The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-11-19 00:00:00

(PROM OUR REPORTER.)

ell'e,7 J°ho Pakington delivered a lecture in the Man.
sa%;e! Athenmum last night, upon the subject of national
Itea4‘l°ll. The lecture took place in the library of the
the itialo,.
p,, o• At half-past seven the doors were opened, and
eigh""e'u was soon filled by a numerous audience. At
0% ttt„oclock Sir John Pakington made his appearance
ei,ete'd Platform, accompanied by several m.t_zens
With the institution, and other influential et i ,
ttice„l4,_ greeted with loud applause. The chair was then.
~tisti" 03. Sir Elkanah Armitage, president of the institu-
•. ,
Alleir ChirMan in a few words introduced the subject of
,BfrLing, and the right honourable lecturer.
:Nitar"°°ll Pakington came forward, and was received
14 'eneived applause. He said : Mr. President, ladies
ts% rektitlemen, when the directors of this institution did
tisl,,,..'e
,henour to invite me to come here, to state the
sainwnich I entertain, with respect to the present
el;"°Of the great question of national education, I felt
Ivliteite,TY duty, upon public grounds, to accede to the wish
ions LueY were so good as to express. And now, with
iso,4)ermission, before I touch upon any other subje9t,
tatt;" a desire to express the deep sense which I entertain,
iltpg as I do personally a stranger among you, of the
bey::lde kindness, the cordiality, and the hospitality,
*hit, ~anYthing to which I had the slightest Flaim, with
Op% I have been received. I assure you it has made
tiklaoY mind a deep impression, and I most heartily
sk ;,k all from whom I he,-ve received this kindness. I
toll well aware, Mr. President, how little worthy I am to
AYou°6°Pon this platfrerm the able and eminent men whom
ire:" invited fieilia time to time, with a truly liberal
Pearrtd_ of ever-fthing like party consideration.s—(hear,
Itigs, mil adorn by their eloquence your periodical meet.
iketuberas ,„s by their wisdom your intelligpt 'bat evi, tiat, sir, lam encouraged by the consideration
4 " 'll if I had' the power to do so, I should
eio 'sire
LclUence Whir wish upon this question to rival the
e; for h they have displayed. I have come
other ob'ects I have come here as a
L°14%,„, suPPorter 3of ' a cause which trusts not
tll „-'oquenee of Its advocates, but to the power of its
Zee ,:411(1 the magnitude of its interests. (Hear, hear,
uea%Plause.)
.1 do not speak to charm you with the
byte' Zs of Practical language or historical illustration. I
Dir,,ere to appeala simple phrases will best suit
LSNit- Pose lame to appeal to your hearts, to your
4' to Your judgments, and to your common sense
let heL,ar)—and to ask you how we can best promote an
teat an concerns more closely and intimately than
),`,ii* krtY other, the character, the happiness, and the
otoelfare of the labouring man. (Applause.) I came
'4e l% ask
our assistance to enable every citizen of
/'lll 4110 cultivate
Leh e_ . the powers of reason and of intellect
Nail onstitute God's best and most precious gift to the
nterhirtacc, and for the use of which we ought to he
i"rte .",,,'''''re, and we shall have to be responsible here-
**, (Cheers. I doubt, sir, whether many persons are
tsZiOts•;,„_lthe immense numerical proportion of our fellow-
-4 Itattrn Whniare interested in the question of national
0r....1!., I doubt whether it Is generally known that
4 Ve.:l;;nteen millions of the population of England
tiglai4es, those who possess an income from any source,
bee i. tY, or from the wages of labour, according to
eas, information which is open to us, and accessible
el* i',;110 Persons who possess an income of .4'loo
kh,,ilitrinineards of £lOO a year, are less, I believe,
tot 4,„- ,ft million I believe the real number to be
fanZeuuo. But, t take them at half a million, and
*Zuls,'Y for the 'usual average of five persons to a
10,; ,„ere will remain fifteen and a-half millions of
-amen, kN„_t teZtten, and children, in England, who are depen-
*:olak-"'"0 an income of less than £lOO per year. Now,
lt*B Y°U will agree with me, that every man whose
:Lare less than £lOO a year, nrast look to the means
ail% arid good education. f'..-,r his children, as among
Vestie_aY necessaries of life. Ido not say a secondary
4% th,,v, but I say one of the primary necessities of life.
tiot ir,,..4, surely it follows, therefore, that the question
tt„,_. m.oted, directly speaking, to the poor, or to the
Qbleti „410,n. We have all heard, at least all who have
Visit„‘tletnselves about the question, very. much of the
sit': ter_ Which exists, of better middle schools.
