The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-23 00:00:00

a stiff breeze blowing at right angles across the line of fire,
causing the target to have a very unsteady motion, the guns
were laid and pointed with remarkable accuracy, nearly
every shot and shell alighting in close proximity to the
target. During the piactice every precaution was taken by
the commandant of the garrison to guard against the possi-
bility of an accident.
Ile annual inspection of the Rifle Volunteer corps com-
prising the 3d Administrative Battalion of Kent Volun •
teers took place at Chatham on Thursday last by Lieutenant-
Colonel R, G. A. Luard. The companies present con-
sisted of the 19th and 45th (City of Rochester), 9th (Chat-
ham), 23nd (Sheerness), 39th (\Vest Mailing), 20th (North-
fleet), entrel2th (Dartford). On the assembling of the seve-
ral corps they were marched to the Government grounds in
the vicinity of Fort Pitt, when they were put through the
customary manoeuvres by Lieutenant-Colonel Stott, who
commanded the battalion, Captain Cornyn, of the 22nd, and
Lieutenant Marsh, of the 19th Kent, exercising the battalion
in the manual and platoon exercises. At the termination
of the inspection, Col. Luard briefly addressed the volun-
teers, and stated that he was pleased to see an improvement
on last year's drill. He added that although the move-
ments had not been performed so steadily as they might
have been, yet on the whole the battalion had done pretty
fairly.
In Suffolk, the Lowestoft battery paraded at the drill-
shed on Thursday evening, when the prizes for great gun
firing were distributed as follows :—The left subdivision
took Capt. Morse's prize of £5, offered for the subdivision
making the best shots; Gunner C. R. Tymms, Mr T. R.
Wood's prize of 1 la., offered to the best shot of the bat-
tery ; Sergeant Madison and Gunner Roberts, Lieut. Garn-
ham's prize of a spade guinea and half guinea for the first
and second best shots of the right subdivision; Gunner A.
Cooper and Gunner C. R. Tymms, Lieut. Seppinga'e prize
of the same character, offered to the left subdivision; and
Sergeant-Major Youngman and Sergeant Steward, two
prizes of 10s., offered to the third best shots in the two
divisions by Mr Brackenbury. The volunteers, after the
distribution of the prizes, were entertained by Mr Woods,
at his residence, Park-hill, Oulton.
Several movements may be noted in Lincolnshire. A
party of about 30 of the Lincoln corps proceeded last week
to Gaiasborough to complete their class firing at 890 and 900
yards, and only two of them failed to obtain a sufficient
number of marks to entitle them to become marksmen.
Colour-Sergt. Bourne, of No. 3 company, made the highest
score (19 marks), and has consequently become the holder
for one year of Mr Clayton's challenge cup ; he receives in
addition a prize of £5 from the funds of the corps. At the
annual competition for prizes by the Louth corps the com-
mittee offered prizes to be shot for by the first, second, and
third classes. In the first class the first prize of £3 was won
by Sergeant Mason, who made 30 marks at 200 and 500
yards; in the second class the first prize of £1 was won by
Captain Robson, who made 28 marks at 200 and 500 yards ;
and in the third class the first prize was won by Sergeant
Waite, who made 17 marks at 150 and 200 yards. A prize
of £2 2s, given by Mr Blathwayt, was shot for by the first-
class men, second period, at 500 and 600 yards, and was won
by Lance-Corporal Brady.
The Shepton Mallet (15th Somerset) Volunteers have
had another friendly contest with the Bath (2d Somerset)
Company, and the latter were again defeated. The Shep-
ton Company shot for their challenge cup on Wednesday,
at 200, 400, and 500 yards. Private John Allen was the
winner with 42 marks; and the cup passed to him from
Sergeant Cook, the previous winner.
In Wiltshire the coming contests are attracting much
attention -among the Volunteers. An interesting contest
took place last week between the Chippenham and Melks-
ham corps, on the ground of the latter. The ranges were
200, 500, and 600 yards, Hythe position, and Wimbledon
scoring. At 200 the Chippenham men headed their oppo-
nents by 20 points; but at the next ranges the 111elksham
made superior scoring, and succeeded in heading the Chip-
henham men by 12 points. This was the return match.
A return match between 10 members of the Loughborough
and 10 of the Melton company has just been decided at the
Melton range. Sides of 10 each were formed, and the
shooting was at 200, 500, and 600 yards. The scores made
were as follows :—Melton, 326; Loughborough, 307. The
Melton 10 accordingly won. In a match between 20 of the
Melton company and 20 of the Ashby-de-la-Zouch com-
pany, shooting at 200, 500, and 630 yards, the scores made
were—Melton, 553; Ashby, 529.
Mr Charles Mezley, the mayor of Liverpool, following
the example of Mr Hutchinson (the late mayor), invited the
volunteers of Liverpool to a grand gathering at the Aintree
race course on Saturday. The weather was beautifully fine,
and about 5,000 volunteers were on the ground, while at
least 30,000 spectators were assembled on tho Grand Stand
and in the neighbourhood of the course. The military
arrangements included a review and sham fight, the details
and organisation of which were, of course, left to the chief
local volunteer officers. There were in all 12 battalions on
the ground, five of these being artillery, one engineers, and
the remainder rifles. The men came on the ground about
4 o'clock, and on the plain in front of the Grand Stand took
up their position in close column of battalions, while the
inspecting officers went slowly along the line. Col.M'Murdo
was the reviewing officer, and the staff comprised Col. Man-
ners and Col. Bruce (inspectors of districts), and Col.
Lovett, of the 2d Shropshire Battalion. 'The marching past
was upon the whole gone through with great regularity.
At the close of the day Col. M'Murdo addressed the officers
and men, commending their appearance and the condition
of their arms, and the steadiness which was apparent in the
ranks. Alluding to the Press Guard, and to their adoption
(by special permission) of the practice of carrying their arms,
he said that it was an antiquated and cumbersome fashion,
and that the men did not do it well. The arms were too
much at the slop. He recommended, therefore, if they
adhered to the practice, a special drill in this branch.
It was not merely red coats and bearskins, and having the
fixed bayonet, that made the soldier, but good hard drill.
In conclusion, Colonel M'Murdo said that this would be the
last occasion on which he should have the opportunity of
seeing the Volunteers in any tAmoikivroblo numbers. He
should lay down his office, however, with the gratifying
knowledge that during the last five years the Volunteer
force had greatly increased in numbers and improved in
efficiency. He was convinced that the existence of this
force had saved England from much insult and perhaps
from positive attack. It was not an aggressive force, but
one intended to keep aggression from the country ; and so
long as nations chose to go to war, so long would the
Volunteer force preserve this country safe from foreign
attack, and contribute to the happiness and contentment of
the people. The Volunteers then broke up for refreshment.

