The Sun.
London, England, 1864-11-28 00:00:00

z _

'11:'41C1
1.114111K1k-:
_nue
•
,
•
-017004.
D 1:11.`" 360..:,-* *D. •
Y 411;

:•.,;2.e,•<.,,..•°'.

PRICF ..4d,
STAMPED ....sd.

upon •vhich a new prize offered by Lord Wemyss would be
shot for, Lord Elcho touched upon the constitution of the
games committee, and went on to say that the regiment was
in possession of capital curling, grounds, and that he hoped
young Scotchmen who were now standing about him dressed
in brown and all sorts of mufti, instead of wearing gray and
being in the ranks, would come forward and join the club.
A golf club had also been started at Wimbledon,and_though
he did not think the ground very favourable for the pur-
pose ho was glad to hear of its establishment. One of the
most successful things at the Wimbledon meeting last year
was the Scotch camp, and neither he nor Lady Elcbo could
ever forget the cordial welcome and very charming enter-
tainment which were there prepared for them. The only
complaints mode were on the score of limited accommoda-
tion,so many persons having been anxious to join the camp.
He trusted that the rules of the National Association would
permit this drawback to be rectified next year. Their band
was, as usual, very efficient; but he confessed to a little
feeling of uneasiness as to the attendance of the pipers since
he had read the account of the great Darbar held by Sir J.
Lawrence, fearing that the passion for Highland music dis-
played by the 630 native princes might have led these musi-
cians to dash out by the overland route to avail themselves
of such splendid openings. (Laughter.) He must say
that this predilection for the bagpipes showed the Indians
to be a highly civilized people. (Renewed laughter.) In the
Department of Science and Art at South Kensington the
Indian designs and patterns were upheld as the best in
the world; and surely, when we found this highly civi-
lized and cultivated people taking to the bagpipes the
Scotch had a right to say that those who did not appreciate
such music were in a melancholy state of darkness. (Much
laughter and applause.) Having explained that Lieut.-Gen.
Sir Hope Grant had accepted the post of honorary colonel,
rendered vacant by the death of Lord Clyde, Lord Elcho
went on to speak of the arrangements as to di ill for the
coming year. Experience showed that hitherto in metro-
politan corps too many opportunities for drill had been
given, the result being that Volunteers were hardly ever
collected together in numbers sufficient for a good battalion
drill until they came to be inspected. No one was to be
blamed for this ; every one no doubt came when he could,
and the day which suited one was not convenient for an-
other; but the evil was not one from which country corps
suffered, because the companies comprising the administra-
tive battalions were always drilled near their own homes by
their own officers, and generally had pretty full musters.
A. couple of times in the year they meet for battalion drill,
each company in its integrity going by train to a central
point, and eventually in the same way to their inspection.
Therefore, unless the metropolitan corps took some means
of getting good battalion drills before inspection, they ran
the danger of being worse drilled than the country corps.
What was proposed with this end in view was to concen-
trate the drills, taking pains to ascertain beforehand what
times would be most convenient to the members generally.
All that was requisite was six battalion drills, or nine ap-
pearances in the year, and he felt convinced that volunteers
generally would cooperate with their officers in distribut-
ing these attendances as advantageously as possible. One
of the groat features in the coming volunteer year was, as
they no doubt knew, the change of InspeotorsGeneral.
The rules of the service as regarded staff appointments ob-
liged Col. 111‘Murdo at the end of five years to retire from
the office which he had filled with so much credit and honour
to himself, and unquestionably with such advantage to the
service. It was not by any moans desirable that testimo-
nials should be given to every inspector, but Col. M'Murdo
had seen the bit th of the movement and had nursed it into
vigour and efficiency,so that among a very large section of
the volunteer force a desire, he knew, existed to present
Col. M'Murdo with some solid recognition on his retirement
from office, He was to be succeeded by Col. Erskine;
and, though it was always invidious to say that ono man
was better qualified for a particular post than another, ho
confessed that if he had to give his vote on the matter there
was no man whom he should prefer to Col. Erskine, who
had been trained under Col. M'Murdo, and was,
in all respects, a good and admirable officer,
thoroughly fitted for his position. He hoped that when
the London Scottish were next inspected they would not
lose the high character which they had deserved from the
late Inspector-General ; and in conclusion he joined most
heartily in the wishes which Lady Elcho had expressed.
The companies, which had been drawn up so as to form
three sides of a square during the address and distribution
of prizes were then marched back to their original position,
lodged arms, dismissed, and the proceedings terminated.

