The Sun.
London, England, 1869-07-08 00:00:00

THE COST OF THE ABYSSINIAN

EXPEDITIOAT.

him (Sir Stafford) he feared the cost would be greatly in
excess of the original estimate, but Sir Robert Napier
said he did not think this would be the case. The last
detachment left the shore on the 18th June.

TILE WIMBLEDON MEETING.

Prior to stating what was done at Wimbledon yesterday,
it is necessary to mention that a meeting of the English
twenty selected to take part in the contest for the
Enfield International Trophy was held in Captain
Field's tent on Tuesday night. The gathering was
attended by the members of the English Twenties of
former years, and its object was to discuss the best means
of reciprocating the hospitality extended by the Master of
Lovat and the other members of the Scotch -Twenty to
their English tompeti!ors when they visited Edinburgh in
the years 1806 and 1808. The result was that a dinner at
- Richmond was decided upon, to take place immediately
after the Trophy has Leen shot for on Saturday.
The course adopted by Lord Elcho in openly discussing
the two or three little grievances which the Volunteers felt
in reference to the absence of commissionaires to attend
upon them, the use of gravel instead of sods at the firing.
houses; and the conduct of the commissariat department,
taken in cornection with the speedy remedy of such of
the evils complained of as really had an existence; and
were capable of alteration, has produced the best results,
and the utmost balmony n:ay be said to prevail at th
present time in the Camp.
In the match between the Lords and Commons, which
will be shot to-day at three o'clock, the Upper House
will be retresented by the Duke of Abercorn, Earl
Denbigh, Lord Duffel-in, rail Spencer. Losd Cloncurry,
Earl Ducie, and I•'arl Dmanore; wbile the honour of the
Lower House will Le maintained by the Afarquis of
Lorne, Lord Echo, Sir P. Egerton, Mr. Bass, Mr.
l'oedyce, Mr. Malcolm, and Mr. Wells.
The Council of the Association have issued an
order to 1110 effect that steel barrels will be
disallowed in all competitions where the use of
Government pattern rifles is specified. A light pull
of trigger has disqualified Sergeant Johnstone, 10th
Cheshire ; Corporal Dale, sth Cheshire ; Corporal Fair-
field, 4th Warwick; and Private Stanley, 4th Warwick,
who made good scores for the St. George's Challenge
Vase yesterday.
Yesterday saw the conclusion of the shooting
in the first stage of the Alexandra Prize, and
has decided the winners of the Daily Tetegrap'
Cup and wine cabinet. It also witnessed the
commencement and close of the struggle at the shorts
range, 200 yards, for the most coveted honour of the meet-
ing. This is the Queen's Prize, the total aggregate value
of which, exclusive of medals and badges, is £1,315.
To the best shot at the three ranges of 200, 500, and Of
yards are giVen the silver medal of the National Rifle
Association, the silver badge of the association, and £OO.
To each of the next twenty-nine best shots in order.
of merit are awarded the association badge and £l5,
the next thirty winners getting the association badge and
£lO, and the next ninety in order of merit receiving £3
each. All but the last ninety are entitled to shoot in tb
second stage of the Queen's Prize, the highest scorer it
whiCh carries off £250, the gift of her Majesty, and the
gold medal and gold badge of the association. The
number of shots allowed at each of the three ranges is
five, and any rifle of bond fide long Enfield Government j
pattern may be used provided that when not of actual
Government manufacture the barrel be stamped with
the Government viewers' Birmingham or Tower mark.
The prizes are adjudged according to the highest aggregate
scores at the three distances, and are competed for by Volun.
teers efficients in the years 1868 and 1869 of the corps for
which they shoot. That none may be unfairly shut out
from the contest it is arranged that where intending com-
petitors have been unable, from want of opportunity, to
complete the number of drills necessary for efficiency,
the. council can deal exceptionally with such cases

at the instance of the commanding officers _of
the corps to which such intending competitors
belong, provided that in all cases the competitor
has been returned as an efficient of some corps
under the Volunteer Act of 1863. It is sincerely
to be trusted that when the contest comes
to be finally concluded there may be nothing
like a repetition of the unpleasant contretemps
which marked the final event last year. The "Martini"
Challenge Cap, value £5O, the gift of the association, is
another prize for which the shooting was opened yester-
day. To it are attached one money prize of £lO, which
goes along with the cup, two of £5, and ten of £3.
These thirteen money prizes are also furnished by the
association. The cup will be held by the winner for a
year, and all who may become entitled to a prize must
produce a certificate signed by their commanding-officer
or by the adjutant of their corps that they were marks-
men in 1868 or 1869. The range is 600 yards, and the
number of shots allowed five.

