The Sun.
London, England, 1867-06-21 00:00:00

DULTVICII COLLEGE•

Yesterday the Right llon. W. E. Gladstone,
M.P., presided at the annual distribution of prizes
to the students of Dulwich College who had been
successful in the various competitions of the past
session. The ceremony took place in the picture-
gallery of the institution, which was crowded by a
numerous audience of ladies and gentlemen, the
friends of the pupils, as usual on such occasions,
constituting a majority of the visitors.
The customary speeches in Greek, Latin, and
English were delivered by the young gentlemen to
whom their recitation was entrusted with great care
in all cases, and in some cases the youthful de-
claimers gave strong indications of histrionic ability.
The presentation of prizes having concluded, the
Rev. A. Carver, head master of the college, gave a
brief description of the present'position of the insti-
tution, and dwelt upon the continued success which
attended the efforts of the professional staff during
the present session ; after which he congratulated
the meeting on the presence of Mr. Gladstone, who
would now address the visitors and pupils.
Mr. GLADSTONE, who on rising was loudly
cheered, said that imperative engagements would
gith performed a
necessitate his departure in a few minutes. lle
deeplyformal
dutyregre,ttheod
otohnisld, bnuott,
leave
eiwout saying an
few words. Ile did not believe that it was easy for
the young gentlemen whom he was addressing to
understand the interest with whiclioldedrilpigeersnocnes.
recalled their labours in the earliest stages of meri-
torious exertions and success attained by
There were two significant names among the list of
those who had received prizes--Young and Water-
loo. In one sense they had all a claim to both these
names, for they were all young, and they had shown
that they had all of them some and many of them
much of the spirit which made Waterloo a name
immortal in the history of the world. lle assured his
youthful friends that they could hardly conceive the
with which they
enormous importance to themselves of the hioeuyrsootlnieldy
ppor tun ities now
of the fruit which
and they
orfichtlnieesao
fhoardionnoowo co.tn
et
ohpe ri disposal
hf
trt
esrt
nu
odsys,
e
ww
iotuhlidn regretr
reach
eh a b
rucsiel
their labour would secure for theta was incalcul-
able. They should not regard their prizes as mere
testimonials of talent and industry and
reward for
past and encouragement for future exertion. The
true rewards for labour 'were found in labour itself,
and would be enjoyed by those who were assiduous
in their studies now. Those who bad
been unsuc-
cessful would be equally benefited by their ;n—as f
industry,
the results of which would fit them
withstand the temptations of life. lle did not wish
it to be understood that while lie had spoken of
mental labour he desired to decry physical excel-
lence, least of all would he wish
to see the two
divorced, for they were not antagonistic ; the one
was, as it were, the complement of the other in
forming the men who had to face the battle of life.
He congratulated them on the prospects of the in-
stitution, the ample means
efficient superintendence h w le it received from the
respective authorities who were entrusted with its
management and government. Ile could
not but
feel that nothing could be more honourable to the
college, nothing could be more s • atisfactory to those
who took an interest in its welfare, than the honours
which the pupils of the iustitu •
tion had obtained at
the universities. Though himself,
he an Oxford man
he heartily rejoiced that Cambridge was to have
the advantage of receiving as undergraduates those
who had distinguished themselves
in the school dur-
ing the past session. He was glad to see the school
was so amply endowed, and still more glad to see
that rigorous rules of
system were to be relaxed, in
order that the minds of students of every class
might be trained to the • • • position which they would
hereafter have to occupy in life. There never was
a period when education was ino:.e important. They
lived in times when great • extension of power was to
be granted to the most numerous part of the com-
munity, a power which' •
had been justly e‘atined and
earned by the cla'ses now about to be admitted to
its exercise. Further there was pervading the corn-
in:inity a co,nvlc!hn the had come to C•.-
tend the blessings of instruction among the people,
that they might all contribute their relative portions
of i.itelligence and instruc • •tion to the great struggle
of life. They had all
much to learn—even the best
of them might have done more than they had actu-
ally achieved. Most men's energies often ran to
waste, and he trusted that those h.; saw before him
would not relax their efforts, and earnestly desired
that the blessings of _ s, .
ld
the Almighty would crown
their labours.
A vote of thanks having been passsed to Mr.
Gladstone, the concluding speecheswere delivered
by the scholars. Three cheers ,re then given for
Dr. Carver, the head master,•
enedings terminated.