The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-01 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 1, 1864.

seven rounds at 700 and 800 yards, was won by
Private Anderson, of Melton, who made 34 points.
For Sir Henry Halford's prize, first £lO, second .£7,
and third L 5 (the second and third prizes being
given by Colonel Halford), five rounds at 200, 500,
and 600 yards, there were 37 competitors. Mr
Brookes, of Croft, was the winner of the first prize ;
Captain Millican and Ensign Biggs tied for the
second prize, and then fired each a shot at the 600
yards' range ; Captain Millican scored an outer, and
Mr. Biggs a ball's-eye, thus winning the second
prize, and Captain Millican taking the third.
The annual prize shooting of the Tavistock Rifle
Corps took place on Monday. The weather was
favourable, and there was a large concourse of ladies
and gentlemen on the ground. Major Duperier,
adjutant of the battalion, acted as umpire. The best
of several money prizes given by the Duke of Bed•
ford was won by Sergeant Daw, who made a total
of 23 at 300 and 600 yards, five shots at each dis-
tance. Privates Hindmarsh and Bickford tied for
the second prize with 22, but the former was dis-
qualified on account of using a rifle not Govern.
ment pattern. The Mining Cup and £l7, given by
gentlemen connected with mines of the Tavistock
district, were competed for at 200, 400, and 600
yards, five shots at each range. Sergeant Askham
won the cup with a score of 41. Privates Minhin.
nett and Hindmarsh tied with 40 for the best money
prize, but Hindmarsh was again disqualified for the
same reason as in the previous class. The borough
prizes were shot for at 200, and 500 yards, seven
shots at each distance. The first prize (the Por.
treeve's Cup) was carried off by Lieutenant Perry
with a score of 41. Sergeant Daw and private
Hindmarsh tied with 39 for the best money prize,
but the latter was again disqualified. The best of
the recruits' prizes was won by private Rapson,
with a score of 16, made by five shots at each dis■
tance of 200 and 300 yards. _

The annual competition for prizes offered to the
Great Yarmouth Administrative Battalion com-
menced on Monday at the practice-ground on the
North Denes. There were 15 competitors for a cup
of the value of £5 55., presented by the Mayor
(Mr. R. Steward), the ranges being 200 and 500
yards, seven rounds each. The highest score was
made by Corporal Wilshak, at present the champion
shot of Norfolk, who obtained 42 marks, Sergeant
Chipperfield coming next with 37 marks. Corporal
Wilshak accordingly won the prize. The second
prize was of the value of £lO, and was presented
by the members for the borough, Sir E. H. K. La-
con, MT., and Sir H. J. Stracey, M.P. Tho ranges
were 200, 500, and 600 yards, five rounds at each,
and there were 22 competitors. Here again Corpo•
ral Wilshak proved the winner, making 41 marks,
while Sergeant Pearson came next with 38 marks.
As the rules of the competition prevented more than
one prize going to any one person, Corporal Wils-
hak had to resign the second prize to Sergeant
Pearson. The third contest was for a series of
prizes offered by Major Orde and the officers of the
battalion. Major Orde's prizes were £5, £3, and
£2, option to ail efficient members of the corps who
had never won a battalion prize. The ranges were
200 and 500 yards, five shots each, and there were
45 competitors. About 30 failed to score 20 marks,
and the highest score was made by Corporal Davy-
-28 marks.

petted this year. The largest portion of the crop
goes to Liverpool and Smyrna, and the rest to Mar-
seilles and Constantinople. Some little injury has
been caused by hail, but the crops look well. From
Janina the Consul reports that in 1863 cotton culti•
vation was for the first time tried at Epirus, and
although, on the whole, the experiment failed,
partly through ignorance, there was sufficient to
inspire confidence, and to induce greater exertions
this year. Considerable progress has consequently
been made, the services of experienced growers from
Salonica have been obtained, and it is confidently
expected that the results will be such as to consti-
tute cotton a staple product of the country. The
plains of Arta and Musakia offer the most favour.
able spots, and the small quantity grown last year,
about 18,0001 b., was sent to Corfu. The scarcity of
labour is represented to be a difficulty which may
be overcome by the introduction of Bulgarian
peasants.

Railway and Other Companies.

GREAT NORTHERN.

The proposed scheme of the Great Eastern Northern
Junction has given rise to a discussion on its merits, and
Mr Edmund Denison, the chairman of the Great Northern
Company, has issued an address to the shareholders of that
undertaking, in which he discusses the question of the Great
Eastern notthern scheme, and denies that the advantages
announced would be obtained from it. The real points at
issue between that company and the one over which he pre-
sides do not, he observes, appear so surprising as has been
represented, and he remarks that, as the Great Eastern
threaten to renew the contest next year, the shareholders
of the Great Northern may venture to hope that, as the
new lines will be in a forward state, Parliament will refuso
to sanction a fourth north and south scheme through the
county of Lincoln, especially when the objects of legitimate
competition can be gained without it. The late contest was
expensive, the Great Eastern case having taken 18 days in
the House of Commons, and the Great Northern seven. But
this was the only heavy case in which they had been en-
gaged during a session in which there were so many bills
that the house had at last decided to relieve itself of part
of the labour of committees by appointing referees to do
their work for them. The success of that particular plan,
somewhat hastily devised and adopted in the last days of
the session, seemed extremely doubtful, but it might be the
first step towards the adoption of a plan he himself
proposed in 1858 to a committee on the subject while he
was a member of Parliament, viz., the establishment of a
regular court of well-qualified judges of private bills, inde-
pendent of any Government board or control, from which
the only appeal could be to each house at large, not trying
the case over again, but acting, as now, on the report of
their own committees. An appeal from such judges as these
ought to be, or any judges, to a committee of four or five
gentlemen, whose only judicial qualification should consist
in their being members of Parhameiat, would be fatal to the
existence of a court beyond a year, and would probably
make it impossible to constitute it properly at first, Par-
liament would not exercise less but far more real control
over bills sent to them by a court outside than it does now
over the decisions of committees, with which, however un-
just, foolish, or inconsistent with each other, almost inva-
riably refuses to interfere; and if the salary of the judges
were as high as any in Westminster Hall it would be saved
many times over by the greater simplicity and quickness of
the proceedings.

Terminus on Tuesday—Mr J. H. Nix in the chair. The
report stated that the line was nearly approaching comple-
tion, but there had been such delays on tho part of the con-
tractor that they were obliged to take the works out of his
hands. They hoped the line would be open for public traffic
without delay. The receipts were £47,900, and the expen-
diture £47,800. Tho report was adopted, end Mr E. Bel-
lamy was elected auditor.