Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-12-19 00:00:00

who have come here to-day. I think they have shown
great friendship in coming ; but I was satisfied nothing
would prevent them : they considered it their duty, and
were determined to come, if they were wet to the skin.
On behalf of the Fifth, I have to thank them very much.
This brings me to the last, but not the least, propo-
sition, which is, our sincere thanks to Colonel Rogers,
for the interest he has so taken in us in drilling
a set of awkward fellows to a great extent. lam sure
it is a great pleasure to us to hear his firm word of
command, and I trust, on many a summer evening, he
will endeavour to make soldiers* of us. I only hope he
will succeed. (Cheers.)
Colonel Roaans—l cannot allow you to rejoin your
company without expressing to you what pleasure it
has given me to see so fine a body of men under arms.
I have rarely seen a finer body of men; and with res-
pect to your drill, you have surpassed anything I
had any idea of. You have made great progress;
and I am sure the countenance you have received this
day from the ladies of Liverpool, will induce
you to persevere, if you need inducement, in your
efforts. But the volunteers have received the coun-
tenance of one higher than all—they have received the
countenance of her Majesty herself; and I now pro-
pose three hearty cheers for her Majesty, and God bless
her.

Three loud cheers were the response, the band striking
up " God save the Queen."

COL ROGERS having also been greeted with three
cheers, he added—Volunteers, I thank you for that
cheer. By last night's Gazette, I received intimation of
my promotion ; and it is a pleasing thing that the first
duty I have been called upon to do, is to drill the
volunteers of Liverpool.
This terminated the interesting proceedings; and the
volunteers were marched off the ground in companies.
In their progress through the streets, to the various de-
pots and storehouses, they occasioned many an impro-
vised burst of enthusiasm from the people. Major
Greig, with an efficient posse of policemen, kept excel-
lent order on the ground ; and the completeness of the
arrangements were also due to the efforts of about 100
men of the Fermanagh militia, commanded by Captain
Barton, and a body of the Northumberland militia
artillery from the North Fort, in command of Captain
Stanhope and Lieutenant Gethen.

MEETING AT AIGBURTH.
A public meeting of the inhabitants of the township
of Garston was held on Saturday evenin€, at the Aigburth
Hotel, and was very numerously attended. J. A. Tinne,
Esq., as senior deputy lieutenant of the county, occupied
the chair, and among. the gentlemen present were—
the Rev. H. T. 'Hecker, Dr. Thompson, Messxs. J.
Bramley-Moore, Kennedy, H. Sutton, J. Sutton, J. W.
Morris, Josiah Booker, Robinson, S. R. Graves, P. H.
Rathbone, Joseph Hubback, Heyworth, Mors, Penny,
flingley, Cox, Leyland, Watts, Chantrell, Mewburn,
Maddox, Rotheram, and Gair.

