I participated in the enjoyment of this, the greatest day of my life. But, sir, it is to you that I am indebted for the honour, because it is you who has recommended it, and I believe that by performing this ceremony you have not only conferred an honour on us but conferred an everlasting favour on the colony, because by this function which you have performed you will stimulate others—men of means—to come forward and do good to the colony. We require several buildings of this kind to be erected in this place in order to decorate and embellish this one island home. I again repeat, sir, that by conferring this honour on me you have conferred an everlasting blessing on the colony and its inhabitants. (Cheers.) Your Excellency, I think that great credit is due to Dr. Eitel, the Inspector of Schools, for initiating the work of female education in this Colony and for inducing the Government to establish the school for girls which will now be domiciled in this building. I am persuaded that we shall confer on the next generation of colonists through this school greater and more permeating benefits than can possibly accrue to them through any college for boys existing in the city.
One of our sages, the wise King Solomon, has told us in Scripture, in Proverbs, 10th chap., 1st verse, that "a wise son maketh a glad father; but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother." As you are all aware, the characters and dispositions of children are formed and modelled in the home circle, of which the mother is or should be the presiding genius. It is her gentle precepts and refining influence that give the tone in all his after life to the son before he goes forth into the world. If the mother has not enjoyed the advantages of education this softening, this refining influence is absent; the son instead of gladdening his father's heart! runs wild, is neglected, grows up rude and idle and unrestrained, unfitted to take his part in society and ready to acquire all the faults and vices an ill-regulated and coarse mind adopts with natural facility. The result is misery in the home: the disappointed mother reproaches herself for having brought into the world a foolish and an unworthy son; the father laments over the destruction of his hope because his son will no longer carry on his labours or perpetuate his name with honour.
Unless therefore we have educated mothers we cannot expect to see wise, virtuous, and learned sons grow up to extend and develop the progress of civilization and the growth of science and truth. Consequently it is of paramount importance to the state and to society that the future mothers of our races should be educated so that their sons may be fitted to carry on the trust committed to them. The scholars of this school, girls to-day, will be women shortly and in turn mothers of families; through them and through all those who are educated in this school in years to come we hope to disseminate knowledge and imbue with refined ideas hosts of men and women in this island. Let us make Hongkong the Oxford and Cambridge of China, the seat of learning for the vast empire on whose fringe we stand. Let us send forth highly-educated men and women to overrun this empire. Instead of maintaining in this part of the world a great navy and a strong military force let us curtail and reduce them, and the funds thus saved let us devote to the upkeep of schools to educate the Chinese.
Instead of opening up the country by force of arms to our commerce, our industries, and our manufactures, let us endeavour to create an amicable link between China and the West by sending forth educated Chinese into the empire from this tiny dot on her coast. Men and women taught to think and act as we do scattered over China would leaven the mass, and the people, taught by gratitude, would learn to think well of the British nation, be eager to welcome commerce with us, and ready to exchange ideas as well as goods. And all this by pacific means! In furtherance of such a cause I would grudge no extra expense this school may entail on the colony; on the contrary, I shall be prepared to join in a vote for any additional expenditure that may be proposed by Government for the purpose of educating the Chinese.
Considering the progress the school has made during the past year, I believe that ere long we shall find it as popular among the Chinese as Victoria College has proved, and that, as in the case of that establishment, the applications for admittance will exceed the accommodation at our disposal. There is another and a very important point in connection with the education of girls in this colony I should like to touch upon. It must never be lost sight of that the position of woman in China is at present a degraded one. She is regarded as an inferior being in most ranks of life, and in the lowest is too often a mere beast of burden, treated little better than are the Red Indian squaws. Education will do very much to rectify this injustice, by raising the status of women and placing the mother on a level with the stronger sex.
It will also, I hope, in the course of time lead to the extinction of women slavery and all its horrors in China. As one means towards so humane and beneficent an end, I trust this movement for the better education of Chinese girls in Hongkong will command the universal support of all classes of the community. Your Excellency, I am glad to note that the learning of Chinese is optional in this school. I hope the same system will soon be adopted in all the public schools of the colony.
Some twelve years ago the then Governor appointed a Commission to inquire as to whether or not it would be advisable to abolish the teaching of Chinese in our schools. I had the honour to be a member of that Commission, but unfortunately for the question under discussion the Chairman presiding was biased from the commencement in favour of instruction in Chinese, and he succeeded in converting almost all my colleagues to his views. It was uphill work therefore for me, but with a good deal of persuasion I got the Commission to modify their decision, with the result that we recommended that the four hours then devoted to Chinese should be reduced to two and a half per day.
