The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-22 00:00:00

AWARD OF CO NIMISSIONS AND PRIZES, AND
REVIEW OF TROOPS BY THE DUKE OF CAM-
BRIDGE.
His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, the Field-
Marshal Commanding-in-Chief, attended by his aide-de-
camp, Brevet Colonel C. Tyrwhitt ; General Sir J. F. Bur-
goyne, G.C.8., Inspector-General of Royal Engineers, with
his aide-de-camp, Capt. the Hon. G. Wrottesley ; General
Sir G. Pollock, K.C.8.; Major- General Hamilton, Vice-
President, and Major-General Sir F. Abbott, C. 8., of the
Council of Military Education; Major-General Bloomfield,
Inspector-General of Ordnance; General Piers, Colonel
Baker, and other officers, arrived at Woolwich yesterday
morning about 11 o'clock, to conduct the half-yearly inspec-
tion of the Royal Military Academy, and award commis-
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of the troops in garrison.
A royal salute of 21 guns, fired by a detachment of the
Coast Brigade Artillery, from the Green Hill Battery, an-
nounced the arrival of his royal highness and staff, who im-
mediately proceeded to the Royal Military Academy, and
were received by Major. General Sir R. J. Dacres, K.C.8.,
Commandant; Major-General Sandham, Brigade-Major
Milward, Capt. Naugle, Deputy-Assistant Quartermaster-
, General, Major Field, See.
The several classes of gentlemen cadets had assembled on
the lawn t'e•ontine, the building in review order, and, after
inspection went through a course of manual and platoon
exercise in an excellent manner, under the direction of the
officers of the military branch of the establishment. His
royal highness and staff having visited the library, class-
rooms. and other departments of the establishment, and
inspected various drawings, plans of fortification, and other
words of art executed by the pupils during the past half-
year, proceeded to the school of arms, forming part of the
spacious gymnasium recently erected, where the whole of
the cadets had assembled, and arrangements had been made
to receive the several reports, and award commissions and
prizes to the successful condidates. The duke and staff
having taken up a position at the head of the table on which
the valuable prizes were placed, Major-General Hamilton,
Vice-President of the Council of Military Education, read
the following report of the council :
" 13, Great George-street, Dec. 19.
",The Council of Military Education have the honour to
submit to his Royal Highness the Field Marshal Command-
ing-in-Chief their report of the half-yearly examination of
the gentleman cadets of the Royal Military Academy. Of
68 gentlemen cadets who were examined for commissions
on this occasion, 63 have passed, a result which the council
cannot but regard as eminently satisfactory. One-third of
the commissions having been announced for the Royal
Engineers, the 22 cadets first in order of merit who elected
for that service are recommended for it accordingly;
the remainder are recommended for commissions in
the Royal Artillery. The examiner in fortification con-
siders the examination in that subject very satisfactory.
giving evidence of very careful and thorough instruction,
and generally of diligence and ability on the part of the
cadets. The examiner in surveying reports that a fair pro-
portion of the class have done their work with the required
degree of accuracy, The council are happy to observe that
there are no failures in this subject. The examiner in
chemistry considers that the result of the first division is
very fair, but reports the majority of the papers of the second
division as of very inferior quality. In natural sciences the
examiner reports an evident deficiency of reading as well as
' of practical study, especially in the branch of practical geo-
logy. The above subjects were included in the examinations
for commissions. In those that follow the gentlemen cadets
of the second or third class were finally examined, and the
marks gained in them will be carried forward to their final
examination. In mathematics the examiner considers the
result as eminently satisfactory. Some of those who have
obtained the highest marks exhibit the two conditions of
industry and mathematical power; and should they pursue
further their mathematical studies, the examiner is of
opinion that they are capable of attaining considerable
scientific distinction. The examiner in practidal geometry
reports the answering of the cadets to have been better than
on any former occasion in which ho had examined. In
French the examiner slates that, although in this examina-
tion there were fewer instances of very superior attainment
than on any former occasion, the average attainment has
been very decidedly raised. The examiner in German re-
ports that the result was satisfactory, and that the cadets
gave evidence of more cereful study than on any former
examinations. The examiner in landscape drawing reports
that the work done by the cadets proves they have applied
themselves wine great diligence to that branch of study.
(Signed) " Major-General F. W. HAMILTON,
Vice- President, ,
" Colonel G. ELWYN.
" Colonel J. E. ADDesoer."
Colonel Yorke, R.E., then read the following report from
Major-General Sandham, lieutenant-governor of the insti-
tution :
"I have the honour to report to your Royal highness
that the whole of the gentlemen cadets, of the first-class,
who have been under examination, are qualified for com-
missions in regard to conduct, proficiency in military exer-
cises, and diecipline. The monthly returns of the junior
classes throughout the half-year have shown that a satis-
factory emulation and exertion has existed generally
throughout the academy, and the results of the examina-
tion of the classes sb ow that those reports wet e well founded.
