The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-03-27 00:00:00

PATENT VOLTAIC BELT

LONDON NV

SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 1886.

OUR VOLUNTEERS.

WITH Eastertide operations looming in the
near future, all is activity among the various
sections of our Volunteer regiments of citi-
zen soldiers, and the present is no inoppor-
tune time for public attention to be directed
to the question of Capitation Grant, which
formed the subject
.matter of a motion by
Mr. Howard Vincent in the House of Com-
mons on Monday evening, for the insuffici-
ency of Government assistance to the Volun-
teers is loudly complained of in many
quarters. Parliament seemed practically
and really in sympathy with the object
aimed at, and with the sentiments expressed
by the mover of the resolutions and the
various hon. and gallant members them-
selves connected with our highly valuable
defensive force who followed him, but went
with the Prime Minister by a small majority
in refusing to listen to their suggestion at
that time, because the moment was ill
chosen for raising the matter. Not that the
Capitation question is not fully ripe for dis-
cussion, and not that its increase, as de-
sired, would be hotly oppesed by any con-
siderable portion of the house, but because
the recommendation to add to the Govern-
ment Army Estimates, which form Mr.
Howard Vincent's resolution took, was re-
garded as an attempt to induce Parliament
to usurp a part of the duty and prerogative
of the executive—a breach of constitutional
usage which Mr. Gladstone vehemently re-
sented. At the same time we cannot but
think that the Government might have in-
cluded the small sum, comparatively speak-
ing, necessary to satisfy Volunteer officers-
who are by no means extortionate in their
request—in the Army Estimates now before
the public. The authorities are not ignorant
of the wishes of the Volunteers, and have in
fact received them in deputation cordially
and courteously, and listened to what they
have to say. In due course they will,
doubtless, meet those who devote their time
so patriotically to preparation for the de-
fence of the country, but action, one would
have thought, could have been gracefully
taken in this direction without the delay
which led the Volunteers to adopting in des-
peration an attitude through their mouth-
piece, Mr. Howard Vincent, which came
perilously near to infringement of a re-
cognised constitutional principle. We trust
the haply indiscreet, though not unprovoked
haste of the Volunteers in persistently stat-
ing their case as indicated will not have the
effect of injuring the cause, for we can ill
afford to damp the vigour of the fine bodies
of men banded together in every district in
the coantry for purposes of military offence
or defence. The Volunteers are the best
remedy against the necessity for conscrip
tion, an evil which so saps the industry and
commerce of many Continental countries.
We ought to encourage them by adequate
State aid on that ground alone. Sir Edward
Hamley did not draw a picture at all too
dark of the terrible burdens imposed by con-
scription upon a nation; and where Volun-
teers are not an institution, conscription or
some form of compulsory service obtains as
an alternative. The cost of the Volunteers
does not exceed three guineas a head, cer
tainly a very cheap rate at which to obtain
a good, efficient, and intelligent soldier; and
our Volunteers have shown nobly that they
are good soldiers when the call to arms has
been heard. Sir Edward Hamley, Mr. Vin-
cent, and other hon. members made out a
very strong case indeed in the House for the
Volunteers, receiving some Ministerial sup-
port, in fact, and they would have carried
the day, without a doubt, but for the
threatened invasion of constitutional prin-
ciple resented by the Prime Minister. The
Volunteers are not so strong as they
would be by a long way if Government did
its duty to them, and gave them the encour-
agement they deserve. There are great
gaps in the commissioned ranks of the army.
of citizen soldiers, and this is largely ac-
counted for by the presumption that men
are willing to give theie leisure, and put
their hands in their pockets to a reasonable
extent also, in contributing to the efficiency
of Volunteer Corps, but cannot afford the
drain npost the purse which the present
system occasions to an officer anxious to
maintain the prestige of his company or
battery. The complement of Volunteer
officers would not now be as many as 1,100
short, with the enthusiasm and patriotism
which is so evident in the country, if willing
men were not damped down in spirit and
driven from the ranks by disgust of Govern-
ment meanness. We are not now asked to
maintain the Volunteers, all :that is requested
is an additional outlay upon the capitatio:
grant, which would only cost the county)
'about £120,000, and would yet greatly re-
duce the pressure upon the officers. Of
I course, even then, their Volunteering would
mean considerable pecuniary sacrifice to
those who are so well keeping up the satis-
factory presentment of our Volunteers ; but
they do notdemurat selfdenial when they see
the nation appreciating them and seconding
their efforts with praatical patronage. There
is danger, and grave danger, if we persis-
tently neglect the very moderate demands
of the Volunteers, that the officers will lose
heart altogether, and then our fine body of a
quarter of a million citizen soldiers may have
to be disbanded. If we permit this, the
penalty will be severe; for their places would
have to be filled by an enlarged militia, re-
cruited by conscription or some other ob-
jectionable method. In place of the present
Volunteers, of whom we are justly proud,
we should have a much more costly and far
less satisfactory auxiliary force, notto speak
of other incident all results which would in-
evitably follow a policy of national stinginess.

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