The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-19 00:00:00

ROFAL MILI7AItY ACADEMY.

EXAMINATION BY THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE.
His Royal Highness the DAke of Cambridge, the Field-
Marshal Commanding in Chief, attended by his Aide-de-
Camp, Lieutenant-Colonel H. T. Clifton, General Sir John
F. Burgoyne, G.C.8., Inspector-General of Fortifications,
Lieutenant • General Sir Harry D. Jones, G.C.8., Governor,
and Colonel C. R. Scott, Lieutenant-Governor of the Staff
College, Sandhurst, Major-General Bloomfield, C. 8., Inspec-
tor- General, and Col. Bingham, Deputy-Adjutant• General
of Artillery, arrived at Woolwich at eleven o'clock yester-
day morning, for the purpose of conducting the half-yearly
examination of cadets at the Royal Military Academy, and
to award numerous numerous commissions and prizes.
His Royal Highness and staff were received with a salute
from a battery of artillery, and immediately proceeded
across the common to the academy, the whole of the cadets
having previously assembled in review order on the lawn
fronting the building.

His Royal Highness and staff, accompanied by Major-
General Sir R. J. Decree, K.C.8., commandant; Major-
Gen. Sandham, R.E. ; Brigade Major Milward, and other
officers, having carefully inspected the ranks front and rear,
the cadets marched past in companies, and subsequently
went through a complete course of manual and platoon ex-
ercise, under the direction of Co!. Yorke, R.E and Major
H. T. Fitz Hugh, RA., the evolutions being performed
with the utmost precision. The several classes, numbering
about 280 cadets, then marched to the recently-erected
gymnasium, where the distribution of prizes, &c., had been
arranged to take place, in the presence of a large company,
the majority of whom were military officers and ladies. His
Royal Highness and staff took up a position at a table on
which the valuable prizes were exhibited; and Major-Gen.
Hamilton, Vice-President of the council of Military Edu-
cation, commenced the proceeding by reading a report from
the Council, to the effect that the examination of the several
classes of cadets, in various branches of military science and
art, was very satisfactory, and reflected credit upon the cadets
and the professors and masters of the institution. Amongst
the examiners Captain Stodhart, R.E., reported that great
progress had been Made by the first class in field works and
the construction of military bridges ; and Professor Abel ex-
pressed his entire satisfaction with the advancement made in
chemistry. The second and third classes had evinced much
proficiency in mathematics, German, and French. Consi-
dering the limited period that Hindustani had been taught
at the establishment the progress made was very encourag-
ing. The council recommended that all the cadets of the
first class, 48 in number, having fully proved their qualifi-
cation, should require commissions-20 in the Royal Artil-
lery, 20 in the Royal Engineers, immediate, and the re-
maining eight to be appointed as vacancies occur.

Col. Yorke then read the following report from Major-
General Sandham, Lieut.-Governor of the academy :
"I have the satisfaction to report to your Royal High-
ness that the gentlemen cadets of the first class are all quali-
fied for commissions by their Pesofioierh,v I.aitarY c'e'-
cises and general conduct.
"The periodical examination of the junior classes has on
the whole been satisfactory, and, with few exceptions, the
classes have shown unusual diligence and emulation.
,6 The examination of the third class has been conducted
according to your Royal Highness's sanction to the recom-
mendation of the Council of Military Education,which had
in view that the practical studies of surveying and artillery
should be carried out more fully by the cadets on their pro-
motion to the second class.

" In order to meet the report made by the examining ma-
thematical master at the end of the last term, as to the
general deficiency of cadets on first joining the Royal Mi-
litary Academy in the more elementary breaches of mathe-
matics, a lengthened test of the proficiency of each cadet on
joining has been exacted, with every promise of advantage
to the study of the higher branches of mathematics.
"Opportunities have been afforded to most of the cadets
to sketch from nature. The landscape and topographical
drawings exhibited will show that these studies have pro-
gressed satisfactorily.
" Fair progress has been made in French, German, and
Hindustani.

