The Express.
London, England, 1867-08-03 00:00:00

Eke earovessO.

TO 00111IIITONDINTIL
Istaried Ike Tbo 11eo~ Logsdon Evening
=‘,nowt boo at tbe Mow, lb. ftwoodsigroot, by Two
cm Ye day of vital:Mow.

ORI7RY LAPIS.
Tins /MEMO, THAT RASCAL JACK. germ Rouse and
Neville : Mesdames Aherne and Thompeuti. —To conclude with
THE °BRAT CITY. Messrs. Co , Wham, Villiers, Irving,
ZOJAIS, Illtgames, d Waver: Yeedames Robertson d Le There.

HAYMARKET.
Tuts EVIVIING, THE LorE cHA.A. Morn. Chippendale.
/lows, Rogers, Kendal, Clarke. Weathersby, /Cc Mesdames
Bedgwlea, Chippendale Barks, La.—TO YAMS AND LUCK
WYK 45.—And TOE 1111 A, AND HOW TO MLR IT.

mummy&
TRW EVIDMIO. THE DAY An'ER THIS WEDDING -.THE
MAN M ELIE. James Harebell. Mr. Herman Yeah'; Meson
E. Price, Pnrrester, Gresham, Maclean, and Ellerton Mlssea B.
Ulan, Nally Moore, Ac.—And THE CLOCKHAKEIVA HAT.

eraA m.
TEM EVIIIING, ESTEEMS. Mears. Emery, PaneHe, Rob-
son. and Swanborough ; Aleadames Ad. Swanhorough and John-
stone—And THE LATK,IT EDITION OY FBA DIAVOLO.
Mn.ess Thorne & James ; llnalantes Hon, Newton, &c.

BRITANNIA.
TRIM RFENDie, SCARLET DICK • OR, Tilt ROAD AND ITS
SIDER'S —Mew,. Wllllem, f rft4 Owen,* Mr t Mze. Y'Hame •
the PhArnrion Akaters —And ;ACC & LANTERN OIL Tffl
RACECOURSE, AND TIM BLUR moos Of TRH TURF.

HIGH AT LONDON MOOG&
Tllll DAT —Hamlet, 41i. Es.......Afterooon, 4h. 25re
TO-110alioIF—Morning. ed 440—....A11ua100a. SU. 74A.

LONDON, SATURDAY, AUGUST 3.

A Votutrrzta meeting, less showy and exciting
than that of Wimbledon, but not less really im-
portant, has been in progress for the last ten days
at Shoeburyness, and closed yesterday. It is the
competition for prizes by the Artillery Corps, firing
heavy guns. Such practice necessarily takes place
at a distance from town, and it can be shared in
by only a small number of persons compared with
the multitudes who can shoulder a rifle. More-
over, it is the final comparison of a training which
is inevitably purely military, since no enthusiast
can indulge in private practice with a 32-pounder
in his bedroom. Besides, it involves very hard
work, since the handling of heavy guns is no child's
play, and in the result the credit gained by skill
is not personal, but divided among many. Thew
considerations account for the smaller numbers
who either devote themselves to this description
of drill or journey down to the practice ranges
to watch an.l ;:ncourage the rival skill of the corn-
roef!;tors. But the merit of these competitors is
the more for pursuing their self-imposed duties
with such devotion under such unfavourable cir-

cumstances. And the gratitude of the country is
not the less duo to those who would, as a conse-
quence of such practice, be able at a moment's
notice to man our coast batteries, and to set
free for other service every inland and sea-
port garrison in the kingdom. We have
no design of instituting invidious comparisons
between the value to us of the Rifle and the
tillery Volunteers. Both are unquestionably
doing a service to the country which is
beyond price. But, at least, it may be insisted
that the artillery corps are in no respect of less
advantage than those of the rival branch of the
service. This is in fact acknowledged by our
authorities, who have given to the artillery corps
precedence over the rifles. In a sea-girt island such
as ours the defence of the coasts must always be
of primary importance, and the progress of science
commits this defence more and more to the em-
ployment of heavy guns. It is to this department,
rather than to that of field artillery, that most
of our corps devote themselves. And their profi-
ciency is attested by the testimony of inspecting
officers, who declare that they are fit at once to
take the regular duties of garrison artillery.
These facts being beyond dispute, it is somewhat
unsatisfactory to find that Government scarcely
gives to the artillery meeting at Slaoeburyness the
support it might fairly claim. As its inferior attrac-
tions to the general and fashionable public deprive
it of the contributions which flow so liberally to
Wimbledon, it is more dependent for success on
the encouragement offered by those who can really
appreciate its importance. But unfortunately
these are defective in an almost equal ratio.
The Quzzx's prize, the great event of the
competition, and the only one shot for
with Armstrong guns, is merely of the
value of 100/. The Duke of CAMBRIDGE'S
prize is only 30/. Donors are of course entitled
to judge for themselves how much they will
give ; but official donors ought not to discriminate
between two branches of our service in so marked
a manner. But Government itself does worse.
During their stay at Shoeburyness the volunteers
must inevitably live in camp, for there is no other
accommodation in the neighbourhood, and the
nearest railway station is five miles distant.
Government recognises this fact so far as to supply
tents and straw mattresses—but it charges a round
sum for the use and even for the carriage of these
articles, and for the moderate wear and tear they
undergo during a ten days' service. This is carry-
ing the principle of the self-supporting character
of the volunteers to a pedantic and unreasonable
extent. Gentlemen who leave their business, and
come up from all parts of the kingdom to rough it
in camp, in order to make themselves more fit to
serve the country, ought not to be charged by a
grateful country with the wear and tear of the
canvas that shelters then, from rain and storm.
But still more objectionably stingy are the Govern-
ment rules with regard to the supply of ammuni-
tion. At present each battery of 80 men is only
allowed 75 rounds of ammunition for practice
during the year. That is to say, Government en-
courages practice only to the extent of one shot by
each man during the whole year, minus five men,
who do not get the benefit of firing a shot at all.
And by way of encouraging competition, all the