October 22 1896.1
J
|
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
|
Great
309
transferred from here to other they are succeeded by others it that that Company must fall through no fault of their own. have been taken to recruit it, but the fact that if a man is transferred from Hongkon Kobe or Shanghai, unless his successor takes his place, they must in consequence be one short. I do not know whether you can by any means induce people who have taken the place of men who have been drafted out of the colony to take their place in the Volunteers. The condition of affairs now does not lie with the present mem- bers; I know each man is keen on the matter. It is simply a question of whether you can in- duce people to take the place of men you have lost. I may say that you have made my appoint- ment exceedingly pleasant. I have never been connected with the Volunteers before in my life. The appointment I had to hold was adjutant of militia, but how they came to make the mistake I do not know. (Laughter.) I have tried three branches of the service and, as a friend of mine said, with indifferent success. (A voice-W object to that.) As a matter of fact I had not been connected with the Volunteers and consequently I have had an entirely new ex- perience, which has been very pleasant. I have learned a great deal which may be very useful to me in the future, because I shall serve until I am kicked out. (Loud applause.) I have been well supported and now I have the satisfaction to know that at all events the little efforts I have put forward have been fully appreciated in the manner you have shown. (Applause.)
here-to-night and giving us the pleasure of his company. (Applause).
The CHIEF JUSTICE Major Pemberton, officers, and men, I had no idea that Major Pemberton was going to honour me proposing the toast of my health to-night. I appreciate the compliment he has paid me very much. I was very glad he me to come and see the practice with the seven pounders and the Maxim guns. With regard to that I have never seen a practice of that kind in my life and I should have been very glad to have seen it, but my learned friend on my right (Mr. Francis) prevented me from doing so, as just about the time the guns were merrily blasing away at Stonecutters' Island I was listening to an elaborate argument by him at the court house. Although his argument was very elaborate and eloquent I would much rather I hope he will forgive me for saying so have been on Stonecutters' Island. (Loud applause). Major Pemberton has kindly alluded to the interest I have always taken in the Vo- lunteer Force I think I told a select but small number of members a few evening ago that I had been a member of a Volunteer Corps in England. It was a small Corps and a Corps that laboured under difficulties the Oxford University Rifle Volunteer Corps-and I had the honour of hold- ing a commission in that Corps. It is a good many years ago and a good many years before some of you gentlemen were born. (Laughter.) Since then I have had the honour of holding a commission in the British Guiana Volunteers. In addition I may say that one of the things I am most proud of doing in my life is that I have drilled for a period of fire weeks with the Grenadier Guards the first foot battalion in the British army. (Ap. plause) Major Pemberton said something about Mr. Francis, Mr. Whitehead, and myself being invited here because he was anxions to get persons who would take an interest in the Force at your hospitable board this evening. I believe I can answer for my friends that they do take an interest in this Corps. (Applause.) I am sure I can answer for myself. The Corps can be productive of only good to the young men who belong to it and the colony which it adorns. (Applause.) I hope that your Corps will always flourish and that it will be useful in every way, and that you will become a stronger and more important Corps than you are. (Applause). I was very glad to hear from Major Pemberton that your numbers had increased and I venture to hope that your efficiency has increased with your numbers. I may say that if I can in any way serve your Corps I am entirely at service. (Loud applause.) Mr. Francis and Major Pemberton will bear me out in saying that soon after my arrival in this colony. I ventured to say that if there was one thing in my life I regretted it was that I was not a soldier. (Applause) If you cannot be a soldier and you have a taste for the life the next best thing is to be an imitation soldier. (Lond laughter and applause.) If you will bear with me for one moment before I sit down there is a toast which occurs to me you would like to hon-been able to secure without any difficulty what-nected with the military. (Applause.) our to-night. With your leave I will pro- pose it for your cordial acceptance. I suppose you know that in a very short time your present Commandant will be leaving you and will probably not be again connected with you. He has made a zealous and efficient Commandant of the Hongkong Volunteer Corps. (Lord applause.) I am quite sure that you will all regret his severance of his connection with the Corps. I have had the pleasure of knowing Major Pemberton for a very short time, but from the little I have known of him I am sure he is made of the right stuff. (Applause.) Now, gentlemen, without more words on that point, because I do not like to say more about him lest he should blush too much—(lond laughter) I ask you to join with me in drinking the health of Major Pemberton, and may succes and promotion await him in Her Majesty's service wherever he goes. (Loud applause.)
