683458-1880-H-E-the-Governor-s-Address-at-Central-School- — Page 3

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AHE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 4TM FEBRUARY, 1880.

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to expend $10,000 on the work, and that also will be the duty of the Surveyor the task he has now in hand is finished; he will then undertake the preparation of plans In a word, you will see that Her Majesty's Government, and the t are alive to the importance of teaching English to the Chinese youth of this Colony, go to al steps are being taken to secure that result.

Maxine may aritioned schools.

+1 13 4.

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first I spoke from this desk, I adverted to the fact that Dr. STEWART, filling the two Master and Inspector, was over-worked, and I indicated my wish that he might be tor of Schools in the Colony, and relieved from the task of Head Master. Sir BEACH, in the decision at which he arrived on the public instruction of Hongkong, to adorm Dr. STEWART that he thought the work of the Central School was enough for and that therefore he was to be retained as the head master of the Central School, and inspector was to be conferred on some other gentleman. Arrangements in accordance of the Government have been made, but I have no hesitation in saying that I regard onal and temporary. I was most fortunate in obtaining for the Inspectorate of the the Colony the services of Dr. EITEL, a friend of education and an accomplished new fills the appointment of Inspector of Schools. But I have recommended Dr. EITEL nt for another appointment, namely, that of being the head of a staff of interpreters, Secretary, a post which formerly existed and was found a very useful one; and, if think it to approve of my suggestion, the consequence will be that the appointment s will then be vacant. Everyone knows that, on its falling vacant, I should best dare to the public Instruction of Hongkong, if I were then to ask Her Majesty's Govern- 1.Dr. STEWART the Inspectorate not only of the schools with which Dr. EITEL now deals, Leds together with the Central School, so that he will then be the head of the Educa- it of the Colony ir all its branches. That, I trust, we may yet accomplish; at all events, recommend it; and when it is done, but not till then, shall I be satisfied that Dr. so the position he is entitled to hold.

t year, not only were the changes to which I have adverted made by Her Majesty's

a very eminent gentleman who had called to see me—)

-Mr. ROBERT HART, the head Customis. Service of China, a trusted and able officer of the Emperor of China, and, test distinguished men in the East-expressed his gratitude for what had been done Arsenal and for certain works at Tientsin by the Government scheme of education in be told me that every year young Chinese, well trained in their own language, were wizel to the Foochow Arsenal, and to other places in China where the Imperial Chinese have works; and that the young men who had been trained here were found most useful Government in the sphere in which they were then placed. Well, I told Mr. HART that agreeable for the Governor of the Colony to receive the thanks of any man for what the had been doing; but I did not conceal from him my conviction that the young men who the Poochow Arsenal, or who might be sent to the Chinese Government establishments jught to be educated, not at the expense of the ratepayers of Hongkong, but at the ex- Ferment of China; and that, whilst it might be a very laudable undertaking to do the four hundred millions of Chinese in this vast empire near us, and that, whilst it fel wlly get to assist the Chinese Government as far as the training of its Chinese officials rticless, it did occur to me that Her Majesty's Government and the 1-10,000 inhabitants teal something to say to the question; and that, if a Chinese youth is to spend five or this school, being highly trained under a distinguished head master and able staff of after all it might be better for the Colony if that young man remaired in Hongkong and did to the Foochow Arsenal. And then the question arises, how, does it come to pass that men do not remain in the Colony, but that we send so many of them to be employed by overnment? This is certainly an interesting question to answer, for there is no doubt Hong, as some friends who are sitting here on my right know, there is a great demand for the who really understand English, have a knowledge of book-keeping, and can assist in unt: and that the European inerchants would be glad to have an ample supply of clerks for that, nevertheless, the number of Chinese boys educated here who have a good EngEsh both speaking and writing it--is very limited indeed. Many of my friends man merchants feel the inconvenience of this state of things. The records and accounts * Arsenal are kept in Chinese, and if we set before us the task of training young natives we must of course look to teaching them Chinese rather than English. But, I must de what we can to assist in giving the students educated here and in our other d of education suited for the mercantile life of Hongkong this great depôt of British terry-In that way we shall be doing our duty to Her Majesty's Government and to gers. It is my wish-it has been the ambition of nearly every man who preceded ne ment of this Colony, and it has been the policy of all Secretaries of State who have derssors and myself that Hongkong should be made an Anglo-Chinese Colony, y should have thousands upon thousands of Chinese subjects, with a thorough English hupguage-amenable to English law and appreciating the British constitution,

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