The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-07 00:00:00

THE VOLUNTEERS,

The
-
The distribution of prizes which have been com-
peted. for during the year by the members of the
37th Middlesex (Bloomsbury) Volunteers took place
en -Saturday evening at the Music-hall, Store-
stroet, Colonel M'Murdo, the Inspector• General of
Volunteers, who presided, opened the proceedings
by a brief address. After expressing the pleasure
which he felt in attending upon such occasions es
the present, the gallant colonel observed that the
vast year had been marked by several events of
much importance to the Volunteer cause. A Royal
Commission had been appointed to inquire into the
condition...of the Volunteer force, Parliament had de-
liberated upon the report of that Commission, and
had come to the determination of voting a certain
sum of money in aid of the Volunteer force. Those
were in error who supposed that the acceptance of
a Parliamentary grant would deprive the force of
its volunteer character, for the unpaid services and
time of officers and -.nen would still be given for the
pu'ilic bens fit. It was not to be expected that the
large expenses for drill grounds, ranges, and other
rke6essary arrangements, could continue to be borne
exclusively by the Volunteers and their priv,te
friends. The Government, acting upon the report
of the CotAinission, obtained power to make cer-
tain grarets in eid, end the creation of that power
wasibilifeved by the passing of a new Act of Par-
liament, under which all Volunteers were now serv-
ing- There were also new Orders in Council de-
Ruin g. the degree of efficiency to be required to
eutdele the various corps to receive the public grants,
alitl then came certain regulations by means of
'Which the Government had reason to expect that
-the public money would be well and profitably
expended. (Hear, hear.) Speaking of the :force
itself, he could say that although 'he had not yet
received the annual returns he believed it was
maintaining its strength, and it certainly was pro-
gressing in efficiency. (Cheers.) During the
year he had, as Inspector-General, attended
county musters of the Volunteers of Essex, Suf-
folk, Devonshire, Dorsetshire, Lancashire, Durham,
Worcestershire, and many other counties at which
the various corps in each respective county had been
brigaded ; and he was gratified to find that in bat-
talion, in brigade, and in divisions of brigade, the
Volunteers worked together efficiently as armed and
disciplined men should do. (Cheers.) With respect
to the 37th Middlesex, he had had the pleasure of
hearing from the commanding officer that their
numbers were increasing, and he could himself
speak of their state of efficiency as highly satisfac-
tory, (Rear, hear.) Upon the subject of shooting,
Nv 1
the prizes about to be distributed had
for s glven, he wished to say a few words. Prizes
times "ben,.the use of weapons had been given in
had thei trove the Christian era. The Greeks
tors were er"lYtaPie games, iu which the vie-
successful tuwan,ed with a laurel wreath ; but the
doubtless, prefre4rsmen of the present day would,
) voltlaeilver cup to the wreath of laurel.
(daughter.) Volunteers should remember that the
beautiful weepona with
were intended to be which they were armed
eilenly.i! the occasion should ever
against an
arise
when men practised tahclotilnlevading our island ; and
bear in mind that they hooting at ah target they should
shoot at living targets, in the ,night be called upon to
well armed as themselves, tie hePdesof me.n equally
m times gone.
to see the firing of the crack shot of a
good shooting
corps ; but it frequently happened fact that the of
beingera
the Inspector-Gen! Preeeut caused such
nervousness that no hits at all were mode. ( Laugh-
ter.) But Volunteers should recolle et
in* their
-practice that it might ban" to them
tt'
ha" to
of th
shoot not only in the presencee e
they
,Y
if -rnTeCtOr
were
nervous but of an armed enemy, and
ere
nervous at a friendly vett
• -, it Would not do to be
so with well-armed foes aiming at them. (Rear,
hear.) As an old soldier, ho would advise thern,
when practising to consider that the target was
an enemy armed like themselves and advancing
upon them ; and if ever it should happen that they
were actually in the presence of armed and
advancing enemies he would recommend Volun-
teers to regard them as so many targets at which
to take good aim, (Cheers, and laughter.) In the
present day the use of marksmen was to keep down
the fire of long-range cannon and to resist cavalry.
They were aware that to meet a charge of cavalry
infantry was usually formed in square, but by that
formation a very large proportion of the fire of a
regiment was lost. Troops formed in line to resist
Cavalry attacks could deal far more destruction to the
enemy; but such a formation required very steady
soldiers. At Balaklava the late Lord Clyde, with a
Rißilland
regiment
in line, met and repelled the
Russian Cavalry ; but that gallant general knew
that he Could rely upon his men. Volunteers must
bear in mind that good shooting was not the only
thing required from a good soldier. Discipline and
drill were very
confidence
to importantuse his
to give the commander
(Hear, hear.) Thes men to the utmost advantage.
to distribute the prizgels,li th colonel then proceeded
wereeshd cash, a rifle, a
of a most varied
description, including,
bosid
t
Bible, cups, tankards, engro,ie
g 9,
servi
el ces, cruet
stands, and other articles. Te, utmost good feeling
seemed to prevail among the corps, the
non-winners,
cheering the recipients of the Prizes as heartily a
though the awards had been in their Own favour.s
Lieut.-Col. Corrie then proposed votes of thanks to
thanks to the donors of prizes, and to Col. 24.NIurdo
for presiding, which were adopted by acclamation.
The shooting for the cheneuge. cup peesented to

the Cambridge University Volunteers by his Royal
Highness the Prince of Wales, honorary colonel of
the corps, took place on Friday. A p, 'iminary
match to select the six best shots in the battalion
was held on Wednesday and Thursday, in which
the following members made the highest scores,
viz. :—Lieut.-Col. Baker, Capt. E. 'less, Corporal
Doe, Private Powlett, Private Thornton, Private
Stowe. The shooting on this occasion was not very
good, owing to the unfavourable state of the wea-
ther, which was boisterous and wet, but in the final
match it was remarkably good. The match took
place on the rifle ground of the corps, which is,
perhaps, one of the finest in England, having a
range of upwards of 1,000 yards.