The Sun.
London, England, 1859-11-22 00:00:00

he country, (theers.)l.Cope that this county wi

not be found 'wanting in this respect, and, for my-
, self, I can only say that I shall never be satisfied
'until I see at least 500 first-rate marksmen on the
rifle-roll of Berks. (Cheers.) I beg once more to pro-
pose the "Army and Navy," and couple with the
toast the name of Capt. Vernon. (Cheers.)
Captain VERNON, M.P., said—l rise to return
thanks for the honour you have just conferred on
the army and navy and for the special favour you
have extended to me in calling on me to respond to
this toast. It has been my good fortune so often to
perform this agreeable task in this room and on op•
portunities Pke the present, that if the toast were
of any other;character, I might find a difficulty in
not repeating myself ; but the united services of
this great country, by their deeds4either past, pre-
sent, or to come, ever put forward some new feature
to cause the interest or the admiration of " the gen •
tlernen of England who live at home at ease," and
who rest secure in the certainty that those of their
fellow citizens whom they entrust with arms in
their hands to defend their liberties, their laws, and
their country, will always be found prepared to do
their duty, and to uphold the honour and dignity
of England as best becomes a soldier. (Cheers.)
The Russian war, that of India, and now the war
in China, have followed each other in such quick
succession that the minds of men of peace have
scarcely realised the termination of the one before
the commencement of the other. (Hear, hear.) I
shall not touch upon the political question of the
China war. It has recommenced in disaster—dis-
aster, however, which still goes to prove that the
fighting men of England are of no ordinary stamp.
(Hear, hear.) I regret that in repairing this disaster
we have not undertaken the war singlehanded. If I
had a voice in the question I would not allow a
Frenchman to pull a trigger in the quarrel. (Ap-
p!ause.) We are men enough to vindicate our arms
with our own resources, without the aid of any

foreigner; and we have thousands of well-disciplined

CO •
natives in India—not sepoys—who, basced on our
indomitable resolution, would have been amply suf-
ficient for the purpose. (Hear, hear.) It diminishes
our prestige to admit the participation of France in
our wars. (Hear,hear.) Continental Powers assert
that we cannot do without such aid. This is a gross

mistake. (Hear, hear.) In the time of the first Na-
poleon England, almost without assistance—for
Portugal was little and Spain none—we, I say, pa-
ralysed all his effcrts, though he was backed by
almost all the nations of Europe, and commanded
armies of fabulous numerical strength. The army
he led to leave its bones in Russia, was 700,000
strong, speaking eight different languages. The
ante-chamber of his tent was crowded with kings
and princes; and foreign nations, obedient to his
nod, were swayed by his imperial will. (Hear, hear. )
Is the present Napoleon a greater than his uncle,
the hero of a hundred fights ? History says "No"
to that. Are the French soldiers of this day superior
to the 30,000 Frenchmen who, opposed to 80,000
Austrians and Sardinians, in 15 days overran Italy,
fought six battles, and killed 25,000 men ? Magenta
aAd Solferino say "No" to that. Are we inferior
to the militiamen who destroyed the veteran con-
querors of Europe at Waterloo ? The Crimea and
India say " No" to that. I have just returned from
the Continent, where with a view to possible coming
events, I made it my special business to examine the

armies that will iiesi have to staralopposed to France,
The French army I know by heart. I §ay that our