PRESENTATION OF IMPERIAL DECORATIONS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2211, 16 July 1896, Page 15

PRESENTATION OF IMPERIAL DECORATIONS.

The City and Port Chalmers volunteer companies paraded at the Garrison Hall on Monday night, on the occasion of the presentation of Imperial volunteer decorations to Cjlonel Wales and to Ciptaia Commandant Goldie. The officjrs of the staff pra«enb were .—Colonel Webb, Colonel Reeves, Captain Robin, Lieutenants Pxice and Stronaoh, Surgoon-mvjor Coughtrey, Qiattermaster M'ludoe, Sergeantmajors Towler, M'Pherson, and Castle. Colonel Callan commanded the battalion, and Captain Milne was adjutact.

The oompanies wa-a drawn np in the body of the hal, while the pubic, who were represented by » fairly large numbsr, occupied seat) in the gallery. Colonel Webb, in making the presentifcion, spoke as fol'owj : — Officers and volunteers of the South Otago district,— l have called a parade for this evening in order to perform a very plea'ing duty— viz., td present the Imperial volun'eer officers' decoration to two ©ifioera whos9 names havo been associated with this district for very nv.ny jears, and I am ghd to see the city and Port Chalmers corps to well repnsdnted, and also that the general public hav-j shown their interest in the p'oceedings by attending in numbers to witness the presentation. As this is the licit occasion on which tha deooration has been presented to an officir in this district, I should like to say that it is not merely a loial distinction, but, a* its name implies, an Imperial, decoration granted by her Moat Gracious Mrjasty the Queen to commissioned officers of volunteers throughout her demioionn in recognition of long and meritorious service. The decoration was instituted by the Qaeen in 1892, and is granted to a commissioned officer who has served .as such in the volunteer fo-ce for 20 yeaw, and who is vt commended as having baen an efficient and thoroughly capable officer in every way deserving of such a decoration. The officers to whom this decoration is to bo presented to-night, and who will now please come forward, are Colonel N. Y. A, Wales, Honorary Unattached Lut New Zealand Volunteers, and Captain-comraandant W. Goldie, Unattached Active List New Zsaknd Volaiitsers. These two officers are well known to you, and require no introduction from ma. ' Their claims to the dec ration cwill be at oaoe adaiitted by all of you. In addition to iheir having Mfilled the conditions,. I may nay that they are old comrades, old rivals in rifla competitions, and old winners of the ■ Champion Bsft of New Zealand. The decorations will be highly valued by Colonel W»les and Captain Commandant Gildie, and I congratulate them on having their names added to the Imperial roll of zealous and oapabta effienrs. Colonel Wales was an ensign in 1862 aod Captain Commandant Gohlie in 1864, and they are still connected with the defence force of the 1 colony. 1 feel highly honoured tint it should have devolved upoa me to make the presentations, and I trust that the recipients will long live to wear the decoration, and that they will from time to time attend at. similar pr&eatations to officers who are still serving and doing raeir utmos*-, in spite of many drawbacks, to make themselves and the corps they belong to effioient and reliable in case of emergency, always remembering that it is cot the uniform that makes the ofiiaer, but tho capacity to cmownd' and to «ecuua thi confidence of his .men.— (Applause.) I will ask Mrs Webb, who is present, to affix the decorations to Colonel Waleo and to Captain Commandant Goldie. Mrs Webb then pinned the decorations on the respective officers, after which a royal salute was given for her Majesty the Qneen, and three cheers for Colonel Wales and Captain Goldie.

Colonel Webb then stated that he had bsen a6ked t-> present a bugle which was fired for by two companies,' and which had been won in the flrsb instance— for it was a challenge bugle— by the Ci*y Guards. He handed it over with a great deal of pleasure to the bugler of the City Guards, feeliag sure he would take every c»re of iK— (Apnlause.) Colonel Wales then addressed those present. He stated that it was not often now that he had &n opportunity of noeating all the companies thus assembled. He thankedCulonel Webb for the kind exp' ession3 he had made use of regarding his (the speaker's) services in connection with the voluntears. He aUo thanked Mra Webb for pinning the decaration on his breast. He had been a great maay years' in the service — 28 years or more, — during the most part of which time he had b3en an officer, and the recollections of that period were very pleasant. He had many warm friends among the officers and volunteers. Sorry he was to s*y some had left their compauies set king fresh pastures ; others, he was more sorry to say, had left them and had gone to their long home, Thera were still many scattered throughout the colony, ready, if neoessarf, to join tue ranks again and assist in repelling a foe, and he was sure, as Colonel Webb had said, that if his (the speaker's) services were ever required they would always be ready. Ho hoped, however, that the day was far distant when they would be called upon to take the field. It had been the dream of democrats — Liberal democrats—thab as demooraoy spread its wings over the nations war would cease. It had proved OBly a dream, for as democracy spread throughout the world, more active preparations than ever had been made for war, and nations were armed to the teeth. Recent experience went to show that those who were well prepared had the best in the end. What were they doing in New Zealand ? He did not wish to discourage them or their conrades in other parts of the colony, but he regretted to say that the volunteers were' not in the efficient state they ought to ba. He feared that the Legislature did nob graep what was required for the volunteers.-— (Applause.) They were toi much taken up with the outs and ins of office, or, as Captain Russell said, "in making roads and bridges." He did not wish these remark* to bear asy political significance, because the present Government was not worse than any of the preceding Governments. As far as he could remember, there had alwayß besn a difficulty in getting Bufficienb funds with which to equip the volunteers. If they wenb into the Hold now they would be like so many targets to bo fired at. It was true they were, arjaed with

superior weapons, huh not all were armed, and uofc sufficient were armed to tiko the field. If emergency arose, all those who had passed through the ranks would take the field, bat where were the arms to arm them with ? There wore uouo. He hoped thß people would wake up and realise that they should bo ready to meet an emergency. — (Applause.) Ha was glad to see thAt the spirit of the volunteer force was losing kept up, and that youn£ men growing up were pissing through the ranki. In conclusion, ho again thanked Colonel Webb and Mrs Wabb.— (Applause.) Captain Commandant Q oldie also made a few remarks, in which he staged that it wa9 open to every member of the force to earn a distinction similar to that presented to Colonel Wales and himself that evening. The proceedings than terminated. Tha following is tao parade state : —

Baud.— Garrison Band— l baadmaster, 1 sergeant, 19 rank aud file ;— total, 21. Dunedin Navals —2 lieutenants, 1 cantainsurgeon, 5 petty officers, 2 buglers, 34 rank and file -.-total, 41. ' Port Chalmers Navala.— 3 lieutenants, 2 petty officers, 2'buglers. 47 rank an I file ;— total, 54. B Dattery.— 2 lieutenants, 2 sergeants, 18 rank and file ;-total, 22. Dunedin Eugineirs.— l lieutenant, 1 sergeantmajor, 3 sergeants, 1 bugler, 37 rank and rile ;— total, 43. Dunedin City Guards.— l captain. 1 lieutenant, 5 sergeant*. 1 bugler, 32 rank and file ;— total, 40. North Dunedin Rifloa.— 2 lieutenants, 6 sergeants, 1 bugler, 42 rank aad filo ;— total, 51. Dunediu Highland Riflss.— l captain, 2 lieutenants, 2 Bergeauts, 32 rank and filo ;— total, 37. Total on parade, 321.