The Sun.
London, England, 1863-05-16 00:00:00

NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION.

The annual meeting of the National Rifle Asso-
elation was held yesterday at Willis's Rooms ; his
Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge in the
chair. Amongst those present were Lord Longford,
Lord Wharucliffe, Lord West, Lord Hardiuge, Earl
Tankerville, Lord Talbot de Malahide, Lord Spen-
cer, Earl Ducie, Lord Truro, the Hon. Mr. Lindsay,
Sir T. F. Buxton, M.P.,Capt. Ross, Capt. Mildmay,
Capt. Templar, Hon. A. Kinnaird, M.P., Sir R.
Hamilton, Mr. John M'Gregor, General Boileau,
Col. Bigge, Sir John Burgoyne, Col. Kennedy, Col
Steele, Mr. Scourfield, M.P., Col. North, M,P., Col.
the Hon. C. H. Lindsay, Lieut.-Col. Warde, Lieut.-
Col. Loyd Lindsay, Col. Clark Kennedy, the Hon.
Col. Cust, Hon. Col. Charteris, Sir P. De Grey
Egerton, Capts, Macgregor, Page, and G. St. John
Mildmay.

His ROYAL HIGHNIBB ❑eed not detain
you long, a', since the meeting which was held re-
cently, nothing of any importance has occurred. I
have, to state that the arrangements have been made
for the rifle meeting at Wimbledon on the 7th July.
The balance in favour of the association amounts to
£3,613, which includes the Ladies' Prize of £4lO.
I have further to inform you that the names of the
ladies forming the committee will be published im-
mediately ; and I have further to state that the sub-
scriptions have not increased to the extent the
council had hoped. lam afraid I have alluded on
various occasions to this subject, and I am almost
ashamed to advert to it again; but I may be per-
mitted to observe that the annual subscriptions are
most essential to any body conducting its operations
from year to year, and unless those subscriptions are
very considerable it is most difficult for the council

to know what arrangements it can properly make:
Therefore I notice the fact once again, that the
annual subscriptions are not so great as we
could wish. I hope the council have met the feel-
ing of the volunteers in the country, as we all
know there was a strong feeling that the arm in
use by the volunteers should be brought more for-
ward, and arrangements had been made with that
view. They thought it would be of great advan-
tage to carry out that view as far as possible, and I
am happy to say that the committee have met the
case by establishing prizes for the next competition,
which I hope will effect the object we all have in
view. I allude more particularly to the 60 new
prizes for all comers, rank and file, using the Go-
vernment rifle. The winners of the 60 prizes will
also be entitled to compete for the Alexandra prize
of £5O value, to be given in honour of the Princess
Alexandra. The House of Lords prize amounts to
£l7O, and will be competed for by enrolled volun-
teers with any rifle of bona fide government pat-
ternsasaid,
, co aur
rr carryingt .
r6i7fl7e baosrseo de
iias
tmi
oent e rm.
eAe
tsi
nlgh atvaeh
takes
rpelaadeye
easns
fdu al svrwe es
hhaal vl eh ha
vi teh eernteo
tfho
sn
yd
ear,
orenvtihe we Tvtherygiusluycc;
and it will take place on the 18th July. The en-
tries for the Queen's price already amount to 970,
and it is hoped that before the day of the competi-
tion the number will be increased. Tents will be
erected as usual, and there will be two officers or
four men in a tent. Already 40 officers and 100
men have sent in applications for tent accommoda-
tion; and members of the association desiring to
have tents of their own can do so on application.
The general rules have been amended, and are sub-
mitted to the meeting, together with the bye laws
and the programme, which I think is more attrac-

tive than it has hitherto been. The arrangements
are made with a view to enable volunteers to com-
pete with their own arms, and in that respect no
doubt they wi I give general satisfaction.
Col. BIGGE moved that the rules, as amended, be
adopted ; and Sir R. HAMILTON seconded.
Captain TEMPLAR called the attention of the
council to the desirability of trying the experiment
of handicapping the different rifles, and of offering
prizes to be contested for with the long Enfield, at
800 or 1,000 yards. He believed that some excel-
lent practice would be made with that weapon.

The Earl of Duciz said the council had considered
the question, and, acting on General Hay's opinion,
did not propose to go beyond the 600 yards' range.
General BOILEAU suggested that prizes should
be offered, to be competed for with the various kinds
of rifles.

Mr. 11PGREGOR thought it desirable that all
should compete with rifles of the same make, and
not that one man should use his rack rifle and
another should compete with him with ono of a
different and superior make. To avoid this
it was desirable that the prizes should be offered
to be competed for with the various kinds
of rifles. At present many were excluded because
they did not use the weapons to which they were
accustomed. This was the case with the Inns of
Court, who had the 5-groove rifle, and the artillery,
who had the carbine. He concluded by moving a
resolution to carry out his views, but it did not
find a seconder.

Colonel LINDSAY said that the 5-groove rifles
were excluded on account of the advantage they
gave, and the competition was restricted to the
rifles of the Government pattern as served out to
the volunteers.

In reply to Lord Truro,
His Royal Highness the Duke of CAMBRIDGE
and the Hon. A. KINNAIRD, M.P., stated that the
association was not entirely self-supporting.
Colonel COLES moved that the 60 prizes for all
comers (No. 3 in the bye laws) should be restricted
to long and short Enfields.

Major PIPON seconded the resolution.
Captain TEMPLAR suggested that the entrance
money for the competition for the 60 prizes, namely,
£l, was too high, and excluded many volunteers
from it, and again urged his views in favour of long

ranges.
Lord TRURO expressed his entire disapproval of
the long ranges being introduced.
The amendment was negatived.
some other suggestions were then made as to
off ring a prize forshooting at unmeasured distances,
when

Lord WHARNCLIFFE said the great difficulty
they all felt, and which gave rise to differences of
opinion, was occasioned through the Government
serving out different kinds of rifles. He thought
the council would do well if it endeavoured to in.
duos the Secretary of State for War to issue only
one kind of rifle to the volunteers.
The amended rules were adopted, and a vote °f
thanks to the chairman closed the proceedings.