The Sun.
London, England, 1852-03-10 00:00:00

T 11-1 F., YE !-s. DT. v-GUN.

TO Till?,

)IT(

F S

61a,—Lligtatei has t',7 th; 1-1:::g; ~;
with a new nomenclature—a vocabulary of strange
and werlle terms. Wlio does not hear daily of the
" Minie rifle," oflt's revolvers," the " Carabine
a Tige," and the .'Prussiansneedle- gun ?" Permit
me, Sir, to offer a few remarks on the last mentioned
of these war-weapons. That the English people
should regard with apathy this great improvement
in fire-arms is very natural. A long habitude of
peace has rendered us indifferent to aught that relates
to war or its implements. But there is a grand fact
connected with this new invention, which, when fully
known to the people of this country, I make
bold to affirm, will startle them from their attitude of
apathy, and be hailed by all—even the most devoted
friends of the " peace doctrine"—with a joyous
enthusiasm.
That a Board of Ordnance should have made trial
of this weapon and rejected it, is to many who have
given their attention to the subject a matter of
extreme wonder. The objections said to have been
raised have proved to be utterly groundless. The
action of the Prussian Government is proof enough
of itself. They are flinging aside a rifle quite as good
as that which we are now adopting. They have
armed 50,000 of their soldiers with the needle-gun,
and still continue to arm others, and this after years
of experiments, some of which have been made on the
field of battle !
Is the Prussian Treasury plethoric ? or is it the
nature of that practical people to be thus playing with
an expensive toy ?
To enumerate the advantages which the needle-
gun possesses over all other weapons of the kind
would require a column of your journal. It embraces
all the improvements which they claim. It equals
any of them in " range and direction," but in "quick-
ness of loading," the main feature in a war weapon,
it is beyond all comparison their superior. This
superiority it has obtained by having accomplished
that end so long desired, and hitherto so fruitlessly
attempted, a perfect system of " breech loading?' It
can be reloaded and fired ten times in the minute.
You may load running or riding, standing or sitting,
kneeling or crouching—in short in any position,
and with as much ease as you could take a pinch of
snuff from your box or a cigar from your case. It is
not too much to say that it can be loaded and fired
with twice the rapidity of any other • gun. It is not
too much to say that 50,900 men with this weapon
would be a match for nearly twice 'their number
armed with any other yet known ; nor is it too much
to assert that volunteers thus armed will be a match,-
man for man, with the best• drilled troops of the line.
Teis last assertion brings .us to the " grand fact" to
which I have alluded. 1 am no lover of war. My
heart throbs in unison with the preachers of
peace, and I have no sympathy with • the
mere professional soldier. I cannot therefore
contemplate the results which this invention
may bring about without emotions of sublime
pleasure. lum full of confidence that if it do not
altogether terminate the red and ruthless game of
war, it will carry us a long step towards that de
sired end. It will at least make war less expensive.
It will strip the world's tyrants of all excuse for
maintaining those great armies—body-guards for
butchery and blood—those incubi of the earth, that,
like vast vampires, sit upon the bosom of civilization
and society. I repeat tee affirmation, that an army
of volunteers freshly drawn from their ploughs, their
shops, and their looms, with this weapon in their
hands, will be a match, man for man, with the oldest
troops. What advantage would the one side have
over the over ? The manege of the needlsegun is so
simple that the raw recruit may be taught in
a single week to handle it with as much
ability as the soldier of twenty years' practice.
What advantage then in standing armies, and
systems of drill—farther than a few simple move-
ments to prevent bodies of men from becoming mobs,
and shooting one another ? The whole tactic of war
us hitherto practised will be changed in the next great
battle of the world. The touch of the elbow, the
squareness of the shoulders, and the toes turned out,
may still remain the farce of the parade ground, but
they can no longer influence the fate of the fight.
The sabre may sleep in its sheath. No more shall be
heard the charging cheer or the crash of the crossing
bayonets. Farewell to the showy front, to the square
and the cavalry charge. Woe to the close column
that would attempt to force a field-work or fortifica-
tion ! Death—certain death—to its divisions as they
advance upon those blazing embrazures. Woe to the
serried line that would move over the open ground
that intervenes between two hostile armies. Its files
would be blanked, its dressing deranged, and its
glittering ranks scattered like chaff by the death-
dealing detonations of the xundmidelgewchr.
I am, Sir,
MAYNE REID.

COURT CIRCULAR.
OSBORNE, TUESDAY.
The Queen and Prince Albert, and the Ro) al children,
walked and rode in the grounds at Osborne yesterday.
The Hon. Colonel and Mrs. Grey had the honour of
receiving an invitation to dinner.

