The Sun.
London, England, 1866-01-06 00:00:00

Schools of Musketry.

The annual document supplied by Major-General
Hay, inspector-general of musketry, on the instruc-
tion carried on at the schools of musketry at Hythe
and Fleetwood during the year ending March 31,
1865, has been issued. It appears from the returns
given " that 353 officers, including three of the royal
navy, 36 of the cavalry, 15 of the Indian army, 16
of the militia, and 13 of the staff of volunteer corps,
&c., have been instructed, of which number 163, or
46.17 per cent., became first-class shots, and 168,
or 47.59 per cent., second-class shots, leaving 22,
6.23 per cent., in the third-class. Another return
shows that 1,461 sergeants and rank and file have
undergone instruction, 570 of whom, or 30.01 per
cent., became first-class shots, and 779, or 53.31 per
cent., second-class shots, leaving 112, or 7.66 per
cent., in the third-class. Only 12 volunteers of all
ranks were instructed at the schools during the year,
of which number 6, or 50 per cent., became first-
class shots, and the remainder second-class, shots.
From the record it is stated that the total number of
all ranks of the several branches of the service, in-
cluding volunteers, trained during the year, is 1,826.
Major-General Hay says that the results of the per-
formances of all ranks in judging distance are most
satisfactory. Of officers 78.18 per cent. passed into
the first-class, leaving only three officers in the third
class ; of sergeants and rank and file 73.95 per cent.
passed into the first-class, leaving only 5 men in
the third class ; and of volunteers, 50 per cent.
passed into the first class, leaving none in the third
class." From statistics furnished, it apperrs "that
on the whole agreat improvement has taken placein
the shooting of the officers at both schools ; also,
that the shooting of the men at Fleetwood has
slightly improved, whilst at Hythe it has fallen off
a few points, there being a greater number of men
in the third class." Major-General Hay adds that
" the results of the rapid file firing and skirmishing
are not so good as they should be. Attention will
be directed to these practices, with a view to secure
some improvement, as they are very important
in the training of the infantry soldiers." Ela-
borate tables are given in the report, showing
the percentage of hits, with or without ricochets, &c.
Also one compiled for the purpose of giving command-
ing officers and others concerned a standard by
which to form an estimate of the merit of shooting
with the Enfield rifle at the different distances—
individually, by platoon and skirmishing, and other
data of interest. They are very useful to those
parties concerned, but unsuited for the columns of
a newspaper. The number of officers of the different
branches of the service trained during the year at
both schools was 253, comprising officers of the
royal navy and the regular army, including Royal
Marines, Indian army, militia, Corps of Gentlemen
at Arms, and volunteer adjutants. 151, or 43 per
cent., were placed as extra first class ; 74, or 21 per
cent., as first class ; 73, or 21 per cent., as second
class ; 32, or 9 per cent., as adjutants ; 18, or 5 per
cent., are denoted as unfit ; and 5 as not examined,
sick, &c. The number of sergeants and petty offi-
cers sent to the schools was 515, of whom 275 re-
ceived certificates for the appointment of sergeant-
instructor. Major-General Hay, in reference to
the above, says :—" It affords mu much pleasure to
notice that the percentage of sergeants who
have obtained certificates this year has in-
creased, as compared with that for 1863-64, the
former being 53, the latter 45, thus affording some
evidence that their educational and professional
qualifications have improved." He adds :—" The
conduct of the detachments sent here has, on the
whole, been good, particularly that of the two par-
ties of petty officers from her Majesty's ships Ex-
cellent and Cambridge." The inspector-general
concludes his interesting report with the following
remarks :—" In conclusion, I would mention that I
fear a practice prevails on the part of some com-
manding officers, when called upon to send parties
to the schools of musketry, of selecting those men
whom they have not been able to get out of the
third class. This proceeding not only entails ex-
pense upon the public for no purpose, as the object
of the schools is not to train third-class shots, which
may be as successfully accomplished with their bat-
talions if the same pains be taken in their instruc-
tion, but it also deprives battalions of the advan-
tages of good musketry drills,' which they would
insure by selecting intelligent corporals and privates,
for although sergeants receive certificates, yet all
ranks are employed, while at the schools, in mutual
instruction in the platoon exercise and position drill,
with a view to their being useful as 'drills,' on their
return to their battalions."

THE WOOLLEN TRADE IN AMERICA. The
various industrial interests of the North aro holding Con-
ventions to urge Congress to 'put upon the country a
higher protective tariff. To the others has now been
added a convention of the wool-growers and manufacturers,
recently held at Syracuse, New York. The woollen men,
however, are, unfortunately, divided upon the question of
protection, and comparatively free trade in wool has a
fair chance of continuing. The wool-growers want the
importation of foreign wool prohibited, the manufacturers
wish it to come in free of duty, as the cheaper the wool
the greater their profits. These interests, always opposed
to each other, have, much to the gratification of the Ame-
rican consumers, kept woollen goods down almost to the
prices before the war, while everything else has been trebled
or quadrupled. The contest between the grower and
manufacturer continues as fierce as ever, and cheap
woollens will no doubt long reign. The statistics of the
production of wool in America are valuable, and probably
the only good result achieved by holding such conventions
as that of the wool-growers and manufacturers is the ac-
curate statistics of the trade which they give. In 1860
the production of wool was 60,264,913 pounds, and in
1864 it had increased to 80,000,000 pounds. This, how-
ever, was but half the amount consumed, for, in 1864,
75,000,000 pounds were imported.
The France states that the members of the Oppo-
sition in the Legislative Body assembled the day before
yesterday at the residence of M. Mario to decide on the
course to be adopted during the approaching session. A
determination is said to have been come to that their prin-
cipal attention should be directed to the Mexican question.
A RELIC OF THE WAR.—On the steps of the
War Department building (which the stranger may be
interested in knowing is near Seventeenth-street, West,
on Pennyslvania-avenue) there stands as remarkable a
relic of the war as can be shown in the most carefully
gathered collections of the enthusiast or the virtuoso. It
is the stump of an oak tree, some two feet in thickness,
which was completely cut off by bullets in the battle
fought at Spottsylvania on the 12th of May, 1861.
[ American Paper.