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should come to us from such men Ai Professor Biaokie and Sir John Burgoyne . The latter officer is distingaistted amongst our military men for a most thorough mastery of all the varied branches of his profession , and is possibly of all our generals the one who knows best the varied works , ancient or modern , in our own and foreign , languages , on the art of war . Yet he is eminent for hjs opinions against any high standard of examinations for Staff appointments . Has the use of his learning been to show its comparative uselessness ?
We wish to give especial prominence to Professor Blackie ' s suggestion , that candidates for the public service should be tested not simply in what they know , but in what they can do . " We urged this in our recent article on the Civil Service Commissioners' report . The present examinations for the home and Indian civil service are , in the main , as absurd and unsuitable as if in testing physical activity you accepted the certificate of the director of a gymnasium in lieu of an actual trial of the boy s own Iimb 3 , or asked him to describe the course of exercise instead of finding out by experiment whether he had profited by the training . We urged that this principle of an examination in ' doing' instead of 'knowing' should be applied to mental tests ; but Professor Blackie wishes to extend the principle , and to apply it to physical education . He asks : —
u Why should not a vigorous youth , who is a first-rate fencer or quoit-thrower , or -who has come in first in the boat-race on the Cam or the Isis , not receive a mark of 300 in his favour as -well as a man who can spell his way through a page of Cicero or Schiller ? Why should a . good elocutionist be held in no account before an examination board ? Why should music be ignored ? Why the elegant and useful accomplishment of the draughtsman ?" This is a very natural question . We all know that the value of our public schools and universities is not the mere book knowledge crammed into the head of the boy , but the manliness and
selfreliance indirectly instilled by association with , boys of his own age in the school-room , the cricket-field , and on the river The magnetic influence of a hundred boys overflowing with animal spirits , the contagion of a competition in everything , does more to develop the power of the future man than any reading , lecturing , or cramming . In all the recent competitive examinations the most unsuccessful candidates have been the pupils of private tutors ; and this although the examinations have been conducted mainly to favour mere bookish superiority , showin g that the free and manl y life of large schools communicates indirectly an ability which mere
cramming cannot confer . Professor Blackie wishes to stamp direct approval on this unorganized part of English education . As applied to ordinary civil service examinations we see omections to the proposal . In commenting on the Civil Service Commissioners' report , we objected to any test not bearing on the work to be done in the office . The junior clerks in Somerset House , or Downing-street , or Whitehall , may , in their hours ( ten to four ) of p layful leisure , indulge in leap-frog over desks , caricatures of their grim seniors , or even subdued whistling , for ' want of thought ; ' but this is extra work , and we cannot approve of any marks given to candidates on
account of music , sketching , or physical activity . But there is just now a special opportunity for tho reform the Professor pi * esscs on . our attention . The oivil and military services of India rcquiro yearly a supply of our best young men . The civil service is open to competition , and the great difficulty with tho new India bill ia the military patronage . If left to the Crown , even iu part , it offers a new moans of corrupting tho Commons ; and by giving it to Councillors , it offers to private persons an instrument of irresponsible- nepotism . Why not throw it open , together with tho civil Bervico , to an honost competition frco to every youna : man of coocl character— -a competition not
merel y as to bookish knowledge , but as to all tho qualities that would bo useful for servico in . India P Out of twont y young men anxious to servo in India , wo rcquiro and . should select—not tho uaoro lingwiftt , 4 io , tjho inau . ljoat 4 » -G 1 tcGk , ^ j ) iot ., tli , q , . JTia . i > .-bo 3 t m mathematics , not tho' stroke our of tho craok university boat , not tho boat horsoman , nor tho winner of a swimming matoh—but tho young man ¦ who , take him for all m all , is the most litting for the work to bo done . A man . possessing a fair kno wledge of tho usual branches pt lourning , and also able to rido , swim , row , mnko rough , U ' ulUl ' ul sketches , and composo a good lettor , is tho very vawx wantod in India . Ho would have bodily
health to stand the climate and endure the fatigues which fall to the lot of nearly all Indian officials , civil or military . He must have had ample intelligence to have acquired a general knowledge in the various branches of literary education—intelligence that would guarantee a steady progress in more specific studies . By a fusion into one competition of all the candidates for Indian service , the examiners could indicate by the marks awarded the men who ought to be selected for each service . The more successful in the physical part of the competition would , of course , become soldiers ; the boys inferior in this respeot , though obliged to reach a certain standard of * physical vigour , would serve us in the less arduous departments of civil administration .
