5. By what means are the flanges on the wheels of railway carriages preserved from the wear and tear which would result from constant friction against the rails? Why are the upper surfaces of the rails rounded?

6. In what different ways are rails laid?

Give a plan, with dimensions, of about 30 feet of a single line of rails running over a bridge, showing stone parapets, rails, joints, and transverse sleepers.

7. Show by means of plans and sections the construction of a carriage turntable.

8. To what extent do atmospheric changes affect the length of iron rails, and how are the expansion and contraction of the rails provided for?

9. What are the conditions of safety laid down by the Board of Trade in the case of cast and wrought iron bridges?

10. Draw a cross section on a scale of through the centre of a cast iron railway bridge carrying a double line of rails over an occupation road.

COUNTY SURVEYORS, IRELAND.

Nov. 1870.

APPENDIX IV.

MILITARY ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS.

CONTENTS.

Page

1. Correspondence

2. Examination for the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, Dec. 1870*:

(a.) Regulations

(b.) Examination Papers

(c.) Table of Marks

3. Examination for Direct Commissions in the Household Brigade †:

(a.) Regulations

(b.) Examination Papers

(c.) Table of Marks

* The Examination Papers, &c. of the Examination for the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, July 1870, were printed in the 15th Report of the Civil Service Commissioners, App. IV., pp. 166-200.

The Examination Papers, &c. for an Examination for Direct Commissions held in July 1870 were App. IV., pp. 201-239. printed in the 15th Report of the Civil Service Commissioners,

MILITARY ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS.

1.-CORRESPONDENCE.

Examinations for Direct

The Military Secretary, to the Secretary, Civil Service Commission.
War Office, 21st October 1870.

Commissions. SIR,

Proposed new
Regulations.

WITH reference to former correspondence on the subject of the schemes of examination for admission to the army, I am directed by the Secretary of State for War to enclose copy of draft regulations for the examination of candidates for Direct Commissions proposed by the Director General of Military Education.

The Civil Service Commissioners will observe that these draft regulations differ very materially from the scheme proposed by the Royal Commission on Military Education.

1st. The marks for Latin have been reduced from 4,000 to 3,000.
2nd. The marks for Greek have been reduced from 3,000 to 2,000.
3rd. English Composition and History have been joined, and the
marks have been raised from 2,500 to 3,000.

4th. Geology is added as a subject of examination with marks
1,500.

5th. The marks for experimental sciences have been raised from 1,500 to 2,000.

Before coming to a decision upon this question, Mr. Cardwell would be glad to have the opinion of the Civil Service Commissioners with regard to the alternative proposals or any modification of them.

The Commissioners will not fail to observe that there is a great difference between the examination for Direct Commissions and for Woolwich, the latter being competitive and the former qualifying with a very low standard, and that this difference may be considered to make it necessary to take special precautions against the introduction of such subjects as are capable of being easily "crammed."

I have, &c.

(ENCLOSURE.)

MEMORANDUM.

The following Regulations in regard to the Examination of Gentlemen preparatory to their receiving Commissions in the Army, will take effect from this date, in lieu of those issued on the 1st January 1867, and previous dates.

I. The examinations of candidates for direct commissions will be held in London at such periods as the exigencies of the service may require, and be conducted under the direction of the Civil Service Commissioners. The number of candidates summoned to attend each examination will be limited to the requirements of the service. II. The age of candidates examined for direct appointments will be from 17 to 20 years for all cavalry and infantry corps.

III. The candidate will be examined by a medical board to ascertain that he is in every point of view, as regards his physical constitution, fit for military service.

He will be required to produce the following certificates, which must be forwarded Examinations to the Military Secretary, Horse Guards, as soon as possible after the receipt of the for Direct order to attend for examination:

Commissions.

a. A certificate of baptism, or other satisfactory proof of his age. b. A certificate from a minister of the Church, or of the denomination to which Proposed new he belongs, that he has been duly instructed in the principles of religion. Regulations. c. A certificate of good moral character, signed by a clergyman of the parish to which he belongs, or by the tutor or head of the school or college at which he has received his education for at least the two preceding years; or such other proof of good moral character as will be satisfactory to the officer commanding-in-chief.

d. A statement of the subjects in which he wishes to be examined.

IV. The following will be the subjects of examination, but no candidate will be allowed to be examined in more than five of these subjects, or six if freehand drawing be one of them:

V. Of the foregoing subjects, the elementary branches of mathematics and the English and French (or German) languages to the extent stated in the following paragraphs, will be considered obligatory:

1. In mathematics, 1,000 marks will be given to the following obligatory portions, viz., arithmetic, including vulgar and decimal fractions, proportion, extraction of the square root, and simple interest.

Geometry not beyond the standard of the first book of Euclid.

Of the marks allotted to the foregoing portions of mathematics, one-third will be required for qualification.

2. In the English language, the candidate will be required to write correctly and in a good legible hand from dictation, and to compose an essay or letter. 1,000 marks will be allotted to this portion of English, of which 500 will be required for qualification.

3. In French or German 300 marks will be required for qualification.

4. Out of the remaining subjects the candidate may select any two, or three if freehand drawing be one of them.

5. No candidate will be allowed to count the marks gained in any one of the three voluntary subjects, unless amounting to one fourth of the whole number of marks allotted to that subject; and for qualification he will be required to obtain on his five (or six) subjects a total of 2,000 marks.

6. In the examination in classics, passages will be given for translation from the books usually read at schools; grammatical questions will be set, and passages from English prose authors will be also given for translation into the Latin language; translations into Greek prose will not be required, nor verse composition in either language. VI. The result of each examination will be reported to the officer commanding-inchief, the candidates being placed and being offered commissions in the order in which they pass.

VII. An unsuccessful candidate will not be debarred from applying to the officer commanding-in-chief for permission to attend a future examination. No candidate, however, will be allowed more than three trials.

Should a candidate obtain only between 1,000 and 1,500 marks, he will not be allowed to present himself for re-examination for at least six months. If he obtains less than 1,000 marks, a period of at least 12 months must elapse before he can be allowed to present himself again.

In all cases permission to be re-examined must depend upon the number of appli

cants on the list.

In subsequent examinations no credit will be given for the marks gained by a candidate on former occasions.