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

steamship in the service, whether of wood or
iron, should be fitted with them. In the choice
of names for our ironsides the Admiralty do
not seem lately to have been particularly happy.
Twice they have altered the names of those now
building. We hope neither the Achilles nor the
Captain are to be rechristened, though we have not
the least objection to another improvement on the
names of the other two. The Iron Duke would be
a far more appropriate name than the Minotaur,
and an Inkermann infinitely more suggestive than
the Northumberland. The sterns of all these new
ships will be what is called " pink" sterns—that is,
instead of being round and full, like the Warrior and
Black Prince, terminating in a fine wedge-shaped
point, almost similar to the bows of a fast-going
steamer.

By adopting this method of construction the
number of armour plates required to cover it is re-
duced by rather more than a third, while the angle
presented will be such that all shots must glance
unless fired point blank at the broadside. All the
internal subdivisions as to water-tight compartments,
&c., will be precisely similar to those of the War-
rior, and the same effectual protection is given to
the magazines by casing them round with the coal
and water tanks. The armament for each vessel is
to be 36 100-pounder Armstrong on the main deck,
and on the spar deck 21 guns of the same enormous
calibre. The two forward guns through the semi-
circular shield we have already described are to be
200-pounders, with a pivot gun of the same size in
the stern. They will thus be enabled at a single
broadside to throw a ton and a half of shot and
shell to a distance of nearly five miles if necessary.
In addition to these four vessels now building
the Admiralty are preparing at Chatham to coat
the Bulwark and Royal Oak with iron plates on the
French plan. Both these vessels were intended
as 90-gun ships, but have had their dimensions
altered and their scantling increased, to enable
them to carry 44-inch armour plates. It is
admitted that these ships are only makeshifts
which the Admiralty were compelled to adopt to
keep pace with the superiority of numbers which
the French navy had in vessels of this kind.
Like all hurried makeshifts, however, both
these frigates will be costly, and comparatively
inefficient. In the previous article on this sub-
ject we stated how it was now found in the
French navy that vessels built on this system (and
they have none others) were practically almost use-
less as seagoing frigates, In our own navy it has for
some time been known that woodwork, no matter
of what strength, is unequal to sustain the long-
continued vibrations of the screw, when driven with
a power and velocity which are necessary to the
maintenance of the high speed our war vessels are
admitted to possess. It was only the other day that
the Emerald, a new 50-gun frigate, was compelled
to return to port for caulking and repairs, rendered
necessary by her having to steam against a head
sea and hold her own in a fierce gale. It is easy to
see how enormously this vibration is increased with
the additional weight of armour plates, which make
the timbers work so much that clacking and caulk-
ing are necessary after every trip. From this cause
alone La Gloire, the boast and pride of the French
Navy, is now openly admitted to be all but unsea-
worthy. Our Admiralty cannot surely expect a
different result for their ships built on the same
manner. It is but poor consolation to know that
these vessels are only makeshifts, and that no more
are to be built, as the money that will be spent on
them is almost thrown away. Ten years are the
longest time even the most sanguine give them
before the oak rots away under the iron.
It may not be out of place here to notice briefly
what other Governments besides the French are
doing towards reconstructing their navies. The
Danish Government ridicule the idea of 51 inch
plates, and say very truly that, as 21 inches will
keep out any shell, they do not care for the solid
shot. They are accordingly having two very fine
gunboats, of great speed and heavy armament, built
here on this principle. The Russians are building
here a very fine frigate of 30 guns, and 3,500 tons,
on a model somewhat similar to the Warrior, and
to be coated from end to end with 4-inch iron plates.
Orders for other vessels of this class are expected.
The Peruvian Government is building small iron-
plated gunboats here, and in addition to somo fine
wooden frigates building for the Spanish Govern-
ment on the Thames, instructions to build iron fri-
gates for the same power arc daily looked for. The
Federal Government are building three gunboats to
be plated with three-inch iron, and one most pecu-
liar submarine boat, called " Stevens's Battery,"
which only shows its six heavy guns on a slight
iron ridge just above the water. A full account of
this extraordinary vessel, which is now being hur-
ried forward by the Federal Government, and will
probably be ready in a month or two, has already
been forwarded to our Admiralty. The Confede-
rate Government is coating, or endeavouring to coat,
the Merrimac, 50, and the Mississippi, 13, the two
vessels which they seized in the Norfolk Navy-
yard, with four-inch plates, and King Victor Em-
manuel is having two wooden-plated frigates of
3,000 tons each constructed on the French plan in
France. It is not too much to say, however, that as
yet nothing has been designed or attempted which
at all approaches the standard of the English iron-
clad frigates. The cause for regret is that we have
so few of them, and that, in spite of the generosity
of Parliament on this subject, the Admiralty are
still so timid about crdering more.

THE VOLUNTEERS.

Yesterday evening, in Westminster-ball, Earl de
Grey and Ripon, the UnLr Secretary for War, dis-
tributed to the 19th Middlesex, or Working Men's

College Riflo Volunteer Corps, the prizes which
have been contended for in the past season's shoot-

ing at the Government range on Plamstcad 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 prizcs
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 Do Grey to distribute the
prizes.

Earl BE GREY, who was received with loud
c'leering, 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. Ho 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 £hots 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, hear.) When the
Volunteer movement began, there were many per-
sons who—not unnaturally at the time—said that
if too much attention were paid to these contests
they would take the place 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 " drill."
He was happy to believe that anticipation had not
been fulfilled in the case of the Volunteers generally.
(Hear, hear.) 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. But 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
Iknow 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.) He
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.
reeently 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 be
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 mano3avre, 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 here 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 Perryman.
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 by
Corporal Playfair ; 3d prize, a pewter tankard, won
by Private 0. Penfold.
2d Company—lst prize, a rifle-glass, won by
byLi Lieut. rrnley ;
eutHoopaers2d prize, an ornamental cup, won
3d prize, a bronze medal, won
by Sergeant Perryman.
3d Company—lst 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-Ist prize, a silver medal, won by
Ist, a
tao a2rdg, ea si lrvnear.
Colour-Sergt. Pearce.
medal,9th Cwo
omnp
yn
mental flower vase, won by Cap. Shaen •; ditto, 3d,
an ornamental cup, won by Private J. Ivory.
Y
Privatex tr
HP. Ivory
;r
Sweepstakes—let prize, a pewter tankard, won
by Lieut. Tansley ; 2d prize, an ornamental cup,
won by Lieut. Hooper.
At the conclusion of the distribution Colonel
Bathurst thanked Earl de Grey on behalf of the
regiment, and three cheers for the noble earl ended
the proceedings.