THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam aut faciam"

Otago Daily Times, Issue 852, 14 September 1864, Page 4

THE Otago Daily Times. " Inveniam viam aut faciam"

DI7NSDIN, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBBSI4.

Quite a panic, on a small scale, has been created by the announcement that the Militia is to be called out. To some, the alarm comes iv the shape of days and weeks abstracted from business pursuits. Others conjure up visions of military discipline, coupled with drum-head Courts Martial and a liberal allowance of the cat-o'-nine tails. A third section ask themselves if they are liable to be taken from their hearths and homes, to be seat on foreign service. Mr John Cargill, or, rather,—we beg his pardon—Major Cargill, is becoming a household word of terror. Nurses are substituting him for bogies and policemen, as a means of lightening children ; and young ladies are reacquainting themselves with the now almost forgotten melody of " Jeanette and Jeanot." You are going far away, far away from poov Jeauette, There is no one left to love her new, and you too may forget. It is surely a very laudable desire to quell all this anxiety, and we fancy the reality is not half so bad as some seem to picture it. To begin with, there is no power to move the Militia outside the district in which it is enrolled. A clause in the Militia Amendment Act of 1860, provided that no district thereafter to be declared should exceed, in its greatest diameter, 30 miles. The Dunedin district was proclaimed before the Amendment Act, and its greatest diameter is 40 miles. This represents the extreme length that any Militia corps could be moved. Unless existing Acts therefore be materially altered there will happily be no necessity for reviving Jeanette and Jeanot. The step which the General Government has taken we presume is dictated by the resolution passed in the Assembly last session, it was moved by Major Richardson, and was to this effect: —"That it is highly expedient that the " provisions of the Militia Act should be " strictly carried oaf in the Middle Island " until such time as the whole malepopu"lation between the ages of sixteen and " fifty-five, with the exception of thatpor- " tion which is exempted by law, are " sufficiently organised and drilled to take " an effective part in the defence of the

" Colony." To understand its meaning thoroughly, it is necessary to refer to the debate. A great deal was said on the subject ; the speakers were almost unanimous in their opinions, and quite unanimous iv passing the resolution." The grounds of the resolution may .easily be explained. It was considered that the putting the Militia Act into operation would effectually encourage the formation of Volunteer corps, and it was thought it was a right and proper thing that failing Volunteering the male population should be compelled to learn the use of arras. Major Richardson said " he did not think that a man had the " right to the privileges of a British sub- " ject, who was not prepared to undergo

■ "the organization and drill necessary to " make him in the hour of trial fit to " come to the help of his country," aud again—" One of the objections he had ""heard urged was, that, if a compulsory " Militia law were enacted and carried out, "it would have a tendency to incline " Colonists to leave the Colony. He be- " lieved that that would scarcely be the ''case if the measure was judiciously " carried out, so that all that was insisted upon was, that attendance should " be given until the men had been tho- " roughly organised and drilled, aud that '• proper men should be provided for the " purpose." The speaker concluded by urging the clangers to which the various Provinces would be subjected without troops volunteers or militia, if a privateer were to land a few armed men at their sea-ports. Mr Fox, Mr. Fitzgerald, and Mr Cargill followed at length in the same strain. At present—they urged, volunteering did not flourish. This was in great measure due to the want of arms and appliances. But still a compulsory Militia law would be a great stimulus to the Volunteer movement. They all agreed that it was within tiie.chapter of accidents that Great Britain would sooner or later go to war with a power that would not hesitate to encourage privateeering. That, without a population accustomed to the use of arms, an adequate defence wonld not be available, no matter what expense was incurred in batteries and armaments. Mr Stafford spoke very strongly. "He "looked," he said "upon the spirit " in which this motion had been received, " rather than to the spirit of it, as hidiea- " tive that the time had come when it be- " hoved those representing the Colony to " encourage by every means in their power " the growth of that spirit within it which "would induce each young man to be- " lieve, as he arrived at manhood, that " one part of his duties a3 citizenship was " to he prepared, when clanger threatened, " to take some fair share in the defence of " the liearth.3 and homes of the country ; " and not to cherish the belief that when " so threatened, he was to call upon some " big brother without for assistance. He " hoped the resolution would lead to " direct action; for when the inhabitants '•' of a country exporting wealth that must "be most tempting to any power at war " with the mother country, showed, in " juxtaposition with that wealth perfect " supineness as to doing anything in de- " fence "of their property and their lives, " they would deserve any of those losses " which their couduct would be sure, " sooner or later, to bring upon, them."

It is very well in the absence of danger to ridicule its possibility, but a little reflection must suffice to show that it is not at all impossible the Colonies, at no very remote date, may have use for the means of defence. The danger is not to be looked for in regular forcss. No civilised nation would attack a Colony merely for the sake of doing so. If it were desired to secure it for a station, to take possession of it, the battle would be left to the Imperial country to fight. In ordinary circumstances, an enemy's fleet would ask nothing more than water and provisions. The real danger lies in the privateers. A nation going to war with Great Britain would more than likely issues Letters of Marque. The sea would swarm with commissioned privateers, and every British bolony would at least have to put itself in a position to repel them. There would be no difficulty in doing this with a population trained to arms; it would be alinont impossible to do so with a population that could not lead a gun.

There is no immediate emergency, and so there is no intention to press on the instruction with undue urgency. The calling out the militia, if we are correctly informed, will be a very leisurely and not at all a harsh, proceeding. The first thing, and that is all which is now asked, will be the enrolling those who are liable to serve. When the roll is completed only a certain proportion will be called out, and all that those who are called out will hive to do is to undergo instruction in drilling. The extent of the time they will have to sacrifice will be less than two hundred hours in the year. Every facility will, it is presumed, be offered to those who desire to exchange from the Militia into the Volunteer corps; and probably the end and aim of the movement will be attained when the Volunteer system is made to flourish. We trust what we have • said will be sufficient to allay any unreasonable anxiety, and that there will be no hesitation in properly filling up the enrollment list. Those who fight shy of the Militia can still avoid it by joining the Volunteers, and it is to be hoped that greater encouragement will be afforded to these than they enjoy at present. The expense of uniform should be saved them, and the love of their occupation should be stimulated by prizes far shooting, by reviews, and by allowing them bands. At present the Volunteers in Otago have all work and no play—if there were some of the latter there probably would be more of the former.