The Sun.
London, England, 1866-10-16 00:00:00

Visit of the Volunteers to Belgium.

the Volunteers inside that the windows were thrown
open, and a scene of the most jubilant, mutual en-
thusiasm ensued, the band playing the " Braban-
gonne," and subsequently, when the health of her
Majesty of England was drunk, " God Save the
Queen."
The same evening Lieut.-Col. Lindsay and his
Staff, Lord Bury, Sir P. Hunter, and all the field-
officers of the Volunteers, were received at dinner by
the King and Queen of the Belgians at Laeken.
The guests having assembled in the drawing-room,
their Majesties entered and spoke a few words to
every one of them. Besides Volunteer officers, there
were present on the occasion the Ministre de l'lnte-
rieure, the Comtesse Borghrove and Madame de
Benterghen, Dames du Palais ; Gen. de Liem, Ad -
jutant-General ; Comte de Borghrove, Secretaire
du Roi; Major Baron Prisse, Adjutant du Palais ;
M. Brewer, Officier d'Ordonnance ; Dr. Eustace
Smith, of London, Physician Extraordinary to the
King ; and M. Anspach, Bourgmestre of Brussels.
After the dinner at the Palace, the Volunteer offi-
cers,' accompanied by the Bourgmestre, attended the
ball given by La Reunion Lyrique. On entering the
ball-room our countrymen found themselves on
historic ground. In the same apartment, standing
just as it does now, and with precisely similar deco-
rations, the Duchess of Richmond assembled around
her Wellington and his companions in arms on the
very eve of the battle of Waterloo. In this room
t happened that "there was a sound of revelry by
night," when the alarm was given, and heroes
rushed from the ball to the camp. On Saturday
night Frenchmen, Englishmen, and Belgians met
there, not in memory of the past, but to renew
pledges of lasting goodwill, and they and their fair
partners waltzed to music selected with international
impartiality. All thesaloonsof La Reunion Lyrique
were beautifully adorned for the occasion. In the
ante-rooms were extempore gardens of choice exo-
tics, amid which crystal fountains threw up refresh-
ing sprays. La Grand Salle, in which the dancing
took place, is an exceedingly elegant and chastely-
decorated apartment. It was brilliant in glass chan-
deliers. The walls, pilasters, and ceiling were all in
pure white,with gold reliefs. For hours dancing was
carried on with great spirit, but certainly under dif-
ficulties, for such was the crowd that no pair of
waltzers could extend their saltatorY movements to
a circle as large as that of an ordinary round table.
When Col. Lindsay and his staff entered dancing
was at once suspended, the band played " God save
the Queen," and at the conclusion of the national
anthem repeated hurrahs, waving of handkerchiefs,
and clapping of hands bid welcome to the Volun-
teers. The President of the Reunion having con-
ducted Col. Lindsay up to thehead of the ball-room,
addressed him in the name of the society, and the
gallant officer responded to the compliment in
French.

(From the Times Special Correspondent.)
BRUSSELS, Monday Morning.
To describe in detail or even keep pace with all
the various manifestations of rejoicing and hospita-
lity here is a simple impossibility. The original
programme was formidable, but it has sunk into in-
significance as compared with the reality of what is
going on here at all hours from morning till night,
week-day and Sunday. "We were not prepared
for this" is the expression in every foreigner's mouth,
and the words are those of strict truth. To say
that the munificent manifestations of cordiality
which the people of Brussels are making in favour
of our countrymen are ostentatious would be a gross
perversion of fact, but we may, without detracting
from the unparalleled hospitality of her hosts, say
that the more than kindness shown to the Volun-
teers here is becoming embarrassing to them, and
for this reason—that they feel it will be utterly be-
yond their power ever to return it in kind. We can
do a great many things in England, and some of
them better than they can be done in, any other
country, but to entertain 1,200 or 1,300 foreigners
in the way the Belgians are regaling their guests is
one of the things we could not do, however well we
might be disposed. To conduct without hitch or
miscarriage rejoicings extending over even one day
is a task seldom accomplished ; but to receive and
fete and caress and amuse many hundreds of men of
various countries and of various tastes for a succes-
sion of days in such a manner that the pleasure and
gratitude of all the recipients should day by day,
and hour by hour, be growing in intensity is some-
thing that any city which does it may well be proud
of ; and this Brussels is doing. For all time to come
there is no city out of England of which our coun-
trymen ought to feel more delightful recollections.
