The Sun.
London, England, 1864-12-27 00:00:00

by their opponents. The second match was be
tween the corps and the 2d Middlesex Administra-
tive Battalion. The match was arranged for 20
competitors on each side, but the 2d Administrative
Batalion having been disappointed of three of their
number, it was agreed that three of those present
should be allowed to shoot over the ranges twice,
their names to be drawn. The distances were 200
500, and 600 yards, five shots at each range, Wim-'
bledon 1863 targets and markieg. After a good
contest—conducted throughout the day in one of
thecoldest and most searchingnorth-easterly winds,
the Victories were declared the winners by 64
marks, they having scored 675 to 611 made by the
21 Administrative Battalion. A S:lver Pewter
agreed to be given by the losing side to the cempe-'
titer on the winning side making the highest score.
was won by Sergeant M. H. Smith, who made 42
marks; Private J. .IVcholas also made 42, but lost
the tie. Lieut. Thrupp, of the Royal Ettborne
Light Infantry, acted as umpire on the occasion.
The Victories have also competed for three prizes
granted by the committee from the funds of the
corps, The competition took place at Kilburn, at
200, 300, and 400 yards, five shots at each range,
Wimbledon scoring. A thick fog prevailed during
most of the day, rendering the targets indistinct.
The first prize—value £7—WCs won by Captain
Jaques, who made 45 marks; the second—value
£s—by Mr R. Jackson, with 44 marks ; and the
third—value £3—by Mr Luxmoore, with 42 marks,
The annual distribution of prizes to the Ist
Middlesex Artillery Volunteers took pace last
week in the large hall at headquarters, Leicester..
square, which was decorated for the occasion with
trophies of arms and flags, Col. Erskine officiated.
Colonel Creed, the commanding officer of the
brigade, opened the proceedings by congratulating
the corps on the presence of Colonel Erskine, the
Inspector-General of Volunteers. He said Colonel
M'Murdo was prevented by an engagement from
attending, and regretted the fact because he had
never had an opportunity of meeting an artillery
corps on a similar occasion. They must not suppose
on that account that the Inspectors General had
either neglected or passed over the artillery branch
of the service. It was impossible to have a warmer
friend or a more persevering supporter than Colonel
MiMurdo had been to them. It was entirely owing
to him that they now possessed the fine field battery
and harness, in addition to the guns first given to
the Volunteer Artillery. Colonel M'Murdo was a
thoroughly pracical artillery officer. He must re-
mind them that the Ist Middlesex Artillery Brigade
during the pact year had been present, with its
guns fully horsed, at Guildford, at Hyde Park, at
Stowe Park, Bucks, and at Wimbledon, At the
last place they were under canvas, and were in-
spected by a colonel of tree Royce; Artillery, who
had been pleased to bestow the greatest praise on
the brigade for its efficiency. Tete numbers of the
brigade were steadily increasing, and the propor-
tion of effectises was vet y much larger than last
year. A school of arms had been established at
the headquarters, and had been very beneficial. He
thought it doe to his own brigade to assure them
that the Ist Middlesex were prospering and not in
debt—(cheers)—and, with the assistance of the
Government grant, be had not the slightest doubt
that they would keep clear of pecuniary difficulties.
Colonel Erskine, being then invited to address the
assembly, referred to the sacrifices of time, leisure,
and pecuniary means made by the Volunteers as
a reason for their receiving both the moral and
material support of the community that they
represented. On the lst of December, 1863,
they mustered 325 enrolled members; of whom
226 were efficient, At the same date this year
the enrolled strength had increased to 373, and
the efficients to 271. That be called a very satis-
factory state of progress. He then handed the
several prizss to the successful competitors, except°
ing the Ladies' Prize, which was presented by Mrs
Creed.

Victor Hugo's Christmas Fete

(From the Guernsey Mail.)

Tuts distinguished individual is now as popularly
known for his liberality and kindness to poor chil.
dren as for his literary taste and productions. Forty.
one children are entertained fortnigbtly—say
twenty on the Thursday of each week—at Haute.
vine House, the residence of the poet, where they
partake of a substantial dinner, being waited upon
by Mme. Hugo and her noble family, with kind
courtesy and condescension. In addition to this
these children are entertained each year to a Christ-

