The Sun.
London, England, 1868-08-03 00:00:00

THE WINDSOI? REVIEW.

A. circular (signed "Longford") has been iEsued from the
War-office, in which the Secretary of State regrets that he
has received an unfavourable report of the discipline of a
portion of that part of the volunteer force which, after
the review before her Majesty at Windsor, on the
20th of June, returned to their destinations by Datchet.
Unsteadiness and irregularity had prevailed in some corps
while on the review ground, many men leaving the ranks
when formed up in brigades; and when the review
was over, brigades were broken up and corps
were marched off the ground without orders,
some even before her Majesty had left the ground.
fly the time the head of the column approached Datchet
Pontoon-bridge, stragglers bad already arrived ; and the
crowd continued increasing tbrouGhout the evening,
and became unmanageable. The Secretary of State calls
the attention of the volunteer forgo to paragraph 22 of
the General orders issued upon the 16th of June, to the non-
observance of which, upon the part of the officers and
men, the disorders and irregularity which on this occasion
have reflected so much upon the character of the force are
to be almost entirely attributed. Tho Secretary of State
calls attention to these orders, as it is necessary that it should
be understood that, though it is optional with the men
whether they join the force or not, yet when they aro
under arms in the ranks they must no longer act inde-
pendently, but obey implicitly the orders of their officers,
and attend to the usage of the military service, without
which no military arrangement can b 3 efficiently conducted.

THE OUTRAGE IN THE SOUTH SEA

ISLANDS.

Some further correspondence has been published relating
to the importation of South-Sea Islanders into Queens-
land. It may be remembered that a while ago serious
outrages were committed by the natives upon vessels visit-
ing the islands, and in some cases murders were committed,
the avowed object being revenge for the abduction to, or at
least furcil,lo retention in, Queensland of is portion of male
natives, who, it was all ,ged, hal been decoyed there for tem-
porary service only. Sir George Brown directed that inquiries
should be made into the caus3s of the grievance, and Com-
mander Bingham, of Lor Majesty's ship Virar, was deputed
to perform this duty. lu a despatch received by the Duke
of Buckingham on the 22d ult., from the officer administer-
ing the Government of Queensland, the result of this in-
quiry is given. Mr. M. C. O'Connor says, in reference to the
treatment and mode of engaging those of the islanders
who were employed on board vessels engaged in Beebe-do-
Mer fishing in Torres Straits and the neighbourhood of
Cape York, that it is necessary to find that Captain Bing-
ham has been enabled, from personal observation, to come
to the conclusion that none of these people were brought
away from their homes against their will, or maltreated.
lie adds :—"I am enabled also to report to your grace that
on inquiry from the emigration agent in this colony (who
is now, under the Polynesian Labourers' Act, charged with
the supervision of these islanders in Queensland), I learn
that the employment of these people continues to be very
favourably thought of by those gentlemen who have en-
gaged them ; that the men themselves, on the establish-
ments he has visited, aro apparently industrious, contented,
and happy ; and that he has, up to the present time, Lad no
complaint of ill-treatment of any kind."