The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1868-02-04 00:00:00

11,.

It fetid $630.,
..—...
DORCHESTIR Rini CORPS

The usual seethes of the 3rd Dorset rifle corps took
place at heed quarters on Thursday evening. The
careers present were Captain Coombs, Lieutenant
Hodges, Colour t Gregory, Sergeant-Major
Newman, Serreentl.7•lnen, Ramsey, and Craw, and
there were 48 rank and file.
The arse business was tbe reading of a company order
by iderguot-Msjor Newman. announcing that in cense-
qu Sinai of Sergeant Cue having left the town, Corporal
Oeopin Greening was promoted to be Sergeant, and
Private George Case Jobe Corporal.
The new officers were then celled to their respestive
positions, and the corps having been formed into •
hollow equate,
Captain Coombs addressed Rhein. He staid that in
commencing the ninth year of their existence as • carp.,
he was happy to congratulate them upon the prosperity
of the domineer, and on the position they held in the
Dorset battalion. The use aisa•no might be regarded
on the vault as( e suitessa. The Salialsoe7 retrieve, the
camp at Wbbey IMlton, and the review et Wisymoistb,
all paced off under eisentostaues upon which might be
congratulated the whole battalion, and upecially No. 3
—(applatue). One thing pat ticularly might he notieed,
seeing that their organisalion had been designated, by a
man (Lord Ranelagh) who ought to have no smell
authority. • mere "abut." Bat the Dorset battalion
WY not quite a "sham," he thought, when eleven oat
of twelve companies could be brought to a given point
(and the hut eleven miles marched) within five intents'
of the time appointed for • general muster; whilst
the twelfth (Ist) company was only prevented arriving
at the same time through the bad arrangements of the
railway, with whistle of coarse they had nothing to do.
The Eneliith rifienien had been compared to the
volunteers at Montana, but the Garibaldinl were an
undieciplieed unskilled body; they were "volunteers"
certainly, hut without the drill and advantages of the
British rifle corps. He trusted that no one of them
would feel diserauseed by the observations of a
roan who ought to say so much for the
volution as Lord Ranelagh, but feel enured that
they bad done some good by their eight years' labours
Although Haws wield be many points 01 organisation,
'nett as commissariat and Übe, matters requiring iso-
prerecord, Tee if they were called upon to take the
field. be was Petaled that, the' Dorset boys" would be
found not quite "423frilitorne," gad that their ex-
penes's@ during tkilf hymn had not been thrown
away. They bad this year to regret the loss of three of
Muir sembere—Sergeant Corte and Privates Hour and
Dun. Sergeant Crafts hos left the town, through air-
ciumate.none which erase from time to Bops to take men
from the make. He was an able oon-comosisioned
°ace; very_ willing, and • good comrade in every way.
Of Private Hogg he might say the same. Private Dean
Ind not gone far away, but he hoped that what be held
bunt in the 3rd Dorset might, be of eas to him in the new
• sendoe he had chosen. and he trast.ed that his belonging
to the Dorchester Rile Corps might have been no smell
recommendation in his obtaining the office to which he
had been appointed in the Militla—(applause). The
promotion. made in consequence of these vacancies thy
had beard. He had no doubt whatever that Sergeant
Greening would sustele all the renown he gained as a
corporal and private, and that Corporal Case would be
very gas ions to emulate the efficiency of him predecessor.
The shooting if the c cps was fairly sucoesaful. At the
competition of the County Association six of the prises
were won by the 3r 1 Depot ; the clam. 'hooting, which
bsb.d purposed being got through early in the season,
was deferred in consequences of the bitter weather all
throosh March, but on the whole it resulted very sat's-
futorily. There were 54 extra effieients, men who had
shot out of the 3rd class; 61 efficteots • and 11 marks-
men. The best shot of the company is Sergeant Cross
—(applanse) and there are ten more entitled to wear
the marksman's badge, vie, Lieutenant Hodge..
