The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-07-04 00:00:00

RIFLE PRACTICE.

RIFLE PRACTICE is, it least, -as essential a part-of
a Volunteer's' duty is drill. At Claughtoe, at
Chester, in Hyde-park, and on nuinberless
smaller occasions, we have seen the hig's
.degree
of-Terfection our Volunteers have attained in the
evolUtions by. which
.comPanies, battalions, and
brigades, are moved into. the positions they
might be called on to occupy in real warfare.
This, however, embraces only one half of a
soldier's duty: What execution could be done by
the best,drilled army of Volunteers if they knew
not how to handle their arms with skill and
effect Rifle practice and drill, therefore, are
only as two halves, each of which-is necessary to
make up one efficient whole, and, in the absence of
either the other rauSt be set down as Compara-
tively useless.. -This year we have secured one
half of a Volunteer's acquirements ; and there
will be little reason to complain if we add
the other half in the course of the ensuing
year. There has heen no difficUlti in making
the first step ; but it „seems there may be some
few obstacles in the way of the iicond. These
must be overcome,- The point is a vital one, and
seriously aftecti the feriianeney: of the whole.
movement.


The Volunteer :corps want to secure conve-,
niently situated ranges of • Sufficient extent
to admit of the practice requitite to qua-71
lify their memibere
_as good .
-Q.ueen. VICTORIA, 1-il3 tho
_proceedings
at Wimbledon onanaon; it:T. example to
the Volunteers'. Hat,Majestr,4-rom a fixed frpsf,.
with a Whitworth rifle, struck the: ilentre. of the.:l
bull's eye, it folir hundred Io,rds!-
-many
. . _
-of our Volunteers *nit that.'',
decree of shill' A hull's eye at',fenr
distance Will• be reached'hitt bra few of the'riiiare
accurate marksmen: Nevertheless, her Majesty's
shot proves that there,it:nothingimpossihle in
the proposition:- It merely requires • steadineis
and skill. eAt.ll.ll- evetits,leveryTAroltiriteer
.hope to
.aßroximate jp. the excellence of.(72,tieeiit
shot. If is worthy ei-Ote. thit, -in- the.
opinion of practical Military-men, we may take
the QUEEN'Sklistance as the -Standard to] be
attained by lipir[or by skir-
mishers holding advanced Pcitifsirith good cover
and a safe line_Accurate, deliberate,••
and watchful aim, under alt
.eiteunistances; is the
great excellence which our Volunteers have now
to attain. This is only to be acquired by
constant practice at the butt in the. several
practice grounds. Rifle ranges are essential to
the success of the Rifle Movement and must be
got at all costs. Not only have proprietors
been backward in affording such facilities, but it
so happens that the law, as it stands, actually
offers further obstacles. In the meantime the
question has been universally raised, ought not
the Government to interfere to make the acquisi-
tion of land for this purpose more easy, and to
remove certain legal difficulties. We- may rest
assured that if the Volunteers are to be efficient.
and permanent they must have more facilities
for rifle ranges than they at present enjoy.
There is another practical consideration which
we think ought not to be overlooked. Why
should not the Volunteers be very much more
liberally supplied with ammunition than they '
are at present. No doubt it redounds greatly to
the credit of the present movement that it has
been of a self-sustaining character. Pecuniary
assistance has not been sought ; and in no case,
we believe, has there been any difficulty in finding
the necessary funds for all the expenses—and they
are not inconsiderable—of the different corps. But
why should the expense of the power, ball, and
caps necessary for
practice, fall wholly on
the patriotic few. We may depend upon it that
this will, sooner or later, require the attention of
Government, if the movement is to be perpetuated.
The requisite materials are already in the hands
of the Government, and they can supply
them without Liconvenieiice, and
at a com-
paratively trifling cost. Whether or not they
they do so wholly without charge
to the Volun-
teers,u to make some
t than that at pre-
it is certainly their d
much more liberal arrangement t
pre-
sent adopted. The consequence of these hindrances
as to rifle ranges and deficient supplies is that
instead of all having gone through the prescribed

course of training in rifle practice, only a very
•mall proportion of our Volunteers have had any
practice at all. Some of the best corps, we
believe, have not even got through their prelimi-
nary practice in shooting, and for the time being
must continue to trust for their efficiency to a
perfectly untrained instinct to supply the
place of educated skill. The discouragement
which these adverse circumstances tend to produce
has a much more adverse bearing as regards the
future than the present. Indeed, unless a speedy
remedy is applied; the difficulties which now

begin to be felt in these matters may end by
clouding the brilliant prospects which the almost
magical formation of a self-created army has
opened up for the British empire.

LATEST NEWS.

(i BRITISH AND IRISH MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH.)

FRANCE.

PARIS, July 2.

Tho funeral of Prince Jerome was magnificent.
The ambassadors assisted at the ceremony, and

an immense crowd was present.

PARIS, July 3.

Yesterday the Austrian Ambassador paid an
official visit to M. Thouvenel, in order to give, in
the name of the Court of Vienna, a verbal reply-
to the despatch in reference to the annexation of
Savoy, which the French Government communi-
cated to the powers who signed the final act of
Vienna. Immediately on the receipt of this
despatch by the Marquis de .Moustier, Count
Rechberg ascertained by telegraph the views of
the Court of Berlin, which replied that it was
about to thoroughly examine the question
whether, under present circumstances, a Euro-
pean conference would be advisable, or whether
preference should be given to the ordinary diplo-
matic course, or to direct negotiations between
.France and Switzerland. Austria, although ready
to assist at a conference, could not take the initia-
tive, not being directly interested in the question.
She, therefore, leaves to France the task of
inducing a majority of the powers to agree to
one of the three combinations proposed by M.
Thouvenel, and accedes beforehand to the decision
of the majority.

All the theatres will closed this evening, on
account of the obsequies of Prince Jerome. A
circular has been addressed to the Ministers by
the Duke of Cambaceres, Grand Master of the
Ceremonies, inviting the functionaries of their
respective departments to wear mourning for the
length of time and with the changes prescribed
for Court mourning.

The 2Toniteur, of this morning, announces that
a project of law has been laid before the Corps
Legislatif, demanding its approval of the conven-
tion for the establishment of a submarine tele-
graph between France and. the United States.

TURKEY.

CONSTANTINOPLE, July 2.

The apprehensions entertained of disturbances
during the I3eiram, are now dissipated : the pro-
cession of the Sultan passed off in perfect tran-
quillity. The troops had received one month's pay,
and appeared favourably disposed. Count Goltz,
the Prussian Ambassador, has left Constantinople
on leave of absence.

ITALY.

ROME (via MARSEILLES), June 30.

The fermentation hero has been increasing since
the agitation commenced at Naples, and General
Lamoriciere is hastening to return to Rome.
ROME, July 2.
The Pope has_visited the fortifications of Civita