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committed, unless accompanied by a magistrate, and in that case the magistrate is held responsible; at least so has ever been my impression, in which I am joined by some of our best and most experienced officers. Till the opinion alluded to appeared, if called out in any public tumult, feeling myself alone accountable for the consequences, I should certainly have been very cautious in proceeding to extreme measures, but having once resolved, on being pressed to such by a magistrate, I should have enforced the obedience of my orders even to the death.

If Judge Johnston's opinion be correct, I cannot see the advantage of a magistrate, whose presence is equally intended to direct and temper the ardour of the soldier; the latter may conceive, that the magistrate is acting quite illegally, and may fire or not just as he pleases.

I dread the probable effect of permitting an opinion, from so high an authority, so destructive to every link of discipline, so disorganizing to the army, to go forth uncontradicted. In the name, then, of my brother soldiers and myself, I call upon the law officers of the crown to set this question at rest, for as it now stands, in what a predicament is the officer or soldier placed, who in these liberalizing and revolutionary days may be called out to save his country from anarchy! If my humble endeavours have the effect of drawing the attention of the constituted authorities to the subject, my utmost wishes will be accomplished; meantime, the importance of the subject must be my excuse for the prolixity of this communication.

I am, Mr. Editor, your sincere admirer,

Restriction on the Promotion of Post-Captains.

C. W. O.

MR. EDITOR, The probability of a promotion, in honour of the approaching Coronation, may be a source of gratulation to the service generally; but to many of the veteran defenders of their country, it will be regarded with the most painful feelings. I am one of those who consider myself most unjustly and degradingly used by the late regulation. Twenty years ago I commanded a port-ship, and was actively employed against the enemy until that ship was paid off; since that period, although desirous of employment, I have never received an appointment. Thus baffled in taking a further active part in my profession, I solaced myself, that, as I was qualified for my flag, I should certainly attain that honour in my proper turn. You may. judge then, what were my reflections at finding myself, after twenty-eight years' standing as a Post-Captain, having commanded a ship on active service more than two years, and until she was paid off; moreover, having expressed myself ready and desirous to serve again, thus to be cut off from that reward, which it was my proudest ambition to aspire to! This restriction, which exacts that an officer shall be in the command of a rated ship five years, places some of the bravest and most distinguished officers on that retirement which has always been considered a degradation. To one of my brother officers this regulation is particularly severe. Made a lieutenant for his gallantry in the West Indies-senior lieutenant at the capture of a ship of superior force, for which he was made a commander; having commanded a sloop in the ever memorable battle of Copenhagen, which gave him his Post commission; and after serving in six line-of-battle ships, one of which he was actually commanding at the time of the late promotions, and being only a few weeks deficient, this meritorious officer, with the proud testimonials of Lord St. Vincent and Lord Nelson, is deprived of that honour to which he had so long aspired as a reward for the tedious years of his servitude. But as His Majesty, when Lord High Admiral, graciously restored to their justly earned honours three captains who had been passed over by the late Board of Admiralty, I am sanguine in my hopes, that this restrictive order will be rescinded, at all events, as it affects the seniors on the list, who have now no possible opportunity of completing the time required by the new regulation. I am, Sir, your obedient servant,

London, 18th August 1831.

NAUTICUS.

Education of Engineer and Artillery Officers; Academy at Woolwich.

MR. EDITOR,-I do not apologise for troubling you with the following communication, as, if it do not merit insertion in your Journal, it must be from the want of talent with which it is treated, and not from any want of interest in the subject itself.

It may be necessary to inform those of your readers who are not connected with the service, that the greater part of the education of Artillery and Engineer officers consists in a knowledge of the mathematics; the remainder, with the exception of fortifications, being the ordinary education of gentlemen.

The mathematical professors of the above Institution are men of established reputation; Capt. Macauly stands equally high as Professor of Fortification, and the inferior branches of education are, I believe, superintended with competent ability; nor have I heard any reasonable complaints of the inefficiency of the establishment, at least since the reforms introduced by the Duke of Wellington and Lord Beresford, who, by enforcing a stricter discipline, and limiting the time of the Cadets remaining in the academy to four years, have done incalculable good.

I need scarcely observe, that of all the subjects to which the attention of youth is drawn, mathematics presents to the majority the greatest difficulties, and accordingly, notwithstanding the powerful ability with which the professorships have always been filled, it has been the practice for many of the Cadets to obtain during their leisure hours the assistance of private teachers, for this branch of study; a practice which the present MasterGeneral has, I think injudiciously, abolished.

It may be urged that it was discreditable to an Institution of this nature, by admitting the assistance of persons not officially connected with it, as it were, to acknowledge itself inadequate to the purposes for which it is maintained; that the practice enabled those who were more affluent to procure a more speedy education for their sons, and consequently to give, them an advantage over those who were poorer; or thirdly, that any interference on the part of persons not under the control of the establishment, was inconsistent both with military and scholastic discipline.

