Tues 7 Sept

Summary of the day's Proceedings – Tuesday 7th September

The proceedings of the Congress commenced at 9am. After several documents, telegrams and letters relating to the official business of the Congress had been read, the Meeting proceeded to consider the Programme of Questions for discussion, as settled by the Organising Committee appointed by the last International Congress held in Paris in 1878; and it was determined to pass over Sections I. and II., "On School Buildings" and "Teaching", and to proceed at once to Section III., "On Methods", taking the questions in printed order -

Summary of the day's Proceedings.

M. Magnat, Director of the Piergire School for the Deaf at Paris, then proceeded to read from the report which he had prepared as one of the official reporters of its Committee of Organisation, on the paper which had been received by that Committee to answer to the questions proposed. After some discussion and delay, it was decided that, as the whole document was in print and in the hands of the members of the Congress, it should be taken as read.

It was then proposed in consequence of want of line to limit speakers and readers to ten minutes, upon with Mr. B. St. John Ackers, Honorary Secretary of the Society for Training Teachers of the Deaf and Diffusion of the German System in the United Kingdom, observed that writers or papers having been requested to make them twenty minutes in length, such a proposition, if agreed, to, would cause the withdrawal of most, if not all, of the papers prepared by the English section for the Congress.

Dr. Buxton, Secretary to the Society for Training Teachers of the Deaf, etc., London, pointed out that those who had been at great trouble and expense to attend the Congress, with papers most carefully prepared for the occasion, should at least have sufficient time afforded them for the reading of the same.

Mrs. St. John Ackers (Prinkhash Park, Gloucestershire, England) was then invited to read her paper, which she proceeded to do, in the French language. She related in the most impressive manner the lengthened and exhaustive inquiries made by herself and Mr. St. John Ackers in search of the best system of instruction for their little deaf daughter, and, finally how they were fully convinced of the immense superiority of the German System over all others.

At the conclusion of the paper, which was greeted with general and sustained applause, the President asked that it might be presented to the Committee, in order that it might be printed.

M. L'L'Abbé Dr. La Place Almoner of S. Médard, Sioissons, mentioned that the schools in France employ all methods by which the object of instructing the deaf may be attained.

M. Kierrggaard-Eaboarn, Secretary of the Royal Court of Sweden, and Doctor of the Institution for the Deaf and Dumb, Bollnas, said that in Sweden, after many Congresses, the opinion was that the deaf and dumb should be divided into three classes -

1. Those who could be taught to speak.
2. Those who could not (though not markedly deficient in intellect).
3. Those who were idiotic.

E. M. Gallaudet, President of the Deaf-Mute College, Washington, United States, then read a paper, in French, defending the Combined System and maintained that signs were the natural language of the deaf as also the mother language of the mankind.

M. Hugentobler (Lyon) replied that the deaf taught upon the articulation system had ideas and language given to them plus speech by which to express themselves, which was an enormous gain over sign-taught pupils.

The Meeting the adjourned until 2pm, when the Rev. Thomas Arnold, Private School, Northampton, England, proceeded proceeded to read a paper in favour of the articulating system. He had twenty years experience of that system, and was of opinion that it places the deaf on the same platform that we ourselves occupy.

Rev. Thomas Gallaudet , D.D. Rector of St. Ann's Church for Deaf-Mutes, New York, replied. Having used the sign language for fifty years, he believed fully in its importance to the deaf-mute, and that it is necessary, in order to lift him up front from ignorance to ideas. He accompanied his speech throughout by signs, and concluded by giving a sign version of the Lord's Prayer.

Padre Marchio (Sienna) exclaimed simply, in English, “Come and hear our pupils".

A resume of a paper by Mr. E. Elliott, Headmaster of the Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb, London and Margate, was given in French by M. Leon Vaïsse.

Mr. Elliott was of opinion that experience teaches the Combined System to be the best, and asked that such method be adopted.

M. L'Abbé Balestra, Director of the Institution of Como, replied that in Italy that there were deaf children who could speak and express themselves without any signs or pantomime whatever, and he strongly urged upon the Congress the adoption of the method of speech.

Resolution 1

Considering the incontestable superiority of speech over signs in restoring the deaf-mute to society, and in giving him a more perfect knowledge of language,

Declares -

That the Oral method ought to be preferred that of signs for the education and instruction of the deaf and dumb.

The Resolution was carried almost unanimously, the numbers in its favour being about 160, as nearly as could be ascertained, and the dissidents 4.

The result was greeted with loud applause and the meeting then adjourned.

Next - Wednesday 8th Proceedings.

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