On the invitation of the Earl of Zetland, a porticn of the
first battalion of North Riding Volunteers, comprising the
4th, sth, and 15th North York Corps, under the command
of Lieut. Colonel Earl Cathcart, assembled in the beautiful
grounds of Aske Hall for review on Thursday. The Volun.
teers were nearly 300 strong. The day was observed as a close
holiday in Richmond, by the Mayor's orders, and vast num-
bers of people repaired to the park and grounds, the whole
of which were thrown open for the occasion. The Volun-
teers were drawn up in line before the hall, to receive the
Earl of Zetland, who, in his Lord Lieutenant's uniform,
rode past the ranks, minutely inspecting the men. Earl
Cathcart then put the Volunteers through the varied move-
ments of battalion drill, at the close of which they were
marched to the Riding School, where a banquet had been
spread. Here the men were joined by Lord Zetland, Earl
and Countess Cathcart, Lord and Lady Teignmouth, Lord
and Lady Stratford de Redcliffe, the Misses Canning, the
Hon. T. 0. Powlett, Count Corvell, and others forming
Lord Zetland's party. During the after-dinner speeches
which followed, it was made a matter of congratulation that
Earl Cathcart had reconsidered his intention to resign the
command of the battalion and would remain at their head
as at present. The Volunteers were very much praised for
their efficiency.

A LADY PREACHER AND THE POLICE.—Most of
our readers (says the Carmarthen Journal) have
deubtless heard of Mrs Colonel Bell, a lady who is (perhaps
somewhat indiscreetly) migrating from town to town
throughout the principality for the purpose of preaching
and selling copies of the Scriptures. Whether Mrs Bell
considers Swansea more depraved than other towns we know
not, but her stay here has now been prolonged for several
months, and the way in which she fulfills her mission has
repeatedly brought her into antagonism with the police.
Some few weeks ago Mrs Bell was summoned before the
bench for causing obstruction in the streets, and the case
being proved she was ordered to pay 6s 6d costs, On Mon-
day last Mrs Bell was again summoned for a similar offence,
and on this occasion Mr Robert Sutherland. tho town mis-
sionary, was also summoned. The case was proved by P.C.
26, who swore that on Sunday evening both defendants were
preaching in Castle-square, that a very large crowd of per-
sons congregated around them, and the thoroughfare was
consequently obstructed. The defendants brought forward
three or four respectable civilians, who deposed that they
wero present during the whole of the Sunday evening ser-
vice, and that there was no obstruction—pedestrians passed
and repassed on either side of the street. The magistrates,
however, believed the case proved, and fined each of the
defendants '2os, or 44 days' imprisonment. The defendants
refused to pay, stating they had no money, and Mrs Bell
adding that the apostles went to gaol for the cause of Christ
in days of old, and she would follow their example. Ulti-
mately, however, a gentleman in court paid the money for
both the defendants, who were then liberated. Mrs Bell
left a Bible with tho head constable as a gift to the officer
who had proved the case against her.
FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE RIVER.—On Friday
evening, Mr. Arthur Priest, of Plumatead New Town,
with a party of friends, left the pier at North Woolwich
in a waterman's boat for the purpose of crossing the river
on their return from the gardens, when at starting the
craft came in collision with a steamer and was upset. The
whole of the party were save(' with the exception of
Mr Priest.