The Sun.
London, England, 1860-10-10 00:00:00

TEE VOLUNIEE_R MOVEMENT.

A meeting of gentlemen interested in the forma-
tion of a Mounted Volunteer Corps for the west-end
of London was held yesterday at Willis's-rooms,
Major S. F. Richardson, C. 8., of the Bth Bengal
Irregular Cavalry, in the chair. Among
those present were Col. Seymour, Messrs. Bowen,
May, E. Tattersall, W. Boyle, J. M. Garrard, Dy-
moke Green, &c. Letters were read from Colonel
Douglas, Adjutant-General of Cavalry, regretting
his inability to join the London Light Horse, as he
held a commission in a Volunteer corps in his own
county, but stating that he should recommend the
corps to his friends; from Capt. Wedderburn ; and
from Captain Alexander, Bengal Irregulars, offer-
ing to assist in the organisation of the corps in any
way in his power. The chairman, having read the
minutes of the last meeting, said that the immediate
object of the present was to decide upon the uniform
to be adopted. He did not consider that at present
it would be necessary to have a full dress, as it would
be found to be very expensive, and he wished to
accommodate the outlay required to the means of
the poorest man amongst them. He would sug-
gest, therefore, that the corps should first be orga-
nised, and then the question of the full dress could be
decided. In answer to questions the chairman sad
that the arms proposed were swords and pistols,
but that he thought that it would be advisable, per-
haps, to have a few lances and carbines distributed
among the non-commissioned cfllcers of the regi-
ment; the horses were to be from 15 to 16 hands
high; hunting saddles were to be used, with wal-
lets and straps, and the bridles of Nolan's pattern,
with silver-plated buckles. It was then agreed
that the uniform should consist of a loose blue jac-
ket, with blue velvet facings and silver cord em-
broidery, pantaloon breeches of white Melton cloth,
Napoleon riding boots of patent leather, plated
hunting spurs, a blue forage cap with silver band
and crown ornament, and without peak; and
the sword should be the light cavalry sword with
scroll hilt, and the belts end pouch of Russia
leather, with silver-plated ornaments. It was also
argeed that the subscription should be for effec-
tives two guineas par annum and ene guinea en-
trance, and that honorary members should sub-
' scribe one gu;neaper annum, a donation of 10 guineas
to constitute a life member. Thirty-six gentlemen
have already enrolled themselves, and nearly 100
more have promised to join, and it was agreed to com-
municate with the Lord-Lieutenant (the Marquis
of Salisbury) forthwith, offering their services to
her Majesty. A vote of thanks to the chairman
concluded the proceedings.
The Workman's Volunteer Brigade, a newly-
raised corps, mustering nearly 1,000 strong, assem-
bled on Saturday evening in the Guildhall for drill
- practice and parade, and attracted considerable
notice. They nearly filled the spacious hall, and,
considering the difficulties they have had to en-
counter' in obtaining suitable places for drill, their
marching and general deportment reflected much
credit on the body. In the course of the evening,
Major Richards addressed the men and stated that
Col. Sir -William De Bathe was present, and that
that gallant officer had accepted the command of
the Ist battalion, which announcement was received
with great enthusiasm. Sir William then presented
himself, and expresied his gratification at being
selected to take charge of so fine a body of Volun -
teers. It had been his lot to serve under the illus-

