IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) ..H 1.0 I.I 1.25 iM 111112.0 12.2 U ill 1.6 ^s. V] VI / '-cm aj'# o '/ >^ Photographic Sciences Corporation £^ v \\ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 4t. CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical IVIicroreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques «J Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. y/ n n n n n n Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur Covers damaged/ Couverture endommagde Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restaurde et/ou pelliculde Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque I I Coloured maps/ Cartes gdographiques en couleur Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material/ Relid avec d'autres documents Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin/ Lareliure serr6e peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distortion le long de la marge intdrieure Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajoutdes lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte, mai&, lorsque cela 6tait possible, ces pages n'ont pas 6t6 filmdes. Additional comments:/ Commentaires suppl6mentaires; L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a 6t6 possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-dtre uniques du point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dans la mdthode normale de filmage sont indiqu6s ci-dessous. □ Coloured pages/ Pages de couleur n n D n This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est film6 au taux de reduction indiqu6 ci-dessous. Pages damaged/ Pages endommagdes Pages restored and/or laminated/ Pages restaurdes et/ou pellicul6es Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ Pages d§color6es, tachetdes ou piqu6es Pages detached/ Pages ddtachdes Showthrough/ Transparence The tol Tht P09 Of 1 filnr Orij beg the sioi oth firsi sior or il I I Quality of print varies/ Qualitd indgale de I'impression Includes supplementary material/ Comprend du material suppldmentaire Only edition available/ Seule Edition disponible Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partiellement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure, etc., ont 6t6 film6es d nouveau de faqon d obtenir la meilleure image possible. The sha TIN whi Mai diff( enti beg righ reqi met 10X 14X 18X 22X 26X 30X 1 1 • i 12X 16X 20X 24X 28X 32X lire details jes du modifier jer une fiimage The copy filmed here has been reproduced thanks to the generosity of: Library of the Pubiic Archives of Canada The images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in Iceeping with the filming contract specifications. L'exemplaire film6 fut reproduit grflce d la g4n6rosit6 de: La bibiiothdque des Archives publiques du Canada Les images suivantes ont 6t6 reproduites avec le plus grand soin, compte tenu de ia condition et de la nettetd de l'exemplaire film6, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de fiimage. i6es Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, or the back cover when appropriate. Ail other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol —^(meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en papier est imprimde sont filmds en commenpant par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la dernidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second plat, selon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont filmds en commen9an( par la premiere page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la dernidre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur ia dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbols ^^- signifie "A SUiVRE", le symbols V signifie "FIN". ire Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent §tre film^s d des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clich6, il est fiimd d partir de Tangle sup6rieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nomhre d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m^thode. >y errata ed to int ne pelure, apon d 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 / /^ ,>-■ NARRATIYE OP THE FAILURE OF AN ATTEMPT TO ESTADLISH A GREAT NAT[0>;AL INSTITUTION, INTENDED, MORE ESPECIALLY, FOR THB Reception of Orphan €hi!dren of Officers of ^1 ^ ' f ^ a ^ ^ . <^- ; BUT SO CONSTITUTED AS TO FORMj AT THE SAME TIME, A HIGHLY RESPECTABLE YET ECONOMICAL SEMINARY, FOR THE EDUCATION OF OFFICERS SONS &, DAUGHTERS, IN GENERAL. By Major R. I^ACULAIV, late lltli Regiment. CONTAINING, AMONG OTHER INTERESTING DOCUMENTS, THE ORIGINAL PROSPECTUS, AS PUBLISHED IN 1834, AND Copies of Correspondence which thi;n took place between the Author and His Grace the lai : Duke of Wellington ; the Private Secretary of H. R. H. ihe Duchess of Kent, the Archbishop of Canterbury, &c. ; and, since the Duke of Wel- lington's Death, with H. R. H. Prince Albert, Lord Viscount Hardinge, and other eminent individuals connected with the Foundation op the Wellington College. MONTREAL, CANADA: Printed by Moore, Owler & Stevenson, 42 St. Francois Xavier Street. 1854. ; r DEDICATION. To the earnest attention of the ilhistrious and distin- guished Governors of the Wellington College in particular, and of the gallant Officers of the Royal Army and the honorable East India Company's Service in general, the last zealous effort in behalf of a great and good cause, manifested in the following pages, is most respectfully dedicated, by their very obedient Servant, THE AUTHOIL B MJaWii ' * -l9 ^ i. !W MB »^W« 4> rnEFATORY REMARKS TO THE ORIGINAL mOSPECTUS. (By accident 7icglcr.tc(l to have hcen placed aftrr the Title of that Document, as Printed in this Editiun. Sec 2>agc 10. J The leading features of the following imperfect Sketch were traced by the Writer above nine years ago , but though even then deeply impres- sed with the many important advantages derivable from the existence of a Great National Institution such as therein contemplated, so little did he regard che most strenuous eflbrts of so obscure an Individual like- ly to inllue'iCc its Foundation, however desirable, that he seldom allow- ed his tlionghts on the subject to transpire, beyond the narrow circle of private friendship. His attention having, however, been about three years ago directed to the auspicious preliminaries then in progress for the Establishment of a congenial though more limited Institution — now happily in full of ope- ration— /o;' the reception of the SoJis of Officers of the Naval Service, coupled with the encouraging circumstance of the successful agitator of that meritorious undertaking being of a rank and station as little likely to be influenced as himself, — the natural consequence was the immedi- ate ardent revival of his long cherished hoj)es in favour of the founda- tion of A Royal Military Institution and Ojjiccrs' Orphan Asylum, and a more sanguine review of his long dormant Notes on the subject. Here, however, he was again induced to pause, in the hope of finding the noble example set by the Sister Service generously emulated by his own, under the guidance of Officers of high rank and commanding influence ; but month after month continuing to elapse, without any symptoms of the realization of that expectation, and iL therefore appearing desirable that a beginning should be made someivhere, he was led to waive further hesitation, and to contribute at once " the little all" in his power towards the attainment of so important a national object, by volunteering hia humble services as Pioneer on the occasion. The result was the final arrangement of the matter contained in the following pages, and the sub- sequent submission of the same in more than one influential quarter, preparatory to being laid before the Army and the Public ; but in conse- (juence of the agitated'and conflicting state of the national feelings at that eventful period, it was afterwards thought advisable to reserve the final consideration of the subject for more calm and dispassionate times. Such having now comparatively arrived, and the attention of the Army having recently been called towards benevolent objects, not only in unison with, but actually embraced by, the great undertaking in con- templation, he has been encouraged to avail himself of the favourable moment for at once submitting the merits of the question to the decisive 11 :est of general investigation. How far that piirposo has been accom- plished in the following hurablo outline, it is now for others to decide. But it is hoped that one or two preliminary remarks will not be deemed liere ont of place. Should it apjiear to some, lor instance, that the writer's observations a.id calculations are in some respects less to the point than ought to have been the case in a Prospectus of the kind, he trusts it will be a sufficient apology to state, that they wore adopted amid all the disadvantages oi cottage retirement, while mingling little with the world, and remote from sources of more direct information, which though unattainable by him, might be readily available by those residing in the vicinity of the Metropolis. Should it, on the other hand, appear that he has occasionally gone more into detail than was necessary, he begs it may not be ascribed to any conceit in the fancied merit Oi his own opinions, but simply to the circumstance, that, it being necessary to choose some tangible unpretending Ibrm in which to embody his ideas, and having himself experienced that in proportion as the different parts of his lirst outline were filled in and developed, the more he became impressed with its general feasi!}ility as a ivliolc, he naturally hoped that a similar satisfac- tory effect might be produced in the same way on others, and he was accordingly led to retain the desultory arrangement followed, in prefe- rence to a mor'^ elaborate though perhaps more concise view of the sub- ject. Add to which, he was induced to think that many of his Headers, who might for the first time turn their attention to the great object in prospect, might prefer being at once apprised of the express grounds on which its advocate had founded his anticipations of success, to having either the trouble of arranging a plan for themselves or referring to a more meagre outline, so devoid uj Lading particulars as to afford little aid in readily criticising or appreciating the merits of the question. He trusts, therefore, that if he has erred in the course which he has in this in* stance adopted, his error will be found ontlie safer side. The most strenuous efforts of so obscure an individual may, after all, be little likely to influence the foundation of so noble a superstructure as that contemplated by him ; but if, like the meritorious rival Institu- tion already alluded to, it shall be found to possess in itself tHtri?isic claims to public estimation, why should it despair of a similar fortunate fate? Should it, on the other hand, unhappily prove abortive, from either irremedial inherent defects or insurmountable external obstacles, its proposer may still have the satisfaction of being thereby instrumental in calling into existence some better digested undertaking, and he will, at the worstj have the undeniable consolation of having failed in a good cause. Such being the feelings with which these humble •' Revived Thoughts," on a vitally interesting subject, are laid open to the investigation of the Officers of 'he British Army, by one who has been happily associated with them for twenty-five years, he will not permit himself to doubt the indulgent spirit with which, in despite of all their imperfections, they will be received by the Service ; and he therefore freely and frankly commits them to their fate. . Feby., 183i. 11 \ een accom- •s to decide. t be deemed ce, that the less to the he kind, he iopted amid I little with tion, which le by those 1 the other il than was iceit in the rcumstance, ipretending 3xperienced itline were ed with its lar satisfac- ind he was d, in prele- of the sub- is Readers, it object in grounds on I, to having ferring to a afford little stion. He in this in* I after all, erstructure al Institu- f intrinsic fortunate tive, from obstacles, strumentai d he will, 1 in a good rhoughtSj" ion of the associated J doubt the ions, they id frankly t I I i INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. While revolving in my mind a short skelcli v/hich I had prepared cP n-hat I thought -would prove the most suitable iiitroJuction to the fol- lowing pages, on venturing to lay them before nn indulgent British })Viblic, I was naturally induced to recur to a synopsis of their conjpouent materials, given in a letter which.! recently addressed k> the Editor of the Naval and Military Gavictte,— -as a patriotic co-advocate of the same good work ; and I was thereby at once led to the coiiclusiun, that tiicic could be no more appropriate iirefatory view of the subject than what that letter contained -y and the consequence was,^L.iat the remirk.s which I had prepered were thrown aside, and the fuUowiijo copy ul that letter adopted m their stead — even at the risk of- the possible iion-ai)pearaUsje of the originl in the pages of the Gazette. Montreal, '^h Jul-. lS5't. Sm, You will perh'.ips recognize in the signature attached to this communication thut of an individu-al wlio, some twenty . years ago, be- came, through tl>e mediimi of the Naval and Military Gazette, tiie j.ro- ])0ser and aduocute of the foundation of a great natiumd Institution, a printed prospectus of which was then laid bofiire the i>ri!isli army, in- tended more especially (urthe reception of Oiricrfs'' OrpJuins, ui' /rjik sexes, but so constituted as to form also a highly respect.iblc yet econo- mical Seminary, for the Education of Officers' Children generally, and to which her present Majesty and her royal mother were graciously })leased to offer to be patronesses ; but that it was soon afterwards found expedient tj postpone the iurlher agitation of ,the project, whatever might be its merits, in consequence of the late Duke of Wellington liaving unfortu- nately expressed an o])inion adverse to its successful accomplish tnent. You will also. perhaps remember that on the death of that illiistrious personage, the agitation of the matter vas revived, and that in conse- quence of letters then most respectfully addressed by me to H.R.H. Prince Albert and Lord llardinge, I for some time cherished a hope that the general plan of the same Institution would still be found worthy of favorable attention, if not of modified adoi)tion, by whatever Board' might be appointed to Ijring the then proposed great Wellington memo- rial to maturity, and that in the hope of humbly aiding in so excellent a lATork, I was induced to offer to proceed from this country to England, if required, to contribute such further general informatioaas my Jong accu- il miilatcd voluminous correspondence and numcrons dolachod laomoranda on the subject niii-hr, afi'ord; or, if tlioudit jirelorablc, to reply i'rom hence to any qnoncs that inisht be ])nt to me on particular poi\its. Not only, ho-\vcvor, have all llie.se hopes been doomed to he disappoint- ed, but T fiavo lately had the addilional morlilicMtion ol: noticing- in a Canadian journal, a briel''' notice"" oi'a Reyoit ot the d'overnors of that proposed groat National Institution, the Wdliiiiiou Colle,'j;e, irom which it would appear that the subi-xnplioui; (/ai'im il X. iOJ.OwO ; tliat oi'this sum £20,000 are to be devoted to the cr.ction oi't'u- roijiiired l)ui!diu2'.s ; and that the rejnainder — so vested ay to yi^ld tin aMiiial revenue of about .€3000, — is to form the ibuiulitliou oii whicli \\. \.i proposed to maintain, (dothe, and educate, in the first instance, oidy 60 boys, '^ivivj, a j)i'cfcrcncv. to orphans., divided into throe classes ol" 20 boys, each paying JGIO, iJlf), «)r X20, according to the class to \\-hicdi he belongs: and that there shall Jiereafier be a lurther '■ oxtcDsion of tlie original design^- (/) to a fourth class consisting of 40 boys, each paying .