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nmn . T ^ T c LONDON SCHOOLS
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because they are faithful , active , and exceedingly able public servants ; . ' ¦ .. ¦ , . . This avoidance of party considerations m the present Ministry has not entirel y spared it some kind . of -pressure --from- the opposite side , and the commission on the reorganisation of the military force in India is one of the special objects of this pressure . The representative of the Whig party in the pres 3 , although writing with great courtesy and some real forbearance , undoubtedly allows us to perceive that efforts will be made to prevent any considerable reduction of the large European force in India : —
while the peasantry did not feel that their new rulers had brought blessings into the land ;—hence there was discontent , Meanwhile , too , the army of Bengal , officered by Europeans who did not associate with the men , and often did not "know their language , ' was composed of Brahmins and other high castes , who were organised together , and taught European discipline , and yet allowed to retain their exclusive sense of their own importance . The whole army of Oude , just new from contestation with the British Government , and known to be very questionable in spirit , very mutinous in temper ,
was added in the lump to the Bengal army . Uius our officials in India supplied weapons for the very numerous classes of high caste and Mussulman nobles Whose interests were opposed to our own . Bat throughout there was no appearance of a general sympathy among the peasantry with the classes above them . During the war the Europeans have found no difficulty in obtaining provisions or carriage , while in some places , as in Oude , the peasantry have looked on , evincing little interest for cither side , in some cases almost positively
inclining to the side of the British as the more powerful and better paymasters . These considerations are quite enough to show that there are abundant materials for a native force in India which would not be subject to the influences that led off the late Bengal army . It is , therefore , as we have already said , unnecessary to maintain a great European garrison , as it is most impolitic on political " rounds , and simply impossible on the ground of finance .
There must be some reasons why a course supported on such very imperfect grounds , and ^ condemned by sucli very powerful considerations , should nevertheless receive active and eager support ; why it should be favoured by adherents of the late Government , and no doubt by some of the permanent stall' under ( he present Government . Nor need we dive into the depths of the ocean or the centre of the earth to find the motives which dictate this counsel . Speaking generally , it may be said that the average ¦ mind at the Horse Guards is
chiefly impressed with the wisdom of keeping up a large force and of placing it under such circumstances as secure the greatest probability of active service with the cast chance of reductions . The permanent departments , therefore , would naturally be inclined to advise the maintenance of a large force in India ; but the military departments arc not isolated from the rest of " society . On the contrary , they are connected , and extensively connected , by the closest ties , with some of the most influential classes , — the better born , the landed gentry , and the wealthier portion of the trading community . Now these are the classes which powerfully contribute to get up
'parliamentary support , and the late Government unqucstionaljly received no small portion of its political influence from the co-operation of similar classes . It is easy , therefore , to perceive the reasons why attempts should be made in some liberal quarters to promote sectional interests and to obstruct the present Ministry in its disregard of party or personal considerations , and in its exclusive attention to the public service . It is not likely , however , that there will be any great contest upon the subject . If the commissioners do their dutyat all events if Lord Stanley and his colleagues do theirs' —laying the true facts of the case before ^ the public , the proper course will present itself in a form so direct and simple that it must ; equally ^ command the assent of the executive and of the nation .
We have at present , or shall have before the end of the year , a European force of about 80 , 000 men , and a native army numbering 150 , 000 , the latter consisting of about 60 , 000 belonging to the Madras , and 55 , 000 to the Bombay Presidencies , while nearly the whole of the remaining 35 , 000 consist of the Sikh regiments raised by Sir John Lawrence . We presume that the number of Europeans cannot be very greatly reduced without running another risk which it would be little short of insanity to encounter . Nor is there any real reason for apprehending that in ordinary times we shall be able to keep up the supply . Considerably less than half the number of recruits raised since the 1 st of September , 1857 , will suffice annually . As regards the native force , it will probably be found sufficient to maintain a
force something like that now existing in Bengal for the ordinary duties which must be discharged by natives , while the Bombay and Madras native armies may be substantially reduced in consideration of the increased number of Europeans available . One arm of the service , the Artillery , we confidently expect -will , solely consist of Europeans , and the Royal Artillery can be increased for the purpose , in a manner to give an additional feeling of security in an imperial sense . I'lie expense of European troops is of course much greater than that of natives ; but'with an army composed of , say 70 , 000 of the . former , and twice that number of the latter , the entire cost would not be greater than before ; while , especially with the development of railways , the work would be done as efficiently as wheu the Bengal Army were faithful .
Now , the grand question before the commission is this- —Shall the " . army , the military force by which order is to be maintained in India , consist of Europeans or of natives ? It is scarcely necessary to repeat , however rapidly , the reasons why a large European force should not be admitted as a permanent institution inlndia . The expense alone would be enough to tell us that it cannot be so , and that if we adopt any policy on such assumption , that policy must necessarily be abandoned , if not reversed , at no distant day . The English tax-payer will insist upon India ' s being self-guarding as well as self-supporting—indeed , the one is involved in
the other . There are other reasons of a still higher and not less practical kind . A European garrison of immense proportions can only be maintained in India at the expense of India , an object of dislike on account of it , s cost as well us of its alien character , and it would be a confession that the Government cannot hold the empire through the willing submission of the inhabitants . Such a policy , in fact , would be to prolong the present contest ; and since the alien force must be withdrawn , or at least reduced , some day , the reduction would bo then apparently present na opportunity for native ambition to revive and to attempt the recovery of
the country . On the highest policy , therefore , we must seriously condemn any attempt to retain India by a gigantic European garrison . The converse of these reasons is equally powerful : there is no necessity for such a course . The most consistent obsprycrs of , . J . ndia hayp , remarked ., n striking peculiarity in the intrigues which preceded the mutiny , in . the mutiny itself , and even in the subsequent disorders , widely extended as they have become . Those who agitated against us were—the high castes , those races which likq ourselves arc intruders in India , the Brahmins , and the Maho medans . Tlio Mahomcdans are the adherents of
many of thoso princes who have been deposed in the process of annexation . Tho Brahmins arc not onl y angry at the removal of jmst privileges , but ; m the cxtonsion of Christianity they apprehend a further encroachment on their rights , JJl ^ JffiiW ^^ cioty . Ihoreworo moroprooiso and practical reasons why both parties wove lately called into nolivity . On tho annexation of Oudo mid other stales the displuccd prmocs havo been added to tho number of intriguers . Meanwhile , by tho bungling of officials in that central ' province , the native nobles , who might have been so easily conciliated after the oppressive rule of tho king , wero taught to doubt whothor tho English would bo niovo oonsidcmtc .
