Chapter XXXVIII: Part VIII (4)

No candidate can be admitted under the age of 15, nor above that of
17.

In a case where the services of the father and the circumstances of the family are deemed such as to constitute a claim, a candidate ineligible for immediate admission, on account of his not having attained the proper age, but being a promising youth, may, at the discretion of the Secretary of State for War, be allowed an addition to the compassionate allowance, with the especial view of promoting his education, until he is eligible for admission.

The regulations under which Queen’s cadets are at present nominated are similar to the above, with the exception that the wording of the phrase “diseases contracted on _active service_” has been altered to “diseases contracted on _service abroad_,” and that Queen’s cadets, like other candidates, are not now admitted until the age of 16. An addition to the “Compassionate Allowance,” not exceeding 40_l._ a year, may at the same time be granted to a candidate after the age of 13, in order to assist him in his education until he becomes eligible for admission to the College. The number of Queen’s cadetships (20) includes both those who have entered, and those to whom the educational allowance is granted previously to their admission.

From the first institution of Queen’s cadetships, the candidates nominated to them have been admitted to the College on passing a qualifying examination, and have received a gratuitous education; they were, however, originally required to compete for commissions without purchase, with other candidates, at the end of the College course. The privilege of obtaining a free commission on passing merely a qualifying examination was not extended to them until the institution of the Indian cadetships in 1862. As it was found necessary to exempt the Indian cadets from competition with other candidates for commissions without purchase, a similar privilege was extended to the Queen’s cadets. Both classes of cadets, in addition to their free education and maintenance, receive clothing and pocket money.

The institution of Indian cadetships at Sandhurst took place in consequence of the transfer of the government of India from the East India Company to the Crown, and the subsequent amalgamation of the Indian and Imperial forces.

The notice of the admission of Indian cadets to the establishment appears for the first time in the College regulations of 1st May, 1862. Their number, like that of the Queen’s cadets, is limited to 20. They are nominated, under the provisions of Acts 21 & 22 Vict. cap. 106, s. 35, and 23 & 24 Vict. cap. 100, by the Secretary of State for India in Council, from the sons “of persons who have served in India in the military or civil services of Her Majesty or the East India Company.” The restrictions, however, regarding the death of the father and the circumstances of the family, which apply to a candidate for a Queen’s cadetship, do not limit the nomination of Indian cadets. The expense of the education and maintenance of the latter is borne by Indian revenues.

REGULATIONS FOR ADMISSION, CLOTHING, BOOKS, PAYMENTS, ETC., 1867.

1. Candidates for vacancies at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, will be required to undergo an examination under the superintendence of the Council of Military Education. Examinations for this purpose will be held in June and December of each year, at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea.

2. Twenty Queen’s cadets will be borne on the establishment, being the sons of officers who have fallen in action, or have died of wounds received in action, or of diseases contracted on service abroad; and who have left their families in reduced circumstances. Fifteen will be sons of officers of the army, and five will be sons of officers of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines.

There will be, in addition, twenty Indian cadetships, for nomination to which the sons of persons will be selected who have served in India in the military or civil services of Her Majesty, or of the East India Company.

3. Candidates, whether for the infantry or the cavalry, must be between 16 and 19 years of age at the commencement of the term immediately succeeding their admission examination.

Terms commence on the 1st February and 1st August.

Students from the Universities will be admissible at the ages stated
in Art. 11 of these regulations.

4. Every candidate for admission must apply (if under age, through his parent or guardian) to the Commander-in-Chief, to have his name entered on the list of candidates.

5. He must transmit with his application the following documents, viz.: (_a_) An extract from the register of his baptism, or, in default of that, a declaration before a magistrate, made by one of his parents, giving his exact age. (_b_) A certificate, from the minister of the Church or denomination to which he belongs, of his having been duly instructed in the principles of the Christian religion.

6. His name having been placed upon the list of candidates, it will be open to him to offer himself at any of the half-yearly examinations which may occur while he is within the prescribed limits of age. If unsuccessful in obtaining one of the vacancies at the college, he will be allowed to present himself at any subsequent examination until he has exceeded the maximum age. After he has exceeded the maximum age, he can only be admitted into the army on obtaining a direct commission by purchase, in the usual manner, after passing a qualifying examination.

7. He will be examined by a medical officer, who will ascertain whether he is free from all bodily and organic defects, and whether, as far as regards physical constitution, he is in every point of view fit for military service.

8. The following will be the subjects of examination, but no candidate
will be allowed to be examined in more than _five_ of these subjects:

Marks.
Classics: Latin, 2,000; Greek, 1,600, 3,600
Mathematics, 3,600
English language, 1,200
Modern languages, each, 1,200
History, with geography, 1,200
Natural sciences (_i.e._, mineralogy and geology), 1,200
Experimental sciences (chemistry, heat, and electricity), 1,200
Geometrical drawing 600
Free-hand drawing 600

Of the above subjects, the elementary portions of mathematics and the
English language are obligatory on each candidate.

The following elementary branches will be included in the obligatory
section of mathematics, viz.:

In arithmetic: vulgar and decimal fractions, proportion, extraction of
the square root, and interest.

In algebra: fractions, simple equations, and questions producing them.

In Euclid: the first three books.

To these elementary branches 1,200 marks (out of the whole 3,600 for mathematics) will be allotted, and it will be necessary for qualification that at least 400 be obtained, of which 200 must be obtained in arithmetic.

