HISTORY OF THE VOLUNTEER MOVEMENT.

Press, Volume XXXI, Issue 4264, 29 March 1879, Page 2

HISTORY OF THE VOLUNTEER MOVEMENT.

'",-■".'■' P_ndbn "Times."] The Volunteer force is now in the twentieth year of its existence. It has survived much of the entbusiasm of its earlier days, but its vitality is unim paired, and its efficiency is greater now than it has ever been. When volunteering first became a fashion more than twenty years ago, many of its critics, civilian as well as military, were prone to regard tho movement as a mere transient burst of enthusiasm begotten of panic. But a great deal has happened since the Volunteers were first organised, and no pne looks now on military questions as we were all accustomed to do; twenty yeais ago. The Volunteers wore left at first to organisethemselves pretty much as they . pleased, and they got little; encouragement and less assistance from; the constituted military authorities. Nevertheless, the movement prospered and gradually belied the sneers of its critics: Rifle! shooting became a popular pastime, and took its place among the national pursuits. It served to keep the Volunteer force alive at a time when mere soldiering was a good deal out of fashion. When, however, tiie military forces of the country were reorganised in consequence of the lessons which the world learnt from; the war of 1870, the Volunteers entered on a new phase of their existence. The time came for their recognition as an important element of national defence, and a fresh impetus was given to their organisation by their permanent association with the more regular forc?s of tho country. From the time that this reform took effect the Volunteers have steadily increased, both in numbers and; efficiency, ;R—3 shooting is as popular as; ever, as the-annual gathering at Wimbledon' shows j but the more important, though leso showy portions of nulitery duty have by no means been neglected. We have had of late! years fewer of those monster reviews mi which numbers and an imposing spectacle | were made to cover the sins of defective I faraimngj but wehaverhad a great deal more' ! of steady and business»Uka work. The result w sbowh in the return, of which we printed anajb'str&et a short time ago. The political anxieties of last yea*, involving more than once a threat of imminent war, have not been without their jnfiueneo on the strength of the j Volunteers. In 1877 the force numbered 193,026 officers end men, whereas in 1878 it hadinamge&: than upwards of 95* per ie&_£ were returned as efficient. Thus, the number of efficients in 1878 was greater than the totstrength of the force in the previous year.

