THE ARTILLERY VOLUNTEERS.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5392, 27 May 1879, Page 3

THE ARTILLERY VOLUNTEERS.

• ? THE SHOT AND %ELL PBACTIOB. \ ;'. \ The shot and Shell practice "of " the Napier Artillery Volunteers took "place yesterday, the parade being under command of Captain - Garneiv- ' -The firing commenced at 10 aVnf.y from that part of the beach near the- old. immigration barracks, the target being, moored rather more than 2300 yards off the beach., Sergt. - Major Fox acting as marker, stationed on ihe top of the Bluff, ' Tliere was a large 4rowd of people rjfdsent, and tltey appeared to take great interest in the firing. The band played at intervals in very excellent, style. . ... _ . _ . Government Prize Firing. — Three gun detachments competed for the Government prize, under the superintendence of Major Routledge. Each detafclnrient fired three shots and three shells. No. 1 'detachment, Sergeant Gilberd's, in charge of Captain Garner, scored 16. . No. 2 y 'detachment, Sergeant Ross's, in charge of .' Sub-Lieut.. Carnell, scored 22 . points. *N6. 1 3 ? fletacKmentj OorjSoral ' Parker's 1 , in charge of Acting Sergeant-Major Wilkie, -scored 14 points. ; No. 2 detachment therefore gained the prize. Independent Firing. — In this competition members were allowed their choice of either one shot or one shell. Fortyone competed. Sergeant Gilberd scored six points with a qhell and won the prise. This makes him vie Battery-shot for the year, and entitles him to wear a badge of two cross cannons and a crown. The shooting was good all round. , Rapidity Firing. — The guns having been limbered up,- two detachments were chosen to compete with each other in rapidity • ]and firing. No. 1 detachment was under Sergeant Gilberd, aud No. 2 under SerfgSan"t*Ross; At the word' of command theyyfcnlimbered,. fired : three, shots, and limbered up again.- The time of No. 1 *xle,tachmenti .was- 3:raina ; 57;secs,and?the scoring for shots 2 points. The time of No. 2 detachment was 4 jniris : 7 sees, and the scoring for shots 4 points. Taking rapidity and firing together No. 1 detachment was declared the winner. The Battery then 1 returned to the gunBhed, and were dismissed. : ' : ~ 'THE' LTOfCHEOX. jAjt 3 p.m. the Battery and several visitors assembled in the old Council Chamber, whereTan^excellent luncheon was provided by Mr Johnson. Capt. Garner occupied the chair, supported on his right by Major Routledge and the Chaplain to the Battery, the Rev. D'Arcy Irvine, 1 M.A., and on his left by Sub-Lieutenant, Bathamy.of the Eoyal Engineers, and. the Honorary Assistant Surgeon, Dr C. E. Tennent. The Battery was in full force, and. attacked with soldierly vigor and persistence the abundance of good things placed before them. The battle having at length terminated the toast, " Her -Majesty the Queen," was given by the %^airman,jand loyally honored, the band playing the National Anthem. ' The . Rey.i ; ;D,'Arcy;< Irvine proposed I,'ffHis.JSxcellency the .Governor," remark.ing that from all that had been heard of 7Sir JEJerouleß Robinson -he was a worthy of his Sovereign, and one who, would discharge, the duties of his office with .dignity and credit: •.^Tnei toast was drunk with tC three times

