Norwirnsraxpixe the efforts made by the Municipal Council and by the community of the foreign Settlement, and progress made by of volunteers in a want of some strong and central authority is needed, to make the ne work well and smoothly. Now that the Settlements aresosingalarly unprotected, this want obtrades itself more and more forcibly. It was a step in the right direction, calling the Corps out of the limbo of uncertainty, to which, ander' their old organisation, they were relegated; and vesting in the Municipal Council, the executive functions of the Corps. It was also a wise provision that the officers should hold their commissions from the Chairman for the time Doing. A society existing like that at Shanghai, in a sort of semi-independence, while at the same time exposed to tangible and practical danger of external attack, could probably not have hit on a better device. Although Municipal institutions searcely accord well with the clang of arms, the law of self-defence must ever be paramount. In times like the present, it becomes the duty of ench member' of a community to place his services at the com. mon disposal. "Shoulder to Shoulder" should be our motto; but, in order to work together, it is necessary to effect some central organisation, acknowledged-and obeyed, and, in all ordinary matters, influencing the extremities.
When the Volunteer force was last called into existence, during the Taiping troubles, this want was not felt, as, the Settlement being in military occupation, the necessary centralisation existed elsewhere. In 1854, the first. Volunteers had the organisation of the British Navy, then unfettered by Lord Clarendon's istractions, to fall back on. In 1870, on the contrary, it becomes necessary that all organisation should proceed" from within. Let az then examine the state of affairs. We find Light Infantry Companies, Min-h loong, Artillery Companies, and Fi Com,, all angerly g, and all actuated by the best spirit. Except, however, in the Light Infantry (ind' even then existing but ina modified degree) we miss the power which would weld the whole into one united mass, We spank of course of active service. Chat the acting Chairman of the Municipal Council should be the Civil Controller of the Corps was good; bata Military Bead, one to whom the whole Vulunteer Corps shall look for orders in case of act service, is also needed. Tt was, perhaps, unfortunate that the distinction raised at the beginning, between Fire Companies and Rifle Comies, should Lave been permitted to continue; and the appointment of a ae-parate Commandant and staff to the former, tends to heighten the difficulty.
The foundation of the British army system is the Company; each Cor pany is, in fact, a miniature army itself. Companies are joined in bate talion, but never lose' their didtinetive existence. We are, therefore, not disposed in any degree to interfere with the Company system which has already been established. Bat, like individuals, Companies, when acting alan lose the force which a common organ sation, alone, can supply; and this is present posi Not only, however, is there the want of this common orga sation; but it seems to have been fo g paration, that other things, besides fighting men and arms, are required, torexist, successfully, attack: It may be trae that, in t present. state of altairs a commissariat would be a useless incumbrance; the same cannot, however, be suid of a store department, to take charge of arms and munitions. It is difficult, at present, to see where we should find ourselves, on the second day ofan attack, The want of an Adjutant-General, to attend to the drill of the entire Corps, and to send to each general orders from bead-quarters, and that of orderly sergeants attached to the several Companies, is likewise an important omission. There is no Quarter-master's-office, where the general Imsiness of the whole may be transacted; though the weight of this falls at present on the Municipal Secretariat. But, worst of all, notwithstanding the state of affairs around us, which may at any moment require i mediate action, we huve as yet no tinct Commander-in-Chief who would regulate the movements of the entire force. The Volunteers would do well as they are. But they would certainly he ina position to do better, if they had a recognised Senior Military Oficer.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.