April 16, 1898.1
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from that day to the present the movement had gained strength and force and efficiency. Enthusiasm was aroused, and throughout the country volunteers were enrolled under the Act of George III., the Act of 1804. The condi- tions of service, however, under that Act were found not to be quite suitable to modern times, and the result was that in 1863 the Volunteer Act was passed. In a few months in 1857-60 the total number of enrolled Volunteers was not less than 11,900. The movement at that time was chiefly in the hands of the wealthy and professional classes. At that time the artisan and labouring classes took comparatively little part in it. Royal recognition of the force was not wanting. In March, 1860, the Queen held a levy at which 2,500 officers of Volunteers were presented to her. On June 23rd, 1860, there was a great review in Hyde Park at which 21,900 men were present, and on May 7th, 1860, there was 1 review of 22,000 Volunteers of Northern corps at Edinburgh. The result of this state of things was that public confidence was restored. The pauic bad passed away, and the Government had come to see more and more that it was necessary that the movement should not be a purely volunteer movement-that was to say the funds found by private persons-but that the force should be to some extent subsidised by Government and under the direction of the military authorities. The result of this was apparently that the enthusiasm of the weal- thy and professional classes died away, and their places were taken by the artisan and other classes of that kind, and they bad stuck steadily to the movement, which was really now worked by them. Of course the officers were still drawn to a considerable extent from the upper classes. It became evident that a system of public grants was necessary, and in 1862 a Royal Commission was appointed to consider the ques- tion, and the system of capitation and other grants was to a great extent based upon their recommendations. One or two organisations grew up along with the Volunteer force and had some effect on its success. One was the National Rifle Association established in 1859, the first meeting being held at Wimbledon in 1860. At that meeting the Queen fired the first shot, and the ladies would be pleased to bear she dashed off with a bull's eye. (Applause). They would not say by what means it was se- cured. (Langhter). The National Rifle Associa tion had had a career of continued success since that time. Besides this organisation there was formed the National Artillery Association. To show the steady growth and expansion of the force Sir John gave the following figures, the first column referring to the number enrolled, the second to the number of efficients, the third to the number of proficients, and the fourth to the percentage of efficients to en-
rolled :-
1866-181,565-142,849--
-78-67
299-
they were 39 in excess of the establishment. The establishment of the machine gun company was-One captain, two lieutenante, four sergeants, four corporals, and 40 gunners and privates. There were, however, seven sergeants and 37 gunners and privates. The total strength of all ranks was 176. In conclusion Sir John dealt with some of the difficulties of service in Hongkong and expressed the hope that young men would come forward and join the corps. (Applause.)
On the invitation of the chairman, Sir John was thanked by acclamation for his interesting lecture.
HONGKONG OLD VOLUMES SOCIETY.
*C
VASCO DA GAMA.
On 13th April Mr. J. J. Francis, Q.C., delivered a lecture in the City Hall, before the niombers of the Hongkong Odd Volumes Society, on Vasco da Gama and the discovery of the sea route to India." Commodore Hol- land, A.D.C., presided over a large audience, Many members of the principal Portuguese families in the colony were present, including
Mr. A. G. Romano.
The Chairman, in introducing the lecturer, remarked that to those who lived in the Far East the subject of the discovery of the sea route to India by Vasco da Gama must be very interesting.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
The only indication of it for some time was a let- ter in the China Mail of January 31st, 1860, sug. gesting the establishment of a Volunteer Corps in the colony. However, nothing was done for a period of about two years. On March 1st. 1862, a public meeting was held in the Court House at which it was unanimously resolved that a Volunteer force should be instituted and that the sanction of Government should be obtained for the purpose. Accordingly a corps was formed, a battery of artillery being first organised, an ordinance being passed for its legalisation. A band was formed in December. 1862, a rifle corps was added in the spring of 1863, and in December, 1862, some enthusiastic gentlemen of Canton got up a rifle com- pany which was attached to the Hong- kong corps. In February, 1863, colours were presented to the corps by Mrs. W. T. Mercer, wife of the Acting Governor. On the same occasion an inauguration dinner was held, and Mr. Dodd, the adjutant, was presented with a diamond ring by the sergeants. The first rifle meeting was held in 1863, when the medal of the British National Rifle Association was won by Mr. H. J. Holmes. They would be glad to hear that the generosity of the corps was not yet exhausted, for on that occasion they presented to Mr. Tanner, the musketry instructor, a gold watch and chain. In March, 1864, there was a review in Happy Valley, and the force which turned out on that occasion consisted of 37 offi- cers, non-commissioned officers and men, and six guus. The Governor was there, and in fact all Mr. Francis said that in Portugal and the town was were, and they would be pleased throughout the Portuguese dominions in the to hear that the Captain Superintendent of Police east the fourth centenary of the discovery of the headed the procession with four monated police. sea route to India by Vasco da Gama was being (Laughter). This was the way the press of celebrated this year. In Macao, commencing that day described the bearing of the men on on the 20th of May, there would be a celebration the parade ground-he hoped they would agree extending over a week. In Hongkong the with him that the description would apply to Portuguese Consul-General, at the request of the corps at the present day "The martial his Government and the members of the bearing of the corps, the precision of their Portuguese community represented