Now I go further than that. Seeing that it requires pretty nearly a lifetime to acquire a thorough knowledge of Chinese, and that the majority of the parents wish their children to learn English only, bearing in mind that two hours and a half is insufficient time for the purpose, and is therefore wasted in attempting its acquisition, and remembering how much can be done in learning English in the time, it will, I maintain, be advisable to abolish the teaching of Chinese in our schools. Chinese youths attending our schools can readily acquire a sufficient knowledge of their own language in their homes after they have completed their English education. One is never too old for the pursuit of learning, and in China do we not hear authenticated cases of nonogenarians going up to the literary examination to compete for the much coveted degree?
I believe, sir, that if another Commission were appointed to consider the question I have referred to, after the experience we have had of the failure of the system in vogue, its verdict would be adverse to the one recorded by the last Education Commission, and that there would be little opposition to the abandonment of the study of Chinese in our schools. By imparting a sound knowledge of English to an ever-increasing number of Chinese on this island who will subsequently leave for different parts of the neighbouring empire, we shall be taking the very best means to promote by their instrumentality a truer knowledge of our civilization, our aims and hopes, to the end that erroneous notions often attended with mischievous results concerning Western nations will be dissipated, and the foundation laid of a good mutual understanding.
In this way really friendly relations between England and China will be established and all causes of dispute avoided, paving the way for the peaceful advance of China in a yet higher civilization than that which it has for ages enjoyed. (Cheers). With these remarks I have much pleasure in handing your Excellency the keys of the building, and I beg to request you kindly to walk up and open the edifice, and to allow the several classes of students standing here to go in and occupy their respective school-rooms. (Cheers.)
Cheers were given for H.E. Sir William and Lady Robinson and for Hon E. R. Belilios.
The company then, led by His Excellency, entered the classrooms and the pupils took their seats at their desks, on each of which was an orange and apple and some bonbons. A little scholar handed Lady Robinson a choice bouquet amid applause.
Lady Robinson, in reply, said—Ladies and gentlemen, you may think it presumptuous on my part to speak after the Governor and Mr. Belilios and Dr. Eitel, but I think you will consider my presumption less than it appears at first sight when you hear that my words are supposed to be addressed only to the girls, many of whom are my old friends. You have heard from the Governor and Dr. Eitel how much the Colony owes to Mr. Belilios, and how much more the debt has been increased by the bestowal, this afternoon, of this building.
і
participated in the enjoyment of this the greatest | day of my life. But, sir, it is to you that I am indebted for the honour, because it is you who has recommended it, and I halieve that by performing this ceremony you have not only conferred an honour on ins but conferradi an everlasting farour on the colony. because by this function which you have performed gon will stimulate others-men of moans -lo come forward and do good to the colony. We re- quire several buildings of this kind to ba erected in this place in order to decorate and embellish this one island home. I again repeat, air. that by conferring this honone ou me you have conferred an everlasting blessing on the colony and its inhabitants. (Cheers.) Your Excellency, I think that great credit is das to Dr. Eitel, the Inspector of Schools, for initiating the work of fomalo education in this Colony and for inducing the Government to establish the school for girls which will now be domiciled in this building. I am persuad- ed that we shall confer on the next genera- tion of colouists through this school greater and more permeating benefite than can pos- sibly acorne to them through any college. for boys existing in the city. One of our sages, tho wise King Solomon, has told us in i Seripture, in Proverbs, 10th chap., 1st verse, that a wise son maketh a glad father; but a foolish son is the heaviness of his motber." As you are all aware, the characters and disposi. Lious of children are formed and modelled in the home aircle, of which the mother is or should be the presiding genius. It is her geatle precepts and refining influence that give the tus in all his aftor life to the sou before he goes forth into the world. If the mother has not enjoyed the advantages of education this softening, this refining iofusoce is absent; the son instea i of gluddering his father's heart! runs wild, is peglustud, grows up rude and idle and unrestrained, unfitted to take his part in society and ready to acquiro all the faults and vices in ill-regulated and coarse wind adopts with natural facility. The result is misery in the home: the disappointed mother reproaches herself for having brought into the world a foolish and an unworthy son; the fathar laments over the destruction of his hope because his son will no longer ourry on his labours or perpetuate his name with bonour. Unless therefore we have educat ed mothers we cannot expect to see wise, virtuous, and learned sons grow up to extend and develop the progress of civilization and the growth of science and truth, Coussquently it is of para. mount importance to the state and to society that the future mothers of our raes should be edacated so that their sous may be fitted to carry on the trust committed to them. The scholars of this sebool, girls to-day, will be wone shortly and in turu mothers of fami- lios; through them and through all those who are educated in this school in years to come we hope to disseminate knowledge and imbue with refined ideas hosts of men and wo- men in this island. Let us make Hongkong the Oxford and Cambridge of China, the sexi of learning for the vast empire on whose fringe we stand. Let us send forth highly-educateri mea nui women