Resign Willisni., colour-etergeant Gregory, Sergeant
Ore, fling, Corporals Chick and Case, Privet'. Lint,
God •In. T. Rogers, and Jeffrey. No one
who bed not won the badge this last Mason
could wear it in the current year. The sweepstakes
shooting rerulted in four pewter" only being won.
While speaking about shooting he would refer to the
use of the butts on unofficial and informal ocusiooe.
There was a great leak of caution manifested
kat sumnier and a very serious accident occurred
through members using the butte without applyieg
for leave, or Inking experienced markers with them.
He found it necessary to iseue an order that the butte
should never be used without permlcion from head
quarter', and the attendance of an experienced marker.
Had that been the cue at the time to which he
particularly referred the glass of the mantlet would
have been planed in its proper position, and the aecident
to Private Bryer would not have ite. orred. They had
a apsoolsl reason for deposing that accident, for it took
off the number of their efficient', u he wee quite
sure that Lad it not been for the accident Beyer
would have b.es amongst the efficient.. He hoped
that during the present year they should be more
fortunate, and 8r,.-es "plunk' was no good that
although he had only one oil. of his hoe In show he
was sore he would 001 a. out and make biased( an
efilciett this year (applause). There was an alteration
made with regard to their receiving the govercment
grants. Huth, rto it had been received by the Adjutant,
and before they 'null get it they had to sign a voucher
and • duplicate, aid • sett fleet* that it was proper to
be psid. A new arrangement, which he had no doubt
would be •ilooteil In the battalion, would save very
much the time of the Adjutant. The grant woold be paid
to him (the Captain), code committee would haveto be
appointed, consisting of himeelf and three of the corps,
who would have to Ago the receipt for the grant, and
having done that, unless it weld ba shown the money
wes misapplied, there would be no more tionble
with the Government about it. This new plan would
enable them to poly their btlls much wore promptly than
they had hitherto been able to do.—(Sergeant Major
Neerinse said they should get the last instalment of the
csvit .tino grant eight month, earlier than etoul).—They
had b.-en alert to must. r three recruits already, which
was equividi nt to the number they hod lost, Is
chorales recruits he mipht tell them that if they
acrapted indkeriminately every one who offered, they
tight get many more, but they had had an eye to
choraing those who would become reasonably
permanent members of the corps. They did not care
to receive •nybody and everybody: the cope was too
select a body to let any one in amongst them; and, on
the other bard it was no ug.• laying men, who, after
they bed taken ail the tror.ble of "grinding" them into
shape, would leave before the season was over, tio
long at they could mtpiter 24 file on parade, they would
not preseet • had aepearance. As to the drills for the
current year, he proposed to follow pretty much the
"erne counts as in the past season. Seery Thursday
there would be a drill, and the thod Thursday in each
month would be the adjut Int's night and • fulhdrets•
parade. Be urged the imto•rtance of the older members
a“ending the weekly duffle in order to Promote' the
efficiency of the younger bands and ri traits, and said
be holed ....et), one would make it • poiut of attending
on the adjutant's nights, for on those omissions they
wmild hue* little more improving work, and he had
had an intimation of • matter which w ii it give en
opportunity for criticising the offinere • little. lie
believed that this year certain root, menta wi old be
orderel, the adjutant and drill-sergeant would have to
go to the rear, end the officers would have to put the
corps through those movements and explain the mode
of doing them, and the positions of the officers
and non-commissioned officers of the crops under their
command. It was of the greatest important.. that there
should he such an attendance of men as would encourage
the officers and enable them to perform the duty
thoroughly, am•rtly, and well. Seven drilla in the
quarter meat bo attended to qualify for the corp.
