The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-01-22 00:00:00

" LIFE' IN MANCHESTER."

The eighth of a course of lectures in connection with the
Manche-ter Young Men's Christian Association was delivered
on Tuesday. in the assembly room of the Free Trade Hall, by
the Rev. Canon Stowell ; subject, " Life in Manchester."
The audience was very large, and applauded the lecturer at
frequent intervals. The lecturer said that in addressing him-
self to the subject which had been selected for him, it was his
intention to sketch the general and prominent characteristic
features of "Manchester life," not in the lower but in the
middle and higher walks. The most prominent feature which
distinguished the tnen of Manchester was an intense, energetic.
determined attention to business and the occupations of
ordinary life. There it was life in earliest, and he loved
earnestness. Another distinctive feature of Manchester life
was good common sense and sound judgment. Their Liver-1
pool friends were disposed to imitate London and disparage!
Manchestere—to speak of the gentlemen of Liverpool and
the' men of Manchester; but he would rather have'a good
sensible man than a gentleman who set up for more than lie
was. Again, there was about Manchester men and Manchester
life a great deal of honesty, unaffectedness, disinterestedness, and
unpretending kindness. There was also a great deal of public
spirit, energy, and enterprise, Many important movements
had been originated in Manchester. They had measures carried
out by the sustained effort and' energy of Manchester men,
which had a most beneficial effect, not only on their locality,
not only.on the nation, but he was quite sure on the whole
civilized world. AnOther feature of iliancliester life was the
zeal Manchester had shown, and was still shloting, in the
cultivation of the arts, and in the increase of informatiornend
intelligence among all classes of the community. The last
feature on the bright side of the picture to which the lecturer
alluded was large hearted liberality and generous munificence.
A person had only to mako out a good case to meet with
princely generosity an I liberality. Turning to the dark' side
of the picture, the lecturer said that there was in Manchester
a too intense and sustained application to business—an
absorption in its pursuits; Manchester life was largely, too
largely, a mere;mercantile life, many having no idea beyond
business. That feeling led to that love of money getting, which
was no new thing. Some pursued wealth 'for its own•sake,
and others that they might acquire influence. But it was
pitiful for a man's worth to be tested by his money. When a
man died it, was sometimes `said he "died Worth a million,"
which was to degrade a deathless,. immortal, and intelligent
creature to a value less than the yellow clay of California and
Australia. Others.valuecl money as evidence of success--of a
man who carried out successfully everything he undertook,
whose specu ations were bold, and never failed. The love of
money getting led to the spirit-of rivalry and competition in
business, which was carried to an unwarrantable extent ; to the
extent of the great making rich by over riding the small. And
that spirit of competition led.to speculation and commercial
gambling; to people trading without capital, and to an extent
beyond their means. But, besides that, there was a great deal
of actaal gambling. He had heard it said that Manchester was
looked upon as an authority in horse racing and.stakes. Another
feature of Manchester life, to which, however, there were
some splendid exceptions was the little sympathy and interest
shown by employers to the employed. He next alluded to
what was also in the wry of being remembered, to the little
attention paid to the physical and sanitary condition' of the
working classes. Much had been done in that way, hut there"
was still room for improvement. He.concluded by alluding to
what he very much regretted to see, the growing lei° foi the
excitement of diversion and amusement; and the growing taste
for ostentatious display at entertainments. Against all these
darker phases he earnestly warned his audience. A hearty
vote of thanks was accorded to the lecturer at the close.