The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-08-04 00:00:00

LOCAL RIFLE ASSOCIATIONS.

VOLUNTEERING goes on bravely. It is a noble
effort, gloriously sustained, and fraught with
unequivocal indications of complete and perma-
nent success. We may well be proud 'of an
achievement which has demonstrated to the world
that, after so protracted a peace, and so many
years of inexperience in the use of arms, English-
men should have so rapidly attained a high
degree of proficiency both in drill and in rifle-
shooting. It has silenced all critics, and struck
no little consternation into the hearts of our
enemies. Whether we recal to mind the grand
array of tens of thousands of armed men deploy-
ing with unerring precision before our gracious
Queen in Hyde Park, or turn our thoughts to-
wards the flattering results of the peaceful con-
tests on Wimbledon Common, we cannot fail
to be convinced that the people of England are still
composed of that undaunted stuff which gained
for their ancestors the wide-spread reputation of
being the best and most skilful Volunteers in the
world. The same gratifying truth has found
illustration nearer home—at Claughton, at Ches-
ter, and at Aintree—and is even now being
realised on the sands at Crosby and Hightown.
Nor are the other counties and provincial towns
behind Lancashire and Cheshire in their efforts
to complete the Volunteer organisation ; each
and all can boast of their companies, battalions,
and brigades ; who have more or less distin-
guished themselves by diligence in drill, by
grand reviews, by admirable mimic fights, and
even by subjecting themselves to the rigorous
discipline of regular encampment in the field.
What more is needed to perfect the move-
ment, but the acquisition of a greater number
of suitable ranges for shooting practice,
and the establishment of local and district
meetings for competition in skill as marksmen.
A bill is now before Parliament to facilitate the
attainment of the former object, and there are
evidences in several parts of the country that the
latter requisite will not much longer be wanting.
Why should not Liverpool organise a Rifle
Association, and get up a grand shooting match ?
The importance of immediately instituting
Rifle Associations in every quarter can scarcely
be over-estimated, whether we regard them as
the means of prompting our Volunteers to acquire
first-class skill as marksmen, or as an instru-
mentality for maintaining undecayed the present
high spirited tone of our Volunteer regiments.
Why should not every Englishman be a good
marksman ? It was so in the olden time—why
not now ? The early English Archers were
Volunteers in every sense of the word, and while
they learnt their craft as freemen and citizens,
they constituted a formidable phalanx in the
field to whose marvellous precision of aim many
a victory is due. Why should not the Riflemen of
of our day become as formidable as our Archers
"at Cressy fell and red Poictiers "--at the
great battles of Falkirk, Halydon-hill, and
Holmedon. The most formidable marksmen ever
known in war, were those early British Volun-
teers. Their unparalleled excellence was simply
the result of constant practice. The various
local records throughout England show that the
" butts," or shooting place, was maintained, in
accordance with Act of Parliament, in every
parish, under heavy penalties if neglected. Many
writers attest the great care with which these
toxopholite institutions were kept up. The butts
were generally near the parish church, and the
Church itself was, in those days, not considered
too sacred to be employed as a depot for the
armour which every parish in England was
bound to supply and submit to the periodical
inspection of the justices. " Shooting at the butts "
was generally conjoined with the practice of var-
ious manly exercises and athletic games ; and in
the summer evenings the archers were joined on the
village green by the maidens dancing, while the
matrons sat gladly by, and looked on with ap-
proving delight. At one time every man under
sixty was directed to practice the bow : fathers,
governors, and masters, were compelled to train
their young people and servants to its use, under
severe penalties. -The description of weapon, the
length of range, and frequency of practice were
also strictly prescribed. If our Volunteer Rifle-
men are to hold their proper place as a body of
national defenders, their course is clear. Rifle
associations are only a revival of our old institu-
tions, with obvious modifications. To attain the
required proficiency, artillery and rifle practice
must be carried on with the same steady perse-
verance as our ancestors practised at the butts
with the bow for so many ages. With a Rifle
Association in every parish, there could be little
anxiety as to the permanency of our Volunteer
Rifle Corps.

That there should be some honest objectors to
the revival of the military spirit of the people,
we can well believe; but we feel equally certain
that those who are most forward in denouncing
the movement represent the very policy which
has mainly tended to bring about the complica-
tions which have endangered our national inde-
pendence, and forced upon us the necessity of
arming in self-defence. The peace-at-any-price
party have shown a dastardly disinclination to
complete our system of defence, because they
have no wish that England should maintain an
independent position among the nations. The only
question, however, in the mind of every loyal sub-
ject is, What is necessary to put the country and
tl.e population into such a condition that we may
laugh at all threats of invasion. If we are in.
any measure to rely on a volunteer army, it is.
clearly our duty to adopt every means in our
power to .increase its efficiency ; and if Rifle
Associations are to be ranked c,s the most likely
agcncy.for that purpose, we trust no other con-
sideration need be urged to secure their imme-
diate establishment, The Queen, the Govern-
melt, and the military authorities are fairly doing
their duty in encouraging the movement, and
affirding facilities for its development; and
dotbtless they will not come short of what is
yet required of them. Let the men of Lancashire
realise a proud sense of the high position they
occupy as the Volunteer defenders of the weal-
thist and most important province in the
empire; and, as many eyes are turned towards
than from every quarter, let them set a noble ex
am)le to all by the speedy inauguration of local
Rite Associations. A respectful request to the
Ealy of DERBY, to become Patron
.of such an
insitution, would be a graceful conaplimept, to
thelegislative founder of the preser t Volunteer
mo•ement—his acceptance of which would reflect
an honourable distinction on the 6‘ Lancashire
Rife Association."