The Express.
London, England, 1853-06-09 00:00:00

CONFERENCE AND CONVERSAZIONE AT THE

MANSION HOUSE.

Our worthy Lord Mayor having auspiciously com-
menced his labour of municipal fraternisateon, by enter-
taining the congregated mayors at dinner on Tuesday. fol-
lowed up his praiseworthy task by appointing a grave
conference fur yesterday morning, and devoting the evening
to the lighter labours of the couversmione. His lordship's
object in thus t‘rowing open the doors of the Mansion
House to his civic brethren, is, in the words of his invita-
tion, to give an opportunity of meeting to those who, from
their connexion with educational institutions or pursuits,
are most interested in the present efforts of the govern-1
ment and the public to promote the diffusion of
a more general and practical knowledge of science and
art among all classes of the people of this country. The
conference mumbled in the long parlour, and consisted of
nearly all the mayors who had attended the banquet of the
previous evening, and Mr. Cole and Dr. Lyon Playfair as a
deputation from the science and art department of the
Board of Trade. The Right Hon. the Lord Mayor took
the chair, supported by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Lords
Provost of Glasgow and Edinburgh, Lord Mayor of York,
and the Mayor of Liverpool. About sixty mayors of the
principal towns in England occupied the body of the rocm
The proceedings were opened by Mr. Cole, who ex-
plained to an attentive audience the mode in which govern-
ment proposed to proceed, the principles by which they
meat to be guided, and the success that had already at-
tended their efforts. The self-supporting system is (he
stated) to be the basis of all future attempts to diffuse a
more instructed taste for science and art amongst the people.
Wherever the inhabitants of • district may be anxious to
establish • school of design the Board of Trade will send
down a properly vilified master, gualanteeing him • cer-
tain salary in case the fees of the pupils should prove in-
sufficient, such guarantee to last for only one year. The
central school in London will, it is expected, supply masters,
and acholarships, open to pupils of the local schools, will
offer in the metropolis • stimulus to the candidates.
Mr. Cole contrasted the success of the new system with
that of the old, which in seventeen years had, by
the aid of subsidies, established only seventeen schools.
Already, under the new system, several schools ►ad be-
' some self-supporting; the most prominent instances being
Warnford and Chester. In the former instance, the only
drawback had been the original grant of 201., which the
conductors wished to convert into an annuity ; but there
was every probability that even this small suns would be
dispensed with. Everywhere the people showed them-
'arm much better pleased at having to pay a moderate
sum for the knowledge imparted, and the schools were
much better attended than absolutely free institutions, in
which parents considered that they conferred a compliment
on the managers by allowing their children to attend.
When Mr. Cole had concluded his observations, after ex-
plaining the technical details of the government plan, a set
of drawings and models were exhibited, copies of which
are to he provided for the various schools at half the usual
price ; but this is to be managed without guy interference
with the ordinary operations of trade, as they are to be put.
chased by the board in open market.
Mr. Cole was followed by Dr. Lyon Playfair, who, taking
up the scientific portion of the subject, explained that
hitherto attempts at scientific education had failed in this
country from the secondary direction they had taken.
Scientific results bad, in lectures and by other
means, been explained to the adult, instead of
any attempt being made to fowl first principles
into the child. To supply the elementary desi-
deratum was the object of the Board of Trade, and in this
object they hoped for the aid of the various local bodies
throughout the kingdom. The institution in Jernsynetreet
had already tested the desire of the working men for scien-
tific 'knowledge, and so popular had the lectures there be-
come, that the room was insufficient for the audience, and
the course had consequently been repeated. The taste for
sound elementary knowledge was rapidly spreading, and
only required judicious direction to being it to good and
important results.

