The Sun.
London, England, 1859-09-06 00:00:00

Commence at 7 o'clock.

VERDI'S OPERA OF MACBETH. The
whole of the first Act of this Opera, now produced
for the first time in this country (the remaining three acts
being in course of rehearsal), is sung nightly at the CAN-
TERBURY HALL CONCERTS.
THE DELEPIERRE FAMILY.
Sonsisting of three Juvenile Violinists, viz., Jules, Juliette,
aad Julia Delepierre, aged, respectively, FOUR. SIX, and
FIGHT years.
The perfect execution by these Lilliputian Artistes of some
of the most difficult and brilliant Solos, Duets, and Trios evci
written for the violin, has excited mingled wonder and admi.
ration in Continental Musical Circles, and drawn forth enthu-
idastio tributes of praise from the Public Journals of France
and Belgium.
They ll
wi perform T WICE EACH EVENING, in addi-
tion to the usual Entertainments.

THE WEATHER.—Sux OFFICE, SEPTEMBER 6.
THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE.
65—highest since soon yesterday.
60 lowest this morning and during the night.
67—this day at noon.
BABomETER-29.87—falling rapidly.
WIND, S.S.W. ; rather fresh, with some rain.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
THIS DAY.—Morning, Bh. 29m.—Afternoon, 9h. 15m.
To-Moßuow-Morning, 10h. lm.—Afternoon, 10h. 45m.

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THE SUN.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1859.

For some time back the country has been all on
the alert to be prepared for invasion. This has been
occasioned by the supposed conduct of one of our
faiends over the way. It is now assumed that there
was no sufficient reason for such alarm. However
that may be, the people all over the United King-
dom have taken up the idea, and acted on the princi-
ple, that where danger was apprehended although
it did not appear, still it might come, and so they
resolved to be prepared against the cry of wolf
come when it might, This is consonant with pru-
dence and will one day find its due reward.

We may have nothing to fear in probability—but
as the possible might take us unawares it is well to
guard against all dangers. Acting on this princi-
ple we hear of nothing but the formation of Rifle or
Volunteer Clubs. " Riflemen, form !" seems to be
the order of the day, and a manly amusement, if not
one of duty, it is universally acknowledged to be.
In July last a public meeting of Scottish Volun-
teer Rifles took place at the Freemasons' Tavern,
under the able presidency of Lord ELCHO, who
made a very stirring speech on the occasion. That
2speeck had been so well thought of that the meet-
ing requested his lordship to be allowed to publish
a corrected report of it. His lordship readily con-
rsented, and now we have a copy published by
RIDGWAY, and the SMITHS, of the Strand, lying
before us.

Lord ELMO is not only a bold Scot, but
an accomplished sportsman. The rifle is to him
." familiar as a fan" in fairy hands, and right
well does he expound its use. After enlarging on
the desirability of the formation of volunteer
rifle clubs, he points out the best manner
to ensure their accomplishment. In 1804, when
we were threatened with invasion by the genius of
NAPOLEON from the Heights of Boulogne, Mr.
PITT called out the Volunteers, and he considered
them as a body forming a solid system of national
defence. Lord ELcno now enforces that principle
by showing that our independence should not rest
'on the friendship or forbearance of any foreign
potentate ; and his lordship is quite right. The
wonderful efficiency to which a body of men might
be brought in the event of invasion is exemplified
by the example of GARIBALDI, who, with but a
handful of volunteers, hung on the right wing and
.1f the Austrian army in the late war.
His Lordship then speaks of the probable number
of volunteers that might be raised :
" Wha t number of volunteers we may expect to get I
cannot pretend to say, but I have fall confidence in the
spirit and patriotism of our people ; and we have lately
seen what may be done in an emergency, when in such a
town as B. rescia, 3,000 out of a population of 40,000 volun-
teered for Garibaldi's corps. London alone, therefore, if
ever called sapon to make similar exertions, might, accord-
ing to the same relative proportion, furnish more than
200,000 mem We may, therefore, I think, reasonably
look to the ,establishment of numerous volunteer corps ;
and we may e•onfidently trust to their zeal and patriotism,
as well as to a spirit of rivalry and competition, for
their skill I s marksmen, and for their efficiency as sol-

diers.
" I have el-ready touched upon the chief objection to
them, naniel. y, that they would be inefficient for pur-
_ poses of defe: tee ; but there are other objections urged
against them. It is said that you cannot have these rifle
corps in any n amber, from the difficulty of getting range,
and the danger of shooting in all directions ; that there
is risk in thus arming the people and establishing a na-
tional guard, a 'ad, finally, that it will interfere with yeo-
manry corps. ,
" Now, gentle ;nut,
.as a practical rifleman, accustomed
to the use of the rifle from my childhood, I say, without
fear of contradict tian, there is no greater delusion than to
suppose that it :se nee-essary to have a long range to learn to
shoot. These m aim n rifles, with the canical expanding
ball, will unquest'ombly shoot accuracy at extreme ranges
at 1,000 or 1,50 C. yi rds—but, in order to learn to shoot at
that distance, thei e is no occasion to practise at a long
range. The art of rile-shooting may be divided into two
. parts—shooting, an d 'judging distance.
" Shooting consis 'A
—Firstly, in knowing in what position
to hold the body wh esl taking aim ; secondly, in knowing
how to take the sights, and aim at the object you wish to
it ; and thirdly, in knowing how to pull the trigger by a
steady pressure, witl Lout a jerk.
,c
Now thase s can be acquired without even powder
and hall—simply BIZ ipping off caps at a lighted candle. To
'teach men to shoot rat a mark with ball, a range of one or
two hundred Yrds.,iiis all that is required. Beyond this, it
is a mere question d : the sighting of your rifle; and the
, mum who can hit a b nil's-eye at 100 yards will be able to
cahoot no less well at ,0001 f his rifle is properly sighted, and
lye know the distance. In point of fact, as far as this
matter of range go( there is no more difficulty now in
eatablishing rifle con Is than there was in the practice o
:the bow in the good old dayof merry England, when,
, VIII., butts were ordered to be set
Ban act of Henry
„or that the youth might be instructed
n every parish,
;31 t)'i e use of the bow, All that would now be required
w. Ink 1 bk the erecti on of walls or mounds at the back
of ,he targets, where there. was not some hill-side against
whip +h to practise, . u'd if additional precautions are
thou ;1 ,t to be desirablo, as screen with an opening thrmseegh
which' nothing but the ball and target can be n
rhould. be erected at the other end of the range. Through
it tixe ri :Keenan would fire, and any chance shot which
did not go through this opening would be stopped by the
screen.
" ThL ) other part .of rifle-shooting, namely, judging dis-
tance, i, a perhaps the chief difficulty to be overcome. It
is more from want .(-)f the power ef judging distance
than fro m any inaccinaey of aim—as many who hear
hie wet ' know—that deer' so often escape unscathed
by the sportsman's bullet. Now, judging distance is
taught b y stationing men at certain measured inter-
vals, say' every 100 yards along any clear open space ;
a straight road would do. At Hythe it is done along
the beach in London the Guards are taught to judge dis-
tance in Ffy de Park. The men under instruction are singly,
made to gne, ;i3 the distances at which the different points
are placed, az Id the answers are taken down in writing; by