The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-07-30 00:00:00

LITERATURI

Lectures on the Education of Alan. By Thomas Hopley,
F.S.S. London : John Churchill, Burlington-street.
On a former occasion, we noticed a pamphlet by Mr.
Hopley, published with the object of correcting many
popular errors and abuses on the subject of Respiration, and
supplying useful elementary instruction, adapted for general
and unscientific readers. The lecture now before us, is the
first of a series of plain and simple lectures upon the educa-
tion of man, which the author, following out his previous
and somewhat peculiar plan, submits to the public in a
printed form before its oral delivery. There can be no doubt
that this course, pursued in every instance, would tend to
diminish, in an advantageous degree, the number of pro
fessed public lecturers, who take to the task of teaching the
people, as some country schoolmasters are said to have
devoted themselves to juvenile instruction—because they had
failed in every other way of obtaining a living. In too
many instances, the only distinction between the lecturer
and his audience is, that the one talks and the others listen,
the amount of special knowledge of the subject being about
equal in both instances. lint Mr. Hopley submits his lec-
tures to a test which requires something more than a fluent
tongue and a deficient sense of the ridiculous. The intro-
ductory lecture, which he pnblishe3, places his claims as an
auxiliary in the great organisation for public instruction,
before eyes and minds which will calmly weigh and criticise.
The very fact that the anther adopts this course, goes far to
prove that he knows himself to be, and is thoroughly com-
petent to, a share it, the labour to which he offers himself.
Proofs more convincing still are to be found in every papa
of the lecture before us, as well as in that which we formerly
noticed. These lectures are the production of a man
who has oarefully studied the truths of physical
science in their most important direction—their
bearing on the physical, and, through it, on the moral
condition of humanity. To generalise a knowledge of the
most immediately pressing branches cf the subject among
that vast class who cannot arrive at the lessons of science by
the usual slower, and more exact road, is the object which
has animated Mr. Hopley in the preparation of these
lectures, He does not seek to unfold deep and difficult
problems for the learned, but to explain and illustrate
general and elementary truths to the ignorant. Even
among the middle and higher classes it is too apparent that
the common lessons of science are not always remembered ;
and even where the abs rant knowledge has been acquired;
the application to the ordinary domestic arrangements of
life does not invariably follow. To these classes Mr.
Hopley addresses himself, as well as to the poor, who add
so heavily to the inevitable sufferings of their condition by
an ignorance of I:uaey simple means for their alleviation.
Exercise in due proportion of body and mind, proper diet,
pure air, cleanliness, adequate clothing, regular and sufficient
sleep—these are the conditions which he points out in his
introductory lecture as the indispensable requirements of the
body, and the absence or neglect of which nature will, sooner
or later, avenge upon the bAly. To make the study of the
elements of health a part of the education and the daily duty
of every man and woman, Mr. Hopley devotes his abiliti.s.
The very utterance of the truths he illustrates cannot be
made without some benefit to the hearers. Uttered with
such simple vigour and unexaggerated impressiveness as
they ftre in this lecture, they must tend to awaken to a full
perception of their importance many whose minds it would
be vain to hope to reach through the college lecture or the
technically scientific disquisition.

SHIPWRIGHTS' DISTURBANCE AT

LIATEHOUSE

The shipbuilding yard of Messrs. Young, Son, & Maguay,
Limehouse, London, still continues like a beleagured fort-
ress, in consequence of the manner in which it is watched
by the union shipwrights out on strike. On Saturday some
forty men arrived at the works from the Channel Islands,
under an engagement to work. These men were imme-
diately beset by the leaders of the union, who offered them
£2OO to return to their homes. The Channel Islands' ship-
wrights refused the offer, which was afterwards increased,
but with no better success, and they proceeded to their
work. The leaders of the union then resolved to effect by
intimidation what they could not do by bribes, and towards
noon a great many shipwrights on strike assembled near
Messrs. Young and Co.'s premises. The new hands
were insulted and assaulted by the London men going to,
and returning from, their dinner. It was evident that
the ordinary police force would be unable to preserve order,
and 100 extra men were put on duty.
The yard .;as
surrounded by union men. One Man was seized fogruaitne
assault on an officer. A large assemblage of people,
prin-
cipally shipwrights, followed the man to the Poplar station-
house. In passing through a narrow street, called Penny
Fields, some cowardly ruffians hurled stones at the police.
A co
contusionLockart, on the back of the bead from a stone thrown at
him, and was disabled. The miscreant who committed
this dastardly act was not detected, Lockhart has since
been under medical treatment. Towards evening many of
the union men with ~rew,
called off 0-- • - and fifty of the police fora_
_ „uty ; the rest guarding the
The • premises all night.
the yard.
Jersey men were kept all night on board a ship in

THR ORDER OF ST. PATRICK.—We learn, from Dublin,
that on Monday it was authoritatively announced that the
Marquis of Londonderry is to be appointed a Knight of
the Order of St. Patrick, in the room of the late Earl of
Listowall,