MEETING OF VOLUNTEERS.

Press, Volume III, Issue 264, 4 September 1863, Page 3

MEETING OF VOLUNTEERS.

An adjourned meeting of Volunteers was held at the A 1 Hotel on Wednesday evening, Lieutenant Ballnrd in the cbair. At the previous meeting an adjournment was thought desirable in order to take an opportunity to test public feeling on the eubiect, and to take the sense of a meeting composed of a mixed assembly, rather than of one of members of the Volunteer companies. The chairman having stated the above to be the particular object of the present meeting, invited discussion ; eeveral questims were addressed to the chairman, and the proceedings generally were rather of a conversational and desultory character. The chief points elicited wore : with respect to the uniform —the chairnnn said the General Government had ordered 1750 uniforms which would be supplied to the members of the corps free of charge, and that the distinguishing name of those who volunteered under the provisions of the new Bill would be " Volunteer Militia " ; those called upon to serve compulsorily would be called " Militia." The chairman also made a statement which was well received, namely, that though thero was reason to believe that the Provincial Council took a desponding view of the Volunteer question, the Government had expressed a desire to forward it in every possible way. With respect to the nomination of officers by the Governor, several members expressed a strong opinion that, unless the Governor were in a position to appoint military officers to take the supervision of the companies, < he system of nomination was likely to act injuriously, ac a person altogether obnoxious to the men m ght be placed over them ; and that the Governor at a j distance could not possib'y know who would make j the best officers, and that,* moreover, it opened the I way to a system of farori ism which was quite at i variance with the spirit of volunteering. As to ' the failure of the luovenurnt up to the present

timo in this provinoe. a very decided opinion wae ' expressed that it resulted from two causes : firstly, : a want of support iin.l sympathy on the pnrt o I tbc public*; and secondly, that the loading men of J wealth ami leisure had shown an entire apathy, j both in regard to personal exertions and sub- ! seriptions, in relation to it. I Nothing in the shape of a formal resolution wae J put to the meeting, which was very well ait-nded, I but eventually a committee was appointed, eonI sitting of Messrs. I\. l>. Bishop, Mount fort, ! Browning, and Cook, who will analyze the proj visions of the Bill, and draw up a report thereon, and submit it to a meeting, to be called at an early i day.