The Sun.
London, England, 1860-02-16 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 16, 1860

the recognition of the necessity of thoroughly
reorganising our purely defensive armaments.
Thirty millions set apart iu a single year
to this end, attest how energetically the good
work of revision and reorganization is going
on by sea and by land ! Meantime the nation itself
is responding to the executive with a will by raising
corps upon corps of Rifle Volunteers. The duties
devolving upon the latter prove, moreover, after all,
not by any means so very arduous or so very diffi-
cult ! Hear what the Hero of Aliwal has to say upon
the matter in the way of brief enumeration : "Teaze
not our youths," he observes, " as volunteers with
the minutiae of drill—a few things are alone neces-
sary. To march in quick time, to march in column,
form line, gain ground to the right and left, to
advance again in line, to extend and occupy
bridges or walls ; a rallying square may be prac-
tised. Soldiers require these alone in the field.
Then, to be good shots. Pluck enough they have,"
he continues ; adding finally, " and with prompt
obedience, England's regular army so nobly
supported, and its members so increased,
can, may, and will defy the —!" We
are vastly mistaken if these words of Sir
HARRY SMITH'S do not hearten the riflemen who
have already enlisted, and encourage others to fol-
low their patriotie example—tending very rapidly
now to enhance our 80,000 to 100,000 volunteers,
just by way of a commencement !
And not alone is the good cause forwarded by
the cheery trumpet call rung out of the lips of
an old soldier like the Hero of Aliwal. Others can
act vigorously in the way of timely encourage-
ment ! How ?—let the following scrap of pro-
vincial intelligence answer : it relates to a munifi-
cent proceeding on the part of the brother of Sir JOHN
RATCLIFF, the late Mayor of Birmingham. "A
worthy example," we read in the columns
of a provincial contemporary " has been set by Mr.
CHARLES RATCLIFF, who has announced his inten-
tion to equip a company of 100 men at his own
cost, excepting only the sum which the rules of
the association oblige every volunteer personally
to contribute." If—announced Mr. CHARLES RAT-
CLIFF—the requisite: number of men would, [in
obedience to this rule, subscribe, each, £1—
he himself would fully equip another com-
pany of volunteers ! The thing has in consequencebeei
done—and we hope the new company will be known
henceforth by the name, style, and title of the
RATCLIFF Volunteers. Let it be borne in mind
that the estimated cost of a company like this is
just £l,OOO per annum, and the extent of the muni-
ficence will be all the more clearly appreciated.
Ifother men of wealth and position would but follow
in the track marked out by this generous-hearted
citizen, our 100,000 riflemen would soon mul-
tiply to 500,000 or to 1,000,000 !

THE VOCAL ASSOCIATION, ST.

JAMES'S HALL.

Yesterday evening the first subscription concert
of this society took place. It was on the whole
most successful, but owing no doubt to the un-
favourable state of the weather the hall was not
crowded. The chief attraction of the evening was
Mdlle. Euphrosyne Parepa, whose beautiful voice
excited universal admiration, and frequently elicited
the warmest applause. She was encored in an
enthusiastic manner after both her solos, the " Sha-
dow Song" and the " Laughing Song." The for-
mer exquisite rnorceau she rendered with true ar-
tistic ability, and the Laughing Song was very
generally appreciated, and afforded considerable
amusement to the audience from the energetic style
in which the songstress entered into the spirit of
the piece. Mendelsshon's hymn, " Hear my
prayer, oh God," was the first subject of the perfor-
mances, which was sustained by Mdllo. Euphroyne
and the chorus of two hundred singers. It was
executed very ably and appeared to give general
satisfaction. The most successful and striking of
the part songs was a hunting song of Benedict's,
" Rise, sleep no more." 'I his was delivered with
admirable effect, and its spirited strains called forth
most vehement applause, and an unanimous encore.
Another effective song was " The Mariners of Eng-
land." This glorious national ode could not have
been brought before the public at a more appro-
priate time than the present, and it will doubtless
be again performed at the ensuing concerts. The
programme of the evening's entertainments was
varied by a trio of several voices which was very
pretty, and formed an agreeable diversion to the
powerful singing of the united chorus singers.
There was also a solo on the pianoforte by Mdlle.
Marie Wieck, who played with considerable skill,
and whose performance was well received. On the
whole we may regard this first evening of the voev.l
association as a decided success, and many lovers of
music will desire that it may be the herald and
precursor of similar entertainments. Mr. Beuedict,
it is needless to say, performed the part of conductor
in an excellent manner.

PUBLIC REVENUE AND EXPEN-
DITURE.

Now every mind is turn
profitable to collect a few
years. The following tab.
have taken place in the
since 1844 :

ed to financial topics it may be
:indred statistics for the last few
ions which
Ixpenditure

[e exhibits the variati
public revenue and e:

Expendi-
ture.