rious Wellington in some of his glorious cam-
paigns, and he therefore thought that he
might be in some way qualified for the important
post to which they had appointed him. It would
be his pride to render the corps all the aid he
could, and he had no doubt, from the proficiency
they had shown, they would become equal to any
volunteer corps in the country. The gallant officer
was loudly cheered during his address. The bat-
talion then formed in marching order, and, headed
by their band, proceeded through the principal
streets in the city to their head quarters.
Last evening a public meeting of the inhabi-
tants of Upper Clapton and neighbourhood was
held at the National School-room, Wood-street,
Upper Clapton, in order to add to the strength of
the Second Tower Hamlets Rifle Regiment, and to
raise another company for the locality. Mr. Gibbs,
of Springfield, occupied the chair. Resolutions
were passed authorising the formation of another
company. Th;rty gentlemen having enrolled their
names, the meeting separated.
The Uxbridge (24th Middlesex)Ril
thei
eCorps
met on Saturday last, at Cowley-house,
resi-
dence of the captain, to receive a setofdle cost o
drums and
fifes presented to the corps at the sole
the Hon. Miss Georgina Irby, a, descendanttepre-
sent of
the first Earl of Uxbridge, and sister of h
Lord Boston. The presentation was to have
been made by Miss Irby in person, but to the great
regret of all she was unavoidably absent, owing to
the sudden death of a near relative. Mrs. Hilliard
(the captain's wife) was deputed by Miss Irby to
represent her, and in an appropriate address to the
corps she presented the instruments, expressing the
warm sympathy of the ladies generally in the move-
ment, and Miss Irby's hope that the baad might
prove a source of enjoyment and encouragement in
their loyal and patriotic undertaking. The meet-
ing was also made the occasion of the distribution
of prizes for which the members of the corps had
contended on Thursday and Friday. Each man
fired five rounds at the four ranges-150, 200, 250,
and 300 yards. Athallenge cup subscribed for by
the corps was awarded to Private Rafferty, who
riven
b 3 y
2 points in the 20 rounds. Other prizes,
the officers, were awarded to Nicholson, 28
points; Sherwin, 27 points; and W. Rayner, 26
points; two other men, Hallowes and Youens, made
each 26 points, but in shooting off the tie Rayner
won. Prizes were also awarded for the best score
at each separate range. Murray 8, at 300 yards ;
Phillips 9, at 230; Hallowes 9, at 200; and Cor-
poral -Woodbridge 9. at 150. The ladies of Ux-
bridge also gave two handsome cups for the great-
est number of hits in the 20 rounds; these fell to %
the lot of Rafferty, 19 hits, and Youens, 18 hits.
Nicholson tied Youens for the 2d Ladies' prize, and
nine other men made 17 hits each.

RECONSTRUCTION OF THE NAVY.

A writer in a contemporary says :—The contro-
versy which is going on concerning plated frigates,
is one fraught with much instruction for English-
men, apart from the all-important point of national
safety or jeopardy which it involves. There may
still be persons who, without prejudices derived
from ignorance or from their personal interests, en-
tertain doubts upon a question which was practi-
lcally settled during the Russian war, on the day
when the French iron batteries took Kinburn, and
received the heaviest shot at short ranges as if they
had been so many snowballs.
But Captain Halsted, in his admirable letters,
only represents the convictions of many an intelli-
gent and disinterested officer in the navy to whose
lot the grim business may some day fall of dealing
with one of those plated ships from on board an
English wood-built Mersey or Renown.
How is it, then, that, notwithstanding this gene-
ral conviction on the part of the active members of
the naval profession, the Admiralty are still ham-
mering away on every slip in every dockyard, lay-
ing down, launching, and then ever laying down
again, new wooden men of war P How is it that,
when France has left the half-finished wooden ships
on the stocks in her dockyards to put every hand
on her 10 iron frigates, we in England are content
to hear that four such vessels are, indeed, ordered
for our navy, and may some of them be ready per-
haps 15 months hence, but that our Admiralty have
more faith in ships which half a dozen percussion
shells will send to the bottom than in vessels which
no shell yet made can penetrate at the closest quar-
ters, and no shot, except under conditions which
the captain of an iron frigate would take care
should never be possible ? How is it that, on so mo-
mentous a question, our Admiralty and our Govern-
ment should have permitted one moment to be lost
in making such experiments and calling for such
advice from naval arehitects as should not only set-
tle the question of the comparative, and therefore,
practically speaking, complete invulnerability of
these plated ships, but also that of the best form
for their construction ? Can it be true that our
naval authorities have refused to recognise the pa-
ramount importance of this matter, and now are
only aroused to a reluctant and unenergetic action
by the same voice that is awakening the people of
England from their repose on their narcotic old
laurels, the voice of anxiety which presently will be
panic, sounding through the colums of a free-speak-
ing press ?
There are institutions in this country besides those
connected with or,. public buildings and works
that might have been justly embraced in the memo-
rable sentence of Mr. Gladstone in the last session.
Our Admiralty is one of these, and little short of a
revolution will ever reform it. Eery one knows
the story of the old Canepos. Captured at the Nile,
she long—ay, for 40 years—led the van of the Bri-
tish naN f, led even ships built in England after her
own lines. Then came the day whe a the Gomer
steamed into Portsmouth harbor- with the King of
the French on board. France may look on that day
ras one of her " glories." The English dockyards
mediately resounded with preparations for build-
g Gomers. Next came the Napoleon, the first
ship of the line whose lines were drawn and whose
keel was laid to meet the requirements of a fast
screw sterrship. So our Agamemnons began to
be.