£30 per annum; thus making 100 pupils in all* contributing from .£10 to £30 each ! Takuig it for granted that this is a correct outline of the fiicts of the case, and bearing in mind that a partici|)ation in the very limited bene- fits arising from such a tbundation, is .scattered over so vast an aggregate as the M'hole of the Olhci'rs of the nuiied ih'itish and Indian Armies, amounting, pcrha]'S toiiear 30.000 individuals. — cd'Avhom about onc-tonlh may be supposed to be married — [ would most respecthilly ask whether SO thinly ;^pri)ikli.'d and uucertiiin a micr(.iseo])ic boon, and lliat, too, con- fined tooiie sex alone, is worthy ofthe name of the illustrious commander in whos.i honor ihe College is intended to be founded ; and Avhefher \)K such a cold-hearted, contracted arrimgement, thcuinfurUmate 6/7///^?;/., instt-ad of being _/j/Y7fv/t//', is not move likely, ii-om M'ant of the stijinlated jueunf'. to be ait...getiier shut out from any participation iu the beneiitsof the hislitulioM, 'i'akiiig tins, (o me, un.<=atisfactory view of the .subject, as involvingthe dearest hopi^s and interests o( a large proportion of the gallant memliers rl l)olli services. 1 cannot relrain iVom most res];ectJully entreating, llirough the nndiiim ol your A^idely circuUited columns, that not only the disliuguished (.'ovemors of the V\'ellington Coilcgt.', but also both l.raii- f holli ^nrcs, hut i,o constitatal a.'^ to form aho a liiv:hly r expectable yet economical tiemi- ■iiary for the iUlueat.ioii rf O [fleers' Sons a)ul Daiightcrs in izencral f' — to consist chielly ofthe fbllowmg docnments, with a few necessary inlro- ductory and intermediate observations, viz. : — TAUT I. 1. Letter from Major Lachlan to the late Duke of "VVcilingfon, dated £7lh Nov., 1833, on submitting for his Crace'^i perusal the mTs. draft of ■^moranda ply i'roni [its. Lsappoint- ciiig in a rs of tliat m which I" this sum ii2's ; ami ' of ill)OUt maintain, prcfcrcna: eib, J^lf), here shall ) a fourth 3 making cts of tlic ted 1)0110- [irrrri-fMvatO L Armies, onc-tenlli : Avhether , too, cori- imuiauder L AvhollKT .to or];li(i9^; .stipulated bcneiitsc'f olvingthe me in Iters ntreatii)j2r )t only the .ith Iran- I eannot c at largo, do])ted in II in the 1 volume. da/, with If i tun, hi- Ijiiih srcccs, col Serni- ral ;"— to ary iiilro- tcn, dated draft of the Prospectus of the proposi-d Institution, before placing; it in the hands of the Printer. 2. Tlio Duke of \\'ellin^ton's reply, dated 2nd Dec, 1833, on rotnrn- ing the .MS. :i. A sacond letter fr.im iMajor L. to the Duke of "Wellington, dated 30th Jlanuary, IS^ii-, oii transmitting to his (irace x\. printed copy ol the same rros[)cctus ; to which no re[)ly \y;is ever rt.ceived. •i. That rros[)ectus,as prepnred \\ii.h much laborious care, and printed and circulated at cousideraljlc ex[)eiise, in every quarter of the world, iu which British troops were then serving. 5. Letter from Major L. to Sir John Conroy, Private Secretary to II.R.H. the Duchess of Kent, dated 30th January, ISSi-, transmitting copies of the Prospectus Ibr presentation to Her iloyal Highness and the. I'rincess ^'ictoria. G. Sir John Conroy'.s reply, dated 2d February, 183l<, cx{)ressing their il.lL's gracious readiness to be Patronesses of the Institution. 7. Letter from JMujor L. to his Grace the Archl)ishop of Canterbury, dated 2d February, 1831', on presenting him with a cojiy of the same Prospectus. 8. Ilis Grace's reply, dated 17th February, 1831. 9. Extract of Moniorandum of a Conversation at Kensington Palace, on the lOth May, 183-i, l)etweeu Sir John Conroy and Major L., on the latter announcing his reluctant postponeiuont of the agitation ol the proposed I^istitutiou, PART IT. 10. Letter from Major Lachlan to liis Royal Highness Prince Albert, 7lr.st written in October, 1852, on intelligoucc being received of the d(^ath of the Duke of Wellington, but, iu deferonc-j to public feeling, not ties- patched till the 1st of December following, earnestly invoking the pro- picious and powerful auspices of his Pvoyal Highness, in the revival of his long dormant project, as well worthy of adoption in some modified furm, as the groundwork of the then proposed \V'ellington Testimonial. 11. A. second letter lo his Royal Highness, dated 25th December, 1852, reverting to the same subject, on the promulgsition in Canada of the (.'ircular and Prospectus issued from the Jiorse Guards, 27th Novem- ber, lb52. 12. Leitcf fVom ]\iiijor L. to Lord Hardinge on the same subjecthi, dated 25lh Deoenibor, 1S52. 13. C',)py of the Circular and Prospectus referrctl to. 11<. Lxlraot of lettor from Col. Airey, Secretary to Lord Hardinge, replying" to No. 12. 15. Letter addresso'd by ]Major L. to the Editor of the Xaval ami Military (uizette, dated 9th, February, 1853, vindicating his claim to being the original projector of a great National Instituticii for the recep- tion of Orphans of Ollicers of the Jiritisli Army, and tor the Education of their ChihU'on generally. Ui. Letter I'roni Major L. to the Private Secretary of his Royal Highness Prince Albert, dated 23d FebruMry, 1851, respectfully calling attention to the circumstance of the urgent letters, Nos. 10 and IJ^ being still uiiacknowledged. i ill i . r. 17. Colonel Grey's reply thereto, dated 7th June, 1854', coinmunicated through General Wetherall. 18. Brief notice of report of the Governors of the Wellington College, extracted from U.C. Journal of Education. To the foregoing descriptive synopsis it is only necessary to add, that 1 feel strongly persuaded that a luiOAvledgii of the contents of several of the above-mentioned documents woidd prove hoth interesting and influ- eucial at the present- event(ul time, in connection with the proposed ob- ject of the Wellington Memorial, and that. I even venture to entertain a hope, that by an opportune dissemination of the wiiole, may perhaps be determined how far. an Institution holding out to the numerous offspring of so respectable a class. as.the Olticers of the united British and Indian Armies so slender a chance of participation in the benefits derivable from the somewhat invidious and contracted, and, at best, semi-eleemo- synary grades of EducatiQii.pioposed by the (governors of the Wellington Ciolloge (as described in No. 18), shall be put in competition with the far more extended, liberal, ]TDpular, and (because- in a great measure self-sup- porUng), tru',y Bntis/t fabric, so long contem})lated by me, as an Institu- tion w^ith which ft-r^y. British Officer might, by a trifling annual pecuni- ary sacrifice, proudly feel linnself connected in the honorable double relation of ^ja^row and prospective. pen Ucipator in its hcnejits, as providing' not only a gratuitous home for his unprotected Orphan, if required, but also a respectable yet mexpensive Seminary for- the Education of his- Children generally. Trusting that when the proper time arrives, your renewed powerful advocacy of so sacred a cause will not be wanting, 1 forbear adding more to this lengthened eommunication than to state that I e.xpecjt that the promised little volume will be transmitted to England in the course of &- tbrtnight; and that its Author humbly trusts, that, being now a retired- fptuagejiariau, with a grown-up family, it will be readily conceded that he can derive little or no personal benefit from the noble object in view, a,ad that this, his lust zealous effort m its. behalf, may therefure be gene-. rously regarded as emanating from the most disinterested motives. Ihave the lienor to remain, n of his- powerful ing more that the )urse of a., a retired- eded that, in view, be gene-, 'es. I Regt. 'ith little- e various s of each., doubting le sacred prevail.. PART I . F.'»,^.'-^_*^.^ <* ^ -V./-S,< -s** -■-^.^ — - The first document in this section of our subject is the following letter :iddrcssed by Major Lachlan to his Grace the Duke of Wellington, ou doing himself the honor of transmitting for his perusal the MS. draft of the foregoing sketch, in the hope of the great national object therein contemplated meeting, with not only his Grace's favorable consideration, but eventual patronage. No.l. To Field Marshal His Grace the Duke of Wellington, &c. Laii-a Green, Plymouth, 27th Nov;, 1833. May it please your Grace. — Public attention having been lately at- tracted towards the highly laudable andimportant object of establishing some 4cind of seminary for the education of orphans, and the older daugh- ters of Officers of the British Army, and your Grace, as might be fully expected, apptaring to be very favorably inclined towards so useful and benevolent an undertaking, I am encouraged to take the liberty of bring- ing to yoiir notice the accompanying MS. Prospectus of a great National Institution of that nature, intended not only as an appropriate respectable asylum for the unprotected orphan, of eitiier sex, free of expense, but so oonstituted as to form ako a liighly respectable seminary for the educa- tion of the children of Officers generally, en a scale of magnitude and, comprehensive utility, cal filiated to meetthe'wantsof the whole British Army. I beg leave, at the same time, to state, that the same was drawn, up by me more than two years ago, amid all the disadvantages of a re- tired- cottage life, and was then transmitted to Sir Herbert Taylor, at Brighton, in the hwmble hope of its in the first instance meeting the ap- j)roving eye of His Majesty, as the ;?;'ci/?05rrZ natural Patron of so noble a Nationvi'i Institution, preliminary to its bein-g subjected to the examina- tion of a few of the distinguished Officers at the head of the profession, before being finally laid before the army and the public. Need it be added, that at the head of the illirstrious individuals alluded to, every Briton must naturally rank your Grace. But the sober feelings of the nation being about that period either overpowered by the fervor of poli- tical reform en the one hand, or ci'amped by calls for unsparing state re- trenchment in everyform on the other, I Was induced to postpone the further agitation of the great benevolent object in view till the return of more calm and dispassionate times. Such ^-omg now, comparatively, the case, I venture to offer the accompanying Prospectus to your Grace's indulgent perusal, in 'the humble expectation that, however faulty Cx imperfect it may be as a whole, its leading features will be found de- serving of the best attention of one so competent to decide on the degree H' I M i: I I' I, !!, ;! !i m 8 orcsliinrilioii iiitriiLsicdlly tli(;ir due; and in the firm rclianco lhat,sliovdd any apiJi'Dxinuition to tliu jircat iiiK'oitaking advocuteil by nic l)e ulti- iiiat(>ly deemed worthy oi' national encourairement, your (Iraee will be amonji; the lirst to honor and luster it with your powcrfid inlluencc and snjiport. i'eimit me, then, at all ovcnLs, to inchilgje n hope that yonr Grace will eondescend to lUvor me with sonio expression oi your senti»rents on the ;;encral merits t»i'tho ])lan i)roposed, imperfect as it necessarily mnst be ; and to add, that shonkl yonr (Jrace desire to have an opportnnity of'fnr- Uier ex))lanations from me personally, I shall be most willing to ju-occed lo London to do myself the honor ol" waiting yonr Grace's commands. In the meantime, jiermit me to refer your Grace to the " Introductory llemarks" prelixed to the Prospectus, for any exi)lanatory dc:tails con- Elected with my ventnring to introduce my humble suggestions on the attention of the army. I liave the honor to be. Your Grace's: most obcdt. and very liumbic Servt., 11. Lachlan, late Major, 17lh Regt. 'J'o the foregoing his Grace was pleased to make the following reply : NO. 2. LoxnoN, December 2, 1S33. i ii Snt, — I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 27th No- %'ember. I have returned the paper, to which the letter refers, alter perusing it. It is unnecessary for me to give any opinion on the plan to which that letter relates. TheOiiicers oi' the British Army are composed ol the gentry of the country. ]t is desirable that they should conthiue to be of that class of the society of the country. I have always observed the public of this country to be much op])osed 10 any scheme which might be supposed to have a tendency to render the Officers of the Army a distinct military class. This feeling mnst be founded on a sense of the public interests. I should be opposed to such a scheme, as it would allect the interests of the Officers of the army. 1 don't mean to attribute to the jilan under contemplation such au eflect. It is liable to the imputation that it separates the Officers of the army and their families from the other classes of the gentry of the coun- try, of which they form a part, and you may rely upon it that it will never be adopted by the Government. I liave the honor to be. Your most obedient servant, Wellington. lloBT. Lachlan, Esq., late Major 17th llegt., &cc. Though willing to bow with most respectful deference to so authorita- tive an opinion, I could not, in the ardour of my philanthropic zeal, com- bined with my strong leclings as an old officer and anxious father — who t, should ])e ulti- will be iiec and lice •will s on tho mist be ; y oi' fur- l)rocced Kinds, rnliictory tils con- s on the "^ervt., h Regt. reply 1833. 7th No- rusing it. liich tlvdt d oi tiio ', to be oi' L op])oscd o I'ciidej" ig mil si )osed to rs of the such nu s of tho lie coiin- it it will GTON. ithorita- al, com- ;r — who 9 hail lir years devoted his whole soul to the dispassioiiatc considfratiou t)f the sidjject, — help being persuaded that even his clear-minded Craeo niiij,ht have tnken an errnneoiis liasty glance at the objects proposed, jjlaced as he happened to bo in an exalted social position from which a broad iT/w^/rt^/zr/vV' jiopulnr view of such a founihition cannot always be correctly taken, i accordingly still went on with my philanthropic la- bours — unmoved ; and on the publication of the Prospectus I considered it my duty to transmit another copy of it to liis Grace, accompanied by the following letter. No. 3. To Field Marshal Ilis Ciracc the Duke of Wellington, Sec. Laira Green, Plymouth, 30th January, ISSk ^Iay it plkask yol'u GiiAci:, — I have once more the honor of submit- ting, in a more tangible ibrm,to your G'race's leisure attention, the print- rd Prospectus of the pro[)Osed Pi-oyal IMilitary Institution and Oliicers' (Orphan Asylum, now about to be disseminated for public considcn-ation — in the anxious hope that it will yet be found in many respects deserving of favourable notice, if not of ultimate adoption, in a modified form, — its avowed and only objects being the promotion of a great national good, combined with the furtherance of the best and dearest interests of that army which must ever look up to your Grace as its first friend and beiio- factor. Jt has appeared to your Grace that the adoption of such a measure might be regarded with a jealous eye by the public, as being "' liable to the imputatioii of tending to separate the Ofiicers of the army and their tiimilies from that class of society (the gentry of the nation) of which they form a part.'' Permit me most respectfully to observe, with refer- ence to that remark, that the best and most virtuous actions are liable to unjust and erroneous imputations, and that, in fact, one of the great ob- jects in view in the establishment of the proposed Institution was to af- ford a chance of ;j/rAm7V2:j in that respectable position the offspring of many a brave and high spirited man, who — " his jioverty but not his will consenting" — must otherwise be doomed to see the child of his hopes descend to a far lower grade in Society, without the possibility of preven- tion or relief. And yet, it is well known to your Grace, that many are the gallant olhcers who have done signal service to their king and coun- try whose only fortune — added to the education of a gentlemen — was their sicord and their ho/ior ! A\'ould then an unfeeling or ungrateful country