The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-21 00:00:00

The Easter Volunteer Review.

Yesterday a meeting of the commanding officers
of the metropolitan volunteer regiments was held at
the offices of the National Rifle Association, Pall-
mall, to consider the question of the annual review

of metropolitan volunteers at Easter, and for other
important business connected with the volunteer
force. Lord Elcho, ALP., presided, and among

those present were Lieutenant-Colonels the Marquis
of Donegal (London Irish), Viscount Bury (Civil
Service), Viscount Ranelagh (South Middlesex),
Earl Grosvenor (Queen's Westminster), Lord G.
Fitzgerald (Queen's), Lord Truro (West London),
Hon. Charles Lindsay (St. George's), Hon. It G.
Campbell, Sir Fowell Buxton, M.P. (Ist Adminis-
trative Battalion of the Tower Hamlets), Charles

Buxton, M.P., Davis, Matthews (Finsbury), Money
(6th Tower Hamlets), R. P. Lewes, Sargent, C. 8.,
Labrow, Ross, J. Wilkinson, Stedall, Cole, C. 8.,
G. Cruikshank, Cochrane, Murray, Whitehead (29 ih
Middlesex), Durnford (Ist Surrey Artillery) So-
merset (West Middlesex), M'Leod ,:of APLeod
(Ist Middlesex Engineers), Grey (Customs), Ward
(Loudon Brigade), Loyd Lindsay (Hon. Artillery
Company), and Bigge and Majors Clinch, Oxley,
H. T. Smith, and Captain Phillips. It was carried
unanimously that a review of the metropolitan Volun-
teers should take place this year at Easter, and the
meeting then proceeded to discuss the details. A

letter was read from a commanding officer recom-

mending that the site of thereviewshould be changed
this year to some other place than Brighton. A
communication from the authorities of Dover, in-
viting the Volunteers to Dover, and urging the
advantages which that town offered, among which
were the facts that the two lines of railway were at
the disposal of the War-office and extensive shed-
room might be had if the day should be wet.
Letters from Mr. Eborall, of the South-Eastern
Railway, and from Mr. Forbes, of the London,
Chatham, and Dover, offering facilities for convey-
ing the troops to and from Dover, were also read,
After some discussion, Lord Ranelagh moved and
Colonel Cole seconded a motion that the review at
Easter should this year take place at Brighton.
Upon this Colonel Charles Buxton, M.P., moved
that the review should be held at Dover. This was
seconded, and found many supporters, an objection
to Brighton being urged in consequence of the de-
fective railway arrangements of last year, when
many volunteer corps were kept for many hours on
the return journey. After a very long discussion
both motion and amendment were withdrawn, and
a resolution moved by Lord Ranelagh, seconded by
Colonel Charles Buxton, that a committee be ap-
pointed to inquire and report to a future meeting of
Volunteer commanding officers as to the site they
consider most eligible for the Easter Review, having
reference particularly to the facilities given by the
railway authorities for the transport of the forces to
and from the place where the review shall be held. It
was also carried unanimously that it should be an
instruction to the committee to consider and report
especially upon the expediency of accepting the in-
vitation made on behalf of Dover. It was finally
agreed that in consequence of the serious inconveni-
ences suffered by the volunteers last year on their re-
turn journey from Brighton the committee should
be instructed to make such arrangements with the
railway authorities as shall insure a better transmis-
sion in future. The following officers were appointed
as the committee :—Lord Ranelagh, Colonel Bux-
ton, Lord Bury, Colonel M‘Leod, Captain Phillips,
Colonel Loyd Lindsay, Colonel Creed, Colonel
Sargent, Major Lawes, and Colonel Money. The
meeting being concluded so far as the review was
concerned, a discussion ensued relative to other im-
portant matters. On the motion of Lord Elcho,
seconded by Lord Truro, it was considered advisable
that a deputation should wait upon the Secretary of
State for War to draw his attention to the fact that
the necessary expenses of Volunteer corps are no
covered by the Parliamentary grant, which has to
be largely supplemented by the subscriptions of
officers and men ; and to state that a strong feeling
was believed to pervade the force that those who
freely and without pay give their services to the
State should be relieved from the necessity of such
personal expenditure. A committee was appointed
to consider some questions of importance to the
Volunteer service, among which were the security
of arms held by Volunteer corps, and the position
of Volunteers called upon in aid of the civil power.
Some conversation took place upon the last ques-
tion, and one commanding officer freely stated that
had lie been in command of the Volunteers at
Chester he would not have taken the responsibility,
in the present state of the law, of ordering his men
to fire had an attack been made, as he might have
been had up at Bow-street after. A vote of thanks
to Lord Elcho for presiding terminated the pro-
ceedings.