world, to be rowed in accordance with the rules of the National Amateur Rowing Associa- Official tion of the United States; the prizes to be a piece of plate each for fours, for pairs, for Forms, doubles, and for single sculls, and in addition medals to be presented to each man rowing in the race,―to be of gold for the winning crew, for the second crew of silver, and the remainder of bronze. Second. An International College Race, for four-oared shells, will be held, the prize to be a piece of plate, with a gold medal to each member of the winning crew, open only to undergraduates. Third. An International Graduates' Race will be held for four-oared shells, open only to graduates of Colleges or Universities; the prize being a piece of plate, and a gold medal to each member of the winning crew. Fourth. Professional Races will be held open to all crews throughout the world, for four-oared, pair-oared, and single-scull shells, for suitable purses, the amounts of which will be announced by the 1st of May, 1876. The amateur races will be rowed in heats, one and a half miles straight-away. The professional races will be rowed three miles, one and a half miles and return. In addition to the above-named prizes, which will be provided by the Schuylkill Navy, the United States Centennial Commission will award the diploma and medal of the Commission to the victors. J. R. HAWLEY, President. J. L. CAMPBELL, Secretary. A. T. GOSHORN, Director-General. EXECUTIVE AND HONORARY COMMITTEE. His Excellency John F. Hartranft, Governor of Pennsylvania, Chairman. Prof. J. R. Leslie, Dublin University Boat Club, Dublin, Ireland. E. R. Craft, Argonauta Rowing Association, New Jersey, Ex. Com. National Association. A. F. Dexter, Narraganset, R. I., President National Association Amateur Oarsmen. W. F. Garner, Vice-Commodore New York Yacht Club. Col. J. Schuyler Crosby, New York Yacht Club. Genl. E. Burd Grubb, Philadelphia, and others to be appointed. REGATTA COMMITTEE. A. Krumbharr, Philadelphia Barge Club, Ex. Com. National Association. E. S. Miles, University Barge Club. W. R. Tucker, Undine Barge Club. G. W. Parker, Quaker City Barge Club, Ex. Com. National Association. F. W. Murphy, Philadelphia Barge Club. Isaac Bedichimer, Malta Boat Club. H. R. Barnhurst, Crescent Boat Club. H. V. Stillwell, West Philadelphia Boat Club. Dr. Daniel Bray, College Boat Club. Jonathan Gillingham, Secretary. JAMES M. FERGUSON, Commodore. 1876. Official Forms, 1876. At a meeting of the Executive Committee of the United States Centennial Commission, held on the 20th day of January, 1876, the following resolution was adopted: 66 Resolved, That special money or other awards that may be offered in any class to the United States Centennial Commission by associations or individuals, may be accepted by the Director-General on behalf of the Commission, on the condition that such awards shall be decreed by the Commission, in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Exhibition." Tenders to the Commission of special awards must state specifically the character of the proposed award and the class to which it is intended to be given. A satisfactory guarantee will be required for the payment of all special awards. J. R. HAWLEY, President. [No. 175.] NOTICE TO AMERICAN EXHIBITORS IN EUROPE. All objects and works of art intended to be shipped on the United States steamer "Franklin" must be at Southampton, England, not later than the fifteenth day of March, and at Cherbourg, France, not later than the eighteenth day of March, properly addressed to the Exhibition, in accordance with the regulations. A. T. GOSHORN, Director-General. THE HONORABLE Z. CHANDLER, Secretary of the Interior: SIR,-I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letters of the 6th ultimo and the 3d instant, and copies of letters addressed to you by Hon. A. T. Goshorn, the DirectorGeneral of the Centennial Exhibition of 1876. The Department yesterday telegraphed the United States steamer "Franklin" to proceed from Lisbon to Southampton, England. On her arrival at that port, orders have been given Rear Admiral Worden to receive on board all objects and works of art intended for the Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia which may be forwarded to him by the duly authorized agent at Paris, or elsewhere on the Continent. When this duty is completed, he is ordered to proceed with the "Franklin" to Gibraltar, at which port he ought to arrive early in April next. Directions have been given him to communicate in the mean while with the commanding officer of the "Supply," at Leghorn or Civita Vecchia, Italy, and inform him that he will transfer the articles he has on board to the "Supply," for transportation to the United States, at Gibraltar; either of the ships to await the arrival of the other at that port. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, (Signed) GEO. M. ROBESON, Secretary of the Navy. [No. 181.] INTERNATIONAL RIFLE MATCHES. Under the auspices of the United States Centennial Commission, the National Rifle Association of the United States will arrange and conduct a series of Rifle Matches open to all comers of all nations, and concluding with an INTERNATIONAL LONG-RANGE MATCH FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE WORLD. The contest will take place at Creedmoor, Long Island, near New York City, on the well-equipped ranges of the National Rifle Association. The Centennial Commission will award medals and diplomas to the winners in each Official match, in addition to certain prizes and trophies to be given by the Association, which will Forms, be specified hereafter. A list of the officers of the Association and a schedule of the matches are hereto annexed. Correspondence may be addressed to General Alexander Shaler, President, or George S. Schermerhorn, Jr., Secretary, National Rifle Association, 93 Nassau Street, New York City. JOHN L. CAMPBELL, Secretary. JOSEPH R. HAWLEY, President. 1876. OFFICERS OF THE NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES. Major-General Alexander Shaler, President. Brevet Major-General John B. Woodward, Vice-President. George S. Schermerhorn, Jr., Secretary. Brevet Major-General Martin T. McMahon, Treasurer. PROGRAMME OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONTESTS, COMMENCING SEPTEMBER 12, 1876. Competition I-Short-Range Match. Open to all comers. Distance, 200 yards. Position, standing. Rifles, any not exceeding ten pounds weight; minimum pull of trigger, three pounds. Breech-loading rifles to be loaded at the breech only. Ten shots. No sighting shots. Entrance fee, $2.00. Competition II.