reg.n-d with jealousy or otherwise oppose, an institution (mainly support- ed by funds furnished by the Army itself.) having for its leading hallow- ed purpose the shielding of the oflspring of such men from threatening penury and ruin 1 Forbid it, every liberal and generous British feeling ! Ijcsides which, I trust I may be permitted to add, that even allowing the imjndatlon to be by possibility admissible, the only ]iortion of the Army to wliich it would at all attach, must consist of those Ollicers alone Hvhose limited means and large families would render them more imme- diately dependent on the aid of such an endowment: for it is not to be supposed that cither the more affluent in circumstances, or the more ele- - 10 tatcd in rank would be fui'ther connected with such an Institution than ns benevolent and j)lHliUitlnopic supporters. As rei'urds that part of Iho plan which aims at the provision of a pro- tecting home ior tiie oiten Iriondloss and destitute orphan of the British (J/licer, it is impossible to conceive that even the shadow ol an objection could be raised. But I have to entreat pardon for this lengthened intrusion' upon your Orace of observations which inust at once forcibly present themfielvea to every lib(!ral and enlightened mind, and, above all, to that of the dis- tinguished individual with whom the British Army stands so. peculiarly connected. I have therefore the honor to leave the whole merits of the interesting aiid important subject "to your Grace's leisure examination, not doubting of the happiest results to the noble and sacred cause in • agitation. I have the honor \o remain. Your Grace's most obebt. arid very humble Servt*, R. Laohlan, late Major, 17th llegt. Ilovf far his Grace regarded the explanations respectfully advanced in the above letter, satisfactory or otherwise, it is not for me to say. Suf- fice it to observe, that I was never favored with any reply. The document next in order, vij;., the original Prospectus itself, pre- pared with much laborious care, and at considerable personal expense, is, verbatim, as follows, with the exception of a few additional notes, ren- dered necessary by recent events connected with the Wellington College- i 1111 ! i! No. 4. ORIGINAL PROSPECTUS: ENTITULED, REVIVED THOUGHTS, on the Fou.ndation of a great National Institution, intended more es,pecially for the reception of Orphan Children of Officers of the British Army, but so constituted as to iorm, at the same time, a highly respectuble yet economical Public Se- minary for the Education of Officers' Sons and Daughters in general. — By R. Lachlan, late Majox 17tli llegt.— Plymouth; Nettleton, Printer to His Majesty, 1834.. I. As regards the high claims of such an Institution to consideration ^ its most suitable Patrons a?id apjrropriute Designation ; and its general iVa- ture, Objects, and Extent. That a great public Institution, such as the foregoing title describes, would be most desirable m every laudable and benevolent, as well as |)o- ition than of a pro- he Britisli objection upon your lemfielves of tiled is- peculiarly rits of the imination, cause in Servt., 7th llegt. vanced in lay. Suf- tself, pre- cpense, is, lotes, ren- i/'ellingtoa station a i. Orphan ted as to JBLIC Se- n general. S^etileton, ; ttsmost leral Na- lescrihes, ell as po- ll litic, point of view, must ho so universally ndmittoil, that it may naturally excite surprise that itshoukl have hitherto remained uniiltcn)i)tpd, were it not for the formidable bar to its ju'coin|)li.shiiu"";il prcscntcclin the appa- rently ahnosi hopolcss prosjiect of ever rcalizinf? h'tinds siifliciently ample to defray the cxpiMise of even a fi/st Fou)i(hr!to)i, far less Ihc snhsequent heavy cM;Tf«« r/«V;«rscwc//^s attending yo vast an lOslablisliment. Yet, discouraging as tiiese obstacles may at first siirlit ajipear, they will ho lonnd very far from insurmountable, when we come to grapple boldly with the question. The attainment of the first grand step towards success must, of course, in the first instance, depend mainly on tiio generous ofIi)rts of that liigh- mindedand honoraljle profession, f()r the imsiiediute benefit of whose ofl- spring it would be expressly destined. It caimot, tlicrefore, be doubted that by the unanimous strenuous co-ojieration of tbe different branches of the service, a very handsome general subscription would speedily 'be rea- lized for such a purpose: but it is a'so frankly confessed that a vast na- tional undertaking of so decidedly useful and benevolent a chnractcr appears to havo also strong claims upon the bounty of a fostering (go- vernment: add to which, not a little may reasonably be eiipected from so well grounded nrn appeal to tlie British Nation at large, in behalf of the unprotected Orphans of its brave defenders. The achiovemont'of the second great object will also of course have to rest in a great measure with the Army itself; and no mode of raising funds appears so eligible or so simi)le as a small regular periodical sub- scriptitMi by the laembers of every grade, in proportion to their professional income ; but, as in the former instance, it might also reasonably hope to be partially aided by Government, as well as by occasional donations and bequests from public and private beitclactors. But to insure a fair chance of laying a solid and lasting foundation for even the most promising superstructure of the kind, it is highly desirable that the work should be commenced under the most powerful and ^pro- pitious auspices. It should therefore, if possible, as{)i're to no less exalted Patronage than that of Their most gracious MajtSiies, and be of course denominated The Royal Military Institution , and 0'f/i(;ers''0rp]ia7i Asyiuvi-; while the rest of the Princes 0/ the Royal Family, *he Commander in Chief of the Army, the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, andtlie Commanders in Ciiief of the Indian Armies, of the North American Provinces, and of the Forces m the Mediterranean Stations, together with other distin- guished oflicial and influential individuals, should be invited to become its Vice-Patrons, and leading tHipporters. Having ventured to advert to the very high auspices under which alone, it is conceived, a nOble national undertaking such as that contem- plated, should be originated, let us proceed to examine how far it would be worthy of such distinguished countenance. To enter, then, at once into fiur Lieu lars : — The great leading objects of the benevolent and useful Institutien proposed should be threefold : 1st. — To furnish a respectable and comfortable Homo for the Unpro- tected Orphan Children of all aanks of Commissioned Ofhcers in tho British Army, free of expense, and for whose reception it should be open from the unfortunate moment of parental bereavement, up to a suitable age for commencins» their struggles through life — say 16 years — subject to Pvules and Pvcgulations to be hereafter considered. ■iiuwit^ ' Wii ' u i wwjaw w M ff' ji, 1*2 2(1. — M'o ])roinoto the rcspecUibUj cstahlislimont in life, on allaiiiinq the ii,s;e of U), of all . such UuiMiANN, of either sex, ns may bn iiiihitppily loft uitoiri'thcr deiuMKhMit on the Jnstitntion, by gnintinii, to all those, who shall clu.so their career in it, in a creditable manner, a certain iiecnniary .Donation of, say £'200, or such other sum as may be deemed adecjuute to assist in their ontlit, on entering lite.* •Sd. — To esti;blish, tlionirh ])erhai)S at first on a limited seale, n most re.spectal)le yet economical Skminahv I'ur the rece]ilit»n and ]'h)LCATioN ol'tlie C'liir.nuKN of Mimtakv Oitickiis in general, where all, bnt more esjiecially those belonging to Corps serving abroad, may have the inva- luable u]iportnnity of not only l)(\stowing a suitable and congenial Kdii- cation on their OlVspring in the liand of tht'ir fathers, at a moderate eliarge, bnt of conliding them, during so critical a period of hie, to the fostering protection of a liigh public guardianship, so A\ell calculated to «et a parent's heart at rest, whether in the eventful hour of personal pe- ril, during the trying season of agonizing sickness, or amid the lingering years of exile in insalubrious distant lands, in the servico of their coun- try! The period in such instances to be restricted, Avith regard to both sexes, to from 8 to 1() years ol"age. From the loregoing brief sketch it will at once be evident that the details o( so ext(Misive anil diversified an Institution could not possibly be carried on under one root or single foundation. It is therclbn: supposed that it would naturally consist of /irr; distinct and separate J'.'stablish- inents ; the one destined for the reception of Jiovs alone ; and the other, of (liui.s, and of Infants, of both sexes; anil it is calculated, upon data tolje noticed hereafter, that the aggregate nund)er of Children, likely to become inmates of the two branclu\s, would be Jrom lOUO to IVJO. Adnn'tting suck as jirobable, let iss, without stopping to contemplato ihc tender carewhich \s-ould await the interesting Inlant portion of the Orphan .IJranch of sncli an J'Jstablishment, at once pass on to consider what might be deemed the most eligible course of Education to be ado])- ted. It may thereibrc be next observed that such an Institution not Ijcing, of course, meant to pretend to any exclusively iMilitary charac- ter, but simply to ailbrd to Children admitted into it u sound general Education, suited to their parents' station, and their own jirospects in life, the diflerent branches of instruction should, with regard to the Boys, lie limited to a thorough knowledge of J'^nglish, Ii:iti.n,and French^ and Writing, Arithmetic, Ccography, and iMatiiematics ; bnt that sncli as might be destined for the Army, should, during the last year or two, re- ceive additional instruction in the Elements of Fortification and Gunnery, * Note 1854. Existing circumstances Kere induce me to observe that I have ever looked upon the cieation of a protecting Home for the Orphan, of both sexes, as the nsblest and nio^t valuable part of the proposed hallowi'd structure*,, and tl»at 1 must therefore naturally le^'urd the absence of all provision for ihi.' Orphan Dauijhlcrs of Oificers as a striicinji: defect ill the plan of the ^Vcllington Testimonial. To state the grounds of tny convictions on that head would only harrow up the best feelings of our nature. Siinice it then t» remarU, that, if a philantliropic booti is to bo conferroU upon the Children of an Ofllcer, let not the gentler imd weaker sex be t'lilirt'ly overlooked, while their brothers, wiio may continue tostniu;^ie on through life, even in poverty, without a stain upon their father's nuine, are so exclusively carecl for. If furlhsr " damning proof " of the necessity of such a measure be wanted, let 'he annals of di.'piavity and rui-sforlune bi.- consulted, and they will proclaim the indisputable Ijct tiiac a large proportion of th,' unhappy female victiiiH of vice in onr towns and cities consists of povcrly-olrlckon, unpruloclod, orphan daughters of Briihh Ol!\:en and Chri^y' men ! 13 most NATION inure invH- Kdii- tu the tcul to ?ly to ami j?f!iicrul 'Military Tm-tics: ami tlinl w illi regard Id llic d'irls, the I'llii- cation should l)ci rostricti'il to !\f:r;umimliv-al kiiowk'dL'o o( the Miiiilibli aiul ]'>(MU'li Lan;^tiriLi'C's, Arilhiiictic, ami JMiisio, coiiiljim.'d M'itli jilain ami or- iianu'iital .Nccdk' Work, ami (.'.her iisrlnl JjriiiK.'lics ol Dunicsliir ICcoiiomy, t)r lliaisu-kecpiiip:, calculated to rciidcr IIhmu valuable ami industrious lic:uls, or suporintiMulonts of families, in alter life. Jt would, of course, be desirable that the various Ollicers, Masters, ami Mi.stressi's of both I^stablishuients, — beiii^ expected to Ijo of(ually res- j)ectablo and well qualified for the duties alloted to llieni, — should have as liberal salaries as may be consistent with due economy; and it ap- pears but just, that in the selection of jiersons to fill these res|)onsible otiic( ■^", a ])referenco should, witli one exception alone, be i^iven to Half- pay and Retired (Jilicers, and Oilicer>i' Wives' and Widows. Jn addition to the luimber of Masters and Mistrer-ses re([uircd tosu|)rr- intend the diflerent classes, of whom a detailed list will be attempted lieroalter, it is eviilently desirable that a well (jualidt'd ])erson should Ix; ap])ointed to the general domestic charge of each establishment, under the mune ol ] louse Govniwr ox ilcncral Si/jjcri/itc/idcfit^wlwuc duty it should be to regulate the whole of the interior economy, keep a strict account of all dishm ■;:'iiients, and transact any other business lalling withm the joint oiiicc (,l Accountant and Assistant Secretary to the Co incil or Board of iMaiiagement. Hided in the minor details, by an as- sist int clerk, in the | crson oftlio House Steward. As in the choice ol the kHiiJi'rintendent it would be necessary that lie should be a married man, so it would be very desirable that his Wile should be qualilied to undertidce the ollicc oi Jfoifsc Governess ox Matron ; but in the event of the Sujjcrintemlent being a Widower, the AVife oC any of the other Masters might be eligible to liold that appointment, i/ found duly qualilied. The exception alluded to in a former paragraph should liave rcli-rence to the appointnient of a Cha})lain to each l-lstalilishment, wliich import- ant Oliice should always he. held by a C/crui/nuoi, ^vho shall 'liave re- gularly gradui'.tetl at one of the Universities ; and such i)erson being most likely to be best qualilied to discharge the duties of Rector or lleacl ISlaster, As'ould be the most proper individual to till that rtsjionsible oliice, in cjujunction with that ol "I'eacher of Latin and JMathematics to tlm .^!ale Lranch of tlie Kstablishment ; M'hile, in the Female Department Ike united oliice of General Superintendent and Cha])lain might be held hy the same person. The Clerical duti{\s to consist ol reading daily pub- lic Prayers, and tho regular pcrl'ormance ol Divine Service every Sabbath. The appointnient of a Resident Medical Officer being also absolutely necessary to so extensive an Kstablishment, it is hoped that (aovernment might be prevailed on to nominate an exj)erienced Surgeon to that charge, from the Half-pay List, who should be well versed in the Sci- ence of Chemistry, and the Practice of an Apothecary ; as it might be advisable that the details of the Dispensary or Surgery attached to the Hospital should be so conducted as to alibrd an ojiportunity of ground- ing a few ofthe Orphan Pupils in the business ol Druggists and Apcllie- curies, with the view of their ultimate settlement in life in those ]'ro- fessions, or ol being attached to Cioverninent General Hospitals or Pub- lic Dispensaries, at home or abroad, should there be o])portunitics vi'ao 14 providing for tlurrii. The S'.itf'^oii to'roc^ivr, of conrso, lui rnKliliDunl Siilnry frmn tlic Instilitlioii ; nVd I'ia VV»I'! to \)C ahi- t'ligiblo to lill the otlico of Cliiel" Matron, oriloiiso (JciVfTnt'Sfs. In till' eV(.Mit o( any ol iho alHtV(3 Ollico JJourers liiwini; Cliililroii, it miRlit l)ecwiuu a niallfi- ol lilji'ral j'olicy to pfrmii one or nioro of tin; latter to bo boarcKd ami edia'utt'il at tlie In.stitiilion, free of (.'X|)en, but which should embrace, along with the usual Jrymnastic Exercises, the lleeruit Urill, the Firelock and fSword Exer- cises, and the practice of Swinui.'ing. Uaving glanced at the ix other Househoril Servants. — ^—Making a total of 2y persorit,. The following Establishment, it is thought, would also be adeaiiatc to the wants oi the Female Branch, viz. General Superintendent, discharging also the duties of Chaplain, and acting ns occasional Secretary to the Board of Munagement. — Head-Governess, to be, if possible, the wife of the Chapluiii.and to act as Secretary to the Sub-Committees of Patronesses, should *acfi hetormed. — Assistuntor Under-Housekeeper. — Head Knglish School Mistress, and ono Assistant Ditto.