The Sun.
London, England, 1863-11-28 00:00:00

Musketry Instruction in the Army.

Major-General C. Hay, the Inspector-General of
Musketry, having compiled his annual report, for
the information of his Royal Highness the Field-
Marshal Commanding-in-Chief, of the progress of
musketry instruction in the Army for the year
1862.3, ending on the 30th of September last, the
elaborate return has, by command of his Royal
Highness, been transmitted during the last
few days to all the military stations at home and

abroad.
The return records the extent to which the
several corps and battalions armed with the rifle
have been exercised daring the year, with the re-
sults of their performances in the various practices,
compiled from the returns received from the corps
and battalions mentioned.
The returns show the efficiency of both the cavalry
and infantry. It appears the number of men exer-
cised in the yearly course was—Cavalry, 8,507 ;
infantry, 115,762, the non-exercised amounting to
11.57 per cent., being an increase of that of last
year, which was 10 per cent. In the return the
several corps and battalions are given by divisions,
districts, and commands, according to the places at
which quartered. Of the eleven companies of Royal
Engineers which have been stationed at the head-
quarters of the corps during the year, only five have
been exercised through the prescribed annual course,
whose shooting is, on the whole, fair, and non-exer-
cised men few. Of the division of the Guards the
musketry instruction of the several battalions has
been conducted regularly, and the results are satis-
factory, although the " figure of merit" of each bat-
talion has decreased, as compared with that of the
last year, which is traceable to a falling off in the
platoon and skirmishing practices. The Ist batta-
lion Scots Fusilier Guards is the best shooting bat-
talion. With respect to the army in the East
Indies, Major-General Hay observes that the mus-
ketry instruction of the corps and battalions in the
Bengtil Presidency has been conducted on the whole
regularly. The shooting of the regiments has im-
proved on that of last year, except in the 7th Dra-
goon Guards, 19th Hussars, Ist battalion 7th, 46th,
48th, 79th, 90th, and 101st Regiments, in which it
has fallen off. The percentage is less than last
year, although still large in several regiments speci-
fied in the Inspector-General's report. The rifle
training of the corps and battalions of the Bom-
bay Presidency has been conducted regularly,
although the results are not as satisfactory as they
might have been. The shooting of many of the
regiments has fallen off, and that of the 28th and
106th is bad. The musketry training in the Madras
Presidency has been correctly carried on, and the
shooting in the majority of the regiments has im-
proved, particularly in the case of the 91st Foot,
smallest in the army. 's report that
It is stated in the Inspector-General
breech-loading with Sharp's and Terry's
" the cavalry practi3ed w,
and the percentage of non-exercised men is the
with the artillery car-
bine ; the Royal Artillery .
Engineers with the Lancaster
car-
bine ; the Royal
300 yards,
annidfle the.B aVt
tiacltioorni
sa. riflewith
ctahre-
inthese
and the battalions of
eshlioiprtticrailfi
Guards and Linelwith the long Enfield rifle."
annual practice returns that the Ist Drag3on Guards
is the best shooting regiment
patternricflareb; 1853 ;
of the cavalry, its
"figure of merit".
being 22.13, and that of the 49th
It appears from Gen. Hay's elaborately-prepared
elliptical-bore
"figure of merit" being 51-54. It is true that
its
the 2d battalion 20th Foot occupies the first place
Foot is the best shooting regiment of the infantry,
in the table ; but, as the skirmishing practice of this
battalion was executed in advancing from 400
to
notwithstanding an order had been issued calling
attention to the subject when the " course" for 1862-
63-
200 yards, and then in retiring to only
commenced, the battalion has forfeited the post
of distinction, and the honour is awarded to the 49th
Foot Regiment, being No, 2 on the list.
The best
shooting company in the army for the
10 company 49th Foot, its " figure year is No.
55.67. The best shot in the of merit" being
course of practice for 1862-3 army in the yearly
battalion 22d Foot, who
obtained 22 points in shoot-
ing in the first class .
, and the best judge of dis-
tances is Corporal Jack
who obtained 27 • Jackson, Ist battalion 24th Foot,
points in the first class,
The Inspector-General concludes his able expose
joined remarks ~.....
" The shooting of the army has improved on last
year's performances and the results of the jadging
distance practi • ces are satisfactory. Another year's
experience furnishes proof, if such were required;of
the soundness system of
and practicability of the
musketry instruction which has for some tivaf3past
been in force in the army ; and when it ist to t consideredhi s
that only 12 days in the year arc devoted
only
34
branch of the soldier's training ;
exultsindeed,
already
hours for for drill and practice, the ldagain mention
complished are wonderful. I wotu
whose
`figure of
that the sheeting of a regdera
imente that when under
merit' is under 40 is only mo ?
8d tnat when under
35 it is very indifferent,
considered by many who
con
30 it is decidedly bad.
delt jsred the present system of
have not carefully
there ore not a sufficient num-
musketry practice that
the shoit distances. To this
ber of rounds fired
d :ewer that no man is allowed to
objection I would answer
beyond 300 yards, except by quali-
fire at distances
llt he can shoot fairly and under
fication, to prove t
d thata of the 90
rounds
allowed for
thation,
distance, an
the training of the. recruits and
the annual practice
drilled soldiers 70 are expended by the former
of the
and 50 by the latter at and under 400 yards. No
m an is allowed to shoot between 300 and 600 yards
rounds,
when does not obtain 15 points at least in 20-
when firing at and under 300 yards, nor at
distances

