MILITARY AND VOLUNTEER INTELLIGENCE. [From March 1 to April 2.]

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3342, 2 April 1868, Page 5

MILITARY AND VOLUNTEER INTELLIGENCE. [From March 1 to April 2.]

A meeting of No. 1 Company Auckland Rifle Volunteers was convened by advertisement on February 28, at Mr. Hazard's rooms, Queen-sfcreefc, and was well attended. The finances of the company for the past twelve months wera brought before the meeting and found satisfactory. A balance to the credit of the company was found at the bank. A discussion arose respecting the desirability of erecting a rifle range at Mount Eden, the present one at Point Chevallier having been found very inconvenient. It was resolved to refer the matter to the battalion, with a view to each company joining in the expense. ... A meeting o£ No. 3 (P*rnell) Company o£ the Auckland Jttifle Volunteers, for the election of officers, &0., took place at half-past seven o clock on. the evening of March 4, at the Alexandra Hotel— Major C. Heaphy, V.0., in the chair. Ensign Hunter was nominated lieutenant, and' Colour-Sergeant McConnell ensign. Mr. 8. M.J Manders was elected sergeant, and Messrs. J. Oaborne and A. Soall corporals. A motion was> proposed, and carried, to the effect that the Finance! "Committee of No. 3 Company should be' re-j quested to co-operate members of other com-j panics in preparing' an address of welcome 1 from the, , volunteer forces. to the Duke of Edinburgh, on his! . arrival in Auckland. The members of the Naval Artillery Volunteer, Corps met for practice on March 7. ; Two 241b.; howitzers were drawn out and stationed in Symondi-, street, near .the Barrack-gate, and twenty rounds 1 'were fired from each with a speed .and facility which, considering the short time the corps has been' established, reflect great credit, on, Sergeant; Broughton, ft. A., the Government instructor, wno has been untiringan hi* efforts in bringiog it into an efficient state. His Honor the Superintendent and, lieutenant, MuU'oy, 8.8,, w«f« «£ expressed ' themselves higUly, g»fcfied with t the, manner in which the firing ww conducted, « There,

were also a large number of spectators We must cono[ratulate the promoters of the corps on its establishment in Auckland, similar companies having been formed with great Buccesi in the Southern provinces and neighbouring colonies, and hope that every facility for practice will J)e afforded themjjy the Government. , -n- a The members of No. 1 Company Auckland Rifle Volunteers met on March 9, at the butts, Poiut Chevallier, to compete for the crois rifles, and several prizes in money, which were given from the companies' funds. Only eight member* appeared to contest the prizes, and at 10oclo J* t^™* W J« commenced. The distances were 100, 200, and 300 yards, Hythe position, with five shots at each range. The wind was very strong, and came round the point in sudden gu3ts, which maybe taken a« .the ! cause of the r*ther poor firing shown uin the scores. The first prize w« the + cross rifles 'and £1 10*.; second prize, £1 10*; third prize, ;£1 55.; and fourth pme,l5 3 . The firing was "uperintended by Ensign Skinner, Colour-Sergeant Ashtoa acted as scorer at the fifing point. The bull's-eye only measured 8 inches in diameter. The centreand outer also received a proportionate decrease in size, as tne • distances were short. The following are the scores ;—

A squad of men, selected from the companies o£ the battalion in Albert Barracks, have been daily, for a short time "past, at big gun drill ia Fort Britomart. Since they commenced instruction in tms arm of the service they have shown a complete aptitude therein, and have taken more than an ordinary interest in learning it, — so much so, that xn case of necessity the Royal Irish can from henceforth turn out a smart lot of gunners should their services be called on wherever they may be quartered. This should be considered a decided benetit t » the service, as these men could, if required, work a couple of guns in the field, or in a lonely colonial station, where regular artillerymen may be scarce from sickness caused by climatic influences, general debility, or otherwise. . . . . The Cambridge Frontier Rifle Club, previous to its dissolution (caused by so many of its members leaving the district, and others joining the neir Constabulary Force), distributed the balance of funds remaining in hand, by having a competition for prizes among the members for the same. The following is the tcore :—: — _

Private Duff Private Fagg Corporal Hazard .. Private Robimon Corporal Saunders Col.-Ser. Ashton ... Corporal Lee Corporal Bamtay . . . 100 200 auo Tot%i Yards. Yards. Yards. 33434 22223 22340 3£ 34334 22232 20002 3S 33443 25223 22023 3* 32333 23233 20202 32 02223 02220 20220 21 33202 00200 00020 U 03334 24222 20032 32 20222 22223 02200 2«

JLUXIir W lug *K> w»*v* Maguire ... Schofield ... Forbes Short Marshall ... Turner Spedding ... McCann ... Bucholz Robinson ... 300 Yard*. 43344 44334 42423 34433 04341 33224 33032 20030 02404 00003 400 500 Yards. Y»rd«. 34344 24434 43333 43333 43343 43034 40330 23340 33343 02030 23230 002<>2 00430 20420 20033 00000 00000 00000 00402 OOuOO Total Score. 52 50 46 39 36 28 23 13 10 9