Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-12-31 00:00:00

Saturday, Deeember 31, 1859.

(From the Northern Ensign.)

THE DUKE OF PORTLAND AND THE
VOLUNTEER MOVEMENT.

We understand that in answer to an application for a
subscription in aid of the funds for the establishment of
an artillery corps here, the Duke of Portland, who is the
proprietor of an extensive estate in a neighbouring
parish, has written to the secretary declining to give
anything, and adducing his reasons for so doing. We
are sorry the committee have not seen fit to publish the
letter; first because it is not often a Duke gives himself
the trouble to write on public questions; and secondly,
because we have reason to believe that his Grace's letter
is unique both in spirit and in style, and is, therefore,
worthy of publicity and preservation for future reference.
However, at a committee meeting on Friday evening,
the letter was read, and we do not therefore violate con
fidence when we state that the sum and substanc
is that what his Grace is pleased to term "the invasion
fever " is the result of Tory and
_penny-a-limy combina-
tion ; that the " defence panic " is all moonshine ;
that the efforts now so universal over the kingdom to
have put 'in a good state of defence are the purest
humbug, and that, were it otherwise, the people of
Caithness might rest satisfied that it would be a long
time before Louis Napoleon or any other foreign invader
would think It worth his while to pay them a warlike
visit, the reasons concluding with three points of ducal
admiration. His Grace concludes by stating that having
been asked to subscribe to the fund, he thought it proper,
as one of the landlords of Caithness, to give his reasons
for declining, and requests that these reasons be made
as public as the requisition.
=We do not know what, or whether any reply has been
forwarded by the committee to his Grace ; but we
humbly conceive that never was a better opportunit
afforded for vindicating a great, national, and patrio e
movement, and showing the noble Duke bow greatly e
has mistaken its character, and the pluck and patriotism
of the people of Caithness. We hope the time may
'never come when the Duke of Portland will find how
grievously he has misunderstood the signs of the times t
but we rejoice to aver that his Grace will find, even among
his own order, few to sympathise with his views, and
that the great bulk of the nation, from the Sovereigi
downwarols, sympathises with the movement, and that
men of all political creeds are endeavouring to rigal
each other in supporting an effort to place the country
in a position at which " invasion fevers" and "defence
panics," even though produced by "Tories and penny-
a-liners," will become an imposibility, by the country'
from Land's End to despised Caithness being in a con-
dition of thorough preparation for the moat: unlikely
contingency.'
We speak not of the low state of patriotic feeling
which would sneer at the present movement ; but we
would remind the Whig Duke of Portland that it is 110
and such as he that are most deeply concerned in this
matter. The great bulk of those who are now 'arOng
themselves for the defence of fatherland,' and: are
patriotically giving, a portion of their, time and-means for
the purpose, have little, to fight for. Few of then
would lose an inch of Mound or a storey of property
they might leave Britain to-morrow, and be little the
worse for the change. Not so with his Grace. 'But it
seems that the Duke is far more influenced. by political
considerations than afraid of the dangers arising frool,
the country sleeping in insecurity, only to be a.wakenen
'when too late.
We do beg the -committee to publish this precioul
document, and then to send it to the 'British Musetiel
for safe keeping, as a specimen of .a .Whig MAO
. patriotism, liberality, and literary ability in the lgti?
century. And in the meantime, it is well for his Grace,
to know that the .Wick corps has not been annihilated
by his surly response to their appeal, and that other,
proprietors of the county entertain totally different sea'
timents. from his Grace. Already-have Sir George
Dunbar, Sir George Sinclair, Sir Ralph Anstruther,
Mr. Traill, Captain Macdonald, Mr. Sinclair, Of
171bster, Mr. Henderson, of Stemster, and Mr. O
given tangible proof of their sympathy with the move-
ment ; and we confidently hope that ere long the Duke
of Portland will be
.thee solitary -recusant among O.
whole landed proprietors of this county.