by the Club firing, and the assurance, regularity, and Lusitano, intended to arrange for the celebra- promptitude of every movement and evolution tion of the event by a three days' oele. connected with the march out commanded the bration, including a concert, a ball, and an admiration of the numerous spectators. inauguration at the club of a bust of Vasco (Laughter.) When they next paraded they da Gama. Why was it that this event expected to seo something in the papers was of so great interest not merely to the Por in a similar strain. (Laughter.) In September, tuguese, to whose nation Vasco da Gama be- 1864, the corps was for the first aud only time louged, but to them all? It was because it was in its history called out for what he might call one of the great geographical events in the active service. There was a quarrel between history of the world. Four of these great some European sailors and some blalay sailors, geographical events occurred within a few years the former contending that the latter had de- of each other at the close of the 15th and at prived them of their living. On Monday, Sep. the beginning of the 16th centuries-these being tember 12th, the European sailors wreaked the discovery of America, the rounding of the revenge on the Malays by attacking a boarding Cape, then the discovery of the sea route to house in Hollywood road which was occupied India, and the discovery of the route through the by Malays. There was a terrible fight. Kuives straits of Magellan from the Atlantic to the were used and three Europeans were killed. Pacific. These great events, all coming within Later in the evening a number of soldiers be a few years of each other, effected almost a louging to the 99th Regiment joined in the complete revolution not merely in the balance affray, which was resumed on the following of trade in the centres of trade in Europe, but evening, when one soldier was shot by an they also effected an almost complete revolution Indian policeman. The result was that the in the balance of power. Until the Portuguese 99th Regiment was exiled to Kowloon, and the made their appearance in the Indian Ocean the Volunteers were called out to patrol the streets Arabs were in possession of the whole of the and mount guard at the Barracks, and be be- trade in these Eastern seas. The very first of lived they performed those duties satisfactorily. the nations of Europe who practically took In some way or other the Governor of Macao up the question of exploration not so much in became an admirer of the corps, and that admira-search of new countries as in search of new tion extended the length of giving the members an invitation to go over to Macao in 1864. They went, and were royally entertained by the Macao people. He supposed those who were in the corps would agree with him that that was an incident which woular repetition in the Volunteer Corps. (tiear, hear.) At the close of 1864 the strength of the corps was:-Band 25, artillery 84, rifles (including Canton) 91, hon. members 67; total 267. After this the corps bad a chequered career. It was disbanded in 1866 on account of the non-
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1876-185,501-174,184–15,525-93-89 1886-226,752—221,105—18,698-9712 1896-236,059—229,034—19,852–97-02 Sir John explained that an efficient was a man who had earned the capitation grant by attend- ing a certain number of drills. Proficients were officers and sergeants who had passed a special ex- amination. The grant for efficients was 35 shil- lings and for proficients 50 shillings. Thesystem of making grants for efficients was not estab- lished until 1870. Within the last month the War Office had recognised the proficiency of the volunteer force and recognised that they really now formed an integral part of the defeu- sive force of the United Kingdom by doing a graceful act, though perhaps it might have been done some time ago. That was to say, they had removed the Volunteer force from the back of the army list where they stood before and brought attendance of members. It was reorganized in them up into line, so to speak, with the regular 1877 in Sir John Pope Hennessy's time, but forces. After dealing with the legal status and was again disbanded and reorganised by Mr. cost of the force, Sir John dealt at some length William Marsh in 1882. This lasted some 11 with its organisation, after which he referred to years, it being reorganised on its present basis some of its shortcomings, quoting in reference in 1893. the first Commandant being Col. F. to the last-named point from a book written by Farrand. The corps then consisted and did H. Spencer Wilkinson, M.A., Captain 20th | still of a battery of light field artillery, three Lancashire R.V., entitled Citizen Soldiers: machine gun companies each with four essays towards the improvement of the Volun-machine guns, and an establishment of field teer force." In dealing with the history of battery as follows:-One captain, three lien. Volunteering in Hongkong, he said the wave of tenants, six sergeants, six corporals, and enthusiasm which arose in 1859 and 1860 reached 64 gunners and privates. There were this colony, but it was then at a very gentle ebb. 'actually 103 gunners and privates, so that' daughter of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lan-
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routes to the golden East were the Portuguese. Portugal was most admirably situated for the puropses of trade and commerce beyond the sea. It had been a place of very consider- able trade and importance from the very earliest days. There were numerous ports on the coast which the Phoenicians and the Carth- aginians and the succeeding traders in the Mediterranean regularly frequented. The people were hardy, accustomed to war-they had been fighting for years with the Moors, they had been fighting for years with the Spaniards--they were accustomed to the sea, were full of enterprise, and complet ly shut out as the European nations were at that time from all trade with the East by the Mahomedans. The Portuguese were probably at that time in a better position to take up the search for now avenues of commerce, new means of reaching the East, than any other nation in Europe. The most famous name in those days-one of the most famous perhaps in the whole history of discovery and travel-was the name of Prince Henry the Navigator, who was the son of King John of Portugal and of Philippa,
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