The Express.
London, England, 1859-05-24 00:00:00

VOLUNTEER RIFLE CORPS MOVEMENT.

CIOTDor. An influential and numerously-
attended meeting was held at Om Town-hall, on
Friday evening Ise, to consider the expediency
of forming • volunteer rifle corps for Croydon
sad its neighbourhood. The chair was taken soma
after S o'clock by Major-General Sir Fret Abbott, H.C.8.,
governor of Addiscombe, who opened the proceedings by
saying that it was 00:440{12 all Europe woefully armed, and
Cof it busy fighting. Our imperial neighbour
expanded his fleet until it almost equalled our
own, although he had no such colonies to pro-
tect. It was neceesary to meet all cow ingtn,teo.
From Dover to Portsmouth he believed the coast woe not
depletory protected, end from the Sussex coast to London
they had scarcely a gun of any moment. Let them suppose
that an enemy, 30,000 or 40,009 strong, was landed on the
meat of Sussex, three days' march would bring them to
Croydon; it was quite plea that under this stato of things
they must trust to entrenchments, but the question arose
how were they to defend them? It was qquits certain that a
few regiments of the line would be ineu cleat for the sup-
port of the entrenchment. They must fall back and come
upon their militia and iifiemen consequently it was neces-
sary to form redo Corp., ind it was to see how
much that neighbourhood could add Its quota to
support the cause that the meeting had been convened.
Mr. Woreley, in moving the first rerolation, said that if it
came to a question of • tug of war," they 'were almost
without an army at home, but not without the materials to
form one. (Cheers.) He impressed upon those present that
in forming a rifle cope they moat not look upon it as a me:s
club, but as • national organisation for the purpose of defend-
ing their country. Ho expreersi a wish that they would form
not only foot rifle but mounted rifle corps. Thera
were in the country • large body of gewlemen
who could both ride and shoot, and they were for
the most past gentlemen who had a great deal to
loss, and depend upon it they would fight for it. If they
organised • rifle corps on horseback he was
sure it would be as well supported as the
other. He concluded by moving, ' That • club be
formed in this neighbourhood for the purpose of organis-
, lag and supporting • volunteer rifle corps under the emotion
of the lord lieutenant of the county." Mr. Goldsmith
' wooded this. Captain Snell (adjatentof the Hon. Attillery
Company, and late of the Bombay army) rose to support the
motion, sad said they were met to consider the &Ivies, ildy—
toot to lay necessity—of forming a volunteer rifle corps in
Croydon. A purely domestic force could give no offence to
any foreign power; it would not be for the purpose of ag-
gression ; all it would seek to do would be to protect this
loud front Omegas, and if it could deter the feet of
foreign foe from landing on our adores, it
quietly it wee true, but none the less gloriously foe
Hs sepses= 1"
tha the end whicho bbeilerftatda.
committee, but he would stale for the information of those
present that the mat of rifle ond uniform ought not to exceed
10L F.nfie:ds, whether three•grooved, or of lAnceatee•
aliptio bore, would cost about 31. 104. etch, or less, it idiots
by the hundred. Short Ilea would come to about 51 ,if steel
mounted; and 41. 10s. each, if bream mounted, so that he
believed he might safely say 101. should cover el. Other
resolutions were then moved, appointing a committee of
management, and suthoriaing them to take steps to procure
the legal enrolment of the corps. The meeting terminated
with a vote of thanks to Sir Frederick Abbott for the interest
he had manifested in the object of toe meeting, std for his
sble conduct in the chair. After three cheers for the Quota
the meetiair /operated, nearly all those who were present en-
rullihg their names as members of the club.

NEWBEIRT:At a epeeist] meeting of the town
rosacil, held on Friday lest, Mr. T. Fidler proyceed " that
la the opinion of this as sties It is desirable to eAsblieh a
rifts club for this part of the county of Berke, and that the
mayor be requested to convene a public roasting for that
purpose, to be bald in the Town-hall sent Thursday week at
three o'clock." The ree 4.ltion wee ssoondedby Mr. Turner.
and 'anted uaseimorialy.
NORWICII.—A crowded meeting was held at the
Guildhall, Norwich, yesterday, to promote the formation of
a volunteer rifle dub or amps.
New FOREST.— It is in contemplation by some of
the resident sentry in the Aso Fon st, and many of the
tradesmen of this plum, to establish a rifle brigade; the
dep6t is to be at Lyndhurst. —Bents Indeperakne.
STAPPORD.—An inflnential meeting was held at
the Shire Hall, Stafford, yesterday. A number of deputy-
lieutenants and othor sentiernen were present, including the
Earl of Shrewsbury and Talbot, the Earl of Lichfield, Lout
Eicho, Hon. Capt. Anson. Mr. Foster, M.P., Mr.Wire,M.P.,
and the mayors of Stafford, Wolverhampton, Weleall, and
Lichfield. The Lord Lieutenant of the county took the
chair. A series of resolutions in favour of the establishment

