RETRENCHMENT-MILITARY ACADEMY AT SAND HURST.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SPECTATOR.
Calais, 20th December 1833.
• Sin-As the reduction of the Military Expenditure has been advo- cated frequently in your widely circulated Journal, allow me to mention some departments in which considerable savings might be made, with- out doing the slightest injury to the service. The _first is the Mili- tary Academy at Sandhurst. If all our officers received an education there, the annual charge of the Academy would be well expended : but, instead of all of them receiving instruction, only a very few do so ; while the remainder enter the Army in a state of perfect ignorance respecting military matted. Those youths, too, who have been educated at Sandhurst, feeling a sort of superiority over all other candidates for commissions, are in general very untractable on joining their regiments, thinking that they must know more than any of their seniors. Indeed, most commanding officers have a great dislike to the students from the Academy, knowing them from experience to be little better than con- ceited puppies. Now, Sir would it not be much better to require all candidates for cornetcies and ensigncies to be so prepared as to be able to pass a suitable examination? .Midshipmen are examined before they are considered qualified to become Lieutenants in the Navy: so that an examination before receiving a commission would be no novelty, being actually in use at present. If all candidates for the Army were re- quired to come properly instructed, military preceptors, gm. would soon start up all over the kingdom ; and so all our officers-be properly prepared, without the public being at a shilling of expense. Whereas, by the present system, the public pay a large sum for the instruction of a few officers-while all the rest know nothing. Merchants' clerks have no college for their education ; yet youth destined for that em- ploy, final no difficulty in learning all which is required to fit them for it, and at their own expense. On applying for an appointment in a counting-house, they are questioned and examined as to their qualifica- tions; and, knowing beforehand that they can have no chance of an appointment Unless duly instructed, they of course take good care to find proper instructors. Just the same would be the case as regards candidates for the Axmy, if the alteration which I have recommended. were adopted.
In my next communication, I shall take the liberty of troubling you with some suggestions for economy in the Barrack Department, and afterwards in a few others. In the mean time Mr. Editor, I must beg to subscribe myself, Your very obedient servant,
BRITANNICOS.
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