George, Lewis reminds us of his predecessor in the
War-office/Lord Herbert. We have not the posi-
tive news of Lord Elgin's death; but a telegram
received yesterday at the India•office announces
what may be regarded as fatal, that to the 14th of
this month his life was despaired of. Vrhat was the
nature of his complaint is not certainly kctown. Al-
though the suddenness of the disaster would lead to
the supposition that Lord Elgin was struck down

by one of those rapid diseases whien
are inci-
dental to the Indian climate, there
is ground to
believe that this was not the case, but that we
must attribute his loss more directly to his public
cares. He is known to have been suffering from
heart complaint; he had gone to the hills at that
period of the year when Indians generally s eek for
relaxation; he had just been over a pass 13,,000ft.
high ; and he had complained of the effect of the
mountain air on his breathing. it was soon after
this exploit that his ailment manifested itself; and
the inference is that it is in these circumstances lee
are to look for an explanation of the unexpecte d
calamity which we now record.
Lord Elgin traced his descent to the Bruce whose
name he bora, and he was sou of that Earl
who
brought the Elgin marbles to England. The son:
of Scottish parents, he was born in London on the
20th'of July, 1811. He was educated at Eton, and
from Eton he went to Christ Church, where, as lately
we have too often had to repeat, he was one of the
distinguished band-of /oboists and-statestuolb =
eluding Sir George Lewis, Lord Dalhousie, Lord
Canning, and Mr. Gladstone, who were reared in
that celebrated seat of learning. He was of the
first-class in classics in 1832, and subsequently he'
became a Fellow of Merton College, being then
known in his father's lifetime es Lord Bruce. We
hear little of him till 1841. In that year he married;
he entered Parliament as member for Southampton,
and as a supporterearl of Sir Robert Peel ; and he sue-•
ceeded to the
d
did not earldom, which, being a Scotch peer-
age,interf with his seat in the Lower
House. The general
Parliament, e election of 1841, which sent
Lord Bruce to iament, raised Sir Robert Peel
Stanley to power, with Lord as Secretary for the
Colonies. Sir Robert Peel
and Lord Stanley were
both scholars and statesmen, trained. in Christ
Church, were both prepossessed
new-comer, ant' in 1842 offered himn favour of the
tthhe. Governor-
s faa we
or-
Generalship of Jamaica. In noting
are reminded of a scene which many years
wards took place in the House of Lords. Ictt, ft
IiVE
the first night of the Session of 1859, and the first
appearance of Lord Elgin in the Upper House after
his return from his succesful mission to China. In
the debate which then occurred, Lord Derby and
Lord Grey contended with generous rivalry for the
honour of having first introduced Lord Elgin to
official life. "My Lords," said Lord Derby,—
I cannot pass over the subject of the treaties that have
been concluded with China and Japan without expressing
what has also been so well expressed by my noble friend
behind me, approval of the course which has been pursued.
by her Majesty's plenipotentiary. It is a peculiar satis-
faction to me to have seen Lord Elgin, who was appointed.
to my predecessors in office, discharge his functions with
so much zeal, skill, and ability, because it so happens that
I was the first person who had the satisfaction to introduce
Lord Elgin into public life.
Earl Grey—l beg your pardon, my lord—l made Oak ap-
pointment.
Earl of Derby—l beg my noble friend's pardon. I ret 'ol-
lect giving him his instructions before he went out.
Earl Grey said that it was not so. Oa his coming in,fo
office he tho )ght the state of Canada was such as to requir o
a person of civil experience to administer its affairs, and act-
cordingly Sir George Cathcart was recalled and Lord Elgia.
appointed Governor.
Earl of Derby—Whether I am in error or not does not in
the slightest degree alter my feelings, of satisfaction at the
manner in which he has discharged his duties or my per—
sonal friendship for him.
It must have been not a little gratifying to Lord
