The Sun.
London, England, 1864-12-27 00:00:00

THE VOLUNTEERS,

Yesterday morning the members of the Queen's
Westminster Rifles paraded at half-past 11 o'clock
at the Duke of York'a Column, St. James's Park,
and after blank ammunition had been served out
proceeded, accompanied by the bands of the regi-
ment, to Hampstead, where the corps was put
through the movements of a field-day, in the pre-
sence of a large number of spectators. The annual
distribution of prizes will take place in Westminster
Hall on Saturday week. It is believed, but not yet
positively known, that Lady '2i-instance Grosvenor,
the wife of Earl Grosvenor, colonel of the regiment,
will, as usual, perform the ceremony.
This evening the Lord Mayor will preside at a
dinner of the Hampstead Rifles, at the Assembly
Rooms, when he will present the prizes won during
the year to the successful shots.
The prize meeting of the 6th Company of the St.
George Rifles, which has been delayed by unavoid-
able causes up till now, has just been held at the
ranges on Wormwood Scrubs. The interest of the
meeting was marred by the unfavourable state of
atmosphere, a dense fog occasionally rendering it
difficult to distinguish the outline of the targets at
100 yards. Under these circumstances, Capt. Wim-
penis resolved to limit the competition to third class
ranges. The first series of prizes, open to all effi.
cient members of the company, was disposed of at
300, 200, and 150 yards, five rounds at each range;
the distance being reduced as the light failed, as
follows :—Prize 1, Ensign Stewart, 44 matks; 2,
Ensign Crooks, 43; 3, Private Torr, 43 ; 4, Private
S. Leadbetter, 43; 5, Sergeant-Instructor of Mus-
ketry Lintott, 42 ; 6, Private Leah, 'll ; 7, Private
W. Leadbetter, 40; 8, Sergeant Campbell, 37; 9,
Private Cutler, 37 ; 10, Private White, 34 ; 11, Pri•
vete Donald, 33; 12, Private W. Smith, 32. The
second series, consisting of eight consolation prizes,
open to all who had failed to secure a prize in the
first, was then competed for, at 159 and 100 yards,
with the following results :-1, Private Thurst ; 2,
Private ‘Areckes ; 3, Private L. Jones ; 4, Captain
Wimperis; 5, Private Thorpe; 6, Sergeant W. J.
Pearman ;7, Private J. Parsons. The prizes will
be presented to the winners on the occasion of the
annual supper of the company, which will take
place early in the coming year.
_ _

During the present month the members of the
Victoria Rifles have shot off several matches. The
first match was between ten members of No.l Com,
pang and ten members of the 2d Inland Revenue
Company of the Civil Service Corps. The ranges
were 200, 600, and 600 yards, five shots at each
range, Wimbledon 1864 targets and marking. The
match resulted in favour of the Victorias by 27
marks, they having scored 305 marks to 278 made

