Sm,—I have seen in a late number of the London and China Express, a leading article chiefly on the subject of the Peking Foreign College, in which the writer attributes the failure of that institution in a great measure to the incompetence of the Professors. He further accuses them of demanding an official grade, a demand which he seems {to consider synonymous with one for magisterial powers. Nor is this all. They have, it seems, asked for runners to precede their chairs(!), and for Permission to wear the Chitieso official ress while lecturing. On matters like these, which the writer of the article, after disclaiming any wish to be personal, calls <pnerilities," they are accused of wasting their tine. "As a Professor of the College, I beg to say a few words in defence of myself and my colleagues, and I may begin by premising that the statements made so confidently by the writer resolve themselves for the most part either into blunders or misrepresentations. First, as to the charge of incompetency No proof of it isadduced, which is not to be wondered at. The Professors may be incompetent men; this much is certain, that no proof of their incompetence exists. The incompetence meant is, of course, incompetence to teach; but inasmuch as the Professors, with the two exceptions of the Professor of French and myself, have had no students to teach, it is rather hard that so grave a charge should be brought against them as a body. The ablest general cannot fight without an army, and the most competent teacher cannot give instruction unless persons present themselves to be instructed. If the charge of incompetency applies at all, it can only apply to my French colleague and myself far, repeat, the other Professors have never had single student and have never been called upon to do work of any kind in connection with the college. The French and English Classes were opened in December 1867, just about two years ago. The number of students in my department was twenty one, and they were divided into two classes, a senior or advanced class; and a junior or elementary class consisting of beginners. The French division contained about the same number of students, simi larly classed, and, its subsequent difform: Little from that of the English vision, what say of one applies, murat mutandis, to the other. My senior class consisted of eight youths who had, during some five oraix years previous tomy taking over charge, been under the instruction of the Rev. Mr. Burdon, Rey. Mr. Thomas, and Dr. Martin, successively. They formed. what was known as the Yamen School before the constitution of the college in 1867, and their and allowances were and are much inferior to those of the students of the college proper. Manchus, the sons of needy bannermen, they belonged to a very humble class, socially. Three Taels a month and their breakfast daily, was the modest, but for their class perhaps sufficient, compensation they received from the Yanién for the obloquy which their foreign studies exposed them to. A native teacher was provided to give them a Chinese ed cation as well, and this part of their study has always preponderated over the othe as indeed was natural, proficiency. in Chiese being certain to give them a status and position in the country, while the carver to 1 looked forward to as the reward of their foreign attainments was, at the best, uncertain, there being no precedents to show what they had to expect; foreign scholar. ship exposed them to the contempt of the literati, and to suspicion even on the part of their own fr and relations, I soon ascertained that, with one or tio extions, they pursued their English studieds ina very perfunctory spirit,-the greater port of their time and energy -being given to Chinese. I spoke to them on the subject, and they candidly admitted that they Were rapidly losing all interest in their English studies, finding that nothing came of them. After six years' hard work at English and Chinese combined, their pay and position was still the same as when they began, nor did they see any prospect of improvement in either. Let the Authorities" said they, if they wish us to work—which we are half inclined to doubt, give us some substantial encouragement in the shape of a button or increased pay."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.