The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-17 00:00:00

THE VOLUNTEERS.

On Saturday evening the members of the 11°13i
Artillery Company gave a full dress regimental
dinner at 'Willis's Rooms, on the retirement of tile',
late Captain-General, Lord Colville of Culross, and
the assumption of the command by his successor,
Lieut.-Col. Loyd Lindsay, V.C. Close upon 2°'
members sat down to table. Major Robinson Pre'
sided, and among the more distinguished guests Or!
Lord Longford, Under Secretary for War, Lord Col-
ville, Col. Loyd Lindsay, Lord Bury, Major Sir I'.
Hunter, Lieut.-Col. the Hon. Sir C. Colville, 014'
Seymour, R.N., &c. Major Robinson, in proposingt
" The Health of Lord Colville," spoke in the highe,,s,
terms of the services rendered by his lordship to the
corps, and deeply regretted that exertions made at
the Brighton review, when in command of the corn'
pany, had contributed to the retirement from our.
'nand which Lord Colville felt to be indispensable's
Lord Colville returned his personal acknowledgmeeta
to the corps, whose flattering reception he accePtea
as a proof, to use a common phrase, that they ha
pulled well together, and then proceeded to introdacet
to the corps his successor. Col. Lindsay's ga113,3,
career must be well known to them. He wore ti'"
Crimean medal with four clasps, and had since div
tinguished himself as a most active volunteer officer:
Under his auspices he looked forward to a brilliant
future for the corps, of which, though no lone.
commander, he should always continue a members
Colonel Loyd Lindsay responded in suitable term
to the toast of his own health, which was drill)ic
with much enthusiasm.
The winter inspection of the London Scottish Rifle
oo
Volunteers by Lord Elcho, their Colonel, and the
distribution of prizes by Lady Elcho, took place es
Saturday evening in Westminster-hall, in itresel,nto
of a large assembly of ladies and gentlemen. og
corps mustered 320 men, in six companies. Ani°l,
the visitors were the Hon. Arthur Kinnaird, I\-1•4 ;:
and Miss Kinnaird, Mr. Alderman Lusk, M.P., 1". r.,
Lusk, Miss Davidson, Mrs. Page, Miss Mackefiliirci
Capt. Horatio Ross, &c. After the inspection. -Liefor
Elcho, who was loudly cheered, read a report rot
1866, compared with 1865. There was an aPPaibis
reduction of the number of members ; but really
bet
was not so, for when they had got a certain 111000
of recruits, for every two recruits they struck o'
from the list of those who had not paid their 6ber
scriptions, had not attended drill, and bad elt
left
changed their place of abode without notice, or of
behind no sufficient address. They had plentyr
recruits—more than last year. The efficient n3OO
bers, the real test of a corps, had increased ,
in-
-315 to 338 ; the extra-efficient members bauipift.
creased from 146 to 205—a very marked and gr3:,001
ing increase ; and the marksmen had increased IL erg
36 to 57. His Lordship continued :—The Woo
have lately been full of articles and letters uponde,
reorganisation of our army and our means °dos
fence. Now, I have read a great many Buggers
co.
with regard to the Volunteer force to which Iht to
not subscribe—that in many respects they on" ro-
be Prussiauised. But I think I may venture to poi
diet this—that in any scheme for the reorganiriar
of the army to act as a defensive force thel ?lot
teer force will continue to occupy a very pronnelf
place. (Cheers.) Indeed, I cannot but think re/0,14
that the existence of that force places in the ni;eli
of the Government a means of adding imineforce
to the strength of this country, by putting inis
the laws we now have for raising men
this co,intry. S) long as a volunteer fureercipg
not in existence, there might be hardship in erlf°force
the Militia ballot ; but when the Volunteer 'ow
does exist, when to escape the ballot a man 113sesse0.
to become a Volunteer, I maintain the hardahiP epee
This question must be looked at fairly in tile, corn'
we must deal with it by having a sort of modifi„,,,euoitio,
scription by ballot for the Militia, with thelivsu the
teer service--you can never otherwise catal3..bieb
country on that firm defensive footing on pm:
hope soon to have the satisfaction of seeing ntfora
Elcho then advanced to the front of the Pia alter
; Do
amid loud cheers and presented the Pr-1
having, in an animated address, congratulattenrize"
corps on its efficiency. The total number 0r51,...r.
was 110 ; the total value of prizes, £2OB 171'0,10;
cluaive of challenge cups, value £250 ; totaca
£458 10s. Lord Elcho, on the part of the,rean 1
Wimbledon, presented a silver teapot to "'
Nicholls, the best shot there.
Lh~lE,4 of
FOOTBALL. —ETON COLLEGE V. GE usto,,
TIIE CIVIL SERVICE.—On Thursday this great
which a considerable amount of interest has latell3uatteoo4
uffested, came off on the Civil Service pound intors, alit
park, in the presence of a vast number of spocta ttuess
tl
of whom had come from Eton and Oxford to vttroab.).o
exciting game. The Civil Service also ruusteore:raPired tePo
and there was a fair sprinkling of ladies, 1.0,he pr°~ocll,
solfotphpey
ggarionuen. d
Tfohreabcaollupwlaoslikoiucik-sedinsLartetlhyl,nagf
and from that time till the close of tho match, 0. trospecto
thegame was must spiritedly contested by 01
pret
desg, the members of which were evidentlythe Ciz,
matched. Tko goal was, however, reached 1-).),, wioa.els:
Service gentlemen, who, on being declared the the
—Eton College : J. R. Sturgis, W. D. Bens o_ n „
wore cheered by their friends. The following
c.
vert, C. R. Alexander, P. M. C. Banbury, E.
C. Tait, 11. C. Bonser, B. J. Thornton, E. Lubbre
Babington, E. Freeth, F. Deacon, J. Hogg, .
Wart
0. N. Fuller, A. Dateinau, J. W
'ii,C:
Service :A. Fairfield, J. Wearne, J. B