The Sun.
London, England, 1870-09-24 00:00:00

OUR RESERVE FORCES.

The Lord Mayor of London is of opinion that if
he•voice of England is to be potential in continental

politics she must be strong at home, and taking this
as his primary stand point, he appeals to the
patriotism of his countrymen to increase the efficiency
and strength of the reserve forces. He has had, he
says, schemes submitted to him for protect-
ing the Thames from the attack of a
hostile knee, but whilst he is fully con-
vinced of the desirableness of adopting measures
to guar() the entrance to the river and its mighty
commerce, he thinks the hands and hearts of English-
men are after all the strongest forts. Speaking of
the London volunteers the Lord Mayor says that
while their efficiency in drill and in rifle practice is
all that could be wished, they did not attain to that

numerical strength which the London volunteers
ought to reach. There are three things he points out
which are necessary to place the volunteers in

the position he desires to see them occupy.
The first is more men, the second, additional sub-
scriptions, to be equally divided among the four
regiments, the third " a good easy come-at-able
_ ._

range for rifle practice." The subsidence of the
enthusiasm which characterised the volunteer move-
ment in the beginning, has entailed upon a few
commanding officers the heavy burden of maintaining
the force. Notwithstanding this drawback the
volunteer force becomes daily of more value to the
nation. The employers of labour, the Lord
Mayor remarks, by giving their men oppor-
tunities of learning a soldier's duty, may
materially add to the strength of the London
regiments. He has invited the officers in command
of the city regiments to furnish him with a practical
scheme for enlistment, and an estimate of what funds
are required to maintain the volunteers in good
working order. The example of the Lord Mayor might
with great advantage be followed in other parts of

to kingdom.

➢IR. JACOB BRIGHT, M.P., ON THE WAR.

Mr. Jacob Bright, at a political gathering in
Manchester, alluded to the war on the Continent at
some length. His speeeh on this head was re-
markable for the very hopeful view the hon. gentle-
man took of" human events 2" as he vaguely phrased
it. He told his audience that he did not share in
the despondent feelings of those who, in face of
the frequent and bloody wars in an age
of Christianity and knowledge, are com-
pelled to abandon, or nearly all hope of a
peace-loving world. The only ground which the
lion. gentleman seems to have based his confidence
upon, is the fact that wars are shorter in the

_ .
esent age than in former periods of history, and in
his opinion the results of modern wars are " far
greater and less frivolous." In times past, he said,
the conclusions of campaigns was in favour of
sovereigns, not of peoples, but now the reverse was, he
thought, the fact. He entertained the hope that the
people of Germany after the present war would
demand to- be governed according to their own ideas,
and that the Government would not distract their
attention by military enterprises. Mr. Bri„,(Yht con-
demned in emphatic terms the contemptible ambi-
tion of France. The chastisement she had received
was well-merited. Despite her humiliation France,
be believed, was destined under a stable Govern-
ment to be one of the noblest nations of Europe.
The pre-requisite, however, was popular instruction.
1 u conclusion he approved of the neutral position
assumed by England, and his remark that the policy
of the Government would be sanctioned by the
majority of the people of this country was loudly
cheered.