The Express.
London, England, 1858-10-22 00:00:00

MANCHESTER ATHENAEUM SOIREE.

ADDRESS BY LORD JOHN RUSSELL.
Last evening a soiree wee given in the Free-trade
Hall, by the dinners of the Manchester Atheneum, at
which more than 2,000 were present.
Lord STANLEY Of AIDDHLEY took the chair amidst loud
cheering, °widened as the distinguished guests by whom his
lordship was smarted took their seats.
Lord Joan RVIIIILL (says the Mattawan Guard* of
this day), as he roes, was received with abetting, which con-
tinued for some minutes, when it had subsided, he said—l
am totally hicapable of giving expreerion to the pitiful feel-
*" which I entertain for the reception which you have now
given me. I wish, in the first place, to explain how it is that
I own hire, for that it appears is a matter that requires
apology. I was asked by some gentlemen who represent
you to comply with the repeat of the direetors of the
Atheneum that I would preside here sad deliver an
address to the members of that society. I declined that
honour, thinking myself ill-fitted to give en addrees of
the description that would be required, and ad ebbing
to Weide myself upon your attention. Bet urn further
representation I speed to attend here to =rue my sym-
way in the ants that are making in the cause of
literature and wheation and to wish you well in your
propose in those aorta. (Applause.) I should have
thought that this. was no great harm in sunk • remedies
at ay part. It might give me some little trouble in coming
hen. It might give you the pain of beer* a tiresome
speech. But beyond that this. sensed nothing very *-
were or wrong in that roosted* of miss (Hear.) But I
lad that, in a newspaper of peat local drouktion, not only
ars you, the within of the Atheneum, attacked, but I
linnet am the ailed of blame for ventaring to ems
hire to support your Institution. (Cries of Shame.") I
can wall understand that if I had come his, to inaugurate
a gin palace—(laugMer)—m to *ash sedition against the
throne, it would have been a proper subject for 010111/0.
But I am somewhat at a in to discover why the heavy
tonsure of the gods should fall upon me for my attendance
on this occasion. (Laughter and applause). Thin it, at
least, this benefit In it—s benefit which, I think, we are
appreciating mare end more—that different parts of the
°mine', and persons *red in different situation In
life—aims polities!, some literary, some industrial—are
induced to meet together, and to express good-will sad ,
fellowship towanla each other. (Applause). We have
In this country a great deal of attachment to oar private
life. We boast of our affection for our homes very
justly. We have not the public life which was coupon In
some ancient *ethics, nor that sort of public life which
I undithiand new exists in some of the United States of
America. And the more we are attacked to private life, to
oar homes, the more necessary it appears to me that we
should now and then mingle together and suchange good
wishes for the parade in which we are happily surged ; and
when that is • purntit—ench is that of edema* or literature
—fin which all can take en hitteest, the wawer is the sy
pithy sad the loon general the cancarrenes of opinion.
(Hear, hen) I lint, therefore, now, even though .1 Lao
net gone into a very loag dehneeLsad there see other
anpunents that I might use—that I stied acquitted in pray
eyes of doing anything wrong in presenting myself baize
you ("Haar, hear," and applause.) Now let me—elthougth
I am unwilling to go over ground which my noble friend it
the chair has eo well trodden—let ye consider the rapers ,
el the inetitutita which we osme here to support. I and
the first place that the newspapers ore read, neat that beaks
ere taken out very largely from the Hasty and reard by
the members. With regard to newspapers, it is quite obvious
that there must always be a great interest attached to
the matter centeined in newswire Take say occasion in
which we feel an interest,—take the war In Idle. Who
would not feel • warm interest in the men who were
Delhi, in the brays men and heroic women who
Luoknow ° (Applause.) Then it you take "gala any great •
nodal question—any question °others* m amendment of
the law, or a farther progtaas in sanitary improvement
would not take an interest in ao
either it took plies in Piellarseat, or In
or Whim in whiek thew =Won ware diniZesin
manner tithe coma* ? Therefore the me* of the
asvepepers must always be a tend et gran ream
and Internet to any persona who meet together and have
the mean of reading them. But I find soma people are •
good deal struck with the fact—first, that the xisw
an a great ;Ara of attraction, and next, that nee l's= :
works of that deecapdon are very much reed. It has been
my fortune to ben the country houses of
poesemsd of great fortune, had magnificent
whet I have found a patty amenibled in these houses of
emit twenty or five and twenty persons, I have shiny*
obenved that the first object of attraction was the erre
mow, sad that the at eh** of attraction wee a novel;
ilia that out of the fire and twenty, if there wee five who
looked at other works, who studied history, or ausede to
waits of KAMM. It was in meth ea you meld expert. One
dais, I believe, is very mach like soother in this respect.
