The Press. — London, England, 1858-07-31 00:00:00

THE PRESS, JULY 31,1858. The House of Lords have resolved to insist upon one of their amend ments to the Government of India Bill. This amendment relates to the n om'nation of gentlemen to commissions in the scientific branches of the onl y. The House of Commons had enacted that these appointments should be given in strict submission to the order in which candidates passed their examination. Lord DERBY considers, very justly, that this resolution is a violation of the Royal Prerogative, to which the distribution of military p a tronage belongs unconditionally. On this purely constitutional ground, therefore, he has advised their Lordships to adhere to their amendment. Lord ELLENBOROUGH goes further. Ile objects to the abstract principle of com petitive examinations, and, as far as we can recollect., upon somewhat n ovel grounds. His opinion is that as soon as this system is fully estab lished, "cramming" colleges and private "grinders" or "coaches" will spring up, whose instructions will be so well worth receiving as to enable them to charge terms far beyond the reach of clergymen, half-pay officers, and the poorer class of gentry generally, from whose families the best style of Indian officers is now obtained. We think it possible, how ever, that on this particular point his Lordship's apprehensions may be overcharged. All these sorts of things have a tendency to find their own level. And the wealthy tradesman whom his Lordship expects to oust the poor gentleman will scarcely, perhaps, think a commission in the Indian army worth paying such an extravagant price for, in the shape of education, as to preclude all people of moderate means from competition. Independently of which argument the probability is, that Indian depart ments would be established in our leading public schools on the same terms as the other branches of the institution. There is, indeed, one potent reason, for the sake of which we could desire that the system of competition may be kept within due limits. It has been urged, and repeatedly, by the advocates of unrestricted com petition that there is no reason why a man should make the worse soldier because he knows something of books too—that there is no reason why a man should be worse in the practice, because he is ac quainted with the theory, of warfare. Now this is just one of those pretty plausible statements which it is exceedingly unpopular to combat. In this age of eilightenment and progress and Mr. 13UCKLE, even to hint that there Ote , ,aorne subjects in which intellectual proficiency cannot carry everything before it, is rank heresy. Yet what does the every-day expe rience of any man of ordinary powers of observation prove to him ? This much, at all events—that the power of acquiring literary knowledge, and the power of influencing our fellow-men in action, are so seldom found together that to propose their union as the test of fitness for any thing whatever is an almost impracticable idea. Then conies the question which of the two is to be sacrificed; and as a candidate cannot very well describe on paper how he would behave under fire, it is pretty clear that his fitness for this emergency will never be taken into consideration at all. This has been our ollection all along to the competitive system. A dis criminative examination may probably answer better. 7 33 entrails of their subjects, have also paid due attention (not without an eye to strategic movements) to the bowels of the land " they inhabit, and have encouraged the art of chartography in a truly munificent manner. We do not find, however, that our requirements of this kind in our own country are equally well provided for. The Ordnance survey is indeed excellent as far it goes, but the one-inch scale, which for general purposes is quite sufficient, and one sheet of which is quite as much as the most intrepid tourist need carry with him on a single excursion, has been dropped and taken up so often in obedience to the vacillating votes of the House of Commons that its completion must, we tear, be considered as a thing rather to be hoped for than expected. There are two or three other scales on which the survey has been begun, and those who are curious in such matters may see at the Crystia Palace an index map in which the squares of different colours, like an insane chessboard, show the strength of irresolution which the Legislature has exerted on the subject. Of one of the most frequented t our i s t districts of England, the " Lakes," there is no really good map, and in this, as in many other conveniences of travelling, Cumberland and Westmoreland fall far short of Switzerland and Savoy, although the country itself is naturally much less difficult to explore. The map published by Messrs. BLACK of Edinburgh is the best, but it is on too small a scale to enable a traveller to rely wholly upon its aid for ascending a pike or traversing a pass. The merits and defects of the various maps of Scotland have recently proved a fruitful source of controversy in the daily papers, and it certainly does not appear that any map of that country exists of an entirely satisfactory description. Still we are able to say that there are three of which the character is highly creditable. One of these is published by Messrs. BLACK, and is call ed if we remember rightly, the " Road and Railway Travelling Map of Scotland." Its special feature is the accurate indication of such lines of road as are traversed by coaches, and which are distinguished by different colours showing which of the coaches run all the year, which in summer only, which every day, and which only on certain days of the week. Another is that of KEITH JOHNSTON, remarkable for the vast number of places marked upon it, but from its smaller size not quite so accurate in respect of its physical geography. A third and much larger one in six sheets, each of which would probably be found a con venient size for the pocket, is the one drawn by CARRINGTON, and published by Messrs. STANFORD of Charing-cross. A mistake—namely, the marking of a road which does not exist—was discovered in this map by a writer of one of the letters to which we have referred; but this we imagine to be an unfortunate exception which does not derogate in any material degree from the general usefulness of the map. It is especially remarkable for the elegant manner in which the mountain shadings are delineated, and which convey an extremely correct notion of the