The Express.
London, England, 1848-11-07 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, TUESDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 7, 1848.

iataral tart Ihr 'hiWail
rlasailley "Mtn/ the prokseson add
uai""e"*. Apy at
ppaai
titlll that may be , gequired before
ream tbs exandnation he appoiatment to a com-
minion' might be imparted in a gory brief resi-
dence at Woolwich, Chatham, Or Bendhurst; a
rew ebonite, not difficult to introduce, being
ads in the areellifemente in those establisimmute.
The elelabeder the officer's educatioei and this is the
most important point of all, should be carried on altar
hit oppwsitesent to his commission : we do not mean
the few months drill which the subaltern andel',/,' at
pessisat, but a regular course of education to the
higher branches of his profession, tested by examine-
tioes before risk' to the grade of lieutenant and cap-
tain, and terminated only by promotion to the latter
rank. Why should the officer's education be consi-
dered to terminate as it does at present, shortly after
his entering the profession, and at a time of life when
the mental facultiesare still in processor development?
The real studies and the real progress of a lawyer
or clergyman who means to have a creditable know-
ledge of his profession, only commence after his en-
trance on the active duties of his profession; and the
foremost men in both professions keep laboriously
adding to their acquirements for the greater part of
their lives. Officers in the army have neither the
same stimulus in interest or ambition ; nor have they
the opportunities of constant practice which civil
professions supply. It is necessary, therefore, to
provide in an artificial way fur the completion of
their education ; or, to express ourselves with more
accuracy, for the pursuit °fillet self-education, which is
bothths object of and the indispensable supplement
to that mere technical initiation which is all that
school or college, up to the age when young men
pr.erally obtain commissions, can be expected to
provide. The opportunities for such studies either
exist, or may. with very little trouble or expense. be
added to the staff of every regiment. Even were
there any deficiency in such respects, young officers
find plenty of money for less worthy objects; and so
they would fur this, if it were made a matter of any
mesemt to them. So that, we repeat, all that is
wanted am a few words from the Horse Guards:
first, giving a cordial sanction to such offers
as that of King's College ; and, 81.401(11y, declaring
that on and after (may) the Ist of January 1850, no
commission shall be given, by purchase or otherwise,
to any candidate who has not passed one or more pre-
scribed examinations :—to be followed. subsequently,
by another general order, providing that no officer
shall rise from the grade of ensign to that of lieu-
tenant, or from that of lieutenant to that of captain,
without passing a strict examivation, tested practi-
cally, as well as theoretically, before aboard appointed
foe that especial purpose, and free from all local or
personal interests.
Let these things be done—and a stroke of
the pen from the Commander-in-Chief would
do them—and all that is essential in the improve•
meet of officers' education will follow of its own ac-
cord, and develop i self with unwonted speed and
spontaneity. It should be kep' in mind that all these
improvements might be effected without trenching on
or meddling with those more thorny and difficult
questions which are involved in the present system of
the sale of co nmissionv and the paucity of promo-
time from the ranks. feet these questions stand over
until the new system of education has been tried on
both officers and privates, and until public opinion
upon the subject of promotion hay undergone a de-
cided change. Meantime let commissions be pur-
chased, exchanged, and sold as they are at present,
the simple condition being added that, in addition to
lodging the price of his commission, the purchaser
shall also lodge testimonials of his having passed
the exam:nations requisite for the grade to which he
aspires.
Should a favourable answer to the application of
the trustees of King's College be returned from the
Hone Guards, we hope to see the authorities of Eton,
Harrow, Westminster, Shrewsbury, Rugby, &c.,
coming forward with a similar request. Such a
step on the part of those establishments would
be a death-blow to the detestable cramming schools
in which the cadets at Woolwich acquired the
habits which became so notorious a year or two
ago. It would familiarise the rising generation
of the aristocracy with new ideas, both as to the import-
ance and the attractive nature of military studies. For
many a boy, to whom Greek and Latin are constitu-
tionally an abhorrence, would find himself quite at
home in the pursuit of many of the acquirements and
accomplishments most essential to the young officer.
Nor should we think it by any means to be regretted
tbst young men, not specially intended for the army,
should either at school, or subsequently at the Uni-
versity, devote some of their leisure hours to military
studies. It is a desirable addition to the education
of every gentleman. We contemplate, of course,
that Oxford and Cambridge should afford certain fa-
cilities for continuing the military studies commenced
at Harrow or Etoe. But this is, on the whole, a
question of much len importance than the adhesion
of the latter to the exairple set them by King's
College.

