The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-30 00:00:00

closed the competitive firing, but some experimental
shots were afterwards tried by Lord Elcho, with
results, as far as the weapons were concerned, of
a very conflicting character. On the part of the
Council Lard Elcho assured those who were present
the details of the shooting under all the different
heads would be taken into consideration at the next
meeting, and that no time would be lost in making
known their decision as to the parties who had en-
titled themselves to the prize. The competitors on
their part were very warm in their acknowledgments
of the perfect impartiality and great courtesy with
which the shooting had been conducted from first to
last, under the superintendence of Capt. Page (Lon-
don Scottish) and Capt. Knight, 19th Regiment.
The general impression carried away by those
who witnessed the contest from first to last was that
although singular progress has been made, both in
the manufacture and handling of muzzle•luading
rifles, the development of the breech■loaking system
has not been commensurate. The shooting of
nearly all the breech-loaders was wild in its cha-
racter, and there was not one of those tried which
did not exhibit some defect of a more obvious
nature. We are just coming to breech-loaders, it
is true, but the particular breech-loader for military
purposes has still to come apparently. In offering
these remarks on the result of the competition, it
is only right to add that the breech-loading rifles of
Mr. Westley Richards being small-bores were ex-
cluded from the contest. Another rifle called the
breech-lock rifle, as to which considerable curiosity
is felt, was prevented by unexpected circumstances
from entering in time. This latter weapon is re-
presented as capable of being fired 12 times per
minute, and as using a flanged copper cartridge,
possessing peculiar properties. Among other points
this is said to be inexpensive, water-proof, flame-
proof, capable of being loaded in the dark, and
without residuum when fired. It will no doubt be
brought forward at the breech-loading competition
early next year, the terms of which the Council of
the National Rifle Association have it in contem-
plation shortly to announce, with ki view of direct-
ing the inventive genius of the gunmakers in the
interval to those vital points which hardly seem yet
to have been sufficiently studied.
The unfortunate guardsman Cooper was by no
means in as satisfactory a state yesterday afternoon
as on some of the other days since his accident.
There were symptoms of feverishness, his pulse was
rapid, and his breathing much oppressed, though
his eye still continued bright and his intellect clear.
Whether owing to internal effusion, or to whatever
other cause, his heart appears to have changed its
position, and to beat now at the right aide.

Archeological Institute of Great Britain

and Ireland,

FOURTH DAY.

Yesterday the Archaeologists migrated from
Warwick, the head.quarters of the Congress of
1861, to Lichfield. Although the ancient city is
neither within the county of Warwick nor the
diocese to which it is attached (Worcester), the
locale was too near the far famed cathedral of Lich-
field, with its three ornamental spires, to be left out
of the programme, and accordingly it was arranged
to visit it yesterday, Professor Willis having under-
taking to be chaperon, as he has been the guide and
instructor of the archaeologists in visits to other
cathedrals and ecclesiastical buildings of note. The
rain of Thursday having passed off, the party mus-
tered strong, and, a special train having been put
on for their accommodation they were landed safely
at the Lichfield station of the South Staffordshire
Railway soon after 11 o'clock. They were web.
corned to Lichfield by the ringing of the cathedral
bells, and it being market day the old town wore its
most busy aspect. Lichfield, besides its magnificent
cathedral, which has been so recently restored, has
other attractions for the arclim.ilogists, among
which may be mentioned some fine old specimens
of half-timbered houses. In the market place is a
a statue of Dr. Johnson—placed there by Chancel-
lor Law. Johnson was a native of Lichfield, and
there is a tablet to his memory in the library of the
cathedral. In the south transept of the cathedral
is also a monument to David Garrick, by Westma-
cott. The visitors on reaching the railway station
proceeded at once to the Gni/dhall, under the escort
of Mr Beresford Hope, where they were received by
the mayor (Mr Hall) and members of the corpora-
tion. Having mustered in the Assembly-room,

Mr J. B. HOPE introduced Professor Willis, who,
he said, had kindly undertaken to address them on
the subject of the cathedral before they entered on
an actual examination of the sacred building itself.
Professor WILLIS then addressed the meeting.
He commenced by remarking that a few years ago
he was a bad one to remember dates, and there-
fore he always spoke indefinitely in alluding
to past events. In the course of some
excavations that were being made in the work
of the restoration of the cathedral it happened that
the workmen came upon the foundation of some old
walls connected together, and it was plain that these
were the remains of ancient churches that had stood
on the foundations of the present cathedral. This
was not an uncommon fact,but rather the contrary.
With the assistance and cooperation of one of the
canons of the cathech;al he had been able to trace
out these old foundations, and he exhibited a draw-
ing showing their extent and character. For full
information on this subject he referred his hearers
to the Archaeological Journal, in which publicatioa
particulars of these discoveries had been given. Ac-
cording to his usual practice on these occasions, he
would first give them an account of the history of
the cathedral, and of its present state, and then
would point oat to them in, the cathedral itself the
characteristics which would enable them to divide
the building into the.different stages of its erection.
The learned professor then described the various
parts of the building, as he subsequently pointed
them out to the visitors at the cathedral. The nave
was of a different style to the eastern end of the
building, and some portions of it were so much like
Westminister Abbey as to lead to the opinion that
both were built about the same time. Unfortunately
the historical documents connected with Lichfield
Cathedral were very meagre, and they had little to
depend upon for correct information in this respect.
After some discursive remarks on the architecture
of the present building Professor Willis showed the
coarse of the old foundations, and said that great
difficulty had been experienced in tracing
them with accuracy, and on account of
their having been partially destroyed both
in making burialplaces and at the time when
the restorations were carried on there, and excava-
tions were made for laying down pipes for a heating
apparatus for the cathedral, The patron Saint of
the cathedral was St. Chad, and the shrine of the
saint once stood in the Ladye Chapel. They all
knew
.how the cathedral had been defaced by the
Puritans in the time of the civil war. The cathedral
had, in fact, been attacked and defended as a fort-
ress, and consequently suffered great dilapidation
at that time. Having spoken of the different por-
tions of the building as they existed before the res-
toration carried out by Wyatt, the learned profes-
sor commented on certain parts of those restorations,
expressing his disapproval of the plan of throwing
open the whole building from end to end and of
putting the organ out of sight, where, also, it could
only be heard imperfectly.

Mr. BERESFORD HOPE said that however they
might differ from Professor Willis in reference to
the closing portion of his remarks, he was sure they
would all agree with him in thanking the Professor
for his very able discourse. (Applause.)
Mr. C. WiNsioN next read a paper on the an-
cient stained glass in the windows of the cathedral.
This glass was brought from the Abbey of Hercken-
rode, in Belgium, and was manufactured in the 16th
century, at a time when the heart of glass staining
was considered to be at the highest point of per-
fection. Mr. Winston considered that beautiful as
these specimens were, they were not so effective in
their present position, 'at least some of then--as
they would have been in the situations for which
they were originally designed.
The Rev. Mr. ANDREWS then made some remarks

on the old Palace at Lichfield, which with some
diligenca he had traced out, and, in a drawing
which he had prepared, he pointed out the sans=
tion of the various parts of the old building.
An adjournmi,nt then tonk place for luncheon,