shootine. They prow-teed this year to count drills in
the corpe shooting as they did in one competition last
year. Throe drills or nine recruit &ills would count as
One roint, but not more than ten pointa wroild moire on
account of chill*. No drill wotili count unless actually
attended, leave of absence being merely an act of
a ontesy on the part of the commanding officer. Ever,
'truant in his tutu wpold do duty as a covering
servant, and if aity oneo-if theca was &besot on the
evening when it was his tarn to take the duty the next
in orrer would be call. d upon, and the absent sergeant
would not take the duty again till his turn cams is the
Maier enures He booed they nhould have a genial
spring, and he able to got through the close shooting
early, and be trusted thew would endeavour to mumble
in large squads, so as to get it done in flee or six
meetings. With regard to the Salisbury review, al-
though they enjoyed it so much, unfortunately it
absorbed sli their marching coney, and it had been
fraud necessary to cell IMMO the different corps for
fonds; so this if they had any tansy for • Salisbury
',low or • Hauipd.ire review, miles. the Governim
gross was very much incr.-awe they must remember in
waking •r oolsitiort to 'Attend such me-tings, tat some•
thing woule have to b•-• paid towards the expenses from
tie corps fund—he dii not anticipate there could he
any cal on the linen themselves. Fortunately, as the
aecounta showed, they were eble to effort the LS which
lied to he pa d as their share of the &Rebury expense..
The map this veer wall probithly he &CO...nage. Tory
would proceed by railer., to Pula and thence by 14.11111•
boat "8...44 He sew the Colonel upon the ouhjeet,
aod ur.il upon him the absolute neceeity, if they
_went t ' See"ele, of having gnsranteed by evesnage and
Poole • sitelziarit setvio• of steamboat, to ply between
the two Pluet•. If that were done he thought Seepage
would he very •cee,Leig.Hippl....).
At the same
time, if the rameeny, 'cumbering Ensign Williams's
offer of a breakfast on thn road, should think it last Se
pleasant to march el•••n miles, halting at Bede Ccale,
sherd would be no diffieulty in its being done—
(sephinee). For himself he should be very happy to go
that way—(applause). But, if they adopted that route,
there most be • good 'ouster for the march, so that
there ahould not he men travelling by rail sod dropping
in singly on their entering the came. There was
wroth •r ooraideration for ding this—it would prev..nt
the great disappointment the Resign would •sperienee
If they did not have the breskfut he off-red them at
Corfo Caste. If they left Isorcheeter by the quarter to
'even tr.in. they would march to Corr* from Wantaan.
sod the castle iteelf woold be • very pretty piece
to hae.• breakfast in—(melette). With regard to the
bud, they hail to gine thanks to Bandmaster
Henry Wellspring for his efforts and baboon during the
put seaco—(applawee). The bend had been virtually
acknowledged as the beet in the battalion, notwith-
strin ling " the big top r--(lstighter). He believed
they would all say—and they bad marched past to it—
the 3-d Detect band was the one which suited them
best ace suited the battalion best when thee did mittrh
paat—(applause). It had been found newsier' this
year to renovate the instrument., at a 0.81 of EA the
greater pare of which by the help of their friends th•y
Lid bran table to defray. He had especially to thank
Private Fronton Smith for his inactions, and the other
performers at the concert fit their good services.
Atone el'. he had to Prorates the thanks of the corps to
me. F. W. smith for his kind Nrtinell-- -service, which
they had not the um,., oleic to have as those of his son,
and in order to give come slight expression to their
penes of the assistanee he rendered and to identify hint
core especially with the sorra, be begged to propose
that he he sleeted an boaceary member of the ooppg.-
(apolanie).
Liget cant Hodges suencips the reetionowa it
was
curried by soolamation.
Captain Coombs, in unelnami, aeknowledged in kindly
farce the "-alone and efileunt sorrows of Drills
lostruraor Lege, and expressed a hope that he
long remain with them—tapplstiee).
Lientenant Hodges, afar expositing the happinue 14
afforded him to meet the members of the emu at the
commencement of *weber mason, mid ha fat quite