Lord Hastings had an interview with the Earl of Derby
yesterday, at his official residence in Downing-street.
The Bishop of London had also an interview with the
Noble Earl.
A deputation, consisting of Sir Do Lacy Evans, M.P.
Mr. Leslie, Chairman of the Coachultikers' Committee;
Mr. Booker, Mr. John W. Peters, Mr. John Robson, and
Mr. H. Turner, had an interview with the Chancellor of
the Exchequer yesterday, at his official residence in
Downing-street.
Messrs. Fowles and Schneider, from the Port Philip
and Colonial Mining Company, had an interview, with
Sir John Pakington yesterday, at the Colonial-offiCe.
A joint deputation from the Electric Telegraph Com-
pany and the Irish Sub-marine Telegraph Company, had
an interview with Mr. Secretary Walpole yesterday, at
the Home-office. The deputation consisted of Lord Ers-
kine, Mr. Sirr, Mr. G. Latham Browne, and Colonel,
Wylde, directors; Mr. West, engineer and Messrs Ro-
bert Wilson and L.U. W nick worth, sOlicitors.•
The Earl of Devon had an interview yesterday with the
Chancellor of the Exchequer.
The Oxford University Commission had a meeting
yesterday, at the official iesiderlce of the First Lord of
the Treasury, in Downing-street. Present, the Bishop
ot Norwich, t Dean of Carlis, th Master of Pem-
broke, the Rehe v. H. G. Liddell, the Rev.e Professor Powell,
and the Rev. A. P. Stanley (secretary).
Mr. John Wood, Chairman of the Board o Inland
Revenue, had an interview yesterday with thf e Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer.
Dispatches were received at the Colonial-office yes-
terday, from the Governors of the North American pro-
, vinces.

SADLER'S WELLS THEATRE.
Mr. Phelps, whose judicious and painstaking efforts to
maintain the reputation of the legitimate drama have
commanded the universal respect and approbation of
the playgoing world, received a signal testimonial of the
appreciation entertained of his merits, both as an actor
and a manager, in the overflowing audience that greeted
his benefit last evening. There was not an available
spot unoccupied in any portion of tho house. He sus-
tamed the character of James the Sixth in the recently
produced piece of that name. Of the manner in which
the part of that singular monarch, who was one of the
rarest specimens of a combination of the knave and tool
that history presents, is played by Mr. Phelps, it is suf-
ficient to say that it equals in talent his personation of
Sir Pertinax M'Sycophant, to.which there is nothing
superior on the modern stage.

DONCASTER RACES.
(THIS DAY.)

(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)
Hopeful Stakes.

Anteverta
Ring David
Eaton ...

Won by ball a length.
Doncaatbr Handicap.

Hyacinth
Knock Knoll

... 2

all. 1

Eleven ran. Won easy.

... 2

DEATH OF SIR lIA=JRT LEES.—Died on Sun-
day,eldest March 7, at Blackr onse, county of Dublin, the
Rev. Sir Harcourt Lees aged 1711"
his title and estates byilesucceeded
whoin
married the daughter of General Sir James Caldwell, sEIi:C.B ,
of Beachlands, Isle of Wight. Sir Harcourt Lees was'
known for many years as an energetic and fearless writer en
the most
exciting topics of the day.—Dublin Evening Mail.
it
A BISHOP.—On Thursday night last a
p le Bopf t p
e
ranee into
Auckland but profane thieyes effected an ent •
Auckland Palace,
whilst its
inmates were all in bed. After
scouring the culinary and reception apartments without pro-
fit to themselves or loss to episcopacy, they ascended to the
next storey. There the irreverent scamps found their way
it hstanding the very natural inquiry
into
where thet Bishop of Durham and Mrs. Maltby
nce,llo w
was there," they managed to re-
tire,pott;heanrdootmhe
from Mrs. Maltby, "who bishop's purse. The con-
them the .
carrying off with .
inted the rogues, as they
disappointed
tents, however, robably
exceeded three pounds. Next day
are reported note o have
the Bishop entertained the juoges on circuit.
lc EFFeCTs OF PASSION.
AIARLBOROUGA.-- StRJ -S
was in
watchmaker,
—On Wednesday last, as Mr. Wiles,
his garden, superintending some
little alteration he was
making, an altercation ensued between him and Mr. Head,
at o n the
baker, whose garden adjoined, and in the hethe fapceassio with a
latter struck Mr. Wiles a violent blow on Mr. Wiles
immediately
f-ggot stick, and serious] y fractured his skull..
' •al aid was
immediately fell insensible to the ground; medic
nt ens
speedily obtained, but not the least hopes are at prese
tertained of his recovery. Mr. Head was taken into custody
by the police to await the event.— Western 1./ging Post.
SEIZURE OF AN ILLICIT STILL AT BRISTOL.--
The officers of excise at Bristol succeeded on Sunday in
seizing an illicit still, which was being worked in the under-
ground cellar of a house in Pipe lane Temple-street. The
still, with several tubs of wash, some spirit-colouring mat•
ter, &c., were all carried off and forfeited to the Crown, and
a man named Mader], who confessed to being the owner oi
the property, was taken before the magistrates, and com-
mitted tor three months to hard labour.

SUN,