The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-12 00:00:00

THIRD CITY OF LONDON.

The annual dinner of the 3d London Rifle Volun-
teers, one of the best disciplined corps brought into
existence by the volunteer movement, took place
last evening in the Grand Hall, Arundel-street,
Strand. Lieut.-Colonel Alfred B. Richards pre-
sided, supported by nearly every officer of the batta-
lion, while the rank and file mustered on the occa-
sion nearly 250 strong. The festival was rendered
additionally interesting by the presentation of the
prizes won at the Tottenham Range competition
last week. _ .

After an excellent dinner the usual loyal toasts
were gracefully introduced by Lieut.-Colonel
RICHARDS, and enthusiastically drunk.
Captain LAURIE, of the 34th Regiment, returned
thanks for " The Army ;" and Captain REVIERE,
of the Hon. Artillery Company, for " The Volun-
teers."
The next toast was the " 3dLondon Rifle Volun-
teers," proposed by Captain LAURIE, who associated
with the sentiment the name of Lieut.-Colonel
Richards, the originator of the regiment, and who
had always manifested the deepest interest in its
welfare. (Cheers.)
Lieut.-Colonel RICHARDS, who was received with
the heartiest demonstrations of applause, responded.
He felt very happy in meeting upon that occasion
the representatives of as fine a volunteer regiment
as England could boast of. (Cheers.) He was glad
to hear, notwithstanding the difficulties with which
they had to contend, they were more numerous at
that moment than they had been at the correspond-
ing period of last year, and that they were far
stronger in point of marksmen, and in men who
had thoroughly learnt the use of that admirable
weapon, the rifle. (Hear, hear.) From the outset
they had always been a hard-working regiment, and
he hoped that they were a fighting regiment to the
end. The 3d London had outlived their days of
peril, and he believed that they would be found at
the front in peace or in war. He thought, however,
that as a loyal and patriotic regiment, they had some
reason to complain that sufficient accommodation
had not yet been afforded them for battalion drill
throughout the long winter months. They could
not command a place wherein to drill 500 men.
There was not room at Guildhall, but still they con-
trived to meet there. He did think it was hard,
after five years' exertions, that either the Govern-
ment or the Corporation of the City of London did
not give them assistance in that matter. They could
not assist themselves. He felt convinced that the
corps deserved to be supplied with some place where
it could at any time conveniently assemble. He had
further to observe, that he believed the 3d London
was the only volunteer regiment in England in which
all the prizes awarded at the annual competitions
had been raised among its officers and their imme-
diate relatives and friends. If the Government were
in earnest in support of the volunteer movement
they would grant to the 3d Londou what they re-
quired in the shape of a site for drill ground. He
could assure them that he had often been compli-
mented by the officers of other volunteer regiments
on the efficiency of the corps he had the honour to
command, and he was happy to be able to add that
he had never experienced any difficulty in insuring
a perfect compliance with his requests from every
man in the battalion. (Cheers.)
The health of " The Press," and " The Visitors,"
responded to by the Rev. Mr. Cooksey, St. Peter's,
Hammersmith, and some other toasts were given
and honoured.
The CHAIRMAN then proceeded to present the
prizes to the successful competitors. They amounted
to upwards of £lOO in value, about £75 of that sum
being distributed in the shape of money among the
men. The principal prize, the Battalion Cup, was
won by Assistant-Surgeon Henderson.
Throughout the evening the band of the 3d Lon-
don was stationed in the gallery of the hall, and
played at intervals an excellent selection of airs.

VOLUNTEER. RIFLE MEETING AT WIMBLEDON.
Yesterday morning, at the butts of the London
Scottish Rifles, Wimbledon, the contest commenced
for the Challenge Cup, value £5O, presented by the
shooting committee of the county of Middlesex.
The following are among the Middlesex regiments
which will have to shoot to-morrow :—The 2d bat-
talion of the 22d (Queen's), 2d (South), 9th (West),
11th, 21st, the Hon. Artillery Company, 19th,
15th, 46th, 2d battalion of the London Rifle Bri-
gade, and the 18th liarrow).
I Yesterday morning the match was commenced

under the superintendence of Captain and Adjutant
Henderson, of the 46th Middlesex, at the 200 yards
range. To-morrow the corps will be under the
charge of Captain Piper, Adjutant of the Queen's.