mas fete.
The children were received at Heu'eville House
at noon on Thursday last, when they were re•
galed with an excellent luncheon, which they
thoroughly enjoyed ; afser which they w ere con-
ducted into another apartment, in which, on a
large table never employed to better purpose, were
ranged different lots of warm and useful wearing
apparel, each lot bearing the name of the child for
whom it was intended. The distribution of clothing
having tcken place, the folding doors were thrown
open, when the children, together with the guests
present, had the gratification and pleasure of the
better than "fairy sight of a flue Christmas fir-
tree, gloriously lit and loaded with choice toys,
beautiful flags, and delicious oranges; the unio❑
jack—" the flag which, for a thousand years, has
braved the battle and the breeze "—being the top
crowning ensign of them all.
The tree was soon stripped of its gems, each child
receiving such toys as fell to its lot, but although
this was a lottery there was not a single blank, each
child held a full ticket which infallibly drew a valu-
able prize. The joy manifested in the happy coun-
tenances and bright eyes of these young children,
on receiving so many proofs of kindness, may be
well supposed—and it was a most gratifying sight
to behold.
Toe children were waited upon by Mere. Hugo
and Mine. Cheney with hearty goodwill, assisted
by several ladies and the domestics of the house.
VICTOR HUGO, just before the distribution of the
clothing took place, gave an eloquent address to
the guests present, in French, of which, in the fol-
lowing report, we give only a brief and imperfect
outline of its line of argument, beauty of concept
Lion, and force of illustration.
" Ladies, to you I would address myself for a
few minutes on the subject of this, what I call
my little Christmas feast. I admire charity, it is
a Christian virtud, and as sueh its exercis has
done and is doing much for the relief of human
suffering. However, this little weekly entertain-
ment which I have established for children of
poor parents, irrespective of country and of creed,
I look upon not as an act of charity but of fraternity.
This is the third year of its anniversary, and each
time I have only the same thing to repeat. It is
but a very small act, a very small seed which, how-
ever, may and, I am hapyy to say, has borne fruit.
Children are an interesting class, because of their
comparative helplessness and their innocency; but
they are not all equally so. The children of the
poor, those whom we call poor children, are doubly
interesting; their very inequality as to position and
advantages demands and excites a different and a
greater interest on our part. Oar duties to the
children of the rich are the cultivation of their moral
powers and intellectual faculties; but in addition
to these, in reference to poor children, it is our ims
perative duty to supply their physical nature with a
sufficiency of good wholesome food. Material and
moral misery demand, each of them, our attention,
our interest, and our help. The poor child is under
a moral fatality, and we should ask, What can I do
to remove it ? Some take one way, some another—
I take this—to improve it. The commissioners
appointed by the Republican Government of France
to examine and report on the cause of sickness and
death of so large a proportion of the children of
the poor born in that kingdom, stated in their
report that the chief cause was the want of nourish.
ing food. They added, that if even one good sub-
stantia) meat dinner, with one glass of pure wine,
were given monthly to each poor child, the health
and strength would be greatly promoted, and their
lives preserved. It struck me that it would be
well for one to carry out the suggestion practi-
cally, but the public duties which I had to fulfil
in Paris prevented my doing so then. I have to
thank M. Louis Bonaparte that, owing to my
exile I Nape been enabled to do so now that tam

away from the bustle and political duties of Paris•
He has thus thus unconsciously been the means of
enabling me to do what was in my heart. (Hew
the guests were sensibly affected, some even to
tears.) Fortyeone children, whom you see around
you, come i❑ two divisions, to 20 of whom we give
a dinner each Thursday of the week, so that each
of them has, to my knowledge, not one bat two sub•
stantial meat dinners every month of the year.
In all of them we see marked improvement ; their
heal►h is good, their strength much greater. This
physical improvement is, at the same time, moral
and mental improvement. It is a well-known
fact, that the robust and healthy child will
possess a superior degree of moral power and
intellectual development to the weak end sickly
one. We further insist, that all those who
would cantinue to be our guests must learn to
read, or else they will have to be replaced by
others; hence their anxiety to learn. We wish to
teach them the divine doctrines of equality and free
ternity. To do so, we, the menaba's of my family,
wait upon them arid serve at table, so that finding
themselves waited upon by those whom they are
taught to look upon as rich and noble, they may in
early life understand the sublime doctrine of the
equality of mankind, the divine fraternity of the
human family. There some philosophers who find
16 or 17 original Adams. I. do nut participate in
such views ; I hold to the Scriptural doctrine of
one Adam only, the father of all mankind. We
are thus one family, one sacred brotherhood, sprung
from one stock. partakers of one nature; hence
there is not, properly speaking, the rich and the
poor, for all are from one original father ; the
difference being that one brother has more
of this world's goods than another, which, however,
is of an uncertain, fleeting, and transitory nature.
Indeed, I have sometimes thought that if ' one
Adam' had not been made known to us, it wound
have been necessary to invent or at least to desire
one. Rich children may become poor men and
women. Well, if during their prosperity they have
ministered unto others, and some of these poor
children may become rich and noble, they may then
remember these days, and from these they may be
prompted :o act in a similar manner towards the
poor children of their futnre years. Bat we do
not forget that the children of the rich have
their toys at this festive season of the year,
nor can we forget that poor children
love toys equally as much as their more
fortunate brothers. We provide them with clothes,
as you see; first, because necessaries before all things
should be provided and bestowed, and when these
have been distributed, we shall proceed to a distri-
bution of toys. I s id that this weekly meal was
a small seed sown, and that already it has borne
fruit. lam happy in being informed, that from it
similar institutions on a large scale are in active
operation in South America, in Sweden, i❑ France,
in Switzerland, i❑ England, and several other coun-
ties. A report or one established in London by
worthy clergy man was sent me yesterday, with a
drawing of the room and children at table (the draw•
ing was then hanged round for inspection to the come
piny present), in which, as you will find, supported
by generous contributions, two substantial dinners
are given weekly to 1,400 children."

