AUCKLAND.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XIII, Issue 750, 14 January 1860, Page 4

AUCKLAND.

We have papers to the 27th ult., which are peculiarly destitute of news. A civil action had been brought against the Superintendent for the recovery of £75 due by the province, and the ' Cross' and ' Examiner' intimate that the bailiffs were actually in possession. The sales of Harbour Endowments mentioned below for which little above the upset price was obtained, is stated privately to be a "financial disaster." The Chobal Society.—On Thursday last, a concert was given by the members of this society to their conductor, Mr. Joseph Brown, to whose indefatigable exertions is due the proficiency which they have attained. The Messiah was selected for performance, as being associated by long prescription with the Christmas season. The Odd Fellows Hall was very full, and the audience were evidently much pleased. Indeed they had cause to be so, for we never heard the choruses in Auckland go so crisply, or with such precision as on that occasion; The Society are aware that we never offer an unmeaning compliment, but invariably give our opinion as it is, without caring whether it be agreeable or distasteful; and this time we have a marked improvement to report. Upon the solos, we seldom remark. Those of the Messiah cannot be effectively rendered save where professional talent of the very highest order is attainable; and in a country town, like Auckland, we must be content with what we can get. "We were very glad to. see some of the younger members of the Society brought for* fard. These acquitted themselves, on the. whole, remarkably well, two or three among them giving earnest of real excellence to be presently obtained. These were attended to with marked attention and interest by the audience, who were evidently not prepared for the discovery of so much hidden treasure. The Society have resolved upon repeating the performance on Thursday next, for the express purpose of giving to those who were unable to attend upon the last occasion an opportunity of hearing the great English. Oratorio.— Southern Cross, December 27. Sale of Harbour Endowments.—A sale of the leases of that portion of the Harbour Endowments reclaimed by the formation of Custom-House-street, took place yesterday at the Land Office. Lots 24 and 25, section 2, 30 x 100 feet each, were bought by Mr. Rooney, at the upset price of £300 each. For lots 26 and 27 there was no bid. Lot 29, 30 x 100, was bought by Mr. T. Russell, at the upset price as above. Lot 30, with frontages to Custom-House-street arid Commercial-street, 53 x 51, was offered at the upset price of £530, and knocked down to Mr. Jarvis I'or £550. Lot 35, Custom-House street and Gore-street, 30 x 100, upset price £300; and lot 43, Custom-House-street and Fort-street, 55 x 100, upset price £550, fell to Mr. T. Russell for £350 and £575 respectively each. The remaining lots were withdrawn. The whole amount realised is therefore £2375.— 1 bid, Dec. 23. OPENING CF ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE. The * Southern Cross' of December 16 has the following article on the opening of St. John's:— The education of the people and the duties of the state in reference to the same, have been often discussed in the public journals. They are questions of a public nature, and every individual is as interested in, them as in anything else connected with the good Government of the country. The higher class of education, on the contrary, as given in the "public schools and Universities of Europe is usually regarded more from a social than a political point of view. The community, in general, regard the humanities as luxuries good for those who can afford to study them, but of no possible service to the country at large. This feeling strong amongst a certain class in England, is even stronger in the Colonies, and money spent on education is too often regarded as an investment, which like any other one ought in a short time to bring in a money return. On this head, colonists as a general rule are sharpsighted and short-sighted at the same time. They perceive the advantages which a man with a little learning possesses over a man with none; but in. most cases they fail to recognise the far greater difference which exists between the intellectual capabilities of two men, in other respects equal, of whom one has only received a superficial and desultory education, whilst the other has beeu thoroughly grounded and systematically trained. We make these remarks in reference to the arrival of the Rev. Mr. Blackburn, head master, and the re-opening of St. John's College. We consider such an event as of the greatest importance to the country, and the almost simultaneous.laying of the foundation stone of a College at Nelson, proves that in the race of intellectual culture other and younger provinces are pressing close upou our heels., Still we have nothing to fear in this field of honorable rivaly, for, though southern majorities may send hon. members down to Wellington, to fight out their battles on Thorndon flat, and even try to persuade the Governor to spend the intervals between the earthquakes in some southern Government house, —it will be the fault of Auckland if we allow them to surpass us in educational, scientific, and artistic institutions. Up to this time we are certainly ahead. In congratulating our readers on the re-opening of this College, we must at the same time deprecate the idea that we wish to cast any slur on the numerous schools which already exist. We need only quote the high authority of His Lordship Bishop Selwyn, who inhis opening address to the Synod on Tuesday last, spoke of the present system of education as " admiraWe," and declare that we know of many engaged in the working of it, who not only bring thorough conscientiousness, the essential sine qua non in a teacher of youth, but.

