The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-07 00:00:00

rHE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY .EVENING, AUGUST 7, 1865.

of honour to Prince Arthur on his visit to South
Wales.

The Wanderer, 4, screw gun vessel, Commander
Michael C. Seymour, arrived at Spithead on Satur-
day from the Mediterranean, and soon after arrival,
having received orders to proceed round to Sheer-
ness to dismantle and pay out of commission, left
Spithead again under steam.
The Walmer Castle and Salamanca, hired sailing
transports, sailed from Spithead on Saturday for
Dover to land there the 89th Regiment, which they
have brought to England from India.
Lieut. Prince Alfred, having yesterday attained
his majority, the- Royal Standard was hoisted on
the King's Bastion flagstaff of Portsmouth town
fortifications, and on the main royal masthead of
her Majesty's ship Victory, all the other ships of
war in commission at the port hoisting the naval
ensign at their respective mastheads in honour of the
occasion. At 10.30 p.m. a royal salute was fired
from the guns of her Majesty's ship Victory in
Poirtsmouth Harbour, from her Majesty's ships
Octavia, Constance, and Liverpool, and from the
garrison battery of the King's Bastion.
The troop-ship Renown, 1,293 tons, Capt. J. 11.
Taylor, and the Windsor Castle, 1,074 tons, Capt.
H. B. Pryce, owned by Messrs. Green, of London,
left Kingston Harbour on the 3d current for Gib-
raltar, having on board the 78th Highlanders. As
the ships left the harbour the troops were loudly
cheered by those on shore and by the sailors of her
Majesty's ship Royal George, who went aloft for that
purpose. To these cheers the Highlandmen heartily
responded. The pibroch could be heard distinctly
as the ships saile4 out of the bay.
The Ist Regiment of Life Guards, under the com-
mand of Col. the Hon. D. de Ros, left • Aldershot
camp on Saturday morning about 20 minutes past 7
o'clock, and marched by way of Bagshot and Ascot
to the cavalry barracks at Spital, near Windsor,
where it now remains. A portion of the baggage
was conveyed by the South-Western Railway to
Windsor.

The following has been promulgated at Aldershott
for general information, and ordered to be read
to all regiments at that station on two successive
parades :

" Horse Guards, July 3.

" His Royal Highness the Field Marshal Com-
manding-in-Chief has had the honour to lay before
her Majesty the Queen the proceedings of the Gene-
ral Court-martial held at Aldershott on the 28tli of
April, for the trial of No. 693, Private Henry
Hamilton, of the 62d Regiment, who was arraigned
upon the undermentioned charge—via.:—First, for
insubordinate conduct, and to the prejudice of good
order and military discipline at Aldershott, on or
about the 23d of March, 1865, towards Capt. G.
W. B. Hughes, 62d Regiment, his superior officer,
in saying, when awarded puniihment by the said
Capt. Hughes, ' I will not do it ; I will not do drill
for you or any one else.' Second, for having at Al-
dershott, on or about the 28th of March, 1865, when
a prisoner awaiting trial by a district court-martial,
and undergoing medical inspection for the same,
struck with his fist Surg.-Major J. Ewing, 62d
Regiment, being his (prisoner's) superior officer, and
in the execution of his office,—upon which charges

the Court came to the following decision -;-
' The Court, having maturely weighed and consi-
dered the evidence in support of the prosecution,
together with the prisoner having nothing to offer
in his defence, are of opinion with regard to the first
charge that he, the prisoner, No. 693, Private
Henry Hamilton, 62d Regiment, is guilty. With
regard to the second charge, that he the prisoner,
No. 693, Private Henry llamilton, 62d Regiment,
is guilty. The Court having found the prisoner
guilty of both the charges preferred against him,
which being in breach of the Articles of War, and
taking into consideration his general bad character,
his being in the second class, and former convic-
tions, do now sentence him, the prisoner, No. 693,
Private Henry Hamilton, of the 62d Regiment, to
suffer penal servitude for a term of five years. Her
Majesty was pleased to approve and confirm the
finding and sentence of the Court, and to command
that the prisoner be kept in penal servitude accord-
ingly. " By order,
" J. W. ARMSTRONG, A.A.G."

The Ist Royal Dragoons, under the command of
Colonel R. Wardlaw, will march from the camp at
Aldershott and proceed to their destinations in the
following order :—Two squadrons to Shorneliffe
this day ; the head-quarters and two squadrons to
Brighton to-morrow. The dismounted detachment
for Brighton will march to the North Camp Station
on Thursday morning, and proceed by train to its
destination at half-past 10 o'clock. The dismounted
party•for Shornclifle will march to the same station
on Saturday, and proceed by train to its destina-
tion shortly after eight o'clock.

