The Express.
London, England, 1856-11-29 00:00:00

THE HUDDERSFIELD MECHANICS'
INSTITUTE.

The annual car!e took place on Thursday, in the
Haddenfield Philosophical Ball, which wee dogma,
crowded. Viscount Gonsaron, M.P., ptesided ; and awn
wen present, besides many geatlemen of local ialiveace,
the Right Hon. Sir J. S. Pakingtes, Bir Robert Peel,
Msier-General Windhem, Dr. Booth, of the Society of Arts,
• Mr. Edward Baines, Mr. Akroyd, of Haifa:, and Mr.
Wickham, M.P.
Mr. Conon, the secretary, levies read a report whisk
stated that the laminates lied eoasidersbly increseed
members end in fonds during the het year,
Lord GODIRICK addropM the emoting at some lentil,
• grantlatiog them upon the satisfactory state of the rise-
n' gaieties of p7pular education, as wall as upon the very
ratifying experience of thi local institution. He said had shows the thirst for knowledge sad the detercitieenou
to season. all difficulties is obtaining it which existed in
the working claws of this cottony. Osir young man, mated
Ames Booth, who had just resolved a prise, had fees
*bilged every evincing to walk Mx miles tam the town to
'mad the domes and to return six miles when be lied
lhalshoi hie Iowa& Acid another exampte or the sees* Mad
was the ton that the library books were read In the interval
allowed for dinner to the working urn, between twig's sad
one o'clock. The working men who were members of this
institute as their dinners in a quarter of an hoar or half
an hour, and devoted the remaining time to readln_g, because
their leanings WirliUlkoll up with the Cllnite. 11011 Ming
were then of those who wore broad cloth who did that
(Laughter and cheers.) 8o widespread was the practise,
however, that be bad heard of some employers of Maur in
the distriet forming libraries at their mills to facilitate it.
(Applause.) And surely men who would thin strive for
keowledge deserved the utmost eacoursgement. (Cheers.)
The Rev. Dr. BOOTH, the nest speaker, took occasion
briefly to Implant what it was that the !Inlet, of Arts in-
tended to do for promoting education throughout the whole'
of England. (Applause.) it was their object to make all
the mechanics' institutes of this country follow the exam-
ple of this untitstioo; and it was their intention to extend
to three institutions the advantages which the universities
had for centuries extended to the higher Messes of society.
They int-nded to issue certificates, which should state with
the most precise accuracy the attainments of thole young
meta •ho came before them; and it was their hops that
these certificates would be the means of introducing to
honourable employment those persons who competed foe
them.

Sir Joint PAIKINOSON. who next eddressed the meeting,
speaking of the state of education in the United States,
said : If, however, many meanies yeses are allowed to
pus away proportionably unimproved by England, while
the Americans are yen, ming their educational erring*.
menu ; if, deterred by religions je•louties, or influenced
by the platitudes coseeroing the daggers of knowledge, our
legislators persist much linger in their present
stars' of comparative inaction, and commit the
blander of supposing that, by a system of parliamentary
grants in aid of voluntary contributions, we shall be able to
compete with a free people of the same rue, with the same
population as our own, who will maintain universally, by
local rates, such schools as now exist in the state of Musa
ebusetts„—Eoglaad am suffer fatally from this delusion
Is cue a deplorable conflict should then seise between the
two countries, sterner 'outage aad daring indeed, or greater
self-devotion, could not be evinced than would be shows
by the United Kingdom—tbat is evidently impossible—
but there would be brought into action in the free states
of America, an intense energy, • redundancy of mental
power, a fertility of resource, and • faculty of adeptatioa to
neitxpected essergeneies, of which those who rest satisfied
with the snaps of sternal food doled out to so large • por-
tion of our own people, have at present no conception.
Cheops of uninsels may then came too late, and a (stun
generation easy lament in vain the infatuated apathy of
their fathers, by whom good examples were slighted, and
opportunities tarown sway." (He would submit that this
view of the question deserved to be amorally pondered, and
her monsmeaded it to the consideration of his country-
men. (Chun.)
Sir RODIMIT PHIL was the nest speaker, and was re-
ceived with much cheering. He bad beard that their library
wee not in so flourishing a condition as they desired, and if
that were so he wise very glad he bad come there, that be
might give • materiel proof of the interest he took in their
inetitutiou. He thought they should act be prevented from
ezijning the greet advantages of a well selected library, and
be should therefore be very glad to place in the hands of
the committe, for the sole and inclusive purchase of books
and pamphlets, such • sum as, mistimed for four peon,
an equal ma in each year, would antinat in the
aggregate ti 1001. (Great Mistrials.) H. hoped it would
be believed that some interest in the welfare of the
industrial classes of this country wss still maimed as the
most fitting inheritance of the gnat name that be (Sir H.
Peel) had thelhonour to bear. (Immense cheering.)
Major-0 I WINDHAM was received with prolonged
and enthusiastic cheering. Hs said he understood that
their kind reception of him bad entirely arisen from
his forming one of the 'reel that had served fa the
Crimea—('hers)—tor he had no pretensions to address
them on the subject of education. He was not •
particularly well educated man himself. (Laughter.) How.
ever, *Dunn had been made by one of the presiding
Ipeahen (Dr. Bowl), to the military power of this o )untry.
_le believed that the tendency of educstional progress wee
to illeresee the estimation of the soldier. who was no
longer regarded se • hireling employed by government, but
as a paid servant of the crown, for the defence of the lives
and liberties, sad property of Engli.htnen—(theers)—and
at the same time, be believed that our defenders would be
eons the worse for better education themeless. He eon.
leased to some feeling of apprehension, in the event of a
sudden invasion being et any time attempted, mine we
were prepared beforehand. He had no fear whatever—if
we were wankel' by surprise. He should like to see the
militia of this many taken at 100,000 men, divided into
two equal portion.; and, es every regiment In her Wjeety's
service belonged to some pastiest', costly, he should
propose that the depots of those regiments be stationed to
the 'auntie* to which they bennged ; that one-half of the
militia should thea be ordered to do duty ; to mix sad live
with the regiments at the depots for 100 days in each you ;
to be well *domed in other station se well as drill, of
which there was quite monk ; and to be paid se soldiers
with • *Maio stipend for tin remainder of the year, when
they were not salted oat. By this mesas, we should be able
at ma to double the fens wherever the eissatty was In
imam sad *taxa oat oaks some 1110,000 tasa, reedy is