The responsible and eith-divisional officers and corporalshave
carried out their duties satisfactorily, with few exceptions,
and in a manner to uphold discipline, and to encourage and
keep up a proper feeling and bearing amongst the cadets,
and, on the whole, I feel justified in making a favourable re-
port of the company, although I had occasion to bring to
your Royal Highness's notice some irregularities which oc-
curred about two months ago, and which I feel assured were
confined to a very inconsiderable number of the cadets, and
Una the general feeling of the company is entirely opposed
to these irregularities; since that period the conduct of the
company has been irreproachable. The officers throughout
the establishment have conducted their several duties with
firmness and judgment. The professors and masters have
shown a zeal and judgment in the performance of their re-
sponsible duties that has led to the favourable report I am
able to make to your royal highness. The drills and especial
military exercises, riding, gymnasium, and repository drills,
have been carried out as fully as the time that could be de-
voted to those exercises would admit. .
The successful candidates forcommissions were then called
to the front, and the number of marks gained by each in
the several branches df study read over, when his Royal
Highness announced that commissions would be awarded
as follows, viz, :—For the Royal Engineers-.. Messrs. Mas-
call, Bucknill, Wood, Elsdale, Savage, Kirkwood, Clayton,
Corbett, Ottley, Lambert, Harrison, North, Ommanney,
M'Arthur, Macpherson, Denny, Dillon, Jones, Calrow,
forward, Simpson, and Westaway. For the Royal Artil•
lery—Messrs. Dotnville, Vaughan, East, Cooper, Bowen,
Mowbray, J. Murray, Wrice, Law, Davies, Denison, Sal
mond, Watkin, Oliivant, Fox, Stone, Wallace, Ewing,
Kelsall, Hunter, Taylor, Gerard, Williams, Crimps, Turk-
ington, Walker, Bailey, Ridge, Downes, Dugalale, Mun-
day, Fitzgerald, S. Murray, Wynne, Milman, Nutlin, Cur-
tin, Kennedy, Baddeley, Penny, Plunkett, Hamilton, and
Browell.
The Duke of Cambridge then proceeded to distribute the
prizes as follows :—For exemplrry conduct, to Mr. Meg-
call, the gold Pollock medal, bearing an inscription
"Founded by the British inhabitants ot Calcutta, to com-
memorate the eminent teen ices ot Major-General Sir George
Pollock, G.C.8., and awarded to the most deserving cadets
of the season. For exemplary conduct, to Mr J. Hunter—
a regulation sword. The remaining przes, consisting of
telescopes, sextants, mathematical instruments, books, ecc. :
To Mr. Mascall, three prizes for first artillery, second artil-
lery, and first fortifications; to Mr Mowbray, three prizes
for second artillery, second topography and geology ; to Mr
Bucknill, three prizes for chemistry, natural philosophy,
and practical mechanics ; to Mr Nicolson, three prizes for
second mathematics, third fortifications, and first practical
geometry ; to Mr Gilley, two prizes for first topography and
second fortifications ; to Mr Goschen, two prizes for Hin-
dostani and first mathematics; to Mr Pulford, two prizes
for first mathematics and practical geometry; to Mr &dile,
for first French; to Mr Cooke, for second French; to Mr
Studdart, for third topography; to Mr Howard, for first
landscape drawing; and Mr O'Grady, for second landscape
drawing.
His ROYAL HIGHNESS then addressed the cadets in the
following terms. He Observed that it afforded him much
pleasure to receive such favourable reports from the Council
ot Military Education and the lieutenant-governor of that
institution. He wished to impress upon the minds of those
cadets who were about to receive commissions in her Ma-
jesty's service that they must not consider their education
to be completed. When they left there walls they would
enter upon a career which demanded of them to continue
their education and endeavour to keep pace with the spirit
of the age. The corps of Royal Engineers and Royal Ar-
tillery were essentially scientific, and this was in every re-
spect an inventive and scientific age ; therefore it was incum •
bent upon them, if they desired to be really efficient officers,
to make themselves acquainttd with those improvements
and discoveries which were constantly arising. He knew
many officers who bad made themselves truly scientific after
obtaining their commissions, and he hoped that the cadets
present would on a future occasion emulate their example.
But there was another important Thing requisite to con.
atitute a good and efficient officer, and that was discipline.
Without strict discipline the efficiency of the British army
Could not be maintained, and he believed that an officer who
are 3
carried out
discielinarian would not only be more respected,
butwas prove most valuable to the corps. Whilst, however, he
at strict advocate of discipline, he would remind them
manner,
orov,u.tithin an unnecessary,
that there were two ways to carry out discipline. It might
. little offensive
who had theas sPkGilaajbl°' severe, and offensive
tact, and an endeavour to make it as
essential for the welfare of threhesmerovsict
whilst firmly maintalini
to adopt the latter plan, and who,
service,
ale
sotffiincebrewraes.
ire that strict discipline which was
spected and honoured by all those
with
contact. 9whom he came into
His Royal Highness and staff then witnessed a series of
gyrnEnstie eNcrz-L'es, ?allied oat by a nutnh3r of the cmicit),
under the able direetzon of Sergeant GrilMhz ; end mem-