New Zealand Times. TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 1874.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4136, 23 June 1874, Page 2

New Zealand Times. TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 1874.

The ceremony of inaugurating the new Wellington College and Grammar School naturally causes the minds of old settlers to revert to the period when the design was first contemplated of building in the City a structure at which advanced and technical education should be afforded. We, whoso lot is cast in happier times than those which, in weakness oft, and in much trembling, the pioneer settlers of the Colony laid a foundation for the new and handsome building now standing contiguous to the Adelaide Road, scarcely are ablo to pay a proper tribute to the motives that actuated them in moments of so much difficulty to take steps for providing higher instruction for the young people of the next generation springing up around them. Too much credit can scarcely be accorded to thom for their foresight, their appreciation of a necessity, and their zealous endeavor to carry their good intentions into offect. It is a doctrine that is daily boing moro generally accepted that a duty of tho Stato is to seo that primary education is brought home to every child. For no respect aro tho people of Australasia moro to bo praised than for the readiness with which thoy at all times taxed themselves for tho education of their children. Usually, they havo done their duty, when thoy have ended at this. But, if Now Zealand is to bo the groat centre of manufacturing industry wo ono day oxpect to seo it, a home for the arts and sciencos, _ and a country in which a high stato of civilisation shall prevail, thero must bo establishments at which education of a high class is afforded to tho sons of thoso parents who have an ambition for tho futuro of their children. No one can guage tho

influence that the Universities of England have upon the people of that country. Young men of high social standing live for years in close relation to each other, and to some of the most cultured students in the world, and when they separate their influence, their manners, and their customs, naturally affect all whom they come in contact with. Their morale becomes invariably that of a county or a district, inasmuch as members of tho human race are always ready to copy stylo and manner from thosewho are immediately abovo them in social position. What influence the Wellington College and Grammar School may have had is very little to the point. What it will have under the more favorable auspices under which it will shortly be placed, can only be surmised. But although we may be hopeful for the future, we must not overlook and forget the past.

In the year 1853, Sir George Grey, then Governor of the Colony, made a grant of throe pieces of land, to five Trustees, one of whom was to be appointed by the Governor, ono by the Executive Council, ono by the Superintendent, one by the Speaker of the Provincial Council, and one by the Mayor of Wellington, for the maintenance of a College and Grammar School. One of these pieces of land contained oa. lr. 32p. at the Thorndon end of the town, whereon there is Fitzhorbert Terrace ; another of 5 acres is at the Te Aro end, on which ia Cambridge Terrace ; and another of lr. 25p. is in Willis Street, whereon stand the offices of Messrs. Pearce and Taylor. There being no Mayor, the fifth Trustee was appointed by the Superintendent, and in the year 18C8 the Trustees — Messrs. Dranslield, Pearce, Brandon, Lyons, and J. C. Crawford—finding that funds had accumulated, erected, at a cost of £I2OO, the Grammar School that has been in use. This is situated on a piece of land in the Town Belt granted by the Corporation at a nominal rental, but it has been found inadequate to requirements. Moreover, the Trustees had rather more ambitious ideas. Something moro in the nature of a college was considered desirable. Wellington now and Wellington as it was six years ago are two different places ; and even now it doth not yet appear what the place will be. The Trustees, finding that they did not possess tho necessary power to enable them to act as they thought it was desirable in the interest of the Colony they should, procured the passing through the Assembly of the Wellington College Act of 1872. This gave full powers to eight governors, viz., the Superintendent of the Province, the Speaker of the Provincial Council, tho Mayor of Wellington, and five others, two of whom would be nominated by tho Governor and three by the Superintendent, to take steps for tho erection of a College that should bo at onco a credit to the City and tho entire Colony, and a place where education of an advanced description should be afforded. The five governors appointed were Messrs. Gisborne, Travers, Pearce, W. Johnston and Brandon. Up to this time tho expense of maintaining the Collego had been defrayed out of the rents, amounting to £l3l per annum, and the fees received on account of tho education of the pupils; but the new governors started a public subscription in aid of the fund for the erection of anew College, to be situated on a piece of land forming part of tho Town Bolt, consisting of seventy-five acres, granted by the Corporation. This adjoins the Adelaide Road, and a Bill was passed throvgh the Assembly causing it to form a portion of a reserve The public subscriptions amounted to the liberal sum of £ISOO, and this was supplemented by a similar amount voted by the Provincial Council. Towards tho purpose, the amount standing to the credit of the Trustees in the hands of the. Savings Bank when that institution was wound up was dedicated—a sum of about £I2OO, which raised the total to about £4200. This was manifestly inadequate, and in 1873 the Wellington College Loan Act was passed, by which a loan of £SOOO was effected, and with its aid the new College has been erected. Less fortunate than the Colleges in Christchurch and Otago, which enjoyed a handsome land revenue, the total income derived as rent by tho Wellington Collego authorities had been, up to this period, but £l3l per annum ; but recently the five acres on which stands Cambridge Terrace havo been leased to the Wellington Land and Building Company for £125 per annum for twenty-one years, and for £lB7 10s. per annum for the succeeding twenty-one years. A considerable augmentation of revenue has also been caused by the formation of Fitzherbert Terrace, and other improvements on the Thorndon end of the College property, effected in conjunction with tho Corporation and tho Trustees of the Hospital. Tho first cost of these has to bo defrayed, but the result will be material in a money point of view. Nor has this been the only subject that has occupied the attention of the governors. They have had an eye to tho efficiency of the instruction to be imparted, and with a view to this they requested Dr. Vaughan Temple, late head master of the famous Rugby School, to select for them a fully-qualified Principal. Dr. Temple's choice fell upon Mr. Kenneth Wilson, a University-man of high standing and distinguished attainments. Pie is now on his way to the Colony, and with him will be associated the three present masters—Messrs. Tuckey, Hardy, and Buckland. The Principal's salary will be £7OO per annum, with a residence in the College of which wo shall havo more to say presently. The prospect of so heavy an annual expenditure as tho salaries of tho masters and other necessary costs will involve, has been a serious consideration ; but the Provincial Government has come forward in a liberal spirit, which has done much towards ameliorating the difficulty. For tho first four years, tho Provincial Council will assist with a subsidy of £IOOO per annum, and it is hoped that at tho expiration of that period tho public interest in the new institution will be sufficient to render it self-supporting. Besides . tho four masters, thero will bo a scientific lecturer attached—Mr. Thos. Kirk, F.L.S., who is a botanist of European reputation, and iu conversant with most branches of science. His lectures will include three courses during the year, on Geology, Zoology, and Botany ; and ho will bo, under tho authority of tho New Zealand Univorsity, which will contribute towards his salary. A perusal of theao facts will convinco that education of a very high character will bo afforded at the Collego ; and it is certainly to bo hoped that parents, far and nean. will permit their sons to enjoy tho aawantages which aro proffered at a merely nominal sum. Tho first deod of gift had an oxpress clause that tho College and Grammar School should bo open to all nationalities, European or Maori alike Tho Collogo is affiliated to tho New Zealand University, The new Collego will be entered from I tho Adelaide Road, communication with

