The Express.
London, England, 1861-11-01 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER- 1, 1861

THE EARL OP MALMEBBURY ON THE
VOLUNTEER MOVEMENT AND THE HOUSE
OP LORDS.

The South Avon Agricultural Society celebrated
its anniversary on Tuesday, at Christchurch, Hampshire
and in the evening the annual dinner took place at the
Kiss's Arms Hotel, where there was a large assembly. The
Right Hon. the Earl of MALMILSBURY occupied the chair,
and was supported by Admiral Walcott, .3L P. for the
borough.

After the usual loyal koala,
The Earl of IIat.iiICKBURT, in proposing the health of the
Christchurch Velveteen, said, in reference to the Volunteer
movement— I Hook that there are two dangers apparently
before us, and only two. The first ia a natural disposition
amok; men who have joined this force, after attending
• certain number of drills, rind undergoing a certain quantity
of labour, to consider that their occupations after all are such
—their private occupations—that they can hardly carry on
both with credit to themselves. They naturally say to them-
salver, and jumly, " We are not • tnily military matron ; we
are engaged in trade, in manufactures, in agriculture, in
commerce, in the duties of civil life, or as civil officers ; and
we have not that time in the 24 hours—which no magic can
Isegthen--to do justice to ourselves, and attend long enough
and efficiently enough to make us se perfect as the regular
troops, or as we should like to see ourselves and others."
This is a very natural feeling of vanity, but it is an entirely
mistaken one. After the first year or year Rod a half of
drill, and that is over, they should know sufficient to form
the nucleus of • body of meo, who, when the occasion arrives
—which God forbid—in a mouth or six weeks would make
effective soldiers. Let them consider that it is not Deal*.
nary to have all the bearing and ensertame etMeepo et Mum
line ; that they look equally well, and are squally re-
spected, without any ornamental thing of that sort; and
that as soon as they know the A B C of their company
drill they are perfectly able then, and would be sun to
be able to act within • month or six weeks of • gine
time, and then, naturally, all their time would be given
to it, and to lean as much as it is able to knew. There-
fore, they should not be dimoureged, and those who are not
perfect need not wish to withdrew from the corps bermes
they do not think they could give time to it. H they only
learn one half Use 0101tiniee—d they understand them in
their heads—when the time conies they will be able to pro-
ceed rapidly with the remainder. Ido not wish them to put
themselves to personal inconvenience to attend the drill ;
they should do eo only when their burinss permits them.
That is one danger. The other is an opinion, which Is not I
general, but wfm.h I have heard advocated by some men,
that the restitution of the volunteer form will enable us to
reduce our regular army. Depend upon ft that is • very
great mistake. It would be unfair to this country, and
tenably unfair to the volunteer themselves. (Hear, bear.)
Take' for example, the habits of discipline' of life, of the
idaesof men who form the volunteers, and compare them
with those habits std customs of discipline and of order
which regulate the royal army. It is inspeariWe, perfectly
impossible, that you should change hunum nature so com-
pletely. If you could transform them into irregular troops,
and subject them to some such discipline as regular troops
are subjected to, yet if they were not always under those
regsdaterus they would not be effective en a regular army.
They would be effective in their own way ; they would be
effective as a supplementary army, relieving the troops
in ore of war or unease m various toils to which they
, would otherwise be exposed; sod they would be effective,
' doubting mad trebling the amount of the efficiency of
regular troops by enabling them to act together instead
of employing them in duties which the volunteers are able
to perform ; but to trust the safety of the country to a body
of men whose habits do not accustom them to the stern
discipline of the line, would be a most dangerous and fatal
thing to the country Wolf and to the volunteers themselves.
Hear, hear," and cheers.) We have sees what hoe takes
place is America. Thom mem who fell at the battle of Bull's
Run were doubtless as brave as ourselves, or any others
descended from our nee • but from the inferior quality of
the officers—volunteer (Akers who had not been is military
commaed, opposed to thous who hid—and the inexperience
of the troops themselves, when brought to face Women to
which they were unaccustomed, and led by persons nut ac-
customed to lead regular troops, they sustained a &matron
defeat. We, as volunteers most therefore consider our-
selves as supplecoestary to the regular army. (Hear, hear.)
Year after year we should improve and be a nucleus, increased
in sus, and vigour, and strength, whenever required ; but It
would be the greatest mistake, either from economical prin-
ciple. or believing that volunteer forces are equivalent to
regular ,troops, to take upoo °unites. to reduce the army
even is • small degree in omsequeace of the volunteer
movement ; in fact, we should be destroying what we have
dom. (Cheers.) We consider °avenue an independent por-
tion of the army. Wises we 'elated oar idea was ant that
we should mike as widen, and that en many eiddisn should
be dismissed in omesquenos ; bat we enlisted to assist those
soldiers and to be • reserve to defend the country if attacked.
(Hear, hear.) Recollect what this musky is. Its gaiety
dispeuris upon its navy, because, although ea island is the
strongest of all muskies so brig as its navy =sonatas
its supremacy at ma, if it hap no navy it is the weakest
of aB out/caries. Take Aust. ia. Surrounded by neutral
territories, she may have friendly neighbours. But
in England—an island—if you have so navy, a powerful
military monarchy that possemes • navy—l will at sacs say
France—(bem, bear) —could landsolilismai different points,
and en we have no neutral territory armed se and our
friendly neighbour" would have ceased to exist, we cannot
•umber too many men to defend the interior of this
country. Our army could not possibly do
gular aim meld eat defend the comet if the suchF had
the superiority at sea; but if we had • volunteer force
of 150,000 or ^I MO saes to assist that army, added to
all the strewth, and viper, and advantage with width
all soldiers Ogkt Wm their owe ground, if the navy
were overpowered w should still be able to detesd our
had. (Chew.) What 1 have said is oo conceit of my own,
and no dream England 800 years ago was conquered, sod
by men who ems keen Prance. But what was the mum?
Le Mom days l bed so trey ; it led • brave King, sad •
yew brave army ; het that army fear days before the tattle ,
el Hastings fought • desperate battle against the Dimes on
the eastern coast. Kiel; Harold conquered the Danish army,
and slew the Danish King and his tidiest brother. But in
sessessesse el that Meth it was IMO with • blokes army be
led be meet the Norma William on the coast of rimers, and
On preyed that without a navy this Wood may be attacked
Mom and the same time at more than one point, and that
hi required more than me army to defend our shores,
ems awe did lot Ices ikir stipmenew at sea. (Chaen.)
Lit usibiag, thee, diesourege our keepsgg up the volunteer
frigeo—oor keeping up their drill ; above all. do not, if you
mew setertathesl it, foster the delusion that, brave as you
kr as you are, you can act alone sad without the
Weal the resmiseifort• ; bet sossider moleskin sup
Lary to that regular fume, and he ever ready to 1
doable its mations sed its umfuthe:k Offetholite wiltione•
Captain Taxman responded to the toast.
Mr. W. TICS proposed " The House of Pears*--thei
1 highest assembly of English'men, end of the sisemblies of
the world.

