The Express.
London, England, 1847-12-03 00:00:00

I 1 P, stated that, from information he received, he went an eam
day morning last to 4, Edmund-grove, Edmund-street, mai
Sound a wassail named Matilda Butler, in bed, very ill ; she
than denied having had a child. He got a rake, and ea
searching the water-closet for about 20 minutes found a
child, which he conveyed to the above house. He then went
beck to the woman, and cautioned her that if she said an
thing he should we it se evidence against her. She said
that she had neither father nor mother. She knew /b.
Charles Henloth, who was a ehopinan in Soho-square, sot
they had been fellow sensate. She then said, "he was the
father of the child," and he eked her what child. She
mewed, "My child, which you 'hued." On Saturday
was heard to go down stain, and the next morning was very
ill. A surgeon was sent for and examined the child, and he
was of opinion it was still-born.—The coroner then directed
the jury to return a verdict to that effect, and told Sergeant
Kendall to take the prisoner as soon as sufficiently recovered
before the magidrates, who would deal with the case.—The
sergeant said that the charge had already been entered.—
Verdict as directed.

SOIREE OF THE LEEDS MECHANICS'
INSTITUTION.
On Wednesday evening the annual soiree of the
Leeds Mechanics' Institution and Literary Society was bald
In the Music-hall in that town, under the preeidency of
Charles Dickens, Esq. Before five o'clock in the afternoon
the extensive picture gallery, which runs parallel with the
spacious saloon, and the mute saloon, were thrown open cods*
members and subscribers and their friends, who were plenti-
fully supplied with tea and coffee and other refreshments;
and shortly before seven the company congregated in the
saloon, where the oratorical portion of the entertainment
was announced to commence at seven o'clock. At that hour
Mr. Dickens was introduced and called upon to take the
chair. Amongst the gentlemen present were George
Stephenson, Esq., the engineer; Dr. iludgaon, Principal of
the High School, Chorlton-on-Medlock ; John Crossley, Esq.,
President of the Manchester Athenceum ; the Rev. Wm.
Sinclair, President of the Leeds Philosophical end literary
Society ; E. Heiner, Esq., and other distinguished friends of
education and popular improvement.
Mr. Drexems, in taking the chair, was greeted with the
moat euthasiastis cheering. When it had subsided, he mid:
Ladies and gentlemen, believe me, speaking to you with •
most distressing cold, which makes my own voice sound very
strangely in my ear, that if I were not gratified and ho-
noured beyond expression by
.your friendly welcome, I
should consider the having been invited to occupy my pre-
pent station in this brilliant assembly in itself a distinction
not easy to be surpassed. The cause in which we are eseas-
bled, and the object we are met to promote, I take and
have always taken, to be the cause and the object inwil
almost all others that are essential to the welfare and haepL
nese of mankind. (Cheers.) And in a celebration like
present, commemorating the birth and progress of a rest
educational establishment, I recognise • something not
limited to the spectacle et the moment, however beautiful
and radiant it may be—not limited even to the me-
ows of the particular establishment in which we
are more immediately interested, but extending from
this place to swarms of toiling men elsewhere,
cheering, and stimulating them in the onward and upward
path that lies before us all. (Applause.) Wherever the
hammer beats or those factory chimneys smoke; wherever
hands are busy, or the clanking of machinery resounds ;
wherever, in • word, there are masses of industrious bunion
beings whom their wise Creator did not see fit to constitute
all body, but into each and every one of whom He breathed
a mind—there I would fain believe some touch of sympathy
and encouragement is felt from our collective pulse now
beating in this hall. (Cheers.) Looking with these feelings
over the report of this institution for the present year, which
was sent to me by your respected president, whom I ceases
help thinking it to be a kind of crime to displace, even thus
peacefully and for so short a period—l say, glancing over
this report, I find one statement of fact in the very begin-
ning that gave me increased satisfaction. It is that the
greatest number of members and subscribers is among that
class of persons for whose advantage mechanics' institutions
were originated, namely, persons receiving weekly wages.
That circumstance gives me the greatest delight. I am sure
that no stronger testimony could be borne to the merits and
usefulness of this institution, and that we could have no
better guarantee for its continued advancement and pros-
perity. (Cheers.) To such institutions as these, in their
darker forma, there may yet re-appear, now anethen, the
spectral shadow of a certain dead and buried opposition ; but
I am convinced that in the steady trust of the general people
bearing testimony to the virtuous influence of such associa-
tions by their own intelligence and conduct—that in such a
light as that the ghost will melt away like early vapour hem
the ground. (Hear.) Fear of such institutions as this I
have sometimes heard spoken of ; and jealousy of them—
distrust of them. Imagine here, on either band, two great
towns like Leeds, full of busy men, all of them necessarily
feeling, in some degree, many of them feeling perhaps hea-
vily, the burdens and inequalities that are inseparable from
curtailed existence. In this town there is ignorance dark and
deep; in the other town, education, the best of education, the
which the grown mem from day to day and year to year pro-
video for himself, and maintains for himself, and in right o
which his education goes on all his life, instead of leaving
off complacently just when he begins to live in the toes
system. Now, which of these two places has a good man or
a good cause reason to distrust and dread? " The educated
one," does some timid politician, with a marvellously weak
sight, say, as I have known some say, because, " Knowledge