THE LONDON RIFLE BRIGADE,

The annual distribution of priz,s competed for end won
by the members cat the London Rifle Brige.de took place on
Saturday at the Crystal Palace. It is rather curious that
this corps, which especially represents in the Volunteer
force the great city of London, shou d hold its annual meet-
ing at a distance of six miles from its head quartets, while
prizes As perlormeu in the—chit-net to Which fhe partTcular
corps is attached. It would seem to ho more appropriate
to invite the City of London Rifles to Guildhall rather
than to compel the Lord Mayor to meet them on a winter's
day at Sydenham. The 'ceremony on Saturday took
place in front of the llandel Orchestra, which was hand-
somely decorated, and the fortunate winners received
their respective rewards from the hands of the Lady
Mayoress. Among those who occupied places near her
ladyship wete Lady Harriett Warde, the Lord M yor,
the Sheriff, Aldermen Dakin and Besley, Mr Alderman
Rose, 14,P. (Major in the London Rifle Brigade), Mr Alder-
man Finnis, Colonel Erskine, Daputy-Inspector of 'Volun-
teers, Colonel Wilkinson, Rev. Dr. Mortimer, &c. The
prizes, which were numerous, and of a varied character,
exceeding £7OO in value, were exhibited upon tables on
either hand of r the Lady Mayoress, and among the contri•
butors were the Merchant Taylors', the Clothworkers', the
Grocers', the Fishmongers, the Vintners', and the Drapers'
Companies, but there was still noticeable the absence of the
great names associated with the wealthy commerce of the
city of London, Messrs, Silver being almost the only re-
presentatives of that numerous class who might be expected
to take an especial interest in this the city corps of Volut.
teers. The list of prizes and prize winners was too long for
quotation, and it must suffice to state that among the most
successful members of the corps were Private Wyatt (win.
ner of the Queen's prize at Wimbledon) Colour-Sergeants
Phythian, Stuckey, Churchill, and Cross, Corporal Wor•
tham, Privates Cranwell, Stanford and Butler. The prize
given to the beet shot in the brigade fell to the lot of Private
Wyatt, whose appearance on the platform was hailed by his
comrades with loud and continued cheers. One prize was
given by the father of the late Ensign Bannister, " in re-
membrance of the many happy hours spent by his late son
in the London Rifle Brigade."
Precisely at 5 o'clock the brigade, which mustered in fair
strength, marched into the Palace, headed by their band,
which it was especially announced had taken first prize at
the late competition in the Horticultural Gardens.
Lieutenant-Colonel WARD; commanding the brigade,
briefly addressed the corps, and congratulated them upon
the increased list of prizes which were to be distributed on
the present occasion, exceeding in value those of last ',ear
by nearly £lOO. That, however, was not the only subject
for congratulation, but it was especially gratifying to find
