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"In spite of the great anxiety which the Chi- neso evince for the admission of their boys into the College there is strong statistical evidence for the belief that a large number desire only to make an experiment of the study of the Eng- lish language." Surely, ladies and gentlemen, this is not satisfactory, and should not be : tolerated. Many years ago it was urged, and very properly urged, that the primary object of the Government should be the teaching of English, that five hours a day should be devoted to Eng lish, and that all English lessons should he obligatory. In February, 1893, I again said while distributing the prizes here that the main object to bo kept perpetually in view was the touching of English and the introduction as a corollary of English customs and English ideas as far as possible." Aud in 1894 1 ssid that the efforts of an educationist would in my opinion be far more profitable if they were directed to the teaching of English to the Chinese boys rather than of physical geography and animal physiology." Later on, two years ago only, one of our great promoters of educa- tion here. the greatest în fact, Mr. Belilios, C.M.G., said Lot Hongkong be the Oxford und Cambridge of Chius. Let her be the seat of learning for that vast Empire npon whose fringe she stands." A very noble idoa, ladies and gentlemen, but is it so? Have any practical steps been taken in that direction? None that I am aware of. Now, ladies and gentlemen, what have we here? A fine, not to say magnificent building, a most able head master, distinguished in scholarship and in literature- (applause)-a large number of not capable and efficient assistant masters-ipplause)- and all of these maintained by fees paid by the scholars and by a subsidly of somo $17,000 or $18,000 a year paid by the Government. What I say is this, that I and the taxpayers want to have our money's worth. We want to see sonte palpable and bene- hcial results from this large expenditure of money. Let as admit that the Chinese parents aro indifferent, and that they pay two-thirds of the $18,000 a year. What becomes of the other one-third? Say there are 500 boys educated here
a very low ostimate, what becomes of the 150 or 160 boys puid for by the Fuglish or European taxpayer After an existence of twelve or fifteen years there should be at least 1,000 or 1,200* boys or men speaking English pretty finently, knowing something about Western science, smuething about Great Britain, something ont- side of China. Where are they? In justice to Queen's College I will say this, that nearly all the English-speaking residents in Hongkongam certainly those who speak English most fluently, wore esticated in this College-fapplause); but their vambers are very few. Does the College therefore exercise through its pupils any appre- ciable influence on China? I do not believe that it does. It furnishes, cortainly, some clerks to the hangs in the colony, it provides some for the Customs in China, it provider others for the hongs in coast ports. But where are the boys or the men who are passing or who have passed through this College, who are imbued, in the least degree, with Anglo- Sazon ideas, who realise the magnitude of the British Empire, the enormous power and strength and wealth of England, which lod Lord Salis- bury to say the other day,
"We do not care how isolated England is so long as we are united." Loud applause). Now, do you boys suppose that was an empty boast Do you suppose it is not the absolute truth? Several of you boys have received very handsome books for your pro- ficiency in history, English subjects, literature, science, composition, &e.; do you know, for instance, that during the Queen's reigu her Colonial subjects of European descent have increased from two millions to upwards of nine millions? Do you know that during the same period ber Asiatic subjects have increased from ninety-six millions to upwards of two hundred and fifty-five millions; and that other races in her colonies have increased from two millious to more than seven millions? Are any of you boys aware that the area governed by Her Majesty in India is 1,383,000 square miles, and in the co- lonies it is upwards of 7,000,000 square miles.
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"Lo you" K10” “mat Her Majesty's possessions embrace one-fifth of the habitable globe, and are three times greater than the Roman Empire at the height of its success and great. ness ? (Applause). And to come much uearer home, boys-and it seems like descend- ing from the sublime to the ridiculous-do you realise what Hongkong was sixty years ago, and what it is to-day, owing to British influence? Boys, if you knew this and a good deal more, you would be happier, better, nud certainly wiser boys than you are now, and I am suro you would make ultimately better sub. jects of Her Most Gracions Majesty than you would be without that knowledge. I feel strongly on this point, and I have perhaps spoken strongly, Hongkong belongs and over will belong to England. You boys will live to see England far stronger in the East than she is now. She is getting stronger day by day. You live under the protection of England in this colony, and in return for that protection you should not merely experiment with the English language, but should become worthy citizens and English speaking subjects of the greatest Empire in the world, and by doing this remenber that you will assist the best interests of Chins. Where your railways about which Sir George Boweu spoke fifteen years ago; where are your coal mines, your gold and silver mines? Why, you can count them upon your fingers. But we have thom in our colonies and in England, and have had them for many years past. Your undeni- able sources of wealth are alt closed and are still waiting the incoming of European influence and English instructers and English instruction. You boys may say you have nothing to do with this. But I say you have. You can learn Eng- lish; you can study our history; you can strive to read and to understand England's progress in railways, telegraphs, steamers, munnfactures, and other things; you can tell your parents at home all about those aud urge upon them to give you greater facilities for hearing and learning about them yourselves. If by such means WU could turn out 100 or 200 boys a year from this College who would spread the good tidings amongst other boys, we wight then expect the opening of China within a reasonable time. (Lond applause). Therefore, with every regard for Dr. Wright and every respect for his great ability and learning, I say it is only my own opinion and I give it you quantum calcat-I say that as far as I can judge Queen's College has not fulfilled the high expectations which cherished of it. The question therefore to be settled now by the Government and the com- munity and the examiners is whether the curriculum of this College can be so altered and reformed as to bring about the desirable re- sulls for which it was established. I believe it can be. I believe the curriculum is too ambitious, and I therefore most earnestly recommend the subject to the auxious con- sideration of the Governing Body and to Dr. Wright. I would ask, looking at the exami- ners report, what is the use of boys learning Latin and Euclid? It takes their time from the study of a far more profitable and useful language -English; and surely it must only vex and con- fuse them rather than assist them in their stuilies. I hope the Governing Body and Dr. Wright will believe me when I say my only desire is to leave Queen's College in a better and more in- fluential position and to make it a better and moro infinential institution than I found it. I have no desire in any way to cripple it or in any way to diminish its influence. My whole desire is to extend that influence. I will not say how far the Government is responsible for the existing state of things, but I do say this- it is the duty of the Government, as the ruling power, to endeavour to make the Chinese See the value of an English education; aud I would further state that I will most un- hesitatingly give my support to Dr. Wright and the Governing Body in that direction. Ladies and gentlemen, in your reading of Indian history you may remember that when English was first introduced into India the children were induced to go to school by the present of a
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