The Express.
London, England, 1859-12-16 00:00:00

LONDOA. FRIDAY, DEC. 16.

Tug uniform of the Ride Volunteers has become a
serious question. Every Rifleman has his notions as
to what best sets off his personal appearance, and
indulges a pardonable ambition in making the most
of natures gifts. Lay Agues in divers costumes may
be seen surrounded by civil critics, and even if one
of them is adopted by ear company, it is pretty clear
that few other companies will follow the example.
Indeed, it Mal that the War-office has been apples/1A
to in so many cases that they have determined to
appoint a committee to select a suitable pattern.
'flue question of uniform is not so unimportant as
it may at first appear. It is one of coaveciaace and
expender. If these two matters are ignored the
Ride movement can never become goneral and this,
after all, is the first essential. Already, It must be
admitted that the tendency is to confine the Rifle
Volunteers to the upper and maid le classes; and tie or-
gonadica elf the corps almost necessitates this result.
The Mermen are in the same company, not because
they belong to the seine district, but because they
belong to the same profession or the same class in
society. The bairsters' corps does not admit the
doctors, or even the attorneys; the civil servants
of the Crown do not admit the railway officials.
Hobos what may be termed the middle classes
there le no curve whatever, except it may be
some great employers or mauafeeturers who have
organised bodies among their men. This is a grave
defect, and it is one that we trust will be rer
method. For this purpose it is above all things
neoemary that the door of admusioo to the Ride
Corps should be wide open. if the requirements sad
the discipline are over strict, persons both rich and
poor will hold bark ; if the necessary expenses are
not reduced to the smallest sum the great body of the
people will be excluded. It is not to be denied that
many persons look with satisfaction to the fact that
as each Rifleman must pay for hie own uniform
the power classes must be practically excluded.
To the shopkeeper, the everchaat, and the professional
man SI. wr 4L ie of so consequence. Bat to the man
with 10a. or 30.. a week and a family it
Imo= matter of grave consideration. On the
ether head, if the poorer clam is to have
their uniform paid for, it may biome a
serious matter for the Treasury, or for the pockets
of voluntary subscribers. It is clear, therefore, that
in any view the character of the uniform will in great
measure determine the character of the Volunteer
&Be Corps.

There never was a cue in which a new " clothes-
philosophy " was more needed. It would be singular
to know how many British Watkins& are willing to,
invest some forty shillings in the puerile privilege of
wearing a tide uniform. It is • positive feet that
some companies are organised on such &system. If
men are young enough to go to fancy balls, why do
they not beet me effective. ? if they are too old for
dancing or for service, why should they disguise them•
selves in military costume ? It is to be hoped that the
War-offlor, in the patternaboot to be relected, will look
to three things only—utility, cheapness, and simpli-
city. It m ty be admitted that some uniform is neces-
sary, fur it mignt be difficult to prevent an invader
trona shooting armedmen without uniform. At thesame
time, all the world knows that during the Peninsular
war bof LT in Saw attempted to exclude the followers
of the guerilla chiefs, however clothed, from the pri•
vilegea of regular soldiers; and only the other day
tie costume of many of GAiilliAl.l)l's men was
neither so uniform nor so costly as that of their
French or Sirdinian comrades. Beyond a cap and a
paletOi, or some kind of coat reaching to the knees,
it dose not occur to ea that a kale Volunteer has
need of anything farther than hie arms. A man
need not be armed cepii-pie. It is enough if his
military costume reaches the knee. The number on
his cave coat would readily inform the world a. to his
corps. And it would be impossible to deny the rights
of a regular soldier to any man in this costume
without incurring the charge of barbarism. Indeed
it almost seems that in conceding so much we are
conceding too much ; for we have little doubt that a
wire cap, with the number of the corps or regiment,
would be amply sufficient to entre for its wearer
the rights of a prisoner of war. At all
events, besides the cap and coat, there is
en necessity for any sort of uniform, and
the Government sill, it is to be hoped, sat their
faces steadfamtly against anything like tailoring

travegasee. The Rile Voleateer Cape is not a
plaything. It will only be called oat in a case
of supreme emergency. Thom who repose it do eo at
• coosidersble sacrifice of time and trouble. And
everything about it ought to be monists tit with the
object of its iestitatioe.