— 1' rench Mwtress and one Assistant Ditto. — Writing Master or Mistresu including Arithmetic. — Music Master (non-resident). — Dancing Master [ditto] — Surgeon. — In.vUuctress in Dress-making and Embroidery. — Laundress and two Assistants. — Three Cooks. — Porter and Portress- ^^Four otlier Maid Servants, and Ten Nurses for Infants and very young Children, exclusive of the occasional employment of Wet- Nurses, when necessary. — Giving altogether a total of 34 persons. • Should both Branches be established in the same neighbourhood, one Surgeon would sufnce. Ircii, it 15 lluviiiif t:,k<^n a m\)'vl RPiioral glance ut Iho contomphiU-Hl imture unci rxlcnt uflhc proposed Iii>ititiiliou, us woll us ol'tlir IvsUiblisluiuMits likely to bo rc'ipiired lor bofli hriuiclics, let lis lunv jirucecLl tostiite tlio jjromuli on wliicli wc imvc bctui led to clierisli t!i'« prospect c sk* fejied in the foregoinj^ brief outline, beinj; evidently pregnant with incalciihible bi'nolits to the Otlicers of the Hritish Army, ■jmssesses, as alreaily observed, pcouliur claims to the most strenuous co- operation of every member of tiiut honorable profession in its belialfj and bein*!; also obviously calculated to be productive of jireat public good, it so ems scarcely ]cy,ii deserv ng oi patronage by tho nation ut large. IV may. therefore be reasonably hoped, that few real dilliculties would at- tend the ultimate success of so noble u fiibric, were the great work ofits first Foumlution at once heartily, and zealously engaged in. IJut how. il will be asked, is even that arduous undertaking to bo nccomplished, seeing that the most favorable results of an appeal to the great sources of supply alluded to must be of little uvaiJ, without the fu8-» tering support of the State ? We aniiwer : J^et thc^ Army, in tht^ first, instance, do ila pirt nobly and liberally.towurds a cause so jieculiarly its own ; and then, but not till then, will it have a right to expect that (^o-- vernment shojild m.irk its ap[)ro'>ation of so ?i'UiomU/ //.hv.poxtixnt an In- stitutiou, ])y either a liberal pecuniary grunt in aid of its Foundation, or by the promise of the allotment of some unappropriated suitable public- edifice for its use, as soon as the necessary preliminaries shall have been, brought to uu loubt(Hl m iturity. Nay, 't miy not be amiss to observe ■ that tho establishment of such an Institution miijht, under proper regu- lations, bj th:^ moans of saving Government both trouble and expense, from the toudency which it would have to simfjlify us well as restrict, the calls upon -the Compassionate Fund to tlie lielpless and critical period ■ of youth alone. IJut iii order to establish a stronger claim to the expectation that thp above resources will eventually be forthcoming for defraying the first, endowment of the Institution, let us proceed to point out the leading Nources frjin which it is proposed to meet the subseq-icnt current ex- p)enses, and to show how far these would be adequate to such inevitably heavy burthens. Thi:*- will perhaps bo deemed by some rather an in.^ versj mode of proceeding, since it would appear more natural to look first to, and deciile upon, the fiinds from which a Foundation must be previously made. But independent of its being impossible to speak'.. more decidedly on a prospective contingency, involving so many fortui- tous circumstances, it is presumed that a suitable provision lor the latter important purpose will be most readily promoted, by its being first de-- monstrated that a Revenue can be realised that would be even more than sufficient to cope with the current expenditure of the Establish- ment ; in the same manner as a prudent individual, before setting about the erection of a magnificent mansion, would first take into consideratioc.. 16 whether his income would jilso aflbrd not only the means of aftorwards l'iirnishir.!j;' its inlcrJDr, oii a scale of corrt'tjpoiuling cloi^anec, but of sup- portinji; the numerous honselrold establish niont, and expensive style of living:', bcdtting so princely an nbodo. For instaiicf'., then, takiuii,- the iinulamcntal Ke£>idation of the East .hulia Company's Olilcrrs' meritorious Orphan Institutions in India as, so fiir, a long-tried succcssfuJ- jvact.ical i^uide, can it bo doubted that an an- nual contribution of o«er^ri'/,s;w,//, or little more than \ per cent, would be most cheerfully bestowed lovvarilsso desirablnan ol»joct, by even/ OtPic^er of the British Army, \vlieth(n' on luU or half pay !' In which case front that single source alone (supiiosina* the number of Ofiieers to be between I-ijOOO and 1o,0()0,) would at once be created an averaj^e annual incomo of near jeo, 000! Al^uu, tho leadiu'i; feature of such an Institution boinp; for tho imme- diate vital l)oncfit of the Orphan Children of Otfujers, there can be as lit- tle doubt that all the married members of the Service would equally cheerfully subscribe two additional days^ pay per annum, to give their otVspring a claim to a participati(,>H in its fostering- care, when unfortu- nately left without a Parental Protector. From which source, supposing on an avirai^e, that \ of the Oflicers of the army ore married, would ac- crue an additional annual income of between JJ 1,400 and XI, 500. f It would next remain to be decided, what sum should be contributed by those Officers who may send their Children to be boarded and edu- cated at the Institution, as ordinary pu])ils ; and this it is conceived could not, on the most moderate sctdo, be estimated at less than £\1 or £18 per annum (exclusive of cloi.hiug %) ^'^i' one, or £30 per annum for two Boys 5 and iGli per annum for on(% or £"24> per annum for two (tU"1s, be- longinu; to the same family. I'akino;, however, JGIG as the probable medium rate, and that one in every 20 oflicers sent one pupil, making 750 in all, it follows that a further addition to the Funds would thereby be accumulated of about £12,000 per aniiinn ! The above being once didy constituted the great Parent Funds of the Institution, tlie collection of ilunn could at once be sinipUfietl 1)y its be- coming a Ilegulation ol' the Service (as in the Indian Army) that all Officers should, as a matter of coiu'se, ac(|uiesce in the same, on their first entering the Service; and that the amount of the tlilierent sul)scrij)tions should be sto[)t quarterly, in advance, from every Oliicer's pa.y, by Ilegi- mental, Detachment, or District Pay-iMasters, or by liaii-Pay Agents, * Every OlRcer of the East India Army, on cntorina: the service, is bound to contribute lou'artls thf mainlpniuice of this laudablo Establishmeul, in proportion to his nirik — l>iihal- terns payiii;^ 3 rupees, Captains G rnpec.'^, and Majors 9 rupwe,'; pes incn^CM ; or, about 1^ per cent, on iheir atniual incomes — uboul jicc liinrs mure than what is ahoce iimpo-icd. f Note Ivjj I. In the fran^iUij; of this Proipf etas it was not contemplated tiiat the Oijiccrs of the Indian Army would even be (Hsposed to co-operate in the proposed [nstiluiion ; but such being a part of liie plan of the Wellinj^ton Col!ei;^e, it may hero be obKerved that, to pro- vide tor the exteiisiou of the Fouiidjtiou to individtial Otticers of that service, wilhout in- terferini^' with their own excellent Institution, all that M'ould be necessary would be to arran;;:e so tiiat any Orpliiiii ot an l^ij-t India Company's Ollicer might be eligible to ha liansferred to the Uoyal i^.itabiislini.'iit ifdi'sin-d, c i complying; with such rules as mi^ht be nuiluiiliy an-reed upon by iiie man i'i;i'r- of boih, with regaul to receiving the Orphan Allowance, i;, paid info th;; Treasury of the Institution, for the beneiit oi its funds, uistcad cf I'.iosc of Chelsea Uospiinl. 145 fundjt-sliall have been happily realised to warrant cither lh& building, or purchasing, or, to speak more moderately still, the temporary renting, of two mansions calculated to acoommodate the two Branches of the In- stitution, it may now he advisable to exhibit, in a somewhat tangible form, how far the available annual Funds above alluded to, would be commensurate with the various- current expenses of two such extensive Establishments, including, the salaries of their numerous Offlce-Bearers and Servants, the cost of Provisions for more than 1100 individuals, the clothing of say 300 Orphans, the Laundry and Hospital expenses, and the wear and tear of Furniture and Utensils, Linen, Books, Stationery, and other coutmgencies. With this view, let us- commence with the fgllowing recapitulatiodi :r— 'm lat.— Pfobable atnount-of one day's pay frana every Officer in the Army, sup^r posing the number (including Half as well as Full Pay) to be about 15,000, say ••■•••••••••• 2nd.— Ditto of two additional (lays' pay from all Married Offieerg, to entitle tbeir Offspring to the beneiits of the Orphan Branch of the Inatitution, reck-.- oned at about! in R, say . . • . . . . . ... 3j(l._Ditto of charges for the board and education of, say 750 Children of living Parents, being at the rate of 1 Child in every 20 Officers, at the medium cost of X16 per annum .... 4th. — Probable amount of allowances from Cbmpassionate Fund to 300 Orphanay being at. the rate of 1 to every -r>0 Officers, supposed to be transferred to the Treasury of the Institution • . . £«,000 1.500 12,000 3,000 £22,500 Supposing, then, that the suras expected from the above sources were realized to the extent described, and that the number of Pupils' admitted upon both Establishments amounted, as before estimated, to 1050," it Follows that if the expense attending each Child were at a venture rated at £20 per annum, including all charges, the Funds- annually available would be more than adequate to the current expenses of the In!»titution. For, If the amount of these Futids alone be And the Expense attending- 1060 Children, ks, Stationery, and othe: Contingencies 2,500 7th. — Ditto of Repairs and charge of Premises, say ..... 500 £15,000 Add to which tho first two Estimates, via; — Ist.— Expenses of Male Department, as above ..... 2,780 2nd. — Ditto of Female Department ....... 1,734 And aiso, 6ih. — Estimated Amount of Annual Donations to Orphans, as before . 1,800 And the Grand Total will be £21,314 shewing a rather remarkable unlooked for coincidence witli the calculation given in a for- mer page, but more in favor of the IiiStitution, as exhibiting a clear annual Balance of £1,1l>6, after defraying all charges ! Highly favorable as may appear the prospect of ultimate success in this great undertaking, as viewed through the medium of either of the 20 I'f .m m m 1 1 foregoing rough estimates, it may be as well to take still another view of the subject, and suppose it probable that some years would (dupse before the unfettered bli'ssiugs of the Institution could be brought into opera- tion, and that in the meantime its establishment should so far proceed on a limited scale, thut the Orphan Branch alone should be unrestricted, but that the admission of the Ciiildren of living parents should at first be pro- portioned to the gradually increasing extent of its means. In such case let the number of Ori)hans be supposed to be 300, as before, and the avenige expense of each be estimated even as high as jC'if) per annum, it will be found thut the £0000 realized from the single day's i)ay of all ranks, with the XloOO derived from the two extra days' pay of the Mar- ried Officers, would be exactly suflicient to cover all the ex])t'nses, Or- phan Donations excepted; but of course these would be amply met by the allowances proposed to be handed over from the Compassionate Fund, '^n the meantnne, however, a certain uumber of Ordinary Pupils anight be admitted annunlly from each Regiment or Corps, as vacancies occur- red, or the accommodations allowed, projiortioned to the gradually im- proving state of the finances; all such regimental candidates to be elec- ted by the general vote of the Officers of the Corps, and admitted either by lott(^ry or ballot, or by selection, guided by the peculiar nature of their claims, until, at last, restrictions becoming altogether imnccessary, every Married Oflicer would be at liberty to jn-esent his Child fbradmis- sion, without the necessity of any appeal to his brother (311icers whatever. Independent of the above arrangement, it may be here also observed, that it is conceived that every llegiment and Corps in the Service should have a puoprietary voice in the management of the afliiirsof the Insti- tution ; and it is supposed that the simplest mode of exercising this just and siilntary control, would be by the Oilicers of Cor])s electing a stand- ing Committee among themselves, the duty of whose president should be to communicate on the part of his brother Officers, to the Council or Committee of Management, all decisions regarding regimental candidates, as well as to convey their sentiments on any suggested imi)rovements, apparent defects, or other matters, by them deemed deserving of being submitted to the Managing Committee's consideration. Add to which, it is conceived it would be desirable thateveryCor])s should occasionally depute an authorised Regimental Delegate to visit the Insiitntion, and minutely inspect the interior economy of both Bninches, for the informa- tion of their brother Oflicers, to whom they should have to transmit or deliver a detailed written Report of their visitation.* It may also be observed, that, it being an important leading feature of the proposed Institution that it should place at the disposal of the anxious parent, on distant foreign service, a comfortable Home and respectable Seminary of congenial education for his Child, in the bosom of his native country, altogether independent of the chances of war, and the casualties of unhealthy climates, it would be deserving of consideration, whether, until the funds should have arrived at lull maturity, a decided j^refcrcnce should not be given to Children belonging to Corps so situated, next to ♦ Note, 1854. — The great popular value of these Kririmenfal Boards would prove very great, as in a manner giving to every officer a direct voice in the adnninistiation of the af- fairs of the Institution, and otherwise inducing Ihenri to take an active interest in its pros- perity, besides completely shutting the door aj;aiiist undue favoritism or patronage by par- tic u I -ir classes. the the I ben vic( apf abr a d one arri we an( tak rici SI might the unprotected offspring of those who may have fillen in the service of their country. It is also further suggested, that it would he productive, of very great benefit to the large j)ro})Grtion of the Army employed on Foreign Ser- vice, were two responsible Agents (who might be Officers on half pay) appointed to receive temporary charge of all Children arriving from abroad, in the event of tlieir relations beingunable,or at too inco)ivenient a distance, to undertake that interesting, and often very necessary duty ; one to be stationed in London, to receive charge of all those who may arrive from Gibraltar, Malta, and other stations in the Mediterranean, as well as from the dilVerent Hegiments in India, Ceylon, New South Wales and the Cape of Crood Hope; and the other to reside at Liverpool, and take charge of all those arriving from the West Indies and North Ame- rica, together with such as accidental circumstances may bring to that port, from any of the foreign stations before mentioned ; and the express duties of these agents to be, to take charge of the Children and their baggage from the vessel, to report their arrival to the parents, as well as to the Secretary of the Council of Management, and to receive them into their family, until arrangements can be made for forwarding them to the Institution. For which trouble they should be entitled to a cer- tain fee for each Child, in addition to the expense of their temporary board, and an equitable per centage on such otlier outlay as may be ab- solutely necessary on their account, from the time of their landing, until delivered over to the Institution. It would, however, be necessary that these charges should always be promptly defrayed by the parent ; and perhaps this could be mo&t conveniently managed by granting a provi- sion al order on the Regimental Agent, to be presented after counter-sig- nature of the Secretary of the Board of Management, as a voucher of their correctness, and of the receipt of the Child and its property; but no Child so forwarded to be admitted on the foundation of the Institution, until this regulation should be complied with. The great convenience, nay importance, of such an appointment, will be particularly appreciated by parents who have served long abroad, and found it necessary to send, home their Children for education. It may, therefore, be well added, that, even altogether independent of the proposed Institution, the servi- ces of such an agent would oflen be invaluable in taking charge of Children arriving from Corps abroad, and arranging all matters connec- ted with the forwarding of them to their intended destination distant friends and relations.