The Express.
London, England, 1859-07-02 00:00:00

VOLtiNTRER RIFLE CORPS.
. .

Sir J. SHELLEY e.ketld tM Secretary stState for War
whether her Majesty's government adopted the views of the
late administration with respect to volunteer corps, or
whether they would be disposed to supply • sufficient quantity
of arm, for practice.
Mr. 8. HERBERT said the government had taken into
emaideratioa the offers made by those various bodies, and
he wee glad to have that opportunity of expreesing themes I
which government entertained of the publics spirit of the par-
ties who offered the formation of these corps. Now, he pro-
posed to accept the tervicea of rifle carps upon certain condi-
tions; the first being that • safe and sufficient ;
sage existed in whittle they might practise. (Hear, beer.)
It wee proposed that • military officer should be sent
down, on the application of the oorpa which wiehed to be
formed, in order to examine the same and report whether it
had a safe and tufficient range. It must be obvious that,
without this precaution, the corps would be useless, for it
could not practise, and it it did practise it would be done
serene. (Hear, hear.) Secondly, the governmont would
exact that all its arms should be kept in eafe custody; and
thirdly, that the rules of the club should have the sanction
of the Secretary of State; and lastly, that the corps should
be under permanent military inspection. It wee proposed,
supposing these four conditions to be fulfilled, to home to
each corps • certain propel inn t f anon sufficient for exer-
cise, for drill, and practice. It was not necessary that every
man in the corps should be armed for that purpose. It was
proposed therefore to issue to them rifles equal to 25 we
eat, of the effective number of the corps. That
would always arm one section for every purpose.
Then 'gain, it was reputed, with a view to
facilitate the drilling of these corps, that a payment of le.
a day and a billet shout() be given to sergeanb of the militia
or other competent persons to instruct and drill ; but to faci-
litate the instruction in musketry the Commander-to-Chief
tad arranged that 25 adjutants and 100 sergeants of the db.-
searedied redid& should receive musketry inatructim at
Myth', and from the first of August next should become avail-
able forth* instruction if the corps. Lastly, it was errsnged
that • limited number of officers and members of the volos-
teer corps themselves might repair to Myths, and receive s
no 4erate and short tonne of instruction depending on the
necessity of not interfering with the practice of the regular
only. The lest obsery adore be had to make was this —The
government, taking the same course as their predecease's,
were moat anxious to encourage and give the preference to
artillery corps, rather than rifle opens, along the coasts and
in the great &retools and commercial p eta of the country—
wherever there wore guns and batteries, and • sufficient range
for practice. It must be obvious that the public service would
be much more advantaged by the establimineot of carps for
dote purpose than by rifle oorpe—for they would release •
soffirient body of the reveler artillery corps, who, in cam of
war, ought to be employed In the *fleet. The government
would, therefore, not merely obtain the services of the velum-
, tem amp, but tiey woeld intone an almost equal amount of
Royal Artillery. They would bays considerable advantages
over the rifle corps—precedence in rank, with no arms and
no ammunition to buy, end no range to obtain ; and these
advantages mutt facilitate the fwmation of such corps.
With regard to another queetiou, he would merely observe
that so far so their organisation was at prow nt concerned,
the government had no intention to do other than to
the offers of iedependent companies, but as hal=
ease a false step once made, a calculation of Rumbas
',bywords proved fellaciour, would be quite irretrievable,
the offers of companies would alone be accepted when the

government sew of how ninny persons time companke
would be composed, and that they were capable of receiving
• higher organitettion by [lacing them in battalion. He
bored in a few day.. to issue a circular, which would explain
these inwations of the government, and some other details,
so .a to enable the lorde-lieutenant of counties and others to
prom ei with the formation of rifle carp* without needing to
apply to the War-otft.e for dlreclons. In offering 26 per
cent., or one-fourth, of tits somber of arms in proportion to
the number of men in the ride corps, it was understood that
in case of war, when the companies were called out, the
whole of them would of course be armed.