The Sun.
London, England, 1868-06-12 00:00:00

THE VOLUNTEER MEETING AT

WIMBLEDON.

The National Rifle Association has issued its prize-list
of the forthcoming Wimbledon meeting. The prizes
reserved to the volunteers are all shot for with the regula-
tion weapon. They are her Majesty's Prize, the Prince of
Wales's Prize, the St. George's Challenge Vase, the China
Challenge Cup, Mr. Bass's Prize (for volunteers who have
not won a prize at a county meeting), the Martins'
(Marksmen's) Cup, the Belgian Challenge Cup, and the
" Consolation" prizes ; and even these are only open to
restricted numbers of the volunteers. The other prize in
the " volunteer class," to be shot for only by those whe
are " efficient" in both drill and shooting, is the " Chan-
cellors' Plate," given by the Duke of Devonshire and the
Earl of Derby ; to be shot for by eight volunteers from each
of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. The volun-
teers are this year to have sighting shots in the Queen's and
St. George's competition at a lower charge than the shilling
for each made in bygone times. The " Army Prizes,"
given to the marksmen of her Majesty's army, are to be
shot for with the Snider. Two competitors are allowed
from each regiment or battalion, on the selection of the
commanding officer, and the prizes amount to £265, with
the sum of £lOO added by an army officer. There are
upwards of fifty prizes, and a challenge cup to be held by
the commanding officer of the regiment to which the
winner belongs. No entrance fee is charged, and the
competitors are allowed sighting shots gratis. The
" All-corners" prizes are very numerous, and may be en-
tered for by any individual from any part of the world,
with in some cases, any rifle. The " Albert" is of this
character, being open to any rifle, the total amount of
prizes being £670, of which £570, divided into many
prizes, are shot for at 200, 500, 600, and 800 yards. The
entrance fee is £1 each range, or -23 10s. for the whole
four, a £lOO cup and gold medal being shot for by the
winners without entrance fee. In the " All-comers'," too,
are prizes to be shot for with the Enfield, with any breech-
loader, and the total aggregate value of these prizes is con-
siderable.

THE EARL OF SHAFTESBURY ON BOY
LITERATURE.

At the animal meeting of the George-yard Ragged
Schools, Whitechapel, the Earl of Shaftesbury, who pre-
sided, remarked that one advantage of the system of
teaching adopted in these schools was, that it tended to
counteract the pernicious results arising from the perusal
of what had been called the " juvenile literature " of the
day. The character of this literature was now ten
times more pernicious than in days gone by. Formerly
works of this kind disgusted most minds by their
flagrant sensuality, whilst now they were constructed
with Satanic ingenuity. It was only when the poison had
thoroughly done its work that its evil effects could he
traced. He lamented to find that the sale of these publi-
cations was growing more and more general, and that
they were now to be purchased at shops, outside which
placards, announcing the works of the " Pm e Literature
Society," were exhibited. In one case to his knowledge the.
shopkeeper, on being remonstrated with, urged that the sale
of these publications was so large that to refuse to supply
them would involve the loss of half trade. In their pages
everything was done to render crime heroic and an object
worthy of imitation. The commission of the most monstrous
of crimes was seized upon with avidity, as furnishing
an opportunity for publishing a glowing descrip-
tion, illustrated by an engraving in a high
style of art. After alluding to the case of two
juvenile criminals whose career in crime he had reason to
know dated from their perusal of these pernicious works,
the noble earl proceeded to contend that some repressive
measures were a matter of absolute necessity with regard
to the publication of serials which had so demoralising
an influence upon the mind. Unless some steps were
taken, the inevitable tendency of their perusal would be
to render the people of this country a seething mass of
sedition. In a subsequent portion of his address his lord-
ship observed that the time was rapidly approaching
when a system of compulsory education would be intro-
duced under authority ; and as any such system must of
necessity be one wholly free from anfreligious connection,it
behoved all to use their utmost endeavours so to:instruct the
people in the great evangelical truths as would make
them drive back any such proposition with disgust and
indignation.

THE EXTRAORDINARY IRISH WILL CASE.

Thursday was the eighth day that the remarkable case
of Browne and others v. Esmonde and others has been
before the Dublin Court of Probate. On that day Judge
Keatinge proceeded to sum up, and commenced by saying
that the evidence of every one of the sixteen witnesses
examined was important. After complimenting the
counsel engaged on the way in which the case had
been conducted, the learned judge went on to say
that to establish Lady Esmonde's will there must have
been on the part of the testatrix " testamentary capacity"
and due execution according to law. Testamentary
capacity was this : The party was required to know
generally the state of his or her property ; the state of his
or her family ; the position and the claims of persons with
whom he or she might be acquainted ; and must be capable
of forming a correct judgment as to the best mode of dis-
posing of his or her property. But, having that capacity,
he or she was not hound to dispose of it as any third person
might think proper. It was his or hen will that must
prevail, and not the will of a third person. Testamen-
tary intention must also exist in order that a will
should prevail ; but that testamentary intention was fully
evidenced by the act of execution. If the pry thought
that Lady Esmonde was not possessed of testamentary
capacity the plaintiff's case fell to the ground. After this
ihinstlhoerdreshliipgidonrewofthe theattteesnttaitornixo.f tLheadjyury to
Gim tnalride
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anda nbgee.
come a Romanist, and this had considerably led to the will
being executed in the form that it had. The intention of
Lady Esmonde clearly was to leave the whole of her pro-
perty to the advancement of the Protestant religion,
and there was no doubt but that she felt
deeply the course adopted by Lady Granard. It was very
creditable to Sir Thomas Esmonde that he never inter-
fered with his wife's religion cr the disposition of her pro-
perty. That he allowed her to do what she pleased with
it was proved by a circumstance which occurred imme-
diately previous to the execution of the will. After his
lordship had reviewed some further facts in tie case the
court was adjourned.

HORRIBLE ACCIDENT. —On Thursday morning a
horrible accident took place at the spirit distillery of
Messrs. Archibald Walker and Son, Liverpool. A youth
named James Donnerly, was engaged in oiling some steam
machinery when some part of his dress was caught by a
revolving shaft, and he was whirled round with such
fearful rapicli.A that in a few second he wailitp:pilz torn{
ta