The Sun.
London, England, 1860-12-21 00:00:00

gave an exactly correct account of the feeling
which originated the rifle corps. He compared it
with that which gave birth to the volunteers when
an army threatened our shores from the other side
ithe Channel; it was necessary that then the
young and vigorous of the nation should arm to
any extent. But he attributed the present move-
ment to a conviction that the army needed, per-
manently, such a supplement as the volunteer rorce.
We think it would have been more correct to say
that conviction followed the movement rather than
caused it. The cause was undoubtedly the myste-
rious and hostile proceedings of our next neigh-
bour. When the country saw a fleet building
which could have no object but that of readiness to
attack this country at any time—when it knew
that, though to the last degree improbable, it was
always possible that our fleet might be evaded or
beaten, than the feeling arose that we ought to
train ourselves to the possibility of meeting any
enemy which might break through our first line of
defence ; and after the fear of this danger passed
away, there was what Lord PALMERSTON, incor-
rectly we think, describes as the origin of the
movement, " a deep and reflecting sense on the part
of the people of this country that there might be
an occasion for the services of such men. They felt
that though we were at peace, though there was no
immediate chance of any danger to the country,
that still nevertheless there was wanting some
additional force in support of the regular army and
the militia." May that feeling deepen and spread
till the number and efficiency of our volunteers may
enable us to reduce that worst of institutions in a
free State—our Standing Army.
Lord PALMERSTON remarked, justly enough,
that to dwell on the merits of our army and navy
in proposing a toast was quite a work of surplus-
age; their merits were historical, and the only
thing on which they could be congratulated was,
on keeping up their old renown. He seems dis-
posed, however, to commend what his Government,
of course, would have the chief credit of, the ad-
mirable equipment of the army which has just con-
quered peace at Pekin. We have had, he said,
"recently, in those operations which we were com-
pelled to undertake in China, an example of the
most perfect discipline, of the most complete effici-
ency in every branch of the service, and not only
of the most distinguished gallantry but also of the
most complete and rapid success. There never was
an expedition that was better appointed, better
equipped, better supplied with everything that is
necessary for carrying on war, and war at the
opposite part of the globe; where, from difficulties
of distance, difficulties of the means of transport,
and difficulties peculiar to the nature of the country
in which the operations were carried on, more
allowance ought to be made, if any portion of the
service had been found wanting in anything requi-
site for its complete efficiency. But on the contrary
we may say it with pride that there never was a
military and naval force better equipped, and more
successful than that." We have every reason to
think, from all the accounts that have yet reached
us, that these self-congratulations are not more
than the noble ,Lord was entitled to give utterance
to as the head of his Government. Every hind-
rance and delay in the China expedition has been
due to the unpreparedness of our allies not of our-
selves, and though the extent of the operations is
so different, yet every one must have been struck
with the difference between them and the opera-
tions parallel in point of time of the Crimean war.
But Lord PALIABUSTON is everything by turns,
and the object of the meeting at Romsey found
him equally at home, on military and agricultural
topic. In the morning addressing agricultu-
ral labourers, in the evening the gentry
and respectables of the district. To the former
he talked, in awarding them their prizes, of the
double blessing of a good conscience from having
done their work as they ought, and the com-
mendation of our fellow-men as expressed
by the prizes given. And—following up his
doctrinal theology delivered, if we remem-
ber: rightly, in the same district, " that all
children are born good," by practice—he urged the
labourers not to spoil the good little creatures be-
stowed on them by Providence, for " the goodness
or badness of the conduct of children depends not
simply upon their natural disposition, but still
more, and more greatly upon the example and upon
the precepts which they receive from their parents."
A text on which he preached a very respectable
little village sermon, which we trust will be better
heeded than most delivered by duly authorised
teachers.

In the evening came the landlords' turn ; and to
them cottages was the topic. Here, too, he was
on the watch to " improve" his theology to practi-
cal purposes. Having exhorted the labourers in the
morning to keep their children as good as they were
born, in the evening he told the landlords that they
must help the labourers in this effort. They must
build them cottages adapted to preserve the
families who inhabited them from the
most debasing of immoralities, cottages which
should not at the same time injure the
health and utterly destroy that grand safeguard of
virtue, modesty. His main arguments for this
were, however, we must own, of a rather commer-
cial character. Landlords would, he showed, find
that it paid to build good cottages adjacent to their
farms. A healthy, respectable class of labourers, who
had not the needless fatigue of a long walk to their
work, would make a farm let for more, and then, if the
landlord got but a very low interest for the money
laid out on the cottages, he would more than
make it up in. the better rent of his farms. He
compared the cottages with the outbuildings and
sheds for cattle on the farm, and told them that good
buildings for labourers would raise the value of a
farm as much as good shelter for cows and horses.
Herein his Lordship is unquestionably right, and
we hope that under his instructions the old adage
of the degeneracy of each generation compared
with the preceding one will be altogether removed
—that we shall be better than our fathers, and the
next generation better than ours.

Honour to whom honour is due. It is the
instinctive wish of every warm-hearted Englishman.
And in obedience to this generous instinct Lord
CLYDE has been cordially welcomed back to
England. His first greeting was from his gallant
companions in arms assembled together to do him
honour
in the great Military Club at the West
End.
The City has now emulated the course
already Pursued in his regard by his professional
brethren in the fashionable part of town. His
Lordship has received the Freedom of the City—
presented to him, accordinguudtohannu.stoHme, wwiasth
l:s1t1
due ceremonial in the Guildhall,
evening banquetted with a yet pleasanter ceremo-
nial, in the estimation at least of a Briton, at the
Egyptian Hall of the Mansion House—his host
being the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, his
fellow-guests incluc:ing many distinguished
citimns of the empire—among them one of the
Ministers of the Crown, one of the ex-Ministers of
the Crown, and his Royal Highness the Commander-
in-Chief.

It was the last mentioned illustrious Prince
who enjoyed (as became him) the privilege
and satisfaction of passing upon the Honoured

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