The importance which this question of uniform
has sew wienseed shows the progress which the
&domes have made in their drill, and no one sees
the Volunteers without being struck with the rapid-
ity of their program. laded, according to some
of the drillesegeents, the Civilians have ad-
vanced as far in tee days as the ordinary recruit.'
advance in tau weeks. Nor is this surprising. The
more intelligent a remelt is, the more rapidly must
►e his progress. Indirectly this proves the advan-
tages of an educated soldier. Education implies
mental cultivation, and the man whose mind his
been cultivated not only learns quicker but retains
what he has learnt longer. For years this has been
admitted by intelligent officers, but the truth of
their opinion has now become more general
warn the public. Another good effect which
bee already followed the Rifle movement is
the belief in the necemity of discipline. It would be
dilicult to find a single Rifleman who had drilled
twice still labouring under the fake, that discipline
is malear. No man, until he tries it, will believe is
the difficulty of knowing his right land from his
left, or of getting four men to do the same Wag at
the same time. Everybody talks about the great prin-
ciple of bringing lugs maces to bear upon small
numbers, and many insist that this axiom was
discovered by NAPOLEON. But they fail to use that
this principle is utterly impracticable unless the
rank and Ole of a single company can be made
to obey the same order at the same moment.
That body of men which can thus obey is a disci-
plined body—that which cannot is • rabble. To
bring a disciplined body against a rabble is to bring
ten men or fifty men against one. Resistance is
hopeless, defeat inevitable. It may seem easy to
get the men to obey the same order promptly, but
let any one try his hand by falling in at Rifle drill,
and he will quickly find his mistake. It needs
practice to do the thing at all—io the face of an
enemy it needs very considerable practice.

VOt Court.

OSBORNE, Dm IS.

Major-General Fester, commanding Royal En-
emata, &ink Wows District, &Med yesterday on a snit
to fire Idejaity.
TM Ker. Nome Prather° lad lb. bora of being invited
Is dieser.

• deparnon tree tV Orraral Arosiatke for the Aus-
tralia Colours leref es interview with lies Doke of Newcastle
ywderday, et dr Ceiestal-ellos, on lb. snare of elm pro-
posed lasers se ids refs of pew on newspapers to Ile
/ruralise Cordes, WO doedleaspton. The eispeteden cow-
doled of the fallowing mamas :—Mr. T. A. Donaldson,
*sinus of tiro resdatirs, Lord Alfred Clarddll, M.P.,
Mr. Gen, MaLsety, Mr. 3. baba Paster. Mr. /award Wil-
son, Caplan Iliend, sad Mr. J. A. Yost, bass. eserstry.
• masa( of dr lissase Cowgirls of tir Ind Caw
ailesisa fa/ft Idribilion of 1(16l, woo bold yesterday et the
Privy Caredi-ediss. Then wars prased—lied Omaha
Titz..2. I.l.l,i,...tAisisstikr.
QC , Mr. C. V. Dilies, lb. T. F. sof Mr. /Aga
Bawds( (aserstery). Mr. H. R. Willires, lassold
ins sir presont.
ware nwerod se dr Ceionisi.o&mr yesterday
Areeplerkrsef dr Arend= Coisedes. tie Manrinea,
Cairn. Kam end Oftwaltar, and des Lord High Com-
missioner of Usk. Lisa&

A letter free Cerra of the eth say.:—" Yester-
ay, Weds's!ley, the gala lamas esemer, secompasied by
her Majarty'sdemseth lea Amman, night be sae early
alemag over es Akesia,with Prises Alked,Sir H. Storks, the
Adak's', and • saasesas playa naval and military officers,
ett best is the datereetie• of woodcocks, which an supposed
Is hen sem la wlth the aid weather, although n is rather
way la theorem 1 ben ad .candied whist tag babas
gado ; beg west& egged nts is tb. hills of Albuds has ban
soh to the rite sad pod tee the health at Primo •Ind.
who weal& perhaps, have enjoyed hemmed the awn it se-
stisakd by esswasrees a seHows et disairaisbed peeuraeger
• greed Maar at the President at the esswe's sad a ball to-
sight, at the Pekoe, will close the festivities that an bang
gives Is harm e 1 Ws youthful royal high..., who
Issas tovaserew la the 'Surplus for Yalta."
_ _