We fear -we must not be too sanguine of any reform so radical and so simple as that suggested . The vested interests of pedants aud of bookworms are too strong in this country . Common sense has not the confidence of the House of Commons ; the press does not lead , it follows , public opinion . That noble old Greek love and reverence for the human body which made marble live in shapes of undying beauty , and gave to bodily seemliness and vigour the sanctity of religion , has too much of Paganism for the men who conduct the majority of our schools . They ignore this , the best part of ' the fair humanities of old religion , ' while they
tolerate the epigrams of Martial and the pruriency of Ovid . Only iu the writings' of Kingsley aud a few of his thinking do we find the true love of physical nobility ; and the natural heroism of English boys has kept alive iu the playground and on the river what their schoolmasters have more than once discouraged , as we see in the suppression , of the school matches ,-at Lord ' s . The new mania for literary competitions as tests for many offices and functions is not yet long enough in operation to have had any marked effect on our English youth , but while ve appreciate it % s a check to mere family patronage , we fear it may tend to multiply
a very undesirable class— young men or good education' with no special bias for any calling , and no special acquirements for any profession . There are , doubtless , few of our readers who do not know iu their circle of friends some young man who is a subject of perpetual anxiety to his friends , because he has received a good general education aud is fit for any employment . There is no lack of such young men in this country ; the columns of the Times testify daily to their destitution and their
readiness to accept any employment not menial , and for the smallest remuneration . If instead oi learning Latin , Greek , mathematics , and history , these young men had been trained to a mastery of some craft , they might become the real creators of the superiority of England—they might' become builders , road-makers , farmers , architects , engineers . But we have them filling London garrets— ' with blinded eyesight poring over miserable books , ' instead of taking stout hearts and . strong hands to countries where rich fruits reward toil .
And with this surplusage of clerks , linguists , scholars , men who can correspond in three languages and write Latin verses to admiration , wo have our statesmen , in tlieir high wisdom , devising rewards for the multi p lication of the class . It is right to give civil servioc posts only to men literary enough to do the work , but w \\ y givo tho posts as rewards for a literary education far beyond the work ? It is like offering premiums for tho influx of weavers into Spitalflelds , or oncoumgiucj an increase of needlewomen in London .
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< ggO ! PHE I / EADEJ [ fro . 420 , April 10 , ks
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The Cape op Good Horns . —By tho last advices from the Cape ( dated February 20 th ) , wo loam tlmt Sir George Grey continued on his tour of inspection through tho l £ astom Province . In replying to an uddross from tho inhabitants of Graham ' s Town , tho Governor stated lib intention to visit England . It is said that Sir George is organizing a regiment of Kallirs fur service in India , and that thoro aro many volunteers . " A number of Kaffir prisoners , confined in tho Amsterdam Battery , " Hays a Cape Town paper , " succeeded in cfructing their escape by cutting through tho door of their cell , and leaping from the wall of tho fort . Tho number , wi ! Oj , Uuaj 03 , caiiodovtt 8 ^ Jo ; r ^ part have boon rotakon . The Capo Voluntoors wore mainly instrumental in their capture . —Tlio last nows from tho Trana-Vaal Republic ia of a distressing nature . Tho republicans are split into hostile factions , Sohoomann had taken possession of Hustonburgh , and Wtis thoro with a largo annod forco , with which ho intended to invado tho town of JMooi River , Hliould Protorluo not hnvo submitted on tho 15 th February , tho day appointed for tho settlement of oxiatlng differences . "
London Mechanics' Institution . —Dr Lvon m """ fair has made a report on the state of the London tf chanics' Institution , the parent of the six hundred rf Y institutions now existing in England . It was fo 3 in 1823 , and the number of members was atom tK ?* many as 1254 ; but there are now only 436 . The fn « tution is encumbered with a debt of 4000 Z , to dpf which the Government will be asked to give half tS amount , while the rest will be collected by subscrintim Even when thus cleared of debt , however , the ins titution would not be self-supporting ; but Dr . Playfair think that further aid may be obtained from the State or fro the wealthy . He condemns the system on which th institution is conducted , and which appears to be disjointed and inefficient .
