Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-02-17 00:00:00

Thursday, February 17,
_lB6O

TIM- LIVERPOOL TRADESMEN'S RIFLE

CORPS.

GREAT MEETING LAST NIGHT.
Last night's meeting of the Liverpool tradesmen was
held at thei Common-hall, Hackin's-hey, for the purpose
• '3i fciraling a Tradesmen's Volunteer Rifle Corps. Mr. T.
-h
'''',4More was called to the chair, a,ndamone-st those present
were Messrs. Mayer, H. Danson, D. Andersen, Woodward,
1) , .
Irritgll/ Dismore, Satchell, -Quick, Pepper, Lewis, Jackson,
" halleY, Rime, Bell, Greenwood,•Blissett, AtkinSon, T.
tloawYa'rd Ist L 1
M,
`l3ride.,,Capts—Bousfield, Ist L.V.R,, Ensign
It Lieutenant Hall, Royal Lancashire
Ullitia Artillery,. Sergeant.- Berry, Ist L.V.R., several
kembers of the 14th L.V.R./ and Captain Tucker, 15th
The CHAIRMAN said—Gentlemen, it was decided by
t
he
'nab-aging committee that as this was to be a meet-,
hug of tradesmen they would not go beyond their own
°rcler for a 'chairman. ' (Hear. hear, and applause.) I
I-
ear they have made a very' bad selection in calling upon
ale to do that duty—(cries of .ig no ")—as •I' feel how.
inexperienced and how inefficient I am for such an
ef4e; nevertheleSs, I have accepted it, having faith in
Your kindnesS, forbearance, and business habits as trades-
k"' to make the duties more honorary than onerous.
s—ear/. hear.) • I will commence the business of this
Qbi calling upon the secretary to read the ad-
r t-
is•
ement convening this meeting.
▪ Brassahri, the honorary 'secretary, read the-ad-
vert
'seine/it in question.
Prhe CHAIRMAN' proceeded to say—Gentlemen, we -
have
met here this evening as tradesmen, to add our.
-`rPugth to the volunteers for the defence of our homes,
h°11: liberties, and our country ; all'honour to those who
ve preceded us in this loyal cause. '- (Applause.) I
"In aware that some persons disagree with us in this
tsh3rsitem of defence—nay, even think 91.4 the, fostering of
s
martial spirit in the country is the very means to
Bite
War- OtherS look at warfare only as the evil
genius
that interrupts commercial intercourse, and that
the ,
the
trail
means of _preserving peace is 'to increase
el\u'att7 between nation -and. nation. Gentlemen,
agree with . the latter sentiments (hear,
ear) ; but I quite disagree with the first, that
°lir martial spirit will be an incentive to war. (Hear,
hear
less.) N° member of the Peace Society can-desire war
the myself; hut, gentlemen, let us not forget that
th world has not yet arrived at that delightful state,
lion the the lamh can slumber.in security by the side of the
net • Our own recent experience tells us that war is
-`.,.
repudiated by eivilised.man: It may come upon us
e,4_oaf events that we'd 6 not anticipate as leading to it.
k-111 r, hear). It may arise to carry out an idea as
a i•
lY as to acquire territory, and what • that
e
alf may be we know only as the idea develops
!ts. (Hear, hear.) Under these circumstances,
let us not sleep and drearri of nothing but the pleasures
of peace, commerce, and profits, whilst we know that.
large military and naval establishments are ready to
overwhelm us ere we awake. (Loud cheers.)
Our'
volunteer movement is not a movement for warfare--
(hear,, hear)—hut a real " Peace Society." With that
feeling am I amongst
.you this evening. (Applause.) Let us look at the principles of this force—are they riot
Iteeisely those of the special Constable, merely defensive ?
hen our homes and property are in danger from a
-Lawless mob, what -do weflo ? Do we not assist the regular
paid police by swearing in the respectable and quiet
inhabitants as special constables for the preserVation of
the-PeaCe ? They are not to attack but. to defend, to
awe the disaffected from molesting them. (Hear, hear.)
13.0 with our Rifle VOlunteers : they are to be our special
!oldiers, Whiah are Sworn in to defend her Majesty
d
the country (which, ,gentleinen, really means defending
Yourselves and your property.) (Hear, hear.) You are
hot to attack, but to defend. No foceign power need be
alarmed at our numbers being dangerous to it, as you
cannot be called upon to leave these shores. Theref.ore.,
say, the movement is an anti-war movement by Intl,-
Mating- to Europe that, although you intend to remain
at li me, that you may. mind your own affairs, it will be
Well for others to follow your example, and not to think
I.°f Putting a foot in Great Britain. (Loudapplause.)
now call on the secretary to read the rules of the
Tradesmen's Volunteer Rifle Corps, with the list of the
e°iTunittee after which I shall be glad to hear what
orthers may have to say in forwarding our views, and
doubt not a large addition will be made this evening to