The CHAIRMAN thanked the meeting for the honour
which had been done him, and said he felt called upon
not to be backward any more than any of his neighbours
in fulfilling what he considered to be a great duty. He
felt that, perhaps, one of the only occasions had arisen
when the office of deputy lieutenant could he made use-
ful ; and he felt also particularly rejoiced that it had
fallen to his lot really to have the first opportunity of
performing effective service in the office which he had
the honour of filling. (Applause.) Whatever position
he occupied, whether the honourable one which he now
held, or whether as magistrate, or as a resident in the
neighbourhood,—perhaps one of the oldest resident
proprietors in that district,—(hear, hear)—he felt
that he should be wanting in a, duty with re-
gard to that movement which he saw partook so
much of the sympathy of all in that district,
if he did not come forward to shew his sense of duty in
the performance of a necessary obligation. (Applause.)
He wished he had had ample opportunities of communi-
cating with gentlemen in that district, for then he
might have explained to them more fully matters which
would be brought before them; but he was quite sure
the matter had been ably dealt with by Mr. Sutton and
Mr. Cox, who had taken sa much pains in promoting
the movement. He could not but consider, viewing
that large and respectable assemblage, far surpassing
anything he had any idea of before he came into that
room, that they would be enabled to form one of the
most creditable sub-divisions of the volunteer force.
(Applause.) His own idea was, that as regarded the
township of Garston, they would form a very
small sub-division ; but he did hope from the attend-
ance which he saw there, and knowing that they
possessed in their body some of the finest men
that were, perhaps, to be found in that part of the
country ; that they would be able to form a most
impoitant branch of any sub-division, but, at the same
time, they would form a less effective body if they did
not co-operate with neighbouring districts. He was
glad that the movement had got to such au extent that
they would be able to accomplish their object by uniting
with the corps of the neighbouring districts, and he did
not see any reason why they should not form as able a
body of riflemen as any of the districts surrounding
Liverpool. He was sure that any gentleman who might
have had the good fortune to witness the demonstration
which took place that day in Prince's-park, could not
have come away without being struck with amazement
at the wonderful progress which had been made
by our young men in military art. He did
not think there was anything to lead any one
to suppose that in that demonstration there was any-
thing that could in the least show that there was any
desire to go beyond their intention of defensive objects,
and he was sure there was not one young man there that
day but who, if the occasion did arise, was ready and
prepared to do his duty to his country. (Applause.)
He concluded by calling upon
Mr. SUTTON, one of the secretaries, who read letters
of apology from Mr. S. Job, who subscribed £25 ; from
Mr. Watt, of Speke, who subscribed £2O ; from Mr. J.
Ireland, Blackburn ; from Mr. Gilbert Moss ; and from
Mr. Edgar Garston.
.The Rev. H. TEUSH HECKER moved the first resolu-
tion, as follows ;—" That in the opinion of this meeting
it is desirable to establish a volunteer rifle corps as a
permanent institution in this country, and that to this
view one or more companies be formed in the township of
Garston; in connection with the neighbouring districts."
Ho was, he said, placed in a very unaccustomed position,
for he was not accustomed to speak of wars, or arms, or
anything approaching to fighting ; his mission was to
oppose it if possible! but he did not think he was going
out of his way in being present at that meeting, although
he was a minister of peace. (Applause.) They were
not going, he understood, to form a rifle corps with the
desire that their services might ever be called into effect,
but that really they might be preservers of the peace of
this country—(hear, hear)—and in order that they mid' ut
be preservers of the peace, they must take care that 1,,,„
were ready to defend themselves and others if fleecy
(Applause.) That it might be necessary, he thou ge now
ht the
complexion of the world and of things as they • were
piing showed, and this made them think the
they were
not altogether unjustifiable in supposing thr At it might be
in the mind of one man to do us soy
were possible. He said not ; but they must take
care that what he said comes true, by
showing that we
were ready and able to defend ours elves.
(Applause.)
It was for defence and not for aggrs aggression,, if
for
ssion that this
movement had taken place. If t wars
he thought that it were int/ .
...laded to injure another
country, he would have noth'
ing to do with it ; but it
'was for defence, and he 1.
,elieved that''every man in
England, be he layman or
be he clergyman, was justified
111 defending the WWI c—ry which he so dearly loved.
(Applause.) The blear i•
were great, and he tt'
totlit
g t that not the least of these
os 'which we had in England
blessings was that r Ad had given what was called in an
old piece ef poet"
and those hrt' '0
s were thankful to God for the many
blessings h r "English hearts, English hands,"
w--: ich He had given us. And these
bueurts.. wcti?' ad bleed if they saw those happy
to defer'4)/ d those- women who were given them
them, and those children ' who were about
county'exposed to the horrors of war as in other
even .ies.: Those hearts would bled then—they
bled now—at the very mention of the idea.;
but if God gave thOse English hands the power, such
,t). _dugs should never happen. (Applause.) He hoped
those English'hands would be always ready, in order that
they might always have God's blessing given to them—
the power to defend what our hearts so loved. (Ap-
plause.) He concluded by moving the first resolution.
Mr. BRAMLEY-MOORE, in seceding the resolution,
said he cordially agreed in every 'word that had fallen
from his reverend friend, who had expressed his (Mr.
Bramley-Moore's) feelings much better that he could
have done himself; and in more appropriate language.
He thought after what had been passing around them,
and in the present state of Europe, every one would sec
the necessity for England arming and putting herself in
a defensive position. (Hear, hear.) They could not.
forget that, on a recent occasion—in January last—
the Emperor of the French said that his empire

