The Western Star. (PUBLISHED BI-WEEKLY.) SATURDAY, MAY 2, 1885.

Western Star, Issue 944, 2 May 1885, Page 2

The Western Star. (PUBLISHED 81-WEEKLY.) SATURDAY, MAY 2, 1885.

While we have ho doubt that the calling out of the militia in this colony is quite constitutional, wo are nevertheless fully persuaded that it is quite inexpedient. It is not unconstitutional, for as far back as the time of Mary Tudor —“ Bloody Mary,” as she is often and quite correctly called—the lords lieutenants of the counties in England had the power of enrolling the militia in their respective shires, and the power remained in their hands until far into the reign of Qqeew Yic-

toria, still remaining, though now only exercised directly'by the Grown. The impeachment of Charles I was not for calling out the militia, but for garrison, ing tlie|towns with , foreign troops:in times of peace; and the dislike entertained for Cromwell’s newly formed standing army was not so much that it was to be a standing array, as that it would be under the absolute control of the Great Protector. What we object to now in the recent enrolment of the militia in New Zealand is that it is quite unnecessary. The Australasian colonies are especially industrial colonies, .and the withdrawal of large numbers of young men engaged j in business from their usual avocations for four hours'’military drill every day is to the last degree.undesirable, unless such'a'step is imperatively required,; and this it certainly is not. We have already a considerable number of, volunteers collected, in .regiments all over the colony,;' and, according to the , old maxim,, one volunteer is worth two pressed men,” And ev.en this is not all that has to be said‘against the'calling out of the . militia at present. The danger, if there is any, is, immediate, not remote,, and the demand,for military help will be ’during the next few weeks, not a’year or two hence. Well, during those next few Weeks the : newly enrolled militia would* be quite useless for active work, engaged in learning . the routine! of> their duties; in fact so many rabbles, not regiments. When we add to this —what is also the fact—-that there,are barely enough weapons for the volunteers and none for the militia men, we see clearly that the whole militia fuss is arrant humbug. r And the Ministry know- that it is. In the first instance, when the scare of a Russian invasion began, chiefly prompted by a few cunning notables in the large towns, such as Dunedin and Christchurch, anxions anyhow “ to get Government, money spent; in their district,” the Ministry avowed that they did not “believe there was any real danger. We see now, however, although nothing' of great public importance has since transpired, that they are quite willing to fool this section of the people to the top of their bent, and to spend the public money recklessly, if by pandering to an idle prejudice, they can help to keep themselves a little longer in power. It is well that there is now but a little while remaining before Parliament is called together, and the Opposition will be wanting in their duty if* 1 they fail to call attention very sharply to, the. reckless waste of pqblicrmoneyr.thiat\iß goingmpl. CxAajv’*hbw there' will be' a' lafge amount of necessary expenditure, the £50,000 worth of whitehead torpedoes, &c., and the. payment of the salaries bo I’ve ted; to orna&ental who have been found to be “absolutely required ” by the colony to fill the posts of colonels, majors, sc. The financial prospect o£ T the- colony before the Russian war scare began was gloomy enough, but it is far worse now. The opportunity for favoritism, jobbery, and extravagance will be greater than ever, as there are very fp\y 'people in the colony yvbp/kuoiw anything about the details of military affairs, and fewer still who will be able to assess at a true value the respective merits of the new chum military authorities, imported regardless of cost •from; England, Canada, &c., and their titles to large power and abnormal pay. It is not easy to prevent jobbery and injustice at the English war-offices in London, —military men themselves being the judges ; but here it will be impo>Bible. The calling out of the militia is clearly only a signification on the part of the Ministry, that they will adopt any measure, and incur any extravagance in expense if.only it will be popular enough to keep them a little longer in office.