To the first of these observations I reply, that the duties of a public and private teacher are totally dissimilar. The one is the preceptor of classes; the other of individuals. The one exercising the authority of the Institution; the other the influence of the parent. The one enforcing that system of study which his experience has determined to be the best; the other guiding and expanding the mind of his pupil so as to render that system effectual to his advancement. Can it be for a moment contended, that the most consummate abilities on the part of the one, will suffice to supply the place of the other? or that an officer, the duties of whose situation frequently prevent him from fulfilling, as he ought, the duties of a father, should be precluded from engaging the assistance of some one, whose business it should be to acquaint himself with the mind, disposition, and habits of his son, and to render him such advice and assistance, as a parent only, or some one exercising the influence of a parent, is competent to give?

The second argument in favour of the regulation, though more plausible, is still more fallacious. Putting out of the question the undoubted right of every parent to give his son the benefit of whatever property he may possess, I am prepared to show that it is almost exclusively the poorer class of pupils who have benefited by the practice. The youth whose parents are sufficiently rich to afford it, enters the establishment with such a preparatory education, as enables him to take immediate advantage of the course of study pursued there; whilst he whose friends have been able to procure for. him only such an education as the locality of their residence afforded, is compelled, unless he possess the rare talent of chiseling his own way, to have recourse to the assistance of a private teacher; besides which, the very

small portion of time that he is able, or in fact requires, to spend in this way, renders the expense insignificant.

The remaining argument could only be urged by those who are ignorant of the nature of the Institution. No Cadet could employ his time in this manner without first obtaining permission to do so, specifying the hours to be so employed. The teacher, being such from sufferance only, would more carefully avoid violating any regulation made by the authorities than even if officially connected with the Institution. He would be successful only as he pursued the plans and ideas of the Professors, who also exercise the duty of Examiners; in short, however valuable the assistance of these gentlemen might be when employed in furthering the views of the others, they would be powerless when acting in any other manner. Nor can there, I think, be a doubt, that the benefits derived in this way by a few were to a certain extent enjoyed by all, and that a much higher qualification could thus be obtained for the whole; and considering how large a majority of minds require to be led from proposition to proposition, till they acquire a habit of thinking mathematically, it is unquestionably unwise to limit the means by which this end may be accomplished.

This question possesses now no other interest with me than that derived from its connexion with military subjects. But I do know that private teachers may be employed without discredit to the establishment; for without considering its professors in any way to blame, I have myself been indebted to one for the successful termination of his studies by a near relative. I do know that the assistance was within the reach of the poorest, for it saved me both money and misery, and cost me ten pounds. I do know that no discipline could have been violated in its employ, for it occupied hours that would have been spent in idleness, and its reward was the approval by the heads of the Institution of the information acquired; and until I am convinced that my opinions on this subject are erroneous, I shall continue to hope that the Master-General will see the propriety of rescinding the regulation. Yours, &c.

London, 10th August 1831.

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Trisection of an Angle.

B.

MR. EDITOR, As none of your correspondents have made any observations on the trisection of an angle," which appeared in your July Number, many of your readers are no doubt astonished, that an object, which has so long engaged the attention of mathematicians, should at length be accomplished with such ease.

That the solution of this problem, given by Capt. Barton, was never seen by him, I have no reason to doubt, and it must be allowed that he deserves credit for his ingenuity, as, from his style, he evidently is not much accustomed to mathematical researches. It seems strange, however, that the consideration that Sir Isaac Newton, and other great men, having sought in vain for a method to trisect an angle, should not have caused Capt. Barton to have looked with suspicion upon his discovery, and, therefore, to have submitted it to the judgment of some person capable of pointing out to him the difference between a geometrical solution and a practical one.

Capt. Barton's solution is not geometrical, for, after he has found a number of points, he must have recourse to some mechanical method for drawing a curve through them. One of Euclid's postulates is, "Let it be granted that a straight line may be drawn from any one point to any other point;" but I know of no one which says that a curve line may be drawn through a number of points. The practical solution of Capt. Barton is altogether different from a geometrical one sought after by mathematicians. I remain, Sir, your obedient servant,

Portsmouth, July 10th.
L. T.
We shall probably give a communication on this subject in our next.
ED.

EDITOR'S PORTFOLIO;

OR

NAVAL AND MILITARY REGISTER.

AFFAIRS AT HOME AND ABROAD. -We readily avail ourselves of the lull, if not re-action, in the Political Storm, which, since the last explosion in Paris, has swept over and distracted this country, more especially menacing our own "Order," to drop the abstract discussion of domestic Politics, and revert to our neutral position. From this our vantage ground, nothing, as we lately premised, but an extreme case, involving an imminent public danger, could have induced us to diverge; and we gladly discontinue a topic to which nothing but a similar extremity shall tempt us to

recur.