"The responsible and sub-divisional under officers and
corporals have exercised their authority and maintained the
discipline of their respective divisions under their officers in
a highly creditable manner, and the conduct of the com-
pany geneidlly has been very good."
His Royal Highness then proceeded to distribute the fol-
lowing prizes :—For exemplary conduct at the institution,
Mr. Ross, a regimental sword, and Mr. Rowe, the Pollock
gold medal, with the inscription, "Founded by the inhabi-
tants of Calcutta to commemorate the eminent services of
Major-Gen. Sir George Pollock, K.C.8., and awarded to
the most distinguished cadet of the season—Cabul, 1842."
Mr. Rowe received three additional prizes, consisting of tele-
scopes and microscope, for surveying, fieldworks and bridges,
and natural philosophy. Mr. Ommanney two prizes, a double
telescope for plan drawing, and a prismatic compass for
landscape drawing. Mr. South, a double telescope for fer-
fications. Dl r. Richardson, a case of instruments for mathe-
matics. Mr. Mascall two prizes, an aneroid barometer for
practical geometry, and a pocket sextant for mathematics.
Mr. Bucknill, a pocket compass for geometry. Mr. East, an
aneroid barometer for landscape drawing. Mr. Lee, a double
telescope for mathematics. Mr. Fawkes, a microscope for
chemistry. Mr. Reynolds, a telescope for practical mecha-
nics. Mr. English, a microscope for geology. Mr. Knocker,
a case of mathematical instruments for mathematics. Mr.
Elsdale, a prismatic compass for mathematics. Mr. Emp-
son, two prizes, consisting of valuable books, from French
and German. Mr. Price, valuable books, for Hindustani.
The cadets to whom commissions were awarded in the
Royal Artillery or Royal Engineers were then severally
called forward and the number of marks gained by each in
the various branches of science read over.

His ROYAL HIGHNESS then proceeded to address the
cadets in the following terms :—He observed that on the
last occasion of his meeting the cadets at that institution
he had felt it his duty to tell them plainly that he was not
satisfied with their conduct, but he was now highly grati-
fied to find that a great improvement had taken place—that
they had been attentive to their studies, and had not evinced
any spirit of insubordination. He hoped they had seen the
error of their ways ; and, for his part, he should be happy
to forget all that had formerly taken place of an unpleasant
nature. He had introduced a now system with regard to
various details of the institution, and he was glad to find
that the new rules worked well under the able direction of
the Lieutenant-Governor, Major-General Sandham. With
regard to their proficiency in the various branches of study
and their general good conduct he was perfectly satisfied,
not only from the reports he had received but with what he
had himself witnessed on that day. Ho could assure them
that he had no wish to be severe, and if they had ever con-
sidered that any severity was exercised towards them by the
military authorities, they must bear in mind that they had
rendered it necessary by their conduct. It was his duty to
maintain discipline, and he was determined on all occasions
to do so. They had chosen to enter upon the military pro-
fession, and they must bear in mind that a great distinction
existed between an ordinary and a military college. In the
former case it was requisite to preserve good order, but in a
military college discipline and subordination to the authori-
ties was the great essential. Science was, in the present day
especially, requisite in the army ; but he would even put Dis-
ciplinea nscience.
dd utht y e If
ot hey were unable to govern tellthem-
selves,would
be worse than useless as ;AB -
them that they were not fit to
govern
cers. He would not further allude to this subject, but coun-
sel them, as they valued their future prospects as officers
in her lajesty's service, to have the utmost respect for strict
discipline, to acquire a practical as well as a theoretical
knowledge of the duties of their profession, and thus render
beforeiothers was
his
themselves fit to comm and in those distinguished scientific
corps, the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers.
The address of his Royal Highness was listened to with
the utmost attention, and at its conclusion the cadets pre-
sented arms and marched from the room.
His Royal Highness and Staff subsequently went to the
reading room, and conducted a viva voce examination of the
first and second classes of cadets in artillery fortification,
French and German; At the termination of this cumin a-