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Be it therefore enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

1. This Act may be cited as the Patriotic Fund Act, 1886. Patriotic Fund Act, 1867, and the Patriotic Fund Act, 1881, and Act may be cited together as the Patriotic Fund Acts, 1867 to 1886.

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of Repayments Asylum to

by Cambridge

form part of Patriotic

2. All sums paid by transfer of securities or in cash on behalf the Cambridge Asylum at Kingston-on-Thames to the Commissioners by way of repayment of the sums appropriated to that Asylum, shall merge Fund. in the Patriotic Fund, and shall be applied as part of that Fund, subject nevertheless to the payment by the Commissioners to the Cambridge Asylum of the dividends arising from the securities in which such sums are invested so long as any of the widows heretofore nominated by the Commissioners to the Asylum remain therein.

Commis

sioners to

receive sub

3. It shall be lawful for the Commissioners of the Patriotic Fund Power of from time to time to ask for and receive contributions from the public ask for and for such purposes (being for the benefit of the widows and children of scriptions. officers and men of Her Majesty's military and naval forces), and in such manner as may be from time to time directed by any supplemental commission under Her Majesty's Royal Sign Manual, and so far as any such commission does not extend, as the Commissioners from time to time. think expedient; and sections six to twenty, both inclusive, of the Patriotic Fund Act, 1867, shall apply to all contributions so received as if they were specified in those sections as well as the Patriotic Fund.

Commis

undertaking as to scheme

4. The Commissioners of the Patriotic Fund are hereby discharged Discharge of from the obligation to apply to the Charity Commissioners for a scheme sioners from to deal with the government of the Royal Victoria Patriotic Asylum for Girls, and with such portion of the Patriotic Fund as has been appropriated for the endowment thereof.

for girls'

school.

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Presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty.

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To be purchased, either directly or through any Bookseller, from any of the following Agents, viz., Messrs. HANSARD and SON, 13, Great Queen Street, W.C., and 32, Abingdon Street, Westminster; Messrs. EYRE and SPOTTISWOODE, East Harding Street. Fleet Street, and Sale Office, House of Lords; Messrs. ADAM and CHARLES BLACK. of Edinburgh;

Messrs. ALEXANDER THOM and Co., LIMITED, or Messrs. HODGES, FIGGIS, and Co., of

Dublin.

1886.

Report of the Board of Visitors on the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, for the year 1886.

THE Board of Visitors made their annual inspection of the Royal Military College on the 30th June last.

They were received by the Governor, the Commandant, and other officers of the Institution.

The number of Cadets on the roll of the College is 307, being seven in excess of the Establishment. Of these, one is absent on sick leave, the remainder being present and under instruction.

The Cadets were engaged in outdoor field work, and were consequently not paraded. They were seen only in small detachments, and no reliable estimate of their physical appearance could be formed, but the Medical Officer reported their health to have been good during the past year, that there had been no cases of serious illness, and that the average daily sick was 3.78 on an average strength of 304 Cadets.

The Governors and the Commandant both spoke in very favourable terms of the discipline of the Cadets, and an inspection of the defaulters' book showed that unpunctuality was the principal shortcoming.

The conduct, tone, and spirit of the Cadets were reported to be good. The Board are of opinion that these very essential points should be encouraged in every way possible, and it occurred to them that a great incentive to good conduct would be engendered amongst the whole of the Cadets were some distinction, such as a sword of honour, conferred upon the best conducted Cadet of those about to be commissioned at the end of each half-year, as is the case at the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich.

The Governor submitted a memorandum by Major Kitchener, one of the Instructors at the College, on the advantage of the Cadets being taught the use of the revolver, with the suggestion that shooting be recognised at the final examination as a voluntary subject carrying a maximum of 200 marks.

Some of the members of the Board witnessed practice by certain Cadets both with the rifle and revolver, and were struck with their proficiency in firing, a proficiency attained by their voluntarily availing themselves of the advantages of a private revolver and rifle club among the Cadets, to which 246 out of 300 belong.

The Board submit that as effective shooting is the highest object to be attained in the training of the soldier, and as, since the abolition of the office of Musketry Instructor, Company Officers are expected not only to command, but to teach their men, it would only be in keeping with the generally practical character of the professional education at Sandhurst, that the Cadets should have the opportunity of rifle instruction with a view to their increased usefulness on joining their regiments.

They might also be instructed in the use of the revolver, that weapon having been already adopted in the service for self-defence in the case of staff-sergeants, &c., and being in practice generally, as part of the personal equipment of an officer going on

active service.

The Board therefore recommend for serious consideration whether a practical course of rifle and revolver shooting (the latter being a subordinate part of such course) might not with advantage be introduced into the course of instruction as a voluntary subject, bearing a certain number of marks at the final examination.

The subject of lighting the Riding Schools by gas was brought to notice. It appears that during the winter the time available for instruction in riding is very limited, and there is a difficulty in arranging the general course of instruction so as to give the necessary time for riding school drill. It is stated that if this system of lighting be adopted, the riding classes could be carried on after dusk, and a more complete course of instruction given to the Cadets.

The arguments put forward appear to be cogent, and have the hearty concurrence of the Board.

The changes and additions proposed by the Board in regard to the hospital arrangements have been entirely carried out, and the Medical Officer expressed himself thoroughly satisfied with the accommodation and comforts that have been provided in case of sickness.

The attention of the Board was attracted by the condition of the furniture in the ante-rooms of the Cadets, which is certainly in a condition unfit for further use. As it

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