The Express.
London, England, 1852-03-25 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY

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ereetsd for the purpose, hold by a precarious !satire,
and imperfectly adopted to the purpose for which it
is need. A subscription is being raised for the erec-
tion of a permanent museum, and between 8001. and
7001. have already been obtained. Ware the 1504
contributed from Warrington towards the Exhibi-
tion guarantee fund added to this sum, the inhabi-
tants of Warrington would be enabled to commence
the erection of their local museum without further
delay.
The guarantee fund of 70,0001. or 80,0001. would
be but a drop in the bucket of the great outlay re-
quired for the erection of a museum or picture gal-
lery in or near London, as the commissioners arc
understood to contemplate. On the other hand, the
infinitely smaller sum of 160/. would enable the
good people of Warrington to set about the comple-
tion of • useful and praiseworthy design; and there
is every probability that in every town which has
contributed to the same amount as Warrington some
kindred institution is at this moment in a crisis of
its destiny, at which the acquisition of such a sum
would decide in the affirmative the question whether
it is to be carried on to a successful termination or ,
indefinitely postponed. Nay, some of the local con-
tributions would of themselves be sufficient to form'
respectable (or more than merely respectable) nuclei
of libraries. The sum remitted to the Comnussioners
from the City of London was no less than 24,1101.
Now, the northern and central regions of the metro-1
polio have the reading-mom of the British Museum
within an easily accessible distance; the reading
public of the fashionable and wealthy West-end have
their subscription " London Library." 24,1101.
would, at the present price of books, suffice to esta-
blish a highly respectable free library within the
reach of the residents in the eastern and south-
eastern parts of the metropolis. Glasgow contributed
2,400/. towards the guarantee fund ; that would go
far to complete the already valuable libraries of the
Mechanics Institute of that city, or that of the An-
dersonian University (if it have one), or to establish
a new library in the outlying districts of the Calton
or Gotha., or the new town to the west. Again,
the Bradford contribution is not less than 1,100!, a
very pretty nest-egg for a library fund.
BACON, in one of his essays, has said of wealth in
the abstract, that like manure, it is offensive and un-
wholesome when accumulating in heaps, fertilising
when spread over the surface of the soil. This told*
true in little, of the accumulated guarantee fund of ,
70,000!. or 80,0001. Concentrated in the hands of
the Commissioners, it will merely be the means of
setting on foot a tasteless and disreputable job; re-
distributed to the localities whence it was collected,
it will impart fresh life and energy to many useful
and creditable undertakings. It is to be hoped that
the example set by the intelligent and spirited men
of Warrington will be followed at once in the city
of London, Glasgow, Bradford, and other contributing
localities. An isolated memorial from one locality
may be disregarded by the commissioners, but when
many to the same purport flow in upon them from
various localities, they will find it necessary to com-
ply with their prayers. And should the just demand
of the various localities be complied with, and the
unused guarantee fund be returned to its various real
owners, there will still remain in the hands of the
Royal Commissioners • large surplus to be devoted
to any purpose they may ultimately resolve on.

Tux militia question bids fair to become the Gor-
dian difficulty of a second ministry. In England
the enrolment of any regular force of this kind must
ever be, in time of peace, a most unpopular proceed-
ing. Compulsory interference with the liberty, the
habits, the inclination, of the thoroughbred English-
man, will not be submitted to without resistance,
and any attempt to make such compulsory interfer-
ence perpetual—will not fail, in the absence of direct
hostile demonstrations from abroad, to draw down
overwhelming opposition from the country at large.
It is almost needless to say that the spirit of the
English nation is opposed to the presence at home
of standing armies—that the English people, bravo
as the bravest, when duty requires, are not gifted with
that love of military life for its own sake which dis-
tinguishes our neighbours across the channel—that,
on the contrary, they have a positive natural aversion,
generally, to seek " the bubble reputation in the
cannon's mouth," when the pursuit involve* the
abandonment of those industrial occupations
which, u enabling them to combine the
comforts of life with the enjoyment of free
action, will always win the preference of the
national mind. However desirable therefore it may
appear as a means of protection against future inva-
sion, a permanent regular military establishment in
the heart of England can never be accomplished by
any government, whether liberal or conservative, with
the consent of the English people.
Supposing the necessity for additional military
force to exist, then local volunteer corps are precisely
the form of force suited to the spirit of a people
whose whole history demonstrates their capacity
for self-government, and points to the great fact
that Englishmen can be eafely made the ed idtory
of power, and can be confidently entrusted with the
guardianship of their own liberties. Let the rifle
then, if wo must arm, assume the place of the ancient
yew bow. Let local training be practised systemati-
cally, but in such a manner that the business habits
of the people may be as little as possible incommoded.
Under such a system, well superintended, conceive the
position of an invading army, arrested by regulars in
front, sad surrounded on all sides byscattered relays of
trained riflemen, harassed night and day by telling
fire, cut off from supplies, encumbered with wounded,
debarred from retreat. Not a man of such an army
would ever return with life, if English clemency did
not bestow it. The opinions of military authorities
to the contrary notwithstanding, the character of the
English people forms the real strength of the
country, and the most formidable of all obstacles to
the most daring and ambitious of invaders. We
want no militia, and the government dust expect a
serious opposition to any proposition they may have
ready foe Monday next.