A CORRECTION.
_ <jr : ■ TO THE EDITOR OF THE INDEPENDENT. Sir, — A passage in your reporter's version of my epeech on the second reading of the Education Bill is calculated to give offence and pnin to the person whom I wished to hold up as an object for the highest admiration and vespect —Dr Black, the Professor of Physical Science in the Dunedin University, Your reporter makes me say that ho was " a poor boy picked up in fcho street," in short, " a city Arab." Dr Blaok was never one of the lost classes. He was the son of a Scotch shepherd, of whose manly, independent, and high niorul character wo have a typical picture in Burn?' " Cottar's Saturday Night." I read from the English " Hansard" Dr. Lyon Pinyfnir's description of Dr Black's career, as given bj him in a speech in the Imperial Parliament, and I only added my own remark that <( I was happy and proud to tell the House that the gentleman alluded to by Dr PLiyfair was, or was about to become, a professor of the first colonial university, that of Dunedin. There was not a word about his being " picked up in the street." Had ho been one of that class his cose would not have illustrated the position which I was arguing — that of the existence of middle elaso schools in Scotland open to the ambition of tho working classes, and leading up to the higlfo3t university distinctions ; attained not only by the eleemosynary aid of the picker up of " street boys" (to whom all honor in his proper place) but to the voluntary act of the poor but independent shepherd's son. I am sorry that my attention was not called to your reporter's error in time for mo to prevent its being circulated by tho Nevada's mail in places where it may give pain or offence to Dr Black's friends. I shall take care that I am correctly reportod in " Haneard," and hope you will do me the favor of reprinting in your paper that part of my Bpcech as reported in that publication when it reaches you. — I am,,&c, William Fox. [We regret tho error, and may stato that it has been explained to Dr. Black, by the Nevada's mail, that it was a mistake in a quotation read over very rapidly by Mr. Fox. —Ed. W.l.]
A CORRECTION.
Wellington Independent, Issue 3293, 4 September 1871, Page 3
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