'wires

Ws have countless apologies to make to the " spe-
cial patron', president and ladies president, vice-
presidents and Mies vice, treasurers, trustee*, house
stewards, auditors, committees," and we know not
whom besides, of the " Royal Asylum of the St.
Anne's Society." Those officers we have not enume-
rated must excuse us. To recount them all would be
mare breath-exhausting than a visit to the Ordnance
officers at the top of St. Paul's, on a day when the
atmosphere was dense and muggy. We should like
to have offered apologies specially to each; but the
task would be interminable. To count the bricks in
London would be a trifle to it. We must be oontent
with selecting one or two to receive our regrets tor
each class. Will " his most gracious Majesty, the
King of the BELGIANS," who all patron takes so active
a part in the superintendence of the little boys' dinners,
deign to convey to all the other potentates of Europe,
who are his colleagues at St. Anne's, what we desire
and wish to lay ? Will " his highneee the Puha of
EGYPT," who not long since sent his goo, Inanntx, to
this country, particularly to attend a committee meet-
lag of the society on his behalf, do us the favour to
intercede for us in the East? Will " his royal highness
EL CONDE DE MONTENOLIN," who, we observe, is
described as " an honorary life," represent oar desires
to the rest of the European Princes at present down
upon their luck, who are, consequently, numbered
cal y as " governors" and not as " especial patrons "
of the institution.. Maysre hope that " MOHUN LAL
MIIIZA," who has a vote, will give as the benefit
of his good offices in the presidencies of India ?
All these oak." of the institution are known to
take so active a part in its affairs, that we do not
hesitate to address each of them, together with the
two archbishops and the episcopal bench, and Sir
Pa= Lassie and the Prince of Wets', every one
of whom appears to be happily eligible for the visiting
rota of the committee of management for the
year 1849.
The subject of our regrets is this. We have done
the society in calling it an " orphan asylum" a very
great injustice. We thought it was an asylum for
poor orphan children. The managers repudiate so
unkind and illiberal a description. Ps&er ! they
have not come to that yet. An " orphan society," in-
deed! They would have you to know that the
Roysl Asylum of the St. Anne's Society, (patronised,
like BUS. JABLET'S wax work, by the crowned
heads in Europe) is for the maintaining, cloth-
ing, and educating the children of those once in
prosperity, ORPHANS or NOT, from every nation.'
They don't are about orphans, not a bit It is ne
consequence to them how many fathers or mothers a
child may have. The more the better. Their gym-
pathies are far too widespread to be limited fa then
way. Any children, " osza•ins or NOT" (the on
preferred upon the whole as more rurally rodeo-
tive), will do for them. Nor do they limit tbgves
to " British orphans or not." The son of the Reaps-
roe of CHINA'S dissimed prime minister, or ADD-Ole
BADER'S eldest daughter, would both have =anent
claims upon them as &tide= of those "once in pros-
perity," and now, comparatively eakift, " used
up." Saab are the wide-spread irrincis upon
which this institution, the pride of the nobility and
gentry," like the mart of Mmes. Mons, rears its
vast and doubly imposing front Well, we thoughtit
was an orphan asylum. and called it so! What •
mistake, to be sure !
It was in the presence of " Mrs. Plumper", an an-
nual subscriber of a guinea, that one of the house
steward., auditors, or managers—we don't know
which—celled our especial attention to this shocking
error. We invoked "Mrs. Plumper" to shield menses
his wrath. "Now, my dear .1101 rs. Plumper,' we
appeal to you. On Sudsy it is three weeks when we

Ore Ot year pews at the Episcopal (lapel, and when i
the dee? • Dr. Smooth' pecache.4 for the asylum=
,did he
4* especially dwell un the, pitiable .condition of
mph's& e'—was not hie text from that beautiful
pie in which 'the Widow's Mart' L described
' to sing for joy ?'—and *us not that delightful hymn
learnt by the children for the occasion, fall of beauti-
ful references, too?