The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-30 00:00:00

TILE VOLUNTEER MOVEMENT.

Earl de Grey and Ripon has intimated to com-
manders of Volunteer Corps that, with a view of
promoting as much as possible a knowledge of the
rifle among all classes of Volunteers, he will be pre-
pared, after the Ist of April, 1861, to sanction the
gratuitous issue of rifle ammunition to Volunteer
Corps. His lordship does not intend that this grant
should be in addition to the quantity already al-
lowed to be purchased by corps, but that the diffe-
rence between the proportion issued gratis and the
quantity which has hitherto been allowed to rifle
corps may be continued to be issued to them at cost
price.
Last evening a crowded public meeting was held
in Hawkstone-hall, Waterloo-road, to promote the
interests of the South London Temperance Rifle
Corps—Mr. George Cruikshank in the chair. The
chairman said the meeting had been called for the
purpose of considering the advisability of forming
a Temperance Rifle Corps. There were already
a number of gentlemen enrolled, and one
of the objects of the meeting was to increase that
number. Capt. Shean moved, "That this meeting,
believing that the formation and permanent embo-
diment of volunteer rifle corps in general is calcu-
lated to preserve lasting peace and security in our
island home, pledges itself by all established means
to promote the interest of the South London Tem_
perance Rifles." Sergt. Todd seconded and Corporal
Malthouse supported the motion, which was carried
with cheers. Several names having been enrolled,
the meeting separated with a vote of thanks to the
, chairman.

On Saturday evening, the anniversary of the en-
rolment of the 4th Kent Artillery Volunteer; was
celebrated at Sheerness, on which occasion the
whole of the members of the corps (between 70 and
80) assembled in uniform at the Co-openrat en ive H had
11,
where some hundreds of ladies and getl
also congregated for the purpose of witnessing the
presentation of a testimonial to Sergeant-Major
Sainsbury and a testimonial to Sergt. Oates (artil-
lery and drill instructors to as well as members of
the 4th Kent). Mr. G. Hogben presided, and. the
presentations were made in appropriate t em
e s by
Capt. Magnus, commanding. The, testimonial to

