The Sun.
London, England, 1860-08-17 00:00:00

ARTISAN VOLUNTEER CORPS.

The following letters have been addressed to the
editor of The Times :
Sir,—The letter of Lord Elcho in The Times of
Wednesday last on the subject of Artisan Corps of
Volunteers has attracted. some attention, and, as my
name has appeared as one of the patrons of the pro-
posed corps to which Lord Elcho has taken excep-
tion, I am desirous that the public should have an
opportunity, through your columns, of hearing some
of the views of those who have advocated the for•
mation of the corps in question.
Lord Elcho, in the first place, finds fault with
the designation " Royal National Rifles." I may
say to that, " What's in a name ?" and I will not
stop to argue against that objection. Lord Elcho
then staves his belief that the success of the
Volunteer movement depends upon the force being
very large as well as well-trained and disciplined,
and that numbers can only be got by the admis-
sion of the best working men to the Volunteer
ranks. Such is my opinion, and the only question
is how best to arrive at the desired result. Lord
Elcho proceeds to read a lecture to Volunteer corps
of the metropolis, and to point out that in order to
admit the best working men into their ranks an
alteration must take place in their system, the ex-
travagance of the present day must be given up,
and Volunteers must be content to wear an inex-
pensive uniform on parade ; but that if the taste or
fancy of any member of the corps should induce
him to get a more ornamental or expensive dress,
the smarter uniform must never appear on
parade. Why, sir, in my opinion here will at once
arise one difficulty; the artisans of the metropolis
will not, as I believe, enter in any numbers any
corps into which they are not received on perfect
equality with their fellows. The fact of one man
being permitteel to wear an expensive uniform for
highdays and holidays, which the artisan would
not be able to afford, would at once create a dis-
tinction fatal to a feeling of equality ; and, setting
aside the fact of such a proposition being most un-
soldierlike and as smacking of playing at soldiers,
I say let no man be allowed to wear a dress in
which he does not appear on parade, and no invi-
dious distinction can exist.

By this proposition Lord Elcho unwittingly dis-
plays the feeling which has caused the drawing back
of the artisan class from heartily joining the ranks
of Volunteers. The working men of London are
anxious to prove their loyalty and their love of
Fatherland, but they are not prepared to be ad-
mitted into the ranks of any Volunteer corps in any
other than in a position of perfect equality. Lord
Elcho also suggests, as a mode of meeting the diffi-
culty, that artisan companies should be attached to
existing corps, whose dress, though the same in
colour and general appearance, might be less orna-
mental and expensive. This appears to me to be
creating a distinction which a man of any spirit
would decidedly object to, while the noble lord, al-
though not forming artisan corps, would be form-
ing artisan companies, and would thus be perpetuat-
ing quite as much that which he appears to dread
—viz., class distinctions, but in an aggravated form.
The truth is Lord Elcho now finds out the mistake
that has been committed, that the artizan class,
which he considers, and rightly so, essential to the
complete success of the movement, has been to a
great extent excluded hitherto owing to the expense
which has been gone to in the Volunteer corps, and
he would gladly correct the error ; but the artisan
class of London, determined to be prepared for the
defence of their country, are not inclined to wait
until measures may be arrived at to admit them
into existing corps. They will most gladly wel-
come the superior classes to their ranks ; but,
being determined to take part in this national
and patriotic movement, and having confi-
dence in their own good intentions, they have
shown their desire for the formation of a corps in
which their own class may be fairly and fully ad-
mitted, the expenses being kept within their reach,
and it would ill become Lord Elcho, who has de-
served every credit for the energy be has displayed
in the Volunteer movement, to suggest difficulties
. or to throw cold water on the patriotic spirit which
every well-wisher of his country, and of the indus-
, trial classes especially, must rejoice to see.
Lord Elcho very truly observes that the artisan
does not like to be " patronised." When all are
on an equality in the ranks no such idea can be en
r tertained, and I anticipate the very best results
from the opportunity which is about to be afforded
to that numerous class enrolling in the rate corps