-Mid-Range Match. Open to all comers. Distances.-Military rifles of fifty calibre or over, to be used at 500 yards; other rifles at 600 yards. Rifles, any as above. Position, any, without artificial rest. Ten shots. No sighting shots. The prizes in the foregoing matches will be subsequently announced. Entrance fee, $2.00 each distance. Competitors may enter for both distances. Competition III.-International Long-Range Match for the championship of the world,open to riflemen of all countries. CONDITIONS. Teams. Each team shall consist of eight men. Members of the various teams partici pating must be native-born citizens, and residents of the countries they respectively represent, except in the case of teams representing a provincial territory of a government, in which case a residence in the province will be sufficient, provided the member is a native-born subject of the parent country. Official 1876. Rifles.-Any, not exceeding ten pounds weight; minimum pull of trigger, three pounds. Breech-loading rifles to be loaded at the breech only. Distances.-800, 900, and 1000 yards. Number of shots.—Thirty at each range, by each competitor. No sighting shots. Match to last two days. Competitors to fire fifteen shots at each distance upon each day, commencing at 800 yards. Position.-Any without artificial rest. Entrance fee.-None. Previous practice.-Competing teams shall be allowed the use of the range for one week previous to these matches, but on the days of this match no person will be allowed to shoot on the range at any of the distances prescribed herein, except as a competitor. Captains of the competing teams shall select two referees, and the referees so chosen shall appoint an umpire, whose decision in all cases shall be final. Prize. An American Centennial Trophy. Such trophy to be shot for in each subsequent year, upon the same terms, in the country of the team holding it, at such time and place as said team, or a majority thereof, shall prescribe. Sights, targets, marking, and scoring in the foregoing matches to be according to the printed regulations of the National Rifle Association of America. The Fourth Annual Prize Meeting of the National Rifle Association will commence immediately upon the conclusion of these matches. During this meeting there will be several all-comers' matches. [No. 182.] PROGRAMME OF THE INTERNATIONAL YACHT REGATTAS. The following Official Statement concerning the International Regatta of 1876 is issued for the guidance of all concerned. A. T. GOSHORN, Director-General. J. L. CAMPBELL, Secretary. PHILADELPHIA, March 4, 1876. JOSEPH R. HAWLEY, President. The undersigned, a Committee appointed by the United States Centennial Commission to arrange a series of International Regattas, open to yachts of all regularly organized clubs, to be sailed during the yachting season of the present year, have adopted the following programme: FIRST DAY.-Thursday, June 22. open to all yachts, as above, of fifteen SECOND DAY.-Friday, June 23. A regatta in New York Bay, open to all yachts, as above, of fifteen tons and under, over a triangular course not exceeding twenty-five miles. Also a regatta for steam yachts, over a course to be decided upon hereafter, not exceeding forty miles. A regatta over the New York Yacht Club course, tons and upwards. THIRD DAY.-Monday, June 26. A regatta from New York to Cape May, and return, open to all yachts, as above, of fifteen tons and upwards. In the first and second regattas, yachts will be divided into classes, with time allowance, based upon the mean length and breadth. In the third there will be two classes for schooners and one for sloops, without allowance of time. A certificate of measurement must accompany every entry. The owner's measurement will be considered sufficient, unless protest is made. In such case the Committee reserve the right to remeasure. 1876. The medal and diploma of the International Exhibition of 1876 will be awarded by Official S. NICHOLSON KANE, New York Yacht Club, COMMITTEE. Geo. L. Kingsland, Commodore New York Yacht Club. [No. 193.] ORGANIZATION AND DUTIES OF THE JUDGES OF AWARDS. I. Awards shall be based upon written reports, attested by the signatures of their authors. II. Two hundred and fifty Judges have been appointed to make such reports, one-half of whom are foreigners and one-half citizens of the United States. They have been selected for their known qualifications and character, and are presumed to be experts in the Groups to which they have been respectively assigned. The foreign members of this body have been appointed by the Commission of each country, in conformity with the distribution and allotment to each adopted by the United States Centennial Commission. The Judges from the United States have been appointed by the Centennial Commission. III. Reports and awards shall be based upon inherent and comparative merit. The elements of merit shall be held to include considerations relating to originality, invention, discovery, utility, quality, skill, workmanship, fitness for the purposes intended, adaptation to public wants, economy, and cost. IV. To facilitate the examination by the Judges of the articles exhibited, they have been classified in Groups. To each of these Groups a competent number of Judges (Foreign and American) has been assigned by the United States Centennial Commission. Besides these, certain objects in the Departments of Agriculture and Horticulture, which will form temporary exhibitions, have been arranged in special Groups, and Judges will be assigned to them hereafter. V. The Judges will meet for organization on May 24, at 12 M., at the Judges' Pavilion. They will enter upon the work of examination with as little delay as practicable, and will recommend awards without regard to the nationality of the exhibitor. VI. The Judges assigned to each Group will choose from among themselves a Chairman and a Secretary. They must keep regular minutes of their proceedings. Reports recom |