In the English language 400 marks will be allotted to correct and legible writing from dictation, and to composition; and of these it will be necessary for qualification that 200 be obtained.

Out of the remaining subjects the candidate may select any three.

No candidate will be allowed to count the marks gained in any of the three voluntary subjects, unless amounting to one sixth of the whole number of marks allotted to that subject; and for qualification he will be required to obtain on his five subjects a total of 1,500 marks.

No marks will be allowed to count in any subject left optional to the candidate, unless he gain at least one sixth of the whole number allotted to that subject.

9. Every candidate will be required to forward to the Military Secretary, Horse Guards, one month before the examination, a statement of the subjects he desires to take up, as well as a certificate from the master or tutor under whom he has been educated, of his general moral conduct for at least the two preceding years. If a candidate has failed in a previous examination he will only be required to forward a list of the subjects he selects, and a certificate of conduct between the two examinations. These documents are under no circumstances to be transmitted before the date above specified.

10. After the examination the candidates will be reported to the Commander-in-Chief in the order of their merit, and will be appointed accordingly as far as vacancies will allow.

11. Candidates who have passed the examinations called “responsions” and “moderations” at the University of Oxford, or those called “previous examinations” at the Universities of Cambridge and Dublin, or the matriculation examination of the University of London; or any one of the three examinations required for the degree of M.A. at the Universities of St. Andrew’s and Glasgow; or the “class examination of the second year” (Curriculum of Arts) at the University of Aberdeen; or the “preliminary examination” at the University of Edinburgh; or the “first University examination” of Queen’s University, Ireland, will be considered as qualified for admission to the Royal Military College without further examination.

Candidates from the Universities must not be more than 21 years of age for the infantry, nor more than 23 years for the cavalry. They will be required to send to the Military Secretary, Horse Guards, two months before the commencement of the term at which they desire to enter, certificates from the responsible authorities of their college of general moral conduct during residence at the University, and of having passed the above-mentioned examinations, together with the certificate of age, as required by clause 5

Should the number of general candidates be considerably in excess of the number of vacancies at the college, a suitable portion of those vacancies will be offered to the University and to the competing candidates respectively.

12. Candidates for admission as Queen’s cadets must apply for a nomination to the Commander-in-Chief, if the sons of officers in the army; or to the First Lord of the Admirality, if the sons of officers in the Royal navy, or Royal marines. The above nominations will be made by the Commander-in-Chief or First Lord of the Admiralty, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State for War. The Secretary of State for India in Council will nominate to cadetships for the Indian services.

_Provision of Necessaries, Books, Contributions, etc._

13. Every gentleman cadet will receive from the Military Secretary a list of the articles of clothing, books, and instruments with which he must provide himself before joining the college, and which he will be required to keep complete during his residence.

Any other books, instruments, or drawing implements that he may subsequently require for the prosecution of his studies, will be provided at the college, and charged to his account.

14. The amount of contribution for education, board, washing, and
medical attendance, on account of each cadet, per annum, is as follows:

_a._ For sons of private gentlemen, £100
_b._ For sons of admirals, and general officers having
regiments or receiving Indian colonels’ allowances, 80
_c._ For sons of general officers, 70
_d._ For sons of captains and commanders of the Royal
navy, and field officers of the army having
substantive rank, 50
_e._ For sons of all officers of the royal navy and army
under the above rank, 40
_f._ For sons of officers of the royal navy and army who
have died in the service, and whose families are
proved to be left in pecuniary distress, 20
_g._ Queen’s cadets and cadets nominated by the Secretary
of State for India in Council, Free.

15. General officers on the non-effective list will pay according to
their last substantive rank.

Officers who have sold their commissions are, in this classification,
reckoned as private gentlemen.

The cases of officers who have retired voluntarily upon half-pay previous to having served twenty-five years on full pay will be specially considered.

Officers who retire on half-pay after twenty-five years’ service on full pay will be classified for payment with the rank in which they last served.

16. The orphans of officers whose claims do not come under classes _f_, and _g_, must contribute according to the substantive rank last held by their fathers.

17. For sons of officers who have retired on _full_ pay, the payments
will be according to the substantive rank last held by their fathers.

18. The sons of officers of civil departments having relative rank with officers of the army and navy, of the permanent militia staff, and of adjutants of the volunteer force, are admissible to the college on the same terms as those prescribed for the sons of army and navy officers of corresponding rank.

19. The sons of Indian naval and military officers not specially nominated by the Secretary of State for India will be admitted on the same terms as the sons of officers of the Queen’s service.

20. Contributions for the sons of professors at the Staff and Cadet Colleges, at the Royal Military Academy, and at the late Indian Colleges, Addiscombe, will be £50

For the sons of masters at the above institutions, 40

21. Any change which may take place by promotion or retirement in the rank of the father of a cadet must be immediately notified to the Military Secretary, in order that the contribution paid to the college on account of such cadet may be regulated accordingly.

22. _Previously_ to the admission of a cadet (not a Queen’s cadet) he, or if a minor, his parent or guardian, will be required to make the following payments, viz.:

1. His contribution for half a year.
2. The sum of 15_l._ for his first equipment of uniform clothing.
3. The sum of 10_s._ for the support of the company reading-rooms.
4. A deposit of 15_l._ on account, for contingent expenses.

