The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-03 00:00:00

THE VOLUNTEERS.

Yesterday evening, in Westminster-hall, Earl de
Grey and Ripon, the Under Secretary for War, dis-
tributed to the 19th Middlesex, or Working Men's
College Rifle Volunteer Corps, the prizes which
have been contended for in the past season's shoot-
ing at the Government range on Plumstead Marshes.
A very numerous company was assembled in the hall
to witness the ceremony. The regiment, which is
now nearly 900 strong, marched into the hall under
the command of Col. Bathurst, shortly after 8
o'clock, headed by their band ; and having drawn
up in three sides of a square, the proceedings were
begun by a short speech from

Col. BATHURST, who said that though the prizes
were not so numerous or so valuable as those which
had been distributed in that hall to another vol un-
teer corps a night or two ago, he was sure they
would not be less highly valued by the winners of
them. The corps had a right to boast that it had
been to a great extent self-supporting. They had
established a very excellent band,and had spent their
funds in other objects calculated to promote the effi-
ciency of the corps. They had been much inter-
rupted in their practice from the want of a butt of
their own, and if any generous minded person were
inclined to present them with one they should not
be too proud to accept it. But if they were not for-
tunate enough to have one presented to them he had
no doubt that in a very short time they would ob-
tain one for themselves. The gallant colonel con-
cluded by calling on Earl De Grey to distribute the
prizes.

Earl DE GREY, who was received with loud
cheering, said it was with great satisfaction that he
had accepted Col. Bathurst's invitation on behalf of
the corps to discharge this duty—not as Under
Secretary for War, but in his capacity of an hono-
rary member of the corps. He looked upon these
contests as a most important valuable result of the
volunteer movement, and he was happy to learn
that the result of this particular contest proved that
the 19th Middlesex was fully able to hold its own
in this respect with the other volunteer corps
throughout the country. He sincerely congratulated
those who were winners, not merely because they
were winners, but because by their devotion to a
noble science—for science it was—they had made
themselves good shots and had put themselves in a
position to do good service to their country should
an emergency arise. He did not look upon the mere
money value of the prizes as being a matter of any
importance. (Hear, hear.) If their funds had been
expended in promoting the practical efficiency of
the corps in other ways, it had been much better
spent than in the purchase of more costly prizes,
and he was sure every true volunteer would value
the prize he received not as representing so many
guineas, but because it was a witness of the profi-
ciency which he had attained to among his com-
rades. (Hear.) He hoped that those who were
among the vanquished would not relax in their
efforts to make themselves good shots ; for though
there might be many occasions in war in which great
services might be performed by good shots, yet in
usual military operations the effective value of a bat-
talion would not be measured so much by the shoot-
ing of the prize.winners as by the average shooting
of the whole body of men. (Hear, hoar.) When the
Volunteer movement began, there were many per-
sins who—not unnaturally at the time—said that
if too much attention were paid to these contests
they would take the piece of other equally important
parts of the duties of Volunteers, and that, while
they were labouring to make themselves good shots
they would forget the no less urgent part of their
instruction comprised in the short word "
He was happy to believe that anticipation had not
been fulfilled in the case of the Volunteers generally.
(Hear, bear.) They had attained a great proficiency
in rifle shooting—in fact, they might be said to have
changed in that respect the character of our coun-
trymen. Three years ago when the movement
commenced, we were a nation which had very few
good shots, but we might now claim to be equal to
any other nation in the world. Bat it would have
been a great mistake if that proficiency had been
obtained by the sacrifice of attention to those mili-
tary formations and movements which were essential
to their Efficiency in the field. He was happy to
know that that was not the case generally with the
Volunteers, and with regard to the 19th Middlesex
he had ascertained before coming there, from the
highest authority, that he should be perfectly justi-
fied in speaking in high terms of their proficiency
both in company and battalion drill. (Cheers.) lie
hoped that while they continued to labour to make
themselves good shots they would bear in mind the
importance of drill. The amount of service they
might do the country would depend not on the pos-
session of cups and medals, but on the attention
which they had paid to this branch of their duty,
He would also impress upon them the great value
of that general discipline without which, as had
recently been seen, any body of armed men would
become a mere rabble. He did not wish to sing the
praises of what some people called " pipe-clay," or to
expect from them that perfect regularity and preci-
sion which could only be attained by a regiment of the
regular army, constantly and exclusively devoted to
military exercises ; but there were certain general
principles of discipline and subordination without
which no body of men partaking of a military cha-
racter could ever be thoroughly efficient. So long
as they remembered that those under whose com-
mand they served were entitled to their obedience
in military matters, and to their respect on all
occasions, they would every day become more and
more capable of taking part in the noble work of
national defence which they would inevitably bo
called on to undertake should danger threaten our
shores. The volunteer movement was a great social
as well as military movement ; it was one of the
most useful and elevated ideas which had ever ani-
mated the people of this country, but half its value
would be lost if it did not teach men not only how
to shoot, to march and manoeuvre, but also those
principles of discipline which were as valuable in
civil as in military life. (Hear.) In conclusion,
the noble earl said—l thank you, gentlemen, for
having invited me hero to-night, and I am glad to
meet face to face a body of men who I am sure are
animated by a determination that in no quarter of
the world, whether north or south, east or west,
shall the flag of England ever be insulted. (This
allusion to the great topic of the day was received
by a loud burst of cheering from all parts of the hall.)
The following prizes were then presented by the
noble earl :

Regimental Prizes-Ist prize, a silver challenge
cup and silver medal, won by Lieut. Hooper; 2d
prize, a silver medal, won by Sergeant Allen ; 3d
prize, a pewter tankard, won by Sergeant Perrym an.
Regimental Company challenge cup, won by 2d
Company, Capt. Roebuck.
Ist Company-Ist prize, a bronze medal, won by
Lieut. Pattison ; 2d prize, a bronze medal, won 'O3,
Corporal Playfair ; 3d prize, a pewter tankard, won
by Private 0. Penfold.
2d Company-Ist prize, a rifle-glass, won by
Lieut. Hooper ; 2d prize, an ornamental cup, won
by Lieut. Tansley ; 3d prize, a bronze medal, won
by Sergeant Perryman.
3d Company-Ist
prize, a silver medal, won by
Private J. Davison ; 2d prize, a pewter tankard,
won by Corporal Butler.
4th Company-Ist prize, a pewter tankard, won
by Sergeant Smith.
6th Company-Ist prize, a short Enfield rifle,
won by Lieut. Preston ; 2d prize, a binocular field
glass, won by Sergt. Burgess; 3d prize, a bronze
medal, won by Private J. Nuttall, No. 1 extra
prize, a silver medal, won by Sergt. Cripps ; No. 2
ditto, a pewter tankard, won by Sergt. Burgess ;
No. 3 ditto, a pewter tankard, won by Sergt. Cripps.
7th Company—lst prizo, a silver medal, won by
Ce:our-Sergt. Pearce.
Ist, a large silver
ditto, 2d, an
me9dtahl Cwo
omnpbayn Company—
PrivateEx t r
Ha p.
vzoer,y ;
orna-
mental flower vase, won by Capt. Shaen ; ditto, 3d,
an ornamental cup, won by Private I. Ivory.
Sweepstakes—lat prize, a pewter tankard, won
by Lieut. Tanslcy; 2d prize, an ornamental Clip,
won by Lieut. Hooper.
At the conclusion of the distribution Colonel
regimentß a hurs t thanked
d three
ha re le rds ef Gr rt eh ye
no n behalf
o bl
eaf of the
earll ended
the proceedings.