Elgin to be the object of this pleasant rivalry_ Lord
Grey was quite right in cia;ming the honour of
having sent him to Canada ; but Lord Derby had.
sent him previously to Jamaica, and therefore was
the first to introduce him to public life. In Ja-
maica Lord Elgin had no easy task, but he acquitted
himself so well that when in 1846 the Whigs had
to seek out the ablest man they could find to be
Governer-General of Canada, theypitched upon Lord
Elgin, notwithstanding his Tory connections. The
truth is, that the Tory party was now for a. season
broken up, and that the Whigs might without fear
turn to some of the Conservatives for assistance.
Lord Elgin fulfilled its duties with consummate
tact. He carried out in Canada the conciliatory
policy of his father-in-law, Lord Durham, and by
preserving a neutrality between parties, by deve-
loping the resources of the country, agrim ltural
and commercial, and by seeking in every possible
way to study the wishes of the colonists, he, in. a
reign that extended over eight years, did
more than
any man to quell discontent and to knit
dian provinces closely to the mother the n
country.‘d
was so successful that in 1849 he was honoured.,
with a British peerage.
The next office which ho Was called upon to fill.
was that of Ambassador to
way thither that he heard China. It was on his
of the Indian mutinies F
at once on very slender information he divined the
importance of the crisis, and took upon himself to
divert to Calcutta
the troops which had been
ordered to China in
This is one support of his mission there.
of those acts of rapid decision, of official.
courage, and of
unselfish thought, which historians
will ever delight
to remember. He passed on to
China, and though, by this act of unselfishness, hie
progress
Was delayed, yet in the end, as we all
know ho succeeded in his aims ; he saw Canton
taken, and he negotiated the important treaty of
Tientsin with the Celestials, which forms the basis
of our present relations with them. It was a great
triumph, and though there had been much bitter
contention as to the policy of Lord Palmerston in
prosecuting the Chinese war, yet its successful issue
seemed to gratify all parties alike; and thatscene
which we have described as taking place in the
1859, will show that
House of Lords in February,
the opponents of Lord Palmerston not
loathelss than his
supporters were anxious to do honour
Plenipotentiary. Not to opose, however, did Lord,
toughy In the summerof
Elgin returnto this c0n0,,,• 1859
Lord Palmerston entered upon office once more, and
memer of his Cabinet, with
Lord Elgin became a
the duties of Postmaster-General. What followed.
he ought
it is almost needless to recount. The brother of Lord.
Elgin, Mr. Bruce, had been appointed our Envoy in.
Chios, and in accordance with the treaty
to have been received in Pekin. Access to the capi.
'
tal, however, was refused to him, save on conditions
which were considered derogatory to
the Brit
i British
representative, and when we insisted on the rights
of
secured to us by treaty, there ensued the d•
the Peiho. Forthwith, in 1860, Lord Elgin
b
despatched once more to sustain, the E autho-
rity,sh
his was
and he thoroughly fulfilled
and. compelling the sub-
Celestial chiefs, missionmissiony
entering Pekin in state,
mission of the
gained this triumph than Scarcely had he
suc-
ceed Lord Cannin he was appointed to
e. asGovernor-General of India.
When he accepted the post his friends remembered
how the two previous Governors, his college friends,
had suffered from the severity of their labours in an
oppressive climate. It was felt at tho samo time
much that so m
misfortune must have its interval of
brightness, and it was hoped that Lord Elgin might
escape, If, as we fear, he has fallen, he has fallen
in harness; but he has had the satisfaction of seeing
India grow into prosperity under his rule, and hold
out expectations which for years past we have not
dared to entertain. All through his life he was suc-
cessful in his undertakings, and he was successful at
the last. He owed that success not so much to great
genius as to good sense, to social tact, and to a love
of hard steady work.