The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1871-02-07 00:00:00

DORCHISTIR RIFLK CORPS.

The amnia mostiog on the eomtneooement of another
year's eatappigs took plass at the head-quarter* of the
3rd D.R.V. on Monday night. Osptain (3oetabs was
rizo4,
iew with lientaaant Hodges, Coloor-Sergeont
'Bekaalion Quater-Maaksr-Sergeoot Newman,
Bergsma Disalen, Menseey, Oross, sad Grousing, aad
49 teak sad Ea

Addressing the company as comrades, Clad. Coombs
remarked that they now began another year. and he
Loped it mig. ht be smother sacassefal yew. They met
at this time. be might almost my, within sound of
actual warfare ; and had much to congratulate them
selves that the war raging on the continent had not
extend dto our owe Mores. Still, they bad had a
outdo amount of preparation. and, whatever might
be said, had to some eatent qualified themselves to
take part in the defence of this country, if war should
come. They might hope to meowed is maintaining an
honourable peace, but U the necessity for action arose,
be was quite sure he meld &pond on ovary men of
them, and all who bad worn their anNorm, to do their
best to reeve the integrity of the British soil—
(*opium. TM pad year had been in one respect very
mewed* homes* I had manned to pay their
debits, keep the men we clothed, do all they wanted,
sad wind up better by Ed than when they began the
sesion—(hear, hear). So far leo good; but, don't let
my of tbsir Made who were astioss to Isubscribe
flag in their purpose, for he had muds rather they bad
£4O, as that would enable them to provide many little
thiags. tibias maid set in the present state of affairs
be done. The drills of last year were well attended
asi suosessfuL They had six efficient. and 00 extra
effiatants ; unfortunately, poor Martin was game, sod
a bugler had left the town; so they began the year
with 58 extra efficient& six Alden* and one nen-
efficient. Be should mestiou that the latter arose
Ontell from accident, for Webber had attended all the
drills, and,., a very earnest member, and but for the
alteration of the map week, he would have made his
battalion drills. As they knew, h , the amine
sad the Goodwood week Juddered with the original
Suture, for it would net have done for them to have
had an officer from Portsmouth to review them in the
ram week, and he thought they must in future look
forward to the sump in the first week in August,
instead of the lent la Jaly ; and he trusted that
Webber, whom heart was with them, would so
arrange, now he bad warning, Gat this year he might
rank among the efficient@ esti extra-efficients. He was
pretty conlidenk that the recruits (4) enrolled—
although one was hardl7 a recruit, for he was as
member they bed acquired from another ocimpany
(War, ham), and one they had often met—would make
themselves diciest" by this end of the year, and extra.
efficient. too- This year probably, they would have
the Solder rldso. They would Nave to do • little
more in the third class, but there was one advantage
about it. via dist thaw whose oompations were press-
ing, on making $1; is the third elms, need not shoot
any further unless they were ambitious to be marksmen,
by which ease they must fire the other forty rounds.
That would meet the difficoldes of those whose basins
engagement. were urgent or who worked for
they Gould not eery well run away from the requisite
time. With regard to those who had not made them
selves sites-efficient', is the past year, he suggested
that a little more attention to doting and position
drill, and private practice. would enable them to obtain
certified.e which did not sod half-way down the page,
ishisb neither be nor they lied. The bandsmen he
bad already spoken to, and hoped this year they would
help to diminish the number of noe-eiliciente Be
trusted the Wad would so far fall in with the arrange-
meats hishad loads sate qualify themselves as Govern-
ment efficient& ; beyond that he did not require any-
thing. Still, if they could Immo to attend more
driller, mach the better,beeause is saes of need, or wises
they went out au • battalion' tudoestoldloff for duty ma
bead,they would make the Dorchester company stronger
In rank and lie. Spiders had been issued to battalioam
that stood at 83 per cent.; Dared ranked at 80, so
would probably moon ham them. When they same, it
would be aboolatsly necessary to have some menses
understudies, as to the care of the new rifies, bemuse
the Sadder was not a weapon they could put down and
leave to be clamed when and bow they liked. It
nsight he soesseary to *Medial' a rule that if any man's
