The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-11-13 00:00:00

limitable. value to the individual members of
the Volunteer force, and to the country at large
in all its greatest interests. Upon its own
merits rifle practice is conducive to the health,
welfare, and happiness of the individual, and.
with respect to its imperial bearings it is of the
last consequence to the perfection of that great
self-defensive organisation, which has already
effected so much, and promises to do so much more,
for the assertion and maintenance of our national
independence and supremacy. As to the latter, it
is clear that a Volunteer army, however efficient in
drill, if inefficient as marksmen, are really little
better before an enemy than a delusion and a
snare. The best drilled body of men ever marched
into the field, holding in their hands the most
effective weapon that could be devised, are clearly
of little value if they have no available skill in
its use. It is equally true that, without steadi-
ness and precision in movement, the best marks-
men are of little avail. But it is beyond dis-
pute that, without great skill in the use of
the rifle, our Volunteers can never be more
than riflemen in name. Apart, however, from
the larger and more extended argument in
favour of rifle practice, and taking it merely upon
its own merits as regards individuals, it is now
admitted, and cannot be too often urged upon
public attention, that the shooting ground supplies
a desideratum long felt in English society. The
ancient "butts" have long disappeared, and until
the present movement took shape, no adequate
substitute had been provided. The want has
been more felt than it has ever been
definitely recognised or expressed. The enthu-
siastic ardour with which the population
has embraced the opportunity of indulging in
this noble pastime, proves at once tho'existence
of a national desire for some such recreation, a 0
the suitableness of rifle contests and rifle associa-
tions to meet the feelings and wants of English-
men of the present day. This fact, of itself, is
equally a guarantee for the permanency of the
Volunteer movement and all its national benefits,
and an argument in favour of extending towards
it the countenance and support moral and
material—of all well-wishers of the people of
England.
While heartily rejoicing in the happy circum-
stances which have brought about so glorious an
event—with all its direct and implied advantages
—as that of last night, we cannot ignore, but have
no desire to be severe with, the ignoble and
supremely censurable conduct of certain parties
who are now doing all in their power to condemn
and counteract this great movement. The
public may not be aware of the fact that certain
influential business firms have actually gone the
length of giving a week's notice to their employes
that their services, either to the Volunteer army
or to the private firms in question—one or
other—must cease. A
,Liverpool gentleman,
and Town Councillor, at the head of large
establishments in London and Liverpool, has him-
self informed us of the fact that he has thus
intimated to his numerous employes that they must
either be no longer Volunteers or no longer servants
of his. While we cannot but eulogise the frank
and manly speech of his Worship the Mayor, S.
R. GRAVES, Esq., in which he expressed his entire
devotion to the Volunteer service—an expression
of feeling so well supported by his liberal deeds ;
admiring, as all Englishmen must do, the nery ous
eloquence and terse logic in behalf of Rifle Volun-
teers and Rifle Associations of the noble heir of the
House of STANLEY; and yielding our entire acqui-
escence—as we cannot help doing—to the generous
and patriotic views of the Lord ELCIIO ; how
painful it is to contemplate that, chiefly through
morbid political sympathies, as we believe, some /
gentlemen who might and ought to yield her-
culean support' to the movement are at this
moment doing their utmost to destroy and sub-
vert it. The gentlemen to whom we refer
well know, and, we hope, will appreciate,
our motives for not mentioning their names.
We are under no bond of confidential secrecy,
but we do feel the utmost reluctance to give them
so bad a pre-eminence in the simple and sincere
hope that they may, upon our hint, followed by
earnest reflection, see the error of their ways.
In advocating the claims of the Volunteer Move-
ment, we have no political views, and we have no
desire to turn the present furore for Volunteering
to political account, but we cannot help noting,
as impartial members of the State, that the
extreme Radicals, and the extreme Radicals
alone, are the enemies of the grand. national
Volunteer armament. If they would save their
political creed from disgrace, let them revise
and reform their procedure towards the
Volunteers. It is insufferable, and ought not
to be tolerated, that gentlemen holding positions
in the commercial world shall turn the advan-
tages which our freedom and independence have
procured for them into such bad and destructive
account as to have the effect of counteracting the
most glorious and patriotic movement ever re-
corded in our history. If they will not listen to
reason there are other influences equally potent to
be brought to bear on them. Let our Radical anti-
Volunteering friends, therefore, beware. Let them
study the demonstration of last night, and con-
sider well the weighty arguments adduced by
the illustrious speakers who there did honour to the
occasion. " Defence not defiance," is our motto.
But defiant we certainly shall be against all and.
sundry who would dare to oppose or obstruct the
development and perfection of our Volunteer

Rifle organisation. Our Rifle Corps and Rifle
_ _

Associations must and shall become, despite
every paltry difficulty, permanent institutions of
England.

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE•

FRANCE.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, Sunday, Nov. 11.
The Journal de Rome, in alluding to the large
body of troops, (30,000 according to that journal)
which had taken refuge in the Roman territories,
asserts that this step was taken by them in order
that they might remain faithful to the King ; and
it states that his Holiness, highly appreciating
such an act of fidelity, has given orders for sup-
porting them with provisions and suitably lodg-
ing them, the local municipality generously aid-
ing in these arrangements. This is the Roman
version of the Daily .Arews' telegram, which stated
that the whole of this large force had been dig'
armed by the French army of occupation, aided
by the Pontifical troops.
It is stated that on the 16th inst. a Spanish
steam corvette entered the harbour of Gaeta,
having on board an officer of high rank who was
the bearer of an autograph letter from Queen

Isabella, addressed to Francis 11. ; and on the
evening before, the King is stated to have re-
ceived the ministers of Austria, Prussia, Russia,
and Spain at a private audience, at which Biwa'
Winspeare, who has just returned, was also pre-
sent. The result of the joint deliberations of the
King and his diplomatic advisers was that the
transmission by the King of an autograph or
personal manifesto to all the governments. Of
Europe.

A letter from Turin, dated November 11, after
stating that the fortress of Gaeta would not long
hold out, and was now regularly invested on all
sides, excepting from the sea, says—
I have had some authentic details regarding the in-
terview of King Victor Emmanuel and Garibaldi. The
meeting was cold and constrained. Garibaldi declared
frankly and formally to the King that nothing would
ever reconcile him to M. Cavour; ,and, I have reason to
believe, that his Majesty has written a letter with his
own hand to his chief Minister, acquainting him with
the real state of the case.
M. Cavour has addressed a letter to Garibaldi offering
to make it up with him, but the latter remains obdu-
rate. The recent events have cut the soul of Garibaldi
to the quick. He was especially grieved to find himself
held up to the gaze of Europe as a fomentor of anarchy.
The government felt bound to declare that it sent its
army into Southern pay in thajntereats of order and