The Sun.
London, England, 1861-03-18 00:00:00

to the other the havresack, so that the men could
carry more weight with greater comfort than with
the ordinary accoutrements, and yet have their arms,
hands, and chests perfectly free. With all these
things on, the belt might be undone and left loose,
and yet not a single article would shift, besides
which the knapsack could be put on without assist-
ance. By a little contrivance from the guard to
the trigger the rifle could be supported by the belt
at the slope " arms," and with a very little practice
could be carried with perfect ease, and never be
touched by the hand. Several other necessaries to
a soldier's kit were then produced, and the improve-
ments in their arrangement showed that much tact
and ingenuity had been devoted to them. A vote
of thanks to the lecturer and the chairman closed
the proceedings.
On Friday evening about 500 of the 3d London
Rifle Volunteers, originally called the Working
Men's Corps, took the customary oath of allegiance
before the Lord Mayor, in Guildhall, which was
lighted up for the occasion. The corps, consisting
of about 1,208 of all ranks, divided into 12 com-
panies, is chiefly composed of artisans resident
within the city, and Sir Wm. de Bathe, an old
Peninsular officer, was recently appointed their
lieutenant-colonel by the Court of Lieutenancy of the
City of London. They wear a smart crimson tunic
and cap, faced with white, which give them the ap-
pearance rather of a regiment of infantry than a
corps of Volunteers. Some of them wear the Crimean
medal. The regiment on Friday evening was under
the command of Sir William de Bathe, and all the
subaltern officers were present. The men were
sworn in batches, and at the conclusion of the cere-
mony, which lasted nearly an hour, the Lord
Mayor advanced to the front of the platform,
and, addressing the corps with a spirit and
energy worthy of ,a great general on the eve of
battle, congratulated them on being now admitted
into the honourable position they had so long desired
to occupy—that of serving their eountry at their
own cost. He added that every corps of Volunteers
saved the nation the expense of a regiment, to say
nothing of the efficiency of a regiment animated by
the spirit of Volunteers, and he adverted to the
security which every English family now felt, based
on the consciousness that, should the country ever
be threatened with war, some 200,000 Volunteers
would rise as one man to repel any aggression and
to vindicate its honour. The corps raised a respon-
sive cheer at the conclusion of the Mayor's address,
and Sir W. de Bathe, in their name, thanked the
chief magistrate for the honour he had done them
in taking part in the ceremony.
The members of the St. George's Rifle Volunteers
assembled in Hyde Park at half-post 7 o'clock last
Thursday morning for battalion and light in-
fantry drill, in preparation for the field-day
at Brighton. There was a large muster, and the
various movements that they were put through
were executed in a very steady manner. The sanc-
tion of the lord-lieutenant has been received to in-
crease the corps to six companies, which entitles its
commander to the title of Lieutenant-Colonel. The
annual dinner of the corps on St. George's day will
be made the occasion for the presentation to Col.
Lindsay of a valuable sword by the members of the
corps, and the presentation also of an address to that
gallant officer.
The Metropolitan Rifle Volunteers mustered at
their drill ground in the Euston-road on Saturday
evening for a night march. Counting all ranks,
there were nearly 200 present.
The Volunteer Guards (32d Middlesex) have com-
menced ball practice at Wormwood Scrubbs, and,
notwithstanding the disadvantage of gusty weather,
their score has ranged high. The majority of the
members are accustomed to the use of arms for
sporting purposes, and handle their rifles with the
aptitude of crack shots. This corps will take part
in the proposed sham fight near Brighton.
On Saturday afternoon, notwithstanding the in-
clemency of the weather, according to order, a num-
ber of the men of the Ist Surrey Rifles, amounting
to 60 or 70 men, assembled for parade in full dress,
under the command of Lieut.-Col. Macdonald, Adjt.
I. W. Freeman, &c., at 3 p.m., in the Oval, Ken-
nington, for marching out, and light infantry drill.
This corps now numbers upwards of 700 members,
and has a particularly military appearance. The
corps will march out next Saturday, weather per-
mitting.
The formation of a county association for Kent,
in connection with the Volunteer movement, has
already received considerable support from the resi-
dent gentry, Viscount Sydney (the Lord-Lieute-
nant) having forwarded a donation of X5O in aid of
the fund; and the following names received as
annual subscribers of £5 each, among others of
smaller amounts, viz., the Marquis of Camden,
K.G., the Earl of Darnley, the Earl of Romney,
the Earl Amherst, Viscount Torrington, Viscount
Hardinge (Lieut.-Colonel 2d battalion of Kent
Volunteer Rifles), Viscount Holmesdale, M.P., Lord
Harris, Lord Sondes, the Hon. Sir John D. Bligh,
K.C.8., Sir Norton J. Knatchbull, Sir E. Bering,
Sir T. M. Wilson, Sir E. Filmer, M.P., Sir Brook
W. Bridges, M. P., Sir P. H. Dyke, Mr. W. Deedes,
M.P., Mr. Gathorne Hardy, M.P., Mr. W. Anger-
stein, M.P., Lieut.-Col. Cator, Mr. C. W. Martin,
Mr. F. Whatman, Lieut.-Col. Scott, Lieut.-Colonel
Gladdish, Col. Fletcher, Mr. F. Dashwood, Mr. J.
Whitehead, Mr. E. L. Betts, Major J. Bell, Mr. a
W. Norman, the Rev. G. B. Moore, Mr. E. Loyd,
Capt. W. West, Capt. L. S. Magnus, Mr. J. F.
Magnus, Mr. Weston Wood, Mr. A. Randall, Mr.
C. Mercer, &c. A large number of life subscrip-
tions have also been promised, and the stability of
the association is now guaranteed. The Marquis of
Camden has been elected President for the ensuing
year

Arrangements are now being made for a review
of the Volunteers of the Midland Counties at War-
wick, on the site of the Royal Agricultural Society's
Exhibition in 1859, and the following counties
will most probably be represented on the occasion
—viz., those of Warwick, Worcester, Oxford, North-
ampton, Leicester, Derby, and Notts. The authorities
at the War-office have approved the review, which
has accordingly been fixed for the 22d of July, and
it is intended to invite the Commander-in-Chief to
review the volunteers on that occasion.
An engineer corps, composed of about 200 per-
sons engaged in the locomotive department of the
Bristol and Exeter Railway Company, has been
formed at Bristol. The company has liberally
given a piece of ground between five and six acres
in extent for drill and exercise in throwing up
earthworks, &c., and also intend building a drill
room.