MR. CARPENTER-GARNIERrose to call attention to the subject of Mounted Riflemen in general, and to the system of drill and tactics carried out by Lieutenant Colonel Bower in the Hampshire Mounted Rifle Volunteers in particular. The system was one which ought to be more generally adopted as an active method of warfare. For the importance of such troops, he would quote the statement of Colonel Hamley—that their functions were very numerous and various, and great attention had been paid to their use during the American War; and the author of the Recent Changes in the Art of War had described the value of mounted infantry such as the original dragoons. The 603 corps to which he desired to call the attention of the House had been formed in 1859 or 1860, with the idea of utilizing the capabilities of good "cross-country" riders, and it consisted at first of 40 or 50 men. Colonel Bower had thought that the system he had known in India might be serviceable in this country, and he had introduced a new method of carrying the long rifle on horseback, and a new system of skirmishing which was peculiarly appropriate. The objects and use of the corps had been fully explained in a published letter which many hon. Members, probably, had seen, and, in particular, the advantages of the Martini-Henry over the short carbine had been described in it. The peculiarity of the Force was his excuse for occupying the time of the House. The corps, although established on such a small scale, was, in fact, a model in miniature which would probably be copied by other regiments, as it had been warmly praised by military critics. It was well adapted for skirmishing and celerity of manœuvre, and its riding and shooting contests had been the origin of the very popular prize at Wimbledon, known as the "Loyd-Lind-say Prize." Having cited the authority of the late Sir Hope Grant, the hon. and gallant Member for Brighton (General Shute), and others, as to the utility of such a force, the hon. Gentleman proceeded to contend that Cavalry, if armed with long-range rifles, might not only be able to act efficiently as skirmishers, but might even turn the tables on Infantry, because they would have the advantage over Infantry of the choice of position and cover. The history of Colonel Bower's drill-book was very curious. In 1869 it was sent to the War Office, where it was twice lost; and at length, in 1875, Colonel Bower was politely informed that the Secretary of State did not think it necessary to bring the book out at the public expense. Meantime, it could not but be flattering to his gallant friend, Colonel Bower, to find that a considerable portion of the system which he invented had been adopted by the regular Cavalry, and that circumstance alone should have saved him from the rebuff he had received at the hands of the War Office. It certainly was not Colonel Bower's wish to again take the command of the corps to which he belonged; for he had merely yielded to the request of the men whom he commanded when he withdrew 604 his resignation and asked to be reinstated in his position. There were only two such mounted corps in England and two in Scotland, and he ventured to ask the Secretary of State for War, whether he agreed in the proposition that a mounted rifle Force was valuable at the present day; and, if so, whether he intended to take any steps for providing such a Force for the defence of the country, whether in connection with the Regular Army or otherwise?
§ GENERAL SHUTEsaid, that the corps referred to was a special, and, he might say, a model corps. He did not think we had anything to learn from America. The reason they employed mounted rifles in the American War was because they had no Cavalry and could not form any. But he quite agreed with his hon. Friend as to the value of hunting men for such a corps. There could be no good outpost officer who was not also a good man across country, because in England our strict law of trespass prevented Cavalry officers acquiring the necessary eye to country, except in the hunting field. The idea of Colonel Bower was, that in every county of England we had a number of gentlemen who could cross country, who were good shots, and who might be utilized with great advantage. With regard to Colonel Bower's corps, he thought it was of the greatest possible moment to utilize all classes of our population for military purposes. In the Yeomanry, there were men who would not be procured for military service, excepting in such a Force; and in Colonel Bower's corps there were good sportsmen and good men to hounds, all mounted on horses far superior to anything you could get elsewhere, who would not join the Yeomanry. There were many occasions on which such a Force would be extremely valuable, and at the recent Manœuvres Colonel Bower had rendered him (General Shute) excellent service. He must say he was rather disappointed at the reason which his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War gave the other evening for not employing Colonel Bower in consequence of his age, which was 67. He thought age was one of the very worst tests. Some men were older at 35 than others at 65. Colonel Bower's chief complaint, as stated in an official letter, a copy of which he now held in his hand, was that officers had frequently 605 been sent to inspect him who could not follow him and his corps across the country. He thought when they got rid of an officer because he was 67 years of age, they ought certainly to get rid of those who could not follow him, or his corps across the country. He hoped his right hon. Friend would think the matter over again, for Colonel Bower's services had been most valuable. He did not mean to say that the system would ever be the least valuable as regarded the regular Cavalry, but it would be most valuable as regarded small corps, as one such might in emergency be raised in each one of our hunting counties composed of the sons of noblemen, and country gentlemen on their own good hunters.
§ SIR HENRY HAVELOCKconsidered that here, as in many other matters, the Volunteer Force were far ahead of the military authorities. He regretted that it too often happened that the claims of men like Colonel Bower were overlooked through jealousy and other unworthy motives. He supposed there had been some technical reason which prevented Colonel Bower being continued in command; but this he must say, that his services had been most valuable to the Volunteers of the country. If ever there was a case which called for exceptional treatment, this was one, and he therefore trusted his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War would so regard it. The Force had been in existence since 1859, and had been framed after a model which had been originated during the Indian Mutiny. Great advantage would be derived from arming the Cavalry with long-range rifles, instead of rifled carbines. The Americans during the Civil War had discovered that Cavalry unarmed with long-range rifles were liable to be driven out of the field before Infantry, and General Sherman had adopted the manœuvre with remarkable results. In Russia the principle had also been recognized and introduced, and the advantage of it had been already felt during the present war on the Danube. The capture of the bridge at Ibraila was entirely due to the use of a force of Cossacks armed with long-range rifles. Our military authorites had partly adopted the principle, but they had left out the most essential part of it. He hoped the right hon. Gentleman would carefully look into the case.