THE BRITISH VOLUNTEER FORCE.

North Otago Times, Volume 1552, Issue XXVI, 11 April 1877, Page 2

THE BRITISH VOLUNTEER FORCE.

That the strength of the Volunteer* is steadily inoreasing it notorious ; but it is not equally veil known that their quality is also improving. The returns for the year show that of an enrolled force of 185,501 — the largest number yet recorded —93 89 per cent., or 174,184, are effioient members. We do not lay too great stress on the existing criterion of efficiency, which is not very stringent ; but the result which we have stated is far in excess of any reasonable expectations formed in 1859. It is impossible to see why th» progress should end here ; and, in faot, there is no reason why in « few years the mass of Volunteers should not be, as those of Berkshire and Stirling already practically are, all efficients. Of course, when this comes to pass, the problem of national defenoe enters into a different region. If it is at onoe admitted by oompotent military men that our Volunteer regiments are, for ordinary warfare, little, if at al^ inferior to Militia regjmentrj. and superior in some respeots, England will justly claim to possess % military force which, regard being had to her population, is not so much below the proportion between the civilian and military populations on the Continent as is generally assumed. We may talk of these unwarlike times, but it would be easy to name several Scotch counties in which the muster-roll of the looal Volunteer Corpa u ten times a* large mm the liat of fighting men when the fiery cross passed through the valleys. Inverness and one or two adjoining oountiet have more volunteers than the Pretender's army at Culloden ; and the whole kingdom musters seven times as many as we had at Waterloo. If ii be recollected that we

hare hitherto paid for thU laiw foroe oon> ■idertbly leu than half a million, It will be felt that the figures which we hay* quoted frpm the annual return* art in many wayi satisfactory.