The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-12-27 00:00:00

SIR JOHN PAKINGTON ON THE
NATIONAL DEFENCES.

DROITWICH, Monday.

A public meeting was held here this afternoon to
establish a ride corps for Droitwich. The Mayor, Mr.
Ifolyoake, presided, and the Right Hon. Sir John
Yakingtou, member for the borough, WA-4 also present.

e •
The mayor having read letters from . lord Sothwell
and others, expressing regret at inability to attend the
meeting, and having announced subscriptions to the
amount of £286 towards the object, called upon Sir
John Pakington to move the first resolution.
Sir John Pakiugton then moved,—"That this meet-
ing is of opinion that it is expedient to establish a rifle
corps for this town and neighbourood, and that all classes
lie invited to become members." He hartily desired to
promote the movement now going on throughout the
country for the c•tabliehment of volunteer corps, and
therefore he was glad to see a meeting for that object
held at Droitwich. They would remember that this
movement was sanctioned and encouraged by the
late Government, and it was also sanctioned and
encouraged by the present, and there was therfore no
possibility of anything like party feeling marring it.
The patriotic movement now being tussle throughout
the country was most encouraging, and reminded him
of the great volunteer movement of 1803. Happily he
could add that the circumstances which marked the
movement in 1803 were different from the circumstances
which distinguished that of 1859. In the year 1803
they were in the very midst of that great European war
which only ended filially in 1815, and the first Napoleon
—the great Nopoleon—had then assembled an army on
the opposite coast of France, with the &vowel intention
of invading this country, and the general expectation'
was that the time was at hatiol when we should have to
fight • French army on English ground, and to defend
our hearthe and homes front foreign invaders. With
regard to the probability of • French invasion, if there
was auytl g like a panic ill England on the subject
—which he must coulees he could hardly believe—if
there was a feeling of alarm in the minds of the people
of England generally, Ile would say that he, for one. did
nut share in it. In the first place, they mint recollect
that of all the modes of warfare one of the ingot difficult,
one of the most arduous, one of the most dangerous,
was the attempt to invade the territory of a great
Power. (Hear, bear.) They would remember in the
history of the great Napoleon that it was perfectly true
that lie subdued the German Powers by his vomit and
highly disciplined army, and that he overran Italy an
at that period of his' history he acquired a degree o
power which he might truly say no other European
arch ever possessed. But when he exteriled
his atteiniots to Spain and Russia signally failed, and the
attempt to invade a great territorial Power only recoiled
upon himself, and entailed ruin upon hint. (Hear,
hear.) Then, to invade England, troops would have to
he conveyed across the Cloitionel. and the naval force of
Great Britian must be defeated before the coountry
could be invaded by a foe. (Hear, hear.) The M.tyoor
in his opening remarks, had epvculated on the possi-
bility of our navy being defeated.
The Mayon—Or. evaded.
Sir J. Pakington was aware that the introduction of
skein into the navy haul insole • great change, and per-
haps had increased the puesibility of invasion, but he for
one, diol not contemplate, unless an overwhelming force
was brought to bear upon this country, the possibility
if our sustaining a defeat in the Channel. ((imers.)
He confessed, therefore, that he was not one who con-
temp!ateol invasion as • probability. lint although we
were still on friendly krun with France, and although
lie, for one, did not feel distrust in the personal inten-
tions of the Emperor towards this country, nevertheless
he thought that the stem of public affairs on t Le• Cont i•
nent was such as to meke it desirable to foster this
movement. (Hear, hem.) There could be no doubt
that we had fallen into a state of false security glowing
the long peace that we had eiljoynl. During the forty
yems of peace Englishmen seemed to have adopted the
idea that the days of war had pasties' away, wed that the
days of pewee were to last for ever, lie wished !account
contemplate such a state of things, but it was not to be
to, and although that long peace had had no effect in di-
minithing the national spirit it had had the effect of re-
ducing the national defences. Successive Administra-
tions had been vieing with each other in order to show
which should call UllOll Parliament to vote the lowest
estimates for the national service and the lowest amount
if national taxation, and tau doubt it was due to every
Government to carry on the affairs of the country with
no little pressure aim possible ; lint one moth of this feel-
ing had been that the national defences had been reduced
to • lona which was not consistent with the national
safety, the national dignity, or the maintenance of that
power in Europe and that influence among the nation,'
oof the world which England was bound to support.
(Hear, hea.r) There was no country iii the world, no
great empire in the world, in which it was so essential
that the means of national defence and the means of car-
rying ton war should be greater than in ours, on account
of the extent of our empire, it being epreol over the four
quarters of the world, and on account of the geographi-
cal smallness of the great centre of the Empire, Rag'
laud. (Hear, hear.) In addition to all these considera-
tions, it was impossible to deny that the present state
Europe warned us that we could not with prudence
allow the state of things which hail prevailed to continue.
It was true we were at peace with France, and had nu
reason to distrust the good intentions of the French Go-
imminent. On the other hand, the Mayor had just
called their attention to the startling events which had
taken place this year in Fratice, and the lll, naval
and warlike preparations that were making in that
country, and, although our alliance with Franco might
be clime, and we had fought side by site ith the Frenc•
both in the Crimea and in China, and although he ear,
nestly hoped that that good feeling might long continue
stiU there had been OCeligillUX within the last two or three
years on which our friendly relations with France had
been in dower, and i,t the present extreuiely conniolicated
*tat, of European affair, it was impossible to lay how
soon again our alliance might be endangered, and there-
fore they were bound to be prepared for all contingen-
des. He wanted Europe to see that we were prepared
for all contingencies, that our navy was strong, and our
people loyal and united, and 011 that ground he was very
anxious for the MIMIts of this movement. While such
a feeling was stirred up throughout the country, and
while every town in Worcestershire was joining in it,he
haul foill hope that Droitwich would not be behind in
inanifeetatione of national spirit.
The resolution and others which followed were carried
unanimously. It is expected that 60 men will be raised
in Droitwich.