* But it is time to quit these secondary, though interesting topics, and pass to the more important subject of Management, with which, indeed some of the foregoing remarks are more regularly connected. • Note, 1854.— To llie above it may be added that the author is well aware— from his own personal ktiovvledi,'e — that in thi; event of the ex'ension of the benefit of the Royal In- stiuitioti to individual oHicersof the Indian Army, the appointment of such agents as here described, would prove invulaable ; but the rules connected therewith would have to be strictly attended to. among ill M a ■ j ■ 'i'l to: .1 III. Regarding the Management of the Institution. Some idea will have been already formed of the proposed nature of the Management of the Institution, during the perusal of the foregoing pages- Without, then, going particularly into details more or less common to all similarly constituted bodies, suffice it for the present to suppose that, all preliminaries being arranged, and a Council or Committee of Manage- ment appointed l>y a general Meeting of all Subscribers and Delegates resident in or near the metropolis, it will follow that a similar meeting should be held annually, by public advertisement, to receive and approve of the Report of the Managing Committee, and, if ncccsssiry, to elect new members, as vacancies occur ; as also to discuss any matters con- nected with the good of the Establishment, which may be brought before it, either by the Board of Management, or by individual subscribers then present. In other re.s[)ects the entire direction of the aflairs of the In- stitution to be vested in the Council or Bourd of Management, which might consist of a president, 4 vice-presidents, and 12 ordinary members, besides a treasurer and a secretary, elected from among such General Officers, Staff and Field Officers, resident in and near the metropolis, as may be willing to undertake this honorable gratuitous office. All these officers to be liable to be re-elected, except the 4 ordinary members at the head of the list, who should as usual retire, for at least one year, before re-election ; and the same individuals not to hold the offices of president or of vice-presidents more than two years in succession, and one year to elapse afterwards, before re-election. The Council Meetings to be of course unrestricted in regard to number, but held whenever thought necessary ; and a minute book of their proceedings to be kept for their special use and reference. In this Board should of course be vested, the appointment of all the domestic officers, masters, and subordinate teachers, and servants of the Establishment — a preference being always, if possible, given to Half-pay and Retired Officers, and Officers' Wives and Widows, in nomination to the superior situations ; and to meritorious pensioned Non-Commissioned Officers and Soldiers, and their AVives and Widows, in selections for the inferior offices. And, it may he adiled, that to ease its members in the general duties of the Board, one of its vice-presidents, and four of the ordmary members, might form a periodical Sub-Committee of Visitation, and audit of all accounts. The duties of visitation to consist of a minute inspection, at uncertain intervals, of every department of both Establish- ments, and to give in a periodical Report of the same for the informatiun of the Council in general. It might also be very desirable, that from among the vice-patrons of the Institution, one of the dignitaries of the ChurcU should be invited to join the Board of ^lanagement ; and, should ther-^* bp several among its supporters, that the invitation should be held ouL to all in rotation. And it would be still more desirable, that, in aid of the labors of the general Managing Committee, an Honorary Ladies' Committee should be invited to form themselves, from among the vice-j)atroiiesses and other fair supporters of the Institution, with the special view of promotirg to the utmost the welfare of ihe interesting Female Branch of the Estab- lishment. This Committee to consist of a similar number to the Council, of til e 23 and to be similarly divided into Sub-Committees of Visitation ; the re- sult of whose observations to be submitted in like manner to the (icncral Committee, and by them reported to the Council. The House Governess to act as assistant to the Honorary Secretary of the Ladies' Committee, when necessary. Much more might be added on the subject of Management ; but the above, it is hoped, will be more than sulticient to direct attention to a subject always important and interesting, but in this case offering one or two novel features for adoption, that seem peculiarly adapted for the con- stitution of such an Institution : we shall, therefore, en leavor to close our desultory sketch with a few miscellaneous hints, connected chiefly with the admission of Candidates, the general discipline of the Schools, and the final exit of the Pupils from its protecting roof. IV. Misccllanemts hints cnnnected rcitJi the Regulation of Claims to Admission^ hut more particularly of the Oriihan Branch of the Institution, the ge- neral Discipline of the Schools, and tlie fined honorable exit of those ivlio may be placed under its fostering jjrotection. The particular system of Instruction to be adopted in the Schools of the Institution would, of course, be a matter of future mature considera- tion by far more competent judges than the writer of these desultory re- marks ; but it may in the meantime bo earnestly hoped, that such only would be adopted as would ensure the excitement of the genial spirit of emulation, whether in the cultivation of knov^^ledge or the pursuit of virtue, without the degrading exhibition of the infliction of corporal and other disgraceful punishments, still too common in many of our public schools and other seminaries: and, perhajis, as far as report may be be- lieved, few systems would be found to work better, without assuming very high pretensions, than that at present piu'siied in the New Academy of Edinburgh. Without, however, discussing this important subject fur- ther, it is hoped that the following few miscellaneous hints, bearing more immediately on the admission of Pupils into the Institution, and their final transfer from its protection to the more eventful busy walks of life, may neither be altogether out of place, nor unvv'orthy of attention. That all Cliildren should of course be deemed entitled to participnte in the benefit of the Orphan Branch of the I'vStablishment.on the decease of the Father alone ; but in case of the surviving parent l)eing able and willinG; to retain charge of her Child for a time, she should be at libcrtv to do so, on making known her wishes to the Board of Management, and the same being assented to by them: in which case the Child might ba allowed to remain in her charge until the age of eight years, and the parent be, during that time, allowed an annual sum for its sup])ort, equi- valent to that received from the Compassionate Fund. But at the ex- piration of that period, the Child should either be brought regularly on the foundation of the Institution, or considered to have forfeiiedall claims to a participation in its benefits. That all Pupils, whether Orphans or the Children of living parents, I 24 shoiilcl, when proposed for admission to the Tnstitution, he expected to have made a progress in the rudiments of education propurtioiied to their years. Witli a view to ascertain which, a special examination shoiikl take phice on their bcincf presented ; and if fuimd remarkably dellciunt, they shoidd l>c rejected until such time as they should hi liamd to have so iar made up the deficiency, as to be deemed (jualilied lor admissiun. Tiie avowed chief ol)ject of the Institution being to furnish a j)ro1fct- ing Home to the often friendless and destitute Offspring of tiie brave men who may have either fallen in battle, or whose lives may have otherwise been sacrificed in the service of their country, some precise rules would appear to be necessary, to guard against the misapplication of this hal- lowed purpose — as for instance:* That no Orphan should be entitled to be admitted to the benefits of that Jiranch of the Institution, whose parents shall be known to be in circumstances that should render it altogether independent of such are- source, and that such should be deemed to be the case when the surviv- ing parent of an Orphan (being an only child) shall be possessed of an income, from whatever source, of more than double the amount of the usual pension of her rank, or where the Child itself shall be possessed of l)roperty, by inheritance, bequest, or otherwise, to the amount of more than, say JGIOOO, or to an annuity yielding more than £50 ])cr annum , but that in the event of there being more than one Child, a fair and ade- quate addition of, day £4.0 or JC50 per annum for each, should be made in favor or the v/idow, or the parents' representative, as the case may be. All such Orphans to be, nevertheless, eligible to be enrolled on the ordi- nary Education Branch of the Establishment, on the same terms as the Children of living parents, the surviving parent, guardian, trustee, or executor, paying the U'-ual quarterly Subscription regularly in advance. That on the admission of Orphans possessing property less than the sums above specified, such property should have to be vested in Govern- ment securities, to be deposited in the treasury of the Institution, for their Ward's subsequent benefit, or, in the event of their decease, for that of a surviving brother or sister, or both, should there be such ; but in the event of there bejug no other brother or sister, and both parents being dead, so much of the amount to be hable to bo transferred to the credit of the Institution, as shall have been actually expended on behalf of the same (funeral charges included), during the time of its being on the founda- tion of the Establishment, and the residue to be then paid over, on de- mand, to ihe parents' representative, executor, or trustep, for the benefit of the next heir. All Orphans so situated to be liable to rejection, should the surviving parent, truslee, or other person who presents the Child, evade or refuse to comply with this regulation. That all Orphans succeeding by inheritance, bequest, or otherwise, to property equal to, or more than, the sums above specified, during the time of their being on the foundation of the Institution, shall be liable, on such taking place, to be transferred from the Orphan list to that of ordi- nary Pupils, in the manner already specified. That when, by tlie will of a parent, a capricious, nnjnst, or partial dis- tribution of property shall be made, so as unduly to favour the surviving * Regulalions in a groat measure similar to several of the following paragraphs are in force in the Orphan Institutions of the Officers of the East India Company. 25 parent, or other persons, (o the detriment of the Child or Children, or by which purt only of the Children shall be provided for, lo the jtrejndiee, seclusion, or omission ot the rest ; and it shall manilistly appear that such VMS the intention of the testator, such conduct shall be considered to invalidate the claims of all the Cliildreu of that family to tho Orphan benefits of the Institution ; and that, with reference to this rei^ulation, any greater provision for the widow than three-fifths where there shall be only one Child, one-half where there shall be two, and one-third where there shall be three or more Children, shall be deemed as coming within its prohibitory intent and purpose, unless the whole income de- rived thereby shall not exceed double the amount of the lady's pension, &;c., as already specified. That should similar i)rcjudicial consequences arise to Orphans from the parent dying intestate, they should be ecpially liable to rejection on that account ; but that nothing in either this or the foregoing regulation should interfere with their being received into the ordinary Education Branch of the Institution. That with the view of gaining the most correct and authentic infor- mation on all the foregoing points, the Board of Management should, on the presentation of any Orphan, be entitled, if deemed necessary, to call for the unreserved perusal of all testamentary or other documents, in- volving its interests ; and in the event of such being refused, or evaded, or of its a{)[)eariiig, on an ins])eetion of the same, that the funds of the Institution woidtl bo unduly bwrthened through any of the foregoing means, such Child, or Childreji, should be thereby suhject to rejection. That to guard still further against the infringement of these essential and salutary regulations, the sf/n-iving parent, guardian, or other person presenting an (3rphan for admission, shall, in addition to the production of testamentary documents, ajid a certificate of the ChiUrs identity from the deceased parent's last Commanding Officer, or other competent per- son, make aflidavit, according to a presciibed form, of its claims coming strictly within the letter and spirit of the regulations (jf the Institution. That on an Or[)han Pupil being once admitted, the i5oard of Manage- ment should be considered as its special guardians, nntil the period of its quitting the Institution ; and that they slionld therefore be at liberty to reject all jiruposals from its surviving parent, relations, or others, for with- drawing it from their ])rotection befl)re the j)roper time, unless accom- panied by the most satisfactory proofs of such being for the undoubted benefit and advantage of their \Vard ', but that this [lermission being once obtained, should, except under very peculiar circumstances, be considered as a virtual reriouncement of all future claims upon the Institution. In all which cases, where there may be property belonging to such Orphans, in deposit in the treasury of the institution, the same should be forthwith made over to the surviving parent, guardian, or other responsible person, making the application, and a receij)t taken for the same. With regard to the close of the Pupil's residence in the Institution, whether Orphan or otherwise, it may be observed, that though, as an excitement to laudable emulation among the scliolars, of all ages, a cer- tain number of appropriate honorary rewards and medals would, as usual, be awarded at every half-yearly examination, to the most deserving of each class; it might be pro[)ose:l, to mark still more honorably the ter- mination of the career of the transcendent! y meritorious, that (Govern- ' I 26 ment should bo solicited to bestow annually upon o?*!