The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-21 00:00:00

DEVONSHIRE.

A numerous and influential meeting of noblemen,
deputy-lieutenants, magistrates, and yeomen of the
county of Devon, convened•bv the Lord-Lieutenant
(Earl Fortescue), was held on Monday at the Castle
of Exeter, to proniote the 'formatior.• of volunteer
rifle corps in the rural districts of the county, and
to receive the reports of what had been already ac-
complished.' Earl Forteseue presided, .and among
those present were the Earl of .Devon, Lord Chur.,
stow, Lord Poltimore, Sir T. D: Acland, Sir E. S.
Prideaux (Major-Commandant of the Exeter and
South Devon Rifle Corps), Sir S. 11. Northcote;.
M.P., Sir J. L. Duutze, Sir J. T. B. Duckworth,
Sir M. Lopes, M.P., Sir J. Kerinaway, Sir W. H.
Tonkin, the Hon. C. R. Trefusis, MX., the
.Hon.
and Rev. J. Fertescuc, Mr. S. 'l'. Kekewich, M.P.,
Mr. J. N. Buller, M.P., Mr. It. S. Gard, M.P.,
Mr Mills, M.P., Mr. T. D. Acland, &e.
Earl FORTESCUE, in opening the proceedings of
the meeting, said that the plan for the extension of
rifle volunteers into the rural districtsof the county
had received the approbation of the authorities at
the War-office. (Cheers.) He had received a let-
ter from the Under-Secretary for War, who said :

"I understand that you have called a public meeting in
Devonshire on the subject of the formation of corps of
mounted rifle volunteers, and I am induced, by the interest
which Ilfeel in the success of the movement, to ti ouble you
with this mte for the purpose of assuring you that this plan
meets with Mr. Herbert's approbation. A corps of this
kind, if organised on a good system, will be very useful,
an I have little doubt that if the attempt now making in
your county proves successful, the example will be exten-
sively followed elsewhere. I trust that your mounted rifle-
men (and to this the noble earl called the particular atten-
tion of the meeting) will bear inmind that they are infantry
on horseback, and not cavalry occasionally on foot. Infan-
try drill should be the basis of their instruction ; the rifle,
and not the sword, their principal weapon."

(Cheers.) The noble earl then remarked upon the
state and circumstances of affairs both at home and
abroad which had given rise to the rifle movement,
and which had happily, he said, extended through-
out the length and breadth of the land. (Cheers.)
He had always earnestly. desired to see the relate
tions of alliance and amity firmly established be-
tween England and France. He must say also
that he never for one moment had entertained any
apprehensions of invasion. He believed that the
great ruler of Franco knew too well the true in-
terests of the country which he ruled over to desire
to see any interruption of reciprocal good feeling
and friendship between that country and this.
(Hear, hoar.) Further, he believed that the Em-
peror had the energy and power to carry out his
desires. But they must not forget the important
words of the Duke of Wellington—that steam navi-
gation had bridged over the sea. Hp felt, there-
fore, that this country must not owe to the forbear-
ance and will of any other country its exemption
from insult or protection from attack. They had
up to a recent period considered themselves a nation
of sailors, and their enemy had once called them a
" nation of shopkeepers ;" but a new era had now
dawned, and they must henceforth resolve to make
England permanently a natioa of soldiers. (Cheers:)
The Earl of lievoN moved the first resolution, to
the effect that the meeting cordially recognized the
importance of permanent volunteer organization
for the defence of the country. He believed that a
perinanent volunteer organization was that which
would enable England to speak with that weight in
the councils of the world which she had hitherto
done. (Hear.)
Mr. BULLER, M.P., seconded the resolution, in
doing which he said, that when they saw France
and Russia engaged in forming large naval forces,
it was necessary to preserve, as far as in them bay,
their naval supremacy, and to keep up a permanent
volunteer force at home. (Cheers.) .
The motion was carried unanimously.
Lord CHURSTON moved the next resolution, in
which the desirability of extending the rifle corps
of towns to the rural districts. was expressed. His
lordship congratulated the country on the patriotism
of the ladies, and stated that Lady Rolle had sig-
nified her intention of equipping from 25 to 50 men
at her own cost—an example which he hoped would
be extensively followed. (Cheers.)
Sir T. D. ACLAND seconded the resolution, and
stated that Lord Poltimore and himself had just
succeeded in forming a rifle company of 60 men in
their neighbourhood. (Cheers.)
The motion was carried by acclamation.
Several magistrates present reported that rifle
companits had been formed in various parts of the
county of Devon.
Lord POLTIMORE then moved, and Sir M. LOPES
seconded the appointment of a committee, which
was carried.
Mr. W. PORTER stated that he had succeeded in
forming a corps of 60 men in three small parishes
with which he was connecte, and that, although
at first it was understood that Government would
only supply one-half the number of rifles required,
he was now happy to state to the meeting that he
had just received a letter from the Secretary for
War, announcing- that Government was prepared
to supply the whole of the rifles. (Cheers.)
A unanimous vote of thanks to the noble Lol d-
Lieutenant for his zeal in promoting county rifle
corps concluded the- proceedings of the meeting.

DEATH OF LORD HOLLAND.—WO have to an-
nounce the death of Lord Holland at Naples, intelligence
of which has been received by telegraph. The mournful
occurrence took place on 'Sunday, after a short but severe
illness, which baffled the most eminent medical skill. The
de,:eased, Henry Edward Fox, Baron Holland of Holland,
county Lincoln, and Baron Holland of Foxley, county
Wilts, in the peerage of Great Britain, was only son of
Henry, 3d Baron, by his marriage with Elizabeth, daughter
of Mr. Richard Vassal'. The deceased peer was born on
the 7th of March, 1302, and married on the 9th of May,
1833, Lady Mary Augusta Coventry, only daughter of the
late Earl of Coventry. The late Lord entered the diplo-
matic service in July, 1331, and was for some time attaelie
to the Embassy at St. Pcterburg, whence he was removed
in 1832 to Turin, as Secretary of Legation. In July, 1835,
he proceeded to Vienna in a similar capacity, and continued
there till April, 1838, when ho was appointed Minister
Plenipotentiary to the Germanic Confederation. Having
held • that post up to December the satire year he was re-
moved.to Flermee, where he was Resident Minister up to.
Jund, -1846, When on vacating that post at. the Court of
Tuscany, be retired altogether from diplomatic duties.
mainly,. we believe, from the indifferent state of his health,
On the death of his father in October, 1840, he succeeded
to the title and family Mates. His Lordship net leaving
any issue the barony becomes extinct,