It is believed that another of Governor Hennesay's questionable moves, in the matter of Education, has just been checked by the Secretary of State, who has ordered the shutting up of the prematurely-established institution known as the Normal School. In theory, the establishment of a nursery for the rearing of Chinese teachers whose services might be utilised in the Central School, has been generally admitted to be a most desirable thing; but the inauguration of a school for such a purpose, the appointment of a teacher at a handsome salary, and the occupation of a building were, to eay the least of it, premature until the necessary precautions were taken to obtain scholars for this new branch of the present disorganised and unsettled educational system. Indeed, while a Commission was supposed to be sitting to i quire into the whole qusation of Educa tional facilities under Government direction, it seems to us that the establishment of the Normal School might be regarded as species of slur cast upon the members of that Commission, At all events, H.E. the Governor would have acted more in accordance with the rules of official propriety had he waited until the report of the Education Commission had been sent in, ere he had initiated any of the reforms of doubtful character the advisability of which was being made the subject of investigation, Governor Hennessy's notions concerning commissions, his manner of treating commissioners, and his ideas about the freedom and independence of wit-pear to be of the most peculiar out going into details regarding the farce popularly known as the Education Commission, we have no hesitation whatever in saying that the Normal School fiasco has been snuffed out after the most strenuous endeavours were made to float it. Every possible meat to obtain a consensus of opin scheme, with the most amusing lack of success; and we believe that the only officer in the Department who favoured the idea was the gentleman who was ro-warded with the post of Principal of the Institution. It is to be regretted, for his own sake, that the important post so con sider ately manufactured for him, has had so short and temporary an existence but the smiles of Royalty, or those of its representative, are, it must be borne in mind, proverbially' fickle and flickering. As we remarked the other day lo that is satisfactory can be either said or done regarding even any department of Government while the present Head of the Executive remains at his post. We mean that nothing definite is likely to be inaugurated during the short period that now remains of our disciplinary term. The peremptory stoppage of unwise experiments, such as that to which allusion has just been made, however, is a hopeful sign, an one to believe that the good and wholesome lines of steady, sensible administration may soon be followed once more, when the Colony has been relieved of the objectionable, personal, and fitful rule of the present occupant of Government House.—China Mail.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.