The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-13 00:00:00

RIFLE CONFERENCE.

A conference of gentlemen interested in the volunteer
movement generally and in rifle shooting specially com-
menced its sittings yesterday in the hell of King'a College.
The object of the conference was stated to be to "enable
those who are interested in rile shooting, to consider the
management of rifle matches prize meetings, and other com-
petitions; to impart information as to the apparatus and
weapons employed, the target,, marking, and scoring, and
the various adjuncts of rifle shooting ; as well as to discuss
the arrangements and regulaticns which have been approved
by experience, or are suggested as further improvements."
The committee by whom it is promoted coneists of up.
wards of 80 gentlemen connected with the Volunteer move-
ment in various parts of the cotutry, Captain lVlacgregor, of
the London Scottish, being the chairman, and Lieutenant
Cunningham, ]Bth Middlesex (Harrow) Rifles, being the
hc,norary secretary. The proceedings are to extend over
three days, and the questions to be discussed are classed
under sections, those set down for consideration yesterday
relating to the general arrangements connected with rifle
shooting matches. The chairman of the day was Mr. W.
E. Forster, M.P., captain commanding the 23d Yorkshire
Volunteer Rifles, and the secretaries were Mr. Rigby,
Dublin Rifle Club, and Captain Tyrrell, 30th Middlesex
Volunteers.

Captain MAcoßEeton opened the proceedings by briefly
pointing out the necessity that existed for some such meet-
ing of Volunteers. They did notintend to hold themselves
out as an administrative body, or as delegates to procure
fresh legislation, but they were simply a self-constituted
body whose desire it was to elicit information and opinions
which would be afterwards embodied in a report which
could be considered by those who felt an interest in the pro-
gress of rifle shooting.
The CHAIRMAN, after observing that he had consented
to preside less as a practical authority than because he had
not expressed, nor even formed, strong opinions upon many
of the points that would probably be mooted in the course
of the discussion, called upon the gentlemen who had pre-
pared papers to read them to the meeting.
Capt. WOODS (Central London Rifle Rangers) then read
a'paper upon the general arrangements for rifle matches. He
recommended that early entries should be encouraged, but
that post. entries should be permitted either with or without
additional fee. In respect to squadding in small-bore con-
tests, the squads should not exceed five men, and with the
Government weapon should consist of not more than 8 or
10. If sighting were permitted at the targets not more than
three shots should be allowed. The disputed question con-
cerning ties ought to be considered, and might be prevented
by the adoption of a code of by-laws.
Mr. BLANCH, of Liverpool, made a 'statement as to the
decline of rifle shooting in Lancashire, and the steps which
he and others had taken to revive it. He considered that
decline had arisen from imperfect organisation, the evils of
which had not been felt at first when the movement had
novelty to recommend it. The list of prizewinners showed
that the fortunate competitors were a few old hands at
shooting, and some other gentlemen whose natural tastes
and command of time and money had enabled them to attain
a suprising standard of efficiency. It was, he thought, a
great mistake to place all competitors at rifle matches upon
the same footing as hitherto, the result of which had been
in Lancashire to deter from competition all but a select few.
In order to meet that difficulty a rifle meeting was held at
Southport, at which the prizes only amounted in value to
£9O, but, being offered to those who hael never won a prize
of £lO, they attracted no less than 189 competitors. Here-
commended the separation of rifle competitions into classes,
so that prizes might not be monopolised by a few, and that a
prize of large value be offered for the best shot, which should
confer upon the winner the championship of England.
Sergeant THORNDURY (Victories) next read a paper, in
which it was suggested that all entries should be made at
least one day before shooting, so that squadding could be
easily and satisfactorily arranged. Post-entries he dis-
proved, and if allowed at all they should not be permitted
later than half an hour before shooting, those thus entering
to be squadded by themselves, Re-entries ought never to
be allowed, as giving an undue advantage to the richer com-
petitors. Squadding should be adopted in all matches,
but where men entered for several contests which were
proceeding at the same time there was great difficulty, and,
therefore, he recommended that the first stage of the shooting
for the Queen's Prize at Wimbledon should be kept distinct
from the All Comers' Prizes. Not more than two sighting
shots should be allowed, and bad weather should not be per •
milted to interfere with the progress of a match once be-
gun. lie aleo suggested that a court of appeal, composed of
practical men, should be established, to whom, with the
umpire's consent, disputed points might be refei red.