On Saturday the Volunteers began to compete in
the Tir at the short ranges. On the same day
the other foreign riflemen and the Garde Civique
fired away for many hours, with but a brief inter-
mission to allow the markers and other officials
time for refreshment. As the Tir system is so diffe-
rent from that of the prize shooting at Wimbledon,
a short description of it may not prove uninterest-
ing to the reader who is following the narrative of
the visit of the Volunteers to Belgium. At the Tir
the firing is done through windows, the riflemen
being comfortably housed. The scene of the peace-
ful contests of the Belgian riflemen among each other
and with foreigners on such occasions as the present
is about two English miles from the city. On arriv-
ing at the grounds of the Commission Directrice du
Tir, you perceive a long brick structure, something
like the south wing of the last Great Exhibition
building at Kensington, running longitudinally
across a field ; and when you enter it you are dis-
posed to think you are in an extensive riding-school,
with a continued series of box-stalls from end to end
on one side. There is a considerable thickness of fine
clay under your feet, and a plain wooden-pointed
arched roof over your head. There are 35 of the box-
stalls, or series, each with a window looking out on
targets, and each provided with a desk, at which sits
a functionary in uniform—every official wears a
uniform here. Facing the series, andon the entrance
side, is a recess, midway in the building. here is
the president's chair, and there also are doors lead-
ing to committee-rooms upstairs. At the extreme
left is the ambulance, where you find a perfectly-
appointed little hospital, with surgical appliances
and medicaments such as may be necessary in case
of accidents from gunshots. At the far right is a
little target office, the proceedings in which I shall
describe by-and-by. When a rifleman is about to
compete he is introduced into one of the series. His
name and other particulars are entered by the
officer at the desk, his charge is handed to him,
and he proceeds to put his rifle in shooting order.
It is on record that careless loaders of deadly
weapons have done damage even to the extent
of accidental homicide in obeying the order
" make ready." A slight charge of powder will
propel a ramrod with a dangerous force, and accord-
ingly precaution is taken against such danger at the
Tir. Outside the wooden roof is one of strong zinc,
so that no refractory ramrod can find its way through.
Again, though it is to be presumed that any one en-
tering as a competitor in an international or national
rifle match will not fire into the air, the directors of
the Tir have made such provision as renders any- •
thing of the kind impossible. At a distance of some
six feet outside each window a hoarding is raised
above a height of some 18 inches or two feet, so that
the person firing is prevented from aiming at a dan-
gerous angle of ascent. But the most interesting
and perfect portion of the whole arrangements is
that which relates to the targpts and the marking.
In respect to this the Swiss system is adopted. The
targets are affixed to iron uprightr, which rise from
trenches. On either end of a revolving bar two very
fine circular iron rims' are placed. On the rims
pasteboard, painted black, is placed so as to form a
circle like the end of a small drum. To the black
circle a smaller 'white one is affixed, and on this a
series of circles are drawn with a
pencil, the inner
one forming the bull's-eye. When one target is up
for a mark the one on the other end of the bar is, of
course, down in the trench, where men are stationed
to work the targets. On the exposed circle being
struck within the white, one of these men instantly
turns the revolving bar so as to bring down the tar-
. get which has been perforated and elevate in its
place the one that is still fresh. Having done this,
he at once removes the white circles bearing the ball
mark, affixes to it a little ticket stating its number
and the ring within which the ball has entered, and
then a messenger carries it round to the bureau at
the extreme end of the long building, where another
official places it in a pigeon hole, after be has
docketed a corresponding number, and made an
entry of the shot in a large book. At the end of
the contest all the white circles are produced,
and the winning shot is declared without the
possibility of fraud, or even of error. A visitor may
stand in the trenches with perfect safety, and see
the rifle balls striking just over his head. Should a
ball not strike at all, it passes on into a clay em-
bankment. If it hits the target, it goes through the
pasteboard. There is, to be sure, the solid substance
of the iron rim, but it is as fine as the blade of a
dinner knife, and the ball would go on in two sec-
tions if it struck it. Several of our Volunteers have
already tried their hands at the short ranges, of
which there are two distances, one of 100 and the
other of about 240 yards. Some good shots have
been made by them, but, as the competition is still
going on, it would be premature to speculate as to
the position which they will hold in the prize list.
To-day and to-morrow the long ranges will be open
for foreign riflemen, and oaf men are confident as
to success in these. The strength of the other
foreign riflemen and the Belgians lies in the short
ranges, because it is at these they practise. The
effect on the ears when you stand in the building
from
which the shots are fired is something that
AV iteme d
on could give one no idea of. The con-
tinuous discharge of 35 rifles under one roof and in
one
straight line is a process which time may render
less disagreeable,
en-
joyable is what an
but that it can ever be exactly
n unsophisticated visitor is very
much inclined
adubt. That the system of mark-
ing is admirable can
The Ist Surreyscarcely be questioned.
