The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-16 00:00:00

Volunteer Review at Manchester.

On Saturday afternoon the volunteers of this city and the
neighbourhood were reviewed upon the Manchester race
ground by Col. Erskine, Inspector-General of Volunteers.
The very unfavourable state of the weather was the cause
of general regret among those interested in the success of
everything connected with the volunteer movement. Be-
fore noon heavy rainclouds gathered overhead, and in the
afternoon drizzling showers fell continuously, so that at 4
o'clock, when the review should have commenced, the race
ground was very wet and uncomfortable. Under such de-
pressing circumstances, the stands afforded ample shelter,
but in these most of the seats wore bare. Notwithstanding
the smart rain which came down in the course of the in-
spection, a crowd occupied the approaches to the course,
and watched the evolutions throughout. Theartillery with
four field pieces were the first to arrive. They were fol-
lowed by the Light Horse Volunteers, whose scarlet dresses
presented a very pretty appearance. The other corps en-
tered the field in time to receive the reviewing officer at
half past 5 o'clock. The whole force assembled on the
ground numbeied 3,629 officers and men.
The first brigade was under the command of Lieut.-
Colonel Hutchinson, the second was comm Anded by Lieut.-
Colonel Cunliffe, and the third by Lieut.-Colonel Egerton.
Colonel Erskine's staff included Major Marshall, of the
3d Cheshire Battalion ; Lieut.-Colonel Bruce, assistant
inspector of volunteers for Lancashire ; Lieut. liearsley,
Captain Baird, and Major Preston.
The reviewing officer made the preliminary inspection o f
the front and rear of the force drawn up in line, and then
took up a position at the flag staff. Here that severe test
The
Light military discipline, the marching past, took place.
Light Horse led the van, and passed in gallant style. One
or more companions of the Artillery battalion were out of
step with the band. A portion of the Ist Manchester was
also at fault in this respect, although the whole regiment
marched in good line. The 24th Reginient marched well,
considering the number of recruits ; the dressing of the
second company was good. The Oldham men, in the 7th
Administrative Battalion, also included several young
soldiers, but they acquitted themselves remarkably well.
The 2d Manchester did not get much credit. The Ist
company had a bad line ; the other marched on the whole
well. The 3d Manchester took the palm. Every com-
pany in it marched very well. In nearly every case the
dressing was excellent. The fifth company had, beyond
doubt, the best line. The 4th Administration Battalion
did not pass pass muster so well as the rest. Three com-
panies of the Salford Regiment marched very creditably,
the sth taking the precedence.
After the marching past, the force proceeded' to the
Broughton end of course and there formed three lines
in contiguous columns. This done, the Light Horse and
Artillery covered the front, the Artillery firing. The Ist
Manchester, as the right battalion of the first brigade,
covered the front in light infantry order. Next, the Artil-
lery by the flanks, and the division, advancing in echelon
of battalion from the right, formed square, and received the
cavalry with a terrific fire. The skirmishers retired by the
right. In order to relieve the first line, the third brigade
deployed and commenced firing. The division, covered by
the 3d Manchester, changed front to the left. The skir-
mishers retired, and the line opened fire, being flanked right
and left by the Artillery. The line made a dashing charge,
and this brought the movements to a close. All the move-
ments were well directed and controlled by a regard to the
position of the spectators. Commencing at the Broughton
end of the course the evolutions extended gradually, so
that the final charge could take place in front of the grand
stand, and thus be witnessed by every spectator. Although
the evolutions did not represent. anything like a sham
fight, where their general connection and completeness
might be detected by an ordinary spectator, yet
so well were the movements concerted, and such
were the inevitable din and clamour of the guns and
rifles, *at at least the imagery of war was strikingly
represented. The day's work was well done.
Tho men seemed to forget the wetness of the ground and to
enjoy the mimic warfare. A few mistakes were made in the
course of the review, caused principally by misinterpreta-
tion of the words of command. In the volley firing, the 2d
Manchester were especially steady and uniform, and in this
respect they excelled the rest of the volunteers.