*? or more oftbemost succossfiil ciUKliiialcs, about to quit the luslitution, some more substan- tial partiuc; memorial of'a))|)rt)bation, liavinir a direet reference to their futur(! prospects in life ; and that such should bu eitlier the piftof a C!om- mission in the Army, or, independent of any find peeuniary donation, as Orphans, bestowing upon them the means of (pialiCying themselves, at the University, for cnterin,on attaining the age of 1(5, suiiiee it hereto observe, that this must, of course, depend greatly on the exertions of their friends and relations;, though tliey will be seconded l)y the good oflices of the Council of Management and its aids, who would naturally take the same steps to obtain situations for them as are now successfully adopted by other Institutions of a some- what similar nature, and in which it is conceived they would exjierience even less difficulty, considering the wide range of inquiry more i)arti"u- larly open to them, among the various Public Oflices, and dilTereut Go- 1, VICIOUS 27 vcrnmcnt Ap:onts, rontraclors, and other idcf. ja] pr -fcssioiis more or less connected witli (iovernnient. At nil voi i«, tli- uullis iiUiided to, would, as is the cuso elsewhere, have then to bo Ira ^ierred to the pro- tection of their relations. Lastly. — With reference to tlie propriety of ndoptinir n «mi. unity '' / dress and equi|)ineiit in an Institution o/'tjii.s nature, it Miuy ' uhscrVf i tiiat all the Mtf/e rujiils, on joininc,', niiuht be re([tiirc(l ft) rmj; wiui them u new uniform dress, made aiireeably to a lixcil putt( n,, suited \o their age, consistiufr of a blue cloth fora,ii:e cap, black silk stock, plain blue cloth close jacket, with gilt, liasket buttons, blue cloth trowst'rs,and shoes; together with a ciTtain lunnbcr of shirts, drawers, waistcoats, stockings, and handkerchiefs, and a set of such toilet articles as are usual at simi- lar Establishments, and the whole to Ijc contained in a trunk of certain dimensions; but all other articles to be deemed inadmissible superflui- ties. This stock to he afterwards completed periodically, at the discre- tion of the lioard of Management, without fMlJicr expense to the Orjilian ; but to be charged against the ])arents of ordiimry pupils annutilly, at the actual cost. It need scarcely be added, that all pupds, residing within the walls of the Institution, would be expected invariably to a])pear iu the dress above denser ibed. What uniformity of dress should bo adopted by the Female Branch of the Institution would, of course, be left to the decision of tlie Honorary Ladies' Committee. IN CONCLUSION. Much more might still be added connected with the well-being of the interior economy of the .Schools, and the domestic arrangement of both Establishments: but it is conceived that ]nore than enough has already been advanced, to satisfy every thinking l^ritish Oflicer as to the desir- able nature, as Vv-ell as evident practicability, of the great work in con- templation ; or, at least, to impress upon his miiid a lew of the many beneficial rosiiUs whi(di would accrue to the Army, from the existence of tiny similarly constituted Institution. To do more, therefore, would only perlia[)s be running the risk, however innocently, of incurring the imputation of a vain display of fancied abilities, or a desire of arrogant dictation, if not of unbecoming ciicroachiiicnt on the province of those to whose snpcrior judgment would eventually be ct)nfided the organiza- tion of so important an undertaking. Suffice it. then, to c'ose these de- sultory hints, with a renewed disavowal of all such nuAvorthy feelings or motives, coupled with the writer's fervent valedictory hope, that the spark wliich he has essayed to kindle in behalf of the interesting portion of the rising generation immediately connected with the British Army, may yet, under Divine Providence, and the auspices of British patriot- ism, munificence, and bcnevolenci;, be expanded into a wide-spreading hallowed flame, which, reflecting a benignant influence throughout the whole of oar extended Empire, sliall, like the sacred fire of the ancient Persians, be destined never to be extinguished, but with time itself. 28 Lcnving the many obvious triiUis told in the forcgoini; sketch to speak (or tlionist'lvc'S, 1 now conu; to tlu^ roUowiiig letters — to and I'roni Sir Jolin (Jonroy, aiul to nnd from his (iriico the Arehhishoj) oCCuntiThiiry ; and to l']xtraets of a Meniorandnin of a conversation Avilh Sir John Con- roy, in Kejisinglon l'ai;ice — n|)(.n which the only conmu iit that need he here made js, that they will Ix- found to form rather singular contrasts to each other : — No. 5. Copy of Letter nddrossod l)y Major Lachlan, to Colonel Sir John Conroy, Privates Secretary toJII. U. II. the Duchess of Kent, on doing himself the honor of transmitliufi; to him two copies ol the J'ros- })ectns, to 1)0 )»resented to their Uoyal Highnesses the Duchess of Kent and the Princess Victoria. To Colonel Sir John Conroy, Trivute Secy, to J I. II. IT. the Duchess of Kent, &c. &rc. kc. Laira Green, Plymouth, 30th Jan., 1834. Sir, — T have the honor to transmit herewith two cojiiis of the Pros- pectus of a ))r()poscd lloyal Military Instituticm and Cfliecrs' Orphan Asyimn about to he subn)ittcd to fh(^ consideration ul the Army, and of which copies have been respectfully laid belore their INhiji sties; and 1 have to recjuest that you M'ill do me the honor of taking a iiivorable op- portunity of presenting one of them to 11. Pv. II. the Duchess ol Kent, and the other to 11. Jl. 11. the Princess Victoria, with my humble prayer that their Pvoyal Highnesses would condescend to honor the same with their gracious perusal and attention. AVIiatever may be the fate of the particular niulertaking therein advo- cated, I trust some great National Institution of a congenial character will ere long be successfidly founded under the highestofa.il patronage, and that one of its most ])rominent features will be the provision of a protecting ITomc for the often friendless O/jilian BdirJttcrs of JJritis/t OJicr/s. I hope 1 may therelbre take the liberty of inviting the benevo- lent attention of their Eoyal Highnesses to the jjarticular ])i;rt of the Pros[)ectus having that peculiarly interesting and hallowed object in view. I have the honor to l)e. Your most obedient servant, R. Lachlan, late Major, 17ih Regt. No. 6. Copy of Sir John Conroy's Pwcply to the foregoing: — Major Lachlan, &c. &:c. Kensington Palace, 4th Feb., 1834. Sir, — I have had the honor to lay your letter before the Duche?s '^*^ Kent, and the Prospectus of a proposed Royal Military Institution and 29 Ornccrs' Orplinn Asylum, nlx^iit to bo .siil)mittc(l to tlic consideration of till.; Army, which llor lloyal Ilinhncss has r( ad ^\■\\\\ i\vv\) interest. Anil Her lloyal lli^line.ss and the J'rincess \'ict«tria will mest readily he I'al Dncsses of it, as no ohji'ct can hi; iiior(^ culeidated to cn^ai^e their siiieerc sympathy thtin nn Instilnlien, thi' most prominent leatnro ol which will he the provision of a piiilectini^ lioinc lor the ollen Iriendless < >r[«haii Daughter ol the British (Xiicir. I liavo the honor to bo, Your most obedient Servant, John Conkoy. No. 7. Copy of a Letter addressed to His (irace the Archbishop of Canterbury, with a copy of the rrojspectiis. Laira Green, riymouth. 2nd Feb., IHG*. May it pi.fase your Grace, — Persuaded that the advocate of any public undcrtakiii}^ liaving for its laudable objects the promotion of I'jducitiuit and the hcfricndlnu; of the iiiiprotcdcd O/jthr/n, may ever reckou on your Lordshi[)'s cordial co-operalion ami liberal support, 1 in- dulge a hoi)e that a great National Institution such as, that contem})late(l in tin; im})erfect sketch which T have the honor to transmit herewith, will be iinind to })ossess more than common claims to your Grace's at- tention and regard. Sufhce it, then, to state, that the interesting and imporhmt subject therein discussed has been submitted to the consideration of the Oliicers of the Army, on whom, of course, must devolve the main burlhen of sup- porting such an Establishment, and that 1 firmly trust that whateviT may be the fate of the jjarticular arrangements i)roposed by me, so?ne congenial useful and philanthropic undertaking will erelong be matured uniler the highest auspices ; and that 1 confidently venture to anticipate the ready extension of your Grace^s highly influential patronage in favor of so hallowed a cause. kShoidd your Grace regard this communication as deserving of an ac- knowledgment, the favor of a reply, when perfectly convenient, will much oblige. Your Grace's very obedient Servant, R. Laciilan, late Major, 17th Regt. No. 8. His Grace the Archbishop's Reply to the foregoing. Lambeth, February 17, 1834-. Sir, — I have seen so many abortive attempts to form Institutions of a similar nature to that which you have in view, that I am, in prudence, H 30 <»ompellccl to defer my concurronce in such plans till they liave been a- tually put ill execution, and aflbrd the means of judging whcither th( arc calculated to answer their purpose or noi. For the young pcrsoi whom you wish 1o henefit, a strong interest must be naturally felt, i respect both to their own condition and the services of thtir fixthurs. I remain. Sir, Your very obedient Servant, To jNIajor Lachlan, &CC. ifcc. ^c. W. Cantuar. No. 9. Extract from Memorandum of a Conversation with Sir John Con- roy, at an interview at Kensington Palace, on the 16th of May ISS^i, fur the pur])Ose of expressing my very humble grateful ac- knowledgements of the proffered high patronage of their Iloyal Ilii'linesses the Duchess of Kent and the Princess Victoria, to the proposed Pwoyal Military Institution, and to state, at the same time, that I had felt it my duty to apprize their Pvoyal Highnesses that in 3onsequencc of serious obstacles where I least expected it, I feared that the accomplishment of that noble object would have to be postponed for the present. " Sir John replied, that he should of course take an opportunity of conveying my Avishes to the Princesses ; and that, in fiict, their Royal Highnesses were always made ac(juaiuted with the particulars of all in- terviews; and tjiat their Royal lliuhnesses would be exceedingly sorry to hear of the little hope of success at present entertained by me ; — ' but of this you may be assured, Major Lacliian, and I am authorized to say so — that when tlie proper time arrivi'S, you may depend on their Jloyal Highnesses being ready to come forward, not only ivit/i, their patronage, hid with their pursk a/ao, in its behalf, — as nothing comes nearer their Ptoyal Highnesses hearts than the object of which you are the advocate, as you must have been aware from my Letter to you some time back.'" To the last of these documents it is only necessary to add, that in ac- cordance with the deterniination therein mentioned, no further agitation of the equally imi)ortant and interesting object in view was from that time attempted during the remainder of the life of the illustrious Duke. VNTUAR. PAllT 11, On the lamented death of his Grace the Dnke of Wellington, feelin<^ myself once more at liberty to revive the never-abandoned, thongh long dorinaiil, .^stinlable project which I had for so many years had at hcart^ I was, after repeated deferential delays, induced to address the fullowing earnest, yet energetic, respectful appeal to II.R.IL Prince Albert, forai- ing the Ist No. of the 2d section of the subject. No. 10. Copy of Letter addressed by Major Lachlan. To Field-Marshal his lloyal Highness Prince Albert, of Saxe Coburg? ^c. &CC. Arc, dated Montreal, 1st December, 1852 (but originally written 17th of Oct.) May it please your Ftoyal Highness. More than 18 eventful years have elapsed since the humble individual who now ventures to address you -was encouraged to do him- self the high honor of presenting — through the medium of Sir John Con- roy — to her Majesty and her royal psircnt the Duchess of Kent two co])ies of the accompanying small Pamphlet, aiming at the foundation of A great National Imritution, intended more especially for the Reception of Orphan Children of OJlccrs of the British Army, but so constituted as to form, at the same time, a higldy respcetaUe yet economical imbHc Seminary fir the Educa,tio7i of Officers' Sons and Daunjitfrs in i!;cncral, — in the humble hope that so nobly plnlanthropic and patriotic \in undertaking would not be deemed unworthy of their lloyal Highnesses august Pa- tronage, and he was not disappointed ; having then been honored with a most flattering assurance that " 'J'hL^ir Ptoyal Highnesses had read the " same with deep interest, and wouhl be most ready to be Fatroficsses " of the proposed Institution, as no object could be more calculated to '•' engage their sincere sympathy than an Institution, the most prominent " feature of which woidd be the provision of a protecting Home for the '• often friendless Daughter of the Erilish Olliccr." — Vide Nos. 5, 6, and 9, pp. 28 and 29. Unfortunately for the noble project in agitation, the illustrious indivi- dual, whose irreparable loss is now so deeply deplored by a whole nation his Grace the Duke of Wellington — to whose inspection the Manuscript draft of the Prospectus had in the first instance been submitted, was led 32 to fake an unfavourable view ot the suLject, in the supposition that the public would 1)0 adverse to such an Institution, as having a tendency to render the Oflicers of the Army a distinct military class, instead of con- tlniiiiii;- to 1)0 composed oi the gentry of the country. Not (admitted his (Jriicc) that lie me-ant to attach to the ])lan in contemplation such an elleet, hut that it was liahle to the iinindation that it separated the Offi- cers of llu! Army and their families from the other classes of the gentry of the country, of which they form a ])art, and that he would therefore be opposed to it. — Vide Nos. 1 and 2, ])p. 7 and 8. Tnistiug that a more leisure reference to the Prospectus, when printed, accom[iauicd with some exjilanations which I felt it my duty to olTer, wouKl remove from his Grace's mind what I was led to regartl as the mere im|iression of the moment, I took the liberty of addressingasecond letter to his (Jrace, in which, among other things, I most respectfully observeil, with reference to the imjnitation alluded to, that the best and most virtuous actions were liable to unjust and erroneous imi)Utations ; and that, in fact, one of the great objects in view in the proposed Insti- tution was, to allbrd a chance oi^ preserving in their respectable position the oilsiiring of many a brave ancl high-s})irited man, who — " his })overty but not his will consenting'''' — must otherwise often be doomed to behold the child of his ho])es descend to a far lower grade in society, wiihout the possibility of prevention or relief. And yet, that it was well known to his Clraco that many were the gallant Officers who had done signal servi 'e to their king and country, whose only fortune, added to the edu- cation of a gentleman, was their stn/rd and their honor ! and that every generous and liberal J^ritish leeling forbade the supposition that an un- grateful country would regard with jealousy, or otlierwise oppose, an In- stitution — to be mainly supported by the Army itself— having for its leading hallowed })ur|)osc the shielding of the ollspriug, and more par- ticularly the Orphan Daughters, of such men from threatening penury and ruin. — Vide No. 3. p. 9. Unhappily for the sacred cause, of which I had become the humble advocate, his Grace was never induced to honor me with any re])ly to this ap[)eal ; and that silence being naturally construed to indicate an adhesion to the same unfavoiu'able impression on the subject, such was the discouraging consequence, coui)led with the freezing indiilerence manifested in a particular quarter, where least expected, tlrat I bficame sensible that to ex[)ect to move the various leading military functionaries, without the auspicious example of his Grace, would be vain, and that ■without their concurrence, to attain success would be impossible. And I, therefore, at once decreed it advisable, in deference to the Duke of VVelliugton's scruples, to abandon all further agitation of the subject, so long as it should please the Almighty to spare his Grace to the country of which he had so long beeu the ],)ride and honor. Need i add, — may it please your Royal Highness that I have adhered to iny determination: l.nit that now tliat the ashes of that illustrious in- dividual have been consigned to an honored tomb, I cannot help feeling, that, as the humble survivor, I perform a sacred duty to iny sove- reign and country, in reviving my long dormant, yet not the less desir- able, patriotic proposition, iu the still ardent hope that the same fiir pro- portioned prospective philanthropic structure which, more than 18 years ago, was so favourably regarded by her Majesty and her Eoyal Parent, Copy in Bri Duke tOUS, 0) 33 will not now be found less nttractive, when her august consort can cha-* ractcri^icajly participate in the noble feeling, "that no object can be more calculated to engage their sincere sympathy than an institution- the most prominent feature of which Avill be the ])rovisi()n of a protectin^^ Hume for the often friendless Orphan Daughter of the Eritiiih CJliicer.'' One humble, yet earnest word more, and I conclude my lenizthened trespass on your lloyal Highnesses indulgent attention. The world has lately witnessed the proudest })eaceful triumph of the Entish nation, in the creation, under your Royal Highnesses special auspices, of the unpa- ralelled vast crystal structure which was lately the gay recejjtac'e of the asseml)led productions and inhabitants of every clime! Ee it also ere long, the even nobler triumph of your Royal Highness to rear a farn'iore enduring patriotic monument to the honor of our beloved Hovcrei^'-n,— in being, under Providence, the hajipy instrument of calling into °exis- tenco a great National Institution and Orphan -4<,7//(!