Calendar: 1856-1857 Page 41

ANNUAL REPORT APRIL 1856 41 and in every branch of it will bear comparison with that of any other institution and they confidently believe that the Students educated therein will carry with them in all their undertakings at home and abroad the sound religious princi- pies as well as the science the industrious habits and the practical skill which they have learnt within these walls The conduct and diligence of the Students during the past year have been entirely satisfactory The Council think it due to the Department of the Applied Sciences to state that Mr Robert Thaine one of its Students who had formerly belonged to King's College School was latterly placed at the head of all the Students in the Practical Class at Woolwich in the Examination for Commissions in the Royal Engineers and Royal Artillery Major Griffiths gives favourable report of the conduct and diligence of the Students in the Military Department The number of Studens has remained stationary in consequence partly of the urgent demand for an immediate supply of officers at the seat of war and partly of the uncertainty which prevails as to the nature and extent of the qualifications which will be expected from Candidates for Commissions in Her Majesty's Army but there is ground for hoping that the plans contemplated by the Government for improving military education the proposed modifications in the system of pur- chase and the removal of the necessity implied in state of warfare for sending into active service officers imperfectly prepared will ere long give fresh stimulus to this important Department of the College In the meantime Major Griffiths has been indefatigable in collecting from all quarters the necessary implements for teaching His Class-rooms are filled with all kinds of models of fortification both "field and permanent amongst which those of the Redan stand foremost whilst the walls are hung with useful plans cannon-balls shells and bullets of every kind are to be seen and in short everything necessary to illustrate his lectures He is very earnest in inviting inspec- tion on the part of all who are interested in military education