How well-worn is the path from fagging to the Bullingdon Club to the House of Commons, ever onwards and upwards to the Lords ? … now there’s an interesting thesis just asking to be written. How ironic that Sir Alexander Malet thought that Parliament would seriously consider his complaint and help his cause. Nevertheless the Party goes on.
‘SCHOOL “FAGGING.”–A correspondence has taken place lately between Sir A. Malet, Bart. and the Rev. D. Williams, head-master of Winchester school. The circumstamces that called it forth are curious, and likely to excite much public discussion :–The younger brother of Sir A. Malet had, it seems, resisted the authority of one of the prefects, or senior boys, and was, on a complaint to that effect being made to the master, expelled, together with four of his young confederates, from school. Sir A. Malet remonstrated by letter to Dr. Williams, who, however, refused to revoke the sentence–on the principle, we presume, of the Medes and Persians, whose laws, whether absurd or otherwise, were held immutable. The whole injurious effects of what at public schools is called fagging, are here laid open. A high-spirited lad resists the semi-official, and perhaps unreasonable, authority of another lad, and is at once peremptorily expelled. Appeal is useless–the decree has gone forth–and his prospects, if not totally blasted, are at least materially injured, for life. Every Englishman, possessing the free and generous sentiments of one, must deprecate this over-abundant measure of punishment ; it savours of despotism, and can produce no possible benefit, but a great deal of harm. That a due subordination should be kept up at our public schools, which in many cases can count their hundreds, no one will dispute ; but that the caprice of the seniors (many of whom are the greatest tyrants on earth) should be unreservedly submitted to by the juniors, simply because the system of such slavery is old, and a relic of the feudal ages–is what none but a lazy tyrant can approve. Expulsion from so public a school as Winchester is a serious concern : it disqualifies its victim from entering either University, and sends him forth into life with a taint upon his character. The matter will come before Parliament.’
Stamford Mercury, 21st November, 1828.