The Express.
London, England, 1847-11-16 00:00:00

PROVINCIAL

INDUSTRIAL ScrtooL7irie Bury School of In-
dustry was opened on Thursday last, in a spacious and well.
lighted room in Mr. Greg's mill, nuclear, the use of which
has been kindly granted for the purpose. Notwithstanding
the unfavourable weather, a number of ladies and gentle.
men, repreaenting the established church, the catholics, the
dissenters, and the methodists, assembled, and proceeded to
the election of a committee and officers. The young women,
in number near forty, who came for instruction, were soon
seated at their employment ; and in the afternoon an addi-
tional number were admitted. It was agreed not to make
the duties of the school irksome by length of attendance;
and the hours fixed upon were from half-past nine to half-
past eleven in the forenoon, and from half-past one to half-
past three in the afternoon. The school is now fairly in
operation, and judging from the general sympathy which
the liberal, unsectarian basis of its constitution ails forth
From all closets, bids fair for a career of prosperity and use-
fulness.
MR. EMERSON'S THIRD LECTURE was delisered
to the members of the Manchester Athenieum on Tuesday
evening. He was loudly applauded on entering the lecture
theatre by a very large and respectable audience—probably
a thousand people--of both sexes. In introducing his sub-
ject, the lecturer said he ailed these discourses " Lectures
on representative meat' meaning to describe in each one
large and inevitable class. Every fact in the universe ie re-
lated on the one aide to sense, and on the other to moral
being. The whole game of thought is, on the appearance
of one of these two sides to find the other. These sides are
called, in the language of the philosopher, infinite and finite,
relative and absolute, apparent and real. Each man is born
with a predisposition to one or other of these sides of nature.
One class has the perception of difference; is conversant
with facts, cities, and persons ; with particular works, &e.
They are the men of talent and action. Another clue
abide by the perception of identity, and are men of faith
and philosophy—of genius. Each class doubts or despises
the other. The abstractionist and materialist thus mutually
exasperate each other ; and the scoffer, expressing the worst
of materialism—there arises a third party, who occupies
the middle ground between these two—the sceptic, who
holds both wrong, as being in extremes ; while he deems
that human strength is not in extremes, but in avoiding
them. He neither affirms nor denies, but stands balanced,
to try the cause ; he was their skeptetn, to consider. Who
shall forbid 11.16111 scepticism, seeing that there is no practi-
cal question on which anything more than a proximate solu-
tion is to be had ? This, then, is the right ground of the
sceptic—of considering, of aelf.containing—not at all of un-
belief, universal denying or universal doubting ; least of
all, of scoffing and profligate jeering at all that is stable
and good. The wise sceptic wishes to see and judge all
things, but mainly man ; and the ticket necessary for
his admission to this spectacle is, that he have a certain
solid and intelligible way of living of his own ; for the secrets
of life are not shown except by sympathy and likeness; men
confide only in their peers. These qualities meet in a
singular manner in the character of Michael de Montaigne.
[After describing his own first acquaintance with the works
of this writer, and giving the opinions of others respecting
them, he briefly sketched the chief incidents in the life of
Montaigne, and the prominent features of his character.]
Moutaigne has anticipated all Hinge and hits at French
freedom; his book isa string of confessions. It was only to be
pleaded for his free style that, in hie time, books were written
to one sex only, and almost all in Latin. He pretends to most of
the vices, and if there were any virtue in him, he says it got
in by stealth ; yet the opinion of his invincible probity grows
in every reader's mind. His essays are an entertaining soli-
loquy; Montaigne talking with himself on every random
topic ; allowing nothing to pass for settled ; trying every-
thing without ceremony, yet with the most masculine sense.
There have been men with deeper insight, but never a
man with such abundance of thoughts. He is never dull ;
never insincere; and has the genius to make the reader
care for all he cares for. Montaigne talks with shrewd-
ness and knowledge of the world, of books, and of himself;
he uses the positive degree, never shrieks, or protests;
has no weakness, no convulsions, no superlatives. Hu
Montaigne succeeded in expressing the hitherto inexpres-
sible, in giving voice to the bat and inmost of man ? He was
not a sceptic in that bad sense in which the world has loosely
used the term. We are all nature* believers; truth, or
the connexion of cause and effect, alone interests ns. We
reject a sour, lumpish unbelief; but the clue which Mon-
taigne represents' are not without their reason and value,
and every man, at some time, belongs to that elan; every
superior mind will pass through this domain of equih-
bration, of inquiry and consideration, on his way to the
heights of truth. The cause of things is not a fact,
but a power; and the religion or philosophy by which we
attempt to describe it is some fixed word or form, end is,
therefore, inadequate to describe it. Our life in this world
is not quite of so easy interpretation as preachers and school-
books are accustomed to describe it. Shall we, then, be-
cause a good nature inclines us to virtue's side, smoothly
say there are no doubts, and lie for the right? We ask,
whether life is to be led in a brave or a cowardly manner,
and whether the satisfaction of our doubts he not essential
to all manliness; whether the name of virtue is to belts
barrier to that which is virtue ? In such scepticism there
is no malignity • it is honest, and does not hinder the man's
being convinced, and, once convinced, he is worthy the pains,
and will be a giant In defence of his faith. The true and final
answer, in which all scepticism is lost, in the moral senti-
ment, that n forfeits its supremacy. The faith of
the generous mind avails to the whole emergency of life ;
he can behold with serenity the yawning gulf between the
ambition of man and his power of performance—between
the demand and supply of power which make the tragedy
of souls. The lesson of life is practically to generalise;
to hold all particulars lightly in view of the whole ;
to believe what the years and centuries say against
the hours ; to penetrate to the catholic sense, which
is really expressed (though occult)y), by every particular.
While all these things seem to tend downwards, to justify
despondency, to promote rogues, to defeat the just, still
by knaves as by martyrs the just cause is carried for-
ward. Although history teaches w that knaves win in
every political struggle; although society seems delivered
over from the hands of one set of criminals into the hands
of another set, as fast as governments are changed, and the
march of civilisation is an endless train of felonies—ye
general ends are somehow answered. Heaven seems to effect
great results by low and small means. The needles are
nothing; the magnetism is all. Through toys and atoms a
peat beneficent tendency irresistibly streams. Let man
learn to look for the permanent in the mutable and fleeting ;
let him learn to bear the disappearance of things he was
wont to reverence without losing his reverence ; let him learn
that he is here in the world a pupil, not to work, but to be
worked upon ; aad though abyss open under abyss, and
opinion displaces opinion, all are at last contained in the
Eternal Cause. If my bark sink, it is to another sea.