which is' being effected by prison labor, furnished by the Provincial Government. At present this is not in a very advanced condition, and probably two months will elapse before there will be a completion j of the work now undertaken. In the meanwhile the building is just approachable by a carriage way ; but this is all that | can be said. There is a noble entrance through folding external doors, and inner ones, half of which are glass. On the left hand there are two class rooms, the one 20 feet by 40 feet, and the other 20 feet by 30 feet, the diminution being caused by the taking off of a passage. Each is 13 feet high, with side walls of polished red pine—a native wood that is not inforior in effect to the finest timber in the world. The ceilings are painted, and have a subdued tint, which is more pleasing to the eye than polish would have been. On the right hand side are two other class rooms of the same size as those to the left; but these can be approached from the Principal's residence. Underneath the noble staircase which conducts to the upper storey, is a laboratory fed by nine taps under high pressure. The water" for these is to be brought from a neighboring gully, and it will have a fall of 40 feet. Turning to the left hand, afterascending thestairs, there will be found a class-room of the same size as those below, and on the other there is a magnificent lecture hall 53 feet by 30 feet, with five large Gothic windows. Adjoining this is what is essentially a class-room, cut into a Library and a Museum. The lecture-room is really a very fine one, and the contractors were careful to secure for it some of the most beautiful timber to be obtained in New Zealand. How well they have succeeded in this, which has ovidently been a labor of love to them, may be ascertained by a glance at the side walls, which are almost pictures in themselves. The lecture-hall, which has a fine Gothic ceiling, is much loftier than any other room. Gas is to be laid on throughout the building, and it will form an institution of no ordinary merit._ The residence of the Principal will bo in the western wing of the building, where there are three rooms on the ground-floor appropriated to his use, and two stories above, besides kitchen, sculleries, and servants' rooms, bath-room, &c, on the groundfloor. The contract for the building was taken by Messrs. Halley and Bwing for from £6OOO to £7OOO, and they appear to have carried it out as faithfully as if their own reputation were concerned in the matter. There is a large room in thetower to which access has not yet been provided, although this has been contemplated. But the work is now one that Wellington may be proud of. Notwithstanding the great difficulties in the way, an institution . that would be a credit to any town has ' been created. If some objections be raised that it is at a distance from the busiest haunts of the place, the answer may at once be returned, that world-wide experience lias taught the wisdom of public institutions being placed outside of the principal places of residence. In the seventy-five acres the governors of the College have, they possess a splendid playground for the boys of the school in immediate contiguity to the cricket ground, and places of other public amusements. Also, the sanitary advantages of the site must not be overlooked. On the gradual slope of a hill, where both the south-eastern and north-western gales must be experienced, no more healthy locality could bo picked. The foregoing remarks will readily supply the reason why the governors of the College and Grammar School should wish to publicly celebrate its inauguration. There are not many of the residents in the town who know that so lino a building has been constructed. If, thero be few in the immediate locality who know this, there are still fewer in the Province. The governors and other gentlemen interested believe that if a ball were held in the College, its capacity to receive the youth of the Province would be better understood. During the time they propose to hold the ball the Legislature will be in session, and it I would probably be largely patronised by persons residing at a distance. Everyone will understand that there is no analogy to be instituted between an educational I institution and a ball : but it is well that the public should be invited to notice the commodious building that the governors of tlio College have beon enabled to erect. It is creditable to all ; and there is sound discretion in, for once, throwing it open to the public. Nor is the course unprecedented. Various days on which the public are entertained, mark the progress of English, Scotch, and Irish Universities. In this respect the "Wellington authorities may well take a leaf from others. The College ought to have as much semblanco to a University as may be attained.