by their oppouents. The second match was be-
tween the corps and the 2d Middlesex Administra-
tive Battalion. The match was arranged for 20
competitors en each side, but the 2d Administrative
liatalion having been di appointed of three of their
number, it was agreed that three of those presen,
should be allowed to shoot over the ranges twice,
their names to be drawn. The distances were 200
500, and 600 yards, five shots at each range, `Vim-'
bledon 1863 targets and marking. After a good
contest—conducted throughout the day in one of
the coldest and most searching north-easterly winds,
the Victories were declared the winners by 64
marks, they having scored 675 to 611 made by the
2 i Administrative e3attalion. A S:lver Pewter
agreed to be given by the losing side to the compess
titor on the winning side making the highest score.
was won by Sergeant M. R, Smith, who made 42
marks; Private J. Nicholas also made 42, but lost
the tie. Lieut. Thrupp, of the Royal Elthorne
Light Infantry, acted as umpire on the occasion.
The Victories have also competed for three prizes
granted ;by the committee from the funds of the
corps, The competition took place at Kilburn, at
200, 300, and 400 yards, five shots at each range,
Wimbledon scoring. A thick fog prevailed during
most of the day, rendering tho targets indistinct.
The first prize—value £7—was won by Captain
Jaques, who made 45 marks ; the second—value
£s—by Mr R. Jackson, with 44 marks ; and the
third—value £3—by Mr Luxmoore, with 42 marks.
The annual distribution of prizes to the Ist
Middlesex Artillery Volunteers took place last
week in the largo hall at head-quarters, Leicester•
square, which was decorated for the occasion with
trophies of arms and flags. Col. Erskine officiated.
Colonel Creed, the commanding officer of the
brigade, opened the proceedings by congratulating
the corps on the presence of Colonel Erskine, the
Inspector-General of Volunteers. He said Colonel
M'Murdo was prevented by an engagement from
attending, and regretted the fact because he had
never had an opportunity of meeting an artillery
corps on a similar occasion. They must not suppose
on that account that the Inspectors General had
either neglected or passed over the artillery branch
of the service. It was impossible to have a warmer
friend or a more persevering supporter than Colonel
11I'Murdo had been to them. It was entirely owing
to him that they now possessed the fine field battery
and harness, in addition to the guns first given to
the Volunteer Artillery. Colonel M'Murdo was a
thoroughly pracical artillery officer. He must re-
mind them that the Ist Middlesex Artillery Brigade
during the past year had been present, with its
guns fully horsed, at Guildford, at Hyde Park, at
Stowe Park, Bucks, and at Wimbledon. At the
last place they were under canvas, and were in-
spected by a colonel of the Royal Artillery, xho
had been pleased to bestow the greatest praise on
the brigade for its efficiency. The numbers of the
brigade were steadily increasing, and the propor-
tion of effectives was very much larger than last
year. A school of arms had been established at
the headquarters, and had been very beneficial. He
thought it dice to his own brigade to assure them
that the Ist Middlesex were prospering end not in
debt—(cheers)—and, with the assistance of the
Government grant, he had not the slightest doubt
that they would keep clear of pecuniary difficulties.
Colonel Erskine, being then invited to address the
assembly, referred to the sacrifices of time, leisure,
and pecuniary means made by the Volunteers as
a reason for their receiving both the moral and
material support of the community that they
represented. On the Ist of December, 1863,
they mustered 325 enrolled members, of whom
226 were efficient, At the same date this year
the enrolled strength had increased to 373, and
the efficients to 271. That be called a very Bettis.
factory state of progress. He then handed the
several prizes to the successful competitors, except.
ing the Ladies' Prizes which was presented by Mrs
Creed.

Victor Hugo's Christmas Fete.

(From the Guernsey

Tnis distinguished individual is now as popularly
known for his liberality and kindness to poor chil-
dren as for his literary taste and productions. Forty.
one children are entertained fortnigiatly—say
twenty on the Thursday of each week—at Haute.
vale House, the residence of the poet, where they
partake of a substantial dinner, being waited upo❑
by Male. Hugo and her noble family, with kind
courtesy and nondescansion. In addition to this
these children are entertained each year to a Christ-
mas fete.

The children were received at Heuteville House
at noon on Thursday last, when they were re-
galed with an excellent luncheon, which they
thoroughly enjoyed ; afser which they were con-
ducted into another apartment, in which, on a
large table never employed to beta: r purpose, were
ranged different lots of warm and useful wearing
apparei, each lot bearing the ❑ame of the child for
whom it was intended. The distribution of clothing
having tcken place, the folding doors were throw❑

open, when the children, together with the guests
present, had the gratificatio❑ and pleasure of the
better than " fairy sight of a fiuo Cnristmas fir-
tree, gloriously lit and loaded with choice toys,
beautiful flags, and delicious oranges; the union
jack—" the flag which, for a thousand years, has
braved the battle and the bretza”—heing the top
crowning ensign of ahem all.

The tree was soon stripped of its gems, each child
receiving such toys as felt to its lot, but although
this was a lottery there was not a single blank, each
child held a full ticket which infallibly drew a valu-
able prize. Ttie joy manifested in the happy coun-
tenances and bright eyes of these young children,
on receiving so many proofs of kindness, may be
well supposed—and it was a most gratifying sight
to behold.

The children were waited upon by Mire. Hugo
and Mme. Cheney with hearty good •will, assisted
by several ladies and the domestics of the house.
VICTOR HUGO, just before the distribution of the
clothing took place, gave an eloquent addrees to
the guests present, in French, of which, in the fol-
lowing report, we give only a brief and imperfect
outline of its line of argument, beauty of concep.
tion, and force of illustration.
" Ladies, to you I would address myself for a
few minutes on the subject of this, what I call
nay little Christmas feast. I admire charity, it is
a Christian virtud, and as sash its exercis has
done and is doing much for the relief of human
suffering. However, this little weekly entertain-
ment which I have established for children of
poor parents, irrespective of country and of creed,
I look upon not as an act of charity but of fraternity.
This is the third year of its anniversary, and each
time I have only the same thing to repeat. It is
but a very small act, a very small seed which, how-
ever, may and, I am hapyy to say, has borne fruit.
Cnildren are an interesting class, because of their
comparative helplessness and their innocency; but
they are not all equally so. The children of the
poor, those whom we call poor children, are doubly
interesting; their very inequality as to position and
advantages demands and excites a different and a
greater interest on our part. Our duties to the
children of the rich are the cultivation of their moral
powers and intellectual faculties; but in addition

to these, in reference to poor children, it is our ims
perative duty to supply their physical nature with a
sufficiency of good wholesome food. Material and
moral misery demand, each of them, our attention,
our interest, and our help. The poor child is unoer
a moral fatality, and we should ask, What can I no
to remove it ? Some take one way, some another—