23. The above sums are to be paid to the paymaster of the College.

24. For each succeeding half year the regulated contribution is in like manner to be paid in advance, to the paymaster of the college, to whom must also be remitted the sum of 5_l._ for the further provision of uniform clothing, and such sum as may be required to make up the contingent deposit to 15_l._ The amount of this balance will be shown by an account, rendered at the end of every half year, of the sums paid out of the deposit during the past term.

25. No cadet on whose behalf these regulations in regard to payments
have not been complied with, will be received at the college.

26. No refund of contribution will be made for any portion of the half year in which the cadet may be removed from the establishment, without the special sanction of the Secretary of State for War.

27. No payments will be required from Queen’s or Indian cadets.

28. If a cadet be rusticated during a term, his contribution for the
half year will be forfeited.

29. If absent a whole term in consequence of rustication or sickness, a contribution of 10_l._ will be required for the privilege of his name being kept on the rolls of the establishment, and for a vacancy being guaranteed at the commencement of the next term.

30. If absent from sickness during any portion of a term, a refund of
that portion applicable to subsistence will be permitted.

31. In the cases of cadets of the orphan class, whose annual contribution is only 20_l._, the amount to be paid when the absence extends over a whole term will be submitted to and determined by the Secretary of State.

32. Every gentleman cadet will be supplied with a weekly allowance of pocket money, at the discretion of the commandant of the college; but this allowance will not exceed 4_s._ 6_d._ a week for a gentleman cadet who is a responsible under officer, 4_s._ a week for a gentleman cadet who is an under officer, 3_s._ 6_d._ a week for a gentleman cadet who is a corporal, and 2_s._ 6_d._ a week for all other gentlemen cadets. The expense of this allowance will be defrayed out of the amount deposited for the purpose of meeting contingent expenses, and in the case of Queen’s or Indian cadets it will be borne by the public.

_Discipline._

33. All gentlemen cadets are subject to such rules and regulations as are, or may be from time to time, established for the maintenance of good order and discipline.

34. Every gentleman cadet will be liable to be removed from the college at any time should his conduct be such as to render it obvious that his remaining would be either hurtful to the institution or unprofitable to himself.

35. To every cadet will be assigned, at the commencement of each term,
100 marks for conduct.

From this number deductions will be made in certain authorized proportions for every offence which shall have been met by a punishment of more than two days’ drill.

Should the cadet forfeit more than three-fourths, or 75 of the above 100 marks, he will not be gazetted to his commission until all other gentlemen cadets of the same batch shall have been provided for; and should he lose all his marks for conduct he will be rusticated for one term.

36. Gentlemen cadets are strictly prohibited from contracting debts
with any publican or tradesman in the vicinity of the college.

37. No perquisites or presents of any kind are to be received by any person belonging to the college from either the gentlemen cadets or their friends.

38. Gentlemen cadets will not be allowed to remain at the college during the vacations without the special sanction of the Secretary of State for War, on satisfactory proof being shown that they have no friends in the United Kingdom to whom they could go. Payment of 1_l._ 1_s._ a week will be required in such cases from those who are not Queen’s cadets.

_Termination of the Course, and removal from the College._

39. The course of study is calculated for a residence of three terms, or 18 months, reckoned from the commencement of the term in which a gentleman cadet may join. It is open, however, for any cadet, who at the end of his first term shall have proved himself qualified for promotion at once to the third term classes, to compete for a commission without purchase, or to be examined for a commission by purchase, at the end of his second term; but no fourth term will be allowed on any plea but that of long continued sickness, in which case special application must be made to the Commander-in-Chief, accompanied by an opinion from the surgeon of the college.

Gentlemen cadets allowed a fourth term will not be permitted to
compete for commissions without purchase.

40. Examinations for commissions will be held periodically. The number of commissions to be given without purchase will be announced previously to the examination. These will be competed for and awarded to the candidates who are first in order of merit.

41. Candidates who have not succeeded in obtaining a place amongst those to whom commissions without purchase can be awarded, but who have obtained the minimum number of marks required for qualification, will be considered to have prior claims to all other candidates for commissions by purchase.

42. Queen’s and Indian cadets will receive commissions without purchase on passing the qualifying examination. The names of those who distinguish themselves equally with competitors for commissions without purchase will be published in the same lists with the latter.

43. In every case a certificate of conduct and proficiency in military and athletic exercises will be required from the governor of the college before a cadet can be examined for his commission.

44. Any gentleman cadet desirous of entering the Royal Artillery or Royal Engineers will be permitted, if otherwise eligible, to offer himself as a candidate at any of the competitive examinations for admission into the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich; and his position at the Royal Military College will not be affected by his failure at such examination.

45. No gentleman cadet will be allowed to present himself at a direct commission examination during his residence at the Royal Military College.

46. No gentleman cadet is to be removed from the college without the permission of the Commander-in-Chief, obtained through the governor of the college. And when a parent or guardian intends to withdraw a cadet, or, if of age, the gentleman cadet intends to leave the college at the end of a term, at least six weeks’ notice of his intention is to be given to the governor. In default of such notice a quarter’s subscription must be paid.