Court _ -CrTa

HER MAJESTY.

--

WINDSOR CASTLE, Monday.

It being indispensably necessary for the despatch
of public business, her Majesty held a Council to-
day at one o'clock, at which were present Earl
Granville, the Duke of Somerset, and the Right
Hon. E. Cardwell.
Lord Granville had an audience of the Queen.

Mr. Helps was clerk of the Council.
Earl Caithness was the Lord in Waiting.

The Prince and Princess of Wa!es.
SANDRINGHAM, Monday.

Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess
of Wales, attended by the Marchioness of Car-
marthen, Lieut.-General Knollys, and Lieut.-
Colonel Keppel attended Divine service at San-
dringham Church yesterday morning.
The Rev. G. B. Moxon, 8.A., had the honour of
preaching before their Royal Highnesses.
Intelligence of the death of his Majesty the King
of the Belgians was received at Sandringham yester-
day afternoon ; and the Union Jack on the tower
of the church was immediately lowered half mast.
The several visits which his Royal Highness had
arranged to pay to noblemen in the neighbourhood
have been postponed.

The Late King of the Belgians.

BRUSSELS, Dec. 11.

The mortal remains of the late King will be trans-
ported to Brussels to-morrow evening by torchlight.
The body will lie in state on Wednesday, Thursday,
and Friday, and the funeral will take place on
Saturday.
It is stated that the King of Portugal, the Prince
of Wales, the Prince of Prussia, and Prince Louis of
Hesse have already announced their intention of
being present at the funeral.
On Sunday the new King will make his entry into
the capital, and will review the army and the civic
guard, after which his Majesty will take the consti-
tutional oath in the presence of both Chambers.

BERLIN, Dec. 11.

The semi-official Neue Preussisch e (Kreuz)
Zeitung of to-day publishes a biography of the
deceased King of the Belgians, which concludes as
follows :

" Even the political adversaries of the deceased
monarch allow that he was a highly-gifted Prince,
and that in him the House of Coburg has lost its
Chief, through whose political abilities it derived
a lustre almost unparalleled hi modern history."
The semi-official Nord-Deutsche Zeitung of to-day,
in an article on the death of King Leopold, says :

" The political significance which we attach to
the death of the King of the Belgians is as slight as
the grief of this sad occurrence will be great where-
ever the personal qualities of the illustrious monarch
are known."

The following particulars respecting the last
moments of King Leopold are taken from the In-
dependance Beige of yesterday :
" For the last two days the state of weakness to
which his Majesty was reduced was such that the
fatal end was almost hourly expected. His robust
constitution alone delayed the final crisis. Last

night it was thought to be imminent. About mid-
night the Ministers repaired to the palace of Lae-
ken, but upon their arrival the august patient had
just fallen asleep. This was a gain of some hours,
but there was no hope. It was, and could only be,
but a short respite. For several days past the Duke
and Duchess of Brabant, their children, and the
Count of Flandres had taken up their residence in
the palace. The king, who saw them often, sum-
moned them to his presence this morning, and
begged them not to leave him until all was over.
His Majesty, who preserved up to the last moment
all the faculties of his vast and noble intelligence,
was perfectly calm and tranquil. His audible and
heavy respiration alone indicated the approach of
the last moment. The King besides no longer en-
tertained any doubt upon the danger of his condi-
tion. About 11 o'clock the President of the Senate,
the President of the Chamber of Representatives,
and the Ministers again proceeded to Laeken. M.
Jules van Praet, Minister of the King's Household,
his oldest friend in Belgium, his most intimate con-
fidant and most devoted servant, accompaniedthem.
When these high functionaries were introduced into
the chamber of the august sufferer a most noble and
touching spectacle was presented to them. The
King still preserved all his consciousness. He was
surrounded by his children and grandchildren
bathed in tears, and held one of the hands of the
Duchess of Brabant, who knelt at the foot of the
bed. The Rev. Dr. Becker, his Majesty's chaplain,
who for the last few days has also resided at Lae-
ken, was also in the royal chamber.
Perceiving his old friend, M. Jules van
Praet, the King took his hand and grasped it affec-
tionately. His majesty then replaced his hand in
that of the Duchess. Some minutes after the King
expired gently, without a murmur, and without
agony, so imperceptibly that the persons surround-
ing his bedside were not immediately aware that he
had breathed his last."

