130
being encored.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
COLLEGE.
[February 18, 1896.
As Counsel for the Plaintiff | PRIZE DISTRIBUTION AT QUEEN'S | poor. That Euclid was disappointing. That Mr. E. A Messor had an important part and acquitted himself in it with credit. Though bhi natural ability for acting does not seem so great as his musical ability, he infused a fair amount of life into the part and played up
to his fair clicut with care and intelligence. The funny part of The Usher was entrusted tu Dr. J
A. Lowson. and it could not have been iu better bands. He had a capital make up and extracted all the amusement possible out of the part, and that without any
due extravagance. The bridesmaids, jury u. te.. all did well in their respective parts, and the bridesmaid's chorus "Comes the broken flower was one of the most pleasing items of the evening.
The orchestra was a very efficient one and was composed as follows:-Piano, Mr. G. Grimble; First Violins, Messrs. J. G. Schroeter, C.
Schroeter, and Bottenheim: Second Violins, Messrs. Lopez, Cole. R.N., and Campbell, H.K.K. Cello, Surgeon-Major Hayes, D.S.O.; Finte. Commander Grafton, R.N.; Oboe, Mr. Abrehardt: Clarionet, Mr. A. Cumming; and hy kind permission of Major the Hon. E. Noel and officers of the Rifle Brigade) Viola, Corporal Borington; (Double Bass, Private Taylor, Bassoon. Private Pitt.
The Amateur Dramatic Club and all who assisted are to be heartily congratulated on their performance. The greatest credit is due to Mr. J. Orange, the Musical Director and ¦ Conductor. Mr. H Nicolle, the Acting Manager, and Mr. E. W. Mitchell, the Stage Manager, for their indefatigable exertions and the success with which they were crowned.
"Creatures
of
IMPORTANT SPEECH BY THE GOVERNOR.
their
Governor presided at the prize distribution At noon on the 6th Feb. His Excellency the at Queen's College. The spacious hall of the college was filled with scholars and in addition to many ladies, were-Hon. J. friends, and amongst those on the platform,
on. F. A. Cooper (Director H. Stewart Lockhart (Colonial Secretary), of Public Works). Hou. E. R. Belilios, Hon. Ho Kai, the Right Rev. Bishop Burdon, and Dr. G. H. Bateson Wright (Head Master).
The HEAD MASTER read his annual report which we publish below, after which he said-I have now to relieve my mind of a heavy incubus debt-a debt of gratitude incurred by myself, the masters, and the boys, first of all for the presence of your Excellency
---
on
sons
this occasion, secondly, for the many valuable prizes so lavishly bestowed by per- of all nationalties, and thirdly, for the presence of so many kind friends here. It was rightly remarked at a recent prize distribu- tion that a heavy task is imposed upon your Excellency in expecting you to make speeches year after year at so many schools in the colony, but it is very evident that if the task is heavy your Excellency succeeds in paking everyone believe it is a pleasure. (Applause); In a lesser degree a similar remark applies to those of our guests who are not parents of the boys. To many
of them there must be a certain amount of self- denial in coming here to cheer the boys and masters by publicly showing their interest in the welfare of this Government Institution. (Applause).
Monday's repetition of
His EXCELLENCY then distributed the Impulso" and Trial by Jury, especially the latter, was another great success for the A. prizes, after which he said-My Lord Bishop, Indios and gentlemen. and meinbers of DR. Of the first piece there is little more
the Governing Body, this is the fourth to said than was contained in our first
occasion Welman's pretty
upon notice. Mrs.
which I have distributed the song war again encored. aud in the march by the prizes from this platform, and the duty has 1 confess, been a somewhat difficult one, becanse chorus there WEN more steadiness than on the first occasion. On the whole, however, per-
I cannot say that I am fully satisfied with the haps the amusement caused by the representa-
results which accrue to the Government and to the public generally from this institution,
freehand drawing gave evidence of sound and careful teaching. That in many case Algebra had been fairly taught. They are of opinion that the boys are pushed on too rapidly. They should be given to English, and that the energy suggest that more attention, much more, and ability of the European staff should be directed more to the Chinese boys. That Chinese masters should not be allowed to teach English, and they are against the separa- tion of Chinese boys from the non-Chinese In conclusion, they bear favourable boys. testimony to the ability of the masters and to (Applause). Upon that I wish to most sincere- the discipline and orderly behaviour of the boys.
have to point out that this Governing Body ly congratulate the boys. (Applause). Now I
fore it was impossible for them to make any was only appointed by me a year ago, and there- changes in the directions they advocate until they had held the first examination of all the boys. As I said two years ago, I am not an educa- tionist, and I really am very glad of it, but I believe I possess some practical common sense, and I want to tell you this afternoon what this College was established for, and to ask you whether it is fulfilling its object. As I told you before, my remarks are absolutely inde- pendent; they were written before I received either the report of Dr. Wright or the report of the Examiners. Now when this College was opened by Sir George Bowen, who as you know was one of the most eminent scholars ever remarks I hope that Victoria College, to be sent out from Oxford, he made the following developed at some future date into Victoria University, may endure throughout the great future of China, and may be a source whence will flow the streams of education and know- He added-- ledge to generations yet unborn."