I take this—to improve it. The commissioners
appointed by the Ittfpublican Government of France
to examine and report on the cause of sickness and
death of so large a proportion of the children of
the poor born in that kingdom, stated in their
report that the chief cause was the want of nourif.2h.
iog food. They added, that if even one good sub,
BtantiO meat dinner, with one glass of pure wine,
were given monthly to each poor child, the health
and strength would be greatly promoted, and their

lives preserved. It struck me that it would be
well fur one to carry out the suggestion practi-
cally, but the public duties which I had to fulfil
in Paris prevented ray doing so then. I have to
thank M. Louis Bonaparte that, owing to my
exile I have been enabled to do go now that I am

e.eese
away from the bustle and political duties of Peng.
He has thus thus unconsciously been the means of
enabling me to do what was in my heart. (Here
the guests were sensibly affected, some even to
tears.) Forty.one children, whom you see around
you, come in two divisions, to 20 of whom we give
a dinner each Thursday of the week, so that each
of them has, to my knowledge, not one but two sub.
stential meat dinners every month of the year.
In all of them we see marked improvement ; their
health is good, their strength much greater. This
physical improvement is, at the same time, moral
and mental improvement. It is a well-known
fact, that the robust and healthy child will
possess a superior degree of moral power and
intellectual development to the weak and sickly
one. We further insist, that all those who
would continue to be our guests must learn to
read, or else they will have to be replaced by
others; hence their anxiety to learn. We wish to
teach them the divine doctrines of equality and frit.
ternity. To do so, we, the members of my family,
wait upon them wed serve at table, so that finding
themselves waited upo❑ by those whom they are
taught to look upon as rich and noble, they may 111
early life understand the sublime doctrine of the
equality of mankind, the divine fraternity of the
human family. There some philosophers who find
16 or 17 original Adams. Ido nut participate in
such views ; I hold to the Scriptural doctrine of
one Adam only, the father of all mankind. We
are thus one family, one sacred brotherhood, sprung
from one stock. partakers of one nature; hence
there is not, properly speaking, the rich and the
poor, for all are from one original father ; the
difference being that one brother has more
of this world's goods than another, which, however,
is of an uncertain, fleeting, and transitory nature.
Indeed, I have sometimes thought that if one
Adam' had not been made known to us, it would
have been necessary to invent or at least to desire
one. Rich children may become poor men and
women. Well, if during their prosperity they have
ministered unto others, and some of these poor
children may become rich and noble, they may then
remember these days, and from these they may be
prompted to act in a similar manner towards the
poor children of their future years. But we do
not forget that the children of the rich have
their toys at this festive season of the year,
nor can we forget that poor children
love toys equally as much as their more
fortunate brothers. We provide them with clothes,
as you see; first, because necessaries before all things
should be provided and bestowed, and whe❑ these
have bee❑ distributed, we shall proceed to a distri-
bution of toys. I a> id that this weekly meal was
a small seed sown, and that already it has borne
fruit. lam happy in being informed, that from it
similar institutions on a large scale are in active
operation in South America, in Sweden, in France,
in Switzerland, in England, and several other court'
tries. A report of one established in Londo❑ by a
worthy clergyman was sent me yesterday, with
drawing of the room and children at table (the draws
ing was then handed round for inspection to the corn•
pany present), in which, as you will find, supported
by generous contributions, two substantial dinners
are given weekly to 1,400 children."
This agreeable fete reminded the guests present of
the conduct and commands of our Lord, who went
about doing good ; and its effect cannot but prove
an incentive to all to go and do likewise. At the
conclusion an unexpected but highly appreciated
act of kindness took place. The ladies present
drew lots for a beautiful illustrated album of music,
in which the distinguished poet had inscribed, toge-
ther with his valuable autograph, a memorial of
the fete.