Nmn . T ^ T C London Schools
non-street . The school is literally buried among warehouses arid buildings , and its location is about the most unsuitable and unwholesome for boys that could possibly be devised . No doubt when the school was first built the situation was more open . It is the exigencies of commerce that have gradually blocked out light and air : from , the puny and palefaced students of Merchant Taylors ' . But there are other special objections to Suffolk-lane . Recently a tradesman has erected a building half a dozen , stories in height in Suffolk-lane , which completely overshadows the school , and adds materially to the unhealthiness of the spot . Then there is an
enormous depot of combustibles in close proximity to the school ^ which may , at any given moment , blow the whole of the neighbourhood into the air ; but the civic authorities , although apprised of the danger , have failed to exercise their power properly , or if they have exercised it , have stopped short of doing effectual good . But our objections to Merchant Taylors' are of a graver kind than that of improper locality . We consider that the boys who are sent to Merchant Taylors' receive at best a very imperfect education , and that their studies are directed mainly into chanr
nels which are wholly unsuited to commercial or industrial life . We apprehend that the name of the school sufficiently indicates its purpose , and also the class of youth which the founder proposed should be speciaHy benefited . The routine of education was intended to be principally commercial , not classical , and the boys to be educated sons of tradesmen of moderate means . We do not desire to take exception to the class of pupils generally who obtain presentations , but even m this direction some alteration is needed and some
rule required to be laid down which shall obviate favoritism and serve to assist the application of qualified boys , but boys who have no City or Committee influence . We have said we object to the system of education—we go further , we say that the number and qualifications of masters and assistants- are inadequate to carry out perfectly the educational routine which is professed to be imparted at Merchant Taylors' School . Little or no instruction is given in writing , insufficient instruction is given in common arithmetic , and with reference to that kind of information which is useful and indispensable in the common walks of life—such as grammar , history , geography , &c . —the scholars may pick it up as best they can . Then we come to classics and mathematics . With respect to the first ,
the principal efforts of the higher masters appear to bo directed towards turning out classical scholars This we think a very great error ; without undervaluing classical knowledge , we may ask of what real use can be the crude stock of Latin , Greek , and Hebrew which tradesmen ' s sons , when they are supposed to have finished their education at Merchant Taylors' at eighteen or nineteen * assuming that they do not go to college , bring away with them , in enabling them to earn their own substance , ' or to give assistance to their parents in their various business callings ? We very much doubt whether a single youth who finds his way to college from Merchant Taylors' does so entirely on the merits of the education he derives from the school teachinsr . We think we shall not be very far
out if we assert that ninetcen-twentietbs of the successful competitors for a Merchant Taylors' scholarship have been " coached" " crammed" out of school . JFrom our own personal knowledge we aro enabled to assert that several boys , whose parents entertain the idea of sending-their sons to college ,, should a Merchant Taylors' scholarship be attainable , have at present the benefit of classical and mathematical preceptors out of school and out of school hours—it being found that the amount of knowledge acquired in tho ordinary way in these indispensable branches of university training without this extraneous aid would bo quite insufficient to enablo them to acquire 1 such a
LONDON SCHOOLS . The public schools of London arc attracting attention , and the sanitary question is being battled vigorously . Christ Church , St . Paul ' s , and Ohnrtcr-houso have their opponents and defeudors , and tho victory yet remains doubtful . , But Merchant Taylors ' , which combines all the ovils of tho other three wil . h some of its own , has hardly obtained that , share of notice which tho importance of tho ^ irbjwtrdornrmT ! 3 r ^ W hoard of Merchant Taylors' School , but we dare venture to say , if tho two and a half millions of this metropolis were fairly polled , that not above one in . a hundred would bo able to point out tho exact locality . Well , then , wo wftl ondcavour to enlighten tho darkness of tho public . Merchant Taylors' is in a kind of blind street , called Suftbjkhuio , quo end running into Thaiucs-stroct , tho other into a sort of by-passage , which abuts upon
Canstanding as would give them a chance of being sent to college . Now this " coaching and cramming * " whether tho work of tho masters who take boarders , or of private professors engaged specially foTTh ' oWvWw'CT and wo aro of opinion that it is the duty ol tho committee to look into tho matter without doJuy . Porhaps ono main oausc of the defective teaching is referable to tho mode of electing tbo masters . Wo believe tho majority of the masters of Marchant Taylors' School have boon Merchant lajlois boys . It nifty bo very well to give encouragement to excellence in scholars reared on the foundatw ; but then there is this inevitable disadvantage—( he
Untitled Article
No . 4 . 4 . 2 September 11 , 1858 . 1 THE [ LEADER . 937 _
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 11, 1858, page 937, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2259/page/17/
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