The Sun.
London, England, 1870-05-21 00:00:00

THE ABYSSINIAN EXPEDITION.

The committee appointed to inquire into the conduct
of the Abyssinian expedition, of which Mr. Candlish is
chairman, resumed their sitting yesterday. The witness
was Col. Marriot, the military secretary to the Govern-
ment of Bombay, who took a principal part in
fitting out the expedition, under the immediate
command of Lord Napier of Magdala. He said that it was
very necessary to take up as many vessels as could be ob-
tained in order to hasten the expedition, and to
provide against any loss that might .be occasioned
by storms which might reasonably be expected.
In order to provide against such accidents,
every effort which was necessary to be made
was obliged to be made at Bombay, because there
was no timber available at Annesley Bay. Re-
ferring to the total cost of the expedition, he said he
had seen General Jameson's estimate,' and it was in his
opinion as good and correct a-one as could be formed at
that time ; and in point of fact, so far as
the freight and tonnage was concerned, it turned
out to be tolerably correct. Every care was
taken by the Bombay Government that while
the expedition should be efficient no unnecessary cost
should be incurred, and, in his opinion, there was no re-
flection to be cast upon any single department concerned.
The only difference in the scheme' originally submitted
to Lord Napier by, the Government and that which he
ultimately determined upon was as to the increase in the
number of the expedition. The disorganised state
of the transport was due principally to the epi-
demic which prevailed in Zoola among the mules, the
worthlessness of the Egyptian drivers, the want of proper
tethering gear, and the necassity which arose for their
being used at once. •
The evidence of Colonel Marriott lasted the whole
of the day, and at its close the committee adjourned.

GENERAL MEETING OF THE NATIONAL

RIFLE ASSOCIATION.

The Spring General Meeting of the National Rifle
Association washeld yesterday afternoon, atWillis's Rooms,
King-street, St. James's, his Royal Highness the Duke
of Cambridge, President of the Association, in the chair.
His Royal Highness, in opening the proceedings,
said he had very little to tell them, and he
thought there was very little which required discussion.
He told them at the last meeting that the annual shoot-
ing at Wimbledon would take place on the 11th July., and
that _ the camp for . the meeting would be formed on
the 9th of the same month. In regard to the regula-
tions they would fmd that with regard to the
prizes, &c., they were very much the same this year as
they were last, there being only a few exceptions. In
Regulation 10, which excluded 577 breech-loading rifles
at the Enfield Pool and Enfield Cartoon target,
that had been cancelled. In the prize list
very few alterations would be found. In the
"Army Rifle Nursery Prizes" the disqualifications
had been limited to two years. Another alteration was
with respect to the Cartoon Prizes, which had been re-
arranged, and three prizes had been added in the shape
of awards given for the highest scores made in seven
shots in one day. The Breech-loading Prize
had this year been divided into two classee—one for rifles
of a minimum bore of 45 and open to all comers,
and one for rifles of 577 bore restricted to
volunteers. He had now a very satisfactory an-
announcement to make, A prize of a hundred guineas
had been given by the proprietors of the Graphic illustrated
newspaper-55 guineas in money, and 25 volumes of
that work handsomely bound, and he was much
pleased to see so much interest taken in the
association by those connected with some of the best of
the public journals of the present day. He hope 1, if pos.
Bible, they would be imitated by others. He was sorry to
find that in answer to the letter of Lord Elcho inviting
manufacturers and tradesmen to give prizes the response
had not been so large as it should have been,
but he might, at the same time, state that the list of extra,
prizes contained several new contributors. It was pro-
posed that there should again be a review on the last day
of the meeting and, as before, a flying camp. It certainly
was a success last year, and there seemed to be no ob-
jection to it this year. He did_ not think anything would
be said as regarded the expense, of course he meant by
the Secretary of State for War, on whose department the
cost of the flying column would fall. He hoped the meet-
ing would fall in with the views of the Council, who had
on every other occasion had their confidence.
General Boileau pointed out that the old small bores
were 451 bore. and enquired if they would be admitted to
shoot under the altered rules?
Lord Elcho said the intention was to admit all small
bores, so that those having the old pattern would be able
to shoot.
In reply to a subscriber, who said , he should like to see
a Snider competition,
Lord Elcho said he did not see the object of it. The
Snider could be used with the other Enfields, and
they must remember it was not yet the arm of the
service. When it became so the Queen's prize would of
course be competed for with it. In the Ely prizes the
Snider would be admitted, and he hoped next year the
volunteers would have them in general use. 1\ o doubt
when the question of the manufacture of arms came be-
fore Parliament in the estimates either himself or some
one else would again raise the question.
A few minor details were discussed, and the proceed-
ings terminated with a vote of thanks to his Royal High-
ness for presiding.

THE MOHA.WKS AT OXFORD.
The one topic of interest at present at Oxford is the
senseless act of vandalism which was perpetrated on
Tuesday, the 10th. The affair is the most Aoolish and
disastrous of the many ridiculous practical jokes which
" educated " men at Oxford have from time to time
coinmitted. Its perpetrators seem frightened at their
own folly. The scene of this outrage is the Peckwater
Quadrangle. Christ Church Library, a stately eighteenth-
century edifice, stands on the south side of Peck-
water Quadrangle; and the building appears to have
been entered through the end window, from which a large
pane had been cut clean out. The library is rich in paint-
ings, principally of the early Italian schools, arranged
chronologically from Cimabue to the Caracci; and it is
still richer in books, the collections of Archbishop Wake,
the Earl of Orrery, and Dean Aldrich, the architect,
being included among these " assembled souls of
all whom men hold wise." The pillage, however,
seems to have been limited to works of sculpture.
There was a marble statue of Venus, and there
were marble busts of Dr. Thomas Gaisford, some time
Dean of Christ Church, and other former deans and pro-
fessors. These memorial objects, to remove which from
the library must have been a labour of time and trouble,
were ranged in mock order of display about the quad,
Dean G-aisford's bust being in the centre. It would seem
that, being left in this position, the busts and the
figure of Venus were found by another paity
of revellers, who piled the art-treasures in a heap,
covered them with mats, and set fire to their
outward coating, which smouldered till the marble had
received irreparable injury. The matter is now before
the governing body, who are, it is said, determined on
visiting with heavy punishment all those against whom
the charge of having taken part in these doings can be
made good. " The Oxford Undergraduates Journal,"' an
organ of the University, which is published weekly in
term; came out on Thursday with an article strongly cm-
demning the conduct of those young men. Says the
Journal " Pare love of mischief, and an infatuated reck-
lessness in its pursuit, alone could have dictated such an
outrage, the senselessness of which must preclude the
possibility of any semi-rational motives, such as
anger or revenge, however ill - founded, being as-
signed to the act in question. To break a man's
windows, and to screw up a don, are actions which
may be the result of some dislike or indignation founded
upon a real or fancied grievance, and in this ease we see
a certain element of reason. But to wantonly injure and
destroy the property of a society to which you yourself
belong, and in which you have, or ought to
have, a certain amount of interest, without any
rational pretext whatever (if any pretext could justify such
an act) is to all intents and purposes a suicidal action and
bespeaks a madness that has no method in it."