that the great city companies and those whose good opinion
it was desirable to obtain had shown their approval of the
efforts of the members of the corps to arrive at excellence of
shooting and efficiency of drill. The past year had been to
him, as commander of the corps, ene of great satisfaction.
His Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief, the hono-
rary colonel of the brigade, had inspected them, and had
bestowed upon them a praise which they highly valued.
(Cheers.) They had done well in shooting, and he could not
but refer with pride to the fact that the fist prize in Eng-
land, the Queen's Prize, had been won by a member of the
London Rifle Brigade. (Cheers.) Not only that, but in the
first 30 there were included three members of this corps, and
in the second 30 one member, making four members of the
London Rifle Brigade who were eligible to compete for that
great prize. Although they could not hope to carry off the
Queen's Prize always, yet he hoped their success this year
would encourage them to persevere in their efforts to arrive
at excellence. The strength of the regiment had been
steadily increasing, no less than 250 recruits having joined
within the last year, and the accessions had much outnum-
bered the resignations.
The distribution of prizes was then proceeded with, and
at the conclusion of that ceremony a vote of thanks was
pased to the Lord Mayer and the Lady Mayoress.
The LORD MAYOR, in responding, said he thought the
Volunteer movement had begun at the right time, had been
carried on in the right way, and would produce the right
result, by warning other nations not to interfere with our
rights or our liberties.
Lieut.-Col. WARDE said ho had hoped that Col. M'Murdo
would have been present to address a few words to the Bri-
gade, but that gallant officer was engaged in inspecting
another corps. Ho thought, however, that in that gallant
officer's absence he might, in the name of the London Rifle
Brigade, express their high admiration of the manner in
which Col. M'Murdo had potformed his duties towards the
Volunteers during the five years in which ho had been in
rutmnhtiietseCsrasolcoewneheEl.o
official connection with them. (Cheers.) He believed that
had it not been for Col. M'Murdo's steady hand over them
the soldierly qualities and the efficient discipline of the
Volunteers would not be so decidedly pronounced as they
nowsucces-
sor mwuo were.ru d
do
to
be
eOr
Cennolla.
in behalf
Erskine, oft
longerh the Brigadetu officer
the
head
e he
who
expressedhoof
w the
as
eminently his Volunteer
gret
know that
Volunteers,
ulprocevsoeetlmnho
present
tneulttp,Eho en,
tbrsuutxthl
Nes
it
Eoii
interesting
tpt
ehsreaceptsisutseitfnryavgeitcooneresycwpaetosocui
Deputy-Inspector
occasion,
qualified to supply his place. (Cheers.)
was received with cheers, then addressed the Volunteer's and
their friends. It gave him, he said, much pleasure to be
m not only because it
enabled him to i
prove his acquaintance with this fine