of ette corps were carried unanimously.
EICHMOND.—Last evening a meeting was held in
the Vestry Hall, Richmond, f.r the purpose of establishing
a ride corps in Richmond and the surrounding district.
The chairman* (Mr. Selwyn, M.P.), in opening the prieinied-
lags said, they saw that the storm had buret on the Conti-
nent ; they heard of batik" in plaices that wets familiar to
many of them, and it had therefore become an anzi•tus ques-
tion for all Englishmen W know whether that storm should
burst on their own shores and find them unprepared.
There was no danger in mulling an Englishman with arms.
The object which they had in view tem imperative and
lawful under the eircutostences: Mr. E!iwyn„ efterr!fer-

ring to the deeds of the old English Knights and the Volun-
teer Rifle Corps of Switzerland, and there might be some
who were not able to bear the expense. Be hoped there
would not be waning gentlemen to come forward and amid
them in doing so. They did not sant men who would only
enrol themselves for the purpose of playing at soldiers,
but men who would take a reel interest in the
matter.—Mr. Penrhyn proposed a reach.' ion, " tbat it
Is expedient to form at once:a rifle carps in this town."
Mr. Penchyn obeerved that there was no doubt that before
many weeks seloweer rifle cert.' would be eetablished
throughout the country.—A letter from the Lord-Lieweetent
of the county was them read. saying that Richmond ought to
produce a strong corp. of selectee?s if any Inyslty remained
in the town. The resolution mis seconded by the Vicar, the
Rev. Mr. Dopes's. and, upon being put to the mewing, was
carried unanimously. A second resolution was alal carried
for the purpose of tusking arrangements for the establishing
of a corps far Rithroond. A. comnsWee of gentlemen was
appointed for the purpose of caning oat these arrangements

VOLUNTEER RIFLE CORPS AND MEMBERS OF
FittENDLT SOCIETIES —be the articles of memberthio of a
large =ober of the friendly exit ties of the I;uited King-
dom, there is a rule Mowed against *ding:ins soldims and
sailors, and u many persons who are desirous to join the
rifle corps in their different localities are romobeis, end, as
such, interested in the auljrc., the opinion tf Mr. Tidd
Pratt, the registrar, has bean asked on the ',Vowing rule,
vie.: By the 6th clause of our tociety no sailor, or
working miner, ellen be admitted into 'hie society. Will yon
have the guedness to inform me, for the government of the
society, and those member. ilesirme of juicing the rile corps,
whether it would invalidate (her membership or their
nomi-
nee s claim by entering into the rifle carps now forming r—
.FrieDdly Societies Offfea, 5, Bolton-rtreet, Loadoa, 9:h
May, 1859.—1 n my *Moe, a member of yea *minty, by
joiralas a volunteer ride corps, will ant invalidate his mew-
p.—(Signed) J. TIDO Pease."

31USEUX OF PATENTs, SOUTH KENSINGTON.—
!amber ol vidtore fur the week ending May 21: Mornings,
976 ; eveeinge, 933• total, 1011;1 since]] the opening of
the Museum free doily (Key 12, 18SS), 911,60.
TOE SECOND .xrtosiox OF THE HOUNSLOW
Pomona kfttut.—Too following ere some further peed-
milers of the mond esplmion at the Hounol aw Powder
Mills:—From circumstances collected from the men thetas
selves, It apneas the oe the Toesdsy night, at a quarter to
9 o'clock, a cheese of powder wee laid down on the Dell by
three of the workmen. under the superintstarme of the
night foreman, who bed also other chttim to attend to. The
duty of the three m.n was to visit the mills every hoer, to
inspect the state of the milling, and to put wster (technleilly
called " liquoring ") upon the in orporsting rowdtr, to pre-
vent it tecorniog over dusty. This operation ought
on no &comsat to bo delevci aher Irs prvir
time, as upon its due end regular performance
depends not only the commervel value of the
article, but the is& ty of the whole of the mills, and
ti4.livesin othufern.etypeope,..reop,in
.e,rolyphi,..yasdi.,aeynsdpileillifdlibytesti.74ll;
dismissal. In the rase word r wriest the nice Sid not mike
one visit to their weak Irmo squarer to 9, the period when
the chomps was tad down, mitt 2J mit:mos put 11 o'clock,
the mills grinding away on the materials all this time. They
then, without making the uccenery snangrements under
such dangerous tarcuutstinces, rustily poured water on the
ins'erials, and as an in* viteble ants qaecoe the find turn of
the machinery licked up all the dry p .wrier dust, leaving the
mill bed perfectly here, when the two bard surs gnus, the
machine roller and the bed, c:tmhig in cobtset, genera•ed •
eptrk, which in no nottet wait red the four corning mills in
the air like so many busrllss of lueifere, and injuring one of
the man ; he is, however, rapidly tecovering: Of course the
man bars been &milord.