THE

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXX, Issue 5312, 2 September 1874, Page 2

THE

LUCKO, NON' UHO If I lmv« Ijoen extinguished, jet thoro rlie A UiouBtnil l)eacon» from Uiu sj> lirlc 1 bora.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTUM MM 2, 1874.

The question of Colonial Defence is one. which must before long occupy u good deal of public attention. In this colony we are situated differently in regard to this subject from any of our Australian neighbours, owing to the fact that in defence matters we stand between two fires. In Victoria or New South Wales the question of defence is a very simple one, comparatively, because it only involves the consideration, what if England should go to war ? And no doubt that contingency is serious enough m its possible consequences to cities like Melbourne and bydney. An unfriendly cruiser might enact the part of the historically famous " Kaskowiski " unless some provision were made to prevent such an occurrence. It is even conceivable that a larger danger might threaten, and that a Kuropean iloet might endeavour to annex some of these colo nies as Englaud herself annexed Cape Colony and other possessions during the last great war. All this, however, is comparatively easy to deal with, because the danger is of an easily understood kind with very definite bounds and limits. But in this colony things arc very different. We ha\e the same risks to run as our Australian neighbors in case of a European war, and this risk would be multiplied by the number of our ports au^ towns ; but we have also the risk of native insurrection to contend agaiiiBt. We have also to ask the question, " What if the Maoris go to war 'f It may, indeed, be urged that this risk ia small, and that it ia not likely we shall ever have another native war, and we hopo and behevo that this view is correct ; but it is to bo romembered that it may not prove oorrect. There are natives enough in this island who are not really friendly towards us to engage in a war more extensive than any from which we have hitherto suffered, and of those who are friendhes now there arc enough who might change their minds, very seriously to change our position for the worse. It is plain that under these circuuistauces the defence of thiB colony is a matter of much more than ordinary importance and dil!i3ulty, and one which wo shall do woll to consider. Of late years there lias been more or less discussion on thii matter in each session of tho Assembly-. There are a number of members, especially from the South, who are specially severe upon the present organisation for defence purposes in the Volunteer forco of tho colony. There have also been some who have found almost equal fault with the Defence Force, and there are one or two old gentlemen, who have seen service in India or elsewhere, who annually indulge ia a good deal of very strong lunguago on these pointi. The individual views, or even the strong language, of an old gentleman who chances to be called colonel or captain may not be of very great importance to tho public ; but tho repeated discussion, however crcatod, of this question in one branch of tho Legislaturo ought to arouse somo dogree of interest and attention on the part of the public. The discussion of our system of defence Beems tliia year to have been unusually warm iu tho Legislative Council. It was proposed that an experienced officer of Engineers should be imported, who should spend five years in deviding defences for our harbours ; that a naval, an artillery, and a rifle company should be enrolled at each port town ; and that while every encouragement should be given to rifle associations and cadet drilling, no further aid should bo given to Volunteers. In the course of this debate a good deal was said by no means complimentary to Volunteers in Canterbury and Otago, and a good deal was also said in praise of the Volunteers in this island when called upon to fight. On tho main question we do not know that either the one or other line of argument throws very much light. If the question is the future defence of the colony, it is absurd to urge tho sweeping away of the Volunteer ayfitem in the oouth because it is not eflicient, that we may substitute ono which very likely will prove just as ineffectual. If the question is, as we take it, 't must be, one quite as much of defence against contingent native troubles, as of protection from foreign invasions, it is evidently not enough to provide companies, whether artillery or rifle companies, at the ports. Nor on the other hand can we accept as satisfactory any argument merely taking the form of a laudation of tho conduct of our local troops in actions fought years ago. If the matter ia worth discussing at all it is surely worth discussing on a practical basis. Prejudice should be excluded from tho consideration as far as possible, and sentiment should find no place in it. Tho defence of tho colony against foreign foe3 may or may not bo easily managed by torpedoes, as was stated in tho course of the debate ; if so we aro very glad to hear it ; but at all events the defence against the much more probable danger of another Maori insurrection cannot be provided for so simply. A naval brigade, or a company of Volunteer artillery may be amply sufficiently to work tbo torpedoes, bub it may be asked, who is to protect these companies from a native rising ? which, although we trust very unlikely to occur, is still very possible. Manifestly we think the subject will admit of wider treatment than it has received as yet. The defence force, it must be remembered, is only a temporary institution. In another year tho loan out of which we have for aome years being paying the force £150,000 a year, will have been exhausted. On this account tho question must then come up, eithor in the shape of now loans, increased taxes, or a revised method of dofence. The colony cannot, we imagine, intend to go on year after year paying so enormous a sum for defenoa ai tho present expenditure of about £175,000 a year to keep up a mixed force of Defence men, Volunteers, and Militia. The cost is too great, and, we must say, the result appoars to us to be too small. For, perhaps, twenty years to como we must keep up somo tort of

organisation to piovido agamst the possi bihty of native troubles: and few, we suppose, would look forward with complaccupy to the annual expenditure during that time of half as much money as the defensive preparations of the colony now cost. AVo confess to a strong impression that, in our cir cumstances, wo ouijhfc not long to require to keep a standing army on foot at all. Something, however, we must have, and the question is, what shall it be? So far as we know, there are only two feasible modes of providing for tho defence of any country. One is by a standing army tho other by always maintaining a state of discipline amongst a certain proportion of the inhabitants of the country. We do not believe experience has ever afforded an example of both systems working efficiently together. Iu Germany, we know, the standing army system is thorough, because it practically makes eeery man a member of that army ; in Switzerland, on the contrary, the militia system is thorough, because tho country depends upon it alone. It is no wonder that in New Zealand we cannot carry out both systems in perfection. We have a standing army, we pay it highly, and we naturally confide chielly to it; but had we no such army, or did wo know it would soon cease to exist, the colony could soon find ways and means of making even tho ornamental battalions of Canterbury and Otago a little more serviceable ia case of need. It would not bo possiblo at the close of an article to show how this might be done, but wo think we have mini enough to show tliat tho subject is one vi huh must bo considered soon, and wo shall hope to return to it hereafter to explain our views as to what course should be adopted.