The Express.
London, England, 1852-04-21 00:00:00

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21.

Tun members of the House of Commons have had
an admirable opportunity during the Faster recess
of collecting experience with respect to a subject of
the highest importance to the country. II they
made use of their opportunities to any purpose, we
are quite sure that they must have seen quite enough
to enable them to give • tolerable opinion as to the
feeling of the public with regard to the Militia Bill.
This measure, be it remembered, comes before the
house on Friday next, and no opportunity should be
lust between this and then for exposing the fallacy of
a plan which is not only unsatisfactory,but thoroughly
un-English.
The conjuror Friar BACON, we are told, once
turned his attention to the defence of England, and
proposed to surround It with a wall of brass. Mr.
WALPOLE, who is no conjuror, and who can command
no more brass than appears visible on the face of a
rather impudent project, proposes to defend the
country with $O,OOO mock soldiers. "Let mo
have your picture," said the despairing lover to
his mistress. " I dare not," was the answer, "it
would betray our intimacy." "Not at all," replied
the ingenious youth, " it shall not resemble you in
any ono feature." " Give us a militia," says
the Ilona SECRETARY to the country. 0 But we
don't want a standing army," is the reply.
" Never mind," interposes the sharp minister, " the
soldiers shall be all shams." And so far the answer ,
is consolatory ; but there is one sad feature in the
proposed measure—and, alas ! in all ministerial mea-
sures—the payment. This is terribly real. And
there is something infinitely worse, and just as real
too. There is the lose of time to those who serve ;
there is the certain demoralisation, there is the men-
tal misery and physical suffering to the wives and
children and parents at home, who depend upon the
wages of the absent militiamen. The result of the
measure, should it become law, will assuredly be,
that we shall be mulcted of a sum sufficient to have

provided for benefits incalculable—a national educa-
tion, for instance—and find ourselves in tho end
with a force of sham soldiers and demoralised men.

Surely, every amber of parliament who spent
the Easter vacation amongst his friends must have
seen enough to show the temper with which the
country will receive a militia bill.
lies the member for a manufacturing town per-
ceived that the manufacturers are likely to be fa-
vourable to a measure which will assuredly rob them
of some—perhaps the best—of their workmen ? Does
ho think that the employers will thank the parlia-
ment for a mauler° which will have the effect, not
only of taking away their men, but probably of
• them whilst they are away, and thus
a means of corruption for the rest P lles
IV somber for a county witnessed much delight in
the eimatenanoes of the mothers and sisters of the
ales if men who are likely to be drawn from this,
Inaba pretence of being taught something which
thry will never learn ? Do they look forward
with hope to the kind of change which will take pine
in the cottager's minage when the clever plough-
man comes back a bad soldier, with all the vices and
none of the virtues or capabilities of his new occupa-
tion ? Does the member for a borough remember that
any of the shopkeepers anticipated much pleasure or
profit from the absence of their well-trained shopmen ?
Finally, can any of the honourable gentlemen tell
as whether the guardians of the poor, in any par-
dealer parish, rejoice at the prospect of being
milled with extra levies, to pay for the
supped of those who are left destitute by
the absence of their proper supporters? Are
vestries charmed at the pect of laying on new
rates? Is there any parish which scorns to
show as much es the parishioners of
Marylebone amaihded. whim thousands were spent
to relieve the deditatisa essmioned by the calling
out of the militia mate yes back ?
Now, if say (Atha, guestiems can be answered ire
the affirmative. then a great case may be seas eat
ha the earistammt of the ad, which is to Meshes
00,000 reel workmen into as many sham seidises.
Fe, shams they will inevitably be. The Doke of
WILLINOTON tails us that it takes two years to
tern raw recruits into good soldiers, and these two
rrurwere to be pawed in active service. Our Home
AM to maks elkisat soldiers in a
mete hales d the time, ad at sea who will seems
lorries el ad That the militirmei will never be
mask soldiers in the time to them. k
ols l
; that they may be nub rises edema k
ea but possible, if not prelmille. That they will
wry littletsiorn.the know
That ttge doeatitz Imisrvals Lio.
Mile they will enjoy tie filthemefrom kw" die
ddlrialareouree with li denims of lam. am
et wises must be takes fan tbe dregs et midis
will have the effect et dim ass'ime 0.
lira for honest labour, NO idi
it, is very likely. Let am
oa these thins between new la Friday. Vire
Mlrtiel the Easter vaistien tends to coed
lee
have said, let three act upon it whoa Ike
time tomes kr ands. es tie vabject.
Ow rest quids' b there may imp den
iaysiam,mistime set? lad DIM 60as dean
is est. Is this ease, what said be s mime which
146=1401y opposed to our asikwil Wiese: which
maim heavy demands opus tht Wind Inane%
sad which corrupts aad &saembes the periaticeP.
Why inoculate a hey maim at ear essekymes
with a spirit whisk brreekhly mem same et
every nation inhaled with it—the military spirit;
Om suns of Frames is, that aapiratisaliter " emy,
which makes every man an imagine edam IN&
not wait soldiers, we want dilemma That Welke
which mods to Menem the 'mike et bow hem
will tend also to isereem the deMnr d the
teesats of them lame, if seed be, is did lbws
for,
d yaw maw ia giving Nis
semspie wean **deg smi
mask when the assemity maim
.1. Reim a prudes et els&
iss ens Whim te Ike Wes et the prise.
ring to be Isside Wiens et st ear-defence, be-
came some ter et Mire mmtebeik might atteek
than, es seed peeerhi skims ki Isme the art d
lour hour a vague p milk of invades her
arises Our children mrieli asset tema
framthe pize-110W waradergehe besides •
which would stand bp lima Vita all Masse et
latter " noble art" led departed. So much for the
need of a militia if there is little probability of an
invasion.
If, however, Lord Deane is wrong, and there is
danger, then prepare for it in a proper meaner. ha
cept the offer of those volunteers wises imellmies
come forward is a prod that they en in semest.
and • guarantee thee tie meek el the Rife
will be to them a laborer d love. Take
advantage of the chivalrous haw of those
who have offered willingly to samiles time,
money, and labour in the public easel. Or-
, geniis the rifle clubs, and properly dispose our
standing army and our large fleet. Our defence
then will rest, not upon chance levies out of probably
the most degraded classes, but upon the elite of the
nation. Call home more ships. See that they are
well manned and armed. Follow out Mr. ANDER-
SON'S proposition for an auxiliary steam navy. Do
all these things, and do not have a militia. In
short, put trust in realities, and have nothing to do
with any new army of SHAMS.

ALARMING AND DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT PRESTON.
—About midnight on Monday, one of the most fearful comfit'.
rations ever witneeeed in Preston occurred in the market
place of that town. The flee commenced in the shop of
Mr. Gregory, tailor and draper. Before the flames could
be subdued, the premises occupied by Mr. Gregory were
completely gutted, sod his stock destroyed. It Is only
three weeks since he insured for 3001. in the British Empire
Mutual Assurance Company. Mr. Woods, tobacconist, on
the west side of Mr. Gregory, sustained a loss of near upon
3001., covered by insurance in the Phceniz Office. The
stock of Mr. Smith, on the west, was uninsured; his loss
will be considerable. The damage to the building is esti-
mated at from 4001. to 0001. From information in the pos-
-1 woolen of the police, there is every reason to believe that
the Are was the work at as lacerwilasy.