The Sun.
London, England, 1861-08-12 00:00:00

TILE ARMY.

Under the new arrangements for the reorganisa-
tion of the Royal Artillery, the particulars of
which were promulgated on Saturday, the head-
quarters of the 9th Brigade, of which Lieutenant-
General A. C. Mercer is the commandant, will in
future be stationed at Dover, in lieu of the 2d
Brigade, under the command of Lieutenant-General
It. Jones. The 9th is a field Artillery Brigade, and
numbers eight batteries, which are distributed
throughout the kingdom at Athlone, Leith, Shorn-
eliffe, and Newbridge. In accordance with the
new arrangements it is intended to establish a field
battery at CanterburyChatham.
The another at
The suitableness
leness of the
Lions latter station for theevolu:
beebnattery exercise is undoubted, and it
has long
as matter of surprise that the ad-
vantages
Possessed by Chatham over almost any
other town for
oaaertillery station should
have been evert
The numerous ad-
vantages which have •
e ,of
to the Royal
Artillery since the bok ,f Cambridge became its
e
Colonel-in-Chief are on the
tvee division of
another
h
very important addition by •
lawn of the depot
brigade into three distinct I sub-bri
gadEs, each to be
under the separate command', of a lientenant-colonel,
with the exception of ;the si lb-brigade stationed at
Woolwich, which will continue as at present under
the command of Col. G. R. EL Kennedy. The sub-
brigades will be stationed a t Woolwich, Sheerness,
n having been given
and Warley, the latter stat io

over for the Royal Artillery from the former East
India Company. As soon as the proposed arrange-
ments have been carried into effect, the immense
mass of correspondence relating to the Royal Artil-
lery will be diverted into three channels. The
strength of the depot brigade may be estimated from
the statement that it at present consists- of 16 bat-
teries, distributed as follows :—Nos. 1,2, 3, and 4
at Sheerness; Nos. 5 to 14 at Woolwich; No. 11 at
Aldershott ; and Nos. 15 and 16 at Warley. Under
the new arrangements the batteries will be equally
subdivided into brigades, the strength of each
being governed by the requirements of the station
and the exigencies of the service. In accordance
with the above arrangements Great Yarmouth,
which until recently has always been a station for
Royal Artillery, will, in all probability, be no
longer garrisoned by that branch of the service, the
batteries of Artillery having been removed from
that town to Warley, in anticipation of immediate
effect being given to the order.
Three batteries of Royal Artillery have been or-
dered from India to Canada. The force will proceed
overland upwards of 1,000 miles. 200 horses for the
Royal Artillery are on passage for Canada.
Lieut. Michael Portelli, Royal Malta Fencible
Artillery, some time under orders for W oolwich, as
announced in The Sun, took up quarters at the garri-
son on Saturday, for the purpose of entering into a
course of exercise with the Armstrong gun, and pas-
sing through the various grades of laboratory instruc-
tion, preparatory to his appointment as captain-
instructor of the regiment at Malta. Lieut. Portelli
is accompanied by three sergeants, specially selected
for their military capacity, to perfect themselves in
the art of gunnery, and after going through six
months' drill and instruction at Woolwich they will
proceed to Shoeburyness.
A General Order has been issued by the Adju-
tant-General Sir James Yorke Scarlett, dated the
sth inst., which directs that the following regi-
ments—viz., 101st Regiment Bengal Fusileers,
102 d Regiment Madras Fusileers, and 103 d Regi-
ment Bombay Fusileers—are to have the honour of
bearing the designation " Roy al."
The Adjutant-General has, by a circular memo-
, randum addressed to officers commanding cavalry,
ordered that the shabraque in future is only to be
worn while the troops are under review, or in com-
plete order for route marching►.
The subjoined circular memorandum, addressed
to the army at home and abroad, was promulgated
on Saturday last
" Horse Guards, S.W., Aug. 6.

" The Queen has been pleased to approve that the
purchase of the officers' commissions in the corps of
the Yeomen of the Guard should cease at the earliest
possible moment, and to order that the future
vacancies in the corps should be filled up by officers
of the army of long and good service, to be selected
from a list kept at the Horse Guards by the General
Commanding-in-Chief, the recommendation being
made to her Majesty in each case, as now, by the
captain of the corps.
"Any of the officers who acquired their commis-
sions by purchase, and are desirous of retiring from
the corps, upon communicating with the captain,
will receive from the Secretary of State for War
an amount in compensation thereof, and a successor
will be appointed to the vacancy, who, however, it
must be clearly understood, will not be allowed to
sell his commission.