rile was eentiatially and without reasonable grated,
left unmated for, they mast take charge of "the=
for him, and make him pay the nurse. A
must be taken as mach OM of as a little child, se if
asp of them meld sot keep it properly, it mast be put
out to nuns, tor Maid they would bays to pay, so let
them leek out for haNnearema a week—Haegider).
Ind peer be was oblige' be say to me or two um if
you can't mem to she parades, don't some hors at all.
He hoped sesth a thin would not mom again; and It
any of them found the time. arranged dashed with
their bruises@ engagement., so that they could not
manage to attend so often as was desirable, let
them meth* it, and he would see if some
scheme could not be scythed at for meeting
the difficulty. Be could not think there was
any business which could not admit of a man attend-
ing there for an hour ono" • week. They would now
, have to get on with the new drill, and he wished them
I to eet as forward es pomade before they met oat of
doors, so be had applied to the Mayor for leave to drill
in the new Cot n Exchange. For battalion purposes
they had uxed it, but then they had to pay s guinea •
night. He asked for it gratuitously, and tid so con.
kiently, for they were making • certain amount of
sacrilthe as representative men la the volunteer
movement ; they had earned credit for themselves and
the town ; and he thought they had a right to ask
the Crowd to abstain from taking • fee for the use of
the hall. Hs did not object to pay the other day,
because that concerned the whole battalion, which was
in a better position to pay than one sompany ; but he
thought they might fairly apply for the free use of the
Corn Exchange for the ten or twelve nqthts they would
require it; Tee "abject would some before the Council
OD Wednesday, and be trusted the applio•44 veviald ho
granted. If it were, he hoped they should have good
musters, ho punctual, aid work well while they were
there. He wished to mention an omission be made at
the annual supper. He did not see Sergeant Legg on
that occasion, and, through not seeing him, omitted to
make an acknowledgment of his services to the corps as
usual. lie thirstere dld it now. They wets well
satisfied with filerateent Legg, and wished to saknowledp
his attention to their muds in every way. He eon-
template& ramidng the rule se to points for drill in
shooting worm and substituting one requiring all oom.
petiton to have attended 15 drills, of which six should
be outof-doors. This would apply also to the pewter.
he gave, and it was under consideration whether it
should not be also extended to the sweepstakes. With
reference to the bed be misted to make them a little
more soldiers, and whatever they earned from Govern.
moot he proposed they should have half themselves mid
the other go to the bond fwd. If all the band became
efileiants it would almost bring them to that woodadal
soore-1(X) enrolled strength, 100 per mat, efficient"—
(laughter)--although that was one of the things be did
not believe was attained by f,nir dm" „,_When
they sousidered sickness, and wall,, utd6" Ia
families, and other mum, he did not pled
much reliance on • statement reporting the whdld
of a corps efficient& Still, it was possible, and if they t
meld present sash a return, and challenge all the
world to easelo their books, they might oongratulate
titeseselyes apes it. Ha should be proud to have to
ratan 100 per Nat. earnests, but he would not salmi
OM wash's'', aid Massa, in that position. Mimed
the lest 010010gthey had air6ind at a drill when the
=te and ate of their -Akers were examined. sad
mush prkle hi the norgeants obtained
ocrtilestes at prodelinelbleT would thee inatecially
help the kink, The liestenen_ got kis wild** aid
the enact had hint to a seed ot imbued*, for a
month, Rd his certifiable, and the distiageishing
mirk E 1.," while the Captain was newton at
present At the bet einuinnetion he was consider-
ably barraged by business which en:dueled his
atiendaises, and oa the @egad omasios of the
ITV°visit he was W. Be had now got to go
:bought that tine& waiting so long be
shr a differ exemistatima-7(herm. hoar). It
wattidelig
keiteedble that he amid pi 10 a school or
lastrostisa, so be must he coat with a oartileale
after an ezaninalien only. The was Indebted
10 11“ mistals. the Lientennits and tor what
Ow bad lam They bad teesatiy lost ase of their
bed trissole—Nr. Greeeing—wbose lees they media eli
sallikairst. Zs knew litsbmwosid resdily have
his teased Id do wished, sal made
H. 11 ed that it should 13
newirilhialvageteagat
and wail el Apra, lobes