The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-15 00:00:00

at the same time, they felt called on to
impose additional taxation to that amount. The
right hon. gentleman then adverted to the decrease
in the duty OR hops and malt, which resulted from
circumstances which could not be foreseen or averted.
The expenditure for the past year amounted to
£72,842,000, and the revenue to £70,283,000, show-
ing a deficiency of £2,559,000. In considering that
deficiency the house must remember that a sum of
£350,000 went under the head of surplus
revenue from 1859-60, but in fact that sum was
not properly represented and was not applicable
to the income of the past year, which reduced the
apparent deficiency. Moreover, they started this
year with a deficiency of £14,016, which had to be
supplied. The receipts from the Customs were
£273,382, and from the Excise £306,000, which
showed a decrease in the year 1860-61 as
compared with the previous financial year, but as
he had already stated there were circumstances of
an unfavourable character which operated in regard
to revenue derivable from these sources of income.
In alluding to minor duties the right hon. gentle-
man said the income for the past year hem wine
was £590,000, but the act relative to wine could
not come into operation until after the summer,
and therefore the results arising from this measure
could not be estimated; for, notwithstanding
the desire to issue wine licenses, some delay
necessarily occurred in reference to them.
The right honourable gentleman then
went in detail through various ether items of
income and expenditure, and said the house had
abolished differental duties to the amount of
£446,000, but they: imposed 2s. a gallon additional
on brandy and other foreign spirits, which
gave a balance in favour of relief extended
to the community of £46,000. He then cited
certain statistics that the importation of light
French wines had increased to a consi-
derable extent within the last year, which he
contended, was clearly traceable to the operation
of the new tariff, and he stated the increase
in the amount of their wines at 2,630,000
gallons, and of foreign spirit of 12,905,000.
With respect to the estimated revenue, it was
£21,361,000, whild .the actual revenue was
£19,439,000. Having contrasted the relative
position of the country in 1852, with
the past year, he said that there
was a considerable increase in the expenditure,
but at the same time there was not a cor-
responding elasticity in the resources, and con-
tended thaf that result could only be met by such

ILEPT SPEAKING.]

THE ARMY.

LONDO.

15, 1961.

