The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-08-29 00:00:00

TB It sTornIII4IDGE 011SERTFR.

.' As a small memento of the occasion we beg Walker's knowledge lent to his firmness, his tact(
your acceptance of this biscuit box." and every possible qualification they could expect;
c
The following was the inscription on thebook :
and they would soon find the new ommanding
Major Walker—Presented by the Stourbridge
officer, rivalling the old one. He (the speaker) was
"
Rifle Corps on his resigning the command.—Au-
luite certain he had the requisite knowledge and
gust 22, 1874." 'the firmness, a qualification-by which not only to
command men but to win them. He next referred
Major Walker said it had been his good fortune to Lieutenant Walker, and said they would have
to have his health proposed and drunk at meetings been glad if he had accepted the captaincy. No
of rifle volunteers on many previous occasions, and one excepting the Major had been more with the
he had always prized the sentiments expressed on corps than his brother Lieutenant Walker. They '
those occasions; hut on that occasion he prized it had tried to get him to succed his brother, but the
still more highly, at it was the last time he should exigencies of business had prevented it. They
have the pleasure of presiding over them as their regretted this exceedingly, as no person had per.
commanding officer. Quarter-master Sergeant formed his duties with more credit to the corps,
IMarten had been kind enough to allude in flatter- the county, and himself, than Mr. Walker had—
, ing terms to the way in which he had conducted (applause).
that corps, and had spoken about a certain amount Private Fichew then sang
a comic song, which
of ability to command, which he alleged had been caused considerable laughter, after which
evidenced by him. He did not know that he de- Sergeant Evers proposed the health of Lieuten-
served that eulogium, but most certainly he had ant Walker, and in doing so he said that although
wished to do so. They all knew that although he he had not had the same opportunity as other offi-
had had great pleasure in performing the pleasant cers of displaying his skill in the drudgery work,
part of his duty in giving praise, that when it had he had always proved himself to be a valuable ac.
been his duty to complain he had done so equally quisition to the corps. Ile begged to propose the
steadily, and equally fearlessly; and he was quite health of Lieutenant Walker, and, as he was about
certain that it was his unflinching performance of to leave the corps, he should ask for it to be given
that part of his duty which had taught them to with "three times three.",
' speak better of him, and not the praise—(cheers). This was done with great enthusiasm.
!There was none of them who would have thought Lieutenant Walker told them he was very much
' well of him if he had allowed any laxity to go on; obliged to them for the very kind manuer in which
and if there was anyone there who had had the they had drunk his health, and to Sergeant Evers
misfortune to be spoken to by him in any other for the kind way in which he had proposed it. He
words than those of praise, he hoped he would bear was also very much obliged to them for the kind.
in mind that it had been his duty to do so as their nem he had experienced in that corps for so many
commanding officer. Ile would now speak of the years. He was one of the first to join that corps,
small amount of wipleasantuess there had heen in and he had been in every rank from that of private
the corps, since they had had the happiness to be to lieutenant since that time—(cheers). He had
together, there had never heen a disagreement in tried to do his duty, and this had been made much
that corps. It had gone on without the slightest easier to him through the ready obedience of the
hitch of that kind ever since it had been a corps( men. When he had been in command everything
That was a thing of which they had a right to be had been done as he could have wished it, and he
prond—(applause). It was the duty of every one had to thank them for the great attention tkat had
' there, from the commanding officer to the private, been paid; and he also took that opportunity of
to promote harmony in the corps. They often thanking Adjutant Wolrige for telling him what
heard of disturbances in other corps, but they had was his duty. He sincerely regretted that he was
not experienced anything of the kind although obliged to leave the corps, but his business arrange.
their corps had now been in existence for la years. ments would not allow him to remain in it any
This was due to the cordial way in which he had longer. He had been asked to take the captaincy,
been supported by the commanding officers and the but he felt that he had not the leisure time to spare
privates by which he had been surrounded. He and he, therefore, considered it his duty to retire
never knew one who had not been willing to throw from the corps.
