The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-04 00:00:00

THE VOLUNTEERS.

The third annual prize meeting of the Surrey
Rifle Volunteer Association was brought to a close
yesterday at the ranges on Wimbledon-common.
The Challenge Cup, value £lOO, with gold medal,
was won by Colonel Cole, 11th Surrey; the second
prize, £lO, by Lieutenant Pott ; and the third prize,
£5, by Major Sir H. Fletcher, 6th Surrey. The
ranges were 650 and 700 yards, five shots at each
distance. The cup will remain the property of the
association unless wou three consecutive years by
the same person, when it will become his absolute
property. The Lord-Lieutenant and County Mem-
bers' Prize of £5O was shot for at the 300, 500, and
700 yards ranges, and won by Private T. White, 13th
Surrey. The prize for the best volley firing, a cup
value 10 guineas, was carried off by the 12th Surrey.
The Ist and 7th were next highest in the order of
merit. Consolation prizes, ranging in value from
£7 to £1 were also shot for.
The annual inspection of the West
Rifles by Col. Erskine, Inspector of Volunteers,park in
ta
8 took
place on Tuesday evening in the Regent's-park
The es-erspresence of a large number of p Middlesex
bat-
talion, to the number of about 300
bands, marched off
eemen, forming six
by
companies, and headedl
from Lord's Cricket-grounds its head quarters, and
Lord Radstock, assisted by
under the command of Ler
Major Bridgman
and Captain and Adjutant Penny-
more, took up their position in the Regent's-parkfacing
Ifolford-house.There the ground had
already been taken up, and was admirably kept by a
considerable force of the 10th Middlesex, under
command of Captain Reed, the Adjutant of the Regi-
ment. The corps having marched past in an ex-
ceedingly steady and soldierlike manner, were put
through a seriesof the most difficult battalion move-
ments—skirmishing, falling back upon supports,
forming squares to •
receive cavalry, reforming
column, deploying into line
from. the right and left
flank and centre companies, file-firing from right
and left of faces,
firing volleys by companies and
subsequently by the whole battalion, concluding
with a spirited charge in line, amid the loud
cheers of the men as well as the spectators. While
the regiment was forming company squares to
receive cavalry, a serious accident occurred to a
young man named Lilley, a member of the corps,
residing in High-street, Marylebone, and also a
slight injury to a comrade, who was his front rank
man. It appears that he had not discharged his
rifle when the order was given to cease firing and
unfix bayonets. He was in the act of unfixing his
bayonet when his rifle, being on full cock, exploded,

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7'0.-':!.. •,',,-,
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completely bloring off the centre finger O Ok'."--:.,,„),,,,„
hand, and lacerating the skin of the neck Atari .4- - LUZI;.?
k.
the right ear of the volunteer in front cf hitn."-.lliri 3. S
Jackson, assistant-surgeon of t':..e corps, promptly
attended, and having bandaged Mr. Lilley's shat-
tered hand, and administered a little brandy to him •
and his companion, Lilley walked away from the
park in the most; manful manner. Col. Erskine et
the conclusion of the evolutions addressed the re-
giment, and said he was not going to flatter them,
that was no part of his duty ; but ho should not
faithfully discharge his duty if he did not award
them hat praise he considered they deserved. He
was much pleased with two things especially----
their steadiness under arms and the silence which
had been observed in their ranks ; and the ready
manner with. which they had formed square on bjog
called upon by him through their commanding offi-
cer suddenly to do so proved that they were well
drilled—a fact creditable not only to those who
drilled them, but to themselves for having so effi-
ciently acquired it. He should not fail to make a
most favourable report to the Secretary of State
for War, not only as to the efficiency of the bat-
talion, but as to the able manner in which it had
been handled. The regiment then marched back to
headquarters.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

SOUTH-EASTERN.

A Wharncliffe meeting of this company was held
yesterday at the Bridge-house Hotel, London-
bridge ; the Hon. J. Byng in the chair.
Mr. S. Smiles, the secretary, having read the
notice convening the meeting,
The CHAIRMAN said the meeting was called for
the purpose of considering two bills now before Par-
liament. The first was a bill of the Charitg.,cross
Railway Company, and it was submitted because it
contained clauses conferring a permissive power to
lease or amalgamate that undertaking with the
South-Eastern Company. He thought there could
not be two opinions,as to the desirableness of their
being placed in such a position as to be enabled to
make that railway an integral part of their own
system, should they consider it desirable to do so.
The present bill committed them to nothing, as it
was merely permissive. When the bill became law
it would be for them to go into the question of terms,
and they would be called together when a definite
scheme had been prepared, such as the directors
could recommend for their adoption. The other bill
to be submitted for their consideration was the
Hastings Pier and Harbour Bill. It was promoted
by another company, and gave them a permissive
power to enter into working arrangements with that
company, and the directors considered it desirable
they should possess such a power.
The Solicitor read the heads of a bill for regu-
lating the capital and debenture debt of the Charing-
cross Railway Company, and for authorising the
amalgamation of that company with the South-
Eastern Railway Company.

In reply to Mr. Adams, it was stated that the
present powers of the company authorised the rais-
ing of 1;1,926,600 and the bill gave power to raise
an additional sum of £700,000 on shares, and
£233,330 on debentures.
A long discussion ensued, in which Mr. Adams,
Mr. C. Bell, Mr. Michell, Mr. C. Child, and Mr.
Beavis took part. Considerable dissatisfac-
tion was expressed at the great increase of the
capital of the Charing-cross Railway from time to
time, and the large amount of it the South-Eastern
Company were called upon to subscribe; but under
all the circumstances it was thought desirable to
approve the bill.

A formal resolution approving the bill was then
adopted.

On the motion of the chairman, seconded by Mr.
Thomson, a formal resolution approving a bill to
authorise the construction of a tramroad from the
South-Eastern Railway at Hastings to Hastings
harbour was passed, and the proceedings terminated
with a vote of thanks to the chairman.

HAMMERSMITH AND CITY.
A Wharncliffe meeting of this company was held
yesterday at the offices, Duke street, Westminster,
for the purpose of considering a bill to authorise the
company to make another junction with the Great
Western Railway—Mr. J. Parson in the chair.
The Solicitor read the heads of the bill, which au-
thorised the company to raise £60,000 for the pur-
pose of making a junction with the Great Western
Railway.

The CHAIRMAN moved a formal resolution ap-
proving the bill, and in doing so expressed his regret
that the Great Western Company had thought it
necessary to request them to make the new junction
by means of a line under the Great Western up-line
at Paddington, as he believed that no danger would
have resulted from the facing points for the level
junction, as originally proposed.
A long discussion ensued, chiefly in reference to
the purchase of the land required for the proposed
junction and deviation line, and the meeting was
adjourned until the 9th inst. for the reconsideration
of the bill.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
Tais DAY.—Morning, 3h. 30m.—Afternoon, 3h. 55m,
To-moßnow.-Morning, 4h. 13m.—Afternoon, 4h. 1491