The Sun.
London, England, 1860-02-18 00:00:00

THE YOL UNTEER MOVEMEN2'.

MEETING THIS DAY.

This afternoon a public meeting was held at the
Thatched•house Tavern, St. James's-street, with a
view to establish preliminary drill at public
schools, in connection with the volunteer move-
ment. Lord Elcho, M.P., presided ; and there
were present, Mr. Byng, M.P.. Lord West, Sir De
L. Evans, M.P., Dr. Hawtrey, Provost of Eton ; Mr.
Win. E wart, M.P., Mr. Stirling, M.P., Mr. W. F.
Campbell, M.P., General Watkins, the Rev. G. R.
Gleig, Chaplain to the Forces ; Major General
Watkins, and other gentlemen.
The Noble CHAIRMAN, iu opening the proceed-
ings, said he was surprised, on looking at the papers
this morning, to find that an eccentric baronet, the
inheritor of a great name, had made a speech
which had excited great attention. He (Lord
Eloho) remained in the House of Commons until
past eleven o'clock last night listening
to the admirable speech of Mr. Sidney Herbert, the
Secretary for War, and belity;ng that there would
be no discussion he went home. He had no idea

that when the serious business of the evening
had passed it would have been followed by a
screaming farce, in which the Parliamentary
Robson was the prominent performer.' (Laughter.)
He thought the hon. baronet would have
better shown his loyalty and patriotism by keeping
silence than by casting reflections on a movement
which had sprung from the public spirit of the
country, and which had been graciously approved
of by her Majesty. The noble lord proceeded to
show that military drill would tend to the physical
development of boys, their moral improvement at
schools, and their general advantage in after life.
Letters, approving of the movement, were read
from Lord Palmerston, the Bishop of London, Lord
Brougham, Lord Lyndhurst, Lord Shaftesbury, and
the Dean of Christchurch, Oxford (late Head
Master of Westminster School), Sir Howard
Douglas, Mr. Shepherd, of Cheltenham College, and
other gentlemen.
Lord WEST, in moving the first resolution,
thought that a general system might be adopted for
schools--such as Eton, Winchester, and Rugby, as
well as for the parochial and rural schools of the
country. His lordship moved the following reso-
lution :

" That, with a view to the permanence of the volunteer
force, it is desirable that elementary drill should be esta-
blished at public and other scho'ols."
The Hon. G. BYNG, M.P., who passed a high
eulogiuni upon the volunteer system, seconded the
resolution. lie hoped the movement would be per-
manent and successful, and that it would tend to
remedy any defects which might exist in the pre-
sent system of military education.
Mr. GEORGE CRITIKSHANK supported the resolu-
tion, and told some humorous tales in illustration
of the advantage of military training. lie urged
that this should be a strictly national movement,
and should not be dependent upon occasional alarms.
The resolution was agreed to.
Mr. CONINGIIAM, M.P., hoped it would not go
forth to the public that there was any desire on the
part of the meeting to change our public schools
into military academies.
The Rev. Dr. HAWTREY, Provost of ' Eton,
moved—

" That where elementary military drill has been esta••
Wished, it has been found to conduce to the discipline and
orderof schools, and to the mental advancement of scholars,
as well as to their physical development and improvement."