corps, but also because he considered it to be tho duly of
one holding the office which he had the -honour .to-bold in
connexion with the Volunteer force to ',wail himself of
every opportunity to forward the interests suidtoencouraev
its efforts. A. question had been raised as to whether-Me
distribution of prizes were as conducive to the real interests,
of the volunteers as their frequency at this season of the
year would seem to imply they were held to be by the force
at large. For himself, he had no hesitation in saying that
he believed they were beneficial. He was quite aware that
many officers of high standing and long experience in the
military profession were by no means agreed as to the exact
degree of value which should be attached to individual skill.
in shooting when considering the efficiency of an army for
actual warfare. Although no one would deny that every
soldier should be able to make the best possible use of the
arms intrusted to him, yet there were persons who laid
much greater stress upon individual skill in musketry than
did others, who maintained that in over-estimating the
value of individual skill there was danger of losing sight of
matters of atilt greater importance in the training of vvluu-
teers and of soldiers generally. Ha would not pronounce any
opinion upon the question as it affected the regular army,
but, viewing it in connexion with the volunteers, he had no
hesitation in saying that his experience led him to the belief
that among all classes of volunteers no part of their train-
ing was so interesting as target practice. He therefore
thought that, in the interest of the volunteer cause it was
desirable that every encouragement should be given to the
attainment of skill in rifle shooting. He did not mean to
imply that the existence of the volunteer force depended
upon such encouragement, or would be ignoring the admi-
rable patriotic spirit which led to its formation, which still
maintained it in more than its original strength, and which
would vastly increase the number within its ranks if ever
our coasts were threatened with invasion. (Cheers )
With respect to the London Rifle Brigade in par-
ticular, he had that day looked through the returns at
the War-office, and he was glad to find that its enrolled
srrength had been steadily mantained, and of late had been
on the increase. (Cheers.) He found, too, that the general
military efficiency of the corps had been well kept up, and
he said that not upon his own authority, but upon that of
their honorary colonel, his Royal Highness the Commander-
in-Chief. (Cheers.) He was still more gratified to state
that such a state of things was not peculiar to the London
Rifle Brigade, as the volunteer force generally was increas-
ing in strength and well maintaining its military efficiency.
(Renewed cheers.)
Colonel M'Munno, who had just arrived, then rose, and
was greeted with such hearty cheering as indisputably
proved his popularity with the volunteers. The gallant
colonel said he had determined to be present if possible, and
although he had that afternoon inspected a corps at Rioh-
mond, and had to inspect another in some, to him, unknown
district in the north-east of London, he had contrived to
reach Sydenham in time to address a few words to them. In
the first place, he must express his gratification at seeing
the London Rifle Brigade once more under arms before he
severed his official connection with them. He thought it
was well that such meetings as this should take place an-
nually, not only to reward the winners of prizes and to
encourage those who had not yet been fortunate, lent also
to enable those ladies and gentlemen who were friends
and supporters of the cause to see the volunteers face to
face. It was well that those friends and supporters should
see the volunteers under arms, their soldierly bearing, and
should be made acquainted with the proficiency acquired in
the use of the weapons intrusted to the volunteers, thus
assuring them of the manner in which those arms would be
used should they ever be needed for the defence of the
country. As he viewed the volunteer movement, ho be-
lieved the time was very distant when they would be called
into the field for the defence of the country, because he be-
lieved the very fact of the existence of the volunteer force
was sufficient to deter other nations from making any
attempt upon our shores. (Cheers.) So long as the volunteer
army maintained its numbers—and he regarded it as only
the nucleus of an army—so long as it maintained the effi-
ciency at which he could testify it had attained, he was sure
it would of itself preserve our coasts from invasion by
foreign armies. Their gallant colonel had thanked him in
their name for the manner in which he had performed his
duties in connection with the Volunteer force. He thanked
them for that expression of their opinion concerning him,
and be could only most truthfully declare that his labours;
and he had not spared himself—(loud cheers)—his labours
from first to last were labours of love. (Cheers.) Ho knew,
ra
es
geuvl earry rar emflye t
tn reflecting
as
so 1
nd
oi etr
nmuums
et
rkonuos w,
entohuagt
hg
fooord
tahse wd ae sf
Gonne
er
of our coasts as well as for the protection of our colonies.
They all knew if war were to break out to-morrow wo
should not have more than 40,000 regular troops in this
country. They all knew—and none better than the mer-
chants of London—the enormous weight of the Military
Estimates every year. Since the Crimean war the Army
Estimates had unavoidably swelled to a very large amount,
and it was hardly possible to expect that the country
should be taxed for the maintenance of a larger standing
army than we now had. He looked upon this Volunteer
movement, which was begun five years ago, as if the people
had said, " What we cannot do with our regular army we
will do ourselves." (Cheers.) Ile remembered well that
on the very day in 1859 when he first received instructions
to enter upon the duties of inspector of Volunteers he met
a body dal in dark green with black cocks' feathers in
their shakoes, whose marching was so good that ho had
scarcely ever seen any soldiers march better. Upon inquiry
Lbn fnmia that thasft tuaniaalanrcialb,Tha Laruinn
lunteer force would come to, and he had not been deceived,
and he thanked God that it was in the power of this coun.
try to maintain such an army so cheaply and so efficiently-
Although ho was about to leave there, he should ever re-
tain a vivid recollection of the pleasure he had experienced
in labouring with the Volunteers. (Loud cheers.)
Tho proceedings were then brought to a close with loyal
cheers and the National Anthem.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

