The Sun.
London, England, 1867-07-26 00:00:00

and with them every other nation except our own
recognised long ago the necessity of employing a
text-book in geometry more suited to the require-
ments of our day. I have every reason to believe
that before long we also shall have an elementary
treatise of geometry, adapted to the wants of boys
in English schools. The prevalent practice in most
schools, and to some extent in your own, of studying
especial subjects prematurely, is done, I know, at
the instance of parents whose motives, though ex-
cusable, are unwisely utilitarian. The council of the
Middle-Class Schools Corporation may venture to do
what a private schoolmaster dare not risk ; they may
insist upon a perfectly uniform and general school
training. Parents should be taught that by far the
most important object of school education is to teach
boys how to learn special subjects when the proper
time f,,r doing so has arrived ; in short, so to train
them in habits of thought and study as to enable
them to make the mostof the abilities they naturally
possess. A boy well trained in arithmetic, geometry,
and algebra would far sooner become a competent
land surveyor than one who had spent the same
amount of time in learning mensuration, &c., by
rules which he did not understand. Book-keeping,
again, would be far more quickly and thoroughly
learnt in a merchant's office than in a school, where
the debtors and creditors are all imaginary, and the
time can be so much better employed in rendering
the future clerk a wellh-informed,ric,tetolliogkentthebocyh.a'ir
and
co nTglrefEat' M..ulatePd the audience that the general
prosperity of the institution had been far greater
than any of its friends expected and the commu-
nity at large upon the establishment of a common-
sense system of education that was the most
important movement of the age. A few remarks
were made by the Rev. W. Jowitt (the
head master), and the list of prizes was read. The
prises themselves, consisting of handsome books,
were delivered to the lads by Mrs. Jowitt. The
brass band of the school then struck up, and the
whole of the scholars marched by, saluting as they
passed the platform. Thanks were given to the
distinguished visitors, including Mr. Adair, M.P.,
Mr. Stone, M.P., and Mr. Freshfield, M.P., and
the compliment was acknowledged by Mr. Craw-
ford, M.P. Mr. Grant Duff, M.P., was also called
upon to speak, and he congratulated the promoters
of the institution upon their courage in defying that
ancient public opinion which had made it necessary
to teach the classes as a part of English education,
and upon their resolve to produce high cultivation
through a sound English training. On the proposi-
tion of Mr. Adair, M.P., seconded by Alderman
Lawrence, and supported by Mr. Stone, M.P., a
hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Tite, not
only for his presidency during the meeting, but
for the unceasing efforts he had made in the affairs
of the corporation. Thanks and cheers were also
given to the head master and his sixteen assistants.
The formal meeting was then concluded, but the
friends of the children remained to hear them recite
and to witness their sports.

Volunteer Artillery Competition at Shoe-
buryness.

The National Artillery Association—the young
SIIOEBURYNESS, Thursday.
brother of the great and successful association which
has just closed its meeting at Wimbledon—this
morning opened its
competitions in great gun prac-
tice among volunteer artillery corps from all parts
of England and Scotland, in delightful weather—a
most pleasant change from the weather which the
artillery volunteers hitherto encamped here met with,
for.in all the years before this the meetings of the
association have been carried on amid most decided
stormy seasons. The change is most opportune
in many ways, for the smiles of the public
often go with the sunshine, and hitherto this
association has not had that substantial recog-
nition either from the public or the Government
which its importance deserves, and at the present
time it stands in urgent need of both.
The object of the National Artillery Association
is to encourage great gun practice, just as the ob-.
rage small arms practice ; but the manner of carry-
ject of the National Rifle Association 13 to 011C011-
ing out these objects is the two associations is very
different. The volunteers of the artillery, however,
have to shoot in detachments, and it is all a matter
of drill, for one man's bad drill will spoil a detach-
ment; therefore, attendance at the Shoeburyness
co
meansso many days' hard drill at the
gunsntss alone,
in place of the " free and easy" camp-
ing
t
at Wimbledon, and in addition the volunteers
here have to mount guard and do much of the duty
of soldiers in camp. One example will suffice. Last
night detachments from Midlothian marched in,
having travelled straight from the north, and, tired
as they were, on finding their names down for camp-
guard, 11 out of their 16 at once entered on guard,
and this without a murmur. The fact is, the spirit
among the artillery volunteers here is to excel as
soldiers ; and in smartness of dress, in silence when
ofion the Government ground,
on a
on duty, and in the respect they pay their officers
the volunteer
to their brothers of the
other volunteer service.
tiieTy bohpeeriaallnmtcah eg
pisof h
is
formed
picturesqueo spot near the seaside, and close
under the barrack-walls. Col. Wilmot, R.A., the
commandant of the station ; Col. Fisher, R.A., the
of gunnery;
thunileerY;and Major Curtis, the
station, have given the ins t
brigade-majorinstructor
o
as-
sociation every assistance. The fact that a Royal
Artillery officer (Colonel Gordon) commands the
will
camp is a guarantee that all the regulations
be of a strictly military character. The pro-
ceedings of the association aro carried on
under Colonel Harcourt, the president of the
secretary,
associatedecreary. The camp itself
Col. Clemenson
aconuduccial,pwt.iithtuwoehyo
,in aretthe
is divided into two brigades; one under Col. Durn-
ford, of the Ist Surrey ; the second under Major
Horne, of the Midlothian. Capt. Beveridge, of the
12th Kent, is in charge of the commissariat, a most
important and onerous charge at a spot like this ;
and Capt. Spark, of the Ist Surrey, is camp adju-
tant. Dr. De Lisle Allen, of the Ist Middlesex, is
the medical officer of the camp, and with him is
associated Dr. Ticehurst, of the 4th Cinque Ports.
Every regulation has been made to provide against
sickness, and all that is needed to ensure free-
dom from such disorders as result from such
change of habits as camp life is to civilians, is,
that the men themselves should abstain from
the huge shell fish which are temptingly placed
before them outside the Government ground. The
regulations of the camp are, that volunteers
are allowed to join the camp only on their undertak-
ing to obey all the orders ; that all on arrival and
before departure shall report themselves ; that all
officers and men forming the camp will be liable for
duty ; that reveille will sound at six in the morning,
retreat at sunset, and " out lights" at 10.45.
The competition of this day has been for prizes
value £5O, given by the National Rifle Association.
Each man of the winning detachment receives a silver
cup, while the "No. 1," the man who "lays" the gun,
and directs the action of the detachment, and upon
whom, indeed, the whole responsibility rests, is
rewarded with a larger cup than the others. The
members of the detachment have the right to select
their own " No. 1," and they select, without fear or
favour, the man whom they judge—and they are
well able to judge—to be the best drill, irrespec-
tive of rank. Thus,
a private may command
a detachment in which an officer, non-commissioned
officer, or, as was the case once, the honorary sur-
geon may work.
The competition was with smooth-
bore guns ; the c.)mpetitions with the Armitrong
guns being delayed in order that the detachments
may be "passed" by the Royal Artillery in the spe-
cial drill, and detachments may choose the calibre
of gun with which they will fire, the lighter pieces
being handicapped in point of time against the
heavy guns. The pieces under 32-pounders have
to fire the five rounds in 7 minutes, the 32-pounders
are allowed 8 minutes, and 68-pounders are
allowed 10 minutes. The firing commenced
shortly after nine o'clock in what are known as the
" Lee Wall Battery" and the " Old Battery," and
continued without intermission until the close in
the afternoon. The first shot is fired at 1,260 yards,
that is at a target stationed out seaward at that dis-
tance, and the second at 1,500 yards, and so on alter-
natOy during the Ayg shots, the alteration of difi-