The Sun.
London, England, 1861-07-05 00:00:00

LORD PALMERS I ON AT HARROW.

Yesterday was the annual speech day at Harrow
School, and the attractions were greatly enhanced
by the presence of Viscount Palmerston, who had
kindly consented to lay the foundation-stone of the
Vaughan Library, commemorative of the Master-
ship of the Rev. Dr. Vaughan, who so long pre-
sided as Head Master of that classical seminary.
The Rev. H. BUTLER, in introducing Lard Pal-
merston, briefly expressed, on behalf of the school,
his thanks to that nobleman for attending on that
occasion. The day, he said, was an interesting one
to all connected with Harrow, for the town as well
as for the school. Dr. Vaughan had left behind
him a name which is greatly honoured as well as
loved, and he felt persuaded that no act could have
better chimed in with the feeling of the town, as
well as of the school, than the fact of Lord Palmer-
ston coming down to lay the stone of that building
which was to bear Dr. Vaughan's honoured name.

(Hear, hear.)
The stone having been adjusted,
Lord PALMERSTON slid,--Mr. Butler and gentle-
men, I can assure you it affords me very great and
sincere pleasure to have been allowed to have the
honour of laying the first stone of the building
which is about to be erected in honour of Dr.

Vaughan. Dr. Vaughan well deserves every hon
our which Harrow men can tender to him. (Hear,
hear.) He raised the school to a great degree of
prosperity, and I am happy to say that your pre-
sent worthy and distinguished head master has
maintained it at that high standard, and has even
increased the prosperity in which he found it when
he succeeded. (Hear, hear.) The memorial of Dr.
Vaughan has, I think, been well determined upon.
You will all remember, especially the younger
portion of those whom I am addressing, that when
the contest arose as to who should bear the arms
of Achilles, one of the candidates said his
ground of claim was that it was through
his means that Achilles had been won to
the Grecian army. Well, gentlemen, it is
right and just that as Dr. Vaughan inspired.
Harrow boys with a love of learning, so the Har-
row boys and the Harrow men should in return lay
the foundation of a building in which that love of
learning may be gratified, and in which that love of
learning may be increased by drinking deep at the
fountains of knowledge. (Hear.) It is admitted by
all that the career of those who instruct and form
the youth of this country is one eminently deserv-
ing the respect and esteem of their fellow country-
men ; for the strength of a nation consists not so
much in the numbers of the people as in the cha-
racter of the men. (Hear, hear.) Just as I may be
allowed to say, without any disparagement to any
fair listener—that the chief treasures of a nation
consist not merely in the hearts of the women, but
in their qualities. (Hear, hear.) We ought to pay
due respect to those who form the character of the
rising generation, who teach them obedience and
discipline, who instruct them that self-control is
better than indulgence; who tell them that labour
is to be preferred to pleasure ; who tell them that
exertion is better than idleness, and that whereas
amusements may be compared with the southern
breezes which, though pleasant to be enjoy ed, yet
pass away and leave no trace behind them ; that
honourable exertion, on the contrary, may be com-
pared to the fertilising shower, which, though it
may, as you all know at the present moment—
(laughter)—not be agreeable to those who are ex-
post dto it, yet nevertheless leaves, by enriching
and improving the soil on which it falls, solid marks
behind—substantial and solid marks by the ample
and abundant harvest which it helps to ereate.
Well, gentlemen, I will not detain you by a long
harangue at the present unfavourable moment, but
I must, as a Harrow man, be permitted to say that
Harrow has held its place in public estimation and
public service by furnishing men distinguished the
most in all the careers which they may have chosen
for their future
life. (Hear.) We have named the
most distinguished in arms. We are proud of one
name—the name of a poet, the most eminent in the
present century—Lord Byron, who here imbibed
the first elements of that classical attainment which
afterwards led to his high reputation and fame.
(Hear, hear.) We may boast—l speak now as a
Harrow boy. (Laughter.) We may boast, that in
the present century four Harrow boys have attained
the post which I have now the honour to hold—
(cheers)—and I trust there are many Harrow boys
—many other four Harrow boys—who are destined
to become men like these to whom I allude. (Hear,
hear.) Gentlemen, a school like this not only tends
to inculcate on the minds and to impress on the
disposition of young men those habits of thought,
those habits of life and action, which are so essen-
tial to their wellbeing in their future life, but it is
here that they become ground and fully acquainted
with those authors of antiquity, with the poets, the
writers, and the historians of Greece and Rome,
whose works are not only models for composition
and for style, but, being full of the noblest senti-
ments and loftiest ideas, exhibit to all times and to
all nations examples of public spirit, of devoted
patriotism, and of all the virtues and qualities which
can adorn mankind, to be imitated and followed by
all who study their works—(hear, hear)—and
though I am aware that the modern system of
education has usefully added to the studies and
attainments which are not only useful but necessary
for the performance of active life ; yet I trust that
the deep study and perfect acquaintance with those
classics which I have mentioned will continue ever
to form the solid and substantial foundation of the
education of an English gentleman. (Hear, hear.)
Gentlemen, thanking you and Mr. Butler for the
kindness you have done me to take part in this in-
teresting ceremony, I shall conclude by wishing
prosperity to Harrow, and I can only say
that under
Mr. Butler's influence, that prosperity is sure to
continue to prevail. (Cheers.)
After a few artistic flourishes with the mallet,
Lord Palmerston declared the stone duly laid, and
thus ends the ceremony of laying the foundation
stone of Dr. Vaughan's library.
A glass bottle, containing gold and silver coins
of her Majesty's reign, was placed in a cavity of the
stone.
On the conclusion of the proceedings, three
cheers were given for Lord Palmerston, the band
playing " God save the Queen."

PREDICTIONS OF THE WEATHER FOR JULY,
1861.—Fair summer weather prevails during the first week,
with some electric action about the 2d day; warm, but
windy. The second week witnesses many changes, with
some thunder showers and hail on the 9th, 11th, and 13th
days. The third week fairer and mere settled ; good hay-
making weather, except on the 18th. The fourth week,
except on the 22d, when hail storms prevail, promises fair
and hot summer weather. The ',..Bth a little unsettled, but
the weather fine in general. A very fine month for th
crops on the whole,—.Record of the 4stro-meteorological
Society.