The Corporation of London took the lead in the
national expression of opinion against the Property
Tax. Their petition complained of the violation of
the solemn faith of Parliament—of the injustice,
vexation, and oppression of this tax—of the par-
tiality of taxing, in the same proportion, incomes of
a short duration, and those arising from fixed and
permanent property; they acknowledged the de-
pressed state of the agricultural interests, but they
contended that the manufacturing and trading inte-
rests were equally depressed, and equally borne down
with the weight of taxation ; they finally called
for reduction in the public expenditure, and the
abolition of all unnecessary places, pensions, and
sinecures. It was not alone the antiioninisterial
party of the city that joined in the petition; the
judgments of mercantile men against the continu-
ance of the tax were almost universal. The dislike
of the rural population was as fixed as that of the
inhabitants of towns. The battle against this tex
was one of the most remarkable examples of Par-
liamentary strategy that was ever displayed ; and
the history of the struggle has been most pithily
told by the leading tactician :—" On the termina-
tion of the war the Government were determined,
instead of repealing the whole income tax, which
the Act enforcing it declared it to be for and dur-
ing the continuance of the war and no longer,' to
retain one half of it, that is, to reduce it from ten
to five per cent., and thus keep a revenue raised
from this source of between seven and eight mil-
lions, instead of fifteen. As soon as this intention
was announced several meetings were held, and two
or three petitions were presented. The Ministers
perceived the risk they ran if the policy should be
pursued of continued discussion for a length of time,
and they saw the vast importance of dispatch.
Accordingly, the Chancellor of the Exchequer gave
notice on the Tuesday for his motion on the Thurs-
day immediately following. The Opposition took
the alarm, and filr. Brougham declared, on present-
ing a petition numerously signed from one of the
London parishes, that if the hurry now indicated
should be persevered in he should avail himself of
all the means of delay afforded by the forms of the
House. Lord Folkestone, one of the most strenuous,
and in those days one of the most active and power-
ful supporters of the popular cause, vigorously
seconded this menace, in which he entirely joined.
On the next day more petitions were flung in,
more discussions took place, and the Govern-
ment postponed for a week the introduction
of the bill. That week proved quite deci-
sive; for so many meetings were held, and so
many petitions sent up, that the bill was put off
from time to time, and did not finally make its
appearance till the 17th of March. Above six
weeks were almost entirely spent by the House of
Commons in receiving the numberless petitions
pouring in from all quarters against the tax, For
it was speedily seen that the campaign of 180"
was renewed, and that the same leaders, Messrs.
Brougham and Baring, had the management of the
operations.
" At first the Ministers pursued the course of
obstinate silence. The Opposition debated each
petition in vain ; every Minister and every Ministe-
rial member held his peace. No arguments, no
facts, no sarcasms, no taunts, could rouse them ; no
expression of the feelings of the country, no refer-
ence to the anxiety of particular constituencies,
could draw a word from the Ministers and their
supporters. At length it was perceived that their
antagonists did not the less debate, and that con-
sequently the scheme had failed in its purpose of
stifling discussion. The only effect of it then was,
that ail the debating was on one side, and this both
became hurtful to the Government in the house, and
more hurtful still in the country. They were
forced into discussion, therefore; and then began a
scene of unexampled interest, which lasted until
the second reading of the bill. Each night, at a
little after four, commenced the series of debates,
which lasted until past midnight. These were of
infinite variety. Arguments urged by different
speakers ; instances of oppression and hardship
recounted ; anecdotes of local suffering and personal
inconvenience ; accounts of the remarkable passages
at different meetings ; personal altercations inter-
spersed with more general matter—all filled up the
measure of the night's bill of fare; and all were so
blended and so variegated, that no one ever per-
ceived any hour thus spent to pass tediously away.
Those not immediately concerned, Peers, or persons
belonging to neither house, flocked to the spectacle
which each day presented. The interest excited
out of doors kept pace with that of the spectators ;
and those who carried on those active operations,
showed a vigour and constancy of purpose, an un-
wearied readiness for the combat, which astonished
while it animated all beholders. It is recounted
of this remarkable struggle, that one night towards
the latter end of the period in question, when, at a
late hour, the House having been in debate from
four o'clock, one speaker had resumed his scat, the
whole members sitting upon one entire bench rose
at once and addressed the chair—a testimony of
unabated spirit and unquenchable animation, which
drew forth the loudest cheers from all sides of the
House.

"At length, came the 17th of March, the day
appointed for the division ; but it was soon found
that this had been, with the debate, wholly antici-
pated. The usual number of petitions, and even
more, were poured thickly in during some hours ;
little or no debating took place upon them ; un-
usual anxiety for the result of such long continued
labour, and such lengthened excitement, kept all
silent and in suspense ; when about eleven o'clock,
Sir William Curtis, representing the City of Lon-
don, proceeded up the House, bearing in his arms
the petition, which he presented without any re-
mark, of the great meeting of the bankers and
merchants, holden in the Egyptian Hall, and signed
by 12,000 persons. j• The division took place, after
a debate that did not last half an hour;. no one
could indeed be heard in an assembly so
for the decision; and by a majority .of 37 voices the
was defeated for ever, and the wholes
d me
laid
prin-
ciple, as Mr. Wilberforce well obse
r7edded toge-
down, that war and income tax are
, Introduction Co
irnyastitchet
Alreer4tifanufacturing Dis
theßrougham's
Speeches on Agricultural an
tress, vol. 1. p. 425.

The resistance to the Order in Council.—K.
t This is a mistake. Sir William Curtis spoke with
great epbasis He was present in the house when the
taxawasm first proposed, and he heard Mr. Pitt declare that
it should ho a war tax only, and should positively cease on
the restoration of peace," The division did net take place
till the 18t11,-IZ.

