The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-03-16 00:00:00

LIBR A RY.

A spacious room has been fitted up as a library; an increase
of about 400 volumes bas taken place in the number of books
since the date of the last report, 260 volumes of which have
been bequeathed by the late Mr. Gillibrand,i the principal part
of the remainder have been presented to the institution by R.
V. Yates, Esq. Several thousand volumes are still wanted.
The directors recommend their successors to devote about £lOO
of the surplus fund to the purchase of books, and they trust to
the friends of the institution for donations to supply the de-
ficiency. . _ _

The fitting up of the museum has been contracted for. Some
valuable presents of speciments have been received, and it is
hoped that ere long it will be opened for the use of the members,
and prove an abundant source of rational gratification and
amusement to all ranks, both old and young.

THE LECTURES
During the last half year have been very attractive and more
fully attended than the most sanguine friends of the institution
could have anticipated. The first was a .:nurse of six lectures
by William Rider, Esq., of London, on perspective, engraving
and painting. The second was a course of ten lectures on the
marine and locomotive steam-engines, steamboats, railroads,
&c., by Dr. Lardner. The third was a course of eight lectures
on chemistry, by Robert Kane, Esq., M.D., M.R.I.A. The
fourth was a course of eight lectures'on popular physiology, by
John Epps, M.D. The fifth, a course of four lectures on the
beauties of geographical science, by Mr. John Smith, Lecturer
on Education, &c. Thirty-six lectures in all being delivered
in the course of four months.