The undermentioned batteries are held in readi-
ness to move from the camp at Aldershott as fol-
lows :—Royal Horse Artillery, A battery, B bri-
gade, to-morrow (Tuesday) for Dorchester ; Royal
Artillery, K battery, 4th brigade, on Thursday, for
Woolwich, encamping at Hounslow ; Royal Artil-
lery, E battery, 9th brigade, on Thursday, for Hil-
sea.

The 2d battalion Grenadier Guards, under the
command of Colonel Cure, arrived at Aldershot
Camp on Friday, and took possession of the ground
previously occupied by the Ist battalion. The
marching in strength was 17 officers, 37 sergeants,
27 drummers, and 619 rank and file. The regi-
ment is attached to the Ist brigade.

The dismounted portion of the 3d Hussars, with
the wives and families of the regiment, has arrived
at Aldershot from Manchester, and taken up quar-
ters in the South Cavalry Barracks. The remainder
of the squadron from Manchester will arrive at the
camp on the 15th inst.
The 39th Dorsetshire Regiment, under the com-
mand of Lieut.-Col. Munro, C. 8., will leave Alder-
shot on Thursday for Dover.
The troops composing the Aldershot division,
under the command of Lieut.-Gen. Sir J. L. Pcnne-
father, K.C.8., have been actively exercised in field
manoeuvres during the past week. On Monday the
cavalry and Royal Horse Artillery had a field day
at Bickley Bottom, in the presence of the Duke of
Cambridge, the evolutions lasting about four hours.
On Tuesday a field day of the whole division took
place. The chief interest of the proceedings con-
sisted in a grand attack upon the heights of Caesar's
Camp, which were carried, and the whole of the re-
giments and batteries grouped upon them. The
force on the field consisted of A and B batteries
Royal Horse Artillery, Ist Life Guards, Ist Royal
Dragoons, 3d Hussars, Bth Hussars, 14th Hussars,
B, E, and F batteries, 9th Brigade, Royal Artil-
lery ; K battery, 4th brigade, Royal Artillery ; A
and B troops Royal Engineer Train, Ist battalion
13th Regiment, Ist battalion 17th Regiment, Ist
battalion 21st Regiment, 31st, 39th, 69th, 74th, 85th,
and 92dRegiments. The evolutions lasted about two
hours, and were witnessed by some Japanese tourists
and a Parsee judge and his family, the latter being
accompanied by Col. Battersby, of the British and
Ottoman armies.
The following appointments have been made at
the Admiralty :—Staff Commander William Forbes
promoted to be retired captain ; Commander Edw.
R. Foster and Commander C. A. J. Heysham to be
inspecting commanders of the Coastguard ; Staff
Commander W. W. Dillon to the Fisgard ; Lieut.
Arthur Salwey to be Lieut. and Commander of the
Linnet ; Jas. Riddle, master, to the Donegal ; Edw.
H. Mills, master, to the Royal Oak ; Wm. F. Greet,
second master, to thelmpregnable, for the Sea Lark ;
Daniel N. Browne, second master, to the Boscawen
for the Ferret ; James Ryley, chief engineer, to the

Terror, vice Brown ; W. Anderson, chief engineer,
to the Cumberland for the Rodney, vice Ryley ; Jesse
Bridgeman, chief engineer, to the Royal George ;
Jas. Carlisle, chief engineer to the Cumberland for
service in the Charybdis ; R. 11. C. Drayson, clerk,
to the St. George ; John A. Greet, assist. clerk, to
the Dee ; and Henry A. T. Cummins, assist. clerk,
to the Octavia.
The undermentioned gentlemen have been nomi-
nated to navel cadetships :---Alfred W_ Paget, Win.
Gillow, Leonard llorrocks, and Reginald de E.
Dering.

CONST.4NCE KENT.—This convict still remains in
the Wilts County Prison, at Fisherton, Salisbury, no com-
munication having been received up to Saturday, of her
ultimate fato. Her demeanour is still calm and collected,
and it is not true that she has signified any intention of
making a further confession.

