The Sun.
London, England, 1860-01-19 00:00:00

VOLUNTEER CORPS.

LONDON SCOTTISH.
Last night a general meeting of the members of
this corps was held in the hall of the Scottish Cor-
poration, Crane-court, Fleet-street ; Lord Elcho,
the commanding officer, acting as chairman.
The
corps numbers now about 400 volunteers, -who are
i
about to be formed into six companies ; and tus-
eludes in its ranks—besides Lord Elcho—the Mar-
quis of Abercorn, the Hon. Arthur Gordon (a son of
the Earl of Aberdeen), Mr. Arthur Kinnaird,
Lord Hamilton, Mr. Duke Hill (a nephew of Sir
James Duke), Mr. Macgregor (a member of the bar),
and many other gentlemen of rank and station con-
nected with Scotland by birth, marriage, or pro-
perty. About sixty of the members of Highland
origin have formed themselves into a Highland
company, and have decided upon adopting the kilt
as their rifle uniform. The donations and subscrip-
tions towards the funds of the corps amount now to
between £1,500 and £2,000.
Lord ELcilo explained in some detail certain re-
solutions which had been passed, both at meetings
of the Highland company and of the committee
of the corps, on the subject of the Highland com-
pany adopting the kilt as their uniform. Ho
stated that, while the matter was under conside-
ration by the Highland company, he had written
a letter to Captain Arbuckle, expressing an opi-
nion as to the unsuitableness of the kilt for a
rifleman's dress in the field, aiding that he did not
think he was singular in that opinion, and that
efficiency, comfort, and decency forbade the kilt as
the working dress of a rifleman. By some, he said,
that expression of opinion had been construed in the
light of a slur upon the costume in question. He
was anxious to disclaim being actuated by any such
motive. He never could have wished to cast a slur
on a dress occasionally worn, for example, by mem-
bers of the Royal family, and which, irrespective
of national associations and sentiments connected
with it, was far more picturesque, in his opinion,
than any he had ever seen. (Cheers.) The kilt
was a dress which he had frequently. worn himself,
and he had had the honour of dancing the High-
land fling in it in the presence of our illustrious and
well-beloved Sovereign. (Cheers.) All that he
meant was that he did not think it suitable for the
working dress of a rifleman.
Mr. MACKINNON (interrupting'. Lord Elcho for a
moment) said the whole corps had such perfect con-
fidence in his Lordship that it was unnecessary for
him to enter into anything like a defence of his
motives. (Cheers.)
Lord ELCFIO, after acknowledging this spontane-
ous expression of confidence on the part of the
meeting, proceeded to say that the committee of the
corps had that evening, at a meeting held just pre-
viously to the general meeting, unanimously passed
a resolution to the effect that, having reconsidered
the whole question of the kilt, they, in deference to
the wish of the members of the Highland company,
recommended the corps to sanction the wearing of
the kilt by the Highland company as their uniform
when en duty, in conformity with the resolution
passed to that effect at a general meeting of the
corps on the 12th of September last. His Lordship
concluded by proposing that resolution so passed
by the executive committee for the adoption of the
meeting.
The motion was seconded by Mr. Mackinnon, on
which a conversation, started by a member of the
Highland company, and causing some laughter,
arose as to whether it was to be understood the
members of that company were to wear the kilts in
all kinds of weather, without exception, in which
Lord Elcho, Mr. Macpherson, Mr. Macgregor, Mr.
Edwards, Mr. Wilson, and other gentlemen took
part. Eventually the resolution, as moved by Lord
Elcho, was put and carried with acclamation.
A member of the Highland company, who was
dressed in the proposed kilt uniform, was asked to
stand up, so as to enable the corps to appreciate his
ensemble, which lie did to their apparent satisfac-
tion. He wore a Highland cap, ornamented with
a blackcock's feather, on which there happened to
be a speck of white ; whereupon
An elderly gentleman named KERR jumped up.
and with well-affected indignation declared, in a
strong Scottish dialed, that he had never yet heard
of a Highlander showing the white feather.
(Cheers and laughter.) The Highland regiments
from time to time had done more to sustain the
honour of the British flag in well-fought fields than
any other portion of the army ; and if the High-
land company of the Scottish Volunteers were to
have a national dress, let it be really national.
Blue was their national colour, and he earnestly
hoped never to see any of them wear a cap in
which there was a white feather. (Cheers and
laughter.)
The meeting then passed to the consideration of
the nomination of officers of the corps.
Lord ELcuo reminded the meeting that one of
their regulations stated that the appointment of
all officers was vested by Act of Parliament in the
Lord Lieutenant, subject to the Queen's approval;
that the commanding officer would propose gentle-
men to the Lord-Lieutenant for commissions
as officers, after consultation with the council,
and after having • submitted the names to a
general meeting of the members of the
corps, who should be entitled to exercise a
veto on each name. He explained with what care
and impartiality he, as their commanding officer,
had sought to give effect to that regulation ; but
that he had learnt in a conversation at the War De-
partment with Earl de Grey, the Under-Secretary,
that the Government were averse from recognising
in the choice of officers the principle of popular elec-
tion. He had been therefore driven to a selection, in
which no other course was open but to consult the
committee of the corps,lwho, in that state of things,
had eaehnonainated a certain number of members of
the corps to be officers, and those who had had the
largest number of votes he (Lord Elcho) was now
prepared to submit to the Lord-Lievtenant for com-
missions. For himself, if the selection had depended
upon him alone as an individual, he confessed he
should have felt much in the difficulty of the Duke
of Brunswick, who was so much pleased with the
conduct of the Hussars whom he commanded at
Quatre Bras that he took the star from his breast
and " shied" it among them, saying he did not know
which of them to give it to, since all of them had de-
served it. (Cheers.) His lordship added that the
corps in the first instance would be formed into six
companies, and then read the names of the members
of the corps for whom the greatest number of votes
had been given by the committee, adding that Mr.
George Mackenzie had been already gazetted a cap-
tain, and would serve in that capacity in the High-
land Company. The names were as follows :—Cap-
tains.—The Marquis of Abercorn, Mr. Septimus
Carlisle, Mr. Conway, and the Hon. Arthur Gordon.
Lieutenants. —Mr. Forrest, Mr. M'Kissock, Mr.
Duke Hill, Mr. Scott, and Mr. Lumsden, of Pit-
caple, late a captain in the Aberdeenshire Militia.
Ensigns.—Mr. It. Fisher, Mr. C. Shepherd, Mr.
Sutherland, of Croydon ; Mr. Notman, and Mr.
Belfrage. Of the company formed from members
of the ...corps connected with the Oriental Bank
Mr. John Riach had been selected as Captain ;
Mr. J. S. Fender, late Captain of the Perth Rifles,
as Lieutenant ; and Mr John Macnab as ensign.
Some little disappointment was expressed by two
or three members that the corps had not had an
opportunity of exercising their veto in the selection
as provided by their own regulations. His lordship
explained how, to his own regret, he had been over-
ruled in that respect by the War Department, and
the subject dropped. The selection of non-com-
missioned officers was deferred to a future occasion,
as was also the subject of the constitution of the
council.
After giving three cheers for the Queen, and
another round for their commanding officer, the
corps-separated.

