The Express.
London, England, 1852-02-16 00:00:00

ESTABLISHMENT OF A RIFLE CORPS AT

EAST OIONST EAIL

On Thursday last, a public meeting was held at
the Crown Inn, for tue purpose of couunt ring the pro-
priety of establiling a volunt, er rifle corps, for the th.fenco
of this country, should circumstances render it nece.sary
they should Le called upon. Mr. Cital.:ll)Un was called to
the chair.

Earl DELAWARR proposed the first resolution, which
was as follows: " That the country at large, especially that
considerable portion of its seaboard occupied by the county
of Sussex, is in a state requiring a carclul rirnien of its
defences." His lordship sa.sl it was a position which no
one could controvert, that the defences on the coast were
far from what they ought to be. What defences they had
in the shape of Martellu towers and fortifications, had been
allowed to fall into decay. (hear, hear.) IC they looked
inland—not in the way of walls or towns—but in the way
of men capable of presenting a bold front to an enemy, they
were in an equally deplorable condition. (Hear.) That
was a material consequence of the long state of peace which
happily they had enjoyed. Up to that period it had not
been thought necessary to put the national defences in a
proper state of repair. The govsrnmeut had calculated on
a continuance of peace ; but soddenly the state of affairs
had changed. (Hear.) It was true they were yet in a
sate of peace, and he hoped—nay, he might say that he be-
lieved—they would continue to be FO ; but at the same
time he could not shut his eyes to the fact that it might
soon be otherwise. Louis Napoleon would not, in his opi-
nion, willingly involve himself in a war with this country ;
but ho occupied a very dangerous position—a position in
which he might be compelled to set even contrary to his
own views.

Lord COLCHESTER moved the next resolution :
" That it is desirable that a rifle corps be raised in this
neighbourhood, provided the government consent to furnish
arms and ammunition." He said that during the long period
of peace which this country had enjoyed, the various govern-
ments which had existed had been inclined to act economi-
cally with reference to the national deteuees, providing
simply for the immediate wants of the time. A crisis had
now arrived, however, when such matters must be attended
to.

It. TROTTER, Esq., proposed the next resolution—
" That an address to the Lord Liestenar.t of the county of
Sussex be now signed, and forthwith forwarded to his
grace." Mr. Trotter, having read the address referred to,
expressive of the sentiments embodied in the resolution,
and offering to form a rite corps, expressed the pleasure
which he felt at the manner in which the speeches of the pre-
ceding speakers had been received, as it showed the long
period of peace had not had the effect of enervating the cha-
racter of the people.
The resolution, as well as the preceding once, was circled
unanimously.
Mr. FELTON asked whether the corps would be called
upon to perform any other duties than ut the defence of the
country, and whether a member of the corps could leave it
when he pleased ?
The CHAIRMAN replied that the corps could not be
went out of the country, and that a member might resign
when he thought proper.
A number of gentlemen signed the address to the Lord
Lieuten_

COI. St. CLAIR inquired if the inhabitants of Liogficld
could join the corps, being in another county ?
The CIIAIRMAN thought it wee sufficient that they re-
sided in the neighbourhood.
A vote of thanks to the chairman wee then moved by Lord
DIGS'S/ARS, Seconded by Lord COLCISZSTBIL, and carried
unanimously i after which the meeting separated.

DEPARTURE of THE AFRICA.—On Saturday, after-
noon the British and North American royal mail steam-
ship Africa, Captain Harrison, kft the Mersey for New
York direct, with 62 punnets and • very full cargo.
Among the latter was a lot of French silks, valued in the
customs entry at 80,0001., received on Friday from Marra
for transmission by this steamer.
COLLISION AND LOBB OF LIFE IN THE CHANNEL.
—Accounts were received in the City in the course of
Saturday of a most alarming collision having occurred in
the English Channel during the heavy south-westerly gale
of Thursday night, which resulted, as is supposed, in the
loss of two Rue ships, and the sacrifice of several lives. AD-
cording to the information forwarded, it appears that a
large vessel called the Waterloo, Mr. James Elli-
son, belonging to Hull, was making hex way down •
Channel on a voyage from the Tyne to New York. The
weather te described to have been exceedingly tempestuous;
the wind was blowing heavily, and the sea was rolling
formidably high. Between 7 and 8 o'clock the Waterloo ha
reached about 14 or 16 miles from the Start Point, which
bore N.W. by W., when a large foreign barque apparently
came in contact with her. The shock is stated to have been
very severe, and considering the state of the night, and the
character of the collision, it is somewhat surprising that any
one of either of the crews weell spared to detail the catas-
trophe. As soon as the ships had cleared each ether, it was
quickly di covered that the Waterloo was rapidly tilling
Mr. Ellie= mustered his crew, and getting into the
boat, they succeeded in leaving the ship. As it was, how-
ever, they had • marvel one escape, for they had
barely time to leave the vessel ere she went
down in deep water. By this period the woe ,ther
if possible, became more violent, and the feerful
sea that was running threatened every now and then the
destruction of the craft and its occupants. After much suf-
fering, and being Eleanor, some five or six boon, they
were observed by the Mr. Bidder, bound to Mar-
seilles from Shields. She bore down upon them, and
picked them up, end, making for Torbay, landed them on
Friday morning. The fate of the barque is not accurately
known, but there is too much reason to fear that she also
foundered, with every seal on board. Mr. Elliott enter-
tains a belief that she most have sunk. The crew were
' heard shouting for help, but the violent gale that was
raging, sod the distance they were from the coast, must
have made all chance of assistance being rendered them
hopeless. Bathing was seen or heard of them on the fol-
lowing morning. The name of the barque could not be
ascertained. The Waterloo is stated to have been • tine
skip, and is understood M have been insured.
THE PREaItRYED MEATH FOR THE NAVY —A
supplemental examination of theaserved meats for the
Navy was commenced at the Victo •yerd, Portsmouth,
on Friday. The canisters opened on t e above day were
those that had been returned into store from the Berle,
steam-sloop, just returned from the coast of Africa station,
and other vesicle recently arrived home to be paid off.
About 200 cases were opened, and 190 of them were found
to be in very fair condition. The others were emsdirmned,
from their having, iu part of their contents, heart, toague,
and ligament. The extraction of the atmospheric air ap-
pearing to have been perfect, the contents of the cases did
not exhibit that degree of putridity reported at prevants ex-
aminations.
MURDER OF A FEMALE AT ST. JollN't-W00D...-.
Yesterday, an excitement of • most painful nature wee
caused in the vicinity of St. John's-wood, by the discovery
of the murder of a female named Styles, the wife of a horse-
keeper, living et Be. 18, Victoria-maws, Relisteurstreet,
Portman-market. At half-past two in the earning, as
policecoastable 'lampoon, 220 H, war on duty Ma street
adjacent to the mews alluded to, he was accosted by Styles,
who stated to him that his wife hail been murdered. He
(the constable) proceeded with him to his room, which was
over a stable, and found the deceased lying dead in bed,
with nothing on but her shoes and stockings, and observing
marks of blood upon the man's clothes, asked him how he
could account for them, to which he replied that they were
caused by his 1 • over his wife to ascertain whether she
was dasA or not. The mutable immediately took him into
moody, and conveyed him to the John-street station-
house, when he was charged with the murder. Ile will
be examined at the Marylebono police court this day.