The Press. — London, England, 1853-09-03 00:00:00

418 apparently an instrument of more rapid destructi :in, yet gave civilisation security and protection against barbarism. But though there were men in those times of great know ledge, who made those wonderful inventions, yet in that former age education was confined to the few. Now, hap pily, knowledge is at the command of all. Books im parting instruction of every kind are accessible at a vice which places them within the reach of all ; and these me chanics' institutions enable the working classes to profit hey the exertions, bodily and intellectually, of those who are the investigators and acq uirers of knowledge. (Cheers. ) The mechanic has now e opportunity of acquiring the result of those exertions without even stirring from his home He has now likewise the means of applying to his own purposes all that knowledge which men of deep science have gained by extensive study, either in chemistry, mechanics, or other useful knowledge. lie is enabled to profit, at a small expense, by those investigations which have been so laboriously pursued by others. The centem pietism of these things mule, I think, raise the mind of the mechanic from the paltry, low, and vulgar consideratione which tend to draw away his mind from his devotion to wards that great beneficent tieing from whom he derives his present existence. If these institutions are advanta geous to the middle age of matt, so also are savings banks invaluable establishments for des{ • g age. There i s hop maxim for life more valuable than this That a men should make to-slay conducive to to-men-ow'. In other words, that he should be willing to forego the enjoy meet, the temptations, and the allurements of the time present, for the purpose of laying up a store which may ensure to him comfort in time to come. ( Hear, hear.) That is a maxim no less conducive to his comfiest and happiness in this world, than essential for his well-being hereafter. Those who act upon this maxim will find themselves com fortable, wealthy, and respected. Those, on the other hand, who are careless of to-morrow, and think only of to day—who waste in riot and extravagaisce or any needless pleasures those means which ought to be laid by in store for the future, will lose the respect of their neighbours, and that which is a much greater loss—their own respect for themselves. (Cheers.) Nothing can be more calcu lated to encourage this habit of forethought, foresight, and providence than these savings banks. I trust that the effect of this establishment in this town will be 9.8 good and as beneficial as similar institutions have proved in other places. I trust that the workman by hiss skill and industry is now in receipt of ample wages, and that, in stead of squandering iu drunken dissipation, or any other momentary indulgence, a large portion of his earnings, he will be induced to lay that portion by for the future support of himself and family. Depend upon it that if once the habit is acquired—when once a exercise providence and foresight by laying by a little day after day, and week after week, thus accumulating a store which will assist him when a rainy day conies, and when age and infirmity incapacitate% him from the same activity us heretofore—when once that habit has been gained, he will find it a source of pleasure as well as ad vantage. And he will find it the source of pride to him self, knowing that he has been accumulating a little stock for himself, that he will be a far better and far inure respectable member of society than he would have been if he had spent daily and weekly in riotous extravagance those means which ought to have been otherwise used, and might have been more advantageously laid by. ( ('her's.) I look, therefore, upon this institution as one perhaps of greater Manet than any which has ever been brought together under one roof, because it makes provision for a Mall's course from infancy to the most advanced age. There is UM topic un which I may be permitted to address to you a few words. There is oust addition still wanting to complete this institution—l mean a achuol for the girls. It is well known that the education of women is of the greatest importance to society. Men may has indeed the rough stones on which the fabric of society is built, but women are that finer cement without which those rougher ingredients would not tied order or consistency—without which there can be no beauty and no form—no lasting and useful endurance. (Loud applause.) Wu all know the important influence which is exerted by woman upon the welfare of man—whether it be in the capacity of slaughter, sister, wife, or of mother—therefore, indepen dently of any regard to the fairer sex—for lam persuaded that those whom I now address feel this regard in the strongest degree—the most selfish considerations would lead us to endeavour so to mould the conduct of the rising portions of the female community that they may be as well adapted as it is possible for good training and instruction to make them to perform the various duties of their lives, in the capacities of slaughters, sisters, wives, and mothers. (Cheers.) I therefore commend to your consideration, although it forms no part of the institution now a b out to be established—to your anxious and earliest conaid-rati.ei. the establishment of a Ohl' school ut Mel bounie. (Cheers.)" Aft sr tile ceremony a collation succeeded, and, the health of Lord Palmerston having been drunk, a third speech was elicited, devoted chiefly to a glorifi cation of the intellectual progress of the age, and the wonderful results