PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS, ” 25 
of a school are somewhat looked down upon, and regarded as 
inferior to those on the so-called classical side—thus bearing out 
the notion which, if my memory serves me aright, Lord Chesters 
field impressed upon his son, viz., that it was the distinguishing 
mark of a gentleman to know Greek. 
Most of the older writers who have laid so much stress on the 
advantages of a merely classical education over a mixed literary 
and scientific education, and therefore a really liberal one, were 
not properly qualified to judge or give an opinion, for they only 
knew one side of the question, and were necessarily, although per- 
haps unconsciously, more or less prejudiced ; whereas all or nearly 
all of those who have upheld the claims of science to have a part 
in a general and really liberal system of education have been 
through the classical mill as well as the scientific, so that they 
have the advantage of experience of both systems. 
The ordinary classical and mathematical education cannot pro- 
perly be regarded as a liberal one, since it only attempts to educate 
one portion of the student’s faculties; his powers of observation, 
and of reasoning from such observations, are entirely neglected and 
undeveloped. 
It must not be thought that I wish to disparage the study of 
the classics—such is far from my thoughts—it is quite fitting and 
necessary that some should devote their lives to such subjects ; 
but boys should be relieved from the useless drudgery of subjects 
in which they are not likely to distinguish themselves nor obtain 
much profit from the alleged beneficial discipiine which these 
subjects are said to impose. 
As far as I can learn, there is almost an entire absence of 
real instruction in even the most elementary science in the schools 
of this Colony. In some few schools I understand that a little 
instruction is given in the form of lectures practically illus- 
trated by experiments, but I do not know of any case where the 
boys themselves perform experiments with their own hands, 
although of course there may be such. If I am wrong, I shall be 
only too glad to be corrected upon this point. 