The CHAIRMAN observed that the great difficulty was,
how to provide for the just claims of the first-class shots,
and at the same time to encourage those who had not yet
attained to a sufficient degree of excellence to compete with
such accomplished antagonists.
A prolonged discussion then ensued, in which all the
various points referred to in the papers were debated. A
general opinion was expressed that the practice of allowing
sighting shots should Le continued, not only because of the
pecuniary advantage it produced to the match funds, but
because it placed the competitors upon an equal footing
with regard to the particular target fired at. Some gentle-
men, however, insisted that sighting shots were injudicious
and that every rifleman ought to shoot as he would when
sporting or in the battle field. The subject of squadding
gave rise to much difference of opinion, an alphabetical ar-
rangement being objected to as unjust to some and unduly
advantageous to others, Ballotting for squads was Bug.
Bested, bat objected to on the ground that such a system
would require the attendance of every man engaged in the
match at the commencement of the contest, and thus in•
volve the loss of time which many could not afford. A
more favourably received plan was that competitors upon
entry should name the time at which they would prefer to
fire, and thus enable squads to be formed in accordance with
the wishes of those engaged. It was agreed by all speakers
that it was highly desirable that the squads should not be
too large. A general concurrence of opinion was also ex•
pressed in favour of not allowing any match to be inter-
rupted by bad weather so long as the target could be
fairly se suggestion of a court of appeal was
deprecatee.
duby some The speakers as likely to interfere with the
responsibility of the umpire, but on the other hand it was
argued that such a tribunal would be gladly resorted to by
favourably received was that an authoritative statement of
umpires
factsie sin
of a
each
s h case o f
submittedto the court of appeal should
pr
eca
be published for the guidance of umpires and the satisfac-
tion of the competitors affected. Some remarks were also
made as to the desirability of encouraging county matches,
which it was suggested could be carried out economically
by the contending parties agreeing to shoot in their own
localities on the same day and
as near as possible under the
same circumstances. A divergence of opinion prevailed as
to the practicability of marking misses in sighting shots,
although it was agreed tltat if it could be done it would be a
great assistance to the shooter to know in what way his
shots escaped the target.
In reply to a remark from Mr. Cunningham,
Capt. PAGE said the National Rifle L\ssociation intended
in future to limit the coin-
petition for the Queen's Prize to
effective volunteers.
The discussion having closed shortly before 6,
Tho CHAIRMAN congratulated the meeting lion the ex-
cellent tone in which it had been carried on, and expressed
his belief that great advantage would ensue to the volunteer
cause and to rifle shooting by the comments that had been
made.
The conference then adjourned.
The subjects for discussion this day relate to the appara-
tus connected with rifle shooting, targets, magazines, mark-
ing, &o. Warde 9 London Rifle Brigade, is to
preside.
On Thursday the subject of special conditions as to
weapons and men stands for discussion under the presidency
of the Duke of Wellington, and there will also be a sub-
sectional meeting to consider the subject of artillery matches
with heavy guns.

near the New
A
singular scene itself on the Forth
Bridge presented
Stirling,e on Saturday. The
ice had been bearing for some days Previously, and was of
considerable thickness. On Saturday afternoon, at least
from 600 to 700 parsons, including a number of ladies, were
on the ice, when suddenly the ice cracked and broke from
bank to bank. Several extensive blocks of ice became de-
tached and floated slowly with the tide downwards. These
rafts were covered with skaters and others, some of whom
leaped from the smaller to the larger blocks. A cry was
made for planks and ladders, which were speedily procured,
but from the rush made to the side great confusion was
caused. Boats were launched, but they beeamed fixed
.
among the ice, and were of little service. At length, when
the alarm had subsided, the loge numbers on the ice got
ashore one at a time, principellY by means of planks and
ladders.
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