himself cordially into the work which they had had Major Walker proposed the next toast, and in
iu hand. When he received is small note from doing so said he wished there was more time, as he
Sergeant Evers the previous day, asking him to was going to ask them to drink the health of their
select one from a few articles, as the members of fpture captain, Mr. Grosvenor. They had had the
the corps wished to make him a presentation, he opportunity of seeing him on two or three °cm-
was rather taken by surprise. If it had been any-
thing in the shape of an expensive testimonial, that sions,and after hearing what Adjutant Wolrige had
said about his efficiency, he would not waste their
might have been regarded as anything in the way time; but he would ask them to drink the health
: I compensation for his sees-ices, he should have of Captain Grosvenor, and he would ask them to
declined it. He did not, however, look upon it as do in the future to him as they had to him (Major
a testimonial for his services, but simply as an ex. Walker) in the past; believing that when he gave
pressisn of th ir go niw:ll, and in that light ho them an order he thought it his duty to give it, and
cordially accepted it—(eheers). Amongst the making tip their minds that he in his position of
articles sent him there were an inkstand and a commanding officer had a better chance of knowing
hunting flask, besides the biscuit box. He should what it was desirable to do, and then the corps
very mush have liked the hunting flask, and for would succeed better, and they would become still
souse time he was divided between that and the more efficient—cheers).
biscuit boz, but at length he chose the latter, be. The toast was drunk with "musical honoure."
cause he should use it oftener than any of the Adjutant Wolrige then sang "Old King Cole,"
other articles sent to him, and, consequently, he
should be reminded more frequently of the pleas. the chorus being joined in with great heartiness by
all present.
Mg days he lied spent with the corps. (great Mr. Grosvenor. in responding to the toast or his
cheering). When he was promoted to that batta- health, said that they could easily imagine that it
lion the only drawback Was that he felt that his was with a great deal of diffidence that he accepted
days with them were abridged. Some of the hap-
piest days in his life Mut been spent with that the command of that company. Knowing what an
excellent officer he had to succeed it almost looked
corps—(apptanse). He next referred to the ap-
pointment of Mr. Grosvenor as captain of the like presumption for a oun yg, man like himself to
take it; but knowing that he should have Major
Stourbridge Rifle Corps, and said he was sure they Walker's counsel and advice he had undertaken it,
wmld look up to him in the same way that they One thing which induced him to take it was the
hail looked up to him—(Major Walker). They way
would find that he would prove worthy of them all, in which they took his command, when he
acted as their officer. He felt that although he had
They would find him a most excellent officer, and the command of a corps they (those present) were
he would go on advancing them in their state of avery efficient corps, and his duties would be corn-
efficiency from year to year in the same way that Laratively easy. From the way in which they had
they bad hitherto done. Again, he thanked them unk his health, he felt that although they did not
from the bottom of his heart for that memento of know him they were willing to take him on faith.
their goodwill and kindly wishes towards him, which He would try to deserve that confidence, and hoped
had just been presented to him. Major Walker that when the time came for his leaving them they
then sat down amid prolouged and deafening ap- would he able to say of him, as they had that day
plause. said of their retiring captain—Major Walker—
Daring the interval which followed Corporal (great applause).
Egan sang with considerable spirit "Nil Deeper- Private Brown sang "Bell Mahone," with con-
e:return, and was loudly applauded. siderable taste and feeling, during the interval
Major Walker then said that whilst Sergeant which followed, and was loudly applauded.
Ellirrig was thinking of the words of "The lisle The heaths of the " Non-commi,sioned officers,'
Irish Stew," he would propose them a toast which the "Drill Instructor," and "The Privates," were
would not need any words from him to ensure it a given and responded to.
hearty reception. He should ask them to drink The enjoyment of the evening was considerably
:he health of the best adjutant in the Volunteer enhanced by the playihg of the baud who performed
Service—Aajutant Wolrige—who was quite as selections of music at frequent intervals during
staunch a friend, as he was an excellent soldier.— the evening, in a very creditable manner.
(The toast was given with "three times three,"
amid vociferous cheering). _ . _

Sergeant Harris then sang the "Rate Irish stew,'
us excellent style. Sergeant Harris's song, which
is an old favourite, was loudly encored. In response
he sang the "Grecian Bend."
