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

are the best shots of their respectiVe societies.
Immediately after the -preientation of the ad-
dresses Her Majesty and the Prlice Consort
advanced to the rifle tent:.' One light touch
on • the string: attached to • the • trigger, and
the'first shOt Wits fired that announced the open-
ing of the competition. The bull's2qe was hit at
the distance of 400 yards ; the hnllet deviated
only :l inches in elevation, and 4.sths of in inch
from the direct line. The report of the rifle
was followed by a hearty cheer from all parts
of the ground. As her Majesty and suite
returned to the pa,villiOn a royal salute was
fired. The firing was kept up for some time
after her -.Majesty left. Of the whole num-
ber of competitors firing five rounds each at .300
yards distant the following were victors :--4th
(Northampton), Sergeant Tomalin, 8 points; oth
(Middlesex), Lieut. Dear, 8 points ; sth (Kent),
Mr. Edward Pant, 8 points. It is possible to
make 15 pOints—the bull's eye counts as three;
a shot two feet from the centre scores two points ;
hitting the margin round the centre makes only
one point. The average number of winners'
points will probably be as by Monday's expe-
rience—a mean from 6to 8. A full account will
be-found elsewhere.

Six additional gunboats are now undergoing a
strict- examination--two of which are the Raven
and the Redbreast, built by Messrs. Laird, of Bir-
kenhead. It will be as gratifying to the people
of Birkenhead and Liverpool, as it is creditable
to the port and to Messrs. Laird that the two
gun-boats launched from their yard have
been found to be all that could have been
expected—let them have been built where or by
whom they might. The other four unfortunately
present a lamentable contrast to those of Messrs.
Laird's, as will be seen from a detailed statement
in another column. ,

.It appears froni letter .in another column
that• the Towri-council are to be 'asked to-day to..
rescind the b:ye;laW- for the early closing of the
markets, on tlirgYol!nd of a memorial which was
framed, signed, .and,presented before the late
improvement came. into „operation ! Our corre-
spondent must surely be labouring under some
misapprehension in making such a statement, for
if he be correct, we feel a difficulty in accounting
for such a startling phenomenon. Another cor-
respondent, for whose communication we have no
room, insinuates rather broadly that the opposi-
tion to the improved arrangement for early
closing originates with the proprietors and tenants
of the public-houses-in the adjoining streets—but
of course, we pooh-pooh this coarse suggestion as
the least likely thing •in the world to influence
any body in so important a 'question.' We have
been at some trouble in order to ascertain the
actual feeling of the tenants,• and of the public
frequenting the markets, in reference to this
matter ; and we are bound to say that the eTi-
dence vastly preponderates in favour of early
closing. The only inconvenience, arising is but
temporary, and will never be felt by the market
tenants or their customers after the' new and
improved arrangement is fully know.h, and under-
stood to be permanent. If there be any true

friends of the working-classes in the Council,
they may be ascertained by their votes on this
question to-day. Everj truly " liberal" member,
will vote
whether " advanced" or " conservative,"
for the continuance of the new and improve 4
arrangement.