The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-01 00:00:00

IHE VOLITIV7EERS.

The distribution of prizes competed for by the members
of the 40th Middlesex Volunteers (Central London Rifle
Rangers) took place on Friday evening at the Music-hall,
Store-street, in the presence of a numerous and enthusiastic
audience. Sir M. Peto, M.P., presided. The report of a com-
mittee of inhabitants of the district was read, stating that
subscriptions of sufficient amount had been received to en-
able them to present a silver challenge vase, and they hoped )
next year to be in a position to offer additional prizer.
The CHAIRMAN then rose to present the vase to the
corps, which, he said, he did with the greatest plea-
sure, and he was sure that the offering would be valued
at." .."4. "—I, tritrinsie. value. but
as an evidence of approval and esteem on the part of their
friends and neighbours towards the Central London Rifle
Rangers. (Hear, hear.) He could not but feel astonished
at the rapid progress of the volunteers towards efficiency,
which was highly honourable to themselves and gratifying
to the country. The results at Wimbledon in the last year,
as compared with the preceding year, showed a wonderful
advance, and whereas upon the first occasion some foreign
marksmen exhibited a superiority over the volunteers, yet
this year our countrymen had held tha proud position of
superiority. (Hear.) That improvement was the result of
practice and determination, and it was still further to sti-
mulate the 40th Middlesex that their friends had offered
this magnificent challenge vase, The volunteers would, he
was sure, receive the gift with pride and pleasure, for, how-
ever much they might be influenced by a sense of duty
towards their country in enrolling themselves as Volun-
teers, they could not fail to prize the admiration and affec-
tion of their countrymen as their highest reward. (Hear.)
Whatever objections might be raised against standing
armies they did not apply to the Volunteers. We had not
and we did not desire to haye,like some Continental nations,
an overpowering number of regular soldiers—an incubus
upon the country—but we had an army which, when called
upon, had never failed to do its duty in a manner that made
the memory of its glorious deeds a precious treasure of the
nation. (Hear.) But while we did not desire to maintain so
overpowering a standing army as some continental States,
we could not allow the country to be insufficiently defended,
and therefore the Volunteers had risen up as an adjunct to
the regular army, which not only was not jealous of them
but felt proud of their rapid progress. (Hear, hear.) The
inhabitants of London took a deep interest in the success
of the Volunteer movement, and they hoped that the gift
he now tendered would tend to stimulate the members of
the corps to even more active practice and still greater suc-
cess. When the Volunteer movement was first set on foot
many propesied its failure, and declared that it was but an
evanescent excitement ; but what had taken place ? The
Volunteer movement had grown in strength and efficiency
beyond all expectation, and it had reached a point beyond
all apprehensions of decay. (Hear, hear.) It was gratify-
ing)
to find that while the Volunteers had been conferring a
benefit upon the country they had also derived advantage
for themselves, as medical testimony showed that