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" The Danish Government is convinced that it
would be a useless attempt, under existing circum-
stances, and with the irritation now prevalent in.
Holstein, to aim at establishing, once for all and
definitively, the constitutional position that Duchy
is to assume in the Monarchy ; and that, conse-
quently, it is necessary to prepare the way by a
temporary arrangement for a definitive one, which
will gain time to allow of reflection and of over-
tures to the two Powers directly interested—the
Provincial States of Holstein and the Danish Go-
vernment.
"4or this purposo the Danish Government is
ready to adopt the following modifications in the
actually existing state of things :
" The consultative vote conferred on the States
of Holstein by paragraph 2 of the Royal Patent of
the 23d of September, 1859, shall be changed into
a deliberative vote, so that no law, whether corn-
cerning individuals or property, shall be put into
:10:naratIm::::etodisBtaunt
force inltHolstein without the assent of the States
of that Duchy. It is to be hoped that the common
interests of the Supreme Council and of the States
of Holstein will lead to an understanding between
distant
prevailief
po' icn
them on the subject of matters submitted to their
between s
tphi
et et
hpeo
Danish
twoAssembliesreiterated
Government
o ver neffm efforts
in
'7 • Ale Gqvernment, misunderstanding should
reference to business too important to be remitted
binds itself on the part of the
M =why, on the
Assembly of which it has inaposetta precise rule,
not to carry out that rule, and-so wit ita Oittioo to
that part of the Monarchy whose 'Asseiribly has
approved it.
"In order to bring *about an understanding be-
tween the different parties in the two Assemblies
it might perhaps be necessary to adopt special
measures—as, for instance, the appointment of
a committee of an equal number of members for
both Assemblies. However, without going into
details on that point at present, it must be observed
that the Danish Government will abstain from all
intermixture in the decision come to by either of
the Assemblies.
" As regards financial arrangements, the amount
that the finances special to Holstein shall have to
pay towards the common expenses of the Monarchy
shall be fixed once for all at 850,000 thalers—the
sum that has been paid by the Duchy on an average
of the last six years. So long as no augmentation
of that sum shall be necessary, the States of Hol-
stein shall exercise no control over its employ; but
if the necessities of the State should require an
increase in the financial resources, the augmenta-
tion of the sum fixed may be imposed on the
finances only by a Royal ordinance, after the pre-
vious free approval of the States.
" The Prussian Governmentwill doubtless recog-
nize in the preceding propositions the spirit of
conciliation by which the Danish Government is
animated, should these measures be carried into
execution, the States of Holstein will de facto exer-
cise on measures concerning the Duchy the same
control as that which the Supreme Council possesses
over measures interesting other portions of the
Monarchy; and it is therefore to be hoped that this
plan, when presented at Frankfort by the Danish
Ministry, will meet with the support of Prussia.
" But the Danish Government is ready to go still
further on the path of conciliation. Undoubtedly
it cannot and will not allow of any right in Ger-
many to intermeddle in the affairs of Holstein. All
the concessions that may be made to that Duchy
must proceed exclusively from the free pleasure of
the Danish Government, and cannot, be considered
as giving to the Diet any authority 'in Schleswig.
" As a proof of the kindly sentiment with which
the Danish Government is animated, and of its desire
to do away with some of the inconveniences that
have excited complaint, it is ready, on the condi-
tion that the Diet gives its approbation to the above
stated temporary arrangement for Holstein, to
introduce the following modifications into the laws
at present in force in Schleswig :
" 1. The religious act of confirmation may be per-
formed in the language preferred by those in-

terested.
"2. Private education is permitted, on condition
that the usual public examinations shall be sub-
mitted to.
" 3. A complete amnesty shall be granted for all
political offences, and individuals under sentence
shall be reinstated in their political rights.
" 4. Assemblages and meetings of the inhabitants
of Schleswig and Holstein, provided they have no
political object, shall be allowed, with the condition
that they shall not take the title of a Sehleswig-
Holstein meeting.
" Such are some of the measures that the Danish
Government will be ready to introduce forthwith,
and it will hereafter consent, perhaps, to several
others in addition.