The Rev. Provost spoke of the beneficial effects
which the system of drill had had in his college.
He had been lately at Oxford, where he had ascer-
tained that the men who were the most distin
guished for their classical and other attainments
had proved the best men in connection with this
movement. It had, moreover, tended to check those
frivolous expenses which many young men incurred
at Oxford ; indeed, many of the Oxford tradesmen,
who encouraged these expenses, had expressed their
regret that the movement had ever been originated.
(Cheers and laughter.)
Mr. TUFFNELL, one of her Majesty's Inspeeterii
of Schools, seconded the resolutisn. In the course
of his duties he had been called upon to visit vari-
ous schools, Not; in such a distinguished position
as Eton, and he invariably found that where drill
was carried out the boys werebetter able to undergo
great exertion. In a great number of the Board of
Guardian schools a drill sergeant was paid by the
Government, and where one of these schools had
allowed drill to fad into disuse, the effect 'was so
marked for the worse that they were glad to re-
commence the system. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. G. VERNON, in alluding to the uniform pro-
posed to be used at Eton, said he hoped the boatingor
cricketing dress would answer all purposes. (Hear.)
He hoped the public schools would not insist on a
uniform. It was all very well for a rifle corps,
but it was not at all required in a
school. If much attention was paid to uni-
form, it would have the appearance of making
our schools military establishments, which they
never would or ought to be. (Hear, hear.)
Dr. WiLsoN thought the institution of drill in
our public schools would tend above all things to
make the present enthusiasm lasting. (Hear, hear.)
It would be the spark which could always be blown
into fire. (Hear, hear.)
Dr. HAWTREY said the uniform would be of the
most inexpensive character, and would bear no
appearance of dandyism. (Hear, hear.)
Lord ELcuo said that in the corps he had the
honour to command the dress cost but L 2 10s. for
a man, so the cost would be less for a boy. The
dress for the boys would simply be a tweed
jacket and trousers, with a little bit of Eton blue
on the jacket collar. (Hear, hear.) There was
no necessity for any display—(which he was sorry
to see was the case in some of the rifle corps, and
from which the worst effects might be anticipated.)
There would be no braid or frogs. The dress was
such as could always be worn by the boys without
rendering themselves conspicuous. (Hear, hear.)
The resolution was then put to the meeting, and
carried unanimously.
General Sir DE LACY EVANS moved the next
resolution, which was to the effect that all public
schools should give their support to the movement.
There was no country in Europe in which a move-
ment like that which was now going on was
more necessary than this —(hear, hear) for
it would be highly dangerous to remain
disarmed in the presence of an armed neighbour.
Adam Smith, one of the greatest writers on poli-
tical economy that ever existed, also had devoted a
whole chapter to this subject, and he laid it down
that the utmost care must be taken by a nation to
be in a good state of defence, for if
it was not so it was most likely to have every-
thing taken from it by any country that cultivated
arms rather than commerce. (Hear, hear.)
The militia of America amounted to two millions
and a half, and as every other power demanded some
sort of military service from its subjects but Eng-
land, he did not think it wise or prudent for a coun-
try like this to be in a state behind that of any
other nation in the world. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. CHADWICK had great pleasure in supporting
the resolution. Drill was more conducive to health
than anything he knew. Cricket was a healthy
game, but then it gave round shoulders and a
confined chest. This was not the case with
drill, it acted in an entirely opposite way. It
brought out and fully developed every muscle of
the body. He was of opinion that a man who
could earn a pound a week, without having learnt
drill, would be worth half as much again if he had
done so. (Hear, hear.)
' The resolution was then agreed to.
The Hon. Mr. CAMPBELL moved the fourth re-
solution. 1-13 said he was certain it would meet
with no opposition, so he should not detain the
meeting with any ngthened remarks, the more so
as in December last he had publicly given his
op-miens on the point in one of the newspapers.
Those opinions had not met with opposition, so
there was no need of his defending them ; on the
contrary, the present meeting showed that some
practical good had resulted therefrom. He was
very gratified to find that the noble lord in the chair
supported these opinions. They were supported by
Lord West, who represented the army on that oc-
casion; that they were supported by Dr. Haw-
trey, a dignitary of the Church, and by the Hon-
ourable Mr. Byng, whom he looked upon the
representative of the militia. With respecte
to the movement that had taken place at the
school at Eton on the subject of preliminary
highest
encouragement, he thought it was deserving of the
encouragement, because there were some pantie,
who would be sure to throw some obloquy upon it
for moving in the matter. The meeting, however,
that afternoon would act as a shield
over Eton.
so that the attacks that might be made
.on he •
would fall to the ground harmless. He thought
the present movement was above all others best
calculated to make
the enthusiasm that now
existed on the subject of national defences perma-
nent. He concluded by moving the following re-
solution :--
"That in the opinion of this meeting the highest public
approbation is duo to the provost, head master, and autho-
rities of Eton, for the prompt and judicious manner in
which they have resolved to introduce elementary drill into
the Eton system.

Mr. EWART, ALP., seconded the molution, which
was carried unanimously,
Resolutions appointing a committee for carrying
out the objects of the meeting, and thanking
the chairman for his attendance, were carried unani-
mously, after whisk the proceedings terminated.