• V1Z43.1.4.
YORK INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL FOR DESTITUTE CHIL-
MIN.—The attendance of children at these school has
lately increased both morning and afternoon. A fortnight
ago there were forty in the morning, and the two last Sab-
bath afternoons there were, including teac►ere, about sixty
individuals crowded in two small rooms. The experience of
every day convinces the conductors more and more that there
are in York a large number of children who would attend •
school where food was combined with instruction, but they
cannot come without the former, unless they starve. As to
the girls' school, fifteen came the first afternoon, three weeks
ago; and the last afternoon, there were twenty-seven. Pin-a-
forts have been made for them to wear at the school ; and
they have been provided with means for washing themselves
before commencing work. They are taught to read, sew,
and knit. Through the kindness of several individuals
(some of them in rather humbleeircumstances), the conductors
have had a good supply of bread or biscuits lately. so that
none of the poor famishing children have now to be dismissed
without being supplied with a small portion of food.

CHARGE OF ARSON AGAINST A TRADESMAN.—Ym
terday the mayor of Nottingham was occupied with the
charge of wilfully setting fire to premises in High-street, in
that town, preferred against W. H. Spicer, hatter, by the
agent of the Manchester Fire Insurance Company. Mr.
Barnes, chief constable, said, that on Saturday night last, a
few minutes after 11 o'clock, a fire broke out In the shop
occupied by the prisoner, which wu extinguished after
raging for about half an hour ; but not before it had de-
stroyed everything in the interior of the premises,and ignited
several of the surrounding buildings. Circumstances of an
extremely suspicious nature coming to his knowledge, he was
induced to arrest the prisoner, as facts that would be adduced
tended to show that the fire had been created for the purpose
of recovering 4001. from the auurence company, although by
a document found in the prisoner's possession, the value of
his stock was considerably under 1001. Mr. E. Patchitt,
who appeared for the insurance office, craved an adjournment
of the ease until Friday. The legal adviser of the prisoner
consented to this arrangement, and asked permission to be
allowed to see his client in the meantime. The bench
declined making the order, but said the application should
be taken into consideration.

..
AN ELEPHANT'S REVENGE.-At the recent Lut-
terworth fair, among other holiday exhibitions a menagerie
was conspicuous. A party of young men purchased a quan-
tity of apples, and amused themselves by pitching them into
the elephant's mouth, apparently to the gratification of both
parties. A labouring man, who had evidently been devoting
too much to John Barleycorn, picked up a stone, which he
also threw into the open mouth of the elephant, but the
latter had no sooner discovered the imposition than he raised
his trunk, and bringing it dawn on the offender with great
violence, instantly prostrated him. The animal was proceed-
ing still further to mark his sense of the indignity, but
assistance being promptly afforded, the party was rescued.

WARI

STOPPAGE OP TIIE RAILWAY WORKS.-0,0 cor-
respondent at Birmingham states that the impedimenta
which have checked the progress of the railway works have
produced various disastrous consequences on a small scale in
that town. Amongst these may be noted the brickmakers,
who have felt deeply the effects of the panic. Acting upon
the great and continued demand, and presuming upon
its continuance, many persons embarked in this trade,
who have, from the causes referred to, been involved in
ruin. Yesterday a failure was spoken of to the extent of
some seven or eight thousand pounds : others are to a
smaller amount, but the injury will be not the lean deeply
felt, involving so it does persons of small means, to whom
the loss may be irreparable.