The National Artillery Association.
4

The proceedings of the National Artillery Association's
first prize meeting were closed on Saturday with the distri-
bution of prizes by the Marquis of Hartington, M.P., Under-
Secretary of State for War. The ceremony took place in
the Royal Artillery drill shed of Shoeburyness, a most com-
modious building, used for the instruction of the troops in
the Armstrong gun-drill, and which was filled with an
audience composed of the volunteers who had been en-
camped during the week in rear of the barracks, and of
visitors from Sheerness, Chatham, Gravesend, and other
places on the opposite shore. There were also many ladies
present, and the men of the Royal Artillery had given the
shed quite a holiday appearance by decorating it with flags,
and it would have appeared an ordinary meeting hall, but
for the Armstrong guns ranged round it, and their em-
brasures, through which there now peered all who could
not find room inside. The excellent band of the Royal Ar-
tillery played a selection of operatic music during the morn-
ing. His lordship, who was accompanied by Viscount liar-
dinge, Colonel' Wilmot, the commandant of the Shoebury
depot ; Colonel Fisher, the instructor of the Royal Artil-
lery ; Colonel Harcourt, President of the National Ar-
tillery Association ; Major Curtis, and other Royal Artil-
lery and Volunteer officers, was received with military
honours, and on ascending the dais which had been erected
of practice targets, and on which were arranged the prizes,
he was warmly cheered.
m eneo Colonel
b y le
expressing
the proceedings, com-
menced thein opening
which the council of
the National Artillery Association felt to Lord Hartington
for coming to Shoebury on this the first meeting of the
Association. The council, ho said, had been much indebted
to his lordship personallylor the courtesy he had on all
occasions shown them, and they accepted his presence
among them that day as a proof that the Government did
not disapprove the Association, but was, as he believed,
disposed to give it every assistance. It had been rather
hard upon the council that the entries for the camp at
Shoeburyness had been made by certain corps very late
indeed, as some ten days before the time announced for the
commencement of the meeting there were only 70 names
entered. And this was not the only difficulty they had had
to contend with, for when ho came down on the Thursday,
as the camp was to be opened on Saturday, he found only 25
tents sent down. This was somewhat disheartening, for he
did not thou knowwhat he had since found—that he should
receive every assistance from Colonel Wilmot and the other
officers of the Royal Artillery—(cheers)—and it was not too
much to say that, but for their assistance, the meeting would
have been a failure. All the Volunteers, he was sure,
would unite with him in thanking Colonel Wilmot for the
arrangements which he made for the 'comfort of the encamp-
ment, and Major Curtis and the other officers of the Royal
Artillery for the carrying out of his wishes, as well as
Colonel Fisher for the kind manner in which he had de-
voted all his time in superintending all the Volunteers' prac-
tice. (Cheers.) His lordship would pardon him for ob-
serving that if the Association was to be a permanent insti-
tution it would never do for it to stand still, and unless the

Volunteers got what they all desired the Association must
be considered to have failed. It was not likely that his lord-
ship would ask, at all events not in his official capacity, as
to what were tho desires of the volunteers, but if he did
they were quite ready to answer that they wanted rifled
ordnance. (Laughter and cheers.) It might bo said that
the Government did not possess tho guns, and that it would
be costly to obtain them, and to this he would reply that
though the War-office held the purse strings the purse be-
longed to John Bull, and ho believed a song sung at the
camp fire well expressed the national feeling in saying that
"Jolly John Bull" was so proud of his sons that he was
quite willing to "shell od twice as much" as ho had done
if it were necessary for him to do so to add to their effi-
ciency. (Cheers.) It night also be said in objection that
it was not decided which class of rifle ordnance should be
adoptedas the gun for the army, and to this he would take
the liberty of saying that if the Government gave up the
40-pounder Armstrong the Volunteers would be only too
happy to receive that gan. (Cheers.) On behalf of the
Association, he begged b thank his lordship for the favours
received, and to assure him that they wore quite prepared
to ask for more. (Laughter and cheers.)
Colonel WILMOT acknowledged that the officers of the