Tho review over, Col. Erskine addressed the officers and
men. lie said ho could not allow the force he had had
the honour of reviewing that day to be dismissed without
expressing his thanks for the opportunity which had been
afiorded him of testing the ability of the Lancashire volun-
teers to move in the field. A gathering of that description
could not be effected without entailing the sacrifice of many
valuable hours on tho part of those who had been engaged
in it, and therefore ho felt that he was only doing them jus-
tice by acknowledging that sacrifice. At the same time, he
ventured to think that such a gathering did not take place
without some attendant advantage to the corps which took
part in it, for it ought to be remembered that when several
battalions met together for the purpose of moving in con-
cert, the lessons taught on the parade ground and in the
drill field became much more intelligible than if individual
training was confined to battalions and companies. Yet
this did not imply that attendance at reviews superseded
the necessity of attending to ordinary drills and parades.
If these were neglected, it would be impossible to pre-
serve that efficiency which the Lancashire volunteers had
already acquired. lle would, therefore, remind them of
the desirableness of continuing stedfast in their attention
to ordinary drills and parades. He would not detain the
force by commenting upon any of the movements that had
taken place. Suffice it to Say that generally he had been
very well pleased with what he had witnessed. There
were some little faults in the marching past, attributable to
the officers commanding companies not observing their
covering; but with that and some other exceptions, he
had to express his entire approbation of everything that
had been done upon the field that day.—This finished the
review.

Later in the evening Col. Erskine and several officers of
the line were entertained at dinner at the Queen's Hotel.
Col. Egerton presided. He proposed the health of Major-
General Sir Sidney Cotton and other officers of the regular
force present. The toast was cordially acknowledged by
Major Gen. Cotton, who gave the health of Col. Egerton
and his brother officers. In responding, Col. Egerton said
that the Lancashire volunteer officers still felt the strongest
interest in the movement. Considering the nature of the
organisations of their companies, the money they spent
in the cause generally, those officers had in their conduct
done honour to the country. (Applause.) The interest
in the movement would not diminish among the officers
who belonged to the volunteer service in Lancashire, nor
did he believe it would diminish among officers in any other
part of ]ngland. Speaking for his own regiment, ho had
now a better class of men than ho could command at the
commencement of the movement. There was now a greater
facility in getting troops, a good class of men came to drill,
tho volunteer cause was doing very well, and he hoped it
would continuo to do so. (Applause.) The review that
day had been honoured by the presence and command of
the Inspector-General of Volunteers. (Applause.) For
that honour, voluntarily conferred, the Lancashire volun-
teers owed a great debt of gratitude to Col. Erskine,whose
health he would now propose. Col. Erskine, who was
heartily greeted, said that although the review had taken
place under somewhat adverse circumstances, he congra-
tulated those who had taken part in it upon the result of
his inspection. Ho was exceedingly pleased with what ho
had seen in the field. A few mistakes were made, but that
was the case with all volunteers. The movements jetnhee-
rally were very well performed, the
ap
troops left nothing to be desired, and all the
v
turned out in a smart and soldierlike way. 1. hat was the
moral to be extracted from what he had witnessed ? It
was just this :—That a convincing proof had been afforded
of the falsity of what for many
yearshsaadidptrehavtaillevde
among the nations of Europe. Napoleon
were a nation of shopkeepers, and clearly meant when he
said so, that owing to the English people being devoted in
a great measure to the pursuits of commerce and manufac-
tures, the military spirit was either extinguished or had
never existed. It was really very strange that Napoleon
should ever have given utterance to such an opinion as
that, because it would be impossible for him to efface from
his memory the recollections of the gallant achievements
of the English army and navy. Had Napoleon lived
until the present time, he would never have ventured to
reproach with apathy in military pursuits the nationwhich
had come forward voluntarily to defend its shores; he
never would have branded with a want of military spirit
the English people, who had acquired a permanent and
solid military organisation, and were now in a very for-
ward state of efficiency. This populous county, more than
any other county in England, furnished a clear proof that
devotion to mercantile pursuits was not at all incompatible
with the existence of an ardent military spirit. (Hear.)
That day's review, for instance, had taken pine upon
ground surrounded in every direction by a forest of chim-
neys and other unmistakable evidences of a district which
supplied the whole habitable world with manufactures ;
and the large military force inspected there, composed
principally of men engaged in those manufactures, or in
kindred pursuits, had turned out in a most soldierlike and
efficient way, and had executed a series of manoeuvres in
the most creditable style. This was not all ; many would
recollect that, at the great review at Hyde-park in 1864,
in the presence of the Heir Apparent of the Throne, some
of the finest battalions paraded there were sent from Man-
chester. (Applause.) Thus, it had been clearly shown
that the volunteers of this county were able to stand the
test of a comparison with the elite of the citizen army of
which they formed a part. With all his heart he wished
that success might attend the Lancashire volunteers in all
time to come. (Applause.)
The health of Colonel Bruce, assistant inspector of vo-
lunteers, was next given and acknowledged. Other toasts
followed.