ABROAD, the last month has been pregnant with events and excitement. A war, which, at its explosion, threatened the peace of Europe, marked by vigorous action and decisive in its military results, began and ended within that period. The Dutch, upon grounds the justice of which appears unquestionable, terminating the Armistice subsisting with the revolted Province, of which Prince Leopold of Saxe Cobourg had just been installed King, renewed hostilities, and dispersing the forces before them, rapidly advanced into the heart of Belgium. The army of Holland, commanded by the Prince of Orange, with Prince Frederick and the Duke of Saxe Weimar as his Lieutenants, continuing its well-combined movements, encountered and totally defeated the Belgians, under Gen. Daine, at Hasselt, and again irretrievably routed them before Louvain. On the latter occasion, King

U. S. JOURN. No. 34. SEPT. 1831.

Leopold had the mortification to witness in person the indelible disgrace of the Nation he had just been called upon to govern, and to which, in such a crisis, His Majesty offered such an example as became his character and station. The annals of the world afford no parallel to the pusillanimity displayed by the Belgians when their boastful pretensions were thus fairly put to the proof.

In this emergency, Leopold applied for assistance to the French King, who immediately directed 50,000 French troops, commanded by Gen. Gerard, to enter Belgium. An understanding having taken place between the respective parties, the Dutch army has since retired within its own territoriesand the French remain in military occupation of Belgium and its costly fortresses. When they shall have completely evacuated the Belgian soil and retired within their own frontier, their professions may be affirmed to square with their intentions-but not till then.

The composition of the present French Army is described to us as greatly inferior to that of the old troops encountered by the British in so many hard-fought fields.

The French squadron of the Tagus appears resolved, for we have no proof to the contrary, to make prize of the Portuguese fleet. A more wanton application of might against right has hardly ever been witnessed or permitted, than this new aggression upon the independence of our "Ancient Ally" by its former invaders and oppressors.

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The Russians and Poles continue in presence, on the left bank of the Vistula, in front of Warsaw. Unless negotiation should avert the threatened collision, a decisive conflict appears inevitable, in which it is hoped that victory may still crown the best and the bravest.

NAVAL AND MILITARY LIBRARY AND MUSEUM -This Institution, from the foundation of which we continue to anticipate the most important results to the United Service, progresses most satisfactorily. Since the publication of our last Number, the Committee have issued their first printed Report, containing the names of the subscribers and a list of contributions received up to the 1st of August, the former amounting to about one thousand, since which the names of above one hundred additional Officers have been transmitted to the Secretaries. This number is altogether exclusive of Officers with their Ships and Regiments on foreign stations, whence sufficient time has not yet elapsed to receive replies. The presentations to the Library, already amounting to nearly five hundred volumes, are daily increasing; while the Museum, Armoury, and Model departments will be well worthy the inspection of Officers as soon as the present contributions can be collected together.

A most important feature in the Report of the Committee, is the gratifying circumstance therein mentioned, "that through the kind offices of Sir Benjamin Stephenson, Surveyor-General of the Board of Works, they have obtained from His Majesty's Government, a house in Whitehall-yard, as a place of temporary deposit for the various presents and contributions which they have already, and are now daily receiving." This house is most conveniently situated in the immediate vicinity of the Admiralty and Horse Guards: the Committee now hold their meetings at it, and we have every hope that before our next publication it will be opened to the members.

These circumstances argue conclusively for the permanent establishment of this much-wanted Institution, notwithstanding which, however,

the profession generally in the way of increased subscriptions, the smallness of the amount of which has induced the Committee to hope that ultimately very few Officers, if any, will deny so trifling an aid to the accomplishment of so desirable an end.

ROYAL NAVAL SCHOOL.-We are happy to perceive, by the subjoined letters, that the ultimate establishment of a Royal Naval School is advancing towards consummation. As we have ever taken a lively interest in this design, since it was first submitted to us by its original projector, Commander Dickson, so we shall continue to promote its advancement by our most cordial co-operation.

"Royal Naval School,

7, Jermyn-street, St. James's, Aug. 26, 1831. "Sir,-Inclosed are the copies of two letters, which you will perceive are of importance to the interests of the Royal Naval School.

"I am desired by Sir Henry Blackwood to state, that if you can find a place for them in your columns, you will oblige the Council.

"Our affairs are going on most prosperously; we have already upwards of liberal annual subscriptions, exclusive 30007. in donations, besides numerous and of Dr. Bell's munificent donation of 10,0007. Already nearly 100 pupils, of the requisite age, are entered for immediate admission on the opening of the school, independent of as many more, who are yet under the age required. "I remain, Sir,

Your very obedient servant,
CHAS. BRAND, Sec."

"To the Editor of the

United Service Journal."

"St. James's Palace, Aug. 23, 1831. "My dear Sir Henry,-I am honoured with the King's commands to communicate to you, as Chairman of the Council of Administration for conducting the proposed Establishment of an economical Naval School, His Majesty's earnest wish to support an Institution, which His Majesty feels assured, will prove so highly beneficial to the service; and His Majesty has therefore graciously consented to subscribe one hundred pounds annually towards it. "I have the honour to be, My dear Sir Henry, Very faithfully yours, (Signed) H. WHEATLY."

"To Vice-Admiral

a great deal is yet to be effected by Sir Henry Blackwood, Bart. K.C B. &c."

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