Rifles,hwhose headquarters are at
the Hotel de Flandres,
have
ebro
by brought over their own
band. At first it was believed
many of their
brother Volunteers that this was very dangerous
ti!ei
experiment. The military bal ia
f Belgium
and those of the Garde Civique of ur
s are re-
nowned, and it was feared that to -Volunteer bands
the comparison might prove " o lions."
Riot only,
however, have the musicians of the Ist Surrey ,;t:
golden opinions from the Bruxellois, bu tast
evening, the bandmaster of the regiment was
presented with
bold medal, after a competi-
tion in the Commune St. Josse-ten-.Noorede.
This gentleman was a drummer-boy at Waterloo.
On Saturday evening the Ist Surrey gave a
grand dinner at their head-quarters.
.w A. number of
anc.l the
guests were entertained on the occasion
band performed during the evening immediate-1Y
under the windows of the Ilotel de Flandres, in the
Palace Royale. At least a thousand of the towns-
people assembled round the band, and such was the
enthusiasm of these Belgians on hearing their King
toasted inside that they raised a succession of loud
cheers, and displayed such a desire to fraternise with

a-•-'

SPIRIT OF THE YOBLIO JOURNALS. To the action of such men is due the war which
led to that Independence. To the action of• such
TI3IES.—The Italians seem disposed to grapple men is due the still greater war which overthrew
with their financial difficulties with no less spirit the Southern oligarchy, and wiped out Slavery as
than they displayed in their long struggle against an Institution of the United States; and let any one
Austrian dominion. It is to be hoped that they will read this gentleman's address to the Union League
meet with equal success, and that they will under- Club, and see if he can rise from the perusal of that
stand that in this new contest Italy must indeed far document with one particle of a belief lingering in
da se, and no Solferino or Sadowa will be fought for his mind that the results of the latter war can be
her benefit. Venetia hasbeen bought at an incredibly neutralised by in lifference or neglect of the prin-
low price ; but, however cheap, it was not to be had ciples involved by those who fought it. Men
gratis. The war expenses from June to September may be deceived as to the tendency of events,
are domputed at 555,000,000 f., and General Mena- and make terrible mistakes in attempting to carry
brea has just paid 83,000,000 f. to get the Iron Crown out the principles to which their lives are devoted.
out of pawn. All this, even with the shareof theLom- These blunders may give rise to a sea of troubles,
bardo-Venetian debt, is very little to give for one and involve hereafter the heaviest sacrifices. But
of the richest provinces in Europe. Lombardy and however clouded the horizon may become, however
Venetia, it should be borne in mind, were the two dark the future may lower, the principles of free-
mulch cows which, although constituting about one- dom, upheld by such champions, are secure of n
seventh of the Austrian Empire, were made to yield triumph in the end. England, who has long since
one-fourth of its revenue. Unfortunately, the ex- fought her battle against despotism, whose institu-
penses occasioned by the liberation of Venetia will tions have been consolidated by the lapse of ages
fall on an exchequer exhausted by several years' and by the blood of martyrs, has grown heavy and
reckless improvidence. In despite of Count Cavour's stupid on her material prosperity, and cannot corn-
economical genius, the Budget of Piedmont from prehend the depths and the strength of feeling
1850 to 1859 has been swamped by the increase of which now actuate the champions of human right
its yearly deficit. At the time of the annexations in the Northern States of America. She sees and
the most liberal State of Italy was the most heavily condemns the violence of party, she groans aloud
taxed and the most deeply indebted. For the last over the blood spilt and the treasure wasted, but
six years the efforts of Cavour's successors to she does not see the great issues involved, nor knovi
make the two ends meet proved egregious failures. the keen sense of the position entertained by the
The revenue ,a as raised in 1865 to something vast body in the United States who have suffered
very near 700,000,000 f., but it still fell short of so deeply for the cause, and are ready to suffer still
the expenditure by 250,000,000 f. to 300,000,000 f. more. Had she truly estimated the great ques-
The debt at the beginning of that year was tions contested, the pure and disinterested aims
already 4,500,000,000 f., occasioning a yearly outlay of the Northern patriots, it is more than
of 230,000,000 f., the great bulk of which was sent probable that her action would have been very dif'
out of the country as a tribute to foreign capitalists. ferent towards the North in the agony of the great
The first source of all this ruinous extravagance strife. Saturated with her own materialism, she
