The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1870-11-01 00:00:00

THE BON. W. H. B. PORTMAN, LP., AT

MELPLA.IBII.
The Hon. W. IL B. Portman, If .P., presided at the
annual dinner of the Helplsiah Airiesthand Soolety on
Friday. He said that he hoped that the Government
would see the volunteer form so armed as to make it
the secnid line of our defence; but be thought that at
all tim s there ought to be a larger army—larger than
was maintained even in war time. The navy was is a
therough state of efficiency. With regard to the
yeomanry, he had • great grievance. He had reeved
Me country for 19 years, and now had the hoover to
command • regiment. Under the new regulatioes each
regiment is only to be allowed • llentenaat-colonel and
• rnsj Jr. There happened to be only two full colonels
ef yeomanry in the ceuntry, and he was one of them.
Ho was, therefore,
_politely told to go about his bail-
ness—(l iu.ihter). Ns bed to retire without pay or
pension, but had permission to serve the country for
nothing if he liked—(laughter and ebeen). As to the
lidention Bill he said he 'imported the principle
throughout that religious tea thing should not be kept
oat of school.. One clams was of great importance,
that in future no child should be put to work in the
fields before the age of tea He thought that wise,
and had publicly advocated is. adoption. The
son of • labourer could obtain a IllaCtlPDi
amount of education before the age of ten to serve
him as the &mediation for better Wags in after life.
With regard to the gurt.tax, at his end of the enenty
it WM supposed that if any one took anti lionise for
his man, and they quarrelled, • fresh limes* was re-
(mired fur the new servant. Them weds therefore, the
possibility that three or fear news. would be required
in one year if • suitable Bernet amid not be obtained.
That was not the CUP. One lianas served for the
year, and they night obeagge their man every month if
they chose. The Married Wornaa'sectporty Ant pro-
vided that where a woman of good meter and in-
dultrines habits happened to have • worthless idle
husband who left her, perhaps with several shildren,
the little money she accumulated should be protested.
If • husband and wife separated. and the woman made
money, she would be for Ids support in the sweet
of his becoming a peeper. That wu equal jostles on
both sides. Mr. Gundry bad referred to the war.
Elgliand Bad been abused by both for not siding one
way or the other. That was • proof that we had pre-
served our neutrality. We ought to be prepared for
contingeocies. The taxpayers must be menet to pay
more for their army. It would sloe do tar Goverment
for the purposes of esseosay, to eat down 20,000 men,
and within six months endeavour to get Mom &gain—
(cheers). Mr. Cardwell recently said we bad artillery
suilluient for an army of 60,000 men, He (Ur. Portman)
cousidered that we ought to have the artillery kept in
a thorough state of efficiemay—fullof men and of hones
—and in considerably larger numbers than for an army
of 60,000. The artillery was • soientille brunets, and
riqeired more training, both of men and of horses.
He believed that great stress would be laid, in the
next session of Parliament, upon the nementy of mak-
in g the volunteers, militia, and yeomanry effinent.
He shou'd he glad if every regiment of militia were
more effective. Inducements should be made to W-
Ipay officera to go into the militia, and some lacrosse of
pay might tend to that result, to the great advantaged
the forgo.