VOLUNTEER FIRING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 1943, 23 March 1868, Page 5

VOLUNTEER FIRING.

{To the Editor of the Otaoo Daily Times.)

Srk—l notice in your impression of tho 17th mat. a letter signed "W. Hazard," commenting on a communication of mine to the Southern Cross, concerning a riflematch between himself aud another gentleman ; and, as from his tone he appears to consider himself a very illuaed individual, I beg to forward you a copy of what appeared in tho Auckland paper, and should feel obliged by your inserting tho same in tho columns of your journal, in order that those who have read his answer may judge between us.

The following appeared in the Daily Southern Cross, on tho 28th February :— (To the Editor of the £>ailg Southern Cross.) Sir—l notice in your impression of the 29th \ilt. a paragraph headed " Eiilo M&tch Otago v. Auckland," which gives an account of a private match between two gentlemen, one of whom is a member of an. Auckland Company, tho other of No. 2 Company, Dunedin. Now, Sir, anyone unacqaamted with the real state of the case would suppose, from aporusalof the report referred to, that the contest was an Inter- Provincial one between first-class shut*, instead of & hastily got-up affair between two individuals,, resulting; doubtless, from a bit of b mnce on one side or the other. Considerable disflatiftfaofcion

has arisen here in Dunedin ia consequence. I Tfeft idea of Mr Sly, a man who never won a pmo, or even had a cbance of winning one, wxio does not even Represent hia corps in Company matches, representing tbeProvinoe, is truly so preposterous aa to be scarcely credible; and if Mr Hazard thinks he has won laurels by defeating that gentleman, he is egregkmsly mistaken ; Ido not envy him | them. Should Mr JL bo desirous of firing i against some of the Ofcago mc.a, 1 have a few ! friends who would gladly compete for the honor ; of opposinghimorany other Auckland Volun- ; tewvbut, in theevc-ntof soch a match eom,ing off, I should advise him to expend a few hundred rounds in practice, at the 500 yards range. As the corps to which he belongs in doubtless "a shooting company," its inerabeira would perhaps accept a challenge from our Battery, the i). V. Artillery j and I take thi« opportunity of forwarding such challenge through ihe columns of your widely res-d journal, aa I am unfortunately unacquainted with the name of the captain of Mr Hazard's corps, otherwise I wculd have communicated with him privately. We would give them their own conditions, each company firing at its own range, on an appointed day, under the superintendence of th« respective adjutants. Trusting that you will kindly insert this explanation, aad that it itnay be the means of originating some friendly rifle matches between the volunteers ; of the different Provinces.—l sra, &c., j W. Dumv Smith, Hon. Sec. D. V. Artillery. Feb. 13th, 18(58. I

Now, Sir, the solo object of the above wan to inform the good folks of Auckland that tho match was aimply a private one, : in which, I trust, it has succeeded. Mr H. has, however, token exception to my statement, that it resulted from a bit of bounce from one side or the other, and then, strange to say, ho does all in his power to corroborate it, proving my propoiiition most conclusively. He apparently fancies that his wan die side from which I thought the bounce had come, and is greatly aggrieved by his delusion; but, if the cap fits, &c. He says, " What would the Otago Volunteers have thought of the Aucklanders if such a challenge had been allowed to pass unnoticed ?" It was not hJB acceptance of the challenge that was spoken of, as I consider he was perfectly right in taking it up; but the manner of tho publication of the report in the newspaper, which, with all due deference to Mr Hazard's superior wisdom and penetration, I must submit would have left the impression I stated on the mind of one unacquainted with the facts. Apologising for troubling you with this, —lam, &c., W. Dhjby Smith. Duncdin, 20th March, 18C8.