The Students at Edinburgh University.

i The following circular has been issued by the
Senatus Academicus of the University in regard to
the disgraceful uproar which took place on the cccas
sion of the venerable Principal's inaugural address
to the students :—The Senates Academicns, in the
discharge of their duty as entrusted with the dig`
cipline of the university, have to inform the students
at large that on Saturday, the 19th ult., one of their
number was brought before the Senatus for inters
rupting the Principal's annual address—a breach of
discipline which it was impossible for the Senatua
to pass without notice and punishment. As the
offender was a first year's student, and acted under
the influence of evil example shown by not a few of
his comrades, and as he spontaneously and promptly
addressed to the Principal a letter of regret and
apology for his offence, the Senatus have seen it to
be consistent with their duty to iufiict, in this par'
ticular case, the most lenient punishment which it
was in their power to pronounce—viz., that of cery
sure and reproof before the Senates. Under other
circumstances it might not have been possible t°
exercise this leniency ; but even if they had felt
constrained to use severity, the Senates Academicus
trust that the students would not fail to see that
in upholding the discipline of the university the
Senates are influenced by no other consideration
than affection for the students and sincere regard
for their interests. Conscious themselves of no other
feeling, the Senates Academicus take advantage of
this opportunity to impress upon the students gene'
rally the mischief which is certain to arise if they
do not, by their own act and sense of right, put '511:,
end to the conduct, so unlike that of gentlemen and
scholars, which has disgaced this university on the
occasions of the annual introductory address of the
Principal for several years past. It is true that th°
misconduct has been confined to a portion of thei
students. But, in the fact that it has been at
tolerated by the students, the disgrace fails upon
the whole body. The students ought to know thtio
repeated acts of the same kind on former ocoasit
have called down upon them the censure of the 130'0
lie beyond the walls of the university. The censera
has been repeated by parties at a distance; au
an impression prevails very widely that the
students of the University of Edinburgh are sre
tematically turbulent and uncontrollable. 148
Senatus need not say this impression is errene°er:
since the same students, who have acted so indec°
ously on such occasion as that of the 14th ult,',"
conduct themselves in their classes in an orderly''
and becoming manner. But the unfavourable .
t
pression thus received by the public is not Orel&
sonable, and unfortunately the university has
fered in consequence. These considerations WO,
compel the Senates to use greater severity tf
fortunately any serious breach of academic d'seao
line should occur in future. They have httlie.o.
been very unwilling to do so, because the rustl_,,,,,
tion or expulsion of a student suspends or step,
altogether his education at this or any other en'
..e,
sity in the United Kingdom, and consequently' but
vents him entering any learned proteasion•
~ca
such injury to en individual must not be permit' of
to interfere with the interests of the whole body
h
the students, The Senates Academicus look wise
confidence for the sympathy and co-operation. 0'
,b 0
great body of their students in preventing, f 0 This
future, such scenes as were enacted this year. .ver.
is a matter in which all the members of the uh,,d ,
sity, as well students as professors, are concer 1_
and it is earnestly hoped that the present,7.,a
prove the last occasion on which it may be 1
ice u`lo
r
necessary to allude in any way to an ofie__co
childish in itself, yet so fruitful of bad consequ"
to all concerned.

Foreign Mail Packet List.

MAILb DUE.

15'
Jail

Australis and Mauritius, via 6outhauiptou.• • • • "1„ *
v-411 Jektu
......... ~,rahil and Cape
Hope, V erds,
Asoeusiox, by Britianshd St.B lieletia•• pae,ket. .......•,: 29
Bap© of (loadJ4 ..
;hula, Yeutiog, and iShigapore, via 6outhaviptou...,aeue. 2
vin Marseilleta .••-u

(I'it'aibikralftlicadr,lvEliaandLuthara.pt, 'a ... ..
*************** pea.
27.
.........
India (Calcutta), 1 Ceylon, i WIC v_,..tgolitharupton• ;pin: ?-4.
via Marscilict,. • • 0 :',.,
via Marseilles .................
India (Bombay), via Southampton ........ Dec.
__ . . amptoll
Portugal... ...... . ..... . ........... Jan• -,./.
,lett-a, Egypii, and Aden, . via ....... ...... De.e• f....'..
via Marseilles ........ D-c. ,
Newfoundland ............................ Jan.
Oportou and Vigo .. ............ .............. 0 0.
U. S. and British N. Amarica, by Brit. packet.. • .1)e
by U.S. packet.. • . no
by Canadian packet.Pec. .?,,,
Jan. P,
W.C. of Africa, Madeira, and Tencriffe ..........
~.,
_. ~,.
Dec. --;.
1,V,,t, Indiet, and Pacific ............... . ........ -I:t•Lsu. i-2.
Bahamas (vi, New York) ..................... J....1.'n• is.
Bermuda (ditto) .............................
,i;ec. v.
Cuba and Nenco .............. pw/t, ..... .