The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-16 00:00:00

VOLUNTEER CORPS.

THE QUEEN'S.
Last night a public meeting of inhabitants of the
district of Pimlico was held in St. Peter's school-

room, Belgrave-street South, for the purpose of pro-
moting the formation of additional companies in
connection with the Queen's Volunteer Rifle Corps,
which now numbers 250 effective members.
Earl GROSVENOR, M.P.., commanding officer of
the corps, who was called to the chair, made a state-
ment as to the present position of the corps, with a
view to interest the inhabitants of that district of

the metropolis in its welfare. He thought if it were
possible for any one wholly ignorant of this volun-
teer movement to land in this country at present,
he would not be a little astonished on entering
Westminster-hall to hear the ring of arms. He
would be still more astonished to hear that it was a
peace movement. It was, nevertheless, essentially
a peace movement, inasmuch as it was meant to
prevent a possible invasion of the soil of England,
and might tend besides to insure the peace of
Europe and perhaps of the world at large. (Cheers.)
When foreign countries knew that we were in such
a position as to be perfectly safe and unassailable,
we should have all the greater weight in the coun-
cils of Europe, and be enabled to enforce the policy
of Europe, which was essentially 'one of peace.
(Cheers.) At present there were 250 effective mem-
bers of this particular corps, not counting honorary
members, and they met for drill three times a week
for two hours in Westminster-hall, although many
of them were professional men, and could ill spare
the requisite time. Their progress Is ad been most
satisfactory. They had secured apr actice-ground
at Sydenham with a range of 300 yards, sharing
the expense with the Scottish Volunteers, and there
they would be enabled to vary with a little recrea-
tion in the Crystal Palace the hard work to which
they were subjected at drill. Should it be found
necessary to have a longer range, there was a pros-
pect of obtaining one near Croydon or at Wormwood
Scrubbs. At first, however, the great object was to
practise shooting without any amenenition at all, ac-
cording to the system adopted at Hythe. The shoot-
ing with ball afterwards was merely a test of profici-
ency. On the meeting of Parliament Westminster-
hall would be no longer available for drill, but the
Duke of Wellington had kindly granted to this
corps the use of the riding-school at Knightsbridge
for that purpose. (Cheers.) He (Earl Grosvenor)
was sorry to learn that it was in contemplation to
form another corps in that district, for he thought
such a course would occasion confusion and impede
the progress of the movement in that part of Lon-
don. The money rebseribed for establishing this
(the Queen's) corps amounted now to about £B5O ;
but a greater sum would be necessary to meet the
necessary expenses, and, seeing that they resided
in a wealthy and populous district, he had no doubt
that sum would be forthcoming when gentlemen
came up to town at the meeting of Parliament.
Every one was more or less interested in the pre
servation of peace, and he therefore urged all whom
age had not incapacitated to join in the honourable
and patriotic duty of maintaining it. Let every
man who became a volunteer remember that he
afforded in himself indivit:ually a further guarantee
for the security of peace, and that he fulfilled an
honourable and sacred duty in identifying himself
with the volunteer movement. (Chsers.) We could
no longer tolerate these constantly recurring inva-
sion panics—and in order to put an end to them
this volunteer movement must become a permanent
institution of the country, as in Switzerland, the
motto of whose people should be our motto—" One
for all, and all for one." (Cheers.)
On the motion of the Rev. T.. J. BARI:RR,
seconded by Mr. H. J. SMITH, a resolution was
unanimously passed, that it was, desirable to
strengthen the corps as far as possible, and pledging
the meeting to make every exertion to effect that
object.
Mr. A. W. JAFFRAY, an active member of the
corps, in moving a resolution intended to pro-
vide for the additional expenditure of the corps
in the erection of butts and otherwise, urged on
his brOther riflemen to devote their attention to
the necessary drill heart and soul, as if an emer-
gency were at hand for actual service, and so give
the lie to the sneer occasionally made, that they
were merely playing at soldiers. If they regarded
the drill merely as a pastime it would not
succeed. (Hear, hear.) They should take a lesson
from the Swiss, every man of who el felt that the
best guarantee of their national independence lay
in his rifle. (Cheers.) In Switzerla d all the popu-
lation capable of bearing arms were carefully
drilled. The Swiss could not afford to maintain a
standing army ; they were too pocr to divert in
that way any part of the national industry from its
regular channels ; therefore the people became she
army ; and so thoroughly organised were they that,
by means of the telegraph, they could collect 50,000
men at any given point of their territory in 24
hours. Like the Swiss, every man in England
should have his rifle hurls, behind his door, and be
always prepared to defend the liberties which we
had inherited from our ancestors, and which we in-
tended to leave unimpaired to thoes: who came after
us. (Cheers.)
The Hon. GEORGE DENMAN, M.P., in seconding
the resolution, adverted, amid the laughter of the
meeting, to the four Liverpool merchants who had
been simple enough to write a letter to the French
Emperor, with a view to obtain an expression of
his intentions with regard to Eng Laud. The reply
to that letter contained a passage w hich might serve
as a motto for the volunteer move; ment—viz., that
great nations should appreciate tend not fear one
another. (Hear, hear.) It was to do away with the
notion of a rupture between this country and
France, and to teach the French to appreciate us as
we appreciate them, that we had embarked on an
enterprise which lied simple for its object the pre-
servation of our hearths .411 d altars. (Cheers.) He
believed the mischief that would ensue from one
single hostile Frenchman setting; foot on these
shores was inconceivable. Of that history afforded
them an example in the landing of a French force of
about 1,400 men at Fishguard, in Pembrokeshire, in
1797, who, after remaining there fun- a day or two,
pillaging and plundering the neighbourhood, were
dispersed by about 600 volunteers, and the sight of
the red petticoats of the Welsh women who assem-
bled on the adjacent hills. (Alaugh.) It was stated
in " Lord Holland's Memoirs," that Mr. Fox, ad-
verting to that circumstance on olio occasion, said
people might laugh at, but the country did not re-
cover from the effects of that desea:nt for 20 years
afterwards.
A working man named SIMES said, great as his
respect was for the aristocracy, he should be sorry
to join a rifle corps which was not 'conducted in the
most economical manner. (Hear.) He took that
meeting to be a recruiting party--(laughter)—but
what he had to say was, that a corps composed of
noblemen and gentlemen was not the one he should
join. He should like to know the cost of joining
this particular corps. He might Teo able to stand
half a guinea. (A laugh.) He k:new there were
plenty of young men of his own class ready to join
this movement who had as great art interest in the
country as the chairman himself had. He himself
had as great an interest in his little home, whether
it consisted only of a kitchen or a garret, as a man
had in his who lived in Grosvenor-square, and lie
felt it was his duty to stand up and :protect that
home. (Cheers.) For those reasons he had not yet
made up his mind what corps to join. (Laughter.)
He wanted to see these rifle corps made up of the
bone and sinew of the country, and not of men like
some in the Crimea, who, as soon as they saw smoke,
wanted to go home " on urgent private affairs."
(Laughter.)
The CHAIRMAN, after entering into some details
as to the cost of uniform, Bsc., with the view to
satisfy the last speaker, put the resolution, which
was adopted.
At the conclusion of the proceedings a further
donation of £5O from Mr. J. R. Jaffray was an-
nounced.

ST. JAMES'S, WESTMINSTER.
The committee for this corps met yesterday, and
a satisfactory report of progress was made. Up-
wards of 80 effective members had enrolled them-
selves, and the amount of the fund was found to be
above £4OO. A sub-committee was appointed to
make arrangements for the immediate commence-
ment of drill.