was, of course, the national armament. The Budget attributed selfish motives to those who fought out
was burdened with 180,000,000 f. for the army and the great battle of Liberalism. It was a fight,
48,000,000 f. for the navy. The reduction of the England said, on the part of the North for empire/
army to 250,000 men, a number that may be con- It was a battle, she declared, of the manufacturers of
sidered reasonable, taking into consideration the the States of New England and Pennsylvania to force
increase of territory and revenue, and the require- their goods at protected rates on a reluctant South,
ments of many fortresses and Southern brigandage, It was a war of the arrogant, irrepressible Yankee?,
will bring instant relief. It will take some time be- maintain the ascendancy of the Eastern States, and
fore the Italians learn from Prussia and Switzerland to tax alike for their benefit the hoodwinked Wes'
how twice such a force as their system supplies could and the rebellious South. Thatmen actuated by such
be mustered at half the expense. Their National sordid motives could have expended hundreds 01,,
Guard, in which lie the germs of a real national millions sterling of their own treasure, and pouren
armament, organised as it now is, is almost worse out their blood like water, staggered this European
than useless. But although the War and Marine opinion, but it has not fully opened the eyes of this
Departments in Italy swallowed up more than one- aristocratically ruled country. In spite, however,
fourth of the publid revenue, there are many other of the press, which has in general falsified the issues
items of expenditure which no return of peace will at stake, and distorted the facts, the light of truth
soon strike off the balance-sheet. There is a civil is dawning on this land. John Jay's address
is
army in Italy hardly less ruinous than the military the clearest exposition of the sentiments which
service. In many of the Government departments have guided the party to which be belongs
the officials in Italy .outnumber those of the French in their great contest. It is totally free from all exar
bureaux. The whole ingenuity of Italian adminis- geration of style or sentiment, and at the seine
trators seems to be turned to the utmost multiplica- time that it expresses, in the most uncompromising
'Lion of places and placemen. The complication in manner, the principles held, it exhibits a tone
the mechanism of the State is uuutterable, and its the kindest conciliation, and broad and statesman'
inefficiency, of course, proportionate. Public offices like views. There is nothing rabid, nothing
are most vilely remunerated, yet the scramble after narrow, in this noble address. While proclaiming
mend
them exceeds all belief. T aloud the undying spirit which actuates the me he work is as light as the dea
pay is low, for the Italian is always willing to limit hers of the club to uphold the principles conten
his wants and forego his luxuries if only he can be
for, he frankly extends the right hand of fellowsl
exempt from exertion. A public office suffers neither to his defeated foe. "I respectfully cominee,
from rain nor drought ; it provides against sickness, "to your consideration," he says, " the propriety
'-
old age, and death itself. The safe haven of his of cordially opening your doors to Southern
gentlemen coming to New York, who, howelre
bureau well suits the Italian, whom nature and habit ,t
deeply involved, they may have been in
tend to deprive of energy and enterprise. The rush
Rebellion, are now prepared not only to acquies'
from all the semi-educated classes is to this ignoble
of
manger of the State. With the exception of the 4; in the result of the war and the abolition
sca
rural population, who cannot choose but work, andlavery, but to assist in the work of Reconstru
sea
Italy do work very hard, there is no production in 4‘ a
tion on the basis of Universal Education s
Italy to keep pace with this all-absorbing adminis-
" Equal Right." After enumerating those"
tth e6.%a
trative consumption. The evil is of old date in Italy, gentlemen will there meet, he goes on to say,
and is common to most countries on the continent, " they will learn how truly, with the determinate,l
particularly to those inhabited by the so-called "of the Northern mind,
be that of equal andel3,, to insist that our nation,,
Latin races. But in Italy it is seriously aggravated "policy shall henceforth
iu consequence of the late political events, as on the " versal freedom, is blended a deep and earnest
amalgamation of six or seven States into one the " sire that no sectional strife may again disturb nce
whole staff of officials who had served under the peace, but that the South and the North tray
Bourbons and the Houses of Lorraine and Este were " more closely bound than ever before in the bon'
supposed to be disaffected, and had to be dismissed. g, of a common interest and mutual affection."
