The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-06 00:00:00

The National Rifle Association.

The winter general meeting of the National Rifle
Association was held on Saturday afternoon in
Willis's-rooms, St. James's. His Royal Highness
the Duke of Cambridge presided, and there were
present—Earl Dalhousie, Earl Grosvenor, Earl
Cowper, Lord Elcho, Lord Colville, the Right Hon.
the Speaker, the Hon. Frederick Byng, General
Sir John Burgoyne, Colonel Kennedy, Major
Russell, Sir John W. H. Arson, Colonel M'Murdo,
Colonel Erskine;-ColonelTyrwhitt, Colonel Wright,
General Eyre, Lieut.-Colonel Warde, Lieut.-Colonel
Cochrane, Captain Templer, Captain Edward Ross,
Captain Palmer, Mr. J. C. Luxmore, Mr. R. H.
Dunlop, Captain Macgregor, Major Oxley, Mr: G.
W. Hemming, Rev. Harcourt Shrine, Capt. Page,
and others. Captain St. John Mildmay, the secre-
tary of the Association, was unavoidaly absent in
consequence of severe domestic affliction.

The CHAIRMAN, who was warmly received, said
he had to make the annual statement of the position
and prospects of the National Rifle Association, and
it gave him great pleasure to state that he was en-
abled to give as favourable report ashe was in a po-
sition to do last year. The total receipts of the
Association from all sources during the year
amounted to £16,183 15s. 2d., and the expenditure
to £13,453 4s. Bd., leaving a balance of £2,730 10s,
6d. There was an addition to this balance of the
sum of £262, the part of a sum total of 500 guineas
collected among the British residents in China, at
the instance of the Hongkong Volunteers, for a
prize to be shot for under the title of the " China
Cup." (Cheers.) The financial statement of the
Association showed that there was invested in Ex-
chequer-bills the sum of £5,746 15s. 6d., and in
India Bonds £427 155., which, with £558 6s. Id.,
the balance at bankers and in the secretary's hands,
made a total of £6,682 16s. 7d., and adding the bill
to be received for £262 10s. for the China Cup,
there was a balance in favour of the Association of
£6,945 6s. 7d., which might be said to be £7,000.
This was a very satisfactory position for the.Asso-
elation with regard to finances, and he was happy to
say that the number of members of the Association
had shown a satisfactory increase during the year,
218 having joined since the last report, making
2,817 in all. The affiliated associations in con-
nection with this parent institution were the
associations of 37 counties and 14 colonies,
which were not so many as might be wished, but
there was an increase, and he, hoped this in-
crease would continue. (Hear.) 'The sum given
in prizes during the year at the different meet-
ings of the associations amounted to the large
sum of £15,956, and this showed the general sup-
port which rifle shooting was receiving in every
part, not only in this country, but in the colonies ;
and this last was a point not to be overlooked at the
present moment as having a peculiar and political
significance. (Cheers.) With respect to the prizes
for the forthcoming meeting he was happy to say
that there was no reason to apprehend any falling
off in the amount to be given for competition.
There was a prize in the China cup, the Daily Tele-
graph had given the sum of £5O annually, the Lon-
don and South-Western Railway Company had
given a prize of equal value—an example which
might be followed by other companies. (A laugh,
and "Hear.") And Mr. Bass and other gentlemen
and firms continued their prizes. (Cheers.) It was
a subject of congratulation that rifle shooting was
thus kept up and stimulated, and the impetus given
to it in this country had led to matches in all parts
of our colonies—in India, China, Canada, and other
colonies. All things considered it was most desir-
able that the colonies should be encouraged to add
a matter
to their defensive powers within themselves, and
their turning their attention to rifle shooting was,
isms phoertahnand w
had
dce said before,e
a most a
acceptablefgreafatctpoliticalimportant
matter had
been considered by the Council, namely, the use of
the double " aperture sight." In the report it said :
" It is a matter for consideration whether double aper-
ture sights should not be forbidden in future. They add
greatly to the chances of accident, as when a man is tak-
ing aim with the double aperture sight he can see nothing
but the bull's-eye and a portion of the surrounding target.
The danger signals might be shown at the target, and all
markers might be out of their butts, red flags in hand, and
yet it would be impossible for the man firing to see them
through the narrow opening of his foresight."
The decision of the council was that it was dangerous to
allow the use of these aperture back sights ; and it
had, therefore, been decided that those sights should
be no longer used at Wimbledon. (Cheers.) There
could not be the slightest question as to this decision
being most judicious, and as there was last year a
most painful accident (quite, however, unconnected
with the use of these sights) and which had a very
depressing effect upon the close of the otherwise
most successful meeting, exertions ought to be made
to prevent any accident in future. There was a cer-
tain amount of risk and danger in the use of the
aperture back sight, and he trusted that no one
would seek to have this decision reversed. (Cheers.)
The report, showing the success of the Association
during the past year—a success, he trusted, which
would continue—was nowbefore the meeting, and it
only remained for him to ask that the meeting
would listen to any observations which any gentle-
man present might have to make.
The report stated that in the previous year, while
" chronicling another year's success," the Council
stated that the continued prosperity of the " Asso-
ciation was uncertain, owing to the precarious na-
ture of its income, and that an endeavour must be
made to place it on a more secure and permanent
footing." The present report showed that this en-
deavour had been made, and would show "to the
satisfaction of members that while the success of the
Association has been in every respect greater than
in any previous year, it now rests on a sound basis,
and, financially, its permanence may be considered
as secured." The annual small-bore rifle trial had
shown a gradual and progressive improvement in
the shooting, the figures of merit being—for the 500
62 •.95, in 1863 •.75, and in 1864
yards' range,in 18
.64 ; for the 1,000 yards range it was, 1862, 3.53 ;
1863, 2.77 ; and in 1864, 2.36. This year's
competition for the supply of rifles for the
second stage of the Queen's Prize had been,
through various causes, confined to one com-
petitor, Mr. Rigby, who had himself freed
the Association from any obligation to take his rifles
if they did not make the average figure of merit
attained by the Whitworth, and this without the
tg scraper," or loading-rod, used with that weapon,
and if the Rigby should be thus disqualified the
Council will borrow Army Whitworths from the
War-office for the competition, and give the com-
petitors money instead of match rifles. The report
entered at length into the details of the last meeting,
and with respect to the tramway said—" This was a
great success, notwithstanding one or two trifling
accidents that unfortunately occurred to passengers,
the result of too great speed, as is freequently the
case iu railway travelling. . . The Association