The Hon . Mr . Mostyn , M . P . —In consequence of his impaired health , the Hon . Mr . Mostyn has been at length compelled to yield to the recommendation of his phi . sicians and relinquish for the present his Parliamentary duties , in order to try the air of the sooth of Italy . fljj Mostyn has already taken his departure from England , " Thes Late Fire in Uishopsoatk . —Mr . W . Paynes , the coroner , resumed on Monday , for the third time , the adjourned inquiry respecting the circumstances connected with the late fire in Devonshire-street , Bishopsgate , and the death of Benjamin Amsell . The jury returned the following verdict : — " That the deceased lost his life at the fire that occurred at the house , No . 17 Devonshire-street , and , though there is no proof as to the origin of the fire , yet the circumstances connected with it we think are of a very suspicious nature . " Discovery of Relics in Orkney . —Several silver
pins , brooches , bracelets , necklaces , and coins have been discovered in a rabbit-hole at Saudwick , Orkney . They are supposed to be contemporaneous with the reigns of the earliest kings in Scottish or Scandinavian history . Fires . —The premises of Mr . Soline , a French shirtmaker at 28 , Aldgate , were burnt down on Monday night ; and the premises on both sides and at the rear were greatly damaged by fire and water . The engines were on the spot in a few minutes from the time the alarm was given ; but in a very short time the roof fell in , carrying with it the lower floors . —On the same night , a fire broke out in Cannon-street , West . St , Paul ' but , it was soon got under , though not without a good deal of damage to the stock . —A serious fire burst out
on Tuesday evening on the premises No . 6 , Unionstreet , Oxford-street . The inmates escaped with difficulty , and a large amount of property was consumed . — Two more fires occurred on the same night—one in the New North-road , Islington , and tho other at Bermondsey . The loss of property at the latter locality was immense . —The ancient mansion of the Earl of Moray , called Donibriatle House , situated on the shore of the Firth of Forth , opposite E dinburgh , was burnt down , from some unexplained cause , on Tuesday morning . On the alarm being given , a special steamer conveyed a fire-engine across the Curry ; but it arrived too late . A large part of the gallery of family and historical portraits was saved ; but the greater portion of the contents of the house wns destroyed .
A Millionaire . —Mr . Quintin Dick , a rather noted character , who died a week or two ngo at a very advanced ago , has left more than a million of money . This Annual Report ok the Post-okkick , issued on Tuesdnv , is divided into sections . The number of post-olHcea in tho United Kingdom lias been increased by 235 , making tho total 11 , 101 . Arrangements to effect further accelerations , botli in the provincial ana suburban posts , are in steady progress . The number oi letters delivered in the United Kingdom last year was 501 , 000 , 000 , showing an increase of about oj per cent . 2 to each
In England , the annual proportion i * L person , in Scotland 10 , and in Ireland only 7 . 1 ho increase since the introduction of tho penny system has been sixfold . Tho number of newspapers delivered in liioi ™ about 71 , 000 , 000 , showing no alteration . ( . » »'"» 8 > about 75 per cent , bore the impressed or ne w"P"P * stamp . The number of moncy-ordor oflices w now 2283 , being an increaso of 138 . The abrogate , « r orders issued during I ho your was 0 , 389 , 702 lor nww of 12 , 180 , 272 / ., on which the commission iimo unwu . w 10 ( 1 , 852 * ., leaving a profit of 2 . 1 , 175 / . The aixpamy mtn of noHtiitre has now been extended to overy coim j .
and measures adopted by tlio Peninsular < hk 1 u " , Company have onablod a weekly communication » ostablirtluiil witii India . The gross rovonuo ot the * u . ofllco for 1857 was 3 , 035 , 713 / ., presenting an » ' <¦ «» Of 107 , 769 / ., or nearly six por cent ., wlulo the o . vpcnui tur a , according to oorroatod computations , mcroiwon / two aud a hall' per cent . Tho not revenue pn'JJJJ appertaining to tho year was 1 , 322 , 237 / ., or » - ' . in oxotw * of I 860 , showing an Improvement oI u ; i ^ cent . Tho number of persons employed was - . » , " > Eaht In . ua HoShh .-A Court of Director- ^ J nt the KtiHt India House on Tuond . iy , when IM > . > ¦• ' q { Kdward Fn-ro was appointed a Provisional JYloniuu Council at Bombay . . ii onry Tnio Social Evir .. — It is stated that Mr . lonry Mayhow has proponed to Lord Derby a plan lor i " itating tho condition of abandoned women , wuu " ¦ , to legislation , and that tho Premier think * favourably tlio Idea .
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Leader (1850-1860), April 10, 1858, page 350, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2238/page/14/
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