The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-27 00:00:00

a very few years ago a dispute relating to a mis-i
sionary in the South Seas had almost involved this
country in a war with France ; nor can we forget
that a difference of opinion'. which arose between
two nations regarding Turkey and Egypt brought
us to the brink of a similar calamity. (Hear.) Gen-
tlemen have we not- lately, too, had proof of how
suddenly a war may arise between two nations
which were not looking for it ? - This day twelve
months all Europe believed that there was no rea-
son to aprehend that its tranquillity would be dis-
turbed; but, on New-year's-day that ominous speech
was made which was the first symptom of those
rrathering clouds which soon covered the political
horizon, and in the course of no very long time
afterwards ended in war. (Hear.) I say, then,
that we are bound to stand upon the defensive, and
that more is required of us in this respect than was
required a few years ago. I am quite aware that
when I speak of the defence of the country every
Englishman feels that the first and greatest re-
liance should be placed in our navy. (Cheers.) I be-
lieve we can rely upon it. I trust that the British
navy is, and I hope that it long will be, in a state
in which it need not fear to meet any hostile fleet
that may be brought against it. (Cheers.) Gen-
tlemen, in these days of steam, and especially when
those steam transports to which I have alluded
have been constructed on such a gigantic scale that
they can carry, we are told, 2,000 men, and for a
very short passage even 3,000 meet, with a fair pro-
portion of artillery,—l say in these days it does ap-
pear that we cannot too confidently reckon upon its
being impossible that a hostile expedition might
elude our navy and be thrown upon our shores.
(Hear.) I trust that such a contingency is net
likely to happen ; but I do say that such an attempt
is far more likely to be made if it is known that
the party to be attacked does not possess the means
of promptly encountering the force to be landed.
(Hear, hear.) On the other hand, gentlemen,
if it is known that a hostile expedition,
after encountering all the risks which it
must meet with at sea, and having safely reached
our shores, even if it should accomplish this, the
moment it lands, with the sea behind and no retreat,
it would be compelled to fight for its existence with
a powerful rifle force. I say that the moment this
is known, I believe so hazardous an enterprise
would never be attempted. (Cheers.) His lcrdship
therefore strongly advocated the formation of rifle
corps, because, as he argued, they would tend to
diminish the chances, if not to render impossible,
the success of such an enterprise. He also advocated
the rifle corps as a cheap and efficient mode of de-
fence ; and while paying a tribute to the bravery
and, discipline of the regular army, and urging that
the rifle corps would form an efficient auxiliary
corps to them, he urged that standing armies were
a source of trouble ; thus they were like a man who
having invented a curious machine, was ever look-
ing for and anxious to have the chance for display-
ing its qualities. On the other hand, he urged that
a volunteer force was the legitimate arm of defence
of the country ; and that being for the mere defence
of home and hearth it could not give offence to
fsreigners, but it would of necessity teach them to
respect us. (Prolonged cheers.) He had, therefore,
great pleasure in proposing " The Newcastle Vo-
lunteer Rifles." (Renewed cheering.)
Sir JOHN FIFE returned thanks in an address of
some length, in which he pointed out the efficiency
of volunteers, as shown at New Orleans, where the
Americans beat the English; in the Landwehr of
Germany, as shown in the part they took in 1815
in the war then raging ; and in the Tyrolese rifle-
men, as shown more recently in the Italian war,
and more particularly in the battle of Solferino.
(Cheers.)
The other toasts were—" The House of Lords,"
proposed by the Mayor of Newcastle, and acknow-
ledged by the noble Chairman ; " The House of
Commons," acknowledged by Mr. G. Ridley, M.P.;
" The Ladies ;" " TL e Mayors and Corporations of
the Tyne ;" " The Yeomanry ;" " Colonel Loftus
and the Third West York," &c.