The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-12-17 00:00:00

LIVERPOOL COLLEGIATE INSTITUTION.

CHRISTMAS DISTRIBUTION OF PRIZES.

On Friday, the friends of the above well-conducted in-
stitution assembled to witness the half-yearly distribution
of prizes, which took place in the lecture-hall of the col-
leg,. The middle and upper galleries, which were appro-
priated to the relatives of the pupils, were crowded with
a most respectable assembly of ladies and gentlemen.
The body of the hall was devoted to the students, and the
stage was completely filled.
Shortly after eleven o'clock, the Right Rev. the Lord
Bishop of Chester appeared on the platform, and took
the chair, amidst loud acclamations. On the right of his
lordship were James Lawrence, Esq., Mayor of Liver-
pool, the Rev. Rector Brooks, the Rev. H. M'Neile, the
Rev. Dr. Tattershall, Thomas Sands, Esq., the Rev. T.
Nolan, the Rev. H. Hampton, G. Kendall, Esq., the
Rev. J. H. Stewart. &c. On his lordship's left were the
Rev. W. J. Conybeare, M.A., principal of the institu-
tion, the Rev. Dr. Booth, and the Rev. J. H. Brown,
M.A., vice principals, the Masters of the different classes
in the institution, Rd. Harbord, Esq., J. Tinne, Esq.,
Lord Bangor, Josias Booker, Esq., C. Groves, Esq., Rev.
F. Barker, W. Jones, Esq., J. Tyrer. Esq., Lord Moly-
neux, W. Jones, Esq., Jas. Procter, Esq., &c. The pro-
ceedings were opened by the scholars raising the chaunt
" Jam lucis orto sidere."

The LORD BISHOP then addressed the meeting as fol-
lows :—" My young friends, I beg you to he assured that
I feel great pleasure in renewing the visit whichl paid
you at this season of last year, and still more to find the
institution proceeding in tne same course of usefulness
and prosperity that I witnessed a year ago. It has
perceptibly increased in prosperity since the announce-
ment of those interesting exhibitions of which -you re-
ceived an account at the last distribution of prizes. I
cannot tell you how much I rejoice to find an institution
like this, which is in its infancy, as far as the years of its
existence are concerned, presenting the advancement and
maturity of age, and possessing many of the privileges
and advantages which, in general, belong only to ancient
establishments and long-endowed places. When I find
an institution prosper as this has evidently done, it is na-
tural to look for the reasons which have drawn so great a
degree of Divine blessing upon it; and it is difficult to
bt-l'eve that it is not altogether owing to the principles in
which it has been founded and conducted, and which have
been fully maintained in its course thus far. You cannot
be too grateful for the advantages of a sound education,
founded on the principles of religion—an education in
which religion is a constituent part—not a lesson to be
learnt only, but to be acted upon—not merely that obser-
vance which is to distinguish Sunday, but that which
should govern your conduct all the days of the week.
Those who are here educated are taught that the talents
and faculties given them are to be cultivated, not for their
temporal advantage alone, but that they may best serve
God, the author of every good and perfect gilt ; and they
are here brought up to look to their taients and advantages
as the gift of God, and to dedicate them in some degree
to his service; and their total dependence upon those
principles with which they are carefully embued in youth.
It is by those principles alone that we can account for
the prosperity of the institution. It is stldom that
a new machine is brought at once to perfection ;
some parts have to. be re-cast, and some changes are
necessary ere it will work well. But this institution pre-
sents at once a work in which is perfect harmony in every
part, and which requires no new adjustment or altera-
tion. Where there are so many human beings collected
together, there are prtsented many elements of discord
which may produce a jarring effect upon the whole, al-
though all else may be harmonious. But when we find
in such an institution a continuous course precisely the
reverse of what might be expected, it would be unphilo-
sophical to ascribe this result to no cause, and it would be
ungrateful to ascribe it to any cause but that to which I
have alluded—namely, the principles in which the insti-
tution was begun, continued, and is now carried on.
(Applause.) One of the advantages of the present gene-
t- tton is that religion is now made an essential part of
education—that young people are .not now taught every.
thing but that which it behoves them most to know, as
their fathers and grandfathers too often were. You, my
young friends, may not understand this now ; but you
may believe that which the experience of your older
friends will tell you, that the principles of religion in
which you are instructed in your youth will become of
more and more value to you as the value of everything
eise becomes less and less, and that they will stand you
in stead when the time comes that everything else shall
be of no value at all. (Applause.) I did not think it
right to distribute the prizes a ithout these few remarks;
but we will now proceed to that part of the business of
the meeting which my young friends will, no doubt, think
of more importance.

