Local intelligence.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XV, Issue 77, 24 December 1856, Page 2

Local intelligence.

NELSON COLLEGIATE SCHOOL.

Terminal Examination. — December 19, 1856.

We promised in our last issue to give some additional details of the examination of the Nelson Collegiate School. The examiners, we understand, were the Revs. H. F. Butt, T. D. Nicholson, and D. Dolamore, assisted occasionally by Mr. Sclanders and Dr. Monro. The Rev. J. Warren was also requested to act as examiner, but unfortunately was obliged to go into the country. The order of merit of the boys was ascertained partly by viva voce examination, partly by the result of written answers in the school-room to lists of questions submitted to the boys, and partly also by reference to the place held in his class during the preceding month. After a searching trial made in this way, the examiners determined to what boys prizes should be awarded, and we now print the list of the successful competitors. The prizes in the different forms were awarded for proficiency in the greatest range of subjects, and were determined, as were also those awarded for special subjects, in the mr.nner above indicated. Three prizes were given by the Head Master, the Rev. J. C. Bagshaw, for " Diligence and good conduct," of which, of course, that gentleman was the most fitting judge; and the prizes for attendance and punctuality were determined by reference to the masters' books, excluding however the boys resident in the house :—: — Gth Form. — Vacant. sth Form. — Ist prize, James Wilkie ; 2nd, Charles Martin ; 3rd, Eichard Nancarrow.

4th Fobm. — Ist prize, Arthur Harley ; 2nd, John Snow ; 3rd, Henry Travers. 3hd Fobm. — Ist prize, Henry Otterson ; 2nd, David Monro ; 3rd, Richard M'Rae.

2nd FORM. — Ist prize, Henry Lloyd ; 2nd, Charles Bird ; 3rd, Thomas Harley.

IsxFobm. — Ist prize, Alfred Otterson j 2nd, Charles Macshane ; 3rd, Henry Skeet.

Extea Prizes for Special Subjects.

Essays. — Ist prize, Charles Martin; 2nd, James Wilkie.

Beading. — Ist prize, Charle3 Martin j 2nd, Henry Otterson ; 3rd, David Monro. Writing. — Ist prize, Charles Martin; 2nd, Llewellyn Smith; 3id, A. Monro ; 4th, H. Lloyd; sth, C. Macshane.

Arithmetic— lst prize, James Wilkie; 2nd, H. Lloyd ; 3rd, C. Macshane. Attendance. — J. Black; A. Elliott, senior; M. Sinclair; A. Otterson; W. Skeet.

Head Master's Prize fob Diligence and Good Conduct. — George M'Rae ; H. Otterson ; Llewellyn Smith.

The remarks made by the Chairman in introducing the proceedings of the day were as follows : —

Ladies and Gentlemen — We are here to-day to witness a very interesting proceeding, namely, the first half-yearly examination of the pupils of the Nelson College. To every one in the province, to every parent who has children to rear, to every one who takes an interest in the advancement of our best and highest interests, an event of this nature must be a matter of congratulation : but forthcoriginalsettlersof Nelson it possesses a deeper and more especial interest, for it is the realization of a thing long looked for, which had been projected, indeed, before they left the shores of their native country, and which with many was one of the principal inducements to their becoming colonists at all. I believe that there are persons in this settlement who would not have come to it unless with the assurance and under the belief that in this country they could obtain for their children an education of the same liberal and enlarged nature as they would have been able to bestow ::pon tLom **■ home. I will now give a very brief account Ji the origin of the Nelson College, even at the risk of being tedious to many of the old colonists wliom I am glad to see met together here. "When the prospectus of the Nelson settlement was published by the New