" The Lieutenants in future to be appointed must
have been a Colonel or Lieut.-Colonel in the Army,
or Royal Marines, or in the India Army.
" The Ensign and the Clerk of the Check, a Lieu-
tenant-Colonel or Major in the Army, or Royal
Marines, or in the Indian Army. The Exons Cap-
tains in the Army, or Royal Marines, or Indian
army, according to the present regulations of the
corps.

"It is further her Majesty's pleasure that no
officer should be appointed to the corps above the
age of 50.
" Whenever an officer becomes, in the opinion of
the Captain, permanently incapacitated to perform
the duties of the appointment, he will be required
to resign it, or half his salary will be paid to a sub-
stitute, selected as already described, and who will
succeed to the next vacancy in the corps.
" This order is not to be retrospective, or to apply
to those officers of the army now in the corps whq
have been appointed on the recommendation of the
General Commanding-in-Chief. It is to be clearly
understood that officers who may be appointed for
the future, under the above regulations, will be, as
heretofore, entirely under the command of the Cap-
tain of the corps.
" Any officer who may possess the above qualifi-
cations, and is desirous of becoming a candidate for
the corps, should address his application to the Mili-
tary Secretary, Horse Guards, for the purpose of
being laid before his Royal Highness the General
Commanding-in-Chief, with a view to such officers,
if duly qualified, being recommended, through the
Captain of the corps, to her Majesty for appoint-
ment.

JAMES YORKE SCARLETT, Adjt.-Gen."

THE VOLUNTEE.RS.

The prizes for No. 7 Company of the London
Scottish Rifle Volunteers, given by the Captain,
the Marquis of Abercorn, were shot for at the Corps
Butts on Wimbledon-common, on Saturday, with
the following result :-Ist prize, an officer's belt
pistol, won by Private Thomas Sproat, with 22
points. 2d prize, a highly finished Enfield rifle,
with silver plate for inscription (from the London
Armoury Company's Factory), won by Lieutenant
Thomas Scott, with 21 points ; 3d prize, a plain
Enfield rifle with silver plate as above, won by Ser-
geant Cormack with 21 points. The losers then
competed, at 200 and 400 yards (five shots at each),
for three prizes given by the winners of the Mar-
quis of Abercorn's prizes, and these were won as
follows :—The first by Private Cree with 11 points,
the second by Major Mew with 10 points, and a
tie; the third by Sergeant Pringle with 10 points.
Then followed the most interesting part of the pro-
ceeding—viz., a contest by the 10 best shots of the
company for the champion's badge, being a minia-
ture solid silver rifle, designed and presented to the
company by Lieutenant Scott. This highly-prized
memorial was contested for at 200, 300, 500, and
600 yards, three shots at each range, with the fol-
lowing result—viz., Mr. Cormack,l4 points; Lieu-
tenant Scott, 14 points; Mr. Cree, 12 points; Mr.
Sproat, 11 points; and the others under. Then
commenced the shooting off the tie between Mr.
Cormack and Lieutenant Scott, as a finale to the
meeting, viz., 11 shots each at 600 yards range,
including three shots for the prize, making 22 in
succession without a miss. At the termination
of the 21st shot Mr. Cormack declared that he
would not load again, as it was then near eight
o'clock, and he could not see the foresight, and
Lieutenant Scott then went in with a promise
to make a centre, and thus terminate the contest,
and, having taken a careful aim, he fired, and the
shot was signalled
acentre. The double sifting
got by first shooting for
t,a ap
twhirleicehprtihnecipl competitors
prizes, then for three losers' prizes,
actuaries'pears t o u
long
on an
and then for the champion's badge
excellent device, and as certain t
five
shots
a at
eshot
averages to bring out the best shot, in proof of
which
we may state that, astc,oottutnoevf
40r
missed
different ranges, Lieut.
except at the first range.
The Montrose Rifle gathering, which is now fairly
established at "the Wimbledon of Scotland," was
held on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of last
week on the Links of Montrose, and passed off with
the utmost success. Numerous competitors had
entered the lists from all parts of Scotland, as also
several from the London Scottish corps. " Scot-
land's Cup," value £5O, open to all Scotland, Volun-
teers or non-volunteers, was of course the blue
riband of the meeting, and drew together in com-
petition all the crack shots in the country, the
number of entries being no fewer than 110.
The chief scorers in the contest were—

Yds. Yds. Yds. Total
700 800 900 pots.
Mr. Edward Ross, Cambridge Univer- _ _

sity .. 8 7 6 21
Mr. A. Smith, Edinburgh Merchants
Volunteer Company.. .. 3 8 7 IS
Major Moir, Stirlin.. 4 7 4 15
Mr. Cunningham, Renfrew Volunteers 4 4 7 15
Mr. Colledge, Bute .. 3 5 7 15