The Deeboa of Inverness gave a grand inter-
lairmat het *miming, It Kensington Palace, ti their Hopi]
Woman the Dottier of Cambridge and the Princess Mary
gad his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge. The fol-
low* mere invited Se meet their royal highnesses :—His
Mseridesey the Anetrien Minister and the Count vs Apponyi
sad the Ganes Pailabillftlll, the COIIIIIVMS of Lichfield,
Neat Drandualtana Cwut Pasiagarain, Count Wimple,
Capone ',albs, Mr, George Masotti, fte.

The Duke of Bacotsuch u staying at Bowhill, his
peas ►eating seat Le Belkirkatilre. The duchess red Wise
Beset here the tap their residence at De/Lath Palace, OW
Ad&burgh, for the slater.

The Marquis of Bath hag daring the last fort-
night averlained • euearion of AMUR, •t Longleaf,
Waite.

The Counter (Dowager) of leeway left Berkeley-
square yesterday for Middleton Park, air &ouster.

The Constar (Dowager) eilraavdle, with Lord
sad Lady Rime, sad tlei Hoe. Kiser Pitt, ero rojosimins
sa Sootiest°. Has.., Boarsisesatb, until tito sod of
Doessber.

Sir Robert Peel, Rut., M.P., hoe left Whitehall-
praise for Gomm

The Right Res. Wm. E. Gladstone, M.P., and
film Gladstone left Trentham for Edinburgh on Monday,
attar visiting the Duke and Duchene of Sutherland during
the stay of thine R. Hlghaeseee the Duke and Ditcher
Charnels at the dual wet.

°sacral Bir de Lacy and Lady Evans left the
Pevrtion Rohl, Folkestone, yesterday, shoes stay of three
mooths, he their town makers, Bryeastoe-pave.
Mr. Medea, M.P., and Mrs. Deena bays arrived
at Penesetfa Hoek iron flondleog Pak, Let.
Mr. David Fitzgerald, soh eitor, his been appointed
Is the aeon of Clerk of the Crown for the *lusty of Tyrone,
wassat by the death of Mr. Terence Ir dam. Tbe new Aker
Is the brother of the Attcsurry-Geweral for Ireland.

This Derby Reporter of today contains an into_
"Wag accoont of a atir.4 of the Local Michani.' Institution.
Lad Bolger, the porandent of the institution, delivered an ad-
dress, replete with practical good seam. Bor J. bownag gave a
&nailed account of host *proses in Chaim. Mr. Evans,
M.P.; the borough member*, Mr. llogby Wyatt, Mr. Lionel
Gistorn a and other gentlemen, took pan is the pro-
ceedings.

Oa Tuesday night Mr. Whelk Chambers delivered
the first of two lectures, at the Phdneophird Instituter,
Edinburgh, on " The Poen meow of the Superficial Forma-
tions." Mr. Chambers described the phalanges existing in
this watery, and In Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, and
America, on which the glacial theory, of which be le • well-
lit own exponent, la foniaded. At the close, Mr. Chambers
exhibited a somber of oketehor, showing the peculiar 'lecke
ridge., hollow., and markings observade in the Queen'.
Park, on Salisbeu7 Crag., Arthur's Sew, the Castle Rock,
the Coritorphine Hide, and other places la the neighbourhood
of Edinburgh.

A wan residing iu Kettering. named John
Plummer, labouring as a factory °motive, use a few days
wad presented slat ♦Ol. how tbe queues Bounty fund to
litessey wee, for the several productions hunt his pea, 069 of
his subjects on Senator" Hulot to" (cluing 61. tor Oim ass
locoed class Fels' essay.

The fund it Manchester for the fatnay of the
late Res. C. Hod" lout Is the Royal Charter, which miss
coumesend a mouth ago by Mr. Cooper, now reaches aboat
6001.

According to our ( Lerant Herald) Belgrade cor-
respondence, K. w Thormael, Preach atabenedor at Cw•
eteatiaple, will be call• d io Patio whew the coegreee Luse
Oboe. I. that mew, hie ezereLlsaey valid be temporarily
replaced by Caul Lalkamsd.