The Sun.
London, England, 1860-02-20 00:00:00

UST.

TILE VOL UNTEER MOVEMENT.

[The following appeared in our late edition of Saturday
evening
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. Byug, M.P.. Lord West, Sir De
L. Evans, M.P., Dr. Ha.wt rey, Provost of Eton ; Mr.
Wm. Ewart, MX., 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, in opening the proceed-
ings, said he was surprised, mulooking 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
Elcho) 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 believing that there would
be no discussion Ise went home. He had no idea
that when the serious .busintss of the evening
had passed it would have been followed by a
screaming farce, in which the Parliamentary
Robson was the prominent perfor mer. (Laughter.)
He thought the hon. baronet would have
better shown his loyalty and patriotism by keeping
silence than by casting reflections on apinizi otvoefmtehnet
w hich had sprung from the public s
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, Lard 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 schools.'
The Hon. G. BYNG, M.P., who passed a high
eulogium upon the volunteer system, seconded the
resolution. He hoped the movement would be per-
manent and successful, and that it would tend to
remedy any defects which might exist iu the pre-
sent system of military education.
Mr. GEORGE CRUIKSHANK supported the resolu-
tion, and told some humorous tales in illustration
of the advantage of military training. He urged
that this should be a strictly national movement,
and should not tae dependent upon occasional alarms.
The resolution was agreed to.
Mr. CONINGHAM, 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-
blished, 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 cheek those
frivolous expenses which many young men iucurred
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 Inspectors
of Schools, seconded the resolution. In the course
of his duties he had been called upon to visit vari-
ous schetsals,. sot, in such a distinguished position
as Eton, and he invariably found that where drill
was carried out the boys were better 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 fail 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 boating or
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. (Bear, 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 ELnina said that in the corps he had the
honour to command the dress cost but £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 night be anticipated.)
There would be no braid nor 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 accessary 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 front it by any country that cultivated
arms rather than eo:nmerce. (Hear, hear.)
The militia of America amounted to two millions
and ahalf, and as every other power demanded some
sort of military service from its subjects but Eng-
land, he did not think it wise er 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 it he had
done so. (Hear, hear.)
The resolution was then agreed to.
He said he was certain it
The Hon. Mr. CAMPBELL moved thwe fourthre-
solution.ouldmeet
with no opposition, so he should
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Those opinions had
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Lord West, who representehdutrheeha, army
byo the Hon-
th at oc-
casion; that they were supported by Dr.
trey, a dignitary of the c
Mr. Byng, whom he looks d upon as the
representative of the militia. With respect
to the movement that had taken place at the
school at Eton on the subject of preliminary
drill, he thought it was deserving of the highest
encouragement, because there were some parties
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 ever Eton.
so that the attacks that might be made on her
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 due 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, M.P., seconded the resolution, 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 t erminated.

The Right Hon. Edward Bolivarle, 11. P., and
the Hon. Mrs. E. Bouverie leave town this week for Long-
ford Castle, Wilts, to attend the nuptials of tll e Lady Mary
Bouyerie and the Hon, Mr. Wilde, Q.C.