Mr. Ross (the ex-Champion of England) thus,
with a score which it was stated by Earl Dalhousie,
in presenting the prize, has never been excelled in
a public competition, carried off the cup, a very
beautiful piece of workmanship. Mr•. Smith,
Edinburgh, gained the second prize, a first-class
Henry rifle, value £2l. In shooting off the ties
Major Moir eclipsed both his opponents, and came
in for the third prize, a handsome claret jug. The
nextt prize in importance was " The Strangers'

Cup," presented by the prizebolders and other
visitors of 1860. It was open to all comers of
any nation, and 75 competitors entered the lists.
In this contest Mr. Edward Ross was again suc-
cessful. Mr. Ross shot throughout with the Henry
rifle, a weapon which seemed to be:quite a favou-
rite with all the chief competitors. On Thursday
afternoon at the close of the competition the Volun-
teers, to the number of 1,480, including the Fife
Mounted Rifles, were reviewed by Major-General
Walker, Commander-in-Chief of the Forces in Scot-
land, and Earls Dalhousie and Kintore, the Lords-
Lieutenants of the counties of Angus and Meares.
Col. Carey, 26th Cameronians, acted as brigade-
major. At the termination of the evolutions the
Brigade was formed into three sides of a square,
facing the Grand Stand—the Fife Mounted Rifles
and Artillery corps being on the right, the Forfar
Battalions in the centre, and the Kincardineshire
Battalions forming the left flank. The Staff then
advanced from the saluting flag, when Major-Gen.
Walker addressed the Volunteers, expressing his
entire satisfaction with the appearance that the
corps had made, and stating that he would have
' great pleasure in reporting according to head-quar-
ters. The Earl of Dalhousie (better known by his
former title of Lord Panmure) next rode forward
and addressed the brigade upon their duties as Vo-
lunteers, and the services expected from them by
the country, both in peace and in war. The pre-
sentation of the prizes to the successful competitors
then commenced. Mr. E. Ross, as winner of the
principal trophies was the first called forward to
the Grand Stand. Lord Dalhousie very cordially
shook hands with the youthful champion, and ad-
dressed him in a brief but highly complimentary
speech. At the conclusion of the presentation cere-
mony, three cheers were heartily given for the
Queen, similar honours being likewise bestowed on
the ladies and Lord Dalhousie. In the evening the
dinner in connection with the meeting was held in
Montrose, when a nmmerous company was pre-
sent, Capt. Horatio Ross in the chair. Prominent
among the proceedings of the evening was the pre-
sentation of a handsome tea and coffee silver service
to Mr. Robert Taylor, the secretary of the associa-
tion, a gentleman to whom unquestionably belongs
the credit of the establishment and success of " The
Scottish Wimbledon."
The Lincolnshire County Rifle Association held
its first meeting for prize shooting on Monday,
Tuesday, and Wednesday. On the first day the
prizes offered for competition consisted of three
silver cups, of the respective values of £3O, £2O, and
£lO, two competitors being selected from each com-
pany and subdivision in the county, and the ranges
being at 300, 500, and 600 yards, five rounds each.
A strong wind blowing, the results obtained were
not very striking. The first prize was won by
Corporal Gibson, of the Grantham company, who
scored 14 points. Corporal Mason, of the Louth
company, and Private Wadsley, of the Falkingham
company, each obtaining 13 points, shot off their
ties at 600 yards, when Private Wadsley proved
victorious, and was accordingly awarded the second
prize, Corporal Mason taking the third. Tuesday
the first prize shot for was a silver cup of the value
of £lO, given by Captain Uppleby, the competitors
being one man from each company or subdivision in
the county. Ten rounds were fired at 400 yards,
and after a number of ties had been shot off, Private
Bell, of the Grantham company, won the cup.
Major Amcotts offered £lO to be shot for by two
men from each company or subdivision of the Lind-
sey battalion, at 550 yards (five rounds). Corporal
Jean, of the Rasen company, obtaining the highest
number of points (six), received the prize. The
next prizes were two silver cups of the value of £l5
and £lO, given by the association for the best shots
at 200 and 300 yards, and two cups of similar value
for the best shots at 400 and 600 yards, five
rounds each. For these prizes there were alto-
gether 119 competitors. The £l5 cup, in the
class at 200 and 300 yards, was won by Private
Harrison, of the 2d Lincoln company, who scored 16
points; and the £lO cup was, after several ties had
been shot off, awarded to Private Iles, of the Louth
company (15 points). In the shooting at 400 and
600 yards, Armourer Slingsby, of the Boston com-
pany, having made 14 points, won the first cup ;
and Private Wilson, of the 2d Lincoln company,
having scored 13 points received the second prize.
The last prizes, a silver cup of the value of £lO,
and a Hay rifle, were competed for on Wednesday.
Lieut. Keyworth, of the Ist Lincoln company, scor-
ing the highest number of points (13), carried off
the cup ; and after several ties of 10 points each
had been shot off, Private Waite, of the Boston com-
pany, was awarded the rifle. A match afterwards
got up between five members of the Sleaford com-
pany and five of the 2d Lincoln at 200 and 400
yards, five rounds each, was won by the Lincolnians,
who scored 67 points to their opponents' 59.
The London Rifle Brigade having presented a
Whitworth rifle to be shot for by members of the
London Scottish corps, the competition was decided
by five shots at each range of 600 and 700 yards,
and the prize was won by Ensign Puckle, of No. 8,
who scored 11 points. Captain M`Gregor's prize
for No. 4 Company was finally decided on Thurs-
day, the winner being Sergeant Puckle. The same
gentleman also took the prize offered by Captain
Lumsden for the Central Cowpony. The prize for
the Left Highland Company, presented by the
officers, was won by Private Kiellor. Lord Elcho
is at present attached to a regiment at Shorncliff.
The first meeting of the Essex County Rifle
Association commenced at Southend on Monday
last, and concluded on Wednesday. There was
a very large muster of the gentry of the county,
and all the Volunteer corps were well repre-
sented. The Volunteer prizes, which were shot for
at ranges'of 200, 300, and 600 yards, were won :-
Ist, £2O, and the bronze medal :of the National
Society, Private F. Wright, Colchester; 2d, £l5,
Private Fry, Ilford ; 3d, £lO, Lieut. Wilson, Ilford.
Prizes of £5 each, Captain Russell, Ist Essex ; Pri-
vate Whisker, 2d Essex; and Private Hill, 3d
Essex. Artillery prizes, £5, Gunner Wackrill, and
£3, Sergeant Bidden, both 2d Essex Artillery. All-
comers' prize, £lO, Sergeant-Major Knapping,
Romford ; £5, Lieut. Hill, Brentwood; £3, Pri-
vate Hill, Brentwood. The Kirby cup, £2O, Capt.
Bishop, Colchester; the field-officers' prize, £lO,
Private Wright, Colchester ; Captain Sparrow's
prize, £5, Private Taylor, Colchester; R. B. W.
Baher's Artillery prize, £lO, Lieut. Osborne, Col-
chester ; Lieutenant- Colonel Davis's prize, £2O,
Lieut. Wilson, Ilford ; Rifle Derby, Sergeant Knap-
ping, Rumford. It will be seen that the Colchester
corps has carried off no less than five prizes, includ-
ing the chief prize of the county. The prizes were
distributed yesterday by Lord Rayleigh, the presi-
dent of the association. The gathering, which was
a very successful one, was celebrated by a public
dinner and hall.

