The Press. — London, England, 1858-09-18 00:00:00

THE PRESS, SEPTEMBER 18, 1858. Mr. S. T. KEKEWICH, M.P. for Devon, moved the first resolution : Her Majesty having been graciously pleased to confer the distinguished honour of a peerage on Sir John Buller Yarde Buller, Bart., our late representative for the southern division of this county, whose career for nearly thirty years was marked with steady and strict adherence to Conservative principles, and who has ever been a staunch supporter of our noble constitution in Church and State, we beg to offer him our most sincere and hearty congratulations. Mr. Kekewich proceeded to say it was strictly in his private capacity, and as one of the noble lord's late constituents, that he took part in the present proceedings. The honour of a peerage was but rarely conferred upon a county member, but her Majesty had departed from the usual course in this instance with very good reason. Their late represen tative's strict and devoted attention to his parliamen tary duties was almost proverbial, and in all emergencies he was at his place, consistently main taining the principles upon which he first offered himself to the electors of South Devon. Sir R. Peel had on a memorable occasion publicly declared that a better member of Parliament than Sir John Yarde Buller never sat in that house, and, for integrity and consistency in support of the great constitutional principles in Church and State, it would be vain to search for a man who more thoroughly deserved their admiration. The resolution having been seconded by Mr. J. F. P. PflturlPs, of Broumburough, Totnes, was carried by acclamation. The next resolution, proposed by Mr. W. H. PETERS, of Harefleld, and seconded by Mr. W. B. ILBERT, in speeches highly eulogistic of Lord Churston's public and private merits, was carried unanimously : That. with the view of recording these opinions, and the high sense we entertain of his public and private worth, a testimonial be presented to Lord Churston, and that subscriptions be immediately entered into fur that purpose ; no individual subscription to exceed st. An influential committee for the purpose of carrying out this object was appointed, and the proceedings terininateu with a vote of thanks to the chairman. SIR GEORGE GREY ON EDUCATION. AT the dinner which succeeded the annual con ference of delegates in connection with the Northern Association of Mechanics' Institutes, at Alnwick, on Tuesday, Sir George Grey, who presided, made some important remarks on education, particularly ad• dressing himself to the agency books and news papers on popular instruction. Sir GEORGE GREY, in proposing the toast, " Pro sperity to the Northern Association of Literary and Mechanics' Institutions," introduced it by remarking that it would be superfluous to dwell on the advan. tages and applications of knowledge, and the time bad gone by when the arrogance of learning could condemn to ignorance the great body of the people, or when the fears and prejudices of a few could raise a barrier against the enlightenment of the many. With regard to the means by which a result admittedly important might he attained, the right hon. baronet thus alluded to mechanics' institutes : It was gratifying to know that the influence of that in stitution had extended yesr by year, and though Mr. Smith had very properly adverted to its agency as being crippled by the want of funds, yet it must be a matter of sincere congratulation to them to know that the number of insti tutions in the association was far greater thou in former times. In 1853 he found there were but twenty-eight, and in the present year there are eighty-four. The number of members filen had increased, affording a gratifying proof, not only of the activity of the friends of education, but increased appreciation on the part of the people of the benefits which institutions such as that extended to them and placed within their reach. He said just now he thought that institution took the right means in the object it proposed, in endeavouring to promote the moral and intellectual welfare of the people ; and he was bound to say that he also must heartily concurred in the view enun ciated in a passage in the report, in which it was stated that the best way of withdrawing men from the tavern and alehouse was to provide other means of social relaxation. He therefore concurred that the reading room should be comfortably lighted, with a cheerful fire and other requi sites, in order to make it attractive, and by so doing they appealed to the person as a reasonable and moral being, as a being not, only accountable to the laws of his country but of God, and would withdraw him from those debasing pleasures, if pleasurekthey could be called, which so many indulged in. Sir George Grey justified his remarks on this point by a passage from the life of the late Hugh Miller : He