The Inde'pendance Belge continues :
" The news of the King's death spread through
the city with that rapidity of which sad news ap-
pear to possess the privilege. Although only too
surely foreseen, it has produced an immense sensa-
tion—a sadness which can enly be accounted for by
remembering all that Belgium owes to the Sovereign
she has just lost, and all the gratitude, devotion,
and affection she had vowed to him in return. Let
us hasten to say, however, that deep as is this
sorrow, immense as is the general mourning, neither
uneasiness nor depression is anywhere to be ob-
served. Judging from the attitude of the poptl-
lotion of Brussels, the affliction of the Belgian nation
will be that of strong minds. It weeps for the past,
but it faces the future with confidence."

We have to announce the death of Lady Augusta
Gordon Hallyburton, only surviving child of the large
family of King William IV. (when Duke of Clarence) by
Mrs. Jordan, the celebrated actress. The lamented lady,
the mother of the Countess of Munster, and Mrs. Wemyss,
of Wemyss Castle, died on Friday last at Hallyburton
House, Coupar Angus, N.B. Her ladyship was born 00
Nov. 20,1803, and married, first, July 5, 1827, the Ron.
John Kennedy Erskine, youngest son of Archibald, fir 4
Marquis of Ailsa, who died March 6, 1831. Her ladyshiP
married, secondly, Lord John Frederick Gordon Hally-
burton, third son of George, ninth Marquis of Huntly, by
Katherine, second daughter of the late Sir Charles Cope,
Bart. Her ladyship had long held the appointment of state-
housekeeper of Kensington Palace.
GOVERNOR EYRE AND JAMAICA.—A member
of the Upper House of the Jamaica Legislature b9O
lately addressed a letter to the Daily News, in which h°
undertakes to prove from official documents, before s'
Committee of Parliament, that Governor Eyre has been
guilty of tyranny and misgovernment. He says
:-
"In 1862 Governor Eyre found 450,000 negroes
Jamaica, peaceable and loyal, annually increasing tlie
minor articles of export, and annually consuming imported
goods greatly above the expectations of those whose duty
it is to frame the estimate of the public revenue of th°,
island a promising state of things, to be prove'
by the return sent each year to the Colonial-Office'
having been previously laid on the table of the AS'
sembly. In 1865 Mr. Eyre is able to describe the sera
e
people as 450,000 bloodthirsty rebels. What has beell
going on during his administration to produce this 01°1
for the worse ? Mr. Gordon, in his letter to the Coloolit.
Secretary, complained of grievances (and of one in pertl;
cular) commenced during Mr. Eyre's administration, stli,
unredressed, and which have now culminated in s,
cano' of popular anger ready to burst forth in all its
What are those grievances ? My conviction is very Area
that, had they been dealt with in Canada and Australia bl
the Colonial Secretary and their Governors as they Intv. '3
been in Jamaica by Mr. Eyre, neither of those CO
would now be attached to the British Crown ; and 110
conviction is equally strong that such will be
opinion of Parliament whenever they inquire into tp.,
political state of Jamaica during the last three yent.7...
In a former letter this gentleman—Mr. George Prie°__r
declared that a large and important minority of the Lo7_
House have had to oppose Mr. Eyre constitutionally dine
the whole term, and have done so in vain, because
erhoror
is no means of producing any impression on a Gov
_tir.
who is not interfered with from England, and wh°
rounds himself with supporters drawn hoz:lathe most POP"
iced colonists. Are these things so ?"