Zealand Company in 1841, it was stipulated that the money to be paid for the land was to be divided according to a certain proportion. Thus one-half of the purchase-money was to be applied to emigration, and other proportions to religious purposes, to the encouragement of steam navigation, &c. For the establishment of a college, one-twentieth part of the purchasemoney was reserved, that is, Is. 6i. on the value of every acre sold ; so that each person who bought land in this province at first-cost during the period of the existence of the Company, did so with the understanding that he was contributing a sum of that amount per acre to the object to which I have just referred. The directors of the New Zealand Company were the original trustees of the funds contributed for these various public purposes. During their trusteeship the fund for emigration and public works was administered, and they also appropriated a certain portion of the funds for religious purposes. But in the year 1847, the land-purchasers applied to the Company to be allowed to administer the remaining portion of the funds themselves — a proposal to which the Company acceded ; and the arrangement thus come to was finally carried into effect by an Act of Parliament called the "New Zealand Settlements Act," which in all its main provisions as regards the Trust Funds is based upon the report and recommendations of the Nelson land-purchasers. It is under the authority of the provisions of this ! Act, and of an Act of the Legislature of the colony authorized by it, that the present trustees hold their office, and that their successors will be appointed. It is a matter which affords great ground for regret that the Nelson College was not established sooner. I will not fatigue the attention of my hearers by giving them an account of the different causes which have hitherto frustrated its existence. Suffice it to say that the directors of the New Zealand Company did nothing towards establishing it ; and that the trustees elected by the settlers many years ago found themselves unable I to obtain the funds from the Company, and did S not get pny portion of them until the Company's I existence (save aj v dividend-receiving body) was at an end, when the British Government, with a liberality for which we ought to feel grateful, paid over to the trustees, pending the final settlement of accounts, a sum of I am now extremely happy to be able to inform my hearers that this long-pending question has received its final solution. Mr. Lefevre, to whom the matter was referred by Government, has at length presented his report. This report has been agreed to by the Lords of the | Treasury ; and the result is that we are to reI ceive, in addition to the sum of which we have already had, a further sum, which will be close upon £'21,000. For this result — which, although not perhaps all that the settlement is strictly entitled to, may nevertheless under the circumstances be considered as extremely satisfactory, and indeed surpasses the expectations of most of vs — we are in great measure indebted to the indefatigable exertions of our agent, Mr. Tytler, who, although no longer a Nelson colonist in person, at all events appears to be so in heart, and has worked with the greatest judgment and zeal in the advocacy of our cause. Having given this brief sketch of the Trust Fund question, I will now only further say that your present trustees, after anxious consultation as to the best course to pursue in the matter, determined in the early part of the present year to make a beginning of the Nelson College, and uncertain of the amount which they might finally have on hand to apply to that object, they could not expect to give to the institution that completeness or those dimensions which it is to be hoped it may ultimately assume. But now that the question of money has been at length set at rest, now that they know what sum they shall have to deal with, they find themselves at length in a position to consider the matter with the necessary data before them; and I trust they will be able to establish an institution which shall confer great and lasting benefits upon the province, by sending forth a succession of young men who shall have received an amount of training which shall qualify them to do good service to themselves, to their friends, and to the community in general. The present institution has been in existence since April last, or eight months in all. In a period so short as this, it is unreasonable to expect much to be accomplished, more particularly when we consider the deficiency that previously existed in Nelson of any systematic and advanced education. Our head master, Mr. Bagshaw, has had a very arduous task to perform. 'He has had a most heterogeneous mass of materials to operate upon — lads varying in age from eight or nine to more than twice that age, and differing as widely in their attainments and previous training. To reduce materials of this character into anything like order, to assign to each its proper position, and to subject the whole to a beneficial and wisely-considered influence of discipline and instruction, requires a high amount of tact, patience, and judgment. The company present will be able to judge from the proceedings of the day in how far this has been done, and I will not attempt to anticipate their verdict ; but upon the part of the trustees I may take this opportunity of returning our thanks to Mr. Bagshaw, and his assistant, Mr. Hawk, for the diligence and judgment with which they have conducted the difficult and very responsible duty assigned to them. The thanks of the trustees and of the parents of the children are also due to the examiners, who, at very short notice, have kindly undertaken the duty, and have given to it, in the best possible spirit, a considerable amount of time, trouble, and patience. With regard to the prizes, I may observe that some subjects may perhaps appear to have been passed over, while an undue amount of reward is attached to others ; but I beg the public to bear in mind that this is the first attempt of anything of the kind here, and that it requires a considerable amount of ex^orience and more foresight than we could exercise under the _ircumstences, to do these things in all respects as we would wish to see them done. We hope upon future occasions to have our arrangements more complete, and in the meantime trust that the prizes to be given this day will have an excellent effect, being regarded by our young friends as objects of which they may honestly feel proud, as rewards of diligence and superiority during the year now brought to a close, |

and as incentives to further industry and exertion in their career of learning. The proceedings of the day will partake perhaps more of the nature of an exhibition than of an examination, but nevertheless it is the wish of the trustees and of the teachers of this institution, that the educational condition of the boys should be closely tested ; and we invite anygentlemanherepresenttoexaminethemupon any subject within the range of their studies. From what I myself have seen within the last few days, I feel satisfied that the boys are well capable of standing any such scrutiny, and that the result of it will be to prove that the Nelson Collegiate School is at present conferring an amount of education of a sound and excellent character, supplying a want which has been long felt here, and establishing a claim to the cordial sympathy and support of the people of the province ; and having made a beginning so full of promise, -we trust that we shall be able to make it better still, to extend its advantages more widely, to enlarge its curriculum, and raise its standard of excellence ; thus making it contribute as largely as possible to the moral and intellectual health and happiness of our community.

Mr. Butt being called upon, then proceeded, on behalf of the examiners, to state, as the result of the searching examination to which the boys had been subjected, their satisfaction with the progress made. After making allowance for the short time which had elapsed, and the heterogeneous character of the materials of which the school was composed, the examiners wished to express their approbation of the excellent manner in which the boys had been taught and of the present condition of the institution.

The examination (of which we have already given a brief sketch) then took place j after which the chairman distributed the prizes : and then, telling the boys to amuse themselves well during their holidays, but not altogether to forget the good lessons they had received at school, announced that the institution would open again on Monday, the 26th January.