is power, and because it won't do to have too much power
abroad." It would be well to reflect whether ignorance be
not a power, and a very dreadful power. Leek where you
will, do you not find it powerful for every kind of wrong
and evil—powerful to take its enemy to heart, and to strike
its best friend down—powerful to fill prisons, hospitals, and
graves—powerful for the insecurity of life and property, and
every description of blind violence, prejudice, and
error? Whereas the power of knowledge, if I know
ft, is to bear and to forbear ; to know the path
of duty and to tread it—(cheers); to cultivate that
self respect which does not stop at self, but cherishes
the beet respect for the best objects ; to turn as
@brays enlarging acquaintance with the joys and sorrows,
the eapabilities and imperfections of our race, to daily
aseetuat in mildness of life and gentleness of construction,
and humble efferts, stone by stone, to improve the whole
social fabric. (Cheers.) I have never heard but one tangible
objection taken to educational establishments for the people,
and that objection was, that in this or that instance, or in
these or those instances, education has failed ; and I have
never pursued even that objection to its rise, but I have
found that by the term employed true education was not
meant _. that anything but education was spoken of; that
It imptiatl the mere application of old common-places and
ths mot preposterous spelling-book lemon, to the meanest
plapsees, as if you should teach a child that there was no
allmr use in electricity than to strike a mutton-pie out of
the leads of a greedy boy—(loud laughter)—an objection
that would be about as valid as it would be to object alto-
gether to the combing of the youthful hair because in
a certain charity school they had had the practice
of combing it over the pupils' eyes. (Renewed laughter.)
Now, I turn to the report of this institution in whose sup-
port we are met together, and I find what education is there
given; that it really is education, and that it is worthy of
the name. I find that there are papers read and lectures
delivered on a variety of subjects of interest and importance.
I find that there are chums formed for the purpose of afford-
ing sound useful English information, and for the study of
those two important languages, daily becoming more im-
portant in the burliness of life, French and German. I find
that there is a clue for drawing, and a chemical class, sub-
divided into an elementary branch and a manufacturing
branch, a most important thing in this large manufacturing
district. I rind that there is a darechool at twelve shillings
a quarter, which small cost, besides including instruction in
all that is useful to the merchant and the man of business.
admits to all the advantages of the parent institution. I
find that there is a school of design established in connexion
with the government school ; and that there was in the
library, in January of this year, between 600 end 700 vo-
lumes of books. (Hear.) _ If anybody could tell me that
anything but good could oome from such knowledge as ie
here to be acquired, I should consider him a new but
lamentable proof of the necessity of such institutions-
I should regard him as • melancholy instance of what
• man may come to by never having belonged to one or
sympathised with one. (Loud cheers.) There is one ether
pt in this report, on which I cannot help offering a
coo of joyful notice. It refen to the decided increase that
appears to have taken place in the number of lady members,
among whom I hope I may include some et the bright fair
faces that are clustered around me. (Chaste) Gentlemen,
I hold that is not good for man es be alone, even in
Mechanics' Institutions. (Laughter.) And I rank it en
very far from among the last or the hest of the merits of
such places, that you need not be alone there, and that you
are not. I believe that the sympathy and society of thou,
who are our best and dearest friends, who influence us is
childhood, in manhood, and in old age ; the most devoted
and least selfish mimics that we know on earth, who tura
to us always constantly and encouragingly when others terra
away, should always greet us here If anywhere, and go en
with mside by side. (Cheers.) f know, gentlemen, by the
evidence of my own proper senses at this moment, that there
are alums and graces in such greetings, such as no other
gressimp ewe possess. I know that in every beautiful work of
the Almighty hand, which is illustrated in your lectures,
and in every ideal portraiture of fortitude and goodness
' which you fled la your hooks, there is something that mud
bring you hams to these, the best and the brightest ex-
amples at the Preatios ; and, therefore, gentlemen, I hops
that milts mown without theta, or without an =-
e swabs, el them. in your studies or in your cele-
brations; sad that as imams amber of new marriagee--
(laughter)—eadether erase& festivals naturally consequent
epos those 'marriages—(tsaswed laughter)—may be trios&
bask from to time t,,i,44%
is the Leeds Mechanics' Institution.
(Loud .) Before I sit down I beg to congratulate
you y upon the occasion itself; upon the prosperity.
the thriving prosperity and prospects of your institution;
and upon our coma= and
trail good fortune in livic2
la thus these, whoa amass of mental
gm aad imstomsmattare pemosated cheaply, socially, and
shisefully, sad not la UMW Sal en lonely garrets. And
hotly, I esagnoslats myirdi most heartily that the part
Tait which lass Itsaserli ea this esesalsa Ism megesial
al* my wsemest AWN. imige=ttiss; I bag to
ink you Or year hobo at whisk I wars yea
I shall never WWI PlailliMar and never forget. (Load
applause.)
Ilr. Shaw (AN Pesdissa 4,.. ___
BSC Simla Maw the=ll
as (11e essfaisr),
Thicemlig, aril Mr_ .
tnee=... At Ads
a f
sesame Otte
emir were ether
given. The wait was
meeting broke *delft bY

at of the Society), Mr. •
Bev. W. Sinclair, Mr.
'Toren* Johnstone,
Et. Church next ar
to
ok ploacfe the
during
thex Inusit tate . Iwo
was subsequently . • The
r before li o'clock.
44:0- .
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73./