" It is now for the Prussian Government to judge
if there be not here matter sufficient to smooth the
road toward an understanding between Germany
and Denmark, and if it would not be prudent on
the part of the former, in the critical position in
which Europe now is, to profit by the conciliatory
sentiments that influence Denmark, to put an end
to a question that has been so long pending."

FATAL ACCIDENT ON TRE LONDON

AND SOUTH WESTERN RAIL WA I.

On the evening of Monday, the 28th, a distress-
ing accident occurred on this railway to the Ports-
mouth express train, which leaves the Waterloo
station at 510 p.m. The train in question was
preceded by the 5 p.m. express to Southampton,
which proceeded safely to its destination. Unfor-
tunately, however, the 5 10 train ran off the line at
the Epsom Junction about 9 miles from the Water-
loo station. The engine passed safely along the
line, and was not at all concerned, apparently, in
the accident. The tender appears to have mounted
the rails close to a bridge about 20 yards from the
Epsom Junction, and sweeping completely the
parapet of the bridge it fell over into the road be-
neath. The upper part of the tender containing the
water was completely severed from the under side,
to which the wheels were attached, and turned up-
side down into the road. The framework of the
tender also fell over, and rested in the road by the
side of the tank with the wheels uppermost.
A few yards further on several first and secon d
class carriages left the line and turned over, the
bodies being severed from the framework and
wheels, the latter being driven much further than
the carriages themselves. The ends of the carriages
were driven in, and nothing remained at all sound
save the middle compartments, which had the
cushions and rugs driven about in utter confusion.
A tip of one of the buffers had rested in the middle
of a first-class carriage. The bank over
which the carriages ran was about twenthty
feet high. Several carriages remained
lino and
upone
line, two were off the line on to the ballast, the
bank on the
stuck in the
foremost one being partly down he
h e carriageslin fth
point of turning over, but fortunately
dMany of the passen-
soft earth. Pieces of woodwork.
were scattered about in all directions
the carriages which
down the bank. Altogether,
o on the
iously injure , and several killed
gers were very hurt.
or mortally hurt. •ne gentleman was found
ran off were a perfect wrec. k.
literally crushed to death under a second-class
carriage,
and a lady travelling by the train was so
much hurt that she was removed to a house close
by, not being in a fit state to be removed to Lon-
don. A train from Leatherhead conveyed the
wounded passengers from the scene of the accident
to London.

from the sleepers for the
aThe esn
celaerat;lei the spotawa away from
was being repaired, and the
purpose of packing them. The train in cluestion
was followed by another train, express to Kingston,
five minutes only after it. This, fortunately, was
brought to a stand before arriving at the spot, or it
must have dashed into the sound portion of the
unfortunate train, and the consequences would have
been still more awful. Fortunately it was clear at
the time, and the moon was about rising, imme-
diately after which a fog came on.
The labourers on the line were soon in attend-
ance, and set to work clearing the road ; the trains,
however, were from two to four hours lute in
getting to their destination. By morning the frag-
ments had for the most part been gathered
up and put with the broken carriages, the wholo
being hot reom view by largo tarpaulins thrown
over them. There is great credit due to those in
charge of the trains. The engine-driver ran on for
medical assistance, the guard left his train and ran
back with the red or danger light, and the driver
of the following train, seeing the signal, pulled up
about 300 yards: from the spot where the accident
occurred.
The pointsman at the junction has two distantcon
signals about 400 and 800 yards towards L
respectively,.and it is a very strange and culpable
thing that the most useful one, which can be n
t
neasrljrut aanmd utterly
eferrolmy
ustheeietnction by down rains,
was