The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1866-02-27
ENGLISH SCHOOLS.

We lind In an exchange, a series OF letter
from numerous parents and guardians addresses
to London Journal which startle US with ae
counts Of the infiction of corporeal punish men
upon young ladies, Of sixteen or eighteen year
of age, in the fashionable and popular femal
schools in Eng land These letters have giver
rise to a discussion Of the subject of school dis
| cipline, in which many educated English wo
men take ground in favor Of the practice of fog
ging girls from the time of their first entrance
until the completion of their education The
authenticity of these statements is not question
ed, except as to, the degree or prevalence of The
barbarous custom-the apologists for the school:
denying that it is general, but ayowing that il
is, and should be Retained as a punishment fol-
grave offences.
One correspondent writes: "Nhen an offence
OF sufficient magnitude takes place, the cul prit
enters it in the book herself and carries the re-
port to the lady superintendent, who writes un-
der it the amount Of punish ment For the first
offence the delinquent is prepared for punish
ment, but generally pardoned; for the second,
she is whipped privately; for all subsequent de-
linqucncies the punishment takes place in the
school room on the ':horse;" and 10 addition to
the pain it inhicts, it costs 10 money, about one
shilling in fees. This is the system First, she
proceeds to the housekeeper to procure the rod
she pays t"o pence for the use of it; secondly
she has to be partly undressed by the maid, and
this costs two pence; thirdly, she has then to
walk barefooted to another part of the house, to
be robed for punishment, peculiar dress be-
ing used to add to the disgrace. 1t is long
linen blouse, short cotton socks and slippers
The young lady, thus dressed, now proceeds to
the drawing room to be.inspected by the lady
superintendent. Having been approved, she is
IN foI TO tIo II.
has to pay sixpence to the governess who infic.s
the punishment. wooden horse, covered with
soft leather, is the medium Of castisation. The
delinquent then thauks the govcrness, kisses
the rod, and retires to her own room, to appear
no more until the next morning"
As to what constitutes "an offence of sufficient
magnitude to merit castigation," the testimony
is that the most trivial delinquencies such as
hardly merit a rebuke, so regarded. A
young lady eighteen gears OF age and engaged
to be married, being at large school to COM
plete her education with course Of English lit
erature, presumed to correct teacher for mis-
quotation. This was her first and only offence.
When her class was dismissed she was summon
ed to the school room, and there in spite Of her
remonstrances and Indignation, she forcibly
seized and laid across a desk, and the lady su-
perintendept Administered to her tue1ve sharp
cuts aoiM birch. This outrageous procedure
involving most indecent exposure OF the per-
son of the victim, was enacted before the whole
assembled school. Il is gratifying to add that
the guardian Of the young lady, an Irish gentle
man, succeeded in decoying the lady su2erin-
tendent" into his house, where in the presence
of few select friends, he repeated upon her de-
the person Of his ward, only varying 1t by the
60 -, ov&r GIRO otoS yroll orp1iod NTH
a birch rod, procured for the especial purpose
from Eton school.
These accounts are from only two letters Of
a numerous series of like character
-
THE FORTHCOMING CABINET CHANGE
On the 4th of March next, it is said, the Presi-
dent will announce three new members Of his
Cabinet one, if not two, of whom will be from
across the line. Meanwhile those gentlemen
who are 10 vacate announcing, in advance,
that the action will be purely their own, and
the cause, the refusal of the President to en-
dorse the measures of the Radical party.
Er- President Pierce on the State of the
Country General Pierce, by request, briefly
addressed the New Hampshire Democratic Con-
vent;on, on Wednesday last. He said he was
gratfed at seeing so many present, but begged
to be excused from making speech. The De-
mocsatic party had stood like faithful men upon
the principles of their fathers, and have been
denounced as hostile to the Union by body Of
men who, as far as he had been able to judge
had done nothing but denounce that Union -
The President of the United States hon
est, highminded, patrbtic magistrate; his mes
sage was an admirable one, and he has gone on
in a way that should satisfy most of men who
desire to see what can be saved instead Of what
can be destroyed. His steps have so far been
mark ed with courage, wisdom and statesmanlike
forecast; if he continues to stand where he is,
there is light in the future. We are often ask
ked when change will come, and he thought
it would be made apparent when people are
brought to lock to something higher than the
perpetuation of party power 1t would be alb
ject to despair of the Republic, aud no true man
would do it, come what may. The ex-Presl-
dent on retiring was heartily cheered.
The Western North Carolina Railroad Com
pany advertise for proposals for completing said
Road from the terminus: p miles, to Morgan
ton.
PLANTING BIZ THE MooN.-The Hazlehurst
Miss Copiahan enlightens us thus upon this
abstruse subject:
"There are great many who rldlcuie the
idea of planning by the moon; but experience Is
wiser than science, and many of the most sue.
cessfu gardeners observe rlgidy the rule of
planting according to the changes ofthe moon,
An old friend in II hose judgement We have faith,
assures US that all vegetables of the vine kind,
as beans, peas, potatoes, etc, bear more uxuri-
emily if planted in the first three or four days
after fall moon; and that corp planted on the de-
cline OF the moon will make heavier ears than if