_Miscellaneous._

47. The establishment for Queen’s cadets having been sanctioned by Parliament when the age of admission to the Royal Military College was from 13 to 15 years, it has been decided that in any case when the services of the father and the circumstances of his family are such as to constitute a claim, an addition of not more than 40_l._ a year to the “compassionate allowance” may, at the discretion of the Secretary of State for War, be allowed to a candidate who is over 13, to enable him to complete his preparatory education, as he is ineligible for immediate admission into the college in consequence of the minimum age of admission having been raised to 16.

48. It is desirable that every candidate who is under 21 years of age should, at his admission, be accompanied by his parent, guardian, or some other responsible person, to satisfy the requirements of the college on his behalf.

49. The responsible parent or guardian of every successful candidate, and the candidate himself, before he can be admitted as a cadet, will be required to sign respectively the following declarations:

_Declaration by Cadet._

“I ___________________, do hereby declare that I have attentively considered the regulations for admission to the Royal Military College, and I consent to abide by the same in every particular, as well as to observe and follow all such orders and directions as I shall from time to time receive from the governor, the commandant, or other officers or authorities of the Royal Military College. And I further hold myself bound to conform, in every respect, to Her Majesty’s regulations, and to the rules and discipline of the service.”

(Signature) _________________

_Declaration by the Parent or Guardian._

“I hereby declare that I consent to the admission of my (son or ward)
to the Royal Military College, on the foregoing conditions.”

(Signature) _______________

_Subjects of the Final Examination._

Max. allowed to count.
Min. allowed to count.
Min. required for Qualification.

50. Field fortification and elements of permanent fortification,
including preparatory course of practical geometry,
1,800 450 1,200
Military drawing and surveying,
1,800 450 1,200
Military history and geography,
1,800 450 1,200

Max. allowed to count.
Min. allowed to count.

Mathematics:
_First Section._--Arithmetic: algebra, up to simple equations;
Euclid, four books, use of logarithmic tables, elementary problems
in heights and distances, and mensuration,
1,200 300
_Second Section._--Euclid, Books V., VI., and XI. (propositions
1-20), higher algebra, plane trigonometry, and mensuration,
1,200 --
_Third Section._--Practical mechanics and hydrostatics,
1,200 --
Higher fortification,
600 300
French,
1,200 300
German,
1,200 300
Chemistry,
1,200 300
Geology,
1,200 300
Free-hand drawing,
600 150

In order to qualify for a commission, every gentleman cadet will be required to obtain 1,950 marks in the obligatory section of fortification, military drawing and surveying, military history, the first section of mathematics, and one foreign language; of which number of marks 1,300 must be gained in the three _military_ subjects before specified.

SUBJECTS AND COURSE OF INSTRUCTION.

The studies of the college are mathematics, fortification, military drawing and surveying, military history and geography, and one modern language (either French or German), which are obligatory on all cadets, and, in the final examination 1,950 marks (out of 5,400 required), with a certificate of proficiency in military and athletic exercises, are required to qualify for a commission. To these studies are added chemistry or physics, geology, and a second modern language.

For educational purposes, the cadet corps is divided into three companies, designated A, B, C, each company pursuing the same subjects at the same time, with a classification of members into sections, according to the results of the minor and term examinations. The minor examinations take place every six weeks, and the term examinations every six months, and the final examination at the close of the course, which occupies three terms of six months each. The final examination is conducted by examiners attached to the Council of Military Education. The final result, as bearing on a commission, is reached by adding the marks as determined by the average of the minor and term examinations, and the answers of the final examination.

The instruction is given in halls of study, of which there are 18, large enough to accommodate, each, 18 cadets, but generally occupied by 15. The lecture hall will accommodate 100 without crowding.

1. _Mathematics_, elementary for all sections, including arithmetic, algebra up to simple equations, euclid, the use of logarithmic tables, elementary problems in heights and distances, and mensuration; and higher in the third section, including trigonometry and practical mechanics and hydrostatics, occupies 21 hours a week during the entire residence. To this branch is assigned a professor, one senior master, and three other masters. To the highest proficiency in mathematics is assigned a maximum of 1,200 marks, and a minimum of 300 is allowed to count.

2. _Fortification_ includes field and the elements of permanent fortification, with a preparatory course of practical geometry. To this study, which occupies three hours every day, or 18 hours per week, are assigned six professors, and to the highest proficiency is awarded a maximum of 1,800 marks, with a minimum of 450. Field fortification is taught in the first two terms, plan drawing and practical work going on together. The cadets trace and execute portions of fieldworks, making and planting revetement, gabions, and fascines, and doing all but the heavy work, which is left to the sappers. They are also instructed in bridge making and in pontooning, and witness every species of work done in the hall, on the fortification ground.

3. _Military Surveying and Drawing_ occupy together 17 hours, under 12 professors. The cadets commence by drawing from copies, then from models, being in the meantime also taught the use of instruments; then in six weeks after joining the corps, they are taken out to triangulate with the prismatic compass and pacing, and traverse roads. The former practice with the theodilite and sextant has been abandoned, and the whole instruction has been concentrated on the art of field sketching as of more importance to an infantry officer. To the highest proficiency in this subject is given 1,800 marks, and a minimum of 450 is allowed to count in the final result. In the final examination the candidate for a commission must obtain at least 1,200 marks in the above subjects.

