Summary of the day's Proceedings – Saturday 11th September: Afternoon Session

Summary of the day's Proceedings (afternoon session).

The final session of the Congress commenced at 1pm, the President of the Province, Signor Basile, Signor Cesare Correnti, and other persons of distinction being present. A resumé of the work accomplished by the Congress was then read by Signor Fornari, after which Cav. Zucchi, in the name of the Government, took leave of the Congress, and, in an able speech, declared that Time alone would do justice to the resolutions which had been passed, and show the wisdom of the reforms which had been agreed to. He felt sure that everyone would return in his own country with deep convictions of the superiority of the Pure Oral Method, the universal adoption of which was so ardently to be desired.

M. Franck, representative of the French Government, followed with a candid avowal of his complete conversion from his old views, in favour of the manual system, to the Pure Oral Method. What he had himself seen and heard in the Italian schools, combined with the lucid arguments of Signori Tarra, Guérin, and Balestra, had produced conviction in his mind not to be shaken. He would say to them in conclusion "Viva la parola pura" (The pure word lives).

The President regretted to part from his new friends so soon. He was, however, rejoiced to think that in departing they would take with them everywhere to the deaf children of their various countries the good things - "You shall speak".

Mr. St. John Ackers (England), thought M. Vaïsse, presented a written address of thanks on behalf of the English members of the Congress. It was as follows - The English members of the Congress, assembled at Milan to deliberate upon the education of the deaf, desire to place upon record the expression of their warmest thanks for the cordiality with which they have been received by the officers and the heads of the institutions in the city, and especially to acknowledge their obligations to the Prefect of the Province, who has presided on the occasions when the Congress has been received at the Royal Institution for the Deaf and Dumb;

"To Cav. Zucchi, President of the Board of Directors of the Royal School, Cav. Pini, President of the Board of Directors of the School for the Poor. To Cav. Tarra, the devoted and eloquent President of the Congress, whose services to the cause of the education of the deaf, when he has promoted with such conspicuous success, cannot be too highly honoured.

M. L'Abbé Balestra, for his services in the same cause, by personal labours and unwearied advocacy,

M. L'Abbé Guerin, Vice Secretary of the French section, whose abilities and eloquence have been so preliminary shown at this Congress,

M. Houdin, and all the other acting officers of the Congress, who have so ably performed their several duties; and especially to the venerable Honorary President M. Leon Vaïsse, whose services they gratefully acknowledge (particularly for his great kindness in interpreting the proceedings for the English members, and whom they warmly congratulate on the success which has attended his labours to promote toe purpose of his enthusiastic Congress.

They beg to present their tributes of respect and thanks also to -

M. Franck, the representative of the Minister of the Interior, of the French Government, and M. Claveau, Inspector-General for the Charitable Institutions of France, for their influential support and advocacy of the cause of the education of the deaf.

To all their colleagues in attendance at this Congress, they offer their hearty congratulations on the good feeling and the success which have marked this assembly of the friends of the deaf, gathered from so many of the most eminent nations in the world.

The address was then laid before the President, and Mr. St. John Ackers proceeded to address the meeting as follows -

"M. Le President, in the name of the English portion of the Congress, I beg to hand you their written thanks. Let me also tender to the members of this august convention my deepest personal thanks for allowing my wife to read her paper, and for the more than kind way for which it was received. Only a mother's love-burning to give to other deaf children the blessing her own child, who has lost its hearing, has received, viz, that education under the pure system of speech - would have induced her to come forward and read her paper. It is the first time she has ever spoken or read in public.

"I desire to express my deep thankfulness to Almighty God for having permitted so great an advancement in the education of the deaf, in the last eight years.

"When, at that time, we visited some forty schools, we were told that it was of no use to visit Italy, because the pure system of speech had only recently been introduced there. What a change has taken place since then, we have now all seen for ourselves. This is mainly owing, I believe, to the burning eloquence of Mr L'Abbé Balestra, but more especially to the noble heartedness and unwearied devotion of our President , Signor Tarra; and I can say, from our own personal observation , that the result has been that in no country has the system been more perfectly carried out than here in Italy. Nor is it in Italy only. I hardly know whether, on the one hand, to be more thankful that France now repudiates the term 'French' as applied to the sign system, and considers it a reproach that it should be named after her, or, on the other hand, that Italy is jealous, and righteously jealous, of any one country - even Germany, where the system has flourished for more than 100 years - giving its own name to the best of all systems, that of pure speech.

"I am, indeed, deeply thankful to think that there should be such a desire that this system should be universal, and I hope and believe that such will be to a great extent the result of this Congress, throughout the countries of the civilised world. Let me conclude by saying Viva la parola!".

The Rev. Thomas Gallaudet, D.D. for America; M. Hugentobler, for Germany; the Abbé Guerin, M. Houdin, and the Abbé Bouchet, for France, and M. Ekbohrn, for Sweden, respectively returned thanks for their various countries.

Signor Correnti, in bidding all farewell, regretted sincerely that, when he was Minister, his efforts in behalf of education for deaf-mutes had not had the full measure of real beneficial results of which he desired. He would not say goodbye, but many times au revoiar.

Signor Baslle, Prefect of the Province of Milan, thanking the strangers present for words of sympathy and encouragement to Italy, said, if the italians were not yet fully worthy of them, they would feel animated by them to persevere in the path on which they had entered. The work of the Congress had been that of the redemption of a neglected class; and of this work charity had been the queen.

The President then declared the Congress closed.

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