The Sun.
London, England, 1858-06-16 00:00:00

THE USE OF THE RIFLE IN THE

ENGLISH ARMY.

In several of the lectures lately delivered at the
United Service Institution, important questions
were raised respecting the construction of rifled
Lbarrels and bullets, and the Council of the Institu-
tion, considering that advantage might accrue to
4e services from a discussion in which all those
gentlemen who have been engaged in experiments
with firearms might be invited to take part, re-
quested Colonel Lane Fox to commence the dis-
cussion by giving an account of the history of the
le, and its introduction into the English army.
-"lbColonel Fox consented to do, and on Monday
"erring read to the Institution a highly interesting
and instructive paper upon the subject, consisting
!efly of extracts from a private journal kept by
:ne gallant colonel during the period in which he
41118 been engaged at Woolwich, Enfield, Hythe,
and Malts, from 1851 to 1857. It is not our pre-
lent purpose to enter into the various practical
itleStions so ably discussed by him, embracing
baany which have been elaborately treated in the
scientific journals of late years ; we shall content
ourselves with some few of his observations which
throw much light upon the several modern systems
of rifled small arms.

Mr. Whitworth's system may be said to consist
in an alteration in the number and shape of the
grooves. Instead of three shallow grooves, with
rounded edges, he employs six shallow angular
grooves, so shaped as to form the bore into a hexa-
gon. Mr. Lancaster's system may be said tobe an
eXtension of the principle of broad shallow grooves,
and may be described as having two opposite
grooves, so broadened and extended as to run into
another, and form the bore into the shape of an
culpsis. Mr. Lancaster's rifle has the very great
advantage over all others, of having no angles to
accurnlate dirt and fouling, and it is, therefore,
much more easily kept clean. The great superiority
of his rifles, in this respect, has been brought to
!ay notice, by having under my superintendence
for instruction, at Malta, two companies of the
Royal Engineers which were armed with it. The
Qonviction of the gallant colonel is that throughout
the entire service, and especially at places where
soldiers are encamped near the sea, the angles of
the grooves of our Enfield rifles are in a state of
rust, which will show itself before long by a great
diminution of accuracy. In the garrison of Malta,
Which consisted entirely of regiments from the
Crimea, the accuracy of the aim was found
° be in an inverse proportion to the time
hhad been in use, and in those regiments which
, ey
d bad their rifles longest, a large proportion were
found to be entirely past repair, and were ex-
changed for new ones. Although it is true that the
wear and tear which they received in the Crimea is
atota fair criterion of that which they would ex-
Perience under ordinary circumstances, still, it is
evident that the subject is worth serious attention,
*8 the ordinary examination of the head of the
riknirod on parade is insufficient to detect rust in
those parts of the grooves which may escape the
Sweep of the cleaning rag. The reports from the
khool of Musketry were explicit in stating that,
but for the defect of stripping, the Lancaster musket
Was superior to the others, both as regards accuracy
and facility of loading. It was, however, supposed
to? require that the cartridge should fit the barrel
tighter in other systems of rifling, owing to
the shallowness of the groove s ; or, to speak more
Properly, to the slightness of the difference between
the long and the short diameters of the ellipsis,
and this, it was considered, would render it
Unserviceable in the field, where ammunition is
often dirty and defective. It has been proved on
the contrary by the practice of two e.,,t panies of
Royal Engineers at Malt i, where the* unition
aa very inferior, and often almost unserviceable
"om the adherence of dirt to the pease of the
ea rtridge, that even with this defective ammuni-
tion the Lancaster musket is superior to all others
in the facility with which it is loaded after much
6rlng. Upwards of 200 rounds were fired out of
some of these rifles without producing any deterio-
ration, but on the contrary, an increase of accuracy
V, s perceivable. Although the bullet used was
the Pritchett bullet, which is supposed by some to
teceive au insufficient expansion, no stripping
Worthy of mention occurred during the whole
Practice ; and the average and final classification
of both companies exceeded the highest previously
attained with the English at the School of Mus-
a_eiry, even with non-commissioned officers training
tor the Corps of Instructors. It is therefore
evident that the defect of stripping had by some
means been remedied, and in his report Colonel
Pox stated that the practice proved the Lancaster
Musket not only "not inferior," but, if anything,
" • superior weapon to the Enfield rifle."

NEW CHUM AT STOKE NEWINGTON.

We are informed that a new and very handsome
church is about to be consecrated at Stoke Newington,
'which is intended to take the place of the present small
sad inconvenient parish church. The new builling re-
flects the greatest possible credit on the taste of the
izehitec+, Mr. G. G. Scott, as also on the workmanship
of the builaer, Mr., G. Myers, and of the decorative
atleptor, Mr. Farmer, whose ornamentation of the
capitals, corbels, dm, of the interior is vary chaste and
beautiful. It will be also a standing monument of the
indefatigable zeal of the rector and of the liberality
Ind public spirit of the inhabitant, by whose exertions
11 bus been raised within the last three years. The
rapidly-increasing growth and importance of the neigh-
bourhood has rendered such a work a great desideratum.
The consecration is appointed to take place on the 25th

" Much suffLring" says the Bombay Gaulle, " has
already been entailed on our men from the great power
4)..f the sun. We see with regret that Mr. William
/taisell, the Times correspondent, was struck in tnis
way at the attitk of the Rirtil'y cantonments, and
t quires much care and attention before be can re-
ever."

The amended Bill in rt lation to the crossing of bank•
era' checks has been printed, and contains a new clause
4:_ruPovt °ring any laaful bolder of an uncrossed check
"", cro4s it with the specific name cf a banker, or to
add such came to any check that inlay already have been
Crossed, simply with the words " and Company." This
items to meet every difficulty, and It is to be hoped the
banking interest will show deference to public opinion,
and allow the bill to pass without attempting to obstruct
t irapair it.
I:2OEATH oF TETE LORD JUSTICE CLERE.—We have to
Make the painful and unexpected announcement of the
death of Lord Justice Clerk Hope, which took place at
late hour last night. His Icrdship, when finishing a
ratter to a relative, about seven o'clock, was seized with
13,aralyttig, and never rani, d from the attack, expiring
';orrut ha'f-past eleven. His lordship was in his sixty-
°urth year. He passad for the bar in 1816, and was
:tented to the presidency of the Second Division of
"I Court of Session in 1844. Scotsman of yesterday.