ADMIRAL THE R I G~T HOS. SIR JOHK DBLRY3IPLrE UAT, BART., C.D., Jcc., Ec., Vice-Prcsidcut, in tho Chair.' THE OFFICER~KG OF TUE J i r L r T u . Ey Coloncl G. G . WNXEI:, Comriinnding 3rd Battalion Kiug's Own Scottish Uordcrcrs, A.D.C. to tho Quccn. 1 DO not nnticilnto that any of tliosc who hnvc douc mc thc lionour pf comiiig to listen to itto to-day will cspcct air apology from mc for cndctrvouring to nttixct somc mcnsuro of public, nnd cspccinlly of militnrj-, nttcritioii to a iuost

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... xiax n vital point i n conncctioii with our existing Nilitin sjstcni. Thoso wlio hnvc studicd tho Iiistory of tho JIilitia know tlint qiicstions of its .oi*gnnization niid cfficicncy wcro oftcn tho subjcct formerly of long aitd important stritgglcs in tlic Jicgislntnrc, nnd decided tho fntc of lliuistrics. No oiic will, I tliink, nsscrt that at tho prcscnt day tlic forcc usurps too Inrgc n shnrc of public nttcntion, either in Parliament or in tho public prcss. Tlic reasons for this arc uot far to scck. Thcro is nottiin:: in tlic humblo and iinostcntatious dutics which it Iias t9 pcrforin to attract pulilic iritcrc'st. It Iins no slinrc in tho popular cnthiisiasu ~vliicli is so strong ; a stay and support of the VOlUlltCCrS. IIowcvcr natural this may Lc, it is not, and cnnnoi be, dcsirnblc %at public opinioii mid public criticism, cvcr bnsy with tlic othcr brnnclics of our military scrvicc, should bc olmost if not altogcthcr silcnt as regards tlic llilitin. h'umcrically wcnk as our first line must ever bc in comparison with tlic hosts of neiglibouring untions, it cannot but bc important that tho iintioii should know how far its second lino is rclinblo; how far tho 134 infantry battalions and 2. 5 nrtillcrly brigndcs comprising tlic Jlilitia arc fitted for tlic dutics they may bo callcd on to perform. I chccrfully and tliaiikfullg admit that R p c n t clcal lins been donc to improrc tho drill nnd thc eGcicncy of the n n k and filc of tho foxzc during tho scars succccding its rcoxpnization by tho lato Lord Cardwell, and i U tho pcrmancnt staff thc IIilitin posscsse~ R most i n d u a l l o nucleus aud elemcut of strcngth. Bnt I vonturo to Downloaded by [University of North Carolina Charlotte] at 01:58 14 August 2013 1871, 3672, and 1873. Again, wlicu iu 1881 this country wns Iar,nclj dcplctcd of regular troops by the ospcdition to Egypt, wliich culminatcd in Tcl-el-Kcbir, it was thought prudent, in ordcr to linvc soino rcscrvc in haud, to cstcrid from 27 t o 55 days tho training of 26 battalions of infantry and 2 bnttcrics of nrrillcry. Aud i t hns liccn usual in rcccnt rears to prolong also tlic training of Tnrious artillery brigades, to permit of their being moved from Downloaded by [University of North Carolina Charlotte] at 01:58 14 August 2013 U Flng Cnptnin juyt bcforo I xcnt to thc Critnrn, nnd nas ciining nt tlrc tnblc of Sir Jamcr Simpson, thc (forcnior, bcforo RO both 6tartcd. IIc had inipcctrd tbnt mornin: thc Wiltshiro Rrgiirncnt. Lord Mcthucn, who commnndcd it, s o n nt tho table. T h y had marchcd 35 milcs, n n l j two nicn falling out, a mnrch which Sir Jnmcs Simpson mid did thcni thc grcatcst lionour, nnd Lord Methucn, returning tlinnts for tlicm. mid : " Tcs, Sir, and I can nssiirc JOU thcre ir not n poachcr left in tlio countj of Wilts! "