And h examining landing libraries, such as there are In
this town, I find that the result of the smeary szeraination
I her made * that in this society, of about 28,000 books
taken oat to read, there were shout 17,000, of nese 18,00 Q,
of novels, sad about 10,000 of works of history sad of all
ether description. I tee that is a very creditable
assent. So far trembling shocked at the quantity of novels
that we road, I redly de the wonder that min who have
°manatee thistioVsteat deal of ern and anxiety
should resort to fictions whicheisally go by
the name el that they shrill seek in those
pages relaxed= after their kosoadoisik:o But I
think that number of 10,000 is soil So, look-
ing at another institution, the Eno ef this town,
there were shoat 40,000 novels to skeet beaks of
other dentitions—a tomewhet similar perrers, ora, as
I say again, a proportion which I think don pan Una to ,
the readers—(" Hear," and applante)—beeauss taw Est ;
there is a very fair proportion—upwards of one-third who
do read books of that Informing and instructive kind. (Hear, .t.
hen.) And now let us consider a little what is the ins*
of mine at these books to which they do attend I' A great •
portion of them consist of history, and, if there is any-kind
isitrutin reading which oonewns en Reglishann, I
think it is la know the hist/arc:for, own country. f
(ber, hear.) I was delighted, in that Erse
Library to see that there was an excellent col/action
of Eagliek histories. Let me here say to thins who with
to row English history—to those who wish to know the
a pee*, who must be as fainons in the world se
tillig of
the great Sties of Greece as famous as Rome led
--that it is by studying the dem:moue and the partner
histeries of .Meg*d Ore the knowledge of the history al
thee country is to be acquired. Every day, lam gledto
say, an additiou is made to that knowledge. Daly the
• •iir day, that most intending portion of our history, the
reign of Charles the First, the period In which, In foot,
the queen was determined whether this was to be a free
or slavish country—that period hes been illustrated by
Hr. Faster, by extracts from the journals and deans
el Nereid of that day. which had not bees hither,
karma to the world. Then, I say again, that any his
seem which give hibernation of that description,
week hes in its rooms baths et thet theniptise by which •
Se
amoe and redeye sea nada • of that
kind, Is par value he the laironment r kWeg
sear
dee. sea tbs edarsa d the eriedge that the people
of tthe rang onet to have. Now let me say whet I
dirk wilt be et tee of these steer that eft making—
if ea hinds—hew I with thsy may aU spesdl—
sihistileVert of the of Oared end en.
ata_ elf ler togged abode.
en . lailarkele eat snide st
if thoelmet di borers of
bands* silk get bet *ler that ft -
TM WM Orem. Whe "mire le leggier, and limi
sea h%•=vete been.
."
VZ,t.) It eke be et •
In UM IMMISMOINS Is
4.
VIM= Aid if • rm, or a warn
Zmet. neakeletst ais et lere atisatitie for • pardon cd the %
day batere peer arm sad essadiss, and am leek
hoe
dip rm. ataimbitarsted eat Isla or, still mom .
to siiellty es rte. el sr pees I g nee*
gimbal fa tbe peen'herpreao—ret nefeakett ,
earl* die larresseet dirk mind, tea he -the etre
Yee 'el lb /moral WEI% sad the of the
Miesisterma (" Hear, beer," sad emt= A nip•
emu prover many yews age—ea era sent , •
as bele se bat white has lately per sae retina
per el peoples roes who Wife sessisitui;
iti
=wed war leer :ere "aerrets.• se
thle ea/ Man be tat
Verire eine "it loth gale
to
net dog time Net abends=l:ll, Id!
ia usher se ama ries bat el lier ..$
ere thee deITIVIS • ktei el piker his
say, reel •'1
wadi ef Ide bend far ' `,;
the maestiN=l, Westin be conk! read. *at at Se kb a
=ft tto oratory I think le toll nal be
of knitting ore than he ad.
and WOO nettent ti list et, el ebb he ildossiir know
esdellg• dad Ala MOM Wife the enseles air whetk„
am he the sena to dr esualey ate mell lbe lett• sod I
time
str—ossiag sir tepirereeilderearry is of fa
time were It ere wit liwa—te des ere et irp. I
keen that is • natter of the very grater Impereace ; ••1
psehap you will begir mei—though it is a dry
1 atearmlwa af the nature of the lames •
dor UMW 140 b ige INe. i king vier cgs k
Irv* been a try tee and eenreenesce thing to
thews tosderona, like et hoe rem this. Ire rip
a sort of belt% whither by wen el poem air
way ef are( ether taikisa, I bier este ti
then taersareem Les me soh sibsody. dellerrZ
of say revarresat wet Is to poker Ilk set NOW'S,*
Thee le preerdly dere Is Ile emesies el ItheaSe yin 1
tae erererse. primp& ei tree sr her—Torter=
Xeres, *I ilbthan of the Poe*. u
csohooss.tarionses
pv7. v..........raottelsamokableemihrtessi6.:". .agrisiostmelleed.tierli-ipith