«;:' Xi : ,;' :.-,■. !: - *.' : ■ ■:'■'■'. "l^mjbrltoii^edge.gave the toast, "The Bri^iijh Amy 'and Navy, and the, Colonial J»fesCßß.*?".lHejwas afraid he, coiild not do. justice to the, toast,, but it was. not from j,wanfoofva due appaeciation of the theme. • .Onrfche 'Contrary/ no one could feel more £ deeply tthair he did what was due to the army and navy of Great Brifcniri. • He held that they were supreme on land and water.' ''There may have been mistakes but they were soon rectified. There \[r had- been a mistake committed recently in | ?Sousi Africa, 1 but it had served to arouse ' the Cabinet and the people, of England, and such steps; had been taken in consequence, that they would soon hear, that "tKff7ulu'war was jat an end, and that the insultjthat had been offered to the 24th R^gim^t^had\Heen ', avenged. He need not recapitulate had teen done in j and,., Burmah and ; , pjihar, .places, "fluffice. it ,£q ;sayj;that wherever tnaßritish array , , had been ( to : the • front . they had done their duty.; .The navy, was not now the " old wooden-walla" of yore. It was quite a different navy, now, with .such as the .Thunderer and the Devastation. . But the [same , spirit, . still the, pien, apd with the same promptitude "they hastened' wherever, their services -were required. He believed that it was mainly through , the prompt presence of Brius'hT fleet 1 at a critical moment in ' *the.'Russo-Turkiah: war, that war between itEnglandiand Russia ; was averted. They Talli knew ' how effectual was the help rendered by British war vessels when the subjects of England settled in far away places received injury. The colonial forces had don&goo3 ; Service, both in Africa and ■^ETew-Zealand. and. he was confident that they^wpuld always t do their their .duty in defending ' hearths arid ' " homes. ' : (Gh'e'ef Si) ;j He -thanked the Battery for the very good shooting of that day. He •;,n.oW;|elt, confident they, would show :well (x if ih'ey were to. 'challenge any nine men in New Zealand to fire the same diatince. (Applause.) Dr Tennent responded to the toast. He said that although he felt somewhat diffj^en/jj. in responding, to, such a toast, . yet. it'waSj ever a pleasing duty to, him to spe'at'm behalf of either branch of Her Majesty's service, but more particularly of that branch (the navy) in which he had ftlhad the; : honor;. ;to serve. ,■ To speak in praise of the navy would seem superfluous, and he believed that they all had Sufficient evidence to prove that the navy of old England could always be relied upon in time of need. Dating even from -'"tlie timeiof : Horatio Nelson — of glorious ! Vaad ! gallant memdry — to the present time, felt satisfied they yould admit .that the Bj?itish,navy > had always" rendered a very good account of itself . He had served in ! tne riavy/and had felt the brunt of active B .jyice— in . the Burmese territory, in "Persia, throughout the Indian mutiny, in Persia, and' in the war with China — and he had always endeavored to, do his duty. Standing amidst that brilliant assembly, '■ among men -who were in service under the old flag which was so dear to them all, Jbecause maintained by such untold 'wealth of gallant life, he held that it ; would remain unchallenged by any at '"•. home and respected by all broad. (Cheers.) '/Neither" domestic agitation nor foreign ; ' attack could ever prevail against a nation and a Government that was maintained by the devotion of millions of thoughtful "and'brave people who were ready to die for their country. (Renewed cheers.) He. had every confidence that the Volun;;.^r,forces,:if ever they were called upon ' '"' ' X:', i „.: ' !■'..■; - '•;; -' ■ . ... ;

in active hostilities^ would do their duty as they had done before. , . .. Mr Kennedy proposed " The.Hoh. Co--lohel-Whitmore, the Defence "Minister." (Prolonged cheers.) He iieed ..scarcely say "anything in favor of the, toast; The gallant Colonel was known to -.-all- as a brave soldier . he was moreover a man of talent, and therefore a man well/fitted for his position. Colonel Whitmoire had seen much service — in the Cape war, in the Crimea, and in other places 'as well as in 3Se>v Zealand — and in all he had served with distinction. Colonel Whitmore had suffered hardships, and he would never mh anyone to endeavor to do what he would not attempt'" himself. They need never fear they would ever suffer from laches on the part of Coloflel Whitmore. (Applause.) The toast was drunk with musical honors, followed by much cheering. . Sub-Lieutenant Carnell gave the toast, " Major Routledge, the officer commanding the district." No one had done so much for volunteeeing in this place as Major Routledge. Indeed, if Major Routledge had had less energy volunteering in this district would have died out long ago (Hear, hear).

The toast was drunk with "three times three," and one more.

Major Routledge remarked, in acknowledging the toaat, that he believed there ~was some truth in what SubLieutenant. Oarnell had said, but it had been a pleasure to him (Major Routledge) to .do what he. had done. He had stuck to. the Volunteers in this district through good and bad. repute, and he believed they formed now as good a company as any in New Zealand. The representatives that had been sent down to Nelson had done well, ; as was proved by the fact that, comparatively, they had brought back mor-e^ money than those from any other place. As he had before remarked, the shooting that day had been excellent, and he hoped if they challenged another Battery they would do as well. He. would like, however, that they would attend better in minor matters. At all parades he wished to have silence in the ranks ; more silence, he meant, than was • now; usually observed. Last Saturday he had been obliged to speak rather roughly on that point, and he was glad to see that it had been taken in good part. When he met any of them in the street he was plain Mr Routledge, but on parade : he must be obeyed. His object was to promote discipline,, and he hoped he would be assisted by the Volunteers themselves. He hoped that his remarks would be taken in good spirit and have a good effect. It would no dpubfc be gratifying to them to hear that Captain Kennedy,an old militia officer, had expressed the opinion that the shooting that day had been very go.od indeed. (Cheers.) :

Captain Garner proposed " The Engineer Volunteers." They were a very good company, and they were a credit to their officers and to themselves. This was all the more creditable because of thei want of proper means for drill. In the: large towns down South they had drillsheds, but here they had no suchaccommotion. Yet, like mushrooms, the Volunteers here rose up in despite of all difficulties; Speaking of engineers, he: might point as an instance of, the valor of that" branch of the service, to what was done by Lieutenant Chard at Rooke's Drift, where with only 80 men he kept 5000 Zulus at bay. (Cheers.)