TIIE IMPERIAL STABLES AT :,11fE LOUVILE.
Sport gives the• following details of the arrangement of
the Imperial stables at the. Louvre-:—', The building°
have the'forni of an 'oblOng'aquare; divided into two
on .called
ve
iseont theT4C:utrwCano
siladie.zsicoruurtn,'paanrdalitervotthbero
houre
cts,our
.river. On the left of the Cour-Catdainceurt is the firer
stable;, divided, into fourteen stalls ,for- saddle-horses.
Adjoining is a second, which ,contains ten boxes and
place fiiiiiiAting. '-Tli'direl4iteeturcil character and de
°oration correspond' with that of the-other parts of the
building, and the ornamentation is in the Italian style.,;
From the ceiling are suipinided 'gas limpS,' and COei"/
.supply the quantity of water 'required for (Ise. The itr
terest attached to these stables is increased by the eel&
biity of their initiates.' One of the horses is Ruckinghsit
which,* Emperor rode at,Magenta; another
was his charger at Solferino. There are also Perciesi,
Hamilton, and PlotighboY,' the -Emperor's favourite
hunters, Cuninghant also. has its' stall there. It 'o3°
this horse which the Emperorgave to the King of Ssr-
dinia, and which et tie-'end af the Wir was `returned
_his Majesty, the King of, saying that he e01•11e
not find any more valuable present to make. 'llj.,
gallery' into which the' Viktor enters, after pa 'n4,
the washing place, it about 300, feet • :long
'Wide. It has a row of stalls on either side, and
foommodates -82 horstsitin'Wheir lighted up with g 7.,
'fat night the effect iat'tteeedingly :striking.: Aulono
.the horses is the fine carriage one Orphee, who
survived the fourteen wounds it received before ton
Opera,house in January, 1858, when its somPaler
was killed. The ground floor of the two et b.
sides of the parallelogram is ' fitted up as e°11.1,0
houses, harness-rooms,.. and other :offices. In
coach-house on the east side, in the Cour Visconti, 2g,
112 ordinary state carriages; and'on the west side sgf:s,
(fere nt kinds: Over these, ground floors are apartro,4l
~fOr the grooms, postillions .and stable-boys, and "c;r:
AlieYson§ Conneeted with the-edePartnient. All the ~hOll
'wag' es'atfe very handsdme; hut,the most elegant
'rand
.state one, which magnifient. The boot '
lalmost entirely composed ethe finest plate glass ; seco
lined with rich white Satin ,eavered • with gold bees,
~der
the straps and cords are in gold lace. The tOi_j
round the roof Of'the' earl-hike is m'brenze finely chii;l,
and richly!. gilti.raid forme-ciphers •and crowns >aat
with laurel and. ealp leaves ; a gilt eagle Lt ,
each eorner. " The -viheeli and every other P 3 rat.'
the carriage-are of equal magnificence, .and in rooof.,a
keeping with tha,- body. This carriage colt 9thet at J
One still more magnificent than the above is
at ail
;Trianon,. and which was' used rby-the Empetee Tes 1,411`1
, .
marriage. It was used at the coronation of Chei..'„risge,o
!and the repair's of it eh:Me cost 300,000 f. This eJl_f the'
is completely gilt' in everyripart.- 'On.the
ted
doors are the, arms, of the dynasty, .surmona .
cordon of the'LegiOn Of honour. The other pi,lAjosti
ornamented with 'Syinbolicallfigtirek:' The P
were all executed
.by Isabey. The total We got
The ~
this carriage exceeds 6,500 kilogrammes; red
service it the Royal stables was always ten" chic*
• motogiedge.
one of great iinportance under Vier_ k .;
and required much techninal aptitude' an t apiort
General` Fleury, Whd ad*, at' the'laintlr6f"
th th!"
-was . selected , from this circutnst,We .composedby 0.01
'Emperor. The Imperial stud altogether is droft,4,,f
from '3OO to• :320, &mei-L.-Saddle Carriage, anAarecee:
horses-randAhware now distributed •in 4.f.e:`l"
the 11° "
establishmenis—at the Louvre, the Tuilerleit4.l,-
Montaittie;''litiel* Moncetiiii,,• and St: q'tge oae
active service isr at the Louvre, and the Pelf7boadc,l;al‘
the Tuileries. At the Rue /tfontaigne
are
horses of the EnipresS; well a' untber o!,
horses..l, Saddle and carriage horses are also Ks, bijoe!.
panels
.04 tbe
Rue Monceaux, and the infirmary is alse_37ot.
there: Cloud sixty horses, for dinefze, re;
poses, are always kept. The horses
n 7 ale
1° - Tho
wring to be turned out to grass are
Aon ; the breeding-stud is at Vilitttetiv6-1 Eta ;001.0,;17,
'English
are English, .and those lo are ;late
and NOrniani and the posting- deptho at„.e
man. The carriages,Ll.Bo in number, aret,e,
Louvre, the Tuileries, and in the Rue INien2.:Vicsei pope-
state carriages are at Trianon. The pew, 7"ge the $O4
are to be built on the Quai d'Orsait
d'Alma, will be capable of receivingr3r°lo.. 00401•Prot tha
Will contain those of the Empress, the ambles oozy
and the reserve of his 'Majesty.
vlse.Thoenti, vreoreloi_r_jos4
Leuvre; which, were began by ' -f• The
e*"-30 ;
pleted by M. Lefuel. The number o
,fiLe owe
_ayr
coachmen, grooms, U.,,eceetis 300.
,_R" "
order and strictly military precision Pry
"