o succeed these lectures the directors have ergaged Professor
Scouler to deliver ten lectures on geology. Dr. Grant, of the
London University, is engaged to deliver eight lectures on the
history and structure of the inolluscous and articulated animals,
in August next; and Professor Kane, of Dublin, will follow
Dr. Grant with a course of eight lecture on chemistry, as applied
to manufactures and the arts. A correspondence has been
opened with several other lecturers of eminence, which will be
placed before the new board; and it is hoped they will he enabled
to obtain the services of a sufficient number to make this depart-
ment of the institution as valuable and attractive as possible.
Having closed their report of the evening departments, the
directors beg to call your attention to a most interesting part
of the institution,
THE LowEit DAY-SCHOOL,
Under the charge of the Rev. Mr. Rutherford, Mr. Emerson, Mr.
Rogerson, and their assistants. At the date of the last report, this
school contained but 80 pupils. Since that period, it has
steadily increased, until the number in attendance has reached
221, whilst, at the same time, the discipline, and regularity of
the schools, have been so much improved, that the directors feel
pleasure in publicly expressing their approbation of the con-
duct of the masters. As a still further increase is expected, the
directors have caused plans to be drawn, and an estimate made
of the expense of fitting up two additional school-rooms, for the
accommodation of the pupils; these plans, and estimates, will
be handed over to the new board.
They have appointed an assistant master to the English de-
partment, a drawing-master has been advertised for, and it is
hoped, au efficient person will soon been obtained.
l'he principal French master of the high school, and his
assistant, devote 5 hours per week to the instruction of a class of
31 boys in the French language, and as soon as the needful
arrangements are completed, the principal of the philoso-
phical department in the high school, will be enabled to devote
one •day in each week to those classes which are sufficiently
advanced to require his insttuctions.
The pupils in the senior departments, continue to make rapid
progress in English grammar, geography, writing, and arithme-
tic ; the first class is far advanced in the study of Algebra as
simple equations, as the pupils are respectful, orderly, and atten-
tive. In order to reward them for their goodconduct, the directors
granted them free admission to Mr. Smith's lectures on geogra-
phical science, and their behaviour in the lecture-room has been
a source of gratification to their teachers, as well as the directors.
who earnestly hope, that the example given by the pupils of
this department, will not be lost on those, who, from the instruc-
tion afforded to them, should also furnish an example of order,
regularity, and .gentleman-like conduct. John Cluw, Esq.,
has placed at the disposal of the directors-, the sum of £5, to
purchase books to be distributed to such of the pupils in the
lower school, as may distinguish themselves during the present
year, which it is hoped, will stimulate them to increased ex-
ertion.
The high school commenced operations or. Monday, the Bth
of Jan. last, under the superintendence of becen principal mas.
ters; fire assistant masters have since been added, and various
improvements have been made, which the directors hope will
make the high school one of the first in the kingdom, and ren-
der it still more worthy of the high estimation in which it is
held by the public. The period of its existence has been too
brief to authorize the directors to speak of its progress, from
their own knowledge, they have, therefore, obtained from the
principal toasters reports of the progress of the pupils, in their
respective departments, from which they have made the foilow-
ing abstracts :
The English departments is under the superintendence of the
principal, Mr. F. H. Rankin, and his assistant, Mr. W. Harts-
horn, A. 111., T.C.D. Mr. Rankin says:
Brought into contact with inure than 150 pupils unknown to
him, he found, that the earlier part of the business of the school
necessarily involved much itivestigation into the previous pro-
gress of the scholars ; this examination was not limited to the
precise degree of their advancement, but extended to their
habits of mental discipline, their lone of thought and taste, and
what is popularly termed the bent of their genius, where any
sign of genius betrayed itself, the form, however, of examina-
tion-
firm was carefully avoided, the actual course of instruction
having commenced during the first week of assembling.
It would be difficult to impress upon the board an idea of the
very remarkable degree of ignorance on every subject
connected with history, geography, and youthful literature,
which marks the greater portion of the pupils.
So general is
their inaccuracy iu mere reading, and spelling, that the princi-
pal proposes to put spelling-books into the hauds of upwards of
one hundred of the boys, being convinced, that accuracy in
small things, is the only guarantee for accuracy in great ones.
A few pupils, however, allow a brighter colouring to be given
o their corner of the picture, the eldest class, a email, but
praisworthy little phalanx, are conducting the advance, in a
manner highly creditable to themselves, and it is to be hoped,
satisfactory to their friends. These boys consisting chiefly of
those whose education had been more judiciously directed, pre,
viously to their entering the institution, than that of others, had
been sufficiently grounded in the simpler elements of English
education to justify their being introduced to a course of easy
school lectures, on the subject of language. and style, em.
bracing an inquiry.' into the general 'principles of beauty, cor-
rectness, and criticism. Blair's lectures being the textbook,
they write recollections of the lectures as exercises in einnpos
sition. Physical, and topographical geography, occupy the re.
maiming hours. The school is divided into six classes; the five
junior classes ate engaged in steadily Pursuing courses in his-
tory, geography, and composition. Particular attention is di-
rected to the principles of grammatical' structure, and idioms
of our language so seldom thoroughlyAmdesstood„ are carefully
explained, their use being made clear; familiar illustrations.
Few studies connected with youthful employments, aro so much
calculated to cultivate the analytic, and synthetic, powers of the
mind, as early attention to just, and grammatical criticism,
Soine"of the classes contain between twenty and thirty boys,
and each class remains one hour only in the English Class
Room. Although, therefore, each receives an hour's instruc-
tion, each pupil individually can claim but a shout allowance of
time and exclusive attention. It is, therefore, a subject for con-
gratulation that the board has provided is fellow labourer for
the principal, especially as many boys stand 'deplorably in need
of much exercise in reading.
Two months form but a short page in a school-boy's history,
but that the last two months at the High School have been well
spent, the principal willingly appeals to the examinations in the
lecture room. In a public school some powerful principle lead-
ing to good conductaud awakening euergy must be exerted—the
most legitimate, and at the same time, the most powerful—sp.
pears to be an interest in the subjects of their study, and an
attachment to the mode of instruction. The principal of the
English department,
begs to offer as an illustration of the ad-
vatilages of this principle, that at three different times have
classes, when permitted to close their books, after the expire-
thin of their hour, and at the termination of school, increased
permission to remain with hint and to pursue the subject of his
iostructions instead of joining their playfellows,
Contemplating the steady pi ogress of the boys, the principal
of this department looks forward to the early introduction of
the principles of mental and moral philosophy- into the classes.
Expansive and enlightened views of our social and moral rela-
tions, are, in fact, the great ends
dnds of education. In conclusion,
l Yifleirality and their English Ptoperation.
ment begs to thank the
tbhoea r fionrctheir