The Sun.
London, England, 1862-07-07 00:00:00

THE GRAND NATIONAL _RIFLE

CONTEST.

Saturday's programme was of a more varied cha-
racter than that of any of the four preceding days,
and was, in fact, the only one offering any strong
inducement to the general public to visit Wimble-
don-common for the purpose of witnessing those
competitive struggles for the superiority of rifle
practice, which the institution of this annual na-
tional contest was originally designed to promote
among our volunteers. Not only were the different
competitions of the week, viz., those for the Queen's
Prize (first stage), the Association Cup, the All-
corners, and the extra prizes—to say nothing
of the sighting targets, pool practice, and the Run-
ning Deer, continued ; but there were also intro-
duced the contests for the St. George's Vase and
and the Harold Cup, the still more interest-
ing contest for the Ashburton Challenge Shield
among the public schools ; and, above all, the excit-
ing and novel match between the two houses of
parliament.
With such a diversified and interesting pro-
gramme a large attendance of spectators had been
confidently anticipated ; and this anticipation
would doubtless have been fulfilled but for the un-
propitious state of the weather. Gun-fire, at half-
past nine, found the sky clear and the atmosphere
dry, but soon the clouds began to gather overhead;
and after a few brief showers the rain set in in ear-
nest about 12 o'clock, pouring down as if with a
fell determination to spoil the sport of the day for
more than an hour, and with an apparent probabi-
lity of a prolonged continuance. This led to vague
suspicions that the parliamentary contest, the great
event of the day, might possibly be postponed, for
there were many who wondered whether our here-
ditary and representative legislators would be equal
to the effort of standing to their arms and their
targets amid the pelting of the pitiless storm But
just before one o'clock, and while the rain was com-
ing 'lawn with relentless energy, the champions of
the Upper House drove on to the ground in grand
style, in three fours-in-hand, and their opponenis of
the Lower House were not long behind them. Then
in a few minutes the rain ceased, the clouds dis-
persed, and the sun, shining out warm and plea-
santly, soon licked up the greater portion of that
superabundant moisture which the porous soil had
failed to absorb. Soon after came the different re-
- presentative% of
with
theirt h e public
ns
icohnoso l
ss
0,
mt
eh e 4
0E
strong)
o ni a n s
(mustering
the Harrovians, the
roughians, while carrillaguegsbfiYiiiteeds'ftahs eh
il‘olnaarbl bl
yo
--
attired ladies, rapidly withand
succeeded each other, and
<;al lan t equestrians galloped about in scores. Nume-
rous also were the visitors on foot, so that, although
the attendance did not quite come np to the antici-
patedtheground at half-past
point, two, when the
rival champions were paraded before the tent ap-
propriated to the
animation, and even
forms and lac
use of the council, w
of gaiety. Those to
ore an air of
whom the
.6-, of our legislators are not familiar
pressed closely in for the
se
dying
purp
fie science of parliamentary
making themselves acquainted
o of stu
physiognomy, and
With parliamentary
men and manners under circumstances so novel and
exciting.
Strange remarks were made occasionally,
lementary;
not unfavourable, nor altogether unconip-
Lord So-
but it was noted by keen eyes that mY
shabby
and-So had come to Wimbledon with a
coat, and that Mr. This-or-That wore a shocking
bad hat—which was true—but then it was gene-
h for
rally admitted that anything was good enoug