The Karl of Matleirsocriv, in reply, said—Mr. Tice has
most kindly proposed my health w c IMISILIOD with that of
the must ancient and greet institutioe—tbe greatest, per-
haps, that there le to this country. He has described- its
Ware sad its character in very simple but very eloquent lan-
goorkood to that Ls I as add options that would give
it fame. He bee with very great trail, that the per-
sons who compose that body of rest—the greatest legislative
assembly, I believe, in the world—have advsetages which
Ohara 4.10 out pones'. 'They hate, or they ought to have,
as impartial, • liberal. and • distinguished education ; they
Item, generally. mach time upon their bawls to attest to
their perlisineutary duties, those duties not felling upon
them
.with that continual weight—that oppressive_ sod
forgzi:ar
.sighaLt.whichperhamfelsolsmugin mem
mes .bseikresoil Ira:House
Baer-
gin and their talents ; they have the advantage, besides
all this, of beeriog subjects dismassed, not for the drat time
—at receiving subjects from theotber house after they have
been well betkrod, as it were, and sifted in the other house
of parliament. They,ere, therefore. never token by surprise
—they have ample means of wandering a subject when its
abeam/ has been thrown before their door—and they must
be men of little ability if they do nut receive these subjects
sod consider them with clearogessed • judicial spirit. These
ere advantages, soil I em booed to say, although I have the
honour to be a member of that body, that I believe they
have made the hest use of these advantages, and that every
subject that does COMO before the Home of Lords is dis-
cussed in the calmest soil best possible spirit, with all the
good humour sod good biome." sad all the gond breading,
as Mr. Ties bee mid, which so oniareents a discussioa in a
legislative assembly. I should be sorry, indeed, if the
roughness" of which be apelike should in worn utf is the
other House of Parliament. (Cheers.) It is good for this
country shot the voice of the people, rough and rude as it
may be, should have as expomut sad be beard in its proper
place ; sad it dimmable truths aid disagreeable assertion'
were cot allowed to be uttered is the House of Commons,
we should bear moth inure of them in the streets than we
do now. (Loud cheers.) It is, therefore, most desirable
that In the Home of Cameroon the oaten of the people
should be mpoesded. The Home of Leeds, au hereditary
body, is was wmbily of a different kind—an amembly,
1 las bets unjustly mid, of nom wishing to control the liber•
tee of the subjs.* for we should be ungrateful to our
amestme if we did sot recollect that it was in the House
of Lords that the first liberty of lisgland dawned, tad
that it ins boa tit banns of Kurland they received the
, charter of their Mortise. (Loud cheers.) It a sot ofreschk
to boast of these honours which ere but so modest of
I birth, hot it is impainible not to feel justly proud of WISP
ing to • body said ea order of uses who have formed& part of
the greeters of Yaglood's crow kw so easy 'sentries The
noblest spirits have been pseud to is ia that house ,• the
noblest 'Ferns have is thee lagooor ; and who
t shall forget the chiming, heart of Nano, aim, hoard*
les Bgl7.iith ship, he sheeted, "A peerage or Wostroloolor
Abbey (Choirs.) Ti. hews been good oatash to daak
my health. 1 tank yea oasis cad tads tor the kindness
with which yew ohms roam me at thlo tibia I twai

eider that although I am a member of the House of Lords,
although I am not legally responsible to any constituency in
this country, I am reeponsible to 004, to Is/ CCOSI"Oek
and to the whole nation for the votes which Igive in that
assembly. It is a duty of great importance and-responsibi-
lity which I have received with my birth. I have tried
to carry it eat es well as human nature will suable me to
do ; and depend upon it, that no vote of mine given in that
house, for or against any moaaure proposed in It, is given
unless I am perfectly oreviteed that at the moment 1 am
acting WZI to my fellow countrymen.
The earl renamed his seat amid loud cheers.