Sub-Lieutenant Batham acknowledged the toast, and apologised for the absence of Captain Gibbons. He sincerely hoped the Artillery would always work well with the Engineers. They had had one friendly contest together, and the Engineers had been beaten,' but he hoped the tables would be turned next time. At all events, the Engineers purposed challenging the Artillery, and then they would try conclusions. (Hear, hear, and applause.) Dr Tennent proposed " The Visitors."

„ Mr Kennedy acknowledged the toast .on behalf of himself and the other visitors. Remarking on the excellent firing he had witnessed that day, Mr Kennedy said that at one time he was inclined to chaff Major Routledge on Volunteer firing, but he would not think of doing so after what he had seen. He would not have liked to have been in a boat close to the buoy. (Laughter and applause.) Sub-Lieutenant Batbam proposed •'The Napier Artillery Volunteers." He hoped the toast would be drunk by the visitors with all heartiness. It would be simply flattery to say that there waa no room for' improvement in the Battery, but he must acknowledge that they had achieved a great deal. He trusted they would still struggle to achieve more, remembering always that perfection was made up of trifles; As an instance he might mention speaking in the ranks on parade, which though it might seem to be a trifling matter, tended to lead to disorganisation and want of discipline. Punctuality in turning out at parades was greatly to be desired, and also a steady attention to all duties. These remarks applied to the offi^ cers as well ss to the men, and he offered them because he would like to. see the Volunteers" a credit to the place. (Applause.) • . „..■"

. Captain Garner proposed " The Hon. Chaplain and the . Hon. Assistant Surgeon." ,

The Rev D'Arcy Irvine, in acknowledging the toaat, explained that hia absence at the parade on Saturday, was occasioned -by his having been under the impression that the observance of the Queen's Birthday had been put off to Monday. The Volunteers were not an aggressive force, Their attitude was not , one of defiance, but of defence, like the calm and peaceful attitude of a strong man armed. He knew however, that when called upon they would cheerfully do their duty. Dr Tennent . also acknowledged the toast. He hoped that his services as a surgeon would never be required,' but when the necessity arose they would find him at the post of duty. Mr M'Leod proposed 'i The Ladies." . Gunner Garry briefly responded. The Chairman, proposed "The NonOommissionod Officers and Gunners." He had joined the Battery in ,1871, and had stuck to it ever since. There were some more non-commissioned officers to be appointed, and he hoped that they as well as those already appointed would all qualify themselves,jlbyfl attention to/their duties, to retain their stripe I*.1 *. He" also trusted that memberß of the Battrry would endeavor to turn out at drills. Tt was no use playing at Volunteers. Once they .entered the Battery they should strive to render themselves efficient. He would like to see them turn out at every parade as they had done that day, and then there would be nothing to find fault with. Before concluding he must express his thanks to the band. The Battery never had a band that they got along with so well as the present one. They had started on a distinct understanding, and it had been faithfully kept. He hoped to be able to do more for them in the future. It was intended to increase the capitation grant, and that meant more money for the band. The Battery would be pleased to learn that the new drill instructor had left Wellington for Napier that day. Captain Garner then read the results of the firing, remarking that anyone who was dissatisfied with the awards must not hastily conclude that the marker was in error, because looking from the place of firing was very deceptive ; the marking post was the only place for judging. They had had Sergeant-Major Fox as a markei-, and he had always given satisfaction. He would couple the name of the Sergeant-Major with the toast. (Applause.) Sergeant- Major Fox, Actm?-Serpeant-Major Wilkie, and Sergeant Gilberd acknowledged the ti ast. The latter remarked with respect to attending dr.ll, that if they had a drill -shed there would always be a good muster, but the men did not like to drill in the streets and bje

laughed at. He thought that the two corps might unite and get a site for a shed from the Government. It was done in other places. .(Hear, hear.) A gunner whose name bur reporter did not catch, proposed the health of Captain Garner and the officers.

Sub. -Lieutenant Carnell acknowledged the toast.

Sergeant Wilkie proposed " The Press." Mr Pirani responded. The Chairman proposed " The Caterer," add Mr Johnson responded. The National Anthem was sung, the band accompanying. The Battery then marched to Tennyson-street where they were dismissed. .