Royal Artillery had locked upon the encampment of a largo
body of men outside the barrack walls with some apprehen-
sion—an apprehension le saidwhich was entirely unfounded,
for the Volunteers had teen unexceptionably well conducted,
a testimony which ho vas proud to bear. With respect to the
drill of the. Volunteers ho could say there was not an offi-
cer or non-commissioned officer of the Royal Artillery who
was not much astonished and agreeably surprised at the
manner in which the Volunteers had done their work. Ho
could only say in reference to this that if the time should
come for the Volunteers to be trained with the Armstrong
they would, as men of intelligence, turn their instruction
to good account. (Cheers.) If it should be arranged for
the Volunteers to come again to Shoeburyness the Royal
Artillery would be glad to give their best assistance, and he
might say that apart from the feeling they had experienced
towards the Volunteers as brother gunners and as mon
wearing the blue coat, they had only done what they had at
the express wish of the War Department, and at the desire
of his Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief. (Cheers.)
Colonel FISHER said it gave him pleasure to state before
the Marquis of Hartington that having well watched the
Volunteers at practice he could bear testimony to their zeal
and ability, and his opinion was that if the Volunteer force
of artillery was to be utilised the sooner it commenced the
Armstrong drill the better, for then its members would be

able to do justice to themselves and the country from which
they sprang. (Cheers.) He acknowledged the discipline
which had prevailed, and ho thanked the Volunteers for the
ready' obedience they lad shown throughout the meeting.

Viscount HARDINGE stood forward as one of the council
of the National Artillery Association, and maintained that
the objects for which the association had been formed were
worthy of every encouragement, not only from the Govern-
ment but from every one who took an interest in the de-
fence of his country. It was to be borne in mind, he said,
that in the extensive system of fortification assented to by
Parliament, and begun on a considerable scale, it would be
impossible for the guns to be manned in the hour of need
without a large supplementary force of Militia and Volun-
teers. The Militia force would be necessarilylimited, but he
wished the volunteer force could be doubled, and he im-
pressed upon all the necessity that was for the strength of
all corps being kept up. He believed the Volunteers would
go from that camp with grateful feelings to the officers and
men of the Royal Artillery for their assistance and co-ope-
ration, which, he could answer for it, would always be
given to men who responded to the call which their coun-
try made to them to stand ready for her defence. (Cheers.)

• Lord HARTINGTON then said—l must bog, in the first
place, to thank Col. Harcourt for the kind manner in which
he has spoken of me and mentioned my name, and I can
assure you that it has given mo sincere pleasure to come
and distribute among;the winners prizes which have been
competed for during the past week, I only regret that it
was not in the power of Lord de Grey, tho Secretary of
State for War, to hold the position with which I have been
honoured to-day. I regret it, because I know that it would
have given him much pleasure to have been present at the
first meeting of this association, and I regret it because I
know that it would have given you much pleasure to have
had the personal support of one who has taken so warm an

interest in the volunteer movement, and has worked so
hard to promote its efficiency and prosperity. (Cheers.)
The Government has not wished to take any fame to itself
as having by any exertions on its part produced the volun•
teer force, for that force was the spontaneous act of the
people themselves, and no Government could have pro-
duced such results as have emanated from the spontaneous
exertions of the people. (Cheers.) Neither does the Go-
vernment lay any claim to the credit of having brought
forward those two institutions which have engrafted them-
selves on the volunteer force, and which have bad, andwill
Continue to have, I hope, much to do with its efficiency,
value, and per manency—l allude to the National Rifle As-
siation and the National Artillery Association. What the
National Rifle Association is to the Volunteer Rifle Corps