40);,_the,'T there are, are bad. The tradesman.
Vos. l Ornter pay dear for a very bad article,. and if our
t4",`,44 3rein of England were what it ought to be,
1%',4143'; being exactly the reverse, there would be, in
the 4„,,mp opinion, or there might to be, in every. small
lii`„elia,j` in every village in England, schools in which
atocosabh"ten of the small tradesman and the small farmer,
Vtlaelli with the children of the labourer, should learn
h_ottve the blessings of elementary instruction. It is
114andr countries, and why should it not be so in
tte,,itaa. (Rear, hear.) 'Well, gentlemen, there is the
110cia 'of the question. Let me now turn to its
40t,e ei nd its prospects—and where can this be done
kvlen a or more appropriately than here in the
VrYal-4-4 or Manchester ? Not long ago, in addressing
oto,lge assemblage in another great city, I took
ill'„lkeab"lnsay that which which perhaps is more justly
tit‘the "0 Manchester than it is to any other place—
bos% no charities and the splendid institutions of
‘4lfylP'e,.. at centres of British industry are a most
rti Oft at Proof of the soundness of our national character
tlks' tkruanefulness of our national prosperity. (Cheers.)
er
it, th ~, of the institutions of Manchester, my belief . is
. •
hieeki,,,l,B none more entitled to respect, more entitled
tit24,,'"on than this Athenmutn, the advantages of
I).the. (tat as they are, are not limited to this your own
kitlitimpar, hear.) Upon the external walls of this
k,vtlea.4B,nescribed the motto " For the difiusion of
re, tte, ' and I understand that this institution is the
14111100-e (Ni de, the metropolitan institution of no less
1414tili Others in this wonderful district, in all of which
ort„Nthts the manufacturer, the tradesman, the artisan,
01i,,,1 %,",,ine the acquisition of knowledge with the relief
ktZi -t"„`4 may seek virtuous recreation in the pleasures
SAN, %,",re and in the study of tho3e great truths of
S 'lie ,„,""ieb, studied aright, promote the glory of God
Nl9ll,chlders of his works. With such advantages, I
~111Qbai;et fould I appeal more fitly in the cause of educa-
'lt, rE,,,,, ° You who derive these advantages and enjoy
Nl'? tri,"urees because you have yourselves been edu-
tiktll, whom' could I appeal with greater confidence for
there with regard to those thousands who are around
Sthltlie,,'„lknd around us all everywhere, who are debarred,
;114 1.4„---, Pleasures, and who are debarred from those
11%11'14a-ht.' Zecause they have been themselves neglected
LIVII att. (Hear, hear.) I beg, then, to ask of you,
ZO* he, Ai, anchester for the influence of your just and
NiktfaVu weight in support of the cause of public
Zailotc,. That cause stands at this moment in a critical
‘atthot 'ud it needs the support of public opinion.
the
IN "to ellernind you, gentlemen, that in the course of .
tmoLlitibj',Zate the question of national education has been '
el 4. --„b of r peated and protracted debates in the
74,,,,_1:yrr.rrli,amee-nt. L
ofaostneyear the year 1855, I felt it
y, our own members, Mr.
ne Qgt: and( so did
..,Nees.'°o cheers)—he and I were two members of
isikabiLof Conamons who felt it to be their duty to
~` taZtleti' ,ito parliament upon the subject of national
goainbs. - myself proposed a bill which embodied what
Vs a ,:uight possibly be adopted hereafter, at. all
i Lull' -7 mode of settling the question.
