The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-29 00:00:00

THE VOLUNTEERS.

Capt. A. J. Mundella, commanding the Ist company of
Robin Hood Rifles, has issued the following challenge to
the Volunteers of Australia :—" On behalf of my company
I am preprared to shoot a match during the ensuing year
with 20 members of the company in Australia which has
made the highest register as to marksmen in the year 1863;
rifles to be long Enfields, issued by Government, 61b pull
of trigger, 7 shots at each, at 200, 500, and 600 yards,and 7
shots file firing, at 300 yards, and 7 shots volley firing, at
400 yards, all in Hythe position; the individual firing tobe
scored as at Wimbledon—viz outers counting two, centres
three, and bull's eyes four; the file and volley firing to be
counted according to Hythe regulations ;.the whole score to
be added together, and the company making the highest
score to win. No sunshades allowed, no misses to be sig-
nalled, and the whole to be shot in one day, and in all re•
spects in accordance with the Hythe regulations, Each
company to fire on its own ~,ractice ground, the umpire to
be appointed by the National Rifle Association, and in Aus-
tralia by the officer commanding the Volunteers in the
colony; time of shooting, July, in England, and in Aus-
tralia any month the Volunteers may select." The regis-
tering practice return of the company for 1863 is as follows
—lst period, 70 ; 21 period, 66; 3d period, 65. The num-
ber of marksmen was 50, and the strength of the com-
pany 91. _ _ _

-
A company has been formed for the purpose of building a
large hotel on Wiutbledon-common for the accommodation
of the members of the National Rifle Association and those
who visit the locality for rifle practice and mititary ma-
noeuvres. A site for the building has been obtained on the
common commanding a view of the ground on which the
National Rifle Association holds its annual meetings, near
the rile ranges of the 15th Middlesex (London Scottish)and
Civil Service (21st Middlesex) Rifles, and within a mile of
Richmond-park. It is proposed to provide cabs, carriages,
and horses for the convenience of the visitors. The build-
ing will be a handscme Italian structure, divided into two
separate departments. It will contain club, billiard, and
ball rooms, and a masonic lodge, and upwards of 200 bed-
rooms. Among the directors of the company are Col. Colt,
C. 8., of the Ist Administrative Regiment of Surrey Rifle
Volunteers; Col. Creed, C. 8., Ist Middlesex Artillery Vo-
lunteers; Major Wright, let Middlesex Engineers; Mr. B.
Smith, 23d Middlesex (Inns of Court) Rifles. The archi-
tect is Mr. A. Trimen, of Adam-street, Adel/3bl.
On Saturday last a large number of both battalions of the
Queen's ( Westminster) Rifle Volunteers assembled at West-
minster•hall, and after blank cartridge had been served out
to each member marched, accompanied by the bands, to
Hampstead, where they were put through a variety of
movements in light infantry drill. A sub-committee has
been appointed to consider the whole question of the finances
of the corps, which will be reported to the meeting of the
central committee on Jan. 8. The result will bo communi-
cated to the corps at the distribution of prizes on the 9th,
and it will then be notified what reduction can be made in
the annual subscriptions in consequence of the Government
grant, _ . .

The quarterly competition among the second• class shots
of the London Rifle Volunteer Brigade for three University
tankards given by the Brigade Rifle Association has been
brought to a close at the rifle ranges at Plaistow, Essex.
The ranges were 200 and 600 yards. On account of the
shortness of the time allowed for the contest and the large
number who competed, the 600 yards range was omitted,
but, as the winners of the tankards and several other com-
petitors made more than the proportionate number of marks
in the two ranges, they qualified themselves for future badge
competitions. The tankards were won as follows—Private
Woolley, N company, 27 marks; Lieut. Christie, C company,
24 marks; and Private Thomas, E company, 20 marks. The
condition of these association contests are five shots each at
200, 500, and 600 yards, all who make 25 marks and up-
wards being entitled to shoot in the next competition for
the gold champion badges.
The grand volunteer rifle contest, open to all the world,
for prizes amounting in value to nearly £2OO, will be held
to-morrow at Totnes. The money will be divided into
prizes of £lOO, 120, £l5, three prizes of £lO each, and four
of £5 each. The ranges will be 300:and 600 yards, seven
shots at each, hits and points added, at 300 yards Hythe
position, at 500 yards any position. There will be a Rifle
Derby for small bores, and Rifle Oaks for Enfields on the
following day.
The fourth annual distribution of the regimental and
company prizes of the St. George's Rifles will take place at
St. James's-hall on Tuesday, the sth of January, at the
conclusion of the concert which the regiment holds on that
evening. The regiment mustered in force last week, at
Burlington-house, to welcome the return of Col. Lindsay
from the Continent, and his recovery from the accident he
met with on Wormholt Scrubbs. He will present the
prizes on Tuesday.
The companies forming the Ist Administrative Battalion
of Somerset Volunteers had a field day on Saturday. The
men of the Ist, 2d, 14th, 17th, and 18th companies paraded
in Queen-square, Bath, and afterwards marched to Kilston-
park, the residence of Col. Inigo Jones, colonel command-
ant, where they found a detachment of the sth (Keynsham)
company awaiting them. The force was divided into two
bodies,—one under the command of Adjutant Bampfylde,
and the other under Captain Ford. The former were sup-
posed to hold the mansion of the colonel, which was sustain-
ing a siege from an enemy, represented. by Captain Ford's
divisions. After some preliminary skirmishing an assault
was ordered, which resulted in the defenders being worsted
and taken prisoners. At the conclasion of tho:uxoncouvrem
the men were regaled, and after the repast Mrs. Colonel
Jones presented the silver challenge cups offered for com-
petition to the battalion of Colonel Jones and Mr. E.
Lovell, clerk of the peace for the county of Somerset.
They are held for this year by Privates Hay and Drake,
of the Ist company. Colonel Jones also said a few
words. He congratulated himself on commanding a bat-
talion in which there were 90 marksmen, and expressed a
hope that there would be a meeting of Volunteers in that
neighbourhood next year. The recipients of the cups having
returned thanks, three cheers were given for Mrs. Jones and
the gallant colonel. The officers on the ground then accepted
the invitation of Colonel Jones to partake of luncheon, the
band playing in front of the home. Shortly afterwards the
companies fell in, marched past, and saluted. They then
returned to Bath.

