New-York tribune., 1869-04-14
GREAT BRITAIN.
rnE VOLUNTEER REVIEW.


LONDON. March 9o.-Easter Monday is a great day
for the volunteers of London and its neighborhood.
On that day review is held, aud Its annual Teour-
renee is looked upon by those interested in the vol
unteer movement as affording test OF the ehcency
of the force. Just now the question IS pecuhariy
interesting as the subject of further pecuniary ad
from the Government, with the view OF more perma-
nenty establishing the existence OF the force, is
under consideration; and certainly If ever any great
assembage of the volunteers test Of what they
can do, tho meeting of last Easter Monday was.
Under the greatest disadvantages, q days work was
gone through in credituble style.
Since the formation OF the volunteer force, re-
view aud sham fight of the ri6emen OF London and
some corps Of the southern counties has been hela
every year on Easter Monday in one of the towns on
the southern coast. Brighton, Portsmouth, and
Dover have each been selected assthe scene OF the
mimic war. This year Dover was the appointed
place and as being military aud naval station Of
fered many advantages for such gathering. Eighty
miles from London, with two lines of railway. ex-
,ersive parade-grounds fortress which has been
impregnabe from time lmmemorial, by the close
proximity of the sea. and the presence
of several regiments Of the British Army
IL is suited in every way for the pur-
pose TO which. on Monday, it was applied.
Is 600 volunteers were carried from London on Mon
day morning. between and o'clock and by III
o'clock were assembled at the rendezvous at Dover,
ready for their days work. To the majority OF the
men this involved getting up at three in the morning
TO assemble at the railway stations, with tho almost
cortaip knowledgo that they would not return 10
their homes much before midnight, and III the mean
time have to get through an arduous days work.
Refore the volunteer movement was an established
fact such an undertaking would have been consid-
cred an impossibility by those men who now think
nothing of it, and the cheerful hearty spirit in which
they can now do il and return TO their ordinary oc-
cupations the next day. speaks well for the muscle
at least. of Englishmen of the present day.
But there is one enemy which even English volun-
teers, plucky as they are, cannot overcome. Ihls
wear their great display defeated by the weather
and even their defeat was the means by which
they have shown what the volunteer force IS really
made Of An elaborate programme had been pre-
pared by the War Office. The body OF troops were
to form two diyisions-one to be an invading force
attacking Dover Castle, the other to defend 1t, the
attacking force being aided by some vessels OF war
which were to have maneuvered at sea and kept up
an active cannonade against the castle Bnt Eoius
and Jupiter Pluyius and the other deites supposed
TO rule the clements combined their forces against
the whole thing. and were for time successful
Dover is large town. situated III hollo"
lafN
castle and its fortfcatious which extend for con-
siderable distance. The town will be known TO
many as the first turnpike on the high road from this
country to tho continent. IL has been garrison
town for centuries, and as military station is
most important place. The rendezvous OF the troops
on Monday was an esplanade running by the side OF
the sea, the fashionable promenade of tue Summer
season, for Dover is fayorte seaside resort The
al, upl shortly
brigades of infantry and two of artillery answered
TO the call From early morning it had been threat
enng 70 be bad weather aud no sooner had the VOL
unteers got into formation than such storm OF hai
seet rain and wind broke that then were saurated
I'm a f,w minutes; strong gale rose from the E'N,E,
and the sea which had been very rough rose IN such
violent rage that the spray from the waves when
rose literally ".mountains high" deuged the unfor-
inmate volunteers. Under these circumstances there
-, M o,narent chance Of she storm absting,
consultation of the Brgadiers, Sir Hope Grant, the
Caberol in command, and Gen. Lindsay the Chief Of
the Reserve Forces Of Great Britain took place. and
IL WAS decided to abandon the proposed field day.
and to reassemblo the men ut o'clock, when Sir
Hone Grant would review the troops and they could
nj once return TO London Thereupon tho volunteers
were dismissed, glad enough to have chance
of moving about and getting warm after
their cold wettingi and the lo,oOo men
were distributed here. there, and everywhere,
wherever they could find shelter and refreshment.
1t is no disgrace to the volunteers that they were
beaten by the weather; it would have been almost
physically impossible for them to have mounted the
scaly nights of Dover, and to have goae through
sham fight in such storm. But about noon the
storm abated, the clouds cleared oil, and the sun
| began to shine. In the mean time the Duke OF
Cambridge cousin to tho Queenl Prince Arthur ana
some other notabes arrived TO SEQ the review asa
finding no parade of troops, and mon in UNIFORM
wandering hther and thither, rode to the mead