The American coi vettes came next, and our
Meiseys and Orlandos were ere long racing over the
measured mile ;n Stokes Bay.
Each one of these improvements ought to have
emanated from England, for each in order has been
more and more of a character calculated to maintain
in our hands our maritime preponderance. Every-
thing that makes a ship of war vast, expensive, '
complicated, dependent on machinery, and a con-
sumer of coal, makes more and more for our retain-
ing that preponderance.
When our ships are panoplied in iron, are built
of iron, invulnerable colossi of the deep, then more
than ever will England be Queen of the seas. Why
have not the instincts of the British Admiralty
been keenly alive to all this ? And why has Franenl
once more got the start—it may be this time a fatal
start—of us ?
To answer this question we may contrast the
conditions under which, on the one hand, France
has set aboat her Napoleons and her Gloires with
those under which it has been possible for our
Admiralty to ignore the march of ideas and of
practical results, and to be blinded by prejudices
founded on the personal interests of dockyard
officials. A young Frenchman, M. Dupuis
Delolme, came to England 'to study naval archi-
tecture, for naval architeCture, which, as a
science, exists not in our dockyards, flourishes
nowhere, not even in America, as it does in our
private building yards. So M. Delolme became the
' pupil of a gentleman to whom this science owes
much—Mr. Scott Russell. He went back to France.
It is a rare virtue in Princes—would it were not !
to recognise real intellect and strength of purpose,
and to discriminate between these and their coun-
terfeits. The Emperor Napoleon 111. possesses that
gift. It matters little whether the invention of the
iron panoply was an American "notion" or an ides
Napoleonienne. It was the Emperor whose sagacity
appreciated it. It was at his suggestion that our
own unwieldy iron batteries were built for the Rus-
sian war, and he had the triumph of the success of
his vessels of this class at Kinburn. He selected M.
Dupuis Delolme to give to this idea a further ex-

tension—to invest these panoplied ships with speed
and all the qualities of a man-of-war, and the Gloire
is the result. But that is not all. The Gloire is one
only of a series ; for, so entire a faith in a scientific
principle, worked out in a scientific way, had the
Emperor and the talented engineer in whom he re-
posed his confidence, over whom he placed no supe-
rior but himself, and at whose command all the
resources of the dockyards of France were placed,
that not one only, but ten of these ships, have been
silently, rapidly, efficiently, and simultaneously
growing into completion.

•
People may listen to canards like that of the Nor-
mandie not having buoyancy to carry heavy guns.
When the Normandie sits the water like a bird and
steams at 13 knots with the heaviest guns France
can make, Englishmen will perhaps abuse the
stealthy movements with which aggression pre-
pares its spring, and throws dust in the eyes of an
adversary, and the Emperor Napoleon will be exe-
crated as a conspirator against the repose of the
world. Be it so—but he has achieved his end.

Look now at our own dockyards and the means
adopted in them for carrying out improvements.
The Surveyor of the Navy, who is the responsible
adviser of the Board, is as fine a sailor as ever
stepped a quarterdeck. But why should so ad-
mirable a sailor be doomed to become a naval archi-
tect when his previous training has in about an
equal degree qualified him to become a bishop ?
The answer is simple, but not quite conclusive. It is
not the custom to make anybody short of an
Admiral Surveyor to the Navy, and until he is an
Admiral it is not the custom for an officer to be
sent into a dockyard to learn what is the business
of a ship artificer. Therefore if an Admiral is to
be made into a shipbuilder and surveyor, why not
select a good sailor for the purpose ? Well, the
result is that the whole of the designing for her
Majesty's dockyards devolves on a subordinate, and
perhaps indirectly on a few of the yet existing
pupils of the old School of Naval Design. But that
school itself has ceased to be, thanks to Sir James
Graham, who knocked that admirable institution on

the head just as it was beginning to beeorne a for-

midable and a useful rival to the old system. What,
then, are we to do when some improved class of

ship is suggested by a foreign vessel of new pro-
portions, involving some principle new to our navy,
has appeared perhaps at Spithead—a Gomer, a

- -
Niagara, a General, Admiral, or perhaps a Nor-
mandie ? Fortunately for England, she has her
private building yards, and the naval architects of
the Thames and the Clyde arc competent to under-
take the problem. The plans for the construction of

fregates blindees, the very lines for them have, there
is reason to believe, existed in the Admiralty, but

not designed by Admiralty heads or hands, for these
lour years ; and the Warrior and the Black Prince

are to exemplify many of the most important
features in those plans and lines. Why, it may be
asked, have not the Admiralty long before this