CHERTSEY STE EPLECHASES-SATuRDA.Y,

Tho Maiden Steeplechase of 3 sovs each, with 25 added,
weight for age, with selling allowances. About three

miles.
Mr Elphick's Gorsehawk, 5 yrs, lOst (L5O) (T. Clement) 1
Mr Fowler's Claurus, aged, 10st ilb (£5O) (Jewell) 2
Mr W. Harman's ltemunerater, aged, lOst 71b (L5O)
(Searle) 3
The following also ran :—lrish Boy, Betsy Baker, and
Surbiton.

Betting-6 to 4 agat Remunerator, sto 2 agat Surbiton,
6 to 1 agst Betsy Baker.

Irish Boy made play, and passing the stand was followed
by Gorsehawk and Claurus, Remunerator going on last.
They ran without any particular change till clearing the
brook on the far side, where Betsy Baker came to grief,
alter which Gorsehawk took a clear load. After passing the
stand the second time, Surbiton fell at the next fence, and
Gorsehawk went on with Claurus in pursuit, but the former
won without being approached by a distance.
The winner was bought in for 157 guineas.
The Surrey and Middlesex Open Handicap Steeplechase of
50 sovs, added to a sweepstakes of 5 sovs each, 2 ft ;

ners extra. About 31 miles.
Mr R. Rowland's Meanwood (h b), list 51b .... (Knott) 1
Mr Nugent's Yaller Gal, list 61b (Mr Barry) 2
The following also ran :—Zodiac, Odds or Evens, and
Stays.

Betting-5 to 2on Isleanwood, sto 2 agst Yallor Gal, G
.0 1 agst Zodiac.

Meanwood took a strong lead and fencing beautifully,
maintained his advantage to the end and won by a distance ;
Stays cantered in, and nothing else passed the post.
The Open Hunters' Steeplechase of 3 soya each, with 20
added; 12st 71b each, with selling allowances; profes.

sionals, 71b extra. About three miles.
Mr A. Yates's Storm, aged, lOst 71b (X4O) (Knott) 1.
Mr J. F. Burkill's Holdersyke, aged, list (X6O) (Owner) 2
Mr Hurman's The Sprat, aged, lOst (.610) (Mr Harford) 3
The following also ran :—Ditty, Mystery, Sweep, Blair
Athol, Aunt Sally, Confederate, Polly Hopkins, and Irish
Lass.

Betting-2 to 1 agst Storm, sto 2 agst Confederate, sto
1 agst Polly Hopkins, 6 to 1 agst Mystery.

Storm led over the first fence, but was soon passed by
Blair Athol and Heldersyke, the termer of whom carried on
the running the first time round. Approaching the straight
Storm again came to the front, Blair Athol having gradually
retired amongst the nick. From this period Storm went on
in advance, and:won by eight lengths ; The Sprat was a bad
•
third, and nothing else passed the post.
The winner was bought in for 95 guinoas.
Match,sosovs, list 71b each—Mr Biddlecombe's Monius
eget Mr Land's Piggy—off by consent.
A Geand Military Steeplechase of 5 soya each, with a Cup
added, 10st 71b each, with penalties and allowances,

About three miles.
Capt. Knox's Puss,_llst 71b 'Owner) 1
Mr F. Grenville's Yaller Qal, 12st 71b (inc. 141 b ex.)

(Mr Harford) 2

Traviata also ran,
Betting-7 to 4on Puss-2 to 1 agst Yaller Gal,
The favourite made all the running, and won by a length
and a half. Traviata did not pass the post.

AQUATICS.

GENTLEMEN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP OF

THE CAINI.
The concluding race for the Colquhoun sculls and cup,
open for competition to the University of Cambridge was
rowed on Friday. lt was a time race, and the gentlemen
were started 100 yards apart. Tho following were the oomm
petitors, with their times :

S.
Mr Recipal, Trinity College 8 43
Mr Watney, St. John's College 8 48
Mr Griffiths, Trinity College 8 55
Mr Griffith picked up Mr Watney soon after the start, end
held a good position at " Grassy;" but was unable after-
wards to retain his advautage. Mr Redpath gained consi-
derably to Ditton, and it was thought by his rowing that he
would make a very hollow race of it ; but here Mr Watney
settled well to his work and decreased his lead. It was,
however, evident to all that Mr Redpath must win, and he
arrived first at the goal, beating Mr Watney by five seconds,
and Mr Griffiths by twelve. All the three boats were fine
new specimens of outriggers, and were built expressly for
this occasion by Mr Edward Searle,