The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-08-16 00:00:00

NATIONAL ARTILLERY ASSOCIATION.

In glorious weather the competition of the artillery
volunteers for 1884 commenced at Shoeburyness on
Monday morning at half-past six. The volunteers
had breakfasted at five, and were in order for going
to the batteries shortly before six. It was precisely
half-past when the first shot was fired, but the firing
proceeded but slowly, as only two batteries were at
work. The competition was with shell from the 64-
pounder muzzle-loader Palliser rifle gun, and four
rounds are allowed to each detachment, to be fired in
10 minutes. The targets are 6 feet square, and are
1900 yards from the battery. All shells bursting
within certain -szified bounds at a height not ex-
ceeding 20 feet above the plane are allowed 12 points;
those bursting within other limits are allowed nine;
and direct hits, whether shells be blind or burst
beyond a certain parallelogram count six; all shells
with time fuzes bursting at a greater height than 20
feet above the plane do not count.
The first shift in the repository competition (the
B shift) took place on the Marshes in the afternoon,
the competing squads for the day being marched out
of camp at four o'clock, headed by the excellent band
of the Ist Sussex. The competition was watched with
considerable interest. The aggregate value of the
prizes competed for this week is £3O. Similar prizes
will be competed for by the Northern Division next
week, and the winners of the repository badges will
also be determined next week. Her Majesty's cups
and badges of the Association, the Prince of Wales's
cups, Lord Waveney's, the 3rd Middlesex Artillery,
and the National Association's prizes will also be
determined next week, these prizes being offered for
the highest aggregate scores in the 64 and 40-pounder
competitions.
A dress parade of detachments off duty was held in
the camp on Monday afternoon, when an inspection
took place by Lieut.-Col. H. C. Lewes, R.A., camp
commandant. The camp is under excellent discipline,
and the advantage of deferring the meeting until
after the Bank holiday is now fully seen.
The winners of the prizes in the shell competition
issued by the Statistical Department are as follows:
First prize, the Secretary of State for War's prize,
£25, and £2O added by the Association: Ist London,
No. 1 detachment,"4B points in Bmin. 33sec.; second
prize, £2O, given by Lord Londesborough, 2nd Kent,
No. 4 detachment, 40 points in 10min. 26sec ; third
prize, £l5 given by the Association, 2nd Middlesex,
No. 2 detachment, 36 points in 6min. 32sec. ; fourth
prize, given by the Association, £lO, 2nd Kent, No. 1
detachment, 33 points in 6min. 55sec.; fifth prize, £5,
2nd Middlesex, No. 8 detachment, 33 points in 7min.
39sec. Certificates were given to the Ist Cinque Ports
and the Ist Sussex (Brighton), who scored 33 points
each in Bmin. 14isec., and 9min. 55sec. respectively.

THE PROROGATION OF PARLIAMENT.
The following notifications appeared in the London
Gazette of Tuesday night:
At the Court at Osborne House, Isle of Wight, the
11th day of August, 1884.
Present, the QUEEN'S most Excellent Majesty in

_ Council. _
It is this day ordered by her Majesty in Council
that the Parliament be prorogued from Thursday, the
14th day August instant, to Monday, the 15th day of
September, 1884; and that the Right Honourable the
Lord High Chancellor of that part of the United
Kingdom called Great Britain do cause a Commission
to be prepared and issued in the usual manner for
the proroguing the Parliament accordingly.
At the Court at Osborne House, Isle of Wight, the
11th day of August, 1884.
Present, the QUEEN'S Most Excellent Majesty in
Council.

It is this day ordered by Her Majesty in Council,
that the Convocations of the Provinces of Canterbury
and York be prorogued from the day to which the
same now stand prorogued to Tuesday, the 16th dajr
of September, 1884; and the Right Honourable the
Lord High Chancellor of that part of the United
Kingdom called Great Britain is to cause writs to be
prepared and issued in the usual manner for pro-
roguing the Convocations accordingly.