Star.
London, England, 1817-04-19 00:00:00

ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE.

In the Royal Military College every thing seems
to be conducted in a manner honourable to those who
are in authority, and on a plan conducive to the good
education of all classes resorting to it for instruction.
Your Committee cannot, however, but question the
expediency of continuing this establishment on its
present extensive scale. They most heartily join in
the feelings which would induce Parliament to pro-
vide for the orphan children of those gallant men alio
have sacrificed their lives in the service of their coon
-
try ; and also for the children of mt ritori"us officers
now actually starving : but if the whole number At
present on the establishment are to be provided with
comniissions, it must unavoidably operate nearly to
the exclnsion of all other classes.from the Army r—
and your Committee submit, whether such a system
would net be in direct variance from what has liithet.
to been practised in. this k ngch m ; and whether it
might not justly be considered as inconsistent with
the spirit of our Constitution. But it aerie young
men cannot be promoted, it is almost superfluous to
remark on the inexpediency and eventual cruelty of
educating them for stations which they are not likely
to 611, and of encouraging hopes that must be dis-
appointed.
Some reductions of expense have already taken
place ; among which your Committee cannot but
notice, the voluntary relinquishment of his table al-
lowance by the d;stinguished efficer at the head of
the establishment, accompanied at the same time by
a statement, that althouigh an accession of property
modeled it unnecessary tor him to receive any longer
this allowai ce, he wished it to be understood as by
no means considering it improper to be continued to
any officer cid o might be his successor.
Sqme other reductions may probably still be made,
, independently of lowering the number cal young per-
! sons who receive eleemosynary education ; and it
well deserves consideration, whether with regard to
the senior branch, tor which an entirely separate es-
tablishment is maintained at Farnham, some addi-
Court' contribution might not be reasonably demanded
from the officers, wh r desire to receive the benefits
of the mode of instruction themzifordel The whole
sum now paid is no more than tMfAuineas per an-
num fur each officer admitted, and it- s stated that
the present applications for admission are Much more
numerous than it is possible to comply with. *
It,may further met it consideration, whether in time
of peace it would not be advantageous to increase the
rate ot payment to be required from the third class of
junior students, who now contribute £lOO each, while
the numbers of the other two classes are reduced;
and perhaps to give somewhat more of a civil cha.
racier to the education of the place. By these means
great numbers of ;ming persons, best adapted by
their station in the country to lead tf.e armies of a
free people, may be drawn to the College, in conse-
quence of a mode of education uniting the advan-
tages of our public schools with the qualifications
that are considered necessary for the military pro!es.
sion. In this manner the College may be made to
pay the greater part at le .st of its own expenses, and
become during peace a much lighter burden upon the
resources of the country. Whenever war shall un-
happily return, temporary alterations may easily be
effected suited to the existing state of things.