This agreeable fete reminded the guests present of
the conduct and commands of our Lord, who went
about doing good ; and its ef&ct cannot but prove
an incentive to all to go and do likewise. At the
conclusion an unerpected but highly appreciated
act of kindness took pace. The ladies present
drew lots for a beautiful illustrated album of music,
in which the distinguished poet had inscribed, toge-
ther with his valuable autograph, a memorial of
the fete.

The Students at Edinburgh University.

The following circular has been issued by the
Senatus Academicus of the University in regard to
the disgraceful uproar which took place on the occas
sion of the venerable Principal's inaugural address
to the students :—The Senatus Academicus, in the
discharge of their duty as entrusted with the diss
cipline of the university, have to inform the students
at large that on Saturday, the 19th ult., one of their
number was brought before the Senatus for inter-
rupting the Principal's annual address—a breach of
discipline which it was impossible for the Senatus
to pass without notice and punishment. As the
offender was a first year's student, and acted under
the influence of evil example shown by not a few of
his comrades, and as he spontaneously and promptly
addressed to the Principal a letter of regret and
apology for his offence, the Senatus have seen it to
be consistent with their duty to inflict, in this par-
ticular case, the most lenient punishment which it
was in their power to pronounce—viz., that of cen-
sure and reproof before the Senatus. Under other
circumstances it might not have been possible to
exercise this leniency ; but even if they had felt
constrained to use severity, the Senatus Academicus
trust that the students would not fail to see that
in upholding the discipline of the university the
Senatus are influenced by no other consideration
than affection for the students and sincere regard
for their interests. Conscious themselves of no other
feeling, the Senatus Academicus take advantage of
this opportunity to impress upon the students genes
rally the mischief which is certain to arise if they
do nor, by their own act and sense of right, put an
end to the conduct, so unlike that of gentlemen and
scholars, which has disgaced this university on the
occasions of the annual introductory address of the
Principal for several years past. It is true that this
misconduct has been confined to a portion of the
students. But, in the fact that it has been at all
tolerated by the students, the disgrace fails upon
the whole body. The students ought to know that
repeated acts of the same kind on former occasions
have called down upon them the censure of the pub-
lic beyond the walls of the university. The censure
has been repeated by parties at a distance; and
an impression prevails very widely that the
students of the University of Edinburgh are sys'
tematically turbulent and uncontrollable. Ths
Senatus need not say this impression is erroneous,
since the same students, who have acted so indecor•
ously on such occasion as that of the 14th ult.,
conduct themselves in their classes in an orderly
and becoming manner. But the unfavourable im-
pression thus received by, the public is not unrea-
sonable, and unfortunately the university has suf-
fered in consequence. These considerations will
compel the Senatus to use greater severity if nn'
fortunately any serious breach of academic disciP
line should occur in future. They have hitherto'
been very unwilling to do so, because the rustles'
tion or expulsion of a student suspends or stePEI
altogether his education at this or any other univer-
sity in the United Kingdom, and consequently pre-
vents him entering any learned profession. But
such injury to an individual must not be permitted
to interfere with the interests of the whole body of
the students, The Senatus Academicus look with
confidence for the sympathy and co-operation of the
great body of their students in preventing, for the
future, such scenes as were enacted this year. This
is a matter in which all the members of the waiver'
city, as well students as professors, are concerned,
and it is earnestly hoped that the present
prove the last occasion on which it may be found
necessary to allude in any way to an offence so
childish in itself, yet so fruitful of bad consequences
to all concerned.