4. _Military History and Geography_ is under the charge of one professor and two instructors. The present course is to give instruction by lecture, in the organization and mode of action of the three arms, and explanation of the operation of the commissariat and transport department of an army, followed by a short and simple campaign. In the second half-year, two campaigns are selected, with a view to illustrate the generally received principles of tactics and strategy, and in the third half-year one campaign is thoroughly worked out in detail. The cadets take notes of the lecture, on which they are examined orally, and after the main propositions and facts are printed by the professor, a subsequent study and examination on the printed scheme is had. In this study the cadets draw plans of the theatre of war and of battles, showing the position of the opposing forces.

5. _Languages_, French and German,--the former with one professor and three masters, and the latter with one master. The usual course in either language is grammar, exercises, dictation, translation, and composition. To the highest proficiency in either, 1,200 marks are assigned, and a minimum of 300 is allowed. One of these languages is obligatory in the final examination, but the candidate can be examined in both. The cadets can change from one language to the other at the beginning of the term.

6. _Chemistry_ (including sound, heat, electricity, and magnetism) and _Geology_ (including mineralogy and physical geography) occupy each a half hour four days in the week, and employ part of the time of two professors.

7. _Freehand or Landscape Drawing_ receives two lessons per week, first from copies and models, and in the third term one lesson per week from nature. To the highest proficiency is assigned 600 marks, and a minimum of 150 is allowed.

8. _Military exercises_ enter into the programme for the day, and consist of gymnastics for the first term, gun-drill and riding (one lesson per week) in the second term, and two lessons in the last exercises for the third term. Parade and infantry drill occupy, in addition, half an hour before breakfast, and 50 minutes between the first and second period of study in the morning (9.30 and 10.50).

For qualification a cadet must obtain an aggregate of 1,200 marks out of 5,400 on the three military subjects, and a total aggregate of 1,950 of these. Similar proportions of marks must be obtained each term that the cadet may return in the following term.

RESULTS OF EXAMINATIONS.

Out of 2,399 admission examinations in eleven years, from 1858 to 1868, 444 were unsuccessful; and in the final examinations, in the same period, out of 1,726, 25 failed. The results of the examinations show better preparation from year to year.

EXPENDITURES.

The expenditures of the government, on account of the Military College, were as follows: for 1858-9, £27,969; for 1863-4, £39,690; for 1866-7, £36,416, exclusive of payments made by the cadets or by the Indian government, which, in 1866-67 was £4,237.

ROYAL MILITARY ACADEMY AT WOOLWICH.

HISTORICAL NOTICE.

The Military Academy at Woolwich was instituted by George II. in 1741, to give instruction to officers who served in the Artillery and Engineers. It began in a small room in a building at Woolwich, where the Board of Ordnance used occasionally to assemble, under the instruction of two masters, who lectured by rotation during four consecutive hours in three days of every week. At first only the officers of the single battalion composing the Artillery, and of the corps of Engineers, were required to attend. In the second year non-commissioned officers, and privates too, were at liberty to attend, and upon its close cadets, to the number of five to each company of artillery, resorted to the hall. Being sons of officers of the corps, and not in uniform or under military control, the cadets became an element of disorder, which led to a more systematic organization. In 1744, the cadets were clothed in uniform, and collected into a distinct company, under two officers, with a drum-major. By 1782, the number of cadets had increased from twenty to sixty, and in 1798, to one hundred,--boarding with their families. In the last year arrangements were made to lodge and board the cadets by allowing 2_s._ a day per head, until by degrees, in 1857, an imposing pile of buildings had been erected, and the establishment for government and instruction consisted of 18 officers on the military staff, and some fifty professors and masters in the civil and educational corps.

REGULATIONS FOR ADMISSION.

Previously to the year 1855 admission to the Royal Military Academy could only be obtained by a nomination from the Master-General of the Ordnance. The limits of age for admission were at that time from 14 to 16, and the candidates nominated were required to pass an entrance examination before the professors of the Academy, which varied somewhat according to the age of the individual. A certain number of the candidates previously passed though the preparatory school at Carshalton, admission to which was equally obtained by nomination from the Master-General of the Ordnance, and were transferred to the Academy on passing an examination similar to that required from those who entered the latter establishment direct. The term of residence at the Academy varied, according to the progress of a cadet, from two to four years.

The inability of the Academy to meet the demand for officers for the Artillery and Engineers created by the Crimean war, led to the introduction of a new system of obtaining commissions in the scientific corps. At first a limited number of nominations were placed in the hands of the head masters of the great public schools of the country, and the candidates nominated by them were appointed to provisional commissions on passing an examination at Woolwich; but after a short time the principle of open competition for admission to the Artillery and Engineers was adopted, in 1855, by Lord Panmure, when Secretary of State for War. Simultaneously with this change--the first recognition of the competitive principle in regard to military education in this country--a great alteration was made in the limits of age for admission to the scientific corps. Both direct appointments to commissions in the Artillery and Engineers, without any previous special instruction, and admissions to the senior or practical class at the Academy, without passing through the lower or theoretical classes at that institution, were thrown open to public competition among all natural-born subjects of Her Majesty. The limits of age for candidates for the direct appointments were from 19 to 21. Those who were successful were in the first instance to receive provisional commissions, and to be placed for instruction under the Director of Artillery Studies, at Woolwich, for a period of about six months, at the end of which they were to be permanently commissioned. Candidates for admission to the practical class at the Academy were required to be between the ages of 17 and 19; those admitted were to remain in the practical class for six or eight months, after which, on passing an examination, they were to receive commissions in the Artillery or Engineers. The first competitive examination under this system (the regulations for which will be found below) was held in August, 1855, and was conducted by a body of examiners specially appointed for the purpose, under the direction of Canon Moseley. The examination for both classes of appointments thrown open to competition was the same, and was based on the general education of the country, the object being merely to compare the abilities and attainments of the candidates without reference to special professional knowledge. Two other similar examinations, both for provisional commissions and for admission to the practical class, were held in January and June, 1856, the only difference being that the limits of age of the candidates were somewhat extended, and that in these later examinations no commissions in the _Engineers_ were offered to competition.

