AUCKLAND COLLEGE AND GRAMMAR SCHOOL. Addresses at the Presentation or Prizes.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 29, 22 December 1883, Page 6

AUCKLAND COLLEGE AND GRAMMAR SCHOOL. Addresses at the Presentation or Prizes.

(From the Auckland "Star," Deo. 15.) The ceremony connected with the presentation of prizes at the Grammar School yesterday was opened with the singing of tho National Anthem, after which A. S. Morrison (captain of the school) recited "Lavs Italire," from Virgil'B Second Georgio, 136 —176 lines. Scenes 3 and 5 of Aot 111., and Scene 2 of Act IV. of "Much Ado, About Nothing," were then gone through, the cast being as follows : — Dogberry, A. S. Morrison ; Verges, W. Meldrum ; First Watch, D. Meldrum; Second Watch, J. Fraser; Third Watch, N. S. H. Biss ; Borachio, R. B. Lusk ; Leonato, P. G. Steel; Sexton, W. H. Y. Hall. Sir G. M. O'Horke, in delivering the opening address, said lie hardly thought it necessary to bespeak their attention or invoke their sympathies on such an occasion. He had no doubt that the presentation of the prizes before thebreakingup of theschool for the Christmas holidays would bring back to the ladies and gentlemen present recollections of days to many long gone by, when the indescribable pleasure of anticipating tho vacation agitated them all. The speaker then proceeded to describe the difficulties connected with the establishment of the school, and in doing so recalled the pleasure with which he superintended the hrst entrance examination of the boys. They were at first housed in the building now known as the Howe-street Industrial Homo, and after being in Howe-street for a short season they drifted off to the dismal, dungeon - like building in the Albert Barracks, now occupied as a police barl'ackß, whence, after a short time, tiiey migrated to the old District Court, and now, after all those wanderings, they were moored in their present tranquil halls. Having alluded with satisfaction to the presence of Mr Justice Gillies, who had done much to secure that site for them, the speaker referred to the determination of the Governors to obtain, as an adjunct to the existing establishment, a boardingschool. Often and often had they tried to get a site for the boarding-school across the street on a bit of ground now lying waste. The beasts of the held might graze there, but they were not allowed to plant the tree of knowledge there for the citizens' sons to partake of. Where did the opposition come chiefly from ? Why, they would hardly believe it, it came from the City Fathers ' — the Gog and Magog of Auckland, who were ever up in arms to prevent thorn erecting a boarding-school there, even for the benefit of their own sons. Failing to obtain this paddock, they had appealed to be allowed to put the school ! in the Domain, and the answer was, and it came from a member of the City Council, " not an inch." That is the answer. Short, not sweet, but harsh. Still, he for one did not despair of living to see a boarding-school established in connection with this thriving school. But what was the scheme that the civic authority denounced ? It was proposed to place tho University buildings fronting Princes - street, at a cost of £12,000 or £14,000 ; the boarding - school fronting Symonds-street, with the intervening space as a play -ground. It was proposed to embellish the city with buildings which would havo cost £20,000— independently of tho incalculable benefits that would be conferred upon the youth of this province, but they were met with stolid opposition. Sir G. M. O'llorke then passed on to dilate upon the importance of the Grammar School, holding as it did a middle position between the primary schools on the one hand and the University College on the other. He then congratulated Mr Bourne and the assistant-masters upon the progress the school was making, the estimation it was winning in the public mind, and their (tho masters) devotion to their work. He also referred with great satisfaction to the presence in the community ot professors who were come Triptolemus-like to scatter the seeds of erudition amongst us. A few words of counsel were then addressed to those pupils who were now leaving school, and in this connection the speaker pointed out that while hitherto the aim of Auckland boys had been almost exclusively the bank counter or the lawyer's desk, the time had arrived for the opening up of other professions by the establishment of schools of medicine, engineering, and mines. He concluded by exhorting the pupils to pursue a studious life, and by wishing them " A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year." Mr Bourne (Headmaster) said that during the year the number of pupils had increased by 50 per cent. At that time last year the roll contained 168 names ; now it contained 231 names ; and in addition, 24 boys attended the Ponsonby branch. The Dunedin School contained 270 pupils, so that in point of number the Auckland College vas treading very closely on its heels. During the year two new class-rooms and a laboratory had been added to the building, and appliances for the teaching of physics were now on their way from England. The district scholars had done exceedingly well, but it was painful for him to see and think that if they had only been sent two or three years earlier they would have been doing very much better. He concluded by thanking his colleagues for their energy and loyalty. Addresses were also delivered by the Rev. C. M. Nelson, and Professors Tucker, Thomas and Alois, after which Mrs Whitaker presented the prizes to the successful pupils, whose names were given in our last issue. H. W. Watkin obtained a special prize for shorthand.

The " Figaro " understands that a " Naval and Military Co-operative Emigration Society " is being formed, with a view to assisting and placing officers, non-com-missioned officers, and men and their families on lands which it is proposed to acquire in Tasmania and New Zealand. Mr W. A. Long will return to Australia directly after Newmarket-Houghton meeting, and hopes to be at Flemington on New i Year's Day. His horse Tonans was! backed to win an enormous stake for the Cesarewitch, but could get no nearer than j fourth. The Long party are now supporting him to win the Cambridgeshire, but only in a half-hearted sort of way. Mr Long's experiences of the English turf so far have been disappointing and expensive ; in fact, very few of his horses have even earned their corn, Mr Alexander McArthur, M.P., of the firm of Wm. McArthur and Co., of Auckland and Sydney, met with a sad accident out shooting on the 13th inst., when some chance shot from the gun of his companion, Mr James Howard, M.P., struck him, injuring his right eye,' and disabling his leg. Mr McArthur will, it is feared, lose the sight of his right eye. The flesh wounds are trivial. * Your old friend, Mr J. B. Howe, the aotor, has not been doing well of late. Ho intends "taking to the music halls" (always the last refuge of the unsuccessful actor), and " will go the rounds " in an entertainment written for him by Mr T. C. Glenny and Mr Chance Newton, '