The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-03 00:00:00

DULWICH COLLEGE,

Yesterday was what may be called " speech day" at this
now fast rising collegiate institution, when the usual classic
and dramatic orations were delivered, and the 'prizes to the
successful students at the Upper School publicly awarded.
Dulwich College, though founded in 1629, dates its real
career of usefulness as a leading ',educational institution
from a very recent period indeed, and, in fact, it is only
since its reconstitution under the act of Parliament of 1858
that its resources have been developed-in such a way as in
the course of a few years more, under its present excellent
masters, bids fair to place the College on a level in point of
educational efficiency with our best schools. Under its old
charter no provision was made for extending the sphere of
either its charitable or educational value in proportion as
its yearly income grew with the enormously increased ren-
tals derived from the land with which it is endowed. Cer-
tainly, neither the worthy actor who founded it, nor any
one else in his time, or even for a long period after,
could ever have foreseen the future wealth which he
bequeathed in the acres of swampy woodland which he
left to the infant College. Every year now adds
to the value of the land the College holds and the
rents which it derives from it. There is little doubt that in
the course of another century Dulwich College will be very
richly endowed, and with the care which is taken under
the Act of 1858 to keep its educational system expanding in
kroportion to its wealth, there seems no reason why, with
its large endowment, it should not attain high eminence as
one Of our great collegiate schools. At present the institu-
tion is divided into an Upper and Lower School, the upper
preparing young men for the universities or any of the
learned professions ; in fact, combining the old classical
routine of public schools with an extensive study of the
modern languages, history, and physical sciences. The
Lower School offers a sound commercial education. There
are as many foundationers in the Lower School as the new
governers under the act may appoint, but in the upper there
are only 24. The boys of the Lower School are restricted to
inhabitants of the hamlet of Dulwich, as it is called, and
the four parishes of St. Giles's, Camberwell; St Saviour's,
Southwark; St Luke's, and St Botolph's. The Upper
School will soon be thrown:open to young gentlemen from
all parts of the kingdom. Nearly half the income of the
charity is now absorbed by the pensions granted under the
act to the old officers and others of the school whom the act
superseded, and the remainder is divided into four parts—
three of which are devoted to purposes of education, and one
part to charity, or in other words, to the pensioners whom
the benevolence of the college supports. Under its old char-
ter the pensioners were six men and six women, each of
whom received the munificent allowance of £l5O per annum.
Under the new act the numbers of the pensioners will be
increased, and the amount given diminished to X5O per an-
num, and as the pensioners to the old officers of the college
fall in, they will of course be added to its annual income.
By the terms of the new act the college is not allowed to
have any out-pensioners on its funds till it has 24 in-pen-
sioners, and for such a number in the present state of the
college accommodation there is absolutely no room. In
fact, as it is, the building is quite insufficient to meet
the requirements of the Upper or Lower Schools, in the
former of which there are 130 students, in the latter 80.
The extension of the building has been urgently needed for
some time, but now we believe plans have been definitely
adopted, by which the foundation-stone of new buildings
about half a mile nearer Norwood than the present college
will be laid next year. It is certainly impossible that the
school can go on much longer within its present confined
•

Yesterday the prizes were given, and the speeches made
at the end of the beautiful picture gallery. The Visitor to
the College, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Rev. W.
Rogers, Chairman of the Board of Governors ; the Rev.
Dr. Carver, Master of the College ; the Rev. W. F. Green-
field, M.A., Master of the Lower School, and a large num-
ber of ladies and gentlemen were present at the distribution.
The prizes, which consisted entirely of books, wers given
by the Archbishop, who made a few kind congratulatory
remarks to each recipient. Ia the classical department,
prizes were given to Mr C. H. Lane, Mr Doble, Mr S, G.
Thomas, Mr Ryrie, Mr G. H. Morgan, Mr C. Gull, Mr S,
Cope, and Mr A. Ogilvie. In the mathematical classes,
prizes were gained by Mr E. M Everett, Mr R. J. Milner,
Mr F. W. R. Denny, Mr Holman, Mr J. G. Dearle, and
Mr F. St. George Rich. In French, prizes were given to
Mr Doble, Mr Roche, Mr Jackson, Mr Nightingale, Mr
H. A. Bone, and Mr S. Cope. Mr Ryrie took the prize for
drawing, Mr F. W. R. Denny for free hand drawing; Mr
Lyne for vocal music and choral singing. Mr C. H. Lane,
Mr A. L. Lane, and Mr C. C. Rich, the prizes for Divinity.
Mr C. E. Doble carried off the prize for composition, enc'
Mr J. C. M'Donell and Mr F. S. Phillips, the senior and
junior prizes respectively for writing. These prizes were
given during an interval between the recitations, which
were of the usual character, including scenes from
"Plautus," " Shakspere," " fEschylus," and other dra-
matists. Some of the best scenes from "Much Ado About
Nothing" were given with an amount of comic humour and
force that were admirable, while from first to last the reci-
tations gave evidence of a care and finish in their delivery
that reflected the highest credit on both students and
teachers.