On the conclusion of the Crimean war, however, the system of appointing officers directly from civil life to commissions in the scientific corps, as well as that of admitting candidates to the practical class at the Academy, which had been adopted to meet the pressure of the war, came to an end. No other examination after that in June, 1856, was held for a year; but in June, 1857, the first competitive examination for admission to the ordinary course of instruction at the Academy took place. The limits of age for admission were fixed at 17 to 20, and it was announced that the successful candidates would remain under instruction at the Academy “until sufficiently advanced in scientific knowledge to pass a satisfactory examination.”

Since this period open competitive examinations have been held regularly every six months for admission to the Academy; and though various modifications in their details have been made, their general character remains little altered. The limits of age for candidates, originally placed at 17 to 20, were, however, in 1862, reduced to 16 to 19, at which they are at present fixed.

The examinations for admission to the Academy, like those which had previously been held for provisional commissions and for appointments to the practical class, were at first conducted by Canon Moseley and a special Board of Examiners appointed by the Secretary of State for War, with whom the general management of the Academy, after the abolition of the office of Master-General of the Ordnance, remained. In 1858, however, the superintendence of the system of instruction at Woolwich was transferred to the Council of Military Education, who, since July, 1859, have conducted the examinations.

Although the principle of open competition for appointments in the scientific corps was first recognized in 1855, and in 1857 was extended generally to admission to the ordinary course of instruction at the Academy, yet the system of competitive examination did not become the sole and universal means of admission to Woolwich until the year 1861. Time was required to clear off the vested interests of candidates who had been placed on the old nomination list of the Master-General of the Ordnance; of youths who had been admitted to the preparatory school at Carshalton; of cadets who, at the time of the proposed amalgamation of Sandhurst and Woolwich, had obtained admission to the former institution on the understanding that they would have the opportunity of obtaining commissions in the Artillery and Engineers; and, lastly, of cadets at the Indian Military College at Addiscombe, who, on the abolition of the local Indian army, were transferred to Woolwich before receiving commissions in the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers.

Out of 3,085 admission examinations in eleven years, from 1858 to 1868, more than one-half (2,136) failed. Of those who entered after this trial, in the same length of time, only three failed to pass the final examination.

STAFF OF GOVERNMENT AND INSTRUCTION.

_President._--Duke of Cambridge, K.G.
_Governor._--Major General J. L. A. Simmons, K.C.B.
_Secretary and Treasurer._--Bt. Major E. J. Bruce, R.Art.
_Professor of Mathematics._--M. W. Crofton, B.A., and five masters.
_Professor of Fortification._--Lt. Col. J. J. Wilson.
_Instructors._--Major W. J. Stuart, and three others.
_Professor of Military History._--Capt. H. Brackenburg, R.Art.
_Professor of Military Drawing._--Lt. Col. A. W. Drayson.
_Landscape Drawing._--William Clifton.
_Professor of Artillery._--Lt. Col. C. H. Owen, and five masters.
_Professor of Practical Geometry._--T. Bradley, and two masters.
_Professor of German._--C. H. Schaible, and two masters.
_Professor of French._--Theodore Karcher, and two masters.
_Professor of Chemistry._--C. L. Bloxham.
_Chaplain and Classical Instructor._--Rev. W. F. Short.

EXPENDITURE FOR MILITARY ACADEMY AT WOOLWICH:

In 1858, £27,969; in 1861-62, £25,188; in 1866-67, £36,416,--exclusive
of payments made by the cadets.

REGULATIONS FOR ADMISSION.

N.B.--All candidates for commissions in the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers are required to go through a course of instruction at the Royal Military Academy.

I. Competitive examinations for admission are held in London twice a year, in January and July. They are conducted by examiners appointed for the purpose, in the presence and under the superintendence of the Council of Military Education.

The candidates must be between 16 and 19 years of age.

II. The admissions will be determined by the result of the
examination, the subjects of which will be as follows, viz.:

Marks.
1. Mathematics
{ Pure
{ { Section I. Arithmetic, algebra, Euclid,
{ { plane trigonometry, 2,000 }
{ { Section II. Spherical trignometry, elements of
{ { co-ordinate geometry, and of the differential
{ { and integral calculus, 500 }
{ Mixed: Statics, dynamics, and hydrostatics, 1,000 } 3,500
2. English language and composition, 1,000
3. History of England, its dependencies and colonies, 1,000
4. Geography (modern), 1,000
5. Classics { Latin language, 1,500
{ Greek do., 1,500
6. French language, 1,000
7. German do., 1,000
8. Hindustani do., 1,000

The examination in French, German, and Hindustani, will include
writing from dictation.

