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Experimental  ^legislation

Volunteer  Force.  This  was  commenced,  not  to
speak  of  earlier  movements  or  the  ancient  Honourable ­
  Artillery  Company,  by  a  few  isolated
experiments,  such  as  that  of  the  Exeter  Rifle  Corps
in  1852,  and  the  Victoria  Rifle  Corps  in  1853.
These  succeeded  so  well  that  when,  in  1859,  fears
of  invasion  were  afloat,  the  imitative  process  set  in
rapidly.  Of  course,  wise  practical  people  laughed
at  the  mania  for  playing  at  soldiers,  and  most
people  clearly  foresaw  that,  when  once  the  volunteers ­
  had  got  tired  of  their  new  uniforms,  the  whole
thing  would  collapse.  But  experience  has  decided
very  differently.  The  force,  instead  of  declining,
has  gone  on  steadily  growing  and  substantially
improving,  until  a  good  military  authority  lately
spoke  of  it  as  the  only  sound  part  of  our  military
system.  How  much  has  the  wisdom  of  Parliament
had  to  do  with  the  creation  of  this  force  ?  I  believe
that  even  now  the  Government  and  the  military
classes  do  not  appreciate  what  the  volunteer  force
has  done  for  us,  by  removing  all  fear  of  safety  at
home  and  enabling  the  standing  army  to  be  freely
sent  abroad.
Take  again  the  case  of  popular  amusements.
Would  Parliament  ever  think  of  defining  by
Statute  when  and  how  people  shall  meet  to  amuse
themselves,  and  what  they  shall  do,  and  when  they
shall  have  had  enough  of  it?  Must  not  people
find  out  by  trial  what  pleases  and  what  does  not
please  ?  The  late  Mr.  Serjeant  Cox  is  said  to  have