The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-16 00:00:00

THE VOLUNTEER MOVEMENT.

An entertainment presenting several features
of interest has just been given at Lowes-
toft by Messrs. Lucas Brothers, the metro-
politan builders, who, on Wednesday night,.

invited all the members of the local Volunteer

corps, formed principally from among the persons
employed by them, with the other persons on their
establishment, to an excellent dinner at the Royal
Hotel. The company numbered no less than 260,

and the restaurant of the hotel was decorated in

military fashion for the occasion. Several visitors
of note were present, viz.,Major-Gen. Sir R. Dacres,
R.A., Sir S. M. Peto, M.P., Col. Wingfield, Col.

Hockley, Capt. Joachim, RN., Rev. F. Cunning.

ham (the venerable vicar of the parish of Lowes-
toft), Capt. Fowler, Capt, Steward, Capt. Leathes,
Capt. Morse, Lieut. Lucas, Lieut. Bazalgette, &c.
Mr. Charles Lucas, the senior member of the firm
of Lucas Brothers, presided.

The usual loyal and patriotic toasts were warmly
honoured.

Major-Gen. Sir R. DACRES, in replying for the
army, said he was glad to notice the presence of a
gentleman honourably known in connection with
the Crimean war. He alluded to Sir M. Peto, to
whom the army owed much, for the national feel-
ing and patriotism he had displayed hi regard to
the construction of the railway from the harbour of
Balaklava to the camp before Sebastopol. (Cheers.)
Passing on to the subject of the volunteers, the gal-
lant officer said he believed the movement was the
greatest England had ever seen—at least within his
memory. Considering that many persons who
worked hard all day were yet found willing to give
up their time at drill, while many gentlemen of
large fortune had entered into the thing with equal
spirit—considering, also, that it was all done with-
out pecuniary fee or reward, every Englishman
must feel proud of so great a movement. For him-
self, he wished the volunteers every success, and he
longed for the day on which 200,000 might be under
arms, for volunteers as a second line of defence, and
in conjunction with the other public services, would
form a barrier through which no enemy could
break. (Loud cheers.)

To the toast of " the Militia and Volunteers of
England,"
Captain BEDINGFELD responded for the militia,
Capt. FOWLER for the Rifle Volunteers, and Capt.
LEATHES for the Artillery Volunteers.
Lieut. LUCAS proposed, in highly complimentary
terms, the health of Sir S. Morton Peto, glancing
at the services which the hon. baronet had rendered
to Lowestoft, and to his connection with great
piblic works in almost every part of the country.
The toast was received with much cordiality, and
Sir M. PETO, M.P., in returning thanks, said
from the first he had felt the greatest interest in
the volunteer movement, because he believed that
it was essential for the good of the country ; and
no one, contemplating it in its varied aspects, could
have a doubt of its perfect success. Turning to the
continent, he would ask how Switzerland, sur-
rounded as she was by despotic nations, could have
so far preserved her liberties if she had not been
protected by her volunteer riflemen ? What was
the reason again that 2,000 men descending from
Norther' Italy to the south of that beautiful coun-
try had been able to rescue their fellow-country-
men from something worse than an Egyptian bon-
dage ? Why, the volunteer spirit, working through
the whole Italian people, had conquered for them
their liberties and triumphed over every difficulty.
(Cheers.) Another important question suggested
itself—viz., the effect of the English volunteer
movement on the continent of Europe. He was
continually moving about Europe, and he was per-
fectly certain that the England of to-day occupied
a very different position from the England of 18
months ago. (Hear.) Formerly it was supposed
that we were so commercially 'blind as not to be
alive to the protection and power secured to the
other nations of Eu rope by enormous standing armies.
But he trusted that in England we never should have
an enormous standing army, because it was not com-
patible with perfect constitutional liberty. No one
admired more than he did our present standing army,
and no one was more, desirous than himself to see
it kept on a perfectly effective footing ; but he con-
sidered that the backbone of England's liberty was
her volunteers, and that the fact that 150,000 rifles
had been placed in the hands of free Englishmen
spoke more forcibly to Europe and the world than
anything else that could be mentioned. (Cheers.)
The Queen had placed those rifles in the hands of
the Volunteers as a trust ; but the people could not
have been so trusted if they had had a despotic
Sovereign, and if they bad had no constitutional
representative Government seeuring the blessings
of liberty. If our Volunteers, in fact, had not been
impressed with the feeling that as Englishmen they
had to protect loving wives and families, and a
country of which they were proud, they could
never have been intrusted with arms. (Hear.) The
hon. baronet having added that he had 700 Volun-
teers in his employment—the best proof he could
give of the desire of his firm to support the move-
ment—proceeded to refer to the relation of em-
ployer and employed existing between most of
those present and their hosts, and recommended
the workmen never to let any one come between
them and their masters. He had bad many hard
things said of him in London in regard to this
question—many things which he did not think he
deserved ; but he believed he was the workmen's
best friend in saying that if they allowed amy one
to destroy the mutual confidence which existed be-
tween their masters and themselves great injury
would result. (Cheers.)
" The Health of Messrs. Lucas Brothers," "Pros-
perity to Lowestoft," and several other teasts fol.
lowed, and a very agreeable evening was passed by
all present.

Messrs. Lucas are about to present each of the
Lowestoft Volunteers with a handsome jug, de-
signed by Mr. J. Thomas. The jug is shaped like a
howitzer, and has two figures on each side, repre-
senting the military and naval services, and the
English and Scotch Volunteers. In the centre of
these figures is a medallion of her Majesty, with
the inscription, " Our army and navy and brave
volunteers." The words " Defenders of our Queen
and country" are also inscribed below.

Captain Ross and the officers of the Ist Com-
pany of the 29th North Middlesex Rifles, of which
Lord Enfield, M.P,, has just accepted the command
as Lieut.-Colonel, have offered for competition,
open to all the members of the Ist Company,
to be shot for on Friday next, the 23d instant, a
very handsome silver cup as the first prize, a Lan-
caster or Whitworth rifle as the second, and a short
Enfield as the third prize. It is believed that the
officers of the other companies will follow the ex-
ample, and also give similar prizes to be competed
for. The corps is now 700 strong, and is only
waiting the sanction of the Lord-Lieutenant to in-
crease its effective strength to 1,000 rank and file
exclusive of the cadet corps, which ',now numbers
over 120. It is intended to divide the cadets into
two companies—namely, one composed exclusively
of the pupils of the North London Collegiate School,
and the other comprising the'general body of cadets.
Both companies are to be officered by youths who,
after an examination, prove themselves most effi-
cient and attentive to their drill. The Gth company
(Messrs. Hopkinson's) has just been augmented to
120 men, 40 of whom from the manufactories of
Messrs. Boosey and Sons, of Holles-street, have
amalgamated with them, the company being under
the command of Mr. Charles Boosey, the captain
elect. The 6th company are expected to be in uni-
form by Wednesday next, and, if so, it is intended, '