A GRADUATED PROI'IRTY-TAX.—A meeting, pre-
sided over by the mayor, was held on Friday, at Portaea, to
consider what steps should be taken respecting the income-
tax. Messrs. Shepherd, Slight, Batchelor, Ralph, T. Hos-
kins, end Hogg addressed and severally.detoiled to the meet-
ing the many instances in which this "odious, iniquitous,
vexatious, and oppressive tax " was carried out. The
speakers were not opposed to the tax itself, as the ways and
means must be found ; but it wu the mode of collection that
was objected to by all; and resolutions were passed to the
effect that a memorial to the government should be pre-
' 'tented in favour of a graduated property-tax, with a state-
ment of the grievances complained of, and, if neceaury, to be
followed by a petition to the House of Commons. Mr. F.
T. Baring, M.P. for the borough, was present, and having
been called on by part of the meeting, said he could give no
opinion on the grievances complained of until he had heard
both sides of the question. To drag such an immense popula-
tion as that of Portsmouth to Fareham, to appeal 'grout
income-tax surcharge. was monstrous— Farelaam should
come to Portsmouth. He would support the petition to get
rid of the evils in the collection, but feared the other evils
complained of were concomitant parts, and the nature of the
tax itself, and not to be got rid of. It was now the law, and
if the government required the tax to be continued, he could
not be one to refuse it. He could not held out any expecta-
tion of its being abolished; on the contrary, looking at the
present state of the country, he thought it might require to
be increased. The hon. gentleman did net see how they
were to get out of the dilemma. The income of many people
could not be got at without the inquisitorial part of the act.
If the tax was to be made a permanent one, he should first
require a great elteration, and could not allow that the in-
come gained by the sweat of the brow should be taxed
equally with real property.—Mr. Compton, M.P., followed,
and shortly stated that he would gladly go hand in hand
with his right hon. friend the member for Portsmouth.

OWING TO THE GENERAL SUSPENSION OF NEW
WORKS throughout the Great Western lines, between 300
and 400 mechanics have been discharged from the company's
locomotive works at Swinton. The 800 or 900 mechanics
retained at work have volunteered a reduction of three-and-
a-half per cent. upon their wage towards the support of
those out of employment, Mr. Brunel, the engineer, sub.
scribing 1001., and Mr. Gooch, the locomotive superin-
tendent, half that amount. All building operations are sus-
pended, though the town is not half large enough to accom-
modate the increasing population, there being, in some cases,
as many as from eighteen to twenty people compelled to take
up their quarters in one cottage, rented, at about 20!., from
the company, who hold the entire property of the town.

TUE ATTEMPTED :116tDE12.---ATil) SUICIDE AT READ-
nro.—Yesterday an inquest was held touching the death of
James Hearsay, the wretched man who, after making a
murderous attack on his wife on the evening of Friday last,
destroyed himself, under the circumstances already described
iu this journal. Evidence was given to show that the de-
ceased laboured under a belief that his wife had been un-
faithful (whether justly or not was not clearly proved),
which belief had driven him mad. The jury, without re-
tiring, found "That the deceased, James Hearsay, de-
stroyed himself while in a state of temporary insanity."
At the close of the inquiry, the coroner spoke of the de-
ceased's sons, and it was understood that the parochial autho.
rities will take charge of them in the event of their mother's
death.

SEIZURE FOR RATERONA RAILWAY.—On Wed-
nesday morning a novel scene took place at the Chelmsford
Railway station—nothing less than the officers of justice
marching upon the line, warrant in hand, and clutching
with the strong arm of the law a first-class carriage in pay-
ment of the sum of 311. due for poor rates to the parish of
Margaretting. It seems the directors imagined themselves
aggrieved by the weight the overseers laid upon them, and
commenced an appeal at the last quarter sessions, when it
was thought the question was in a train for decision, but
they suddenly stopped short and abandoned it. Still the
cash was not forthcoming ; nothing was, therefore, left for
it but a little compulsion. As the trains, however, made no
stoppage in Margaretting,:but went whizzing and snorting and
whistling on, and as cuttings and embankments, and drains,
andbridges are not very saleable commodities, it was found ne-
cessary to put the law in motion in the neighbouring parish
of Chelmsford. Accordingly a warrant was issued, signed
by Captain Skinner, chairman of the bench; the
once laid hold of, was committed to tbo safe keepinga
strong lock, the worthy magistrate holding the key, and
when last we beard of rt certain officials of the company were
hovering round, endeavouring by legal conjurations and
mystic parchments to bring it from the house of bondage to
the fr..-' of the rail.

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