The Sun.
London, England, 1861-03-23 00:00:00

TRW 'SUN, LONDON, SATITRDAYt EVENING, MARCH 23, 1861,

THE VOLUNTEER REVIEW.

THE GOVERNOR OP BERMUDA.

On the 6th ult. his Excellency the Governor of
Bermuda and Mrs. Freeman Murray were enter-
tained by the inhabitants of Hamilton at a ball and
supper. The ball-room was tastefully decorated, an
escutcheon charged with the armorial bearings of
the guests of the evening being placed between por-
traits of her Majesty and the Prince Consort. Sup-
per was served at half-past twelve. At the head of
the room •sat the Hon. Henry J. Tucker, the Mayor
of Hamilton, and the guests of the evening were
on the right and left. At this part of the table
were also seated his Honour the Chief Justice and
Mrs. Darrell, the Receiver-General, the Colonial
Secretary and Mrs. Keon, Captain Hutton, R.N.,
and Mrs. Hutton, Captain Newland, R.N., Control-
ler of the Convict Department, the Members of
Council who were present, the Speaker of the
House of Assembly, and several civil and military
officers. The toast of " Her Majesty the Queen"
having been drunk, the Chief Justice proposed the
healths of " His Excellency the Governor and Mrs.
Freeman Murray," feelingly alluding to their ap-
proaching departure from the island. His Excel-
lency, on behalf of Mrs. Murray and himself, re-
sponded with manifest emotion, acknowleding the
warmth of the interest which upwards of six years
of intimate acquaintance with Bermuda had created
in his mind, and pledging himself at the same time
that this interest would not fade when his actual
connection as Governor should cease. His Excel-
lency's remarks were received with hearty applause.
Several other toasts of a local character were then
given and responded to, after which the company
returned to the ball-room, when daicing was kept
up to a late hour to the music of the band of the
39th Regiment. His Excellency was entertained
on the Bth ult. at dinner by the Royal Bermuda
Yacht Club of Hamilton, under the presidency of
the commodore, Captain Hutton, R.N. After the
health of her Majesty had been proposed by the
commodore, and enthusiastically drunk, the health
of his Royal Highness the Prince Consort, patron
of the club;with the rest of Royal Family, was given
with all the honours. The health of his Excel-
lency was proposed by Captain Hutton, and re-
sponded to by the Governor. Several other toasts
were then given, and the company separated.

The following letters have been addressed to the
editor of the Times :

Sir,—As my name is mentioned in your article
on the proposed review at Brighton, in the Times
of to-day, perhaps you will allow me to say a few
words in reply.
You argue justly that if all the metropolitan com-
manding officers pull different ways the result must
be prejudicial to the Volunteer force. I answer
that there is no antagonism between.us. We have
the best possible understanding among ourselves. I
am very sorry that any should fancy they see dis-
union where none exists, and for my own part I
most emphatically say there is no "opposition" in-
tended between Brighton and Wimbledon.
The circumstances of each corps are different.
Many find it inconvenient to go as far as Brighton.
But Easter Monday is a holyday, and it would
be hard to say that because we do not go to
Brighton we are to stay at home, or to infer
disunion because we go somewhere else.
Of the names you mention this morning as
opposing the Brighton sham fight, Lord Elcho
is not going out at all on Easter Monday; Lord
Grosvenor is to march out independently with
the Queen's ; part of Lord Truro's corps go with
him to Wimbledon and part go to Brighton ;
the City Rifle Brigade have their parade on
Easter Saturday ; Sir John Shelley marches on
Easter Monday to Richmond. It has been long
agreed that we should thus move independently
for the very purpose of avoiding even the ap-
pearance of opposition to Lord Ranelagh.

The Civil Service and others whose destination is

Wimbledon go together, and, of course, in proper
military formation, because large bodies of men
must do so to avoid confusion. Our principal object
is, however, a march out; and although we shall
after reaching Wimbledon perform a few brigade
movements, we shall not, I assure you, Sir, attempt
a rival review:

Your anticipations of the inconvenience of Wim-
bledon Station will not be felt, as we are going to
march.

I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
BURY, Lieutenant-Colonel Civil Service Reg.
March 22.

Sir,—Under the heading of " The Proposed
Review at Brighton," it is stated that " great
dissension and ill-feeling upon this subject prevail
among the officers and men of the metropolitan
force, which will, perhaps, eventually lead to the
retirement of some of the ablest commandingofficers;"
and it is further stated that "Earl Grosvenor,
Viscount Bury, Lord Elcho, and Lord Truro support
the intended review at Wimbledon, or, at least,
will not attend with their regiments at Brighton."
As this is not the first time my name has thus been
brought forward in connection with this subject,
and as I have not, and never had, the slightest
intention of taking part with my corps either in
the sham fight at Brighton or in any review at
Wimbledon-common on Easter Monday, you will
perhaps allow me space for a few words of
explanation.

In November last I was asked by Lord Ranelagh
to take the London Scottish to a sham fight on
Easter Monday. lat once declined to do so. To
the refusal I then gave I have steadily adhered, in
the belief that it would be better for my corps, a
great portion of which consists of recruits, to work
steadily at their squad, company, and battalion
drill through the winter and spring, so as to be
fit for inspection in the month of May or June,
than to take them to a sham fight, for which,
by Easter Monday, they would be manifestly un-
fit. Of the fitness of the place selected, and of the
reasons assigned for its selection, I say nothing ;
but I am anxious to say a word on the general
question. The Volunteer force is greatly indebted
to Lord Ranelagh for all he has dono in connection
with it. He wrote upon it years ago, long before
most men had even thought of it. His corps is the
2d Middlesex, thus showing that he was among the
first who took part in the movement, and that he
did so at a time when it was not popular, as it now
is. He has done all in his power to promote it in
every way ; it was at his suggestion that we had
brigade field-days last year, which, I hope, will
be resumed this summer; and it is in the same
spirit that he is actively engaged in organizing
this sham fight: It appears to me, however, that a
line should be drawn by the War-office authorities
somewhere. The Volunteers should, I think, be
allowed brigade field-days among themselves to the
) extent of 3,000 or even 4,000 men, the maximum
of a brigade, the sanction of the authorities being
previously obtained ; but everything beyond this,
whether it be a review or a sham fight, should,
I venture .to think, be organised by the proper
authorities, as was the case last year at the reviews
in Hyde Park, and at Edinburgh, Newtown, and
Knowsley. If a review of even 8,000 or 10,000
Volunteers, at which the manoeuvres are confined to
marching past, takes place, a General and competent
staff are appointed, to guard against the risk of
failure, and it seems somewhat inconsistent and
hazardous to allow the Volunteers themselves to
organize sham fights to an unlimited extent, without
any intervention by or assistance from the authori-
ties. As to the review on Wimbledon-common, I
have declined to take any part in anything
which might be construed as a counter-move-
ment to Lord Ranelagh's sham fight, and my
corps does not even parade on Easter Monday. I
am not, however, aware of any arrangements hav-
ing been made for a review on Wimbledon-common
on that day. Lord Grosvenor, I know, only goes
there for a march out and for an ordinary regi-
mental field-day, and, although it cannot be denied
that there are on the subject of the sham fight some
differences of opinion, I am sure there is no disunion
or ill-feeling among us, and I am confident that any
forebodings as to the retirement of some of our
ablest commanding-officers will not be realised.
Apologising for the length of this letter,
I remain your obedient servant,
ELCao.
St. Jameo's-place, !ritual 22,