been rather behind hand in the movement, but
early last year the Lord-Lieutenant convened a
meeting of the Deputy-Lieutenants to consider the
question, but then arose the difficulty of obtaining
a good practice ground, and without this essential.
requisite it would have been foolish to take further
steps. A practice ground to be perfectly safe should
have a range of 2,000 yards. The delay, therefore,
had arisen entirely from local causes. He concluded
by urging them to come forward, desiring them to
remember that their purpose should be " deeds, not
words."
Mr. F. YOUNG seconded the resolution. He should
not be satisfied with less than half a million of
volunteers, and when this was achieved they would
not then be subject to those periodical panics which
were so injurious to the dignity of the nation—
(cheers), and their country would be left to their
children as great and as free as ever.
The Rev. Mr, BAZELEY, rector of Poplar, sup-
ported the motion, and said he echoed the voice of
his brethren, and in promulgating the doctrine of
peace could not do better than advocate the volun-
teer movement. The country was peaceful in its
wishes, was not smarting under the recollection of
disasters, and had no defeats to avenge; but no one
could deny the necessity or the duty and propriety
of the efforts they were then making. He was not an
alarmist, but he could not look on the state of the
Continent without entertaining a strong conviction
that complications might arise which might even-
tually terminate in war ; he had every confidence
in their fleet and in their soldiers, but that line of
defence might be forced, and it was their manifest
duty to take every precaution for the defence of
their hearths and their homes. Englishmen had two
faults—they were proud, and, at the same time,
sometimes over fond of needlessly finding fault and
blaming themselves, but there was no Englishman
who could Rot be grateful for living on British soil,
and feel that his country was worth defending. In
the words of the poet, it was a little body with a
large heart. He trusted that if they ever had occa-
sion to use the ri'e, it would be against an invader
who had got no further than the water's edge, and
that if the barren rock were polluted by the foot-
print of an invader the next tide might wash the
stain away. (Cheers.)
Mr. BURNEY urged the desirability of the move-
ment taking a permanent form, and that the work-
ing classes should be adequately represented. There
were 100,000 working men in that neighbourhood,
and the corps should not be framed with a view to
their exclusion. He meant to say that an expen-
sive uniform would have that effect. The Tower
Hamlets were going in the right direction, and he
would urge the committee to look to the working
classes, by which means the movement would not
be evanescent but permanent.
The CHAIRMAN said there was no intention of
excluding the working classes, and he thought to
do so would be to incur an irreparable injury. The
movement should be one for all classes, as the
mingling of one class with another would be pro-
ductive of beneficial results.
The motion was then carried by acclamation.
Mr. R. GREEN proposed the second resolution :
" That a volunteer rifle company be at once enrolled for
the district of Poplar, in connection with the Royal Tower
Hamlets Rifle Regiment."
He said the resolution was one which came at once
to the point. He quite agreed with a previous
speaker that the movement should not be a class
and exclusive one; they could not in that district
boast of aristocracy, but of the finest class of me-
chanics in the world—(cheers)—and as well fitted
to carry arms as any lord in the land, or member
of Parliament. They must lose no more time, but
organise their rifle corps, and if the French did
land they would give them a warm reception.
(Applause.)
Mr. ROBERT CHARLES seconded the motion, and
said they had framed the regulations on a broad
basis ; there would be no entrance fee ; but only
the subscription and the uniform would be as cheap
as was consistent with efficiency.
Mr. C. \VIGRA-NI supported the motion. When
travelling in Berne, he had been present at the
great national meetings of the Swiss riflemen, at
which much enthusiasm was manifested, and he
should be glad to see the same thing common in
England. It was a great honour for a man to con.
test for a great national prize, and he hoped the
Tower Hamlets corps would, by attention and
practice, compete successfully with others.
Mr. G. F. YOUNG also supported the motion in
an address of some length; after which, it was put
from the chair and carried unanimously.
Mr. ROBERTSON proposed the next resolution,—
" That a subscription list be opeßed, and a com-
mittee appointed to carry out the organisation of
the corps," whieh, having been seconded by Mr. J.
SAMUDA, was also passed.
Several subscriptions, ranginglfrom 5 guineas to
25 guineas, were announced, and a vote of thanks
having been passed to the chair, the meeting sepa-
rated.