The Express.
London, England, 1852-03-22 00:00:00

TO VIZ EDITOR. OP Till EXPRESS.

am a member, and was one of the first
promoters of the " Metropolitan Rifle Club," whose meet-
ing was reported in your paper on Friday last. The meet-
ing expressed regret that the government should have re-
fused ea offer to form ourselves—at our own expense—into
• rile regiment of a thousand gentlemen. lam sorry that
we hale a government f 0 unwise as to refuse such an offer,
bat them fads m 7 regret. lam exceedingly glad to know
tholtotaimmegoomw of Lord Salisbury's communication,
we doll be eoesoffied, for the present at least, to continue
to call onesehres• "club," and that we are thus left to deve-
lop our resources and vitality by ourselves, instead of be-
sieging what a very young friend of mine who has not yet
loaned French, calls • corpse, under the, to Engffielaness
seer chilling and energy-checking patronage end guidance
id government.
We had no intention of being anything more than a club
OMB the appearance of the communication from the Home-
dint to the Newcastle Rifle. Club some weeks ago, whereby
It was rendered plain that no facilities would be given to
each associations, unless they should choose to become
regular volunteers, at a large commencing expense to each
individual, and the inconvenience of compulsory discipline.
I was of the number of those who thought that no facilities
and privileges which government could offer would
pay us for the sacrifice of our free action and
powers of expansion, hut I was in the minority ;
and it was determined that, government permitting, we
should become a regular rifle regiment of one thousand
gentlemen, providing our own arms and accoutrements,
and submitting to the usual course of obligatory discipline.
Upon the announcement of this determination, a luge
number of our earliest members fell off, and the business of
Vomiting, which went on very fast up to that time, has
Moe been very slow work. Now, however, I rejoice to
shad that the metropolitan and the other clubs throughout
the country—with the exception of two or three which were
eseepted as corps by the late government just before it went
sat—are restored to their old position and advantages.
It is my deep conviction, end one which has been sup-
ported by the opinion of excellent judges in such matters,
, SW the institution of clubs of gentlemen, associated for the
simple purpose of making themselves expert in the use of
the new long range rifles, sill be of far more real value
to the country than the premature formation of corps. The
large expense and compulsory discipline of regular corps
will always give them a dilettanti and exclusive character
except in time of imminent and obvious danger; but rifle
clubs are things which do not necessarily require their
members to go to any expense beyond a small annual sub-
scription and the price of the ammunition consumed; the
members, moreover are always free to practise as seldom
or as often as they like ; and, should danger arise, to em-
ploy their skill in the service of their country or not as they
see reason. Here, then, are the elements of • most exten-
sive development of force—of force which might be or-
ganieed, it necessary, at one week's notice—for six days, as
I have learned from high military authorities, is quite time
enough to convert a good rifle-shot into an efficient member
of a ride brigade.
Rifle practice, at • target, in the open air, and at long
ranges, if once set fairly going by a few associated club,
throughout the country, as quite sure to become extremely
popular as an amusing and wholesome exercise ; and it is
in this character alone that rifle practice can ever become
sufficiently extensive to be of any serious use to the country
in time of need. Rifle corps would no doubt form them-
selves is great numbers at the prospect of immediate na-
Waal danger—or, at least, great numbers of persons would
mho the attempt. But it would be a vain one, unless the
=of rifle clubs had been long in existence; for the
reason that all the guomskers in England could not,
addition to their usual work, produce, in the course of a
year, the number of rifles, say 100,000, which might thee
be required, at a mouth's or week's notice.
Innumerable clubs, then, having the immediate induce-
ment of manly amusement and wholesome exercise, together
with a vast prospective national utility, are what we ought
by our example and aid to endeavour to set on foot, and
I hope that you will forward this good work by bringing
the contents of this letter before the numerous other clubs
which have been " snubbed" by a government whose de-
signation of " protectionist" seems, as far as regards the
true protection of the country,, to be an eminent instance of
the incur o non /timid°. C. K. P.

MAIDENHEAD, BERKS. The neighbourhood of
Boyn-bill, a little village near Maidenhead, was thrown
into great consternation on Tuesday last, by the discovery
of one of those shocking occurrences which tills ths
neigh-
bourhoo-I with horror. A labouring man, named John
Cannon, residing at Boyn-hill, hes for the last two years
taken as a lodger a relative of his wife, named Isaac UV, who
has always ehuwn certain indications of weak Intellect. On
Tuesday morning, hiving been left in the house with a
little girl about four years of age, a granddaughter of John
Cannon's, he cruelly murdered the poor child, it is supposed
by knocking its head against the floor, and afterwards
it about the roam. Lee was taki n before the
magisaates for the borough of Maidenhead, Mr. C. Cooper,
mayor, Mr. J. G. Ilishoe, and Mr. J. Higgs, on the 19th,
and committed to take his trial at the nest assizes for the
county of Berke for murder.