The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-12 00:00:00

•••••-•-••••■1
THE VOL UN-TEI:IZ MOVEMENT.

No more satisfactory proof could be supplied of
the genuine and wide-spread interest which is felt in
the volunteer movement than the records which it
has been our duty lately to furnish of the presenta-
tion to a vast number of local corps of silver bugles,
which seem to eepress' in their case, the seine feel-
ings of admiration and appreciation as the endow-
ing of a regular regiment with a new stand of
colours. To-day we add ancther to the list. A
large assembly assisted yesterday in the grounds of
Lawn house, Holloway-road, the residence of Mr.
Hale, at the presentation to the Islington Corps of
Volunteer Riflemen, officially known as the " 7th
Middlesex," of a silver bugle, which had been sub-
scribed for by the ladies of the district. The corps
marched on the ground about half-past four, pre-
ceded by the band of the Royal Middlesex, and
were drawn up in line in front of a dais, on which
the handsome gift had been for some time a conspi
cuous object of admiration. After a general salute
Mrs. Hale, the lady of the host, as the mouthpiece
of the ladies of Islington, in graceful and well-
chosen language
presented the bugle, which was
received by Catain Ebs worth, and acknowledged
by him with appropriate warmth. After promising,
on behalf of himself and his men, that whenever its
notes were sounded on a field of battle it should
lead them to death or victory, the
gallant
,
diverged into some strong observe e
rs o n thQ captaincon-
duct of the Lord-Lieutenant, the Marquis of Salis-
bury,
who, through some spiter.a
gainst the officers
of the corps had, as he alleged, opposed its further
extension in force. A feu de joie, discharged with
admirable steadiness and regularity, concluded the
ceremony.
ts, o
r bugleNe w bys the Earl of
SR
in don Rifle
'Shelburnehe pr e presentation ttahtei orlot
hf alysilver
Volunteer Corps, took place yesterday in the
spacious cricket-field adjoining the Great Western
Railway at Swindon. His lordship also presented
the corps with a set of drums, and advantage was
taken of the occasion for the presentation of a set
of colours to the corps by Mrs. Gooch, wife of Cap-
tain Gooch, of the 11th Wilts Rifle Volunteer
Corps. The proceedings commenced at two o'clock
with the presentation of the colours by Mrs.
Gooch, which Captain Gooch accepted, and re-
turned thanks on behalf of his men. The Earl of
Shelburne, in presenting the silver bugle and set of
drums to the corps, said he felt doubly proud of the
day's proceedings, first because he was a resident
in the county, and secondly from his connexion
with the Great Western Railway, to which most,
if not all, of the men belonged. (Hear, hear.) Ir-
respective of their connexion with that establish-
ment, and their efficiency as a body, he had come
among them that day to testify by his presence
the deep and warm interest he felt in this move-
ment, as well as his desire to further and promote
any rational pursuit the men of New Swindon
might be disposed to adopt. (Cheers.) On this
occasion they had taken up a pursuit that was not
only one of great interest to themselves, but of a.
noble character in itself—(cheers)—and one which
it well became the great body of the people of
this country to foster and promote by every pos-
sible means. (Cheers.) Peace was one of the
greatest blessings a country could enjoy.
Where it prevailed the arts, trade, and commerce
flourished, and the people were generally contented
and happy. (Hear, hear.) Bat while we acknow-
ledged its blessings and partook of its benefits, we
must not forget the possibility of war, and the
great necessity there was of our being ready as a
nation at a moment's notice to defend all that was
near and dear to us.
.(Hear, :hear.) Past events
had occasioned disquietude in the public mind,
and the result had been the spontaneous enrol-
ment of Volunteers for the defence of our
common country, which he had no doubt
would prove a great auxiliary to our regular
defences, thus showing that though we were consi-
dered a trading community we had not lost any of
the heroism and determination of our forefathers.
(Cheers.) The Volunteers were to be looked upon
more as a defensive than as an offensive force.
(Hear.) The wooden walls of old England he bad
no doubt would again prove our strongest defence,
as they had heretofore, but should it be necessary
for them (the 11th Wilts Rifles) to use those for-
midable weapons which he saw before him, he felt
certain the men of New Swindon would not be
wanting with the other corps in courage to wield
them. (Cheers.) In conclusion he wished health,
happiness, and increased efficiency to the 11th Wilts
Rifle Corps; (Cheers.) Captain Gooch having
briefly thanked his Lordship for his presents, the
men were put through their evolutions, which they
performed with excellent precision, and shortly
after left the ground headed by their band playing
martial airs.

Two companies of [Rifle Volunteers have been
formed in the hundred of Castlemartin, one at Pem-
broke and the other at Pembroke Dock ; and al-
though a considerable time has now elapsed since
their formation and election of officers no intimation
of the acceptance of their services has been received,
nor have the officers' names appeared in the Gazette.
This delay is much to be deplored, as little doubt is
entertained that as soon as the above companies are
seen fairly under arms many others will follow.
Pembroke Dock alone can furnish a complete corps,
requiring but little drill to make them effective,
owing to many of them having belonged to the late
Dockyard Battalion. The officers elected are, for
Pembroke, Captain E. S. Stanley, Lieut. Roch, and
Ensign Adams ; for Pembroke Dock, Capt. E. Che-
vallier, Lieut. Mac Alpine, and Ensign Long.
The past week has been signalized, among the
Great Yarmouth Rifle Volunteers, by a series of
prize-shooting matches. The first came off on Mon-
day for a prize of £lO, presented by the members
for the borough, to be competed for at ranges of 400
yards and 500 yards. At the last range the con-
test lay between Ensign Brown and Mr. Fenner, the
latter of whom having scored 6 to the former's 5
was declared the winner. On Tuesday the prize
was a cup, value £5, presented by the officers of
the corps, to be contested for at distances of 200
yards and 300 yards. Mr. Scott, who scored 15
points in all, was the winner ; the next being Mr.
Davy, who made 14. The prize on Wednesday was
a Turner rifle, presented by Major Orde, the dis-
tances 500 yards and 600 yards. The successful
competitor was Mr. Leman, who made 9 points in
all, the next being Mr. Pearson. But the grand
prize of the week, for which every rifleman reserved
his greatest efforts, was the ladies' challenge :13
value £3O, presented by the ladies of Yam
and three
and its vicinity, the winner to hold
h for the
years against all challengers of the
.corpls,t
entitled to the distinction of champion shot
and 900
year. The range! were 650, 0 oatn dto be
d d not conclude until
Thursday afternoon, ancil
ho scored in all 12
yards. The shooting for this prize commenced on
,;ictor ; the next highest
Saturday, when Mr.
hße
points, was declared tw
ilshack, and Boreh wh
o
were NV 0
were Messrs. Burlton,
made 11 each: