The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-25 00:00:00

may be permitted to hope that increasing civilisation
will lessen the number of wars, as example has
shown it has already shortened their duration.
But I am sure of this, that, whatever your
military life may be, and in whatever circum-
stances you may be placed, the mild and genial
rule which you have learnt to respect here, and the
recollection of those peaceful contests of merit and
the prizes which you have earned from pre-eminence
over your fellows will mark as bright spots in your
memory, strongly to guide you in your future career,
as better men, better soldiers, and, above all, better
Christians." (Applause.)

The boys then sang several songs, one of them
entitled "No weight of years," being composed for
the occasion, the words by Mr. W. G. Young, and
the music by Mr. James Hill, with a trumpet and
drum accompaniment. Having finally sung the
National Anthem, three cheers were given by the
boys for her Majesty the Queen, her Royal High-
ness the Princess of Wales, their distinguished
visitors, &c. ; after which his Excellency and the
Viceregal party took their departure.
A person named James Byrne, formerly inspector
of nuisances and a collector in the town of Carlow,
has been arrested on a charge of Fenianism, and it
is said documents of an important nature have been
found on his person.

In Meath, Thomas Masterton, who kept a boot
and shoe warehouse, was arrested for the same
cause and lodged in the county gaol at Trim. His
house was searched, but nothing to criminate him
was found.

There are great rejoicings at Enniskillen on ac-
count of the coming of age of Viscount Cole, son of
the Earl of Enniskillen. The town was illuminated
on Friday night, and bonfires blazed on the sur-
rounding hills. There were similar rejoicings lately
at Ballinasloe on the marriage of Viscount Dunlo,
son of the Earl of Clancarty. It is all the same
in the North and in the South of Ireland, the
representatives of the old aristocratic houses,
without distinction of creed or party, if they dwell
in the country, and are just and kind as landlords,
are almost idolised by their tenants and by the
peasantry in general. Where discontent exists it is
almost invariably the case that the landlord and his
family are personally unknown, living out of the
country, or not caring about the people ; some of
them, perhaps, disgusted that certain social reforms
which they dictated arbitrarily, without respect for
old customs or prejudices, were not promptly
carried out.

EVENING

The police made a seizure of arms and a large
quantity of ammunition to-day, at No. 2, West-
road, North Lotts. There were found rifles,
ammunition, a large quantity of lead, bullets, and
bullet-moulds, ball cartridges, &c. No arrests were
made.

At Capel-street ;Police-office this day, Lord
Langford, of Summer-hill, county of Meath, was
brought before the magistrate charged with having
in his possession, at the Broadstone Railway-
station, a double-barrelled gun and a quantity of
ammunition, he being unlicensed to carry same in
the Dublin district. His lordship was admitted to
bail, but the gun was detained for the present. He
had just arrived by train.
352 persons were brought up at the police-offices
this morning for drunkenness and disorderly con-
duct.

Mr. John M'Clintock, of Drumm; has been
appointed Lord-Lieutenant of Louth.

EARL GROSVENOR AND THE
CHESHIRE VOLUNTEERS.

The members of the Ist Cheshire Engineer
Volunteers who had won prizes during the year
received them, on Saturday, from Lady Constance
Grosvenor, at Birkenhead. Earl Grosvenor ad-
dressed the volunteers on the occasion, and, when
he came forward, was received with loud applause.
He remarked that he came there with the greatest
pleasure, because he felt that the whole county of
Chester owed a deep debt of gratitude to the
gentlemen of that neighbourhood for the manner
in which they had come forward and started
and supported the volunteer movement. He
alluded especially to the part taken by Lieu-
tenant-Colonel King, and by their excellent mem-
ber Mr. Laird. (Applause.) The County Rifle
Association might be said to have been originated
in Birkenhead. It was well managed in the first in-
stance, and owing to the exertions of the gentlemen
he had named, and of others who had supported
them, it had become one of the most prosperous in
the whole country. It had been successful in all its
meetings, and owing to that fact, no doubt, and its
good management, it had been supported by the
whole of the people in the county of Chester ; and
he was very glad to have that opportunity of paying
his humble tribute to those gentlemen who had con-
ducted that association, and carried it out so well as
Colonel King and those gentlemen who acted with
him had. (Applause.) He mentioned this, because
he felt that a great deal of the success of the volun-
teer movement in that county depended upon the
success of the association, because they knew that
unless the shooting was kept up, unless prizes were
given, not only for attendance at drill, but for good
shooting also, there would be great difficulty in
keeping up the volunteer movement to that state of
efficiency which they all hoped it would retain for
many years to come. (Applause.) It was no doubt
the fact that, owing to the nature of the arms, the
volunteers 50 years ago could not hit a haystack 60
yards off, and consequently the movement died out.
Having read an
by Sir Sidney co
extract from a letter written to him
tton, the reviewing officer at Ches-
ter in August last, in which that veteran officer ex-
pressed great satisfaction at the manner in which the
volunteers acquitted themselves on the occasion,
and urged the necessity of constant drill on the part
of the various corps, the noble earl said he thought
that letter would be satisfactory to those present,
and to Mr. Laird and Colonel King, who always
attended the reviews. They knew that volunteers
could not be quite as efficient as the regular force,
but in time of invasion they would be ready
for any practical purpose. As to the num-
ber of efficients in the engineer corps, he only
wished he could say the same of the corps
with which he was connected in London.
But, however this was, he believed the Ist_ Cheshire

to be the only corps in the country where there were
no non-efficients. With regard to the question of
money he did not know what the views of the pre-
sent Government were, but he believed if any pres-
sure had been put upon the Secretary of War in the
late Government, he was quite ready to consider
the question of an augmentation of the grant. He

thought if the volunteers throughout the country
believed they ought to have an increase in the capi-
tation grant, there could be no objection to it if re-
presentations were made to the Government. At
the present time there were two great questions be-
fore the country—defence and reform. He was not
going to enter into either of those topics ; certainly
not the latter one. (A laugh.) He thought it only
reasonable that the volunteers should be exempt
from the ballot for the militia. With regard to
reform, he was not going to enter into that then,
but he did not know why volunteers should not
have votes. (Hear, hear.) Being a volunteer ought
to be a good qualification for a vote. (Applause.)
He was not going to say anything more about that,
but perhaps the country would hear a great deal
more about it before the question was settled. Ile
knew that some years ago it was proposed that every
soldier and militiaman should have a vote ; but that
fell to the ground, and not without some reason.

Ile cordially wished them success in the very pa-
triotic duty in which they were engaged. The
English public had on all occasions given every en-
couragement to the force, and he only hoped that
that encouragement would be continued by thepublic
who were not volunteers. He thought there was a
guarantee for that in the prizes which were presented
on such occasions as the present, when everything,
from a copper kettle to a meerschaum pipe and boots,
was given. Ile again wished them every success,
and " A merry Christmas and happy New Year."
(Loud applause.)
The distribution of prizes was -then proceeded
with, the various articles being handed to the win-
ners by Lady Constance Grosvenor.