On Monday the prizes offered by the 4th
Glamorgan Volunteer Artillery were shot for at
Cardiff. The prizes were-Ist, a handsome sil-
ver cup ; 2d, a breach-loading pistol ; 3d, a silver
medal. There were upwards of 40 competitors
from the Glamorgan and Monmouth Corps. The
first prize was won by Private John Owen, of the
Dowlai3 Company, 2d Glamorgan. An informality
in conducting the shooting caused some doubt as
to the winner of the second prize. The difficulty
was got over by the officers of the Volunteer Artil-
lery handsomely presenting a duplicate of this
prize to the second claimant. The winners of these •
prizes were Private William J. Jenkins, of the
Dowlais Company 2d Glamorgan (who won the
first prize at the last competition at Cardiff), and
Lieut. Gethin, of the Newport Company, Mon-
mouthshire. The third prize was won by Sergeant
Thomas, of the Swansea Company, 3d Glamorgan.
On Monday the general muster of the 4th Bucks
(Aylesbury) corps was made the occasion of festivi-
ties for the inhabitants of the district. The
grounds of Velvet Lawn, the property of Lady
Frankland Russell, afforded an excellent scene for
the evolutions, which, besides the ordinary
manoeuvres, included a miniature sham fight, a
skirmishing party being detached into the woods,
and defending a position so selected as to afford
cover for the retreat. The most interesting feature
of the day, however, was the presentation to the
corps of a silver bugle, which Lady Frankland
Russell, in the name of the ladies of Aylesbury,
handed to Captain Irby, the commanding officer.
The scene was enlivened by the presence of many
volunteers from other corps, including the City of
London, 13th Somersetshire, 6th -Westmorland,
London Scottish, Civil Service, St. George's,
St. Alban's, &c. Captain Charles Murray, Cap-
tain Commandant South-West Middlesex, the
senior Volunteer officer of the district,
took the orders of Lieutenant-Colonel Caul-
field Pratt, the reviewing officer, who, at the
banquet after the review, expressed. -his high sense
of the efficiency of the corps.
The 7th Essex Volunteers was .an Tuesday in-
spected by Lieutenant-Colonel Ibbutson, Assistant-
Inspector of Rifle Volunteers.
The ladies of Tunbridge Wells have presented a
silver bugle to the 17th Company of Kent Rifles.
The task of presenting the gift dev calved upon Mrs.
Fisher, the wife of the Captain of the corps, who
stated it to be a token of the warm interest the

ladies of the neighbourhood had taken in the for-
mation of the corps. The event was celebrated by
a public dinner at the Sussex Hotel, a t which Cap-
thin Fisher presided, and among the company were
Viscount Hardinge, Sir Walter Stirling, Mr.
Alderman Salomons; M.P., and other. gentlemen.

THE VOLUNTEER REVIEW AT IWINBU.RGH.

The following circulars have been addressed by
Mr. Sidney Herbert to the Lords L ieutenant of
the various counties, volunteer corps belonging to
which took part in the review by her .Majesty at
Edinburgh :

War-office, An ,gust 13.
I have the pleasure of enclosing a copy of a
General Order, in which the Adjutant-43 eneral has
been authorised to express her Majesty's t admiration
of the soldier-like bearing of the volunte€ a •s reviewed
by her Majesty at Edinburgh on Tuesd a y last, and
of the high state of efficiency to which they have
attained in an incredible short space of time, and in
which her Majesty finds another proof t hat she may
at all times rely upon their patriotism /lid loyalty.
In communicating this document to i7ou, and re-
questing you to enclose copies of it to the com-
manding officers of the different co: rps in your
county, I avail myself of the opportunit y to express
to you the high gratification with which her Ma-
jesty's Government have observed the rip id success
of the volunteer movement throughout th, e country,
the zeal and public spirit which were die played by
the corps present at the late review, anal the very
efficient manner in which they went t lirongh the
various movements that they were call led upon to
perform on that occasion.
I have also to convey to you the the oaks of the
Government for the assistance which . you have
afforded me in the raising and organisa tion of this
haveh
aN
'e
thdevolvede honour
force, and for the zeal with which yo have dis-
cuhpaorngyedouthine
000nnenreoonstionduleths witich h.
—I
to be your obedient servant, S. I lERBERT.