- .
The representatives of the Board of Trade having con
eluded their observations, the Mayon proceeded in sneees.
eioa to explain the pennon of educational affairs in their
respective towns. In Liverpool, according to Mr. Holme,
schools have been successfully established, sixty thousand
pounds are annually spent on educational objects, and the
working clones exhibited marked improvement as compared
with their pndeceseen of 30 yes:saints. Workmen can now
Inderstaad the most elaborate plans, and have actually
become critics on the designs of their employers. The
Mayor of Ball complained that in that ancient municipality
the clergy have hitherto stopped the way, by refusing the
slightest aid to mechanics or literary institutions. In Cilu-
row the Lord Provost his established self-supporting
schools with the most complete success, and the workmen
sot only nndentand the plans of their master., bat can
make ethers eqsally good themselves. Dublin relies o• her
Royal Dublin Society, which has already done so much,
its most recent triumph being the establishment of the
Dublin Exhibition. In Edinburgh, according to the
Lord Provost, self-supporting schools of designs are
nicessafally in operation, and the only direct ma-
trut to this glowing catalogue of provincial progress is
unhappy Leicester, the mayor of which town pathetically
complained that they have nothing in the way of artistic
or scientific institutions, but earnestly desire to co-operate
with the Board of Trade. The Mayor of Chester com-
plained of the general decline of mechanics' institutions,
end puggeeted that they might be advantageously need in
carrying out the views of the Board of Trade.
In addition to the information afforded by all these
gentlemen, • moat gratifying unanimity wee exhibited as
to the pleading' of artistic and scientific education among
the ' people, sad a panel determination to co-operate
beartilywith the Board of Trade.
Towards the macimitut of the conference Mr. Redgrave
made • few practical observations on the present state of
artistic knowledge •most the operative classes, taking leave
to:differ with the Lord Provost of Glasgow and the Mayor
of Liverpool as to the extent to which operative mechanics
undersold the principles of design. From his own obser-
vance sad from the testimony of silversmiths and others
engaged in works of art, be was led reluctantly to the con-
elusioa that the workmen of this country knew little or
nothing of desiga.
TM conference was brought to a eonelaslon in a very
practical stanaer by the Mayor of Southampton, who, after
• short statement respecting • legacy of 4,0001. a year,
which had remedy accrued to the town, eased no by is-
vitisg all the company present to dine with him on Mon-
day next, when he promised them, in addition to his hospi-
tality, an inspection of Mr. Vanderbilt's splendid steam
yacht. It is eland needless to add that this short but im-
pressive speech was remind with a general cheer .by the
company.
To Mr. Edmonds, his lordship's secretary, the represen-
tatives of the public press are much indebted for the facili-
ties he afforded them in obtaining all necessary iafor-
motion.

In the evening, the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress re-
ceived an annually large and brilliant assembly. In
addition to the seventy Mayors and Provosts of all the
principal cities and towns of Great Britaia and Inland,
whom his lordship had entertained at dinner on the pre-
vious day, the following distinguished individuals honoured
the Mansion-bones with their presence :—The Archbishop
of Canterbury, the Bishops of Winchester, Lichfield, Lan-
daff, and Limerick, the Dukes of Newcastle and Argyll,
the ;Marquis of Laasdowne, the Marquis of Breadalbane,
the Chevalier Bunsen, the Count de Lawadio, Colonel and
Millie. Fano, the Earls of Aberdeen, Harrowby, Viscounts
Sanagford and Canning, Lord and Lady Wharneliffe,
Lord Claude Hamilton, Lord Hatherton, Lord Truro,
Lord de Roe, the Speaker of the House of Commons and
Mrs. Lefevre, Lord Campbell, Lord Justices Knight
Brace and Tamer, the Vies-Chancel or Stuart, Mr. Justice
Coleridge, Mr. Justice Wightasan, Mr. Justice Talfoord
and Lady Teti:and, Mr. Baron Platt, Mr. Snarl, M.P.,
the Rut of Damns, Lord Granville, Sir David Brews.
ter, Lord John Russell, Dr. Vaughan, and Master of
Harrow School ; Dr. Kennedy, Head Master of Shrewsbury
School ; Mr. Cardwell, M.PI, Professor De Morgan, Sir
Juan Mathaeon, the Baron de Goldnaid, Chevalier Zu-
luta, Mr. Swart, M.P., Mr. Haute, M.P., Sir M. W.
Ridley, Bart., Sir Charles Price. Bart., Sir Joseph and
Lady Pastes, General Sir Charles Pinky, 'C.C.S.,
Sir James Clark, Bart, Sir Charles Mans-
field Clark, Bart., Sir J. F. Hersehall, Bart.,
Kr. Babbage, Colossi &Mae, Sir John Ronan, Sir Charles
Barry, Lord Wronieley, Mr. Whaasetase, Mr. Edgar
Bowriag, Mr. Owen Joins, Professor Donaldson, Prof/moor
&derrick, Professor Challis, Mr. Goulbun, M.P., Sir T.
F. Lewis, Mr. D'Eyncourt, M.P., the Judge Advocate,
Sir James Panama, Sir John Trollop*, Bart, M.P.; Mr.
Milner Gibson, Sir James Stephan, Sir Archibald and Lady
M'Lane, the Hoa. A. Kinnard, Mr. David Morelia sad
lady, Duncan Dunbar and lady, Ms. T. 8. Rigge and lady,
Mr. 8. Charm sad lady, Mr. A. de Amgen and lady,
Mr. James Bread sad lady, Mr. W. Gladstone sad lady,
Mr. Jana Gunny Fry and lady, Mr. W. 8. Lindsay and
brly"llr. Frames rosier sad. lady. Mr. end Km Si
Mr. Arden, Mr. Ammo= Dickens, Mr.
isTfirs. LoZt Sir H. Onig, Mr. and Mrs. De.
lane, Mr. Mrs. John Dallas Mr. and MIL
'll. Marshall, r. George Godwin, F.R.P., Mr. Wil-
liam Wag, M.P., sad lady, Sir Joseph Pasha
lady, Mr. J. Belebaw and lady, Mr. Dieby Wyatt and lady,
Mr. T. Bunyan sad lady, the EAT. Jamas, Mr. Striates,
awl lady; De. M'Cahl and lady, the Be,. Mr. sad Mu.