The following prizes were contended for by the
9th Essex, Silverton Rifle Volunteers, on Saturday,
August 3, at the Tower Hamlet's-range :—At a
range of 800 yards the Henry Rifle was won by
Sergeant Dickson, and the field•glass by Private
Barwick. At 500 yards a short Enfield rifle, con-
tributedwyaas
rasa by Captain Crouch, was won by Sergeant
Meiter. At 200 yards the prize of three guineas
sawardedilver te ou
cup, contributed
Private Co x.
byA
At arangeEnsign oof
Manley3o 0
and Mr. A. S. Clark, was won by Captain Bain.
On Wednesday, the 7th inst., at Wormwood
Scrubbs, the Nos. 7 and 8 Companies forming the
St. John's Division of the Queen's (Westminster)
Rifle Volunteers fired their annual matches. There
were six prizes for the No. 7 Company, and five for
the No. 8 (Broadwood) Company ; there were also
three divisional prizes, shot for by the 10 men who
had made the three best scores in each company.
The ranges for the company prizes were 200, 300,
400, and 500 yards, five shots at each range, and
for the divisional prizes 300, 500, and 700 yards
(the 700 yards at the sectind-class target), five shots
at each range. The following is the result :—No. 7
Company, first prize, Sergeant Davis, 18 points ;
No. Company, first prize, Private Buist, 20 points;
divisional, first prize, Ensign Black, No. 8 Company,
14 pOints.
The 38th Middlesex Rifles (artists) contended on
the 27th and 30th ult. for a first-class Henry rifle,
presented by the non-commissioned officers of the
corps ; and a second prize, given by Col. Smith. The
first prize was won by Captain Lewis, the second
by Ensign Perugine. The 38th had a match At i