/w,, destined throu'di succeeding ages to befriend and cherish the hopeful ofIsj)ring of the brave defenders of that mighty empire on which the sun never sets. Committing that sacrud charge to your Royal Highness's all-jiowerful auspices, and ti usting that the Almigiity will guide your Royal Hiuhness, and your august Consort, to a propitious decision of its fate, I have the honor to sidxscribc myseli; witlifcelrngs of deep, yet hopeful anxiety, and loyal respect, Your Royal Highnesses most obedient servant, R. Laciilan, late Major 17th Rejjt. A few days after the despatch of the above Letter, the Circular and Prospectus of the AVellington Memorial issued from the ICorso Guards, having been promulgated in Canada, — I felt called upon to intrude once more on his Pvoyal Highness, as follows ; and, at the same time, to address an equally earnest appeal to Lord Hardinge. With what success re- mains to be hereafter shewn. No. 11. Copy of Letter addressed to ILR.H. Prince Albert, on 2r)th Dec., on perusing the Circular and Prospectus of the proposed Wellington Testimonial, issued from the Ilorso Guards, 27th Nov., 1851. Montreal, 25th Dec, 1852. May it please your Ptoyal Highness. At the very moment of despatching the Letter and Docu- ments which I lately ventured to do myself the high honor of transmit- ting to your Royal Highness, — but which deference to public feeling connected with the obsequies of the late illustrious Commander-in-Chief had delayed for several weeks, — I mosv; unexpectedly became slightly aware, through one of the local prints, of the noble ])roposal in agitation in Britain lor raising an imperishable Monument to the name of the great Duke of Wellington, m the form of" A School or College for the gratui- tous, or nearly gratuitous, Education of the Orphan Children of indigent 34 and mcntnrious Oficcrs ef the Army ;" and I have since been enabled to view this interesting national object, more closely, from having been permitted to jx-riise the Circulars which have emanated from the Earl of Derby and the Commander of the Forces. While heartily rejoicing at so jiropiiioiis an event, and wishing it every possible success — intimately identified as T have, for more than 18 years, felt myself, with, a project aiming at the creation of " a great national Institution, intended more especially for the rece})tion of the Orphan Children ofOllicers ol'the British iNrmy, but so constituted as to ibrm at the same time a highly respectable yet economical Seminary for the education ofC^Olcers >'^ons and daughters in general," — it was impossible to regard without deep emotion, so im'ooked for an ap})roach to the rea- lization of my most sanguine hoiws, livdcr tlie only uiisjnccs calcnlulcd to insure st^cccss ; but it was at the ^amo time natural that, humble as I am, I should also dare to take a scrutinizing glance at the scale and jiro- portions of the attractive Fabric now jiroposed, com[)ared with wliat had been so long fondly contemplated by myself, i^uch has been the case ; and the result has been, my venturing, with all liuniility, to submit to your Koyal Highness, in addition to my late intrusions, the following question as wortliy of the most serious attention. Will there not bo found, on comparing the cautiously digested plan proposed by mc, — as set forth in the printed Prospectus with that now in agitation, — as gathered from the documents 1 have seen, this vt ry important diirereiice, that, while the former, as far as possible, aims at that proud Jiritisli princiiile — a 8elf supporting and, in a manner, Fro- ])rictaiy foundation, based on well defined permanent funds, mainly furnished by the Army itsell', and includes not only the provision of a congenial Asylum for Orphaiss oUxjllt sexes, but also an unlimited re- spectable .Seminary for the education of Oflicers' Children generally, — the latter, though also to be assisted by contriliutious from the Army, appears to be les:j definite in character, and to reduce the stately struc- ture intended to be raised to the humbler level of an uncertain, yet limited public eleemosynary endowment, for a certain number of Or])hans only, and these — if I am to judge from the term "College" — confined to owe sex alone ; — a standard which, however benevolent may be the intention, one cannot help regarding as below the resiiectable pesition in which tlie Duke of Wellington wa':' so desirous of retaining the Uflic<^is of the Army and their families, as belonging to the gentry of the coun- try, and which might therefore be fbimd objectionable \ If, then, there be any truth in this com[)arision, or weight in the sup- posed objection, would it not be well to take both into immediate consideration, so that whatever may be ultimately determined on, may, if pcssibh?, be tUvested of even the shadow of a sinister " im])utation,'" and thereby make it thoroughly accord with the wants, as well as the feelings, of the liigh-mindeLl brave men in whose behalf the generous movement is intended ; and I would therefore, in all humility, venture to suggest that, before any final arrangements are attempted, a careful comiiarison be instituted, through a Board of General Oflicers and otliers, between the warily organized plan so long ago proposed by me, and that which has lately been so ha})pi!y brought, before the nation. Let that step be taken, and, whatever may be the result, every British Officer, and every other loyal British subject, will respectfully bow to the deci- 35 sion, and glory in being more or less iii.strnmental in raising so prond a Memorial to the fame of the departed illustrious Duke, under the same auspicious royal patronage which, more than IS years ago, was charac- teristically ready to be extended to '• A protecting Home tor the often /friendless Orphan Daughter of the British Oliicer." I may be accused by many of arrogance and presumption, in ventur- ing to address your Pvoyrd Ilighnesii twic(! on ^iuch a subject, but, guided as I proudly feel myself to be, in this dirstant laud, and at an advanced time of life — by the purest ami best of motives, lam indillerent to what- ever opinions may be indulged by others, provided my long cherished humble elibrts in so nolile a cni.isc shidl bo fotiiul worthy of yonr Royal Ilighness's favorable attention, — as being alike well (|ualilicd to appre- ciate their hallowed patriotic object, and rcatly to second, with the most powerful effect, the ever active bonevwlence of our beloved Sovereign, in the earnest and anxious hope that such will be the case, I have the hoiior to be, VVith sentiments of devoted respect, Your Iloyul Ilighness's most obedient servant, R. Lachlan, Late :\rajor f7th Rcgt, To Field-Marshal, His Royal lliahnoss Trince Albert, of Saxo Coburg, K. G. and G. C. 13., iVe. iVc. kc. No. 12. Copy of Letter adiiresscd t(j l.'eneral the Right Honorable Lord Viscount Hnrdaigc, kc. kc. \:c., on the same occasion. ^MoNTPvEAL, 25lh Dec, 1852. My Loud, — It is not altogctbov impossible tii:it, in the name of the writer of this lotter, your Lortlship lun.y rooognizc tlie author of a Pro- spectus laid be[;-)re tlic Army some, IS yci'rs ago, and of which a copy was then transiiiitl"d to your LjordshJp, of* A grcal National ImtiVatiovj for tlic Rccci)tio/i of Orphan Children of Ojjiccrs of the Britisk Armt/,'' com- (jined with the provision of '' « /'/^/^(v respectable Seniinanj for the Edic- catio}iofthcSo7isand.Dn/tgJi!xrs"fOjiicas in 'gcncnd:'' Re that as it may, circumstances coimected with tlie prominent part assigned to your Lordship in the present wl '-timed appeal to the best feelings of the British nation, in behalf of a somewhat simika- undertaking, has encou- raged me to take the liberty of bringing the former to your Lordship's recollection, with the intention of, it possiljlc, transmitting a copy of it, as likely to be of some service on the present occasion. Ihit it unfortu- nately so happens that f iind that f have only one {n\-j private) copy left, with a MS. appendix attached, similar to one which accompanied a letter which 1 lately took the liberty of addressing to his Royal High- ness Trince Albert/at a time v/hen the present singularly auspicious movement wos altogether unexpected. So situated, 1 have resolved to entrust the only remaining copy above, alluded to, to your Lordship's 3 36 charge, in the nnderatandinj' that, when no longer required, it shall be carefully returned to me, and that the letter to his Jloyal Highness shall in the meantime be detached, and, after pernsal, remain in your Lord- ship's private kee])ing till tlie Prospectus is sent back to me ; and, to complete the ciiain of information, I jirojiose also adding a copy of u second ajijieal to his Royal Highness, which will procicd by the same mail that brings this letter. Having so far prepared your Lordaihip, I hope 1 may be permitted to observe, that though willing to resign the long cherished proud hope of being, at last, jiersonally instrumental m raising the noble Institution whicli 1 had so many years al;iu .siip-^ested in the Circulars ol' tlic 'i7tJi nit., arc uttempted, every Cdniponent jntrt of the noble sstrncturc pro|)osed by mc may be thoroughly oxuniincd und considered, beJbrc be- jngrejected^ And as regards yonr Lordship individimlly, J \vonld ear- nestly entreat a most attentive pern&al oi'the latter, in all its hearinirs ; and betr to ])C allowed to i-eniark, as an accidental case in point, that though there Ijo a wide dilierence between the rate oi' X.'iO per annum ibr each (Jrjihan, as stated in the rrospectus oC Ihe more limited Insti- tution now pro])osed, euniparcHl with I'rom £l(y to X'lS, as given by nu.', I am not the less conlident that my estimate will be found well groun- ded, having taken every iiains to arrive at correct conclusions, by refe- rences to a variety of conipcteut authorities in public and private semi- naries. Hoping to be favoured with an acknowledgment of this communica- tion, and cordially wishing your Lordship every success in the great and good canse in which you are so prominently engaged, I have the honor to be Your Lordship's most obed.t. servant, R. Lachi.an, late .Major 17th Hcgt. To General the Ilight lIonoral)lc Lord Viscount Hardinge, (v.C.R., Commandiug-iu-Chicf, ^'C. iVc. »S:c. To enable the reader to judge hovi' Ihr these letters were conncctoil -witli the Circular and Prospectos issued frcnu the Horse Cuards, the iui- •lowing copy of tlie latter documents is here gi\'en. No. 13. ^'opy of Circular and Prospectus issued from the Horse Guards, 27th Novemboi-, l^'r2. Sni. — I have it in command to tnmsniit, and to request you v.ill take .an early opportunity of bringing untlcr tiie notice of the Ulhcers of the- under your command, liie accom[)anying F/-ospccti(s, circulated with the sanction of Her Majtsiy. proposing to erect and en- dow, by public subscription, a School or College for the gratuitous, or nearly grain itous, education of the Orphan Children ol indigent and meritorious Officers of the Army, as a lasting memorial to the late illus- trious Commander-in-Chief, whose name it is intended the Institution shall bear. It is not possible to set forth the necessity of, or the benefits likely to arise to the military service ii-om the proposed Institution, more forcibly than is done in the enclosed Circular, signed by the first Lord of the Treasury, the Earl of Derby. Viscount liardiniie tlurclbre niukcs no further atteiTi[it to awaken the sympathies ol the Ofiiccrs of the .\rniy in an object which he is persuaded will meet with ardent suj)porL jrt ui all rjuarters of the empire ; but his Lordship has desired that this con.mu- if. 3S nication should bo made to yon through the usual clmnnel, in order that they may have an opportunity of contributing to the proposed memorial, cither individually or rcgiraentally, as they may prefer. I am only to add that the benefits of the proposed Establishment, being solely intend- ed fur the Families of Ofllcers, it is not desirable that the Non-Com- missioued Officers and men should bo called upon to contribute to it. In case the Officers, or any considerable portion of them should be deter- mined to sujjscribo, collectively, you will be pleased to insert theii names and the amount of their respective contributions in a list, which after being signed by you will be forwarded to the Ilonble. W. P. Tal- l)ot, in Downing Street; but tli(>se who preler individual subscriptions lire recommended to ado})t the form ot communicution transmitted with the enclosed Circular. 