—...._
the volunteers associating with the troops at Alder-
shot or elsewhere. I really should rejoice at such
an arrangement. I think it would be an admirable
thing for the various corps. The only objection I see
to the proposal is, that I doubt very much whether the
members of the corps have the necessary leisure or
convenience for leaving their homes and ordinary
occupations for more than 24 hours at a time.
That is a very serious consideration, which it is for
yourselves to determine, and with regard to which
it is not for me to say yea or nay. In my opinion,
certainly the Volunteer movement is a local one, and
anything which takes men far from their homes is
objectionable, on account of the inconvenience
which it entails and which I should strongly depre-
cate. It is often said that the Volunteers wish this
or that to be done, whereas the minority, or even
the majority, may be strongly opposed to it; and
this leads to grumbling and discontent, or
what some personS call " putting down," of which
the less that exists the better; and therefore
I think proposals connected with any parti-
cular branch of the Volunteer force ought to be
confined to what is useful and convenient for all
the members of the corps. (Cheers.) But if you
are of opinion that you can spare the necessary
time, and are willing to undertake the journey, as
far as the military are concerned, we shall rejoice to
see you at Aldershott. (Cheers.) Your presence
there would be of great advantage to you, as you
would see what services the troops are called on
to perform in the field, and what the officers are
expected to learn. I throw out the suggestion in
case it should prove acceptable, to show you that
while I deprecate such meetings'as that at Brighton,
I should at the same be the first to support any
movement of the nature I have just adverted
to. I need hardly add anything to what I have
said ; perhaps I have already trespassed on
your attention longer than I ought, but as one of
your comrades, and holding dear the reputation of
the regiment of which I am colonel, I thought the
present a good opportunity of assuringyou that, as
far as I am concerned, I rejoiced to find that the
London Rifle Volunteer Brigade was not among
the corps which went down to Brighton. (Cheers.)
I have around me most excellent and valuable com-
manding officers of corps in London and its vicinity,
and to them, individually and collectively, I beg to
say that I conceive the country is greatly indebted
for the exertions which they have made in further-
ance of this movement. It is one which, if kept as
it ought to be and I hope will be, within due bounds,
is of the most valuable description ; but, on the
other hand, it is one which must be kept within due
bounds, for if everybody were allowed to do exactly
as he liked, we should get into a state of the most
complete and helpless confusion. There is no wish
on the part of the military authorities to interfere
as long as volunteers are willing to abide by certain
rules, and to be guided by certain regulations, but
I would remind them that any movement of a mili-
tary nature which is not properly and thoroughly or-
ganised and directed cannot be of thatvalue which it
would be if conducted upon those great principles
of organisation and order which constitutes the
strength and the importance of our military opera-
tions. I beg, gentlemen, to give you " The Army,
the Navy, and the Volunteers." (Loud cheers.)
General Sir J. SCARLETT responded ou behalf of
th 6 army, which had never been in better condition
or more willing to perform their duty than at the
present moment. (Hear.) It was not for him to say
whether the volunteers were right or wrong in
going to Brighton ; that did net lie within his pro-
vince to discuss, but considering the amount of drill
which they had undergone, he was very much struck
on that occasion by the aptitude for military move-
ments evinced by his countrymen who did not pro-
perly belong to the army. By cultivating that
aptitude, by constant practice of company and
battalion drill, they would be certain to acquire a
great degree of perfection in their movements. Al-
though he had felt it his duty to bestow praise on
them both to their faces and in his report on that
occasion, it would be folly to suppose that what
was excellent then would net have been much more
excellent if it had followed a summer spent in care-
ful attention to drill in its various branches. If
they listened to his advice he would exhort the
Volunteers to follow the admirable instructions
which had been given them that evening.
Sir J. DUKE, M.P., returned thanks for the
navy, and
Colonel 31‘.1IunDia, 011 rising to respond for the
Volunteer service, was received with cordial cheer-
ing. He said the manner in which the toast had
been proposed must be doubly gratifying to Volun-
teers, from the exalted position of the chairman,
who was not only colonel of one of the most impor-
tant and distinguished of the Volunteer corps, but,
as the head of the British army, the advice coming
from his lips was peculiarly valuable ; and if, as
he believed he could do, he might take on himself
to answer for the Volunteers (cheers), that advice
would certainly be followed. It was a novelty for
Volunteers to find themselves connected with the
army, as they had found themselves that evening in
the speech of the noble chairman ; but the same
feeling of loyalty which had originally prompted
them to offer their services would, he was sure, in-
duce them to work cordially with the regular forces.
The power of an army was estimated by its num-
bers, its efficiency in chill, and its discipline. The
numbers of the Volunteer force were those of a great
army ; its efficiency in drill and in organisation was
progressing rapidly, and its discipline when called
on to exercise it was perfect, being based on the
spirit of patriotism which gave rise to the move-
ment. It had been truly affirmed that not only in
England but on the continent the movement had
exercised a beneficial effect ; and within the last
few days he had read a proclamation of the King
of Sweden establishing throughout his kingdom
volunteer corps based on the same regulations, laws,
and constitution as our own. (Applause.) It ought
to be a gratifying reflection to the Volunteers of
this country that they had initiated a movement
which was taking root firmly in Europe, and was
likely to become one of its greatest pacificatorg.
Lieutenant-Colonel HICKS, in proposing " The
Health of the Duke of Cambridge," as colonel of the
brigade, as a gallant general in the field, as Com-
mander-in-Chief of the army, and a Prince of the
blood Royal (cheers), said he was glad to see that
the progress of the Volunteer movement did not
interfere, as had been predicted by some, with the
progress of enlistment in the army ; but, on the
contrary, had fostered and encouraged military
tastes among the English people. " Trifles
light as air," little jealousies, and private
piques might endanger the stability of the
movement, but as far as anything like jealousy
between the army and the Volunteers was con-
cerned, there was not the slightest foundation for
supposing that such feelings existed ; and an in-
dissoluble bond of union had been signed, sealed,
and delivered, when their noble and gallant chair-
man took the wise and politic step of consenting
to become Colonel of the London Volunteer Rifle
Brigade. (Cheers.)
His Royal Highness the Duke of CAMBRIDGE re-
turned thanks for the cordial and kind manner in
which the mention of his name had been received.
Allusion having been made to the fact of his con
senting to become honorary colonel of the regi-
ment, he might state that he had done so for two
reasons,—first, because he felt a great anxiety to
respond to tl_ e compliment paid him by so large a
number of the citizens of London ; and in the next
place, because he felt strong conviction that the
fact of the Commander-in-Chief of her Majesty's
army becoming colonel of one of the leading regi-
ments of the Volunteer force would be an earnest
that the Volunteer movement was in every respect
acceptable to and would be countenanced by the
armed body with which he was more immediately
connected. (Cheers.) He regretted that his
numerous duties allowed him to see so little of a
corps with which he was proud to be connected ;
hut, if the Lieutenant-Colonel should at any time
report that a desire existed on the part of the
members to be inspected or reviewed by himself,
he should be very happy to meet them anywhere, at
any time, for that purpose. (Loud cheers.)
In responding., on behalf of the House of Lords,
to the toast of " The Legislature,"
Lord COLVILLE said, he also appeared in the
capacity of Lieutenant-Colonel of the Hon. Artil-
lery Company, and in the name of that regiment