Adjutant Wolrige said he was very glad to find,
and he hail no doubt the Sergeant Instructor was
also very glad to find that the "Grecian bend" was
in favour in the corps, because he dared say they
1 all knew that the new extension drill was the
I Grecian bend to all intents and purposes—(laughter
and cheers). With reference to the "Irish stew,"
I the virtues of which had just been glowingly set
forth by Sergeant Harris he remembered that some
years ago a canteen kettle was introduced into the
army, in which to make the Irish stew. The only
argument he (the speaker) ever heard against it
was that the kettle had such an enormous nourish-
ing power that any oue who ate of it could not
drink anything afterwards—(laughter). He must
apologise for not having been present with them in
the Corn Exchange. But these were stirring times,
and adjutants, no more than any one else, had any
special time to themselves. He was called away
in order to decide on the changes in uniform which
had been ordered by the Government. That had
detained him some hours later than he expected,
and that was the reason he was not there before.
With reference to the alterations of uniform, he
was afraid that the little bit of red which they now
worn would be taken away. They were ordered
to wear a little green, so that they might be dis-
tinguished as volunteers; and the militia would
have white, so that three arms of the service would
be different. They wished to adopt the uniform of
the 60th Rifles, but with the alterations that were
made that was scarcely preferable to that which
they themselv, a wore, as the red worn by the 60th
Rifles was of a brick red, the one they had adopted
being crimson. He next referred to the regulations
that were mole with reference to the shooting of
volunteers for prizes at Hartlebury, and told
it se p eseut that their corps had been selected to
Aroot at the long ccige ir.t this year. There was
uo duty that he per,ormed in the course of the
year that he went through with a graver sense of
his responsibility, than he did thror gh this annual
shooting. And the reason of this was, that no
matter what good rules had been laid down, still at
I the last they frequently fail in the execution. He
considered that it required a younger man, and
one less irritable than himself to carry the meet-
ing to a successful issue—(cries of " No, no. If
he had only to deal with his own corps it would be
different, and, however, disagreeable the answers
of the Executive Officer might be, they must excuse
it by bearing in mind the mutinous and difficult
duties he had to perform. Major Walker had
alluded to him in terms of praise which he felt he
did not deserve, because he knew there had been
younger men going in with greater advantages and
greater knowledge than himself. When he went
into the army some years ago, the man who studied
the details of his profession was looked upon as a
drudge. Recent events had altered that, and the
man who has the most knowledge went into the
army with very great power. He had been very
attentive to his duties when he was in the army,
mainly because he was in anticipation of being
paid for it in the future. He, as a poor man, was
not in a position to give thousands of pounds for
promotion and when he found that military ability
would not get him on, he left the army, and came
t; what he considered was the rising force of the
day—(applause)—for he believed that in time
there would be no ot her service than the volunteers.
He believed that in time they would come to be a
substitute for the regular service. Since he had
alluded to Major Walker, he would say that it was
simply from the talent h. had displayed and his
sterling qualities as an officer that he had been
selected for promotion. He would now refeeto tie
successor. No man had a greater interest in the
corps than he (the speaker) had. In looking around
the locality to find a suitable person to take the
captaincy of the corps, they experienced consider-
able difficulty in choosing one lit to take the com-
mand of a large volunteer corps like that. Mr.
Grosvenor had at length been Axed upon as an
eligible person for the post, and that gentleman
had accepted the command of the corps with the
thorough approval of Major Walker and himself.
When he (the speaker) came there first, the officer
of that corps lived at Stottrt in. Michael Graze-
brill, another officer, lived at Audnam, and then
at Stourton, so that the fact that Mr. Grosvenor
resided a short distance away from here was not
without precedent. They were a long time trying
to get him in at all, and when they got him in at
Kidderminster, and the very first time he acquired
such a knowledge of the duties he would have to
perform, for his examination, which could it fairly
have been put to the test as thoroughly as he the
speaker, could have wished it, no man would have
passed it better. It so happened that there were
a greal number of officers, and they did not go ie.()
it as fully as usral. Previous to that he examined
him himself, and he did not put a single question
to him which was not answered. He knew the sue-
cm of that corps bad been duo not only to Major