1 have the honor to be, &;g., (Signed) G. Brown, A. G. niOSPECTUS. Downing Street, Sm, — The univeisal desire felt by all classes to do honor to the me- mory of tlio Duke of Wellington, will probably lead to the erection of -tatucs and other nionnments in many of the ])riucipal towns in the kmgdoiu, some of which, indeed, have already taken slejis in this direc- tion. IJut ])rujects of this description, huwevur much they may contri- bute to ornament the respective localities, and however gratifying they may be to the feelings of their inhabitants, can possess little more than local interest, can be joined in by conijiaratively few of the po})ulation, and are not calculated to ccnfcr any substantial benefit on the communi- : y. With a view to erect a monument Lo the memory of the great Duke k) which all may contribute, whicdi shall l)e worthv of its object and of ihe nation, and which shall be of permanent and important advantage lo that service of ivhich he was long the head and ornament, it is i)ro- pusetl to erect and endow by public snbscri[)tion a School or College to liear the name of the Duke of AVellington, for the gratuitous, or nearly gratuitous, education of Or])han Children of indigent and meritorious Officers of the Array. Institutions, more or less national, already exist, m which the advantages of supIi an education can be obtained by the < 'hikiren ef Soldiers, ol Sc-nmen, of Naval Officers, and of the Clergy; i)Ut no such provisitm has been made in favor of Oihcers of the Army — \i class oi lueu jiecuiiarly liable to casualities, l)y which their families are often left in a condition of the most painful pecuniary embarrass- ment, and uiuler circumstances in which the necessary stringent regula- tions of the war office }ireclude the possibility of any relief from public [unds. The execution of the })roposed plan, and the scale upon which it can be undertaken, miijst depend on the degree of support given Ijy the country to the object couteniplatcd. It may be assumed that each capital sum sub- V4:'^ 39 rder that lemorial, n only to ^ intend- on-Com- to it. In )e deter- ert thcii 3t, which . P. Tal- scriptions ted with A. G. > the me- rcctioii of ns in the :his direc- ay contri- ving they uore than iO])ulation, uomninni- rcat Duke ct and of Advantage , it is i)ro- College to , or nearly Heritor ions 3ady exist, 2d by the c Clerpy ; le Army — ir iamiiies L-mbarrass- 3nt regula- :om public ;h it can be country to \\ sum sub- scribed of CI 000, representing a permanent annuity of a1)ontX30, will pro- vide for all time to come, exclusive of the exj)ense of building, lor the; eilu- oation (jfoiio (Jliild ; and a considerable .sum will bere(]uired for tlu; erec- tion ofa b;iiUiiiig whitdi shall be wwtliy ol' the proposed object. No pay- ment will be i-oipiircd until the total .sum subscribed shall amount to ii 100,000, when application is proposed to be made for vesting the capi- tal in trustees, to be nominated, ill the first in.stance, by her IMiijesty, from among the subscriber.s, and to be incorporated, as in the case of Harrows, liugby, the Charter House, and others. Donations may be payable by instalraer^s, spread over two, three, or four years. Her Majesty and his Royal Highness Prince Albert have been pleased to signify their approval of the project, and to place their names at the head of the subscription list, for the respective sums of jClOOO and jESOO. I have the honor, &c., (Signed) Drrbv. Should you approve of the proposed project, you are requested to sub- scribe your name to the enclosed form ; insert the sum it is your inten- tion to subscribe ; and direct it to the Honorable W. P. Talbot, No. 10 Downing .Street, London. The only reply to the letter to Lord Hardinge is contained in the fol- lov/ing Letter from Colonel Airey, Private Secretary to liis Lordship, dated Gth May, 1853. No. U. Horse Guards, Gth May 1853. My Dear Sir, — I have to thank you for your letter of the 18th ult., which duly reached me on the 3rd instant, by which I am glad to find, that the country (Canada), is in so improving a condition, and that you and your family are benefitting by your residence at Montreal. Lord Hardinge had received your letter of the 25th December last, with a Prospectus ofa proposed Military Institution for the Education of the Sons and Daughters ot'Ofiicers of the British Army, but which, ow- ing to the multifarious duties which press upon him, his Lordship omit- ted to acknowledge. He has, however, begged of me to convey to you the expression of his thanks for your suggestions. Believe me, my Dear Sir, Very faithfully yours, PvICHARD AmEY. The next document on the record is a letter addressed to the Editor of the Naval and Military Gazette, dated 9th February, 1853, vindicating ray claim to being the original projector ofa great National Institution for the reception of Orphans of Officers of the British Army, and for the Education of their Children generally, which may be allowed to s])eak ID N.). 1.'). 7'; flic Editor of the \aV.\I, AND Mn.ll'AUV d'AZMTTK: SiK,- -My alteiitioii liMA in'..'; hci'ii drawn f,o a ''Notice it) C.'orr(?.spoii(l- ciils,'' ill yiir Niiiuiicr (>( (Im; 'J.'Jrd ulliiao, rclatini*; to llic jiroposcd W'ol- liiij;'ti)u 'rc.slinioiii;il, CDiiiiIcd willi a para^Tupli in ylionahlo ovidence M'ill also he f'onnd in the tiles oi' your own and the United Scrriic Jottni'il. of February and .March, IS.'M., in botii oi' which my pro- ject was I'reoly discnssed, and (I ;;>raiel"nlly remcmlji'r) powerfully advo- cated, until o'hjccitions were raised liy a vitally inllnential individual, Avhich induced me lo ahruuion all further a,L;iti)tion ol' the matter durint^ till' lile i>( the late illustrious ('onimander-in-C'hiel. Siihiee it to add, oil this head, that I adhereil to my resolution ; but tliiit, lieinii; providen- tially the .survivor, the subject has been revived in a high and auspiciouy (piarter since the Duke of A\'ellin;:toirs lamented decease ; and that I am ]ed to cherish a hope tliat the happy result may be an amaljiamation of the very meritoriems ami i>hilan1hro})ic, thouiih minor ])roject, intcndeil to ])e lionored witli the name of '' The W'ebinjiton Testimonial," witli the far more extendt'd and conijireliensiv(\, yet congenial Institution planned ])y me, by which a truly noble fabric will, ere long, be prefected, that will be louiui alike worthy of the auiinst patronage of our beloved Sovereign, ol" the great name of tin; Jlluslrions Chiei whose irreparable loss the nation now de})lores, and ol the cordia' acceptation, and hearty permanent support oi every Oliicer ot the Jiritish Army. Vou may perceive, i'rom the foregoing observations, that I take it for granted., that, however excellent the Jnstitutioii of late pro}iosed maybe, so lar as it goes, it must be regarded, at best, as a limited eleemosynary endowment, or, in other words, a Clidritif ScIukj/, for the reception of i\ certain nnnd)er of. say TOO Oliicers' ()r])hans, confined to one sex only ; "whereas, the great eilncational and benevolent Institution projected by me, — eml)racing at least 1;,000 children of both sexes, — was to be mainly based on a [irond, sf/j'-sifpporti/tg principle, the benelits of which every JJritish Dllicer might r/(ii//t for his children, without any morlilication of his leelings, either '' as an Oliicer or a gentleman,'" To enable the general reader to imderstand thoroughly this nice yet I • Tlio luriiiiiMpli hero particalarly .alhult'd to, cotisisteil ot the loUowinir extract from " Xotice to CiM-iosjuMideiits " in iho .\.\ral aiul .Mililary Gazette, of 22(1 January., ISJii: — ' ASoi niKii ' w tiles — '• • I can inosl ilistiiictly vouch for (lie fact, that the foiimlatioii of an liistitutioii tor the ckiucitioii of Oliicers of the Army was discus seil cwistanlly in thr in the T4, I. Co.'s Service ;"" (l) and cou.stitiitiut^ tho fol- lowini,' illustrioij.j and distinguixhril individuals (Governors of tho same, viz. : — Priiico Albert, the; PnUo of rnmlirid^^e, the Arch1)ishop of Canterbury, tho J)uko of Ihicck'UcJi, tho Duko ol .Nortlunnborland, tho Duke of Wel- lington, th'! Manjuis of Jiansdov/no, the .Mar([uis of .Salisbury, tho Mar- (juis of Anglesey, tho ]\bir(piis of Dalhousie, tlio ]v.u'l o( Derby, the Earl of Aberdoen, tho J'larl of I']lli'iilK)rout!;h, tho ]']arlof i'^llesmere, Lord John ]lussell, Viscount Ihu'diniie, \'iseouut (iougli, the Ihsliop of London, Lord Seaton, Lord lliiglan, Mr .Sidney I [erbert, .*^ir James (iraham, Mr. Spen- cer Walpolo, Sir Howard J)ouL';las, .Sir J'^dmund Antrobns, Sir James Weir llog'^, .Sir Alexander Wooilibrd, Mr. Henry lliehard Cox, Mr. Peter ]lichard lloarc, and tho Ilev. (leorge Jlobcrt (Jleig. The Queen to he the Visitor of t/ie Co/lcge. J'Jvery (iovernor hereafter elected by the body to 1111 vacancies, must be approved of by the Secretary of State. Tho Duko of Wellington, the Commander in Chief, the Master of the Ordnance, and tho .^^ecretary-iit-War, for the tiine being, will bo always Governors. The charter is ilated the 13th December, 1853. Such ])cing the auspicious prospects of the much-favored "Wellington Memorial, I could not help naturally feeling that the time was now ar- -rived when, even in connection with that Institution, I might reasonably expect that my long knov/n, warily elaborated suggestions in behalf of an identically similar, though far more extended, philanthropic founda- tion, would attract Komo degree of attention in the high (Quarters to which Nos. 11, 12 and 13 were addressed; and I was accordingly induced to transmit the fjllowmg respectful letter to the Private Secretary of H.E. JL Prince Albert : — No. 16. Montreal, Canada, 23rd Feb., ISS-i. Siu, — Having more that a year ago been induced to take the liberty of most respectfully addressing two communications to His Pvoyal High- ness Prince Albert, on a very important sul)ject — of which I have not yet been honored with any acknowledgment, — may I be permitted, through you, to bring the circumstance to His Royal Highness's remem- i)rance, in behalf of the humble Pio/ieer of a proposed great National Institution having in view philanthropic objects similar to the Welling- ton College, lately so happily organized, — namely, "« Royal Military Institutio7i,a7id Officers' Orphan Asyhwi'^ ', and to express a respectful hope that some oi' the features sketched in tho printed Prospectus which 43 accompfxnicd onp, of tlir? commimlcations nlltulod to, will not bo found ultogotlii-r nnwurlliy of iittx-iitiuii by llio tlistiiiguishcd Governors und Direct»;r.s of th(! xnuro lorliiiiiitr (JulK';;!'. At all GventM, huvin^ devoted ycnrs! of anxious roflccticn rind labour, added to coiifuib'rubio cxpcuso, to llie iifrlectiii;;; ami wiilu ciroulatiou of tho Pro.si)ectiis reU'rroil to, and the rjujcct having at tlic time — iiuw ll> years a^o — Immmi deoinetl worthy ol'bt iiiq honored with the prospective patronage of llt'r Alajesty and ll<*r lloyal IliLchness tho Duchess oi Kent, I cannot helj) foelinu; that it would have been most gratilying to lue, to have been honored by His Iloyal lligluie.ss with some acknowledgment that my patriotic, ellijrts, though not crowned with success, \Tere still favorably regarded in the same higli (juarter. 1 have the honor to be, Your most obedient servant, Pv. Laciilan, late Major ITtli Kegt. To the Private Secretary of II. P.. II. I'rincc Alliert, «5cc. ^:c. iVc. To this letter, after an interval of near four months, the following reply was obtained, through Cicntual Wetherall : — No. 17. Buckingham I'alace, 7th June, ISo-l. Mv Dear Grxerat,, — I return Major Lachlan's letter, which I have read to 11. II. 11. Prince Albert. II. 11. H. begs you will assure the Major that he would be sorry if he should attribute tho omission of any acknowledgment of previous coni- niunications to any want of either interest lU the subject to which they rt'ferred, or oi"a due sense of the Major's praisewortliy exertions in the cause. The omission must have been entir> ]y accidental, and must have been owing to the luunbor of other corarauiiications which II. II. li. is daily receiving, and among which these may have been overlooked. IT. K. H. however, has always felt himself precluded from giving his support or patronage to any scheme which lias not already received such. u measure of public support as to place its success beyond doubt. believe me, Yours very truly, C. Grey. Major Genl. Wetherall, CB., &c. In the mean time, the distinguished Governors of the Wellington Col- lege appear to have entered zealously on their labors, and to have, after due deliberation, promulgated a " Report," which I have never been so tbrtunate as to mcci with in this country, but of which I lately noticed the following, to hkj unsatisfactory, outline, in a Provincial Educational Journal : — u No. IS. Extract irom tiic Journal of Education of L'ppcr Canada. WELLINGTON COLLIUi P.. The Govornors of the Military School projjosod to he rstahlishod in inoinory of the .Duke of V.'c'lliiigton, have ])iihli,slied their Itcport. — The ^n-oss amount fifSuhscrijjtion.s promised is XIOHJOO. of M-hich ,£11,000 (i;4,5(H) is in Enii,lainl, and the Colonies, and .£t),r)00 in indiaj remains to be paid in. Jt is sup-gested that a public J'^ditice be erected liir the Education of Orphans, the sons of olficers in Her Majesty's and the East India Company's armies. — The estimates are formed upon iJlOO,- 000 as tile net Ca))ital of the Tnstitution. Tu Ihe erection and liirnish- ingof the Building .€20,000 vv ill Ijo set apart ; .£80,000 Avill thus re-- main for the endowment, which uj)on a mortgage of un(]uestionable se- curity will bring £'J,Mr)0. — It is ]irojiosed lo place ujion the fouiulatidu at Icjist GO Boys, who may bo clothed, maintained, and eibi^ated li.>r 3,- t*()00 annually, '.fhere will l)e 3 classes, containing 20 Boys each. An an- nual payment of £10, £ir), and £20 will be paid with each Boy, ac- cording to his position in the 1st, 2d, or 3d, class, respectively, thus pro- ducing £!)00, making the tot:d receipts £3,srH», leaving a surplus of £2riO, to be aiiplied as may seerngood. Eurther, an extension of the original design IS proposed : the formation of a -ith class, to comprise 40 jjoys, at an annual payment t)f £30 each. — This would give a lurtlier amount of £1,200 ; the expenses Avonld reach £f»20 ; and £280 would remain to provide for an increased Educational; Staff. — Eor the last named class it is j)roposed that though Orphans are to have the preference, the sons of Olficers serving in the army will l)e likewise eligible. Thus, subsidi- ary to the primary object of the Institution, there would bejuovided \v\r.\\. the service has felt the want ol^— a iiublic School well adapted for the Soi;:-, ol'Ofiicers, where they might be admitted for fixed moderate ratis of p;iy- rient. The regulations provide that tjie religious worship and teaeiiiiiL' be accordant with the doctrine aiul ])rinciplesof the Church of England, but not to be compulsory on those who object on the grounds of religi- ous dissent. A master will l)e specially charged with the religious in- struction of the Scholars. The general instruction will include a good English and Classical Education ; scientific knowledge, ha\'ing sjiecial application to the arts, commerce, and industry, of the Country; ;\iu! the modern languages. A site well ada[)ted for the J',]slLd)lishment has been olVered gratuitously by ."Mr. (iibson of Earnborough in llampslurt'. It has been visited by a dejnitation of Covernors, and will }trobLd)ly bi- accepted. The (iovernors express their conviction that ultimate success both tor charitable and useful ])urposes, will depend mainly on Ihe ex- cellence ofthe education imparteu, and trust by their elibrts to lay tin foundation of an institution worthy the memory of tiie grc.'at Duke, av •\veli as beneficial to the Service. 45 CONCLUSION. Having completed the plain unvarnished narrative of facts contained in the various documents enumerated in the introduction to these pages, lujd thereby redeemed my long self-imposed pledge to the Officers of the British Army, as the zealous though humble advocate of the cause oi' their unprotected Orphans, I willingly leave my readers to come to an impartial decision on the general merits of the important question at issue ; and, warned by the advanced age of "three score years and ten," that it is time to retire from all further exciting exertions, even in so good a cause, — I take the liberty of concluding my unwilling intrusion upon the public in a few candid valedictory words, expressive of the feelings of deep mortification with which 1 contemplate so contracted a decision as that arrived at by the Governors of the Wellington College, as alike unworthy of the British Army and Nation, and of the illustrious name which that Institution is intended to bear; while I would fain mdulge a hope that all concerned in the advancement of so noble a work will yet pause — though even at the eleventh hour — at so eventful a war- like crisis as the present — and generously co-operate in setting matters right : ever bearing in mind that as the illustrious Commander, whose memory the nation delighteth to honor, laid it down as an axiom, that " Britain should never engage in a little war'^^ — so it equally behoves the same great country never to condescend to take a narrow view of a tntlij philanthropic National object ; and, therefore, that any proposal aiming at the foundation of an Institution for the benefit of the Orphan Sons of" her gallant defenders, without bestowing a single passing thought upon the far more urgent claims to consideration of their too often unfortunate unprotected Orpltan Daughters, is altogether unworthy of a great, a grateful, or a liberal-minded people.