The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-01-10
THE FIRST BATTALION.

| Honolulu Rifles Field and STAFF Elec-
tion-Banquet to Past and Present
Officers by Lieut. Colonel V. V. Ash
ford.
Upon the call of Major Hebbard, COM
manding First Battalion, Hawaiian Vol
unteers, the line officers of that corps,
| better known as the Honolulu Rifles,
met at the Armory yesterday evening to
| elect the field and staff for the ensuing
year. The result was as follows:
Major-commanding, H. F. Hebbard.
Adjutant, II. c. Myers.
QUartermaster, w. W. Hall.
Ordnance Officer, c. T. Wilder.
Surgeon, John Brodie, NJ. D.
After the meeting had adjourned
Lieut.. Colonel V Y. Ashford, command
ing the Hawaiian Volunteers, enter
tanned the past and present officers OF
the Rifles at banquet spread in one OF
the company rooms. A very fine repast
was spread by Mr.. Steiner of the Elite
ParIors and served by his attentive
walters. Col. Ashford presiding had on
his right Major Sam. Nowlein, COM
handing the Second Battalion, Capt.
Mccarthy OF Co. d, Capt. Ziegler of Co.
A, Second Lieut. Wall of Co. B, First
Lieut.. Wicke OF Co. D, ex-Lieut. A. B.
Carter, First Lieut.. Robertson of Co. B,
Second Lieut.. Masche of Co. A, ex-
Lieut.. J. NJ. Vivas, First Lieut., G. Will
ling of Co. A, and then in the vice-chair
Capt.-Adjutant Hugh Gum. To the left
of the Colonel sat Major Hebbard, ex-
Capt. G. w. Ashford, Surgeon Brodie,
Capt. Langley of Co. G, Capt. Fisher of
Co. B, ex-Adjutant George Mcleod,
Second Lieut.. Wichman of Co. d, First
Lieut.. Camara of Co. G, and ex-Lieut.
Chan. Wilder.
When the attack upon the commissary
had waned, Colonel Ashford proposed
the following regular toasts:
His Majesty the King and the Royal
Family 1.-THE proposer making appro-
pirate remarks and the health being re-
ceived with loyal honors.
d" His Majesty's Minister'S" responded
to by His Excellency c.. w. Ashford
"The Honolulu Rifles" Major Heb
bard responding.
Volunteer toasts then came thick and
fast, the first being "Our Colonel"
Col. Ashford, after cordially thanking
his guests for the honor enthusiastically
accorded him, recalled his pleasant ex-
perience as both a member and All
officer OF the corps. He believed that
some kind of a military organization
was necessary in this Kingdom owing to
exceptional circumstances. In this he
did not refer particularly to the presence,
in greater or less numbers, of national
tiles from Asia. Africa, or any other
quarter; but there was a large floating
population liable to be acted upon by
various impulses, which made it seem
essential to have military force capa-
BILE of putting down with a strong hand
any uprising in the midst of our mixed
population. Their wives, daughters and
sisters-or failing these their sweet
hearts-would enjoy greater sense of
security in the knowledge OF there being
a potent arm OF defense. With
out it Ehe conditions made it not
only possible but probable that
the occasion would arise to show
that a military organization was neces-
sary for internal protection. A very
good motto which was being acted upon
now in Germany particularly and in
Europe generally was that in order
to maintain peace we should be pre-
pared for war. 1t was just as important
motto when applied to domestic al
fairs as it was to those existing between
the nations. 1t might not be necessary
to keep up a strong force, but it should
be an efficient one. He believed that
majority OF the voters of the
Kingdom, and he did not speak
in a political sense, were friendly
to the existing military organizations.
The same remark was true regarding the
men at the head of affairs. He believed
that the military bodies at present estab-
lished would get all the support they
required, and that the stability of the
country might be safely left to the Ha-
Walian Volunteer Militia. They should
apply this especially to the battalion
with which they were connected, whose
honor it was theirs to maintain, and the
motto of which was 6 Semper paratus."
Col. Ashford resumed his seat amidst
loud applause.
Other t0asts were responded to by
Captain Langley, Captain Ziegler, Cap
tain Fisher and others. Captain G. }.
Mccarthy responded IN Il mirth-provok
ing manner for "The Ladies'" followed
in a similar strain by Lieut.. A. Robert
son, who was later called up to respond
to his personal health as Attorney
General of the Debating Club" Major
NOWleln Drleny acknowledged the nOnOrS
to himself and his command.
Col. Ashford took occasion to propose
the health of Capt. II. Gum, introduce
ing him at the same time as Adjutant of
the Hawaiian Volunteers, vice Capt. J.
H. Fisher elected to the command of
Company B.
The pleasant entertainment, which
was conducted on temperance principles,
was brought to a close by the singing OF
"Auld Lang Syne.'