The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-21 00:00:00

TEE ARMY.

A draught, consisting of 275 men, infantry and
artillery, have left the Indian army depot at War-
ley, near Brentwood, for embarkation to Madras.
The depot companies of the 96th Regiment
arrived at Chichester from Parkhurst, Isle of
Wight, on Monday eTening, under the command
of Capt. Grant and the following officers :
Capt. E. Cookson, Lieut. E. Johnson, Lieut.
E. Hogg, Ensign A. Harcourt, and went into the
quarters vacated that day by the depot of the 51st
(King's Own) Light Infantry, removed to Chatham.
We regret to notice the death of General F. R.
Thackeray, C. 8., Col.-Commandant of the Royal
Engineers, which took place on Wednesday, at
Windlesham, Surrey, in his 85th year. The gallant
general entered the army in 1793, and commenced
his military career as second-lieut. in the Royal
Engineers. He hadseen considerable service, having
been present at the capture of Surinam in 1799, and
at St. Martin's and St. Bartholomew in 1801. Ho
directed the siege of Scylla Castle in 1806, and that
of the fortress of Santa Maura in 1809. He served
with the army in Spain in 1812, and was present at
the battle of Castella and siege of Tarragona in 1813
and remained with the army till 1814. In recogni-
tion of his services the gallant deceased had been a
Companion of the Bath. The gallant general's com-
missions bore date as follows :—Second-lieut., Sept.
18, 1793 ; first lieut., June 18, 1796 ; capt., April 18,
1801 ; brevet•major, May 9, 1810; lieut.-col., July
21, 1813 ; col., June 2, 1825 ; col.-commandant,
April 29, 1846; major-gen., Jan. 10, 1837 ; lieut.-
gen., Nov. 9, 1846; and gen., June 20,1854.

211 E VOLUNTEER MOVEMENT'.

OXFORD, THURSDAY.
This evening a grand entertainment was given
by Sir J. Morrell, Deputy-Lieutenant of the county
of Oxford, to Col. North, M.P., and the Oxford
City Volunteers. The dinner, which was served
on a scale of great magnificence, was attended by
the Bishop of Oxford, the Lord-Lieutenant, the
Duke of Marlborough, the Earl Abingdon, Lord
Norreys, the Hon. Mr. Fiennes, Mr. Henley, M.P.,
Mr. Harcourt, M.P., Mr. I. H. Langston, M.P.,
Mr. J. T. Norreys, M.P., the High Sheriffs of Ox-
ford and Berks, the Vice-Chancellor of the Univer-
sity, several of the Heads of Colleges now resident
in Oxford, a large number of deputy-lieutenants
and magistrates, and most of the principal gentry
of the counties of Oxford and Berks.
The cloth having been removed, and the usual
complimentary toasts having been cordially drunk,
The CHAIRMAN then gave " the health of the
Lord-Lieutenant, the Duke of Marlborough,"
which was received with loud clears.
The Duke of MARLBOROUGH, in returning thanks,
observed that since he had the honour of filling the
post of Lord-Lieutenant it had been an office of real
importance. His first duty was to embody the
militia, and be need not remind them how nobly
the embodiment was proceeded with and how well
their military duties had been discharged. At that
period of their service he had to convey to them his
approval of the manner in which they had per-
formed their duties. His next duty was to watch
over that mighty movement which Englishmen had
put forth in the Volunteer movement. He was
happy to think that this county was almost the
first to join in that movement, and he would pay a
tribute of praise and thanks to the University in
supporting that movement by at once responding
to it, and by their energetic action having obtained
the high honour of being the 7th corps in England.
Their first step was to obtain subscriptions, and here
at once the spirit and feelings of Englishmen showed
themselves. Hardly a week had elapsed before
£1,500 had been subscribed, while at the same time
Volunteers flocked to the ranks so quickly that
very soon the volunteer force had become equal to
the Militia, and he had no doubt would soon exceed
that branch of the service. They could not shut
their eyes to the fact that this movement had been
the result of actual necessity. No doubt they were
all most anxious to be on the best of terms with
their neighbours, but still they were determined
that their great interests, their commercial cha-
racter, a nd that vast material wealth which God's
Provides ace had given to them should not be de-
stroyed by any foe. (Cheers.) They owed it to
Europe and the world that those blessings of free-
dom WI tich they had inherited from their fore-
fathers • they should transmit untarnished to their
ancestor •s—(cheers)—unimpaired by foreign aggres-
sion. 1
.Cheers.) That which really called this
movement into being was the position of a foreign
country. . It was useless to point out any particular
Power, tp. and might be disrespectful to name any in-
dividual Sovereign of Europe ; but what all their
aims wet directed against was a system which had
once be' an rivetted on Europe—which might be
terme d.-Napoleonism—and which he was sorry to
say ikg.ht yet deluge the whole of Europe with
blood 1. That was a system which this country had
ever takown itself opposed to, even when it had
made Auld all over Europe, and they were deter-
table it now to show that though they were desirous
of li' ing on the best terms with their neighbours,
they NI ere nevertheless prepared to put themselves
in en el I. a position as to be able to say, " Touch us
who edare." (Cheers.) He was quite sure that
there was a most anxious desire on the part of all
pres' .3t it for the success, prosperity, and permanence
of the Volunteer movement—a movement which
was in terwoven with the hearts of the people. He
conk I not sit down without impressing on the
mine it of the Rifle Volunteers now present the im-
port t< nee of paying great attention to military dis-
cipl' in e, for without that the volunteer forces would
as help to the regular defences of the king-
dom ,be utterly worthless. It was only by assimi-
lath vg them to the regular army that they would
be I able to act with it in the defence of their coun-
try, -which he was sure it was their most anxious
wisl Ito do. (Cheers.)
T ,he CHAIRMAN then proposed " the health of the
Bis hop of Oxford," which was drank with loud and
ion: continued cheering.
he Bishop of OxroßD—Sir, I thank you very
hca day for the way
in which' you have proposed
my
health in this great company, and I thank the
-
gu,
648 around yoar table for the kind manner in
wl Ach thedi y responded to it. There may be some
isposed at first sight to say- that at such a gather-
i,
ag as this—a warlike gathering—we men of peace
IP A little out d Owe; but i Wink "that that