---
The United States Pacific Railroad Telegraph
line will be completed from Chicago to San Francisco in
one year from the present time. Twelve hundred miles are
already under contract, to be completed in 1865. This wilt
make the second telegraph line to the Pacific, one being
already in operation.
Mr. Lumley Savile has been detained at Brighton
from serious illness. Yesterday Mr. Savile was better,
and there were hopes of his recovery, but it will require
taro and attention to secure his ultimate restoration to
health.

The Cotton in America.

_

TO THE EDITOR OF TILE SUN.

Sin,—As considerable misapprehension has for some
time existed as regards the quantity of cotton still in the
Southern States of America, I beg to send you for pub-
lication the following extract from a private letter of a com-
mercial correspondent of a highly respectable firm in this
town, and dated New Orleans, July 18, 1865 :
" The following is a statement of the stock of cotton in
the Southern States, as compiled by the agents of the Go-
vernment going from plantation to plantation :
Stock of cotton in Virginia B,OOO bales
„ North Carolina

South do.

97,000 „

Georgia
Alabama 308,000 „
Mississippi

Total east of the Mississippi
375,000 „

~ west „

Total 1,242,000 „
of stock from old crops. The new crop may be estimated
from 400 to 500,000 bales, which, added to the above, gives
the total supply during 1865 and 1866. We consider these
estimates to be more correct than any of those lately pub-
lished, it may be that at the end they differ from the rea
quantity, by 1 or 200,000 bales, more or less, but it is not
possible to give the exact figures beforehand. We must,
however, particularly draw the readers attention to the
fact, that in the above figures, no allowance whatever has
been made for rotten or otherwise useless cotton. It
would result, should the above prove to be correct,
that the late estimates of 21 millions of bales of actual
stock, as given by tke New York papers, and said to be
official, were strongly exaggerated. Thus, America could,
up to the latter end of 1866, provide the consumption with
only 1 million of bales, and deducting from these figures
at least 500,000 bales for home consumption, and deducting
further no inconsiderable allowance for rotten and spoilt
cotton, there would remain but a very limited quantity for
Europe. Under such circumstances we may not yet hope
to have arrived at the end of the cotton crisis, on the con-
trary we must yet expect some critical moments before the
right proportion is restored between the stock and con-
sumption. Therefore actual prices can by no means be
considered as being too high."
I am anxious that this reply to the extravagant reports
lately put forth should appear in your columns, for I find
that the concurrent testimony of all private American cor-
respondence to agree with this estimate, and to entirely
disagree with the roport put forth as official by the New
York _Herald, and which proves totally unreliable.
The idea of any large quantity of cotton being received
from America the next six months is, therefore, quite out
of the question, and it will be well for those in the trade
to notice that the shipments of cotton from America havo
thus been, with the war over, very little more than those
of last year ; whilst the consumption of cotton in America
at present is fully 10,000 bales per week, with the prospect
of still further extension owing to the increasing demand
for cotton goods and the high protective tariff.—Yours
truly, 31AurticE WILLIAMS.
Liverpool, Aug. 12, 1865.

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE —This day.

The Cattle Plague

ESSEX.

It was agreed at the meeting at Chelmsford, no-
ticed in 2he Sun of Monday, that a memorial
should be prepared and sent to the Privy Council,
asking to have inspectors sent down to the different
markets in the county with power to destroy any
animals exhibited for sale that might be infected, or
to provide such other means as might be necessary
to prevent contagion. The disease has been no-
ticed at Easton, near Dunmow, Hazeleigh, Sandon,
and other points. In most cases the introduction
of the disease on a farm has been traced to pur-
chases made in a public market.