was struck in reading the works of that lamented man, Mr. Hugh Miller, with a passage in which he recorded the experiences of some of his earlier days, when, though working as an operative mason, he rad learned to appre• ci a te t h e maxims and philosophy of Bacon, and when he returned from his day's work to his lodgings to the intel lectual feast which lie enjoyed from such works. Oue time, however, he was induced by some companions to trans gress the bounds of temperance, and to indulge with them in excess of drink. He returned to his lodgings and went to his Bacon, but was unable to appreciate it or enja) th e lessons of the work, and from that day he made a resolve never to indulge in the like ma nner aga i n for the rest of his life—never again to cloud by intemperance that Intel. lect which God had given him, because it prevented him from appreciating the treasure of intellectual enjoyment which he had before experienced. To the value of newspaper reading the right hon. baronet bore the fol:owing unequivocal testimony : Amongst the essentials to a good r ea di ng - room was a useful and judicious selection of books. He di(' not mean by that that they should exclude everything which some fastidious tastes might think ought nct to be there. Bet let the books be wise and judicious, with a view to excite and deeply interest the mind, and furnish to the readers examples to guide them in their course. Betore alluding furthet to the library, let him say but one word as to news papers. He saw that it was stated in the report as a matter of regret that the newspapers formed the principal attraction, and in some places it had been almost neces- sary to separate the newspapers from the books, because it was considered that they withdrew people's attention from what was more useful and valuable. He thought, however, looking nt the character of the newspapers of the present day—looking at the varied information—looking at the description of facts occurring in all parts of the world— looking at the reviews of literary works which they found, he still advocated their use in the reading-room; and, though hooks should be read too, he should not attempt to divert the newspapers from perusal by excluding them, because he believed they often were useful and conveyed much valuable information. Even these newspaper were an admirable substitute and counteractive for the pleasures of the public-house. Sir George, referring to works of fiction, contended that it would be a groat injustice to the authors in dkcriminately to exclude them from the libraries of mechanics' institutions, and referred to several of a character which he thought ought to have a place in their libraries. He then answered various objections to mechanics' institutions, particularly that on the score of their producing a superficial knowledge, on which subject he quoted a remark of Sir J. Mackin tosh, that superficial knowledge was greatly to be preferred to ignorance, and that after all the true science of life consisted in maxims which it (lid not require every man to be deeply learned to fathom. SECOND EDITION. SATURDAY AFTERNOON. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION Cbe Press: (STAMPED) Per Annum .. Half Yearly.. Quarterly .. .. II 6 0 . . 0 13 0 .. 1, 6 6 PAYABLE IN ADVANCE. Subsoalbers are requested to send their orders through News ♦gents; if direct to the Office, accompanied by a remittance. Advertisements also must have a reference or remittance. Money Orders to be made payable to Mr. ALFRED Iva, 110, Strand, London. TO CORRESPONDENTS. Whatever is intended for insertion muetbe authenticated by the Millie and address of the writer, not necessarily fur public'. lion, but as a guarantee of his good faith. Advertisements sent from the country must be accompanied by remittance or a reference fur payment in town. zip vrto Is. LONDON, SATURDAY, SEPT. 18, 1858. POSTSCRIPT. THE UNITED STATES. The Cunard steamer, Alps, arrived at Liverpool on Friday, with dates from New York to September 5, and 1,650 dollars on freight. The Quarantine Buildings on Staten Island were attacked by the inhabitants on the Ist and 2nd. Thirty-two houses were reduced to ashes, and the patients narrowly escaped destruction. The excite. ment was very strong against the Emigration Com missioners. Captain Hudson and the officers of the Niagara have been entertained at Jersey City. Money Market dull, but general commercial news unchanged. The A frica arrived at New York on the 2nd inst. The Propeller steamer, from Galway, had reached Boston. The Pacific had arrived off St. John's. The steamer Ariel sailed from New York for Southampton on the 3rd inst., with 187,444 dole. The At!anti') Telegraph fetes took place on the Ist, and were very successful. At Havannah sugars were firm, with an upward tendency. Advice.] from Vera Cruz report the suppression of all Opposition