watersheds, valleys, and general bearings of each district ; and so far as we have examined the portions with which we are practically acquainted, we have found it as accurate as any map can be expected to be which is not based on those elaborate and extensive surveys which none but a Government is able to provide. " Alt* .ttil;di lit Ikea* rodily be predicted that the reforms recently promulgated by flustrden*Ansl Senior Fellows of Trinity College, Dublin, will not be aoceipaed silibout grumbling by the gentlemen who have signalized themselves by their attacks upon this learned body. At the same time the letters patent just now published embody several substantial improvements. It may be remembered by our readers that one of the principal subjects of complaint was the high remuneration of offices tenable only by Senior Fellows already in possession of a somewhat dis proportionate income. These salaries are at once to be diminished. The redistribution of tutorial fees, and the appointment of two professors of modern languages, are also obvious advantages, while the substitution of fixed salaries for fees in the case of the Bursar and Senior Lecturer is sure to be a change for the better. There is one clause that will doubtless raise a smile in the snore decorous alumni of Oxford and Clunbr dge, to the effect that "the Senior of the Fellows in the Hall should superintend the proper " conduct of the students during dinner." We cannot say we envy the grateisind reverend Senior his newly-imposed task. But Irishmen, we st 4 understand one another ; and perhaps if the portly Don were to &CO the riotous undergraduates with a carving-knife it would be con sitkited a perfectly ,lagitimate and natural affair. We congratulate the authorities of ''o3:'D. on showing themselves at once impervious to threats and amenable to reason. And we trust that now the authorities have displayed a willingness to deal with abuses the painful schism which r i has reeentl bCpurred may be prevented from widening, if it cannot be at once ekie 0 1 :• - )11 butlepabi:u I,—. The l i f iiiintrifugal impulse from the " fate= et opes strepitum , clue" otateabames-polluted London has set in, and tourists with faces haPedbity beat in the direction of flood and fell, country solitudes and mountain heights, are laying in their stores of spirit-flasks, guide- Inokitinfl circular notes, and preparing their brains for the intricacies of fore' coinage by bewildering them over the still more perplexing permuta tions and combinations of Bradshaw. Under these circumstances grave doubts appear to have arisen, in the minds of the more careful and exact of the travelling vim, is to the accuracy of the maps which have been hitherto Provided fountheic instruction. The British public is, as usual, worst off in these respects asinprds its own country. There are some capital maps of Siritzerlailkave all are aware who have, by the assistance of Isuzikfb•aarearabled to dispense with the attendance and expense of a e. Theieooo, - who wish not only to find their way over the Furka or Gemmi, but to gain accurate ideas of the physical features of the musky, will fled their desires gratified by the tenderly-shaded contours of inoetaaor the Still clearer delineations of I,Errtiota. And the absolute erovernatents of the. Continent, in addition to the virtue which they thaPlay it eachsding hioriecrifs Pills and Ileyalenta Arabic* from the An interesting question has this week been occupying the Chamber of Representatives at Brussels. It appears that the Belgian Government do not feel themselves justified in any longer leaving the King's dominions without some central fortified place; and the points at issue appear to be, first, whether Antwerp or Brussels shall be the place selected, and, secondly, if Antwerp, what system of defences shall be adapted. We know of nothing that can be said in favour of selecting Brussels except that it is the seat of Government; but, as has been already pointed out, the capital town of a country may be in possession of the enemy without any greater injury to its independence than any other fortress of equal strength. On the other hand, we have the fact that Antwerp can be made stronger than Brussels, that it would cost less, and though, last, not least, that it is the scene of glorious historic associations. Both English and Dutchmen have cause to be proud of that memorable defence in which the whole might of Spain was so long baffled by their combined efforts. Nor should it ever be forgotten that the situation of Antwerp affords far greater facilities for defence, should England and Belgium ever again be united in arms, than a purely inland city like Brussels. The possession of Antwerp would always keep open communications with this country ; and if matters came to the worst, its garrison could always be rescued. We look forward to the result of this debate with great interest. The subject under discussion is one of European importance. And we sincerely trust that the provincial deputies will not permit any local prejudices to interfere with the whole some precautions of King LEoPOLD'S Ministers. Lord CAMPBELL'S proposition that candidates for a seat in the House of Commons should in future be subjected to a discriminative examination is worthy of that great legislator. We think it would not be difficult to frame a set of questions which might be advantageo usly set to every embryo statesman before he was admitted into th e askembly of gentlemen in Europe. He might be asked, for instance, what is his idea of an important despatch, and how he would distinguish it from one too trivial to be mentioned. He might be requested to state his opinion of the best method of rendering neutral journals subservient to the interests of particular Ministers, and p e rhaps required to compose a leading article as a specimen. If aspiring to the dignity of a whip, he should be required to write down upon paper the names of all the independent members—those who demand dinner, and those who are only evening party men. He should also be able to distinguish the married from the single, so as to avoid some of those awkward little mistakes which occurred in a recent celebrated crisis through the inadvertency of a gentleman who filled this responsible position. Such are a few very brief suggestions for the realization of the scheme propounded by the worthy Chief Justice, who must have seen in the recent break-down of his friends much reason to deplore that it was not adopted sooner. A 11111