was one of peace, and how soon those memorable words
were obliterated from his memory, and he plunged
the whole of Europe in war. In dealing with
a man of such stability it became us to be always aware
and on our guard, and if unhappily we were found at
any time asleep or napping, that would be the very
time he would take advantage of the opportunity and
pay a visit to our shore But if the movement con-
tinued—and he was happy to say it had already had a
considerable influence in France in stopping the war fever
—it would be the best guarantee we could have for the
preservation of our liberties, and also of the peace of the
world. (Applause.) He need not tell them who were
as well informed on these matters as himself, that the
whole world looked upon England with envy if not
with hatred and malice. (Hear, hear.) Unfortunately
many parts of Europe were governed by despots, hence
their hatred to this free country, where a man can speak
everything he thinks proper as regards his own opinions
not only in politics but also in religion, and this was
one of the greatest causes of the hatred of Continental
Europe and of despots all over the world. (Hear,
hear.) He could see no reason why that movement
should not progress. It had progressed in the United
States, and had become a permanent institution in the
country, and nowhere had he heard more of the rattling
of the drum, or so much soldiering as among the citizens
of the United States. (Applause.) Their hearts and souls
seemed to have entered into the movement ; they had
always been prepared to defend themselves and their
country, and it was by the formation of such corps that
they got their independence and had maintained their
liberties. (Applause.) He thought that hereafter, see-
ing the zeal that had been exhibited in this movement,
that they might rely upon themselves,—if they did not
they could rely upon no one else to defend them. (Hear,
hear.) The introduction of steam had altered the state
of things entirely throughout the world. There was a
time when the supremacy of England was universal, and
especially upon the sea; but the introduction of steam,
and the science which had been brought to bear in mo-
dern warfare, put other nations more upon an equality
with us than they were formerly, and, therefore, it be-
hoved us to exert every possible energy that we pos-
sessed to maintain the superiority which we had hitherto
maintained. (Applause.) He was sure that every gen-
tleman in the room was animated by the one sole desire
of doing what he could to promote the object which
they had in view. (Hear, hear.) He need, therefore,
say no more on the subject, especially as his friend Mr.
Graves (applause), who had already embarked in that
excellent movement, would address a few observations
to them, which he could in such admirable style. (Ap-
plause.) He hoped the Garston Rifle Corps would be
such as to reflect honour upon the district. (Hear,
hear.) He had had the pleasure of witnessing the ma-
nceuvres of the rifle corps in Prince's-park that day; and
he was sure it reflected the greatest credit upon those
young men, not only by their military appearance, but
by the way in which th-ey acquitted themselves. in per-
forming their exercises. (Applause.) He concluded by
moving the resolution, which was put, and carried
unanimously.

