluting the Great Bar rier under an impression that it was the East Cape. But strange fish is Waita-bit. He appoints on a principle mt generally appreciated. The first of his appointments was made on the way out to our beautiful Fum Land, Upon the principle, we suppose, that n tire district resident magistrates should be utterly ignorSnt of native language, native character, native laws, a»d native customs, he appointed Wardell, a young man fresh from some Lor. domlawyers office, or some Cockr.ey merchanu counting house,,, to be resident magistrate at Poverty Bay, where natives are remarkable for turbulent demeanor, consumraite craftiness, and all the other notable characieristict of missionary-—“.leddicated” Boshee nature, But, as before observed-, our peculiar Governor makes appointments’ upon a principle not generally appreciated. Few, indeed, among Auckland people will think the Hobbs appointment altogether judicious, or such as our Coast Guard Volunteers will submit to. Like other Volunteers they should choose their mi n officers. What right has the Oovernorto thrust this man Hobbs upon them. W resent his appointment, 'lhey consider it a blunder and an insult. They blush to 1 commanded by one who cannot know » | coast —a forty-acre man without status, or | position, or nautical experience, or any o « ■ known qualification for Coast Guard comma ■ save and except only the qualification o w I measurable impudence. 'lhey are isgus I with the trick which eventuated in is PP I ment. They see a fast’ forty-acre man * I our Volunteer Coast Guard First ' I while Captain D'aldy, an old, trie > I s med seaman-colonist who kno "’ s c \ J I harbor and roadstead of thecoas » I ed, is made Second Lieutenant. t ■ Thus far First Lieutenant Hoboe »• I shown fitness for the office 1110 . sSel , w I schemed and toadied himsel. I weeks since Wait-a-bit appoint- 1 I ing that time our Coast Guard W ]{ I have vegetated in repose. By an a e gjfot I and provided, they are require I exercise or duty a given num <• I within the year. Up to this at II Coast Guard Volunteers hwe n° all. Their commanding officer ■ cJO ■ | find out what lhey are to do, « in jgln 11 and how they can. 8o tast e xerci* I - have been expected, long ere> J’' lt j c aldriU' I I them —to give thematasteo | l But he appears to bave wlll ical k»»'' I the quiet.” Perhaps all h ,s c i- I ledge and energy were expen I tainnient cf his first lieutenan ■ that may be it is certain tha ■ Volunteers have not been p a 1 11 together, or even so much a • | their formation. Would a. F I of their own free choice h* l I fully neglected them. l rl .‘ ’ .. ■ j arms! But whose fault government run after them 1 , (0 1 11 Lieutenant Hobbs may be P w oi“ 11 so, for no effort has he mA supply. Our private cpm " Guard service he knows Wait 3 l ai H that having toadied Gov £j e uteO’ I , making him Coast Guar M is content, , t 0 say Fid I Corporal Ny’ n I scor " coff3 rd. ' lest he should be thoug I du l !' I Lieut Hobbs scorn to | should be thought a since •