Many of the leading statesmen of England trust with me that a long succession of our Chinese students, after completing their educa- tion in England, may have the honour of introducing into their native land the results of the humane and enlightened jurisprudence and of the improved medical science of modern Europe, or may as Surveyors or engineers cover the vast Empire of China help to
tion was not quite so great as on the first night. Nevertheless it has given me the greatest with a network of railways and telegraphs.” A
1.
the last Verse.
was also loudly applauded.
Some few alterations were made in the dress. ing. Mr. Measor, the Plaintiff's Counsel, ap- peared on this occasion with a get up reminding one of the late speaker of the House of Com
|
well
the pice being rather thin for repetition
Very different was it with "Trial by Jury." possible pleasure to come here, this morning to year later he averred that Victoria College would render an important service to the neighbouring give away so many valuable prizes to so many which wout with even greater liveliness than on
boys who deserve the prizes they have received. Empire of China, and would prove a powerful the first night and was moreenthusiastically re-
and honourable method of extending British in- (Applause). Now your popular head master, ceived. Angen seeing Mr. Grace as the Judge on
Dr. Wright,―(applause)-knows vory
fluence. Have these expectations, ladies and Saturday night would bave thought there was
that I am not quite satisfied with the results of gentlemen, been in any way realized,, or are little room for improvement, but he managed this institution, and therefore it is very kind they in course of realisation In February on Monday to make the part still more ainusing of him to ask me to come here year after year 1892, when quite a stranger here, after giving and he received a very warm encore for his song to give away the prizes. It shows that although away the prizes I stated that one of the
Whour I, god friends, was called to the bar,"
he holds very strong opinions himself he is things which struck me most forcibly was which he had to respond by repeating perfectly ready to hear adverse opinions, and
that the efforts of the Government to pro-
chaming as the Plaintiff and her duet with I may, metaphorically speaking, have occa
Mis. Dalrymple was again to weigh them fairly-applause) and though mote the spread of the English language had resulted in complete failure in making any the Defendant, I love him," was loudly sionally trodden upon his toes, yet he realised impression on the Chinese speaking residents rel-manded, and both Mr. Lammert's songs that "to err is human, to forgive divine." I of the Colony. I added that we had been more We re encored The bridesmaids' churu hope, therefore, that Dr. Wright will forgive than fifty years in possession of Hongkong, and me if I say anything this morning which may yet what was known as an English education displease him. I know that his heart is in his
was the luxury of the few. Under the then ex- work; I know that his work is very hard and tisting system, as under the present, many boys continuous; yet as an honest man, I must attended school for only a short time, and then speak to-day what I conceive to be the truth. they leave school unable to speak English or mons, Mr. R. F. Lanimert as the Clerk of the
You have heard Dr. Wright's report read.
understand English colloquially, or written Court. who appeared without any make-up on
I do not intend to make any comment upon English properly. Dr. Wright himself has con- Saturday, now had whiskers and a bald head, it. To-morrow you will see it in print, and firmed this, for in his report for 1892, he said and another local celebrity was included in the you will also see in print the report of the
"In spite of the great anxiety which the Chi- jury, Mr. E. W. Maitland giving a very good Examiners of this College. That report seems
nese evince for the admission of their boys into the College there is strong statistical evidence tej resentation of Surgeon-Major Hayes ip to me to be a very able and lucid document. riding wit. The Foreman of the Jury, Dr. (Applause.) It reached me on Tuesday evening for the belief that a large number desire only to Meadows caused a little laughter by asking last, so that the remarks I intend to make this
make an experiment of the study of the Eng- the Judge at the beginning of the proceedings morning are perfectly independent of it, as they lish language." Surely, ladies and gentlemen, whether the jurors" remuneration was to be
were written out on Sunday and Monday last. this is not satisfactory, and should not be ten dollars a day or ten dollars for the I will now proceed to give you
a brief summary
tolerated. Many years ago it was urged, and very jul. Ti impersonators of the various clar-
of the Examiners Report. They are of opinion properly urged, that the primary object of the Government should be the teaching of English, a ters in the jury were Captain Welman as that, although there were many cases of con- Mr. Jackson, Mr. Mackay as Mr. E. Henderspicuous success in the recent examinations, that five hours a day should be devoted to Eng- MUL. Mi
Doucar as Mr. H. N. Mody, Mr. there was a lamentable amount of weak and in-lish, and that all English lessons should be M.. G. H. Whealer, and Mr. A accurate work. They state that the teaching obligatory. In February, 1893, I again said zhojas Mr. E C. Itay, and, as already stated, ¦ of colloquial English by means of conversation
while distributing the prizes here that the Mr. E. W. Maitland as Surgeon-Major Hayes. seems quite neglected. That there
main object to be kept perpetually in view was Frowd appeared as himself and Dr. Mea-several perfect papers in classes IV. VII, the teaching of English and the introduction as dow as the Forengan, had a fancy make up. and VIII. That there were 2 or 3 excel· In our previous notice we omitted to take leut essays from class 1A. That in History mention of the artistic cover to the programme, ¦ and Geography there the work of Mr. H. W. Bird.
l
wore
evident had been cramming. That in Latin puly one boy came A petition of the performance is advertised anywhore near the standard. That in arith for Saturday, the 22nd inst.
metic a few boys did well, but the average was
a corollary of English customs and English ideas as far as possible." And in 1894 I said 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
£
1
E
Page 10Page 11
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.