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Stoughtong, 3th August, 1865.
THE solemn distribution, by His Excel- leney the Acting Governor, of the prizes awarded to the successful competitors in the examinations of the two previous days, the progress of which we have recorded, took place at St Saviour's College, at threo o'clock yesterday afternoon in the presence of a number of distinguished visitors, among whom we noticed the Honorable the Acting Chief Justice, and Mrs BALL, the Honorable Mr WHYTE, the Honorable TROS. SUTHERLAND, JULIAN PAUNCEFOTE, Esq., C. C. SMITH, Esq., the Acting Span- ish Consal, Dr RODRIGUEZ, Mr and Mra Scorr, Mr D'ALMADA, of the Colonial Of- fice, &c.
The day's proceedings commenced with the delivery, by the Rev. T. RAIMONDI, of an introductory address, descriptive of the rise and progress of the Institution within whose walls they were then assembled, and a brief explanatory statement of the course of study adopted and pursued therein. The Reverend Gentleman read this address, a copy of which we have been fortunate enough to secure. We therefore give it eu- tire. It was as follows:--
YOUR EXUELLENCY, LADIES AND GENTLE- MES, Saint Saviour's College, which you have this day honoured with your presence, is not of very ancient date. Five years ago, we opened our first school for Euro- pean children in a small house hired for the I purpose. We began with 20 pupils and two eachers, one English, the other Portuguese. Two years later, the number of pupils having very considerably increased, "wo built two additional rooms for their accom- modation, and, in the third year, we added another room for the Chinese children who wished to learn English.
It was only last year that we took posses sion of this new and handsome buildin specially designed for educational purposes, and named Saint Saviour's Sobool During the past year many pupils have been sent to us from the different ports in China, and the name bas, consequently, boen changed to Saint Saviour's College, which numbers now nearly 140 pupils, 27 boarders, upwards of fifty European, and about sixty Chinese day scholars. It is now two years since we first ventured to call public attention to our doings by instituting a public examination of the pupils and a soleinn distribution of the prizes. On that occasion the Honour- able the Acting Chief Justice did us the honour to preside, inspiring and delighting the boys by his kindness and affability. It is most gratifying to us who are doing our best to carry on these schools successfully,. to see your Excellency and so many ladies and gentlemen assembled here to-day to do us honour. I thank you most heartily in the name of these children for your kind- ness, and I have no doubt, that they will derive new strength and courage from your visit, and be urged on and encouraged to pursue their studies with more ardour than before.
Five languages are taught here, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Chinese, Arithmetic in all its branches, Algebra, Mensuration, Book-keeping, Geography, History, Music, vocal and instrumental, and Drawing are also taught. The staff of
teachers comprises eight individuals of dif- ferent nations.
Saint Saviour's is essentially a Commer cial School. In an English colony, support- ed entirely by coinmerce, with a European population who must earn their bread by trade, it would be a manifest folly to in- struct the youth in any branches of human knowledge not directly or indirectly re- quired in the daily business of their lives.
But neither have we so strictly limited ourselves in laying down our plan of study as to cramp the intellect, or to render our pupils unfit for other and more purely in- tellectual employments. A sound know- ledge of mathematics, of geography, of his- tory, and of modern languages is a prepa- ration for any position or employment how- ever high. A youth thoroughly grounded in those branches has had his powers of reasou- ing fully and fairly developed, and the way laid open before him for the cultivation of all his mental powera.
Neither have we neglected, in the pur suit of more solid accomplishments, those branches which in every sphere of life render men acceptable in society, and keep their hearts fresh and untainted by the selfish passions of maturer years. Music and draw- ing relieve and diversify the severer studies which, while they strengthen the reason, tend very often, to wither and dry up the heart and the affections. Living with our pupils not only during school-hours, but throughout the day, we give our whole hearts
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tions, recitations and musical exercises fol- lowed one another alternately. A scene from Shakespear, a French poem, a Spanish bal- lad, an extract from some Portuguese poet, and a Chinese piece, were effectively render- ed amid the applause of the audience. The youngsters fully deserved the cordial re- ception they received at the hands of their visitors. Then followed the distribution
of the prizes, books carefully and well se- į lected, which were handed to the victors in the several classes by His Excellency Mr MERCER with a few words of advice and encouragement. We give the list of prizes below. Each of the little fellows as he retired with his premium received the plaudite of his school-fellows and friends, but we inissed the enthusiasm that would have prevailed among English boys on such an occasion. How well we remem- ber the prolonged and noisy exclamations that used to greet, in our distant school- days, the success of some favorite of his school-fellows, and how difficult it some- times was to preserve the necessary degree of silence and attention after the first three
to the work. We endeavour, by preceptor four names had been read out. and example, to strengthen their minds, to elevate their hearts, to render them gen- tlemen in every sense of the word, fit to take their places in the world and in society, good men and useful citizens. Such has been our aim; how far we have succeeded you will now have an opportunity of judging. You must not expect to find our pupils finished acholars. They are still only boys,
although well disposed and not unworthy of the honour you have done them in com- ing here to-day. In conclusion, permit me to express our pleasure that in our school established under the protection of the Bri- tish flag are to be found students from every port in China and in the East; Hongkong is the commercial centre and capital of these Eastern lands, We hope to see it the capi- tal of science and of literature.
The Rev. Gentleman was listened to throughout with attention, and more than once vigorously applauded. Those who had been present at the examinations on the two previous days gave willing testi- mony to the truth of his assertions and to the progress that had been made by the boys in their studies.
On the Rector resuming his seat, a num- ber of the little fellows stood forward and sung, to the accompaniment of the piano, with no small skill and taste. The Pianist, a youth of fifteen and a native of Manila, reflected the greatest credit on his instruc- ters, by the ease and correctness with which he executed, during the course of the day more than one very dithcult piece. In ad- dition to being well taught, the boy must be gifted by nature with a veryc orrect ear and a very considerable degree of talent for music. His performance was really wonderful.
At the conclusion of the song, declama-
When the last book had been placed in the hands of the little Chinese boy whose prize it was, Mr MERCER rose, and address- Ing himself to the Rev. the Rector of the College, to the Vicar Apostolic Father Luis AMBROSI, and to the Gentlemen around him, expressed his gratitude to the Supe- riora of Saint Saviour's College for their kindness in inviting him to be present on that occasion. He had been very much pleased with everything that he had seen. He was happy to know that there was so good a School in the Colony, one so likely to be useful. He congratulated the Rev. Roctor and the Officers of the Institution on the successful results of their labours, He had experienced a very great degree of pleasure in distributing the prizes among the pupils. He sincerely hoped that those who had that day been rewarded would be thereby encouraged to persevere in the ho- nourable course on which they had entered, that those who had not received premiums would be incited to further exertions in the hope of obtaining similar rewards on a fu- ture occasion. In conclusion, he begged to return his very sincere thanks to the Rev. Father RAIMONDI for his kind invitation, and to the Gentlemen around him for their! presence and support.
The Rev. Gentleman replied in a few well-chosen words, acknowledging His Ex- cellency's kindness in presiding, and hoping to be able, on some future occasion, to ex- hibit a very marked improvement.
The proceedings terminated with God Save the Queen.
[ "Evening Mail" 4* August, 1865]
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