which had accrued or were to be anticipated from the spread of knowledge " To any person who has been conversant with public affairs there cannot be anything more interesting, and nothing, I am sure, can be more important, than to assist in the development of the intellectual progress of the in habitants of the country. It is a subject of ride to every Englishman to feel how awakened is the spirit of the country to objects and matters of this kind. And when we see everywhere endeavonrs spontaiwously made by the population of every district to cultivate their own minds. and to prepare the ground for the cultivation of the intellect of the rising generation. it is a contemplation which is not only gratifying to every lover of his fellow man, but which is peculiarly gratifying to an Englishman, because he feels that thereby we are laying the surest foundation for the prosperity, for the greatness, and for THE PRESS. the happiness of our country. (('heers.) It 114 by know ledge that man is enabled to coerce to his service the elements of nature. It is by knowledge that he iii able to make the wild winds of heaven conducive to the purposes of commerce, and to reduce the almost indescribable power of steam to serve him like a slave. ( Cheers.) It is by knowledge that he has lately been enabled to bring in the destructive element of lightning to our service and make it conducive to the most ordinarily daily purposes of human existence. (Ilear, hear.) Ilut there is one power which knowledge gives us which is, if possible, of still more importance than those to which I have alluded— ! mean the knowledge which gives to man power over himself. I Laud cheers.) It is by knowledge that men are enabled to control their passions, regulate their con duet, and devote their energies and exertions for the welfare of their families, of their neighbourhood, and of their country. (Cheers.) Therefore, of all the power which knowledge affords to man, there is, perhaps, none more valuable, there is none comes more home to our bosoms and to our business, than the knowledge which en ables us to govern and regulate ourselves." OFFICIAL. APPOINTMENTS.— The Queen has ap pointed Earl Craven Lord Lieutenant of the county of Warwick, in the room of the Earl of Brooke and Warwick, and Lord Lovat Lord Lieutenant and Sheriff Principal of the county of Inverness, iu the room of the late Earl of Seafleld. Mr. N. Winston Barron, now paid attache to her Majesty's mission at Stutgardt, is appointed paid attaché at Brussels. The Hon. C. Eden, now paid attache at Brussels, is ap pointed to the same position at Stutgardt. Mr. James Egan Rosser is appointed assistant govern ment surveyor and engineer at Sierra Leone. Mr. ltichard Savage Reilly, barrister-at-law, is appointed Secretary to the Commission of Inquiry into the Law and Practice of Bankruptcy, of which the Right Hou. Spencer Walpole is the head. CommissiosEits, under the convention be tween her Majesty and the United States of America, for the settlement of outstanding claims by a mixed commission, are—Mr. Edmund Hornby, on the part of Great Britain, and Mr. Samuel G. Upham, on the part of the United States. THE COMMISSIoNERS to inquire into the system and practice of education in the College of May nooth are—The Earl of Harrowby ; the Right Hon. David Robert Pigott, Chief Baron of the Exchequer in Ireland ; Travers Twigs, Esq., D.C.L. ; Montifort Longfield, Esq., LLD., Professor of Law in the Uni versity of Dublin; and Mr. James °Terre& THE NEw FACTORY ACT came into operation on Thursday last. The alterations made by this statute are important with respect to the em ployment of children. It is now enacted that no child shall be employed in any factory before six o'clock in the morning or after six o'clock in the evening of any day, save to recover lost time ; and no child shall be employed in any factory, either to re cover lost time, or for any other purpose, on any Saturday after two o'clock in the afternoon. There is power given to employ children, under certain regulations, between seven o'clock in the morning and seven in the evening, from the 30th of Septem her to the Ist of April. Children, however, are not to be employed in recovering lost time after seven in the evening ; and the times before six in the morn ing and after six in the evening, during which any such child is so employed in any day, shall not exceed together one hour. The act is to be construed as one with the other factory acts, and nothing is to authorise the employment of children in any factory for any longer time in any day than is now autho rised under the recited acts, or to interfere with or affect the provisions as to meal-times or holidays, or any other provisions, save so far as the same may authorise the employment of children between any other hours of the day than are limited by this act. THE REVISION OF THE VOTERS' LISTS for the city of London will be commenced on Monday, the 19th inst. Mr. T. Y. M'Christie is the revising banister. A STRIKE AMONG THE LIGHTERMES has occasioned much trouble and delay during the past week. Business has been considerably impeded, and the mercantile community harassed to a frightful extent, involving great pecuniary loss to the wharfingers and shippers, as well as to numerous poor men whose daily bread as labourers at the foreign and sufferance wharves depends on the operations of the lightermen remaining undisturbed. The master and working lightermen are an exclusive class, both being free men of the Watermen's Company, whose charter ex pressly provides that none but freemen thereof, who have duly served their apprenticeship, shall, under heavy penalties, be allowed to navigate craft on the Thames for gain or hire. By this arrangement it will be seen that the navigation of the Thames is a monopoly. The working lightermen complain that though they earn 21. a week, yet they find that amount insufficient to support them, inasmuch as, from the nature of their calling, they have to main tain themselves abroad, and keep a home for their families, often being engaged twenty-four hours right otf. They declare that they would much rather work daywork for 30s. than earn present wages and work, as now t day anti night. SATURDAY, 'IIIE GOLD COINAGE made at the Mint during the three months ending J une 341 ainouuted to 4,703,82411. 