We are authorised to state that there is no truth
in the report that the Earl of Cardigan has subscribed
either £lOO or f2OO towards paying Col. Crawley's expenses,
or that pending the proceedings of the general court-martial
he has placed himself at the head of a list of subscribers.—
Morning Herald.
MISSING VESSELS.—The Philo, Stevenson, sailed
from Montreal on the 16th September for Queenstown, and
is supposed to have passed Quebec on the 18th, and has
not since been heard of. The Promesa de Torrevieja, Tor-
rents, sailed from Buenos Ayres on the Bth July for the
Channel, and has not since been heard of.

The Figaro-Programme publishes the following
curious detail—" Alexandre Dumas, the novelist, is no
longer paid by the line, but by the letter. Yes S the San
Felice,' which is now being published, is paid for at the rate
of a centime a letter. We can guarantee the exactitude of
this fact.'

ePdTeUr
aRI ED
navy, BYiTnHh Ei 8 Fo
ffiE
cDi
aEI Rr
eApLo Sr
t. —t 0 Tcho
Congress
gr e Sec-
retaryssFßlozfEtSheCFA
refers to the number and value of the prizes captured since
the declaration of the blockade. He says that the capture
of 1,045 prizes, representing property to the amount of up-
wards of £3,000,000, have been submitted to the judgment 1
of the Federal prize courts. About halt that sum has been
adjudicated upon, leaving, after paying all expenses,
51,200,000 for distribution amongst the captors of the seve-
ral prizes.
A FRENCH VIEW OF ANCIENT ENGLAND.--The
Scholar of Oxford, a comedy in three ants, and in
prose, by Feu Wafflard, represented for the first time in the
Second Thee.tre-Franiais, July 29, 1824; price 2 francs 50
centimes, Paris, Madame Virginie D
abo, Publisher. I
ought, perhaps, to say that the copy lying before me, stained
and dingy, but yet in tolerable preservation, I found with
a heap of other works in a by-street, offered at a penny a
volume. It is neither the better nor the worse for that,
iT,hhee tcimhaeraoefttehrsisacro:Ledoyrd
i g
Md etohrerne ,i reign
of
f Queen Elizabeth.
ambitious courtier,
with a noble mansion in Lombard-street, in
can judge from the drama,
a magnificent
park ; Lady Norden, his sister ;
.Miss Maria, v., .
(miss
Maria, Jew. mere, has an awkward look) Who is said
but
their niece
(Mies who i
in the list of personages to bo their mother,
; Lord Straf-
fact, as nearly as I
Jackson;ert, Professor
ford, friend of the Morden family; Rob
of Humanities in the College of Air.
Student of the University of Oxford ; Will,
rectors of lesser importance.and several cha-
ractersfirst •
a forest, which turns out to be • The
scene opens in
et a ose sign is seen
is a tavern, kept by Goot, on whose in Hyde Park. Therie.
a small bundle and some books under his arm._ is
as
lent porter—logo a pied Will
he has
cheval." Enter
He wlB.
completed his studies, and
He has just left the University
idea e of Oxford, beesasewnh
pro-
tectorshPay his last quarter's
name he does
have forgotten t
Ho has a vague also because his ne°xpenses.
that his father,
not happen to know, whose name
ere I am," ex-
claims Will, "at w, has died in exile. .
18, free, my own master, and running the
world ,without knowing where I go. How the air is good I
How I
respire at Ah! this clay is the most beau-
tiful of my life.mY
ease
.
(He throws his books iteo the air.) Good-
by Quintus Curtius I good-by Virgil I good-by Horace I
Your immortality has cost men many
ou a flogging. Will,
ti-
if
You believe me, you are fatigued ; y want some refres
ment. Ah, hero is a tavern where I can change my last
guinea. Hello I Mr. Host, Mrs. llostess, Mr. Gout ! "
Enter Mr. Goot, with a pot of beer in his hand. " Well,
young gentleman,"
for one." "A pot of your best beer, Mr. Guot, and I will
not beat you clown on it." " Here it is," said the publican ;
"taste that; by the time you have drunk two glasses you
will feel a vigour,a fire in the head. you will be furious, and
ready to box with all the world. As for my porter, I reserve
that for great occasions, such as a prize-fight, or my wife's
birthday."—Diekeni s"All theYearßo
un d ~,just published.

THE ENGRAVING FROM SEBASTIANO DEL
PIOMRO'S PICTURE, " THE RAISING OF LAziatus,' now
in the National Gallery, upon which Mr. i)oo has been for
several years engaged, is almost fluldhed.