Mr. JOSIAH BOOKER, in moving that a committee
should be formed, with power to amalgamate the pro-
posed corps with the Childwall Rifle Corps, said he had
been a soldier for thirteen years, and was old enough to
have
,been one of the volunteers in 1812. The volun-
teers served upon principle ; and he hoped to see that
principle exemplified by those brilliant, shining, fine-look-
ing youths before him. He did not think that Napoleon
or the French were likely to forget that we had beaten
them ,at Waterloo, had possession of Paris for several
months, sent the Emperor's uncle on board the Belle-
rophon, and sailed him to St. Helena. lie bad not
forgotten these things ; he had caused the St. Helena
medal to be struck ; and, notwithstanding his declaration
that the empire was peace, he was making preparations
for war. His navy was about equal to ours, and he could
always call up 60,000 trained sailors, and, besides these,
he could command an army of 700,000 men. He did
not see why the English should not make rifle shooting
a pastime. The Kentucky rifle was one of the causes of
American independence, and they had all read what
might be done without firing a shot at all. The speaker
concluded by moving the resolution, and reading the
names of the
.gentlemen proposed to form the committee,
which comprised most of those whom we have named
as being present.
Dr. TifoarrsoN seconded the resolution, and said that
if they wanted evidence of the true feeling which
actuated all classes in this country, they had it in that
meeting. Not only the prince, but the peasant was
coming forward to join the movement; and the interest
manifested in its progress must be taken as evidence
that it had the people's sympathy. If we were a
nation of shopkeepers, we had something besides shops
to keep—we had the liberties our forefathers committed
to us, and we should be resolved to hand them
down to posterity undesecrated by the • interfer-
ence of any foreign country. (Applause.) He hoped
the movement would go forward, and that they would
soon see a million of rifles, and a pair of hands to every
musket. (Applause.) He was not one of those who
feared an invasion ; but if the French did come, and if
we only put our trust in the God of battles, he had no
doubt there would be a good day's shooting. (Laughter
and applause.)
Mr. GRAVHS, having been called upon. by the chair-
man, said, that living as he did in a neighbouring
portion of this district, he should not have thought of
intruding upon their presence that night, if he had not
received an invitation, and a very cordial invitation
too, from the gentlemen who had originated that
movement in that district ; and while he felt on the one
hand that that meeting should convey to the public the
expression of the inhabitants of that district alone, he
felt on the other hand that it-might be attributed to
apathy or indifference, if he refused to accept the invi-
tation which he had read, to come there that night.
(Applause.) It was quite unnecessary for him to add
any argument to show that the movement they had
originated in that district was a desirable and a ne-
cessary one ; the speakers who had. preceded him
had ably put that -before them. Indeed, it was a
subject so thoroughly ventilated, and so thoroughly
understood, a
_subject on whieli every man had
made up his mind, that it was. unnecessary to say
one word in addition. If there, Was any one. in the
room whose mind vas not made up, he did not seek to
address him, for he believed that man would never be
convinced at all ; but, in, za few words, he would just
show his ideas, in establishing this movement. On the
one hand, b,e believed that it would tend to preserve
this count-xv from insult and invasion—(hear, hear) ;
and he }aelieved on the Other hand, that it was likely to
produce a -great; social
,good. (Hear, hears) He be-
liev it would draw into closer union the upper, the
D'addle, and the lower classes of this country, by forming
them into a band of brotherhood, free from sectarian
influences, from all political prejudices, and from narrow
and petty jealousies—(applause) ;—it would form them
into one brotherhood, the strongest of all brotherhood
—the brotherhood of arms. (Applause.) With these
feelings the corps, which was called the Childwall Rifle
Corps, sprang into existence. He thought it might be
desirable, and perhaps interesting to the meet-
ing, since the resolution 'involved the question
of amalgamation with the Childwall Rifles,
if he informed the meeting what were the views of those
gentlemen who so far had been getting up that corps,
and if he should tell them its position, and as far as he:,
could, its objects. The origin of the movement in his
neighbourhood was confined very much to the district of
Wavertree and Woolton, but the utmost aim at that
time was to form one company of the gentlemen resid-
ing there. They started' and were encouraged by various •
suggestions, hilt they' fOund they were starting upon tool
narrow a basis, and that if they must be successful they
must take in the whole parish of Childwall. (ApT;
plause.) Their name was therefore changed. He &di
think that in the movement which was going on, mote!
consideration was paid to numbers than was paid to flu*,
great essential in every movement—permanency. (Alp-
plause.) In the formation of those corps, to make them
successful they must aim at permanency. It was pro-
posed to form four companies in the district—two cosh'
posed of gentlemen who were prepared to pay for their"
own equipment, the other two of those who were unable
to do so ; and it was proposed that in each district there'
should be all the necessary appendages of a -40
ground, rooms for drilling, and sergeants attached to enbh:j
—in point of fact, that there should be local compßlies
forming .a federal union for one common purpose, and
if the Garston corps decided on becoming, part And
parcel of the Childwall corps, he had no doubt they-
would succeed in raising a corps which would be a 4edit
to the neighbourhood, and which in case of necessity
would prove as valuable as any in the district. (Ap-,
plause.) In order to show their desire not to move too
hastily until they `had ascertained the feeling of the
Garstonwilling
.ttngohi egejnhortitelneci menpaenttahi
doeont joeetfsh u
eekte
h.hs
ea
dbnThj
been
cemete,
ne
uts they yff
do
rrarhaddrill almost
thosel
vadiC
woeohsnnioeo teuwhvpieenorce
as
which 'a great deal of feeling had been expressed. Some
were for dark and comer were for light ; but they felt
tliat n ivhatever uniform they should deeide, there

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