The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-07-10 00:00:00

3tottrivibge qurber.

SqTI.;IIUAY, JULY 10, 180 u.

Thu

W4T1QN41.4 RIFLII ASSOCIATION.
We are nut atowu,lly Ito sotlierly int.ion us
pure than gnu other natiori which nthht It,
tiarosa—Franes. fur example ittl our greatest
Viuturive have been twat vietollos, hot it cannot
he said that we *to not a military nation, Some
0,1 years ago l) illicit Welitter itio4o of (}rut
IWWOr whieli is duttial aver the sur-
face of the wliela globe with liar poasessiona, Kea
Lee 'military posts, Williftl WlOlllll2 drum-heat,
1411oVillig tliti situ, awl itioiiiing company with
the hours, eirelaa the cattle in one contieuous
end nobrokeu Arabi of the !omits' airs of Elig-
land." The item its of inertial aillsiC are popu-
lar now as ever they were ; " the spirit-stirring
drum, the ear-pier.!.ing life," have as much at-
traction for a crowd as ever they had. And no
holiday sight will draw together a greater num-
ber of people than will a review. We are not
quite so fiord perhaps of military spectacles as
are the French; we do not, in sober truth, like
to display our soldiers for mere show ; beit when
we have a review we unmistakeably prove that
we like such spectacles', wi rejoice if the move-
moots are well done; we feel humiliated if there
is any military mismanagement. Added to this,
we are as a nation very fond of out-door life.
Spite of our fickle climate, which mars so many
of fres', plans, we continually indulge in them,
and the first ray of sunshine after a dreary wii -
ter atiggesta an outing. And then again we are
dearly fond of competition and contest. Horse-
:acing, unhappily accompanied by an overw !en-
ing passion for betting; the manly sports of the
field and the river; out-door games and pas-
times—all are keenly appreciated by our coun-
trymen.
Now the National Rifle Association harino•
uises with all these national likings, tend Mbird
scope for the indulgence of our tastes in more
than one respect. It may now be said to have
become a settled institution. The tenth annual
gathering is now being held at tViiableilon, and
on the whole under more favourable conditions

than have characterised any of the nine previous
annual meetings. A glance at the arrangements
will show how well every department and every
detail has been managed. The volunteers, the
regulars, and the engineers are severally under
the command of Colonel Colville, Colonel Mon.
erieff, and Captain Drake. There is a hospital
staff under efficient command, and aided by sev-
eral volunteer surgeons. The police arrange-
ments are, it is to be hoped, more than adequate;
rigid regulations prevent over-charge for con-
veyance, an extortion that has seriously marred
former gatherings; a tramway has keen laid
down for more speedy locomotion; the commis-
sariat and the entire arrangements for refresh.
meat are admirably managed; "the Club'
transports London advantages to the Common;
an officer from the General Post Office has
charge of the arrangements for facilitating the
dispatch and reception of letters, money-orders,
dc.; there is a statistical department, a finan-
cial department, and an optical department; and
there are ample arrangements for bookselliug,
printing, Sic. ; by moans of which the litttle
Earwig again makes its annual appearance.
Lord Elcho is at the head of the executive stalf
of the Association, Earl Grosvenor and Colonel
Fletcher being associated with him in the con-
trol of the general arrangements. Shooting for
prizes may be an important business, but it is
certain that the members of the National Rifle
Association know how to combine pleasure with
business. " Some of the volunteers rough it,"
says one reporter, but in most cases a degree of
luxury is perceivable, very different from what a
non-soldier would expect to witness. Couches,
elisira, mire. amid coAt'y articles of every
d wef rfr beine uncommon, eipe•
ci di, in the re s of tho erxek corns. Stlcli
lazurielle aLan;eataata as these way caci• a

Butters about fee cer-ttett soldiers : but we tans
bear in mind thit th, Natimial Rifle Assoinatiou
Is having what ii iv lie celled their anointl fke
and they are not to he blamed for making then-
selves liappy. There ere plenty of dieconiforb
in tile world without neikleg them. Wimbledon
Common now presents eamp-life tinder its moet
agreeable phases, tint the Runnel rifle contest
eneoureges what may lie the fine arts of
war, aud it familiarises the volunteer with those
aopeuts of defensive warfare which after an
would not differ very widely front Rome of theii
present arrangements. Organisetion. diseipline,
and no little iielfolenish are eesentiol elements
of even a rifle conteet. end these would have to
be, aim to speak, roughened and rendered more
rigid iffiould the volunteers even be milled upon
to do more serious duty as citizen soldiers, so
that the training now undergeno is by no means
thrown away. 'these great rifle contests, dir.
ectly or indirectly, develop the skill of the vol-
unteer in the nie of arms, and therefore are of
high value to the service. And anything which
increases the efficieuey of the volunteer is, we
are persuaded. in greet benefit to the country.
We will go so fir tie to say that the country eon-
erally and certainly euecessive governments have
proved themselves rather ungrateful to the vu.
I anteere. Efforts have frequently been made to
procure for them tin additional limit from the
mtate filmic and we believe we shall sooner or
,la er come to this, and very properly so. The
volunteere may be numerically strong enough to
defend ' our hearths and bounce." bat they want
organisation ; they have neither hospitals nor
commissariat, lind could not therefore be placed
on a war footing within ally reasonable time.
There exists no lairmony, but rather a jealousy,
between the regular army end the militia, while
the volunteers are unconnected with either. The
two former are drawn from the same Cifigfi. but
the latter from quite a different grade in society,
cud the three foreea can therefore never be ,
treated on the game level. lint there is no rea.
in why the voltinteera should not be better nfti•
erred than they are, or why the volunteers them•
aelves slionld not be niorc closely affiliated to
the general military aystenu. The diatinctive
vulnutary character of our citizen tinny need
tint be erected, ito far as its individual member.
ship iw ettneerned, but the army, as a whole,
inr.tlit lie bettor adapted to the possible nronaai.
tiee of the country.