The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-23 00:00:00

BTAMpJ

PIIICE,

THE WIMBLEDON MEET

At an early hour yesterday morning the council
met again and resumed their inquiry into the cir-
cumstances under which Corporal Peake, of the 6th
Lancashire, made the highest score in the second
stage of the Queen's Prize. The duty was a most
unenviable one for the council to approach, but
there was only one feeling in camp upon the sub-
ject,-and that was that, the question having arisen,
there was nothing for it, in the interests of rifle
shooting as well as of immediate fair play between
the parties, but to probe the matter to the very
bottom. After a lengthened and moat painstaking
inquiry, the council arrival at the conclusion that
the evidence produced by Corporal Peake had not
succeeded in displacing the clear and positive teiti-
mony of more than one witness as to the infraction
of the rules under which this competition is held,
Their decision was accordingly announced in the
following official memorandum posted on the notice
board before evening gunfire :
" QUEEN'S PRIZE (SECOND STAGE).
" The Council having inquired ino an allegation
made that Corporal Peake, of the 6th Lancashire
Rifle Volunteers, a competitor for the Queen's
Prize, has in shooting for the second stage yester-
day used a wad other than that prescribed by the
regulations for the same, have decided that Corporal
Peake has not complied with the regulations, and
he is therefore disqualified as a competitor for the
prize ; and that the Queen's Prize be awarded to
the competitor making the next highest score.
" By order, " E. ST. J. AIILDMAY.
" July 22, 1868."
Corporal Peake bore his disappointment with
much fortitude, and proceeded, shortly after he had
been acquainted with the finding of the Council, to
the range at which the Albert competition was
being held, and there made what at one time
looked like a winning score. Lieutenant Cars-
lake, of the sth Somerset, was now, according
to the terms of the Council's decision, entitled to
the Queen's Prize. Possibly, it may have been
considered, as a protest had succeeded in one case
there could be no harm in trying it on in a second,
for a fresh protest was immediately lodged by an-
other competitor standing lower upon the list, who
contended that if a bull's-eye to which he considered
himself entitled bad been duly recorded, it would
cause his score to amount higher than that of Lieut.
Carslake. The Council took up the consideration of
this question afresh, but speedily arrived at the
conclusion that nothing practical could be made of
it. The marking bad not been challenged at the
time, the officer in charge of the range knew nothing
of any such supposed bull's-eye ; in point of fact,
there was nothing whatever togo upon beyond some
general sense of a possible mistake in marking, which
might equally apply to any shot discharged through-
out the meeting. Lieutenant Carslake accordingly
remains in full possession of the coveted distinction
of the Queen's Prize for 1868. As soon as this fact
became positively known a crowd of eager Volun-
teers seized upon the Queen's prizeman with a view
of starting a new triumphal procession. Lord Spen-
cer, however, interfered, and asked them to desist,
putting it to their better feelings that such a pro-
ceeding must wear the aspect of a triumph over the
disqualified candidate, who, whatever irregularity
there might have been in manner of loading, never-
theless had shot his way steadily to the front. The
Volunteers, appreciating the force of this kindly
appeal, moderated their enthusiasm, at any rate for
the moment.

The second stage of the " Albert" is to small-
bore shots what the second stage of the Queen's is
to the Volunteer force at large. Last year this
prize was won by J. M'Kenna, of Belfast, with a
score of 70 marks. Yesterday the winning number
had risen to no less than 75 marks, which remark-
able score was made by Colour-Sorgeant Edward
Ross, of the London Scottish, shooting wish a
Rig by rifle.

The second stage of the Army Prize was shot at
4 o'clock, and though victory seemed at one time
likely to incline to the Royal Marine Artillery it
ultimately crowned the representative of the 25th
Regiment. This competition has hardly yet received
all the recognition that its importance entitles it to.
There have been, it is true, matches between different
regiments fired simultaneously upon their own
grounds, but never till the present meeting, except
in India, have men been brought together from
various battalions and placed side by side to shoot
against each other for the credit of their respective
regiments, and, to some small extent, for their own
pecuniary advantage. Even non-military men can
perceive what results such a competition is calcu-
lated to produce in stimulating esprit de corps, and
in rendering rifle shooting in the army no longer a
wearisome portion of drill, but an attractive and
profitable pursuit. The National Rifle Association,
as its very title sets forth, was founded, not only
" to give permanence to Volunteer corps," but " to
encourage rifle shooting throughout the Queen's
dominions." In quickening, therefore, in the
army the same passion for rifle shooting which
exists already among civilians, the association is
multiplying tenfold the defensive resources of the
Empire.