vcrv high abilities to the task. Without entering ,Vto the question of the advantages, of the system, wei hardly think that so practical a man as his Lordship'would have passed this high encomium unon'the system had ho not seen good reason to be satisfied with those who have been working under it in this obscure though really glorious field of labour. . , , , , Still something more is necessary ; not to take the place of what we already possess, but to supplement it. Learning, to be useful, requires a seat and seek* a local habitation and a name. It is of a volatile nature, and requires to be preserved with care- it spreads itself everywhere; but to be powerful and avsilable, it must be condensed in certain places. We require, in short, storehouses of it, d the collegiate system is the only one which has ever furnished any. The learning of the schools, the arts and sciences, indeed all the higher brandies f study, have never flourished save by setting their tamp O n certain places and certain men, and from the times of the Academy to the last Commemoration day at Oxford, learning lias attached itself to fivoured spot* where the genius loci has had no little effect in keeping alive that spirit of geuerous emulation in the struggle for knowledge to which .1 wo ,.]d owes so much. The existence of a well conducted public school in this province-and we are sanguine enough to Llieve that such a one can be well established —would, we believe, be a godsend to many a schoolmaster if for no other reason than that it would ruse emulation not so much amongst masters as amount pupils. Oxford and Cambridge have indirectly a beneficial influence on the preparatory school'to which a boy is sent before he goes to Eton and the scholastic honors which await the close of a student's career, have a benign effect in overcoming the difficulties connected with the construction of his first lessons in Cornelius Nepos. Some such stimulus is wanted in the colonies, where men engaged in education, and thoroughly alive to the duties and responsibilities of their arduous profession, have often spoken to us with deep feeUnj* on the lamentable want of interest which is taken both by pupils and parents in any studies save those which have a palpable and every day application. We can imagine nothing more distressing to a zealous schoolmaster than the knowledge that such is the case, and believe, therefore, that auy man who has a love for his profession would hail with delight the establishment of any institution, which by placing learning in a higher position would have the effect of raising the standard of public opinion as to its importance. Nowhere are studies of a high, order, studies which lead men to form ideas rather thanto accumulate facts, of greater importance than in a new country: nowhere are they less appreciated. To no man would the habits of industry, perseverance, and self reliance, without which no pne can go through a course of scholastic study with any suc> cess, prove in after life of greater value than to a colonist, and no one would be less entitled to grudge the time which he had expended in acquiring them: and yet most parents in ..the colonies, whilst critically anxious about the amount of paying information acquired by their children, lose sight completely of the mental advantages to be gained by the mere exercise of the mind in long continued and systematic study. They grudge the colt his training galop, and think it exertion thrown away, because the benefit is prospective, not immediate.

We have spoken above of the importance of abstract studies to men in the colonies: we may add that they are far more generally important than in England. .A'man cannot,remain long in a colony, or occupy any position indfc, without soon showing whether he has learnt to think and reason, and a man can no more think or reason without having had practice, than he he can play the fiddle without having tried. Men in the colonies must think and act and give a reason for what they do; and they have often to do what it requires profound study to know how to do well. In the old country there are precedents and examples, and the wheels of government and of society roll down the deeply worn " grooves of time," whilst with us everything around is new, and there is no saying how slight a circumstance and how contemptible an individual may not cause an upset. Men who at best, can read, write, and cypher, are not the men to settle questions, which for us are equal in importance to some which it has taken in the old country genius, wisdom, and deep study to resolve satisfactorily. The introduction of the public school system into the colonies is most desirable, if we wish the rising generation to turn out men of character and of mind, manly and thorough. The materials exist; but will be wasted unless the community appreciate the necessity of turning them to good account.

The arrival of a single master from England, and the projected opening of an establishment, which for some time at least will only take up the position of an ordinary school, will seem to some but a small matter to attach much importance to; but we do not agree with them in such an opinion. Everything has a small begining, and we all know that instead of bearded under graduates being rusticated, small boys were whipped at Cambridge; and so we may hope that the Rev. Mr. Blackburn's mmc may be spoken of in future days, as one of those who saw the infancy of a College, which may be then in a position to confer degrees. To one fact, however, we would call the attention of the public generally, and it is a subject'to which we shall again refer. We have in Auckland valuable grammar school endowments. Something ought to be done towards applying their proceeds to the object proposed by the grantees, and ye trust that the filip given to the cause of education by the re-opening of the college may have the effect of leading those interested in the subject to bestir themselves. There are many of course who will be only able to avail themselves of the education given in the Grammar School; but what we have Haid will apply for some years to come indifferently to such schools and to colleges. Some of the best scholars have been sent up from English Grammar Schools; and the High School of Edinburgh may well be proud of the men it has reared.