9. Experimental sciences, _i.e._, chemistry, heat,
electricity, magnetism, 1,000

10. Natural sciences, _i.e._, mineralogy and geology, 1,000

11. Drawing { Free-hand drawing of machinery, architectural,
{ topographical, landscape or figure subjects, 1,000

Every candidate must qualify in geometrical drawing; _i.e._, drawing in ink, with accuracy, neatness, and to scale, the several problems of Euclid. The standard of qualification in this subject is 100 marks, which must be gained, out of a maximum of 300 nominally assigned to it. But the marks so gained will not count toward the general aggregate.

III. No candidate will be allowed to be examined in more than five subjects, of which one must be mathematics, and no one who does not obtain at least 700 marks in section I. of pure mathematics, will be eligible for an appointment.

From the other subjects of examination, to which marks are assigned as above, each candidate may select any, not exceeding four in number, in which he desires to be examined. The rules for counting marks in such subjects are as follows:

In all subjects carrying marks, except the 1st section of mathematics, in which 700 marks are required, one-sixth of the number allotted to each must be gained before they can be allowed to count.

In classics, the subject is divided into two sections as above, either or both of which the candidate may take up as one subject; but he will not be allowed to count the marks gained in either section unless they amount to one-sixth of the number allotted to it.

In either _French_, _German_, or _Hindustani_, every candidate will be required to obtain for qualification one-sixth of the maximum of marks, whether he takes it up as a subject in which he desires to compete or not.

It should be understood that, although only a small qualifying test has been imposed in respect to modern languages, a knowledge of them on admission will contribute greatly to a candidate’s future success at the Royal Military Academy.

IV. The candidates are allowed to answer as many questions as the time
allotted to the subject will permit.

V. No candidate will be admitted unless he obtain an aggregate of at
least 2,500 marks.

VI. The successful candidates will remain under instruction for about two years and a half, or until they are sufficiently advanced in scientific knowledge to pass a satisfactory examination, and they will then be qualified to receive commissions in the Royal Artillery or Royal Engineers. If, however, they should be found unable to qualify themselves within three years in their professional studies, or to acquire a sufficient proficiency in military exercises, or if at any time, by failure at the half-yearly examinations, it should appear improbable that they will ultimately succeed in qualifying for a commission, they will be removed. Further, every cadet will be liable to be removed temporarily or permanently on the commission of any of those offences to which such penalty is awarded by the regulations of the Royal Military Academy.

VII. Each cadet on joining will be required to pay a sum of 25_l._ to cover the expense of uniform, books, etc., and to bring with him the articles of clothing of which he will receive notice, and which must afterward be kept up at his own expense. He will also be required to pay a contribution of 62_l._ 10_s._, payable in advance, for each half year of the time during which he remains under instruction; and a deposit of 5_l._ into the hands of the paymaster on account, for contingent expenses, which latter sum he will be required to make up on returning to the Royal Military Academy after each vacation, to cover any unavoidable expense that may be incurred on his account during the ensuing half year.

The annual contributions, however, for sons and orphans of naval and military officers will be regulated at the following rates, as heretofore:

For sons of admirals and of generals having regiments, £80
For sons of generals without regiments, 70
For sons of captains and commanders of the navy,
and of colonels and regimental field officers of the army, 60
For sons of all officers of the army and navy under
the above ranks, 40
For sons of all officers of the army and navy who have died
in the service, and whose families are proved to be left
in pecuniary distress, 20

The sons of general officers who are paid only on their commissions as field officers will pay the same contributions as the sons of field officers.

Officers who have sold their commissions are in this classification
reckoned as private gentlemen.

The cases of officers who have retired voluntarily upon half pay previous to having served 25 years on full pay will be specially considered.

Officers who retire on half pay after 25 years’ service on full pay will be entitled to be classified for payment with the rank they last served in.

The sons of officers of the civil departments of the army and navy, of officers of the permanent Militia Staff, and of adjutants of the Volunteer Force, are admissible to the Academy upon the same terms as those prescribed for naval and military officers.

The sons of Indian naval and military officers will be admitted on the
same terms as the sons of officers of the Queen’s service.

The sons of professors at the Staff and Royal Military
Colleges, at the Royal Military Academy, and at the
Royal Military College, Addiscombe, £60
The sons of masters at the above institutions, 40

If a cadet be absent a whole term in consequence of sickness or rustication, a payment of 10_l._ will be required for the privilege of his name being kept on the rolls of the establishment, and for a vacancy being guaranteed at the commencement of the next term.

If a cadet be absent from sickness during a portion of the term, his pay will continue to be issued and credited to his account; but no refund of the contribution will be permitted.

If rusticated during a term, the daily pay will cease from the date on which the cadet is sent away, and the contribution made for the half year will be forfeited.

In the case of a cadet of the orphan class, whose annual contribution is only 20_l._, the amount to be paid when absence extends over a whole term is to be determined by the Secretary of State.

VIII. Any gentleman who wishes to present himself at one of the half-yearly examinations must send in his name to the military secretary at the Horse Guards one month before the time of examination, forwarding with his application to be noted the following papers:

1st. An extract from the register of his baptism, or, in default of that, a declaration before a magistrate, made by one of his parents, giving his exact age.

2d. A certificate of good moral character, signed by a clergyman of the parish to which he belongs, and by the tutor or head of the school or college at which he has received his education for at least the two preceding years, or such other proof of good moral character as will be satisfactory to the Commander-in-Chief.

