The Sun.
London, England, 1870-04-16 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 1870.

Easter Monday has come to be inseparably asso-
ciated in the minds of the public with the great
Volunteer Review, which takes place on that day.
For many years it has been regarded as the event
of the holidays, and also as an object of interest
and attraction apart from any other consideration.
Undsual curiosity is now excited on account of the
inconveniences which were experienced last year on
the occasion of the Volunteers assembling at Dover.
The weather was as unpropitious as possible, and the
delays which intervened were so prolonged and vexa-
tious that at one time it was believed no Review would
take place, and the unwelcome tidings to that effect
were disseminated in London on the evening of the day.
Happily matters did not turn out so badly as was at
first anticipated, but still the affair was not a success,
if it was not a failure, and a great deal of disappoint-
ment was experienced. It seems as if Easter Monday,
1870, were to bring better luck, and as if the ap-
proaching spectacle at Brighton were to met with
the success which has generally attended the pre-
ceding Reviews in that town. The Volun-
teers, it is well known, prefer Brighton as
the scene of their display, and it is cer-
tainly the most convenient rendezvous for
Londoners. It is true that some drawbacks exist,
and that Dover and Portsmouth offer special advan-
tages, but the fact remains that Brighton is the
favourite, and it is useless to dispute the point.
chief thing to bear in mind at the present time
is not so much the place where the Review is held
or the attributes that attend it, as the fact that year
by year the Volunteers have been marshalled ii
battle array, and gone through their various evolu

The

tions with the approval and admiration of their
countrymen. This is the more important to
remember, because it was over and over again
predicted that it was a nine days' wonder,
and that the sort of thing could never last.
Even some who might have known better, but wbose
opinion was respected, joined in the outcry, but the
result has completely baffled their prophecies, and
shown them to have been as ignorant as they were
presumptuous in their calculations. The last danger
that threatened the Volunteer Service arose when the
present Ministry came into office, for the t.mdencies
of the Cabinet were well known to be those of rigid eco-
nomy and a mania for cutting off resources. Through
these perils the Volunteers have passed however, and,
notwithslauding some sharp skirmishes between
Lord ELCHO and Mr. CARDWELL on the subject of
the rules and regulations of the service, no material

injury appears to have bean sustained, aud no lae
of energy is apparent. This is as it should be,

Mistakes must be made, and shortcomings appear i❑
all branches of the service, and especially in a volun-
tary undertaking of this character ; but the great
thing is to keep alive the interest of all concerned.
So far as the past can speak for the future there
seems no reason to apprehend any diminution of the
sprit that has sustained the Volunteers from the
outset of their career until the present moment.
They have profited by the experience that time and
trial alone can give, and for the most part they
turned to good account the hints and directions
they have received. The nation at large has an
interest in the success of the Volunteer Review, and
it will await the issue with anxiety and hope. These
annual ceremonies may be regarded as landmarks in
the history of the force, and as signs and t )kens of
the unfailing interest which is felt in its career by

those who throng to witness them. The late Lord
DEBBY emphatically chlracteriscd the Volunteer
Inqituti._;n as " defence, not defiance," and the
description wa3 admirably adapted fur the occasion.

It cannot be denied that, through good report and
evil report, the Volunteers have pursued their course,
and although sometimes perplexed by doubts and
disheartened by depressing circumstances they have
been stedfast in their endurance and spirit. In this
they have exhibited those sterling qualities which are
necessary for the success of any cause, and which have
made the character of Englishmen respected through-
out the world as being equal to any emergency that
may arise, neither unduly elated by success nor
crushed by disappointment, but resolute to face
difficulties.

A very interesting sight might have been
seen on Thursday in the Victoria Docks, though
the busy world of London was probably too busy
with its cares, and its money-making, and its holi-
day-planning to spare it a passing thought. That
day, however, was an important landmark in many
a humble calendar, and it will prove, we may hope,
,he inauguration of a brighter and happier
Five hundred and eighty emigrants—
men, women, and children—left the docks in
the screw steamer Medway for the Dominion of
Canada. They were the first detachment of the
adventurers to be sent out this year by the British
and Colonial Emigration Fund, and they came, a 3
may be supposed, from very various quarters.
Some of them were from Torquay, a climate which
will not render a Canadian winter very acceptable,
and others from different parts of the pro-
vinces. The majority were, however, Londoners,
and a troop of friends and relatives escorted them
to the wharf. No doubt the parting was mournful
enough, but at the same time it was full of hope.
The emigrants did not belong to the lowest and most
melancholy classes. They had self-reliance and
courage, and were so far from being raui;ers that
they had each provided £3 towards their passage.
The Society gives the additional £1 needed, and thus

uture.

the burden is lightened. The scheme is a very
s:mple and satisfactory one. Mr. DIXON, the
Canadian emigration agent in this country send.
out from time to time lists of intending emigrants to
the Government of Quebec. These lists give the
name, age, and occupation of each member of the
families, and the number of the children, and the