Hull Packet & East Riding Times
Fri 2 Jul 1880
THE FOURTH EAST YORK
ARTILLERY CORPS
ANOTHER MEETING OF
THE MEMBERS
COLONEL HUMPHREY'S SPEECH
On Monday evening [28 Jun 1880] a meeting of the members of the 4th East York Artillery Volunteer Corps was held in the Barracks, Park Street, to hear an important statement from Lieut Colonel Commandant Humphrey. The meeting was called by post-card, the effect of the notice being, that in consequence of a communication from Lieut General Willis, the Lieut Colonel Commandant requested, as a personal favour, that the members of the corps would meet him at the barracks at the time stated, when he intended to make a statement affecting the interests of the brigade.
It was generally known on the previous Sunday [27 Jun 1880] that the meeting was to be held, and the tenour of the statement to be made was also pretty accurately guessed. Much interest was manifest in the meeting, and there was a large assembly, outside the barracks, of the general public. Several hundred members of the brigade were present at the meeting, and on the appearance of Colonel Humphrey on the platform he was greeted with the most enthusiastic cheers, repeated again and again.
There were also on the platform Majors Pudsey and White, Captains Middleton, Clarke, Scaping, Wellesley, Sharp, Briggs, and Harrison, and Lieuts Sheardown, Wellsted, Jacobs, Plaxton, Read, Firth, Sinclair, Downs, Bantoft, and Denison; and surgeons Sherburn and Pyburn.
Lieut Colonel Humphrey, after silence had been obtained, said: "What I have to say to you tonight will be very short. I wish to say what I have to say as briefly as possible, and therefore I shall proceed without preface. I need not tell you how pleased I am to see you all again, especially as I thought that I had taken my farewell of you. I find, however, that I am still in the position of your commanding officer – (prolonged cheering) – as my resignation which I have tendered has been returned to me, as well as those of the other officers who sent them up (cheers).
"Your recent action has caused you not only to be charged with disloyalty, but insubordination. Of this I am sure neither were intended (cheers). A more loyal body of men our country does not possess. I well remember that nearly all of you a short time back offered to serve your Queen abroad (cheers). I ask you to disprove the charges against you by at once resuming your duties, which you are still free to do. I have received permission to reissue your uniforms, and I hope that you will at once come and fetch them (cheers). I wish you to do this that we may have a march out on Thursday next (cheers).
"I am glad to tell you, men, that the War Minister has declared publicly in the House of Commons that the charges brought against me were unfounded and frivolous, and my honour is thus publicly vindicated (cheers). Now, men, I ask you, then, whether you will do this as I advise you (cries of "Yes") – and if you will, at the close of this meeting, resume your duties and take out your uniforms? (cheers, and cries of "Yes"). And will you promise me to give me the biggest muster on Thursday night [1 Jul 1880] that the brigade has had at a march out? ("Yes", and cheers).
"Well, I don't know that I have anything to say to you further, but you will see in the weekly orders that the drills will commence again on Monday evening. You will get your uniforms! I know that I am talking to some of you here who have not yet completed the number of your drills, and on the 31st of next month [insert date] will be the inspection. I hope now, that you will at once, or next Monday [insert date] night, go into them – every man – so that you may be efficient before the inspecting officer comes down.
"So far, you see, I want you to do that, and you must understand that there is a new inspecting officer down here in the district. Of course we have not seen this gentleman, and both you and the officers, and myself – we all of us wish that we should do as well as we can. Therefore I wish those who have not been to drill to attend diligently, and I wish you also to remember those battalion drills. I wish the whole thing to go right, so that there cannot be one single hole picked in anybody's coat, though, mark you, it would be a difficult thing to pick holes in some people's coats now, because I think there have been holes enough in them throughout the whole concern (hear, hear, and laughter).
"Now this is really what I have called you together for. The clothing, I am given to understand, is numbered, and each man who is a member of the corps has his name on his clothing. I want you, if you will, to go in in as orderly a way as you can. Put yourselves under your own battery sergeants, and members of companies can fall in by themselves if you like. This is only a little advice I am giving to you, for this is a private meeting. Take them out quietly, and return home quietly.
"I have only to add to this – whatever I have asked you to do you have always done. Will you just show me, by holding up your hands, who promises to be present Thursday next? (In response to this appeal all the members present held up their hands). Now, you will remember this – you are soldiers. There is no mistake about this. Your greatest enemies, looking at you as we can see you here, cannot say but you are a disciplined body of men. I have only to lift up my little finger, and you do as I wish (hear, hear).
"Now, recollect, don't let there be any inconvenience in taking out your uniforms, because if you cannot all get them tonight, I am certain you will be able to come again tomorrow and get them.
"You see I have been careful of my words. I should like to say more to you. The only thing I want to show to the world at large, and to this town in particular, is that you are not insubordinate men, and that you are not disloyal men, as they have been trying to thrust down the throats of your townsmen during the last week. I, therefore, ask you to show your loyalty, and give three cheers for Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen."
The cheers thus asked for were given vociferously, and in response to a call, cheers were also given for Colonel Humphrey. The handing out of "kits" then commenced, many of the members forming into companies, and over 600 uniforms were taken out before the barracks closed.