newspapers at the capital. A decisive action between the contending parties was looked for. The Africans captured by the Dolphin were to be conveyed in the steam•frigate Niagara back to their homes. THE WEST INDIA MAILS. The Magdalena steamer, with the West India and Pacific mails, arrived at Southampton yesterday. TESTIMONIAL TO LORD CHURSTON. A MOVEMENT has commenced among the electors of South Devon for the presentation to Lord Churston (late Sir John Yarde Buller) of some substantial token of their estimation of his services as their representa,ive in the House of Commons. A meeting fcr the promotion of this object was con vened at Newton Abbot on Wednesday. The atten dance was very influential, and letters expressive of cordial sympathy with the object or the meeting mere received from Lady 11)11e, Lord Courtenay, Right Hon. Sir John Patteson, Sir E. S. Prideaux, Bart., Sir John Duntze, Bart., Sir John Duckworth, Bart., Sir Massey Lopes, Bart., M.P., Sir Trayton Drake, Bart., Mr. Palk, M.P., and the principal members of the county aristocracy. Mr. C. H. Moiito, of Ingsdon-house, presided, and, in introducing the business of the meeting, highly eulogized Lord Churston's private and public qualities : If ever a public man (Raid the speaker), by labour unceasing, by zeal and activity, by vigour both of body and mind, by honesty of purpose, by a steadfast adhe rence to principles, unchangeable and unchanged, uncom promising and uncompromised, deserved the approbation of the world, that man was the noble lord more familiarly known to them as Sir John Yarde Buller. Ertc ready to resist the attacks upon the venerated and ancient institutions of his country, and to withstand the levelling aggressions of theorists and of misguided and wrong minded statesmen, Sir J. Buller bad exhibited a consis tency of principle which secured the admiration of even his political opponents. In his public capacity and as a private gentleman Lord Churston could say with justice and pride--" Exegi monumenium cere perennies," and never did a proposition receive more hearty approbation than would that for the promotion of which this meeting was called receive from ell classes of his lordship's late con stituents. himiNiiiimmiolom LATEST INTELLIGENCE. THE NEAPOLITAN DISPUTE. The Paris correspondent of the Morning Post says:-- I have received communications from Naples. Her Britannic Majesty's Government must, T presume, be now painfully cocvinced that any approaches directly or indirectly made towards reconciliation with Naples will oily end in humiliation of their promoters. The King has no intention whatever to pardon the political prisoners of 1848, and is by no means anxious to receive again Ministers Plenipotentiary from England and France. His eldest son, by his first respected wile, will in January marry the Princess Mary of Bavaria, sister of the Empress of Austria. Such an event is not without a political mean. ing. King Ferdinand has ever regarded the alliance with Austria as the only safe one be can make, according to Ins Majesty's ideas of governing the people of the Two Swami. SPAIN. Official despatches from Spain say the Queen will return to Madrid by the end of the month. The elections for the new Cortes are to take place in October. The confiscated Church property is to be restored, if the wishes of the Queen can be carr ied out, which, however, is exceedingly doubtful. A new press law is to be presented to the Cortes. ANOTHER CANDIDATE appeared yesterday in the field for the representation of Greenwich, in the person of Mr. Angerstein, a resident of the boning!), and a gentleman of some local influence. He ty favourable to an extension of the franchise based upon education and property, and is opposed to the ballot. THE PICTURE FRAUD CASE, in which the wife and . son of Mr. Barns, the well-known picture-dealer .("It St. Paul's Churchyard, are implicated, has bee n a g ain brought before Mr. Alderman Wire. It will be re membered that Mr. Peter was absent from the last examination, and that an attemptwas alleged to have been made to withdraw the prosecution; but the al derman refused to give his sanction to this. Yes• terday Mr. Peter was again absent, owing , as it was stated in evidence by a medical man, to an attack of nervous " debility " and " hypochondriasis." Thls witness could give no evidence as to when it would be likely Mr. Peter would be sufficiently recovered to attend the court. Alderman Wire was disposed to send the case for trial without further delay, bat this course was found to be impracticatile, a s Mt. had not signed the whole of his depositions. Accot dingly, another adjournment took place. Pete' a a e fl it B g al 18 t, It 1, 1, n, .d re es of a in as 30 In - he Lie of gat [or be or iiil ng era iin hi iry es' an- ith his et. ill he in be ed ear he lie 11, 14 ed he Id of in e- At ;e II S. Lq if is .0 Is I