The Duke of Cambridge, in presiding over the monthly general
meeting of the National Rifle Association, on Monday, made some general remarks upon the object of the association, with special re- ference to the approaching meeting at Wimbledon :
The expenditure necessary for the various details connected with the last meet- ing at Wimbledon had amounted to a considerable sum—no less than 38071. 9s. 4d. That, be thought, was a large amount, especially when it was recollected that the association had then only 1117 subscribers, paying little over 12001. Much of the expense of the last Wimbledon meeting had been incurred for plant, such as rifle butts, &c., and some outlay had taken place for objects which the com- mittee had since found were not absolutely necessary. There had been a slight falling off in the number of subscribers for this year, yet on the whole the amount of subscriptions were augmented, and amounted to 13351. Such a subscription might possibly cover the expenses of the forthcoming Wimbledon meeting in July, though he much feared that more than this sum would be required. There was only a balance in hand at present of 5511., and in this respect, therefore, the funds of the association were by no means in so satisfactory a state as could be wished. Under these circumstances it was thought that the association might be benefited as well as augmented by union with the various county Rifle Asso- ciations, such as those established in Cheshire, Gloucester, Yorkshire, Surrey, Rent, Berkshire, Dumfries, An s, Nairne, Shropshire, and Nottingham, and it was also proposed to institute a kind of Rifle Derby at Wimbledon, the competi- tors to pay an entrance fee of 21. per head, open to all comers. He was sorry to see from the returns of the association that the various rifle corps did not sub- scribe to it to the extent that had been hoped and wished. There was no doubt but each corps had many expenses of its own, so that some possibly might not be able to afford this; yet it was almost a pity to find that only 2541. had been sub- scribed last year, and not more than 431. for this. With regard to the prizes to be offered at the meeting this year the report was most satisfactory, and the list had been extended by several additional gifts. There was a new cup given by his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, value 1001.; a members' cup of 501., a public schools' cup of 501., and a cup. given by the editor of the Volunteer Gazette, value 251. Last year the various prizes bad been distributed at the Crystal Palace, but it had been felt that much more interest would attach to this cere- mony if it took place on the very ground on which the triumph had been achieved. That coarse therefore would be adopted with the distribution this year ; and it had also been arranged (and, as he thought most judiciously) that the ceremony of distribution should be followed by a volunteer review of such corps as chose to take part in it. Thus the early part of whatever day was fixed upon would be set apart fur allotting the prizes, and the remainder to the evolutions of the corps on the ground. He looked on such assemblages of the volunteers forfield days and brigade drill as most important aide to their improvement, but at the same time, it was absolutely necessary to their success that they should be so arranged as to ensure their perfect good order and their being carried out in the best manner. He was delighted to say that the volunteer movement had been carried out in the colonies in the most successful and praiseworthy manner, and the Rifle Associa- tion established in Canada, under the presidency of Sir Alan M`Nab, showed this year a subscription list for prizes amounting to 16001., actually an excess over the subscriptions to their own association. The Queen's prizes were, of course, open to all these colonial volunteers, and the volunteers of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick were already in communication with the society.
Two resolutions were adopted : one, that members of the County Rifle Associations shall be entitled to admission to the National Association on paying 10s. per annum, or 5/. for life membership ; the other, that an entrance fee of 10s. be required from all Volunteers contending for the prizes of the Association, except those sent by
regiments subscribing to the Association to the extent of 11. per company. Besides the proposed camp at Sutton, mentioned last week, another project is on foot to supply the metropolitan volunteers with a rifle range. The intention of the promoters is to construct in the neighbourhood of Lbndon a permanent practice-ground, with an ample supply of butts, at the various ranges up to one thousand yards, sufficient to accommodate all the metropolitan rifle corps and accessible from every part of the metropolis. A. piece of land has been already secured at Kensal-green, upwards of one thousand one hundred yards in length. Forty-six targets will be erected upon it, in the first instance, so placed as to allow the whole of them to be used with perfect safety at all the ranges and at the same time. To prevent interruption by bad weather, the firing stations will be par- tially covered. The electric self-registering to set adopted biy Government will be used, by which the point struck each shot is instantaneously recorded at the firing station. Ample space will be provided for spectators of prize contests. The price of the land is expected to be about 30,0001. The proposed capital of the company is 60,0001., to be raised in twelve thousand shares of 51. each. The terms suggested for the use of the range are, for individual volunteers one guinea, and for a corps of one company tweutyfive guineas.
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