to overrun this empire. Instead of tosintaining in this part of the world a great nasy and a strong military force lat us curtail and reduce thew, and the funds thus saved let us devote to the upkeep of schools to educate the Chinese. Instead of opening up the country by force of arms to our commerce, our industries, and our manufactures, let na endeavour to create an amicable link be- tween Chins and the West by sending forth educated Chinese into the empire from this tiny dot on her ocast. Mou and women taught to I think and act as we do scattered over China would leaven the mass, and the people, taught by gratitude, would learn to think well of the British nation, ba eagar to welcome commeres with bar, and ready to exchange ideas s well as goods. And all this by pacific means! In furtherance of such a canse I would gradgo no extra expense this school may entail on the colony; on the contrary, I shall be prepared to join in a vote for any ari- ditional expenditure that may be proposed by Government for the purpose of educating the Chinese. Considering the progress the school has made during the past year, I believe that are long we shall find it as popular among the Chinese as Victoria Collegó has proved, and that, as in the case of that es- (ablishment, the applications for admittance will exceed the accommodation at our disposal. There is another and a very important point in onnection with the education of girls in this colony I should like to tonch upon. It manst]
never
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never be lost sight of that the position of wo- man in China is at prosent a degradel one. She is regarded as an inferior being in most ranks of life, and in the lowest is too often a mere beast of burden, treated little better thao are the Red Ladian squaws. Education will do yry much to rectify this injustice, by raising the status of women and placing the mors ou a lovel with the stronger sex. It will also, I hope, in the course of time lead to the extinction of women slavery and all its horrors in China. As one means towards so humane and beneficent an end, I trust this movement for the better education of Chinese girls in Hongkong will comosud the univeral support of all classes of the commnuity. Your Excellency, I no ghd to note that the learning of Chinese is optional in this school. I hope the same system will soon he adopted in all the public schools of the colony. Some twelve years ago the then Governor appointed a Commission to inquire as to whether or not it would be ad- visable to abolish the teaching of Chinese in nur schools. I had the honour to be a menther of that Commission, but unfortunately for the question ander discassion the Chairisan pre- siling was biased from the commencement in Eavour of instruction in Chinese, and be suc coded in couverting almost all my colleagues to his views. It was uphill work therefore for me, bat with a good deal of per uasion I got the Corumission to modify their decision, with the result that we recommended that the four hours then devoted to Chinese should be reduced to two and a half per day. Now I go further than Seeing that it requires pretty nearly a lifetime to acquire a thorough knowledge of Chinese, and that the majority of the parents wish their children to learn English only. bar ing in mind that two hours and a balf is insufficient time for the purpose, and is there. fore wasted in attempting its acquisition. and remambering how much can be done in learning English in the time. it will. I maintain, be ad- visable to abolish the toaching of Chinese in our schools. Chinese youths attending oar schools can readily acquire a sufficient kuoW- ledge of their own laagange in their homes after they have completed their English vincu tion. Ons is morer too old for the parsait of learning. and in China do we not. bear anthenticated cases of uonogenarians going up to the literary examination to compete for the much coveted degree ? I baliere, sir, that if another Commission were appointed to consider the question I have referred to, after the experience we have had of the failure of the system in vogue, its verdict would be adverse to the one corded by the fast Education Com- mission, and that there would be little opposi- tion to the abandonment of the study of Chi nise in our schools By imparting & sound kuowledge of English to let us hope an ever. increasing number of Chines on this island who will subsequently leave for different parts of the neighbouring empire, we shall be aking the very best means to promote by their instrument- ality a truer knowledge of our civilization, our aims and hopes. to the end that erroneous BO- tions often attended with mischievons results concerning Western nations will be dissipated, and the foundation laid of a good mantual nudar- st ading. In this way rally friend y relations between England and China will be established and all causes of dispute avoided, paving the way for the peaceful advance of China i in a yet higher civilization than that which it has for ages enjoyed. (Cheers). With these remarks I have much pleasure in handing your Excellency the keys of the building, and 1 beg to request you kindly to walk up and open the edifice, and to allow the several classes of students standing here to go in and occupy their | respective sebook-rooms. (Cheers.)
Cheers were given for H.E. Sir William and Lady Robinson and for Hon E. R Belilios.
The company then, led by His Excellency, entered the classrooms and the pupils took their soats at their desks, on each of which was an oranga and apple and soms bonbons. A little scholar handed Lady Robinson a choice bouquet amid applause.
Lady Robinson, in reply, said—Ladies und gentlemen, you may think it presumpinons on my part to speak after the Governor and Mr. Belilios and Dr. Eitel, but I think you will consider my presumption less than it appears at first sight when you hear that my words are supposed to be addressed only to the girls, many of whom are my old friends. You have heard from the Governor and Dr. Eita Į¢ how much the Colony owes to Mr. Belilios, and how much more the debt has been increased | 1 by the bestowal, this afternoon, of this building 'I
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