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it is to be regretted that he does not think it necessary for the public service to act on the suggestion conveyed in Mr. AUSTIN's letter, and thus be able to discuss with the Colonial Secretary, myself and thers (such as the Members of Legislative Council who represent commercial interests) the problem of again teaching English in all the Government Schools, and of making the nominal programme of our hours a day of English for every boy at the Central School a reality, so that all the pupils in that school should be able to speak English-perfectly or imperfectly-instead of only 60 out of 610.

J. POPE HENNESSY.

11th February, 1878.

Inspector of Schools to The Honourable J. Gardiner Austin, C.M.G., Colonial Secretary.

HONGKONG, 12th Felruary, 1878.

SIR,—I have the honour to bring to your notice that there is a serious misappréhension abroad as to the working of the Central School.

2. This misapprehension has arisen from a question put to me by His Excellency the Governor, on the 25th ultimo, at the Distribution of the Prizes at the Central School.

3. I was then asked, "How many of the boys now in the school speak English?" I answered, - From fifty to sixty; and that imperfectly.

4. His Excellency, in his speech as published in the Government Gazette of the 26th of January, said, "In this English Colony we must not be satisfied with 60 out of 600 being able to speak English in our principal Government School, and that imperfectly."

5. On the following day, these words appeared in the "Catholic Register," "He" (His Excellency) "remarked on the small proportion, only 50 or 60 out of that number ( 610 ), who knew anything of English and of their very imperfect knowledge of the language."

6. At an interview to which the Governor invited me in the forenoon of the 9th instant, on reference being again made to the speaking of English in the school, I called His Excellency's special attention to the distinction between speaking a language and learning, that is studying it; as the impression was then gaining upon me that there was a misapprehension on the subject.

7. In the afternoon of the same day, on the occasion of the Distribution of Prizes by His Excellency the Governor at St. Joseph's College, Mr. FRANCIS is reported in the "China Mail" of that date to have said, "He was astonished to find at the recent examination of the Central School that only forty or fifty of the Chinese youths receiving instruction there were being taught English, or able to speak the language to any extent. He was under the impression previously that every Chinese boy who went there was taught English, and he was much surprised to find that that was not the case."

8. In the report of the same proceedings contained in the "Daily Press" of the 11th instant, Mr. FRANCIS is similarly reported to have said, "I was astonished to find at the recent examination of the Central School only forty or fifty of the boys were able to speak English. I had always been under the impression that tlie one thing that school existed for was to teach English, that every boy TM taught English, and I was very much astonished to find that was not the case.'

9. On the same occasion, His Excellency is reported in the "China Mail" to have stated, "You have heard it said that only about forty or fifty. I think the actual number given to rue by Mr. STEWART fifty or sixty, of the Chinese boys being educated in the Central School last year spoke English and that imperfectly.

10. Further on, His Excellency is reported to have said, "It was only this very morning in an interview I had with Mr. STEWART, who is at the head of our Government educational system, I told him, what I was bound to repeat to him, namely, the views of leading merchants, un-official members fmy Council, and others in this Colony, which are that they desire the Government Schools in langkong to teach more English, and that no boy should, in time to come, leave the Government Schools, ithout being able to speak English.

11. The report of His Excellency's words in the "Daily Press" is in precisely the same terms, and need not therefore be repeated.

12. Now I very respectfully beg to point out that in all this there is a fallacy lurking, and I have italicised the words on which I think that fallacy turns.

18. The belief now abroad in the Colony is that no attempt is made at the Central School to teach more than fifty or sixty of the boys English; and that the study of that language is subordinated to the hady of Chanese, which both the English and the Chinese masters devote their time and their energies to ach. Indeed, it is difficult to see how people could believe otherwise, considering that Mr. FRANCIS, "appears above, stated at St. Joseph's College on the 9th instant, that he was astonished to find that mly forty or fifty of the boys at the Central School were being taught English, and that His Excellency practically endorsed the statement by allowing it to pass unchallenged although touching upon it.

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