The Sun.
London, England, 1867-07-05 00:00:00

SPEECH-DAY AT HARROIV.

Yesterday Harrow was thronged with fashionable
visitors, the occasion being one Wlllela waucaly at traota

he highest in rank, politics, and art—the anni.

versary known as " Speech-day." Among the

earliest arrivals were the Bishop of London, the
Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, M.P., and Mrs.
Gladstone, and Mr. Robert Browning ; and among

the general company which assembled in the old
foundation of John Lyon, the yeoman of the hamlet-

of Preston, near Harrow, w ere Lord Verulam, Vis-
countilloyston and Lady Roy ston, Earl and Countess
of Stradbroke, General Sir William Codrington,
G.C.B. ; Admiral Sir 11. Codrington, K.C.B. ; Sir
R. Anstruther, M.P. ; Lady Catherine Allen, Sir
Charles and Lady Trevelyan, Sir John and Lady
Neeld, Sir T. Grant, P.R.S. ; Mr. Grant Duff,
M.P.; Mr. G. 0. Trevelyan, M.P. ; Colonel
Penton, Professor Huxley, Dr. Jeff, and Dr. Ilaigh
Browne.

The programme gone through in the school was a
very lo ng one of plays and recitations, given in Latin,
Greek, French, and English. Mtssrs. Mahon,
Ileberden, Davidson, and Abbot were remarkably
good even where all were excellent ; for one of the
teachings of this foundation is that all should speak
in a loud, clear, and distinct voice. Mr. henry
Napier Abbot took the first prize for Latin elegiacs,
the subject being " liuldbrand and Undine," and

the prize for an English essay, as well as many
other prizes. Mr. 'William Alfred Meek won the
Beresford hope prize for Greek prose by a transla-

tion of Addison's " Vision of Mirza." Mr. Thomas
George Stacpoole Mahon took the prize for French,

and also for Latin prose. Lord Arthur Butler was
awarded the Ebrington prize for German. Mr.
Charles Buller lleberden, who was awarded the
prize for " general proficiency," took, in addition,
the Peel prize for a Latin essay, the prize for Greek
iambic verse, and the first Beaumont prize for
knowledge of the Scriptures. Mr. Davidson took
the prize for English poetry with an excellent poem
on Sir Walter Scott. After the speeches in the
schoolhouse the company separated, and the " boys,"

_ .
as usual, assembled round the school doors to cheer
the best known, and this they did as only boys can.
According to long-established custom no cheers
were given for the masters. The visitors had an
opportunity of visiting for a short time the New
Library, the old church, and the well-known
churchyard. Afterwards the company reassembled
in the house of the Head Master, Dr. Butler, to
luncheon, where the Bishop of Loudon, Mr. Glad-
stone, Lord Verulam, and nearly all the distin-
guished company who are named above as present
in the school, honoured the head Master with their
presence.
After the usual loyal toasts, which were proposed
in felicitous terms,
Dr. BUTLER reminded the company that the im-
portant body sitting at Westminster, sever al of
whose members were present, was like Time, as it
waited for no man, and it was therefore incumbent
upon him to take the earliest possible opportunity
of thanking them for their presence. Among the
guests of that day was one who had not visited Har-
row for a very long time—Mr. Gladstone. (Cheers.)
There was one fact in connection with Mr. Glad-
stone's career of which they were all probably aware
—that he had not the honour of being a Harrow man
—(a laugh)—but the Harrovians would have been
very glad if he had been. Apart from political feel-
ing, all admired genius and eloquence, and they
admired still more a life of labour devoted to the
interest and wellbeing of the country. (Loud
cheers.) In Mr. Gladstone's life, to take an illus-
tration from the motto of one who was himself of
Harrow—Sir Robert Peel—(cheers)—was to be re-
cognised all that was conveyed in that illustrious
man's motto of " Industria." The Head Master con-
cluded by calling upon the company to drink Mr.
Gladstone's health.
Mr. GLADSTONE, who was warmly cheered, in
responding, said it was quite true that he had not
had the pleasure of being present lately on the Har-
row " Speech Day," but on one occasion when he
was there he saw Dr. Butler, then a " Harrow boy,',
in the character of a monopolist, for to him was
awarded on that day nearly all the prizes given in
the whole school, and the position now held by Dr.
Butler proved that he had fulfilled the bright hopes
which all who witnessed that ono day in his career
entertained of his future. (Cheers.) It was to be
hoped that Harrow would long have the honour of
being presided over by one who was so bright an
example of her teachings. (Cheers.) His own
attachment was elsewhere, and he had deep attach-
ments, as every Englishman had—attachments
which could neither be described nor fathomed—for
the place of his education and early training.
(Cheers.) There was a noble sisterhood of institu-
tions in this country, and whenever ho heard men
speak of these institutions be would always have it
remembered that among them public schools had
their own distinctive place, associated as they were
in the great work of aiding and stimulating each
other to the fulfilment of their vocation. He trusted
that it would not be improper to say that what was
being done in that " body at Westminster," alluded
to by the Head Master, greatly enhanced the im-
portance of the work of these public schools. The
popular basis on which the institutions of this coun-
try must for the future be founded would put all
classes of British subjects on their mettle. On their
mettle they most undoubtedly would be put, and
such institutions as these must not put too great
trust in their wealth—a mistake, by the way,
not likely to be made at Harrow—(a laugh)_
nor in their vast social influence, for these
things would fail. If they looked within they
would flourish from generation to generation, and
century
safter century, with increasing vigour.
Lord VERULA3I responded to the toast of "The
Governors," and said the governors had too much
good sense to interfere in the management of the
school while it was carried on as Dr. Butler carried
it on. (Cheers.) In conclusion he proposed the
" Health of the Head Master."
Dr. BUTLER responded in a short address, and in
a graceful speech proposed " The Bishop of
London."

His LORDSHIP, in re'tly, said that he had lately
attended the Speech Days of Rugby and Eton, and
he was a governor of the Charterhouse, and judging
between those institutions and Harrow he could
say that Harrow had nothing to fear in the com-
parison. There were in these days special inquiries
into many things, and the public schools among
them. From what he had seen of the harrow
School that day he could say that without waiting
for a Public Schools Bill to be passed, all the lin-