the muster roll. 'As fellow-tradesmen I will call upon
you to show the world that a nation of shopkeepers can
be, for their own defence, a nation of soldiers. (Loud
applause.)
Mr. HENRY DANSON, who was received with loud
applause, moved the following resolution
Deeply of
the Volun-
teti Ride impressedit,,emen vitahsthae
moat valuable nnpor
addition to our
national defences, this meeting hails with enthusiasm the for-
tion of a corps designated " The Liverpool Tradesmen's
Volunteer Rifle Corps," and pledges itself to promote this
object with all the energy that such a cause demands.
He held it to be the duty of every man having the ho-
nour to call himself an Englishman, tof
To no classward a cause
of so much vital and national importance.
more than to tradesmen was the movement impor-
tant. Under these circumstances, ihe should take the
liberty of, drawing. a slight sketch of some of the
Principal Causes that had led to the determination of the
peopleto urge the young -men of this country to enrol
themselves ; and he most fervently trasted that this
Movement would progress until we had a stupendous
volunteer army, so that we could defy any foe, and any
Combination of enemies who might attempt 4) disturb
the hearths and homes of old England. (Applause.)
After an almost profound peace of nearly half a centuryi
we had really become perfectly unaccustomed to the
idea that England ever could, under any circumstances,
be called upon to defendher own soil. Peace societies
arose ; and bitterly had we suffered for following: such
misguided counsel as they gave the nation. The Crimean
war commenced soon after. the. Great Exhibitor of 1851,
which was to be the prelude of peace. That again was
followed by the mutiny in' India. Then 1850 dawned
upon the world, and the fair plains of southern Europe
avere deluged with blood, and the great dukes of Italy
east from their thrones by indignant subjects, to
bet wanderers upon the' earth. What was England
,°,ing now ? Preparing to strike a retributive blow at
t`-'_°ina• What was France doing? Coveting an annexe-
o of territory, in the face of the protests of all
urope. The Hungarians, too, were- struggling to
break the rod of their Austrian oppressor. Was that
beeace (Applause.) We had got into times when it
,elevalne our duty, as a nation, -to- look to our-
b ibes.,_ The electric wire and the steam-engine,
alicioay...c..,ae,oythsaeta and land, had so annihilated time and
it had deprived our country of the vast
cae, Watge we bad at one time in its isolated position. We
Thethe invaded in hours whefe cohld not be done in
/1-,-is before. This was a fact which our rulers saw.
TheeY had increased the naval estimates, and spent
WilleY on the coast-defences ; but that was not'sufficient.
tbe ° did they call upon to supply the deficiency ? Why
(AY Called upon the sons of England to defend England.
auPtirse.) The people had called for it themselves;
"W•aa due eY knew ally Liverpool how much the movement
kteto the gnt Captain Bousfield. (Applause.)
aveidylr• Denson) hoped that our children's children
Would find that this was but the commencement; that it
Rrea grow not into a mere fashion of the-hour, but be a
its ,„.I'standinginstitutionof the country, andbe considered
reareeetatbulwark. (Applause.) England would only be
then ,ed as long as she was powerful. Let them,
the fed
this movement as fast as they could. Let
dil`g not listen to sneerers, who told them that it would
toista?,..ung men from their business. That was a great
With e• (Rear, hear.) It would arm each young man
ear, a feeling of respect, to support the cloth and the
te •
the ti Watch he belonged—(applause)—and he believed
able trae would come, that a young man would not be
Xot ° get a respectable position in society if he could
(Api,giet a respectable position in the corps• of his ,class-
wonlda;.lBe..) He believed, physically and morally, it
feeli4e.‘rain the young men of this country to a higher
Jae a 6 of their own individual importance. It would
the, great moral schoolmaster to them, because
-t114:v1(1 feel that they were not mere cyphers
14t1 they were individuals in a great country,
• the they had an interest in the defence
at itohour of that country. He contended, therefore,
.tha,,,,,would be one of the best means of raising the
V'serfier , young men of the country ; and as to
Poelcets sa'rations of those who fancied their individual
,would be injured, let them not go before the
" Plate about their patriotism when they would
..01 tiuse.a)ke
They sacrifices to serve their. Country. (Ap-
necessities of the case called for the move-
ral3/41' And if the foe should come to England, and the
'eP3 should have to fight and win, the battle of