The Sun.
London, England, 1860-01-05 00:00:00

CUSTOMS CORPS.

Several meetings have been held at the Custom•
house within the last fortnight for the formation
of a corps of Rifle Volunteers, consisting of gen-
tlemen belonging to the Customs' Department.
A desire having been expressed by the officers
to do so, the commissioners deemed it to be their
duty to communicate with her Majesty's Govern-
ment on the subject. In reply they were informed
that the Lords of her Majesty's Treasury learned
" with satisfaction the public spirit thus manifested"
by the civil servants of the Crown, and could have no
objection to the adoption of such a course by purely
voluntary effort, without interfering with the indis-
pensable duties of the public service.
At the first meeting the Treasury letter was com-
municated to the gentlemen present, who assembled
in large numbers, but the Board of Customs re-
frained from any expression of their wishes on the
subject, except by an intimation through the chair-
man of the meeting, to the effect that, in the event
of a corps being voluntarily formed by the officers
themselves, they would be happy to afford any faci-
lity to it in their power, and to give it their support.
This meeting resulted in the enrolment of 127
honorary and effective members, who spontaneously
came forward to record their names, 77 entering
themselves as effectives.

At a second meeting, on Thursday last, the rules
for the government of the corps, prepared by a pro-
visional committee appointed for the purpose, were
submitted to the members and approved. On this
occasion the chairman read to the meeting a letter
received by him from the commissioners expressing
their cordial approval of the course which the offi-
cers had pursued, and communicating their desire
to subscribe—the chairman five guineas, and the
other members of the board three guineas each, and
to become members of the corps—Mr. Commissioner
Grey declaring his readiness to join as an effective,
and the other commissioners as honorary members,
The Chairman, in reply to some inauiries as to the
effect of the Treasury letter, pointed out that the
great object of forming rifle corps throughout the
country was to produce a powerful moral effect; that
the establishment of a competent volunteer force,
though an instrument of war, was in fact the greatest
safeguard of peace, but that it would be vain to
boast of several hundred thousand rifles to oppose
to any enemy that might have the audacity to
menace sir shores, unless we could add that
they were in the hands of as many thousand men
capable of using them with effect ; hence the import-
ance of making the rifle volunteers not merely no-
minally effectives, but de facto:efficient men. That
movement was not designed as a menace to any
particular country, but as a wise precaution in the
interests of peace, and if it produced that effect
there would be no necessity for the civil servants of
the Crown to desert their proper civil duties ; while,
in their military character, they would be conduc-
ing, equally with the non-official volunteers, to the
grand object in view. In time of war—in the event,
that is, of .invasion—our commercial and maritime
operations would necessarily be to a serious extent
paralysed, and the duties especially of the Customs
department would be materially lessened ; the ship-
ping interests, upon which their avocations so much
depended, would of course be seriously affected in
proportion to the danger, as commercial enterprise
must necessarily receive a check, and in that case
the indispensable duties of the revenue department
would be so much lessened that the honorary mem-
bers of the corps—the majority of whom almost of
necessity consisted of the experienced seniors—
would be able to conduct the indispensable duties
of the Custom-house, while the young and effective
men might be spared, without any inconvenience to
the public service, to take up arms in defence of
their country. Under these circumstances the aug-
ment,ition of what in the highest sense of the word
may be called the National Guard of a free and en-
lightened people by the addition of a Civil Service
Brigade to theriflevolunteers of the country would
aid, by swelling the numbers, the great preventive
demonstration, which was the primary object; and
if, from any unforeseen circumstances, it should fail
to preserve us from aggression, the Civil Service
Brigade would no doubt be available to swell the
ranks.

This meeting resulted in the accession of about
133 mare volunteers from the Customs. The num-
bers are hourly increasing, and it is confidently an-
ticipated that, when the rules of the corps—already
transmitted to the Lord Lieutenant for approval—
have received the necessary sanction, and have
been promulgated, at least three full companies of
effectives of 100 each, will be enrolled as " Her Ma-
jesty's Customs' Corps of Rifle Volunteers."
The members of the corps are animated by the
most ardent desire to render themselves fully effi-
cient, and are urgent to commence their drill, for
which purpose arrangements Aire being made. The
numbers to January 4 stand thus-183 effective
and 131 honorary, giving a total of 314.

FIRST SURREY.
Last evening a meeting was held at the Naval
School, New-cross, in order to promote the forma-
tion of•cempanics for the districts of Hatcham and
the Old Kent-road in connexion with the above
corps. There was a very numerous attendance,
the hall being crowded in every part, almost to suf-
focation. A considerable number of ladies were
present, and the volunteer band was also in atten-
dance. Mr. Alderman Wire presided.
The CHAIRMAN, in opening the proceedings, said
he was glad to see so many ladies present, evincing
their interest in the movement. Some misappre-
hension had been caused by the meeting being
held ; another corps which had been formed in the
Borough having protested against it, as a corps for
Deptford and New-cross had been formed so far
back as the 26th of November; but he could not
see why there should be any objection to their
working harmoniously together. He then read •a
letter containing the protst referred to from the
secretary of the West Kent Volunteers. Letters
were then read from Mr. ltoupell, M.P., and Mr.
Angerstein, M.P., regretting their being prevented
from attending the meeting.
The CHAIRMAN went on to say that some months
back there had arisen a feeling that it was necessary
to take some measures for the internal defence of the
country, and it would be a great shame if the young
men of Deptford did not come forward voluntarily in
defence of their country. The bare possibility of an
invasion was enough to stir the blood and rouse the
energies of Englishmen, and it would be a lasting
disgrace to them if they did not stand up and defend
their birthright. They must remember it was not a
war, but a preparation for war, and they could never
bi prepared to meet an enemy in the field with any
prospect of advantage unless they had been pro-
perly trained and drilled. We had heard military
men say that 25 properly trained military men
would put to flight a mob of 1,000 men, and he did
not doubt that a properly trained rifle regiment
would be able to put to flight an unlimited number
of untrained *nen. They might never be called
upon to exercise the power they would acquire, but
there was an old saying that preventionixas better
than cure. He adjured them not to forget the
duties they owed to themselves and their country,
and, as it was a volunteer movement, to come for-
ward without any other compulsion than the love
of their country' and their brethren.
The Rev. A. K. GRANVILLE proposed the first
resolution :

"That this meeting, while earnestly trusting that
friendly relations will continue to be maintained with
foreign States, is at the same time impressed with the con-
viction that the truest way of averting the dangers of war
and continuing to our beloved land the blessings of peace
and commercial prosperity, is a thorough and complete sys-
tem of national defence."
He said the best way of averting war and main-
taining peace was by showing that every man in
the country was prepared to defend it ; he did not
believe there Was any intention of invading this
country. The Emperor of the French knew tao
well the spirit of the country to attempt to carry
into it fire and sword without a pretext. He con-
curred heartily with the words of the resolution
he had proposed, and believed the best means of
carrying out a complete system of national defence
was by the organisation of rifle corps to serve as
an aid to the regular army. Ho strongly urged
upon employers and others the advantages of the
early closing movement and the Saturday half-
holiday, which would afford leisure to those whom