Throughout the day the shooting in connection with thq
Windmill Prizes, 200 and 500 yards ; the Enfield Asso-
ciation Cup, the first stage of the Military Breechloaders
and the " Small-bore Breechloading " Prizes, 500 and 800
yards, has been continued with unabated vigour. Late in the
afternoon Sergeant Lowe, 16th Linzolnshire, and Corporal
Wyatt, 13th Salop, who each scored 20 for the St.
George's Challenge Vase, shot off the tie, the winner
taking the vase, the gold jewel, and £25. Private

Woodford, 2nd Isle of Wight, and Corporal Egg, 22nd
Middlesex, who each scored 19 in the same contest, also
. _

shot off the tie. One of the most, if not the most, extra-

ordinary scores of the present meeting has been made by

Sergeant Pollard, 13th Cornwall, who, out of a possible

60 in the Ale::andra aggregate, has secured 53 points.

The Irish Church Bill, which ou Tuesday passed

through committee in the noose of Lords, will be reported
on Frid:ty, and read a third time on Monday. It will pro-
bably be returned to the House of Commons next night, and
on Thursday Mr. Gladstone will move that the Lords'
amendments Lo considered.

ArcLdeaccn Denison has written a letter to Mr.
Bennett, the vicar of Frome, expressing sympathy with him
under Lis approaching prosecution, and entire confidence as
to the result of it. The Archdeacon b( heves that we have
lived too long upon uegatlor.s, that `to want the primi-
tive and Catholic doctrine of the Eucharist as preserved
at the Reformation, and there need be no fear as to the
decision of the Courts in the matter of the central doctrine,
of the primitive and catholic inheritance of the Church of
England.

The select committee appointed to inquire into the
cause of the cost of the. Abyssinian Expedition held its
first sitting at the House of Commons on Wednesday, Mr.
-Candlish presiding.
Sir Stafford Northcote was the first witness examined.
He said he was Secretary of State for India during the
years 1867-B.' The decision to snake preparations for the
Abyssinian war was on the 31st July, 1867, and the deci
sion to act. about a fortnight later. Prior to that a feeling
had prevailed among the authorities that if an expedition
was undertaken it should be undertaken from India.
At the time the Cabinet came to the conclusion that
they would direct preparations -to be made, they had
nothing that could be called an estimate. As soon as the
Cabinet had ascertained froth India what force General
Napier intended taking out, the Auditor-General prepared
an estimate of the probable cost. The preparations and
the details of the arrangements were entrusted to the
Indian authorities ; first in the hands of the Governor of
Bombay, and afterwards in the hands of the supreme
Government of India. The estimates were pre-
pared by the Admiralty, the War Office, and the
India Office; the. Whole being under the supervision of the
Auditor-General. The total amount of the estimates pre•
seated. on December 1867 was two millions, for
the purpose of landing the force on the shores
of the Bed Seas That was all which was
asked for, but Mr. Disraeli intimated in November
J 867 that another million and a half, or two
millions, would be -reqUired to carry out the expenditure
to the end of April. The Chancellor of the Exchequer
estimated that two millions would be the entire
.charge upon this country for the financial year
1867.8, and witness believed that amount
was not exceeded. The Chancellor of the Exchequer
estimated the entire cost of the expedition at 4 millions.
On the" 24th April the Chancellor of the Exchequer made
a supplementary statement to the House of Commons
in which he said that the 2 millions for landing and
expenses to the end of 1867 would not be exceeded.
Sir Stafford then said in reference to the enlargement of
the estimate of November, that the number of men origin
ally contemplated at 12,000 reached 13,000. This was
at the instance of the Commander-in-Chief. The ques.
tions as to coals and transports would_ be answered by the
Lords of the Admiralty. The various officers
.of the commissariat made purchases in India. Colonel
Dsmsford was at the bead. He knew that
in Egypt for a very short time there was an officer from
the Bombay Government, and another from the Govern-
inent of England ; but he did not know that they bid
against each other in the purchase of horses. A con-
siderable portion of the transports would have to be
discharged in Bombay. Government found the costs
in returning the force much in excess of the estimate. It
was extremely difficult to estimate at the time; as so
much difficulty arose in fixing the time for the setting in
of the monsoon. The object of the expedition was completed
within the time originally estimated. Two officers were
sent out from Government to dispose of some portion of
the stores on the spot. One of the officers so sent out died,
and the other was detained in quarantine in consequence
of disease breaking out in the vessel. Very shortly after
the expedition closed, Sir Seymour Fitzgerald told