The Sun.
London, England, 1862-06-13 00:00:00

THE VOLUNTEERS.

METROPOLITAN RIFLE CONTEST.
The second annual grand metropolitan rifle con-
test commenced yesterday at Wormwood Scrubs,
under the patronage of the offidtri using these
:tinges.

The prizes to be competed for were six in num-
ber, and comprised a silver eup, rifles, and a sweep-
stakes, and it was generally expected that the
attendance of competitors would be unusually large.
Such, however, was not the case ; and the chief cause
of the disappointment was no doubt the unfortunate
state of the weather. In recording the events con-
nected with the various volunteer movements
throughout the country it has become so common
to commence with a statement that the weather was
unpropitious that the fact might well be omitted,
but yesterday was an exceptionally bad day--rain,
rain, rain, unceasing rain, from morn till eve pre-
vailed, and it was found impossible to continue
shooting for the prizes, as the markers were unable
to ascertain how or where the shots struck, for the
spots they left on the target were instantaneously
washed out ; and the committee did well to post-
pone the competition for all the prizes, save one,
which was shot for early in the day, till Saturday
next.

The only contest completed was the first, which
was for a silver cup, value X 5; five shots, range
200 yards, open to all volunteers, Hythe position,
hits and points to count.

There were 55 entries, and the following are the
best scores made :

G. Andrews, 26th Kent Points. Hits. Total.lo .. 5 6. 15
Dalton, 6th Herts
H. Lipscombe, Oxford University
J. D. Millard, St, George's
T. Y. Pone; 39th Middlesex 8 ; 13
Lieut. Marriner, West Middlesex 8 .. 5 .. 13
Thurston, 37th Middlesex
P. Macrone, Ist Surrey ..
J, H. Robinson, 16th Middlesex
Rumball, 3d Herts
Capt. Vacher, Queen's Westminster 7 .. 5 .. 12
H. Reece, Queen's Westminster
Crookes, St. George's 7 .. 6 .6 12
J. H. Doe, Victoria
Sergeant Kemp, 40th Lancashire.... 7 .. 5 .. 12
Capt. Williams, 19th Middlesex .... 8 „ 4 .. 12
Ensign Thrupp, Victoria
Sergeant Aylmer, London Irish 6 .. 5 .. 11
Sergt. Simmonds, Hon. Art. Company 6 .. 5 .. 11
P. P. Wells, West Middlesex
Capt. Mackenzie, London Scottish
W. B. Gurdon, Cambridge University 6 .. 5 .. 11
Eve, 2d Tower Hamlets
F. W. Street, 9th Sussex
Corporal Harlo we, West Middlesex.. 6 .. 4 .. 10
Scott, 3d Middlesex
Rev. W. Brown, Ist Exeter 6 .. 4 .. 10
J. W. Smith, West Middlesex
Bell, St. George's......
The competition for the remaining prizes was
Commenced, but deferred till Saturday, when, in
addition to those already announced, there will be
a contest for a valuable small-bore rifle, presented
by Mr. Purday.
Although it would be useless to give a detailed
account of the shooting for the prizes where the com-
petition is open till Saturday, the extraordinary
shooting of the well-known Mr. Ross, of the Cam-
bridge University, and Mr. Heaton, of the Ist Lan-
cashire, for a sweepstakes, five shots at 500 yards,
open to all corners, any position, demands notice.
Several having fired, Ross and Heaton tied at 12,
and subsequently shot off; each made three cen-
tres running, then an outer each, Mr. Heaton
then made a centre, and Mr. Ross a single, Mr.
Heaton, therefore, carrying the palm. Mr. Heaton,
being loaded, fired off once more, and again made a
centre. This was, undoubtedly, good shooting, al-
though we heard that subsequently a score better
than that of Heaton or Ross was made. Not
having the official returns, however, we forbear
from giving currency to the statements which were
afloat on the ground.

Capt. Fenton, of the West Middlesex, officiated
as umpire, giving the greatest satisfaction ; a num-
ber of officers from the Queen's and St. George's
took charge of the record of firing, and carried out
the general arrangements on the field.

NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION.—The rifle con-
test by the volunteer corps of Middlesex for the
bronze medal given by the National Rifle Associa-
tion, the winner of which will be entitled to com-
pete for the Prince of Wales's prize at the Wimble-
don meeting, having been arranged to take place on
the 12th and 13th inst. at the Government practice
range, Woolwich Arsenal, the competitors arrived
yesterday at the Plumstead station of the North
Kent Railway, but in consequence of the heavy
rain it was considered unadvisable to proceed to the
marches and commence the shooting. After some
conversation between the officers of the corps con-
cerned,
it was decided to adjourn the contest until
the Ist July, to be carried out at Wimbledon.

A FRENCHMAN'S OPINION OF LONDON.

M. Havin, in a long letter to the Siecle, of which
he is the chief editor and manager, announces to
the Parisian public that he is in London, and for
the first time in his life. "He had heard," he
says, "so many travellers vaunt its magnificence,
its ;spacious streets, its arsenals and its docks, and
the intense activity of its population, and be had
consulted so many guide books, that his impressions
are less lively than if he had not got this copious
information." M. Havin is too acute a thinker to
be astonished at this, for, as ho well observes, " the
human mind is disposed not only to react against
exaggerated praise, but even to criticise things
which have been excessively lauded." M. Havin
has acted with judgment in abstaining from
satisfying his impatient readers until ho had fami
liarised himself with London by a few days' in-
spection, and even then he was unwilling to trust to
his own impressions only, but put himself in C3M-
munication "with men who have been established
in London for several years, and who have had
occasion to study profoundly the English people."
M. Havin finds, and he is frank enough to admit
the fact, that the English are much improved in
the art of concealing their sullenness, taciturnity,
and selfishness," as well as their " unfavourable
disposition towards France." He is evidently gra-
tified by the change, for now—
" They answer civilly to ;questions put to them
by strangers, and they complacently go out of their
way to point out yours. As a Frenchman familiar
with the language and manners of the country has
assured me, there are always two individuals in
each citizen of Great Britain. The first is the honest
man, the father of a family, to be counted upon in
his relations with you, of strict probity in business,
and who will not admit of any capitulation of con-
science; the second is the Englishman who adopts
all means, good or bad, which his Government
thinks fit to employ to secure the preponderance of
saereseartvedßritain. The private citizen is generally
irreproachable ; the politician has more than once
Perfidious the epithet applied to his country of
Albion."
AntlM• Havin adds, that the experience which
he has had 0
the Continent,fE
head. :oil' ishreeu, whether in London or on
rms in every particular the jus-
tice of his friend's valuable information on that

notable through London with-
:U. Havin could not walk
ont remarking one
and Paris : difference between it
everything
every one, is
Koniesense city I
" What struck.me, and what
strikes
the absence of authority in ever
in London. While traversing this Innf that occurs
did not see 10 soldiers. The citizen
is free, asks no one's permission—he and comes,
marches
the poet says, in his force and in his liberty. Ti as
The
only functionary visible is the benevolent person
who watches over your safety, who saves you from
the annoyance, and even dangers, to which the
stranger is exposed—that is. the policeman. He
has only to raise his hand to prevent the disasters
which would result from a great agglomeration of
carriages. At the sight of this hand, armed only
with a simple staff, the conductors rein up, as if
by enchantment, their horses rushing at the utmost
speed. I have not seen a single accident in these
long streets, which are often filled with six, seven,
or eight rows of carriages and horses. In this great
city the citizen is King, but Le is above all the ser-
vant of the law."

One who praises so well has the right to cen-