The toast was most enthusiastically drank, the whole company rising and lustily singing
For he's a jolly good fellow."
your
Major PEMBERTON, in reply, said-Your Honour, and gentlemen, I did not expect when we sat down to dinner that I should have been called upon at a very short notice to reply to a
toast, but nevertheless I thank you most deeply for the way in which you have received the toast the Chief Justice has given you now that I am about to sever my connection with you after a service of nearly two years. A certain amount has been done within those two years and I will just briefly review in the short time we have got what has been done. When I first of all became the Commandant the numbers were not so great as they are now, but that we will pass over. The point is that my predecessor had not got the time, although he had the wish, to promote the improving of the efficiency of the Corps, and it was impossible you could have expected it. But I had the time, otherwise I most certainly should not have taken the position. I landed in the colony at Kow- loon in December, 1896. I had known Colonel Jerrard before and four days after I arrived here he approached me about taking the command of the Corps from him and I was appointed Commandant in February, 1895. Since then, with the assistance of Captain Gordon, without whom I could have done very little-(applause) -as I have had very little to do with artillery, except that I have been through a course of gan drill, and I could have done nothing without Captain Gordon's assistance, backed up by the officers and non-commissioned officers of the Corps -we have succeeded in greatly improving the efficiency of the Corps. The first thing that occurred to me was that it would be a good thing to assimilate as far as possible the instruc- tion to the Volunteers with what they have in England, that is, a camp of exercise at a certain period of the year. Last year was held the first camp the Corps had had for many years-I
Mr. FRANCIS-Major Pemberton and gentle- do not know how many years, but it was beyond men, I have the Chief Justice's permission- the memory of man. I proposed that the camp (laughter)-to say that he will have very great- should be in mat sheds. The reason I did that pleasure in presenting a prize for shooting with was this. Whenever you start a thing that is the seven pounders on the first occasion you can new; it is always better to make the people manage to have a meeting on the Hongkong side. (Loud applause). He has been very taking part in it as comfortable as you can. (Applause and laughter.) I was tied to time much disappointed, I know, that he was unable and I was compelled to choose this period of the to get over for the firing and something, said just now that year, and I did it in conjunction with Captain I forget what, was McCallum, who was acquainted with the possibly an arrangement may be made, for some practice over on the Hongkong side at an climate. I thought if we had a camp we would have it in mat sheds, so as to try to early date at which the Chief Justice might be I believe that able to attend. I made the suggestion to him induce members to come over.
was the reason why so many
and he fell in with it at once, and that may that: camp
be able, with your permission, to be present at recruits joined in April, while a great many joined in May, Ten or twelve a month the firing too I propose also, with Major Pem- is a very considerable number compared withberton's permission, to offer a small second prize the number per month in previous years. I think the camp was very successful, but not anything like so successful as it has been this year. (Applause.) The attendance this year has been infinitely better, taking it altogether, than it was last year. There was another thing. About the month of April, when the inspection on, I arranged with really no difficulty that His Excellency Sir William Robinson should be present at the inspection. I pointed out that now that the force had attained certain proportions it would be a good thing if he could make it venient to show himself on inspection parade, and he did so. (Applause.) I have always ever General Barker or General Black as Hoa. T. H. WHITEHEAD-Major Pemberton, inspecting officer and they have certainly made your Honour and gentlemen, I feel it a very a point of being present. (Hear, hear.) We great honour to have been asked to be present have now arrived at the present stage. here this evening, and I have enjoyed myself At first it very doubtful whether right thoroughly. I sincerely hope that in the the weather would permit us to hold this camp next Commandant you will have as worthy a at all, but I must say we have been wonderfully man as Major Pemberton. (Applause.) One has only to look at him to realise that he is favoured in the matter of weather. General did not say anything to you to-day, made of the right stuff and of the right sort. because he sees you officially once a year; (but (Applause.) I think you will agree with me that he told me that the firing was uncommonly he is a man in every sense of the word—(ap
He plause) and I sincerely hope that you will good. He had not seen you fire better. did not see you at Pokfulam and he was very have as worthy a successor. I myself have had well pleased indeed with the practice to-day. a good many years' experience in volunteering (Applause.) Now I think that a certain im- in the old-country and in India, but never in pulse has been given to volunteering in China, and I regret that time has not permitted me to take up volunteering here. It was my this colony, bat
greatest weakness at one period of my life, but somehow, or other I have not had the time lately. I was extremely disappointed that the Sugar Refineries have not lent that support to the Maxim Gun Corps that they might have lent, and I think the merchant firms and banks are very much to bla having so few resentatives in the Corps. Years ago, when it was first started
Mr Mackintosh I remember speaking.
came
W&s
con-
The
more is wanted. The Field Battery undoubtedly is in a far more flourishing condition than it was when I first knew it; the numbers alone are quite sufficient to prove that. (Applause.) Now with regard to the Maxim Gun Corps. Here we are amongst ourselves and whatever remarks I make you may depend upon it I say what I really think. The constitution of the Maxim Company is such that it is composed of British subjects who are employed. in banks and offices and they are.
(Applause.) Now, gentlemen, may I further say, with reference to what has fallen from your Commandant when he was proposing the health of Dr. Carrington, that when he gave the reason for inviting Dr. Carrington, Mr. Whitehead, and myself here this evening, that any assistance I can at any time g--A the men of the Corps is absolutely at their disposal. (Applause.). I would rather any day attend a military parade or a march in front of a military band (laughter)-than marching in a procession in Westminster Hall, headed by the Lord Chancellor and the Lord Justices. (Ap plause.) If I have one proclivity more than another it is in my fondness for anything con
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.