3s. Id., consisting of 4,471;242 sovereigns and 5e5,167 half-sovereigns. The silver coinage in the same period was 155,1001. Is. cousisting of 1,141,563 florins, 717,763 shillings, 194,3444 sixpences, and 15,840 threepences. Of copper coinage the return is ad. THE BhIL liNGIIAM BonouoH GAOL. INQUIRY has been commenced by the commissioners—Mr. Welsby, Recorder of Chester ; Capt. Williams, Inspector of Prisons ; and Dr. Baley, Medical Superintendent of Milbank l'enitentiary. Mr. it. kettle, of the ox ford circuit, has appeared on behalf of the governor, Lieut. Austin. The commission originated in a me morial from the inhabitants to Lord Palmerston, severely censuring the conduct of the governor. A number of witnesses have already been examined relative to the alleged cruel treatment of a prisoner named John Dodson, who complained that, though affected with diseased chest, he had been put to hard labour, and compelled to work a crankwheel, and was otherwise treated harshly by the officers, the effect upon his mind being such as to lead him to attempt suicide. The inquiry is still proceeding. AT ST. PAUL'S AND WESTMINSTER SCHOOLS a week's additional holiday has been granted to the scholars, at her Majesty's desire, on the occasion of the birth of his Royal Highness Prince Leopold. :314 PETITIONS for private bills were, during last session, deposited at the Private Bill Office of the House of Commons. THE SITTINGS of the Commons last session were held on 100 days. The number of hours was 1,193 and 14 minutes. The house sat 1331 hours after midnight. There were 11,738 entries in the votes, and the average sitting was 7 hours 27 minutes and 37 seconds. Tim FALKLAND ISLANDS COMPANY held a meeting on Tuesday, when a report was read which stated that the colony at Stanley was gradually rising in importance. The company had transmitted sexes for the supply of shipping to the extent of 3,5001., and had sent over 120 sheep, which had thriven amazingly. 4,000 cattle were imported during the last season, of which 1,570 were slaughtered, and the remainder were taken into stock. The agent at Stanley had shipped 100 tierces of mess beef, and a large quantity of hides and other produce, to this country. In 1852 the arrivals at the port were 03, and the tonnage 22,059. From the balance-sheet it appeared that the cash received by the company was 44,393/. 17s. 3d. The balance at banker's was only 1,630/. 18s. ; but a large amount of produce was on the way for sale in this country. As LORD PALMERSTON is to accompany her Majesty this year on her visit to Balmoral, it is in contempla tion to present his lordship with the freedom of Perth on the return of the royal party from the north, provided his lordship expresses a willingness to accept of the proffered honour. Is THE ORDER OF THE THISTLE three vacancies have occurred in rapid succession, through the deaths of the Marquis of Huntly, Earl of Brooke, and Lord Saltoun. It is understood that the Earl of Redding ton has already received the ribbon of the late Lord Huntly, and that the other two ribbons will be con ferred on the Duke of Argyll and Lord Panmure. THREE NEW INCLOSURE ACTS were passed in the late session—the last on the 20th ult., by virtue of which " Chobham," the scene of the late encampment, is to be inclosed. THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE LONDON AND NORTH WESTERN RAILWAY COMPANY, so unsettled since the retirement of Mr. tilyn, will, it is now stated, be accepted by the Marquis of Chandos. THE DEATHS of 1,0'21 persons were registered during the last week (August 21.7) in London. The number is below the average of the corresponding week in previous years, even if we strike out of the calculation the week of 1849, in which 2,796 persons died from epidemic cholera and other causes. THE GREAT INDIAN PENINSULA RAILWAY COMPANY have received authority to raise 1,500,0001. additional capital (making in all 2,000,0001.), for which the East India Company will accord a guarantee of 5 per cent. on 500,000/., and of 41 per cent. on 1,000,000/. The former stun is for the purpose of continuing the line to Shawpoor, which will make the first section fifty-three miles in length, and the latter sum is for the commencement of two main lines, one to proceed to Poonah, and the other to Khandeieh. AT THE GENERAL STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY'S _Merrise, held on Tuesday, a dividend of 14s. per share for the half-year was declared, being at the rate of 10 per cent. per annum. THE NUMBER OF ELECTORS entered at the last regis tration for England and Wales, according to a return .just completed, was 421,413, of which 409,958 were on the lists of England, and 11,455 for Wales. There • •were in England and Wales 55,879 freemen or mem bers of the old corporations, 331,534 were registered • AS 10/. householders, and 10,844 in both capacities.