iNtlll '4' 1.,-" OPnreo Proposed led to considerable debate,
Neloo division.p In the session of parliment
4olki, 4,t101,;', Lord John Russell proposed a series of
14 44. with the same object. The principle of
.Lord
I%etiwtell's resolutions, and that of the bill which I
141Pose.°cur of proposing in the preceding session,
od Iltially the same ; but it it is not my intention
Nefaeithaln you by entering into any of the details
'V to ,i" anY of these roposals. I wish, on the other
Itatirtewevote the time whichp your kindness has placed
I;tthtlvP°Bal, to an object which I consider to be of
akiesi;,, greater importance. I wish to avail myself
ktte:s*Caoion to draw your attention, and perhaps I
:Y4Nitttiott",,t,,e to add that I hope and wish to draw the
ti 14 '',',„the public, to the issue which
.was fairly
14,e(), ,Lne course of the debates, to which
.I have
4ilair re between those who think that we do impera-
114H *lll'itre extended means of national education, and
~,,_ ,I), do not. It has at length been broadly con-
-11 #l/4,llll''' has been contended by statesmen of eminence
I onse of Commons; it has beenincortterirdepduhty.
h, (3f great and known ability
Nkt,ltti
tpg, it d more especially in two pamphlets, which
'4 .ervedlv attracted a gr( at attention
.!
,piaNikerilamPhlet of Mr. Baines, of Leeds, and
klta. , the head of the Homerton College. (I
441t-leir, as being two gentlemen most conspicuous
't t% Yam
tk!kt% their opg those who have resorted to the Press to
tk 3,.%,„ views.) It has by those. persons been at. last
L'ikt of„`Lteucled that no change is now necessary in the
14 IN '"lncation in this country. It has been contended
lbh4tthti ", n going on perfectly well, and ought to be
14 4111'4:: ws are. It has been further contended by the
le eathles that if
we resort to any means of extending
`a "t'eati in ofsupplying deficiencies from
It lire lie futon the way
iii!ll ~o.o*,f°,od, that that plan would be too
not
4"ktst,,Ttitl,',L-rY, and that the country cou afford it.
&Otreaabgien, I need not remind you that that argil-
klter,ed, and that the resolotions proposed in the
414%-heraia"rtnoris by Lord John Russell, were rejected
a,„ .'litit elele majority. Before the last session L
koa sio that I t n f Paapr:
a ,'took .. an opportunity of expressing my
bZeita, that division would be greatly. misunder-
V. eet,,he f et,,c'untrY, and that it would excite great alarm
kt,seLsetiru,rnde of public education, Those fears have
tkt'ik„ll 47'4 I find the friends of extended means of
11S "dy ressed. I find those whom I confess, however
vt , eait4lt obliged to consider as the opponents of
Ntell ~Npaecatlon, elated. (Hear, hear.) I cannot. take
el, 1)),°1 `to 'er without reading speeches and writings
e,Q4,ll,tila,tPdr"e that an extensive impression prevails,
tflito ''e Of 'vision in the House of Commons last year,
•i',ll'S'a,,l hevt'°Pular education has been thrown back for
P"Ps ", th e Seen an address which most strongly shows
et,s:tiebieethelose, with your permission, I select it as an
oil kes e inse.,_4 been written by a very able and a very
Ikitlll2 krAuet: of the House of Commons, well know.n
'sl,e sPts use'rig• Mr. Laing, in an address to his
ksigaoh"‘ e',s this langua e " Public opinion and the
VA); ls'igai,,n'ens, by an immenseg majority, decided not
StitC` t4Vit these particular resolutions, faulty as
`lt;eot ortn-r were (he is, of course, gentlemen,
‘Oystilt tile 'eircl John Russell's resolutions), as
Siti NlittluesPr'neiPle of attempting, under existing
1,0404 % ~ to
le supersede local and private efforts by
sltioittlk, Ilpo°P°l and centralised system of national
tl5 te%, 18 Dr P the next ten or twenty years, this
Cillt tt ed aeticall •e,or - t!cate _ y decided, that.if we want education. ,
ktillr, 4. ' N. ourselves. and not trust to the State to
4loa't4r, attc(i'w., gentlemen, I protest against that idea.
41144 cheers.) I protest against the idea that
elligible division in an expiring House of