The distribution of the Upper School prizes was then
commenced by the Rev. Principal calling upon the plat-
form A. Wilson, who was entitled to the Senior Divinity
medal, and Adam Storey Farrar, to whom was awarded
the Senior Historical medal.

The Venerable Prelate, in presenting the prizes, re-
marked—l see, Wilson, that your medal is given you for
the intimate knowledge you have displayed of Paley's
Evidences of Christianity. it is of vast importance that
you enter upon the world with a ti ue and intimate ac-
quaintance with the evidences on which our divine religion
is founded. A good man, w ith whose writings you will
probably hereafter become better acquainted, has said,
sometimes you will be accustomed ,c) hear doubts cast
upon your religion. I would advise you to act as the man
who is told that h's house is in d +tiger of failing : he goes
into the cellar and examines the foundation, and if all
there be firm, and show no signs of shaking, he comes
back with his mind at rest, and he sleep, in confidence and
ease. When, therefore, infidel doubts assail you, you owe
to your own search and examination the knowledge that
the foundations of your religion are not to be shaken. 1
Paley. His works have made it the characteristic of infi-
del scruples, that they are not addressed to the possessors
of knowledge, but to the ears of ignorance. I am, there-
fore, happy to think you will enter upon the world with
such a well-grounded faith. The rpnae of Farrar is fami-
liar to me ; it was my duty to give you a prize at my last
visit. I, therefore, now present you with this medal with
great satisfaction ; your deserving it is a proof that your
exertions have not been relaxed, and I trust they never will
be relaxed in the execution of those duties you may in
after life be calh.d on to perform.
The rest of the students in the upper school, entitled to
prizes, were next called forward, and having received the
rewards of the r merit from the hands of the Bishop, the
Right Rev. Prelate dismissed them, with praises for their
past exertions, and expressions of encouragement to in-
duce their perseverance. _ _

The Rev. PRINCIPAL, in introducing J. Leake and W.
G. Wilks, of the middle school, to the Lord Bishop (the
former being entitled to the divinity medal, and the latter
to the nomination to the upper school), remarked, that
he knew not whether to feel disappointed or pleased, as
tho friends of Wilks, being satisfied with his distinguished
progress, and thinking he would possibly make better
progress under the direction of those masters by whose
instructions he had already profited so much, Ind declined
the acceptance of the free nomination to the upper school,
to which he was entitled.

Tne Loan BISHOP remarked that it bad truly been
said that it was a great thing to be able to despise that
which others think of great importance; and although the
winner of this honour had so early in life been thus en-
abled to refuse what would be highly esteemed by others,
it was to be hoped it would not lead him to despise further
improvement. The other prize was awarded for a profi-
ciency in the study of the Church Cathechism, which was
a compilation of those true and holy doctrines which,
although in bygone centuries encrusted in a shell of cor-
ruptions and errors, had been handed down to the present
age unconsaminated and unimpaired from the earliest
times. His lordship then presented the prizes, and ex•
pressed his hope that they would prove a stimulus for in-
creased endeavours to acquire the like honours on future
occasions.

The boys who were entitled to special and class prizes
in the middle school were now called up, and his lordship
delivered to each the reward of merit, and dismissed them
with wishes for their continued advancement.

The prizes in the lower school were next delivered to
those entitled to them by the bishop.
The Rev. Principal then introduced to the Lord
Bishop three youths from the evening school, who were
entitled to rewards. He begged to remark, that these
prizes were something of a novelty ; none having been
before given to the students in this school. Rolteston's
prize was awarded for his proficiency in English History ;
Teare's for arithmetic; and that of the third, whose name
we understood to be Penn, for figure draivine.
The Lord Bishop expressed the great satisfaction he
felt in giving these prizes. The fact of their gaining them
proved that the principles which had been incu!cated at
first in compliance with the desires of their friends, were
put in practice now they had power to act and to choose
for themselves; and that instead of spending their time
in indolence and idle amusement, they had chosen to im-
prove.

The prizemen were greeted with loud applause on leav-
ing the platform ; and the Principal then directed the
scholars to sing " Jubilate Deo," which was accordingly
done—the whole assembly joining in the psalm.
The following is a list of prizes :

UPPER SCHOOL PRIZES.
SPECIAL PRIZES.
SENIOR DIVINITY MEDAL.—A. Wilson.
SENIOR HISTORICAL MEDAL.—A. S. Farrar.

JUNIOR HISTORICAL MEDAL.—Henry Wilson.
SENIOR MATIIEMA .ICAL MEDAL.—William Semple.