the National Artillery Association witl be to the Volunteer
Artillery Corps. You aro all aware that this association is
in its infancy as yet, but I have great hopes that in the
course of its career it will confer as groat obligations on the
branch of the force it is intended to servo as its older brother
has conferred on the other branch. This is not the time
for long speeches, but I will just take an opportunity of
stating what occurs to me with reference to this association.
We all know the great value of the volunteer force, and we
are also aware that this value depends upon its efficiency
and the assiduity to which the Volunteers devote themselves
to their drill. But we knew that continuous drill is not a
very amusing or exciting occupation, and many officers
have found it a difficult matter in getting some of their mon
to attend sufficient drills to make them efficient. Well, then,
the association is necessary to give men an interest beyond
mere drill—an interest in the weapon they use, and to pro-
duce among the Artillery Volunteers something of the same
feeling of emulation as has been produced among the Rifle
Volunteers by the National Rifle Association, which by its
contests has been the means of making the shooting one of
the most popular amusements in the country. (Cheers.)
What has been so successful in the ono case will, I hope, be
found to be equally successful in the other. It is true that
the accuracy of a shot does not so much depend upon indi-
vidual qualities or skill, but at the same time it is true that
the accuracy and perfection of any artillery practice depend
still more than in the case of rifle shooting upon the assi-
duity with which the men have attended their drill. Though
therefore there is not so much skill necessary to individual
members of detachments in winning prizes at artillery
competitions, I think it as equally honourable to members
of detachments to distance their competitors, and I think
it is a greater honour for artillery corps:to produce a good
detachment, than for a rifle corps to produce a crack shot.
As I said before, the Government takes no credit for' pro-
ducing this association. The credit is due to Colonel Har-
court and his brother officers and members of the council,
and it is upon the exertions of the Volunteer Artillery force
in general that you must depend for ultimate success. The
Government willremove all difficulties and obstacles it can,
and on the part of Earl de Grey I can venture, I think, to
promise that such assistance as the War Department can
give shall be given. (Cheers.) Some remarks have been made
aboutaccaindsnaoytthhtetavgtaltluoetwhoi
what
akt
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the
hasVe ovflauionilotunenetfrer A roe
71
Artillery itlhl eor
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be interesting to you to know what aro the present num-
bers, and what is the condition of this force. I have
brought with me memoranda showing what the force has
been and what it is, and you will learn with pleasure that
the force was never in a more satisfactory condition than
it is at the present time. The first return which wo had
of the Volunteer Artillery force was in August, 1860, a
short time after the movement had commenced, and there
were then 16,000 enrolled members, of which number
15,000 were what were then called " effectives." Without
troubling you withany statistics showing the progress of
the force, I will say that on the Ist of December last the
numbers enrolled were 30,000, of which over 22,000 wore
"efficient" under the law of 1863, and only 7,000 returned
as non-efficients. As you know, the standard of efficiency
now required is higher than under the old law, and it is a
fact of which we may be proud that wo have upwards of
22,000 efficient Artillery Volunteers in this country.
(Cheers.) Colonel Harcourt, in the most kind and consi-
derate manner possible, has mentioned a subject whichhas
been brought to our notice in the House of Commons,
without, however, the same kind of feeling. I need not
tell you that the whole of the Volunteer Artillery force is
at present drilled in the use of guns of the old smoothbore
nature. I wish it wore otherwise ; but it is impossible
for me to give you any assurance that it is intended to
arm you with rifled ordnance; and, oven wore it intended,
my official position would preclude mo from stating it
here. But I would remind you, which, in fact, Colonel
Harcourt has already done, that wo are only in possession
of a very small number of rifled guns, that they are very
costly, and that it is undecided which is the best kind of
gun. I would also remind you that the large num-
ber of works which you would have to man in
case of an invasion still consist, and will for some
time, of the guns with which you drill. It is
right, therefore, that you should drill with the guns
which you would have to use if you were called out for
active service. Still, I hope that the time is not far distant
when the number of our rifled guns will be increased, and
the Volunteers trained in their use. (Cheers.) Your visit
to this place must have been most instructive and highly
interesting to you. You have here been on the " battle-
ground" of all the guns, and you have probably seen speci-
mens of the work of the Armstrong, the Whitworth, and
of other inventors. You may have seen in the targets
effects of some of their triumphs, and you have witnessed
a considerable number of the results of their failures, and if
you have mixed much with your brethren of the Royal
Artillery, you have probably heard many things which will
enable you to judge of the difficulties in which the Govern-
ment is placed in reference to the vexed question of pro-
viding the country with the rifled gun. No one who has
been here and soon Colonel Wilmot and his brethren of the
Royal Artillery engaged in the experiments for showing
which is the best gun but will be prepared to make the
best allowance for the Government if there has been any
apparent delay in this matter. I trust that we have got
over some of the difficulties, and if we have not arrived at
a perfect and satisfactory conclusion we are beginning to
see and have smoothed our way to it. (Cheers.) Nothing,
I am sure, will give the Government and the House of
Commons more pleasure than seeing the way to place the
country in posSession of a large number of rifled guns, and
then nothing shall be allowed to interfere with the Volun-
teers being trained to the use of superior weapons to those
which they now have. (Cheers.) His lordship then pro-
ceeded to distribute the prizes to the winning detachments
in the order in which they were won. _ _ .

As has been reported in The Sun, the Brighton
Artillery Corps (Ist Sussex) won both Lord Palmersion's
prizes and the Queen's prizo ; the Duke of Cambridge's
prize was won by the 4th Cinque Ports (Hastings) ; the
Association Cup, by the Ist Middlesex Artillery; and the
prize given by the Prince of Wales, by the Ist Kent Artillery.
The Sports Committee prizes for swimming were alsopre-
&opted, the winners being members of the 8d Durham ; and
a vote of thanks proposed by Colonel Harcourt and
seconded by Captain Page, as representing Lord Elcho,
having been given and acknowledged, the proceedings ter-
minated with the National Anthem being played by the
band.