The Sun.
London, England, 1870-01-27 00:00:00

TEE VOLUNTEERS.

A meeting of the field officers and captains of
the administrative and consolidated battalions of
Warwickshire Rifle Volunteers was held at Bir-
mingham on Friday night, Lieutenant-Col. Rat cliff
in the chair. Among the officers present were
Colonel Machell (Leamington.) Major fiebbert,
Major Richards, Captains Edwards, Chattock,
WTalford, INl‘lnnis, Brown, Salt, Chesshire, Briggs,
ilazlehurst, Burt, Mole, and Thornton. The Go-
vernment proposals fcr modifying the capitation
grant and other regulations of the force having been
considered the following was proposed by Major
flebbert, seconded by Major Richards, and carried
unanimously :—" That the Government proposals
for the regulation of Rifle Volunteers appear
to this meeting illusory as regards the
hope held out of additional pecuniary aid
by increasing the capitation grant to effective
members ; that regarded as a whole, these
regulations seemed calculated seriously to in-
jure
the present position and usefulness of the
force, and to diminish the zeal and interest of the
officers in its efficiency, if not wholly to destroy it.
We are of opinion that as little change as possible
should be made in the present constitution and re-
gulations of the force ; but that the increased libe-
rality, which was professedly the primary object of
the new scheme, should be made real and substan-
ti 11, so that every effective member might be en-
titled to a capitation grant of not less than 30s.
We are also of opinion, that in return for this
increased grant, the members of the force should,
if so required by the Government, submit to more
stringent rules, for securing greater efficiency
among both officers and men. We are also of
opinion that the time has arrived when some consi-
deration is due to the officers of the corps, upon
whom have mainly rested the organization, drill,
and maintenance of the force, from the period of
its establibbrnent ten years ago to the present."
And the following scheme was proposed :
" 1. The Government Capitation Grant, when
earned, to be at the disposal of the commanding
officer and committee, according to the exist-
ing War-office regulations. 2. The present dis-
tinction of efficients and extra efficients to be re-
tained. 3. The capitation grant to be 203. for
each efficient, and a further sum of 19s. for extra
effioieney in musketry practice. 4. Eflicients to go
through every year all the usual preliminary drills
and lectures, with position and aiming drill, and
attend six company drills with their own company,
and six battalion drills, a minimum of 12 files to
be fixed, without which no company drill shall
count ; and a minimum of four companies of 16
files for battalion drill. Extra efficients to pass
into the second class, and to fire ten rounds in
volley firing, with a minimum of five files for each
volley. 5. Officers, on the expiration of six months
after joining, or promotion, to undergo such reason-
able examination as the Government may require.
6. Officers who have served ten years and up-
wards, on retiring, to retain their rank. 7. All
'other existing regulations now in force to remain
unaltered." The resolutionists add—" We are in-
duced to urge most strongly the propriety, indeed,
,the necessity, for retaining the present distinction
bet %TOL) efficietits and extra-efficieuts ; and for in-
ereaeieg the nt to each extra-efficient, for the fol-
lowing among manyreasons :-1. That the whole
charges for uniforms, ranges, ('rill sergeants, and
heal-quarters, are incurred equally for every mem-
ber of the battalion, whether efficient, extra-effi-
cient, or non-efficient, the result being known only
at the close of the year, when the official returns
have to be made to the War- effiee. 2. That the
proposal of the Government, that each member
shall either make himself efficient and earn the 30s.
grant or ray 30.. to the corps, has been found by
ex-perience to be utterly impracticable. 3. That
such additional aid has become more important by
reason of the War-office Circular of M;437 last, re-
gniring Volunteers (after the example of Aldershot)
to assemble for brigade field days, which the pos-
session of such funds would enable the command-
ing officers to secure by payment of railway fares
and expenses for the men who assemble for that
purpose." By a final resolution it was determined
that a copy of the foregoing, or a memorial founded
thereupon, be sent to Lord Leigh, as Lord Lieu-
tenant of the county, with a request to his lordship
to forward the same to the Secretary of State for the
War Department.