80
mercantile, professional and Government (Civil, Naval and
Military) offices in this Colony, Japan and the Philippines
and of these the most celebrated are the men whose intellec-
tual powers are sharpened by a successful course of study under
the existing system, and were for the most part distinguished
in Mathematics.
30.
Though I recognise with pleasure that the
Committee shares the view of Sir George Bowen, Sir William des
Voeux and Sir W.J. Gascoigne that the benefit to the Empire of
China from boys educated from Queen's College, irrespective of
birthplace should not be ignored (para. 15), I am at a loss to
understand the statement "the majority of the 900 (71483) boys
at Queen's College belong to this class" non-resident. Three
and a half years ago in my letter No. 85 of 22nd September 1898,
I supplied the Governing Body with careful statistics on this
point, which show that only 16% of the scholars were without
parents or near relations resident in the Colony; and I have
no reason to believe that any material change in this ratio
has since taken place.