3d. A statement of the subjects of examination in which (in addition
to mathematics) he may desire to be examined.

A candidate who has been examined before, when he applies for leave to present himself again, will only be required to forward the list of subjects he selects, and a certificate from his tutor or the head of his school, etc., for the interval between the two examinations.

IX. The candidates will be inspected by military surgeons on the first day of the examination, in order that it may be ascertained that they are free from any bodily defects or ailments calculated to interfere with the performance of military duties.

Extreme short-sight, or any serious defect of vision, is regarded as a
disqualification.

The responsible parent or guardian of every successful candidate, and the candidate himself, before he can be admitted as a cadet, are required to sign, respectively, obligations to conform to the regulations.

SUBJECTS AND STAFF OF INSTRUCTION.

For instruction the Cadets are divided into five classes of equal strength, according to length of residence; forty-four in the first four classes, and forty-six in the junior. The subjects are:

1. Mathematics, under a professor and four instructors, is studied in three classes, and the final examination is held after a residence of a year and a half, with a maximum of 6,800 marks in all.

2. Fortification, under a professor and four instructors, is studied in four classes. The final examination is in the last class, and the maximum of marks attainable in all is 6,300.

3. Artillery, under a professor and three instructors, is studied in two classes; the second and first, and the final examination, is in the first, with a maximum of 6,200 marks.

4. Surveying and topographical drawing, under a professor and four instructors, is studied in all the classes, and the final examination is at the completion of the course, with a total of 4,200 marks.

5. Practical Geometry, under a professor and two instructors, is studied in two classes, and the final examination is at the close of the first year, with an aggregate of 2,100 marks.

6. Mechanics and Natural Philosophy, under one professor, are studied in the last two terms, and the final examination is in the last, with a maximum of 1,600 marks in the former, and 900 in the latter.

7. French and German are studied, each under a professor and two instructors, for four terms, and after the final examination in the second class. The total marks in each is 1,500. Hindustani can be substituted for German.

8. Landscape Drawing, under two instructors, is studied in three classes, and the final examination is in the third class, with a maximum of 1,500 marks.

9. Military History is taught by one professor in the last two terms, and has a maximum of 2,000 marks.

10. Chemistry, under one lecturer, is taught in the last term, and receives a total of 1,200 marks.

11. Gymnastics, drill, and riding are taught as follows: Regular gymnastic instruction is conducted by a superintendent and three sergeants, for at least six months, and practised through all the terms. Artillery drill, with gun, sword, and other military drill and tactics, are conducted partly by military officers and partly by the professors and instructors of artillery. Riding drill is conducted under the officers of the Royal Artillery, in the last two terms, and is practised four or five hours a week. Swimming is taught optionally.

12. Recreations and amusements are optional and at the expense of the Cadets. Workshops are maintained by the government, but tools and materials are furnished at the expense of the Cadets. There are two reading rooms.

SCHOOL PREPARATION FOR WOOLWICH.

From the returns and evidence furnished, it is an extremely rare occurrence for a candidate to go up direct from a public school which does not possess a Modern Department to the examination for admission to Woolwich. Out of 855 candidates admitted to Woolwich in 10 years--from 1858 to 1867--the six public schools of Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Winchester, Westminster, and Shrewsbury, only sent up five direct. Colonel Addison states that at Sandhurst, out of 320 admissions during the last two years, there have been only 16 from the nine schools mentioned in the Report of the Royal Commission on Public Schools; but from Cheltenham and Wellington College the admissions have been more numerous. Even for the direct commission examination, those who present themselves from public schools (including Cheltenham and Marlborough, where Modern Departments exist), without seeking the assistance of a private tutor, scarcely amount to five per cent. of the whole number of candidates. At the same time, it may be observed that the proportion of failures among such candidates in the latter examination is comparatively slight, not amounting to more than 8 per cent., while the average number of failures among the candidates generally during the last four years has been very nearly 25 per cent. In fact, the general tenor of the evidence goes to show that, in the case of the examinations both for direct commissions and for admission to Sandhurst, there is, or at least should be, no necessity for candidates who have had the ordinary education of a classical public school to have recourse to private tuition. The Woolwich examination appears generally to be regarded in a different light. Its higher and more special character, and the great importance attached to mathematics, coupled with the competition which exists for it, render it apparently doubtful whether success would generally be obtained by candidates from public schools--other than those where, like Cheltenham, instruction is given with a particular view to this examination--without a special preparatory tuition.

The general character of the “Modern Side” at Harrow, which was established in September of 1869, “for the benefit of boys for whom, from various causes, an advanced classical training seems undesirable,” is explained as follows in a circular issued by the Head-Master when announcing the intention of adopting the institution:

The principal subjects of instruction on the “Modern Side” will be mathematics, French, German, Latin, history, English literature, and physical science.

The requirements of boys not intended for the Universities will be specially kept in view, including the case of those who are candidates for Woolwich or the Indian Civil Service. It is hoped that this provision may obviate the supposed necessity for removing boys to a private tutor’s precisely at an age when the influences of public school life are most powerful and most salutary.

Except for purposes of instruction there will be no distinction
whatever between boys on the Modern Side and boys on the Classical Side.

No boy will, for the present, be admitted to the Modern Side unless he has been in the school for at least a year, and has hitherto shown diligence and made fair progress.