Efficiency in a Volunteer represent a very high standard of P^ 8 P«, naming; but it, at any rale ,w man who has attained it b'SfnJ thnn a mere faineant soldier »h„ ? 8 . connection with the corps in 0 H the uniform and to swell the to *<** of the battalion. It "WWa attendance at drill, and it Udge of the rudiments, at W & * n °wmilitary art. It i, even 2' of . «* tory to note that upwards of "r^^ ,ri *cout of the total of 203,212 were*" atll parade at the annual Government .Cl ° B In the last six years the number of f^ o*'0*' ha. been returned respectively B , S 11 * 5 161.000, 163,709, 174.181, lS^r? 3 * 216 ' 194,179. Thus, theforcehasb«n,te_H& i-ig of lateyeara both in numbers Sfiflf When we add that lost yew 17 \-f*T* and servants qualified and obt a in»!i <*!» fle«tet) of proficiency in their duties „ "J* 16,306 in the previous year, it wifS, *j? 1 the increased efficiency 0 f the foreo L» #8t Usstethe higher ranks of the In the face of these figures it win »._-« . disputed that the Volunteers their claim to tho benevolent attention IFk Government and the War Office Tn'sW* Offica veryproperly demands the' attaint of a certain Btandard of efflcienoy in _ 4 and in its individual membors as a of rewiring a grant from the publfc feS? The Volunteer, have shown meet thi. demand to the extent 0 f 11 than 95. per cent of their total number w there Is manifestly a feeling that t_. £ . fulfilment of what is required o*&> worthy r of a still more generous nZI tion. It must in justice bo ..iif: the War Office has shown willingness to give attention to their in this j matter. A departmental comirX has- for; some time been sitting under a ; presidency of Lord Bury, the Under Bt£ tary of State, himself a distinguished rah* teer officer, to consider tha Maturem*,,}! S the force and, the best means for ,(, m _fs tion. This committee has undert&kw ■*»,»* searching inquiry and has received M i_*2 from a largo number of volunteer '-cMera** all parts of the country. We printed &_ or an abstract of tho quei&M-L posed for consideration by this ComaC" from whioh it will be sson that the iMSf a very comprehensive or«. The wpa*- 7expected to be shortly issued/and th-Su Secretary of State has refrained from pl£ himself to adopt the committee, there can bo little doubt thatfa will before long bo brought to the attention! Parliament. The time has ovidently come fe giving the Volunteer force a more deini'a and permanent organisation. The figures »» have quoted show that we oin command an auxiliary force of 200,000 men without *itlidrawing one of them from civil occupation Such a force, bo easily obtained and so readib capablo of increaio at tho first.thraai of danger, is no contemptible element of mU-jnal seourity. It would, of oourse, bo idle to con. tend that, as at present equipped jh_ organised, it represents for military p_rpos» anything approaching to an equsil cumoa ol regular troops. It is composed of tara w _ o give only their leisure to tho work of soiiisrs and do not pretend to compote with thou- pro. fesm'onnl brethren. But a Volunteer who Satisfiesthe War Offioe test of offioienoj is a great deal better than a ra\r rocrat, aria will be made, if need arises, into a good soldier ia a, shorter time.- Wo possess this army, and it behoves us to make the best of it, and togsrsit the most effioienfc organisation that it*. peculiar constitution admits of. The question of the requirements andbmt means of organization of the Volunteer fore* as a whole may safely be left for the present to the Committee of the War Office __. Jo tho public discussion which the pubh'aaUoa «[ the report is sure to call forth. When that report is before us we shall know, 011 the bent authority, what the needs and the wishes of the force are, and how far tho committee are prepared to recommend that they should he Batisfied. Another question, however, lm urgent than the former, but cot xnikotti ifj importance, has lately been raised by sattsj. pondents in our columns. A feeling Menu to be prevalent iv the forco that tta wrricej of Volunteers have bean left a little too _itWi&. out public recognition. It i. urged, «'Ak.*m« truto.thatfew of those, unsubstantial but_•s_coveted rewards, in tho shape of honoraj distinctions, to which long nnd diligbnt kjvioe in the regular forces of the Crown.a» commonly held to give a claim have cosle in the way of the volunteers. It ia natural that these honorary distinctions should be pri.ed. All men are encouraged by a feeling Ibt their services are recognised as volusblo by those to Whom they are rendered, and it is certain that a healthy sentiment of this kind keeps" an army,together and elevates its tone quite as muoh an discipline a_4 organizition. If honorary rewards are prized by men in other occupations, ss they U'doubtediy are, there is no reason why Volunteers should be indifferent to them. The-demand made by our correspondents, theroforf, is a natural ono, is wbrtby of due consideration. Volunteering, like many other public duties, must bo in tho main its own reward, and thero is no need tofic.'ter the Volunteeis.or to foster a apuriom cntluiiasm ; by the lavish distribc.tion of eheip distinctions; but there is overy reason make them feel that the country really valuej their services. Doubless, there are fissais whereby tho public recognition of uioful an i long-continued service, whether officers oj men, might be shown. Every oss _offß how sentiment tells on an army, and ft&w all men will render for honour services whioh nothing else can procure,. TM» fact, whioh nil history proclaims, has perhaps been a little neglected in official doalingj with the Volunteer force. Discipline and efficiency are the flr-t things, no doubt> p be Maadnt in all military organisation ;■ but:dbwapl—O and efficiency are themselves profeatliim.no slight degree by the due reeognUtaaot devoted sorvice. Considerations of. this ,kind should not be wholly lost right of by. JOS' military anthoritifs when the quesHoitt of &i systematio organisation of tho Tolnnteers comes to be discussed. • - :