THE IRISH AND AMERICAN RIFLE MATCH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 108, 22 May 1875, Page 15

THE IRISH AND AMERICAN RIFLE MATCH.

At a meeting of the Council of the Irish. Rifle Association, Major Leech, addressing the Lord Mayor, after some preliminary obser vations, said : — " My Lord Mayor — The visit to America originated in a challenge sent by me in the month of October, 1873, to the Americans, at a time when the Irish were champions of Great Britain, and after a somewhat lengthened correspondence, which was carried on to the end in the friendliest spirit, the terms of the match were agreed upon, and all arrangements made for the start. The Cunard Steamship Company, at my request, gave return tick6ts for single fares to several gentlemen, being reserve shooting men, spare men for the butts and firing points, and members of council of our Association. I pass over the events previous to our arrival in America, because it is my intention shortly to give a more detailed account of our proceedings, which I need not now detain the meeting with, this being an occasion more for business of an ordinary annual character. I may, however, say, and it gives me pleasure to do so, that I attribute the great success of my undertaking to the generous support I received from the Irish PrP3s, a support never denied to an honest man who means well, and desires to be useful in promoting any project having for its object the advancement of the country. I had no claim upon the notice of those gentlemen save on public grounds, but they have always been prodigal of their support to me, and I am bound to acknowledge it on behalf of my friends and myself. By a curious coincidence, both the English and Scottish Press treated the undertaking with a silence which would have been chilling but for the warm advocacy of our own papers. Oar arrival at New York was announced by the Press there in a spirit of cordiality and friendliness that made us feel at once that we had come to visit friends. Every newspaper in New York -warmly welcomed us, and deputations from public bodies received us on arrival, and conveyed us in carriages provided for the purpose to our hotel. To make our meeting in June here in Dublin as worthy of the visit of the Americans as possible, I propose that we invite the captain, of the English International team, and that, in like manner, an invitation of a similar character be sent to the captain of the Scottish team, each to send a representative team here to meet the Americans. It would be a graceful compliment that I feel both England and Scotland will have pleasure in paying to America, as well as evidencing their sympathy with us in our endeavor to maintain friendly relations with our nearer as well as our remote neighbours. As no effort, so far as I am concerned — and I believe also that I will be supported in every quarter in my desire to do what is right and proper — will be left undone to make the visit agreeable to the Americans and honourable to Ireland. I will be happy to cooperate with any gentleman or body of gentlemen desiiqus of evidencing their goodwill on the occasion. I have invited the captain of the American team and his men in reserve to do me the honour of being my guests during their stay in Dublin in June next. I may also add that the prize of the " All Ireland Challenge Shield," hitherto competed for by representatives of rifle clubs in Ireland will be opened on the occasion of the visit in June to the Americans and to no other nationality. By the rules of that match I have reserved to myself the right to alter them from time to time, and I now see fit to do so, on this occasion only. I feel that we are called upon to extend to our visitors all the privileges we ourselves possess at this meeting, and I am not without hope that the Wimbledon authorities will also invite the Americans to send a team to Wimbledon to compete for the Blcho Shield. I feel sure that the noble lord, the giver of the shield, would not object to this extension of competition — a graceful compliment which none more than the Americans would appreciate. Thus far I have given you a slight resume of the magnificent compliments paid to me on behalf of my team and my country, and it devolves on the citizens of Dublin and the country at large to receive the Americans in June next in a manner befitting this great country. Whoever may win the match here in June, I propose that the return match be shot in Philadelphia in compliment to America during the centenary year, 1876. The City of Philadelphia ranks as one of the foremost in America in point of commercial importance and enterprise. There the centenary of America's independence is to be grandly celebrated in 1876. The building for the proposed international exhibition is rapidly progressing. In it will be exhibited the representative industries of the civilized world. There*couldbe no more fitting occasion for doing honour to America than at the celebration of the one-hundredth anniversary of an independence which England has long since recognised, being willing in" hex acknowledged greatness to concede her [share to the great Republic. I speak, therefore, as one of the public, with the liveliest satisfaction that England contemplates doing every honour to the Americans on this great occasion. The Lord Mayor said that as it was the first occasion of his attending a meeting of the Irish Rifle Association, he had much pleasure in expressing that his sympathies were fully with them in their proceedings, and that he had regarded with no small interest the movements of the Irish Bifle Team during its late visit to America ; and he was gratified at the cordial reception they had received at the other side of the Atlantic. He would have been pleased had his countrymen won that great match ; but competitions of the nature in whijh they had been engaged were open to the whole world. Sometimes Irishmen should expect to be unsuccessful ; but it was satisfactory to know that his countrymen had made such a splendid battle, and had been so nearly victorious again. As far as was within his power, lie would co-operate with the Association in giving their warm-hearted friends in America the welcome they so richly deserved, and he hoped that although the American team were to be the guests of Major Leech upon the occasion of the coming match upon Irish soil, they should not be left altogether with him, and he (the Lord Mayor) for one, should endeavour to take them from him, and he was sure that other rienda would do likewise.