The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-05-13 00:00:00

AN APPEAL TO PHILOSOPHERS.

he following unusual memorial is in course of signature
among the householders of Leicester, and has, we under-
stand (says the Daily News), received nearly 1,000 names.
It is addressed to the members of the Philosophical Society
of that town, and runs thus :

"Gentlemen,—ln the building in which your learned
society meets there is a museum containing objects of
greatinterest and instruction, which thousands of
the working people of Leicester and the county, who
cannot visit Leicester except on the Sunday, never
have adequate opportunity of seeing. You must be
well aware that many tradesmen in the town are,
prevented by their business from usually visiting If.
You must also be aware that thousands of men
and women in this populous town spend - the
whole of their Sundays uselessly or hurtfully.
Were the museum open on some part of that day
many of them would be allured to it, and acquire
same refinement and taste for instruction which would
better enable them to appreciate the educated Must.
tions of the preacher, which on another part of the day
they might be wishful to hear. None know better
than the members of a philosophical institution, that'a
museum is a mere toy shop unless it is studied, and
degrades science to the level of simple cutiosity. These
who profit by it must vissit it of ten and when they
can stay, to thoroughly understand what is there,
and no one can stay, who has not time, and the
poor and the busy have no time except on a part
of the Sunday. None' can appreciate this like
gentlemen who are students in philosophy. No
voices can be so influential as yours in advising
that reasonable access be afforded to the nahseum
on Sundays to such persons as desire to know more
of science and the wonders of Nature. It is the in-
tention of the undersigned memorialists to 3 ou to make
application to every gentleman of position in the town
and county, if need be, and to the clergymen and
minister of
,every churoh, to give their recommenda-
tion to or concurrence in what we pray for being done.
But we come first to you. It is the members of a
h Hod o phi cal institution who take the high name of
philosophy who are concerned for the honour, the ad-
vancement, and freedom of science—to open the doors
of a town museum to the humblest who wish to
enter it, and to invite them to come. None know
better than yourselves, gentlemen, that the religion
of knowledge is worth tenfold more than the
religion of ignorance;. and if you withhold
your influential voices m favour of promoting in-
telligence in piety, to whom can the town look? We
ask you first. We purpose to publish the reply we
receive, that the town may know whom to honour for
raising Leicester to a level with Birmingham in this
respect. Why should Leicester be counted less civi-
lised than Birmingham? Why should it be said that
the authorities here, possessing treasures of nature and
art, lock them up all day on the Sunday, and exclude
them from the ungladdened eyes of the studious por-
ion of the population? What we ask is that the
museum shall be open for admission at such hours
as you may suggest, to so many persons as may
desire to enter it. Nqt many, we fciar...;.t.
have the sense, the 'love of knowledge, or t
inspiration pf culture, to desire to come; but
what we pray is that all who have the self-respect to
wish it shall not any longer be denied admission. If
the Town Council should be found unwilling to trust
the people, or deficient in the civic pride of gentleman,
which places openly and generously at the inspection
of the population whatever treasures of art they hold

'tut- I

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