Their places were often filled with such inconsiderate
haste as soon to lead to fresh changes, and thus to
throw the whole batches of old and new functionaries
out of work, not unfrequently with full pay, and
even some consideration for wounded feelings. For
a place in the Government in Italy confers vested
interests, not only lasting a man's lifetime, but even
transmissible to widows and orphans. Personal
selfishness is hardly more ruinous to the Italian
finances than local selfishness. Against most schemes
of retrenchment the Government has to contend
with provincial and municipal interests. Italy is
divided into 59 provinces. Every province has a
Prefect, a Council of the Prefecture, a whole swarm
of official locusts. The provinces could easily, be
reduced to a score, and the administration could be
simplified by a larger development of local fran-
chises. The Sub-Prefectures or illandamenti, cor-
responding to the French arrondissements, of which
there are several to every province, could be most
profitably abolished. he Universities, now more
than 20 in number, and placed in many instances
at two hours' railway journey from one another,
should be reduced to about four or five for the whole
Peninsula. The same reform should be introduced
in the.courts of law, in the bishoprics, cathedral and
collegiate chapters, ecclesiastical seminaries, and
similar institutions which belong to old Italy, and
are abuses introduced by parcelling the country into
so many small States, and dwarfing men's minds
within their narrow limits. With tat reconstitution
of Italy into a great country that mean local spirit
ought to give way before considerations of a more
enlarged patriotism; but the love of the campanile,
or village belfry, the emblem of municipalism, is still
very strong in the Italian heart, and whenever any
measure is brought before Parliament intended to
lighten the public burdens by the sacrifice of local
interests, however paltry, such a chime rises from
all these belfries as generally leads to the defeat of
the salutary motion. Besides the great waste occa-
sioned by an exorbitant civil service, and the hind-
rance rising against financial reform from local in-
terests, Italy had to exhaust her means in the
furtherance of public works. In the Roman and
Neapolitan States roads were in the most backward
state, and railways scarcely known. There were
Mont Cenis and the Apennines in three or four
places to be tunnelled. There were canals and
bridges, docks and harbours, to be made, plains to
be irrigated, swamps to be drained. Piedmont and
Lombardy, Tuscany and the Emilia, belonged to
European civilisation ; but a vast part of the
Abruzzo and Calabria, the islands of Sicily and
Sardinia, were as deep in barbarism as any African
districts, and where so much was to be done one
scarcely knew with what to begin. In countries dead
to all spirit of private association the State must be
a kind of earthly Providence, see to everything,
help everybody, do all manner of work. The Italian
Government, in its incessant distress for money,
deep in the books of the great capitalists who rule
the earth, unable to negotiate loans except on the
most ruinous terms, had to call in foreign compa-
nies, by whom every enterprise entailed an expense
nearly three times its real worth. The company
had to be bribed by strong subsidies, to be reas-
sured by guarantees of large percentage ; it then
did its work so badly that it had to be bought off.
Then the work had to be sold off again, the Go-
vernment putting up with enormous losses at every
stage of the bargain. These heavy sacrifices have,
of course, been repaid by splendid achievements,
the benefit of which will be reaped hereafter; but
in the meanwhile much remains to be done,
and the Budget will not soon be relieved of the
100,000,000 f. to 120,000,000 f. which are yearly
put down on the score of public works.
The acquisition of Venetia will not in all proba-
bility tend to any sensible diminution of this yearly
outlay, even allowing for the proportionate increase
in the revenue, as vast sums will be sunk in the
maintenance of the fortresses of the Quadrilateral,
in the improvement of the city and harbour of
Venice, and in a railway across the Gothard, the
Splugen, or the Brenner, so necessary for the re-
vival of Venetian trade. From all we have said it
may be understood how much easier it is to upbraid
the Italians for their mad extravagance in these late
years, and to press upon them the necessity for
future retrenchment, than to trace the evil to its
just causes, or to suggest any practical remedy. No
doubt the financial condition in Italy is very grave,
and the Government must come out of it at any
cost ; but it is a task of ,uncommon magnitude, and
not to be accomplished without the full co-operation
of the nation, and its readiness for self-denial, for
real patriotic devotion—above all things, for hard
work.
THE " ANGLO - AMERICAN TIMES." Every
nation has a few names which are dear to
the people and treasured by them as household
words. In America the founders of the Indepen-
dence of the country are regarded as the fathers of
the Republic. This catalogue includes the name of
the late President of the Union League Club of New
York, whose address on resigning the post to which
he had been elected we have elsewhere reviewed.
John Jay, the grandson of the great American, has
ably maintained the renown of the name he has
inherited. A lawyer of great eminence, an
orator the poetry of whose language has
rung over the Union, a writer of the clearest, tersest
style, this gentleman adds to a patriotism worthy
of his grandfather the strongest and most uncom-
promising principles of Liberalism. These principles
he holds to be the very life-blood of the nation to
which he belongs. For their preservation he con-
siders no sacrifice too great ; to uphold them he
believes all material questions of interest are but
feathers in the scale. Life and all are but vanity
when weighed against the broad statements con-
tainedin the Declaration of American Independence