The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-04-16 00:00:00

decline any praise which may be awarded to them. The
circumstances of our new country have directed much of
our abilities to the active pursuits of life, instead of
softening them down into the meditative and studious
habits Whin are favourable to literary productions ; but,
sir, it gives me heartfelt happiness td think that we have
returned something back of thd great debt which we owe
to England (cheers), that my connteymen have given
some evidence that the high standard of Anglo Saxon
intellect has not degenerated in them (cheers), that they
have kept it up to the point, or perhaps not sob:ally
to the Out; biit that they have at least shown that they come
from the same stock as the great writers of past, as the
great writers of the present day svho hold the same standard up
to us. (Renewed cheers.) Sir, it gives me great happiness
to believe it. The niore we return to you for the great
measure of enjoyment We haVe received from yoc, the more
do we increase the basis of natural sympathy, the high ground
of mutual good-will upon which two such rations may meet
Every American who has written a book which Englishmen
are contented to receive into their literature, has contributed
something towards that end. (Cheers.) Mr. Mayor and
gentlemen, having responded to the the toast which called me
up, I ought perhaps now to sit down ; but in justice to my own
feelings, I cannot sit down without saying that there are cir-
cumstances which make it riot unutuitable that the
voice of an American should be beard in this hall on the
present occasion. (Gond cheers) Gentlemen, we have claims
upon your distinguished guest. Your guest will pardon
me when I say that it needed but a little cio.dr tie to have
given our conutry a right, which I should probably not have
failed to assert, to call your guest her son. (Hear, hear.) At
all events he has some connection with us; connection of
blood. connection of friendship, v rrious connections in all the
interests of life--connections which we certainly shall not
forget, neither still he. Sir, it is good for both countries that
there should be such. men. Men connected by inseparable
ties with one country and the other ; not the less firm to their
native land, but able to serve her all the better because they
claim the next place in their heart for aff:tlion to another and
a kindred land. (Cheers ) Sir, you have had a proof, and
not very long ago, that it was good for both countries that
your guest was here; that he grasped, as it were, England
in his right band and America in his left. (Hear, bear,
and du ars.) Otherwise, the unanimity of the countries might
have been sundered. (Hear, hear, and cheers). I can
assure him, on behalf of my countrymen, that we are
almost as proud of him as if ho were one of our own,
and of the good deeds with which he illustrates his life—
(hear, hear)—of this last great act of his noble and far-
sighted benevolence. (Cheers.) Sir, it is a deed
conceived in the spirit, And done in the spirit, in which
our greatest and highest benefactors have sought to
benefit our country. In considering the means by which
he should best promote human happiness, he found no
other means 93 powerful as by diffusing knowledge
among men. It is good for us to praise him now as we
have done while his living ears may hear us. Coming
centuries, the future, the far future, will praise him
much better than we can do. (Loud cheers.) •
Mr Brown proposed the health of the Chairman, which
was drank with all the honours. . .

The Chairman hiving briefly replied, the company
broke up shortly belore six o'Lliek.

THE EVENING MEETING AT THE CONCERT

HALL.

A grand soiree took placeirTiie evening at the C neert
Hall, Lord Nelson street. The building was full of res-
pectable people in every part. Refreshments, consisting of
tea, confectionary, &c, was proiided in abundance. The
evening's entertainment was enhanced by the " listle
men" of Dr. Mark, who played and sang
many favourite airs and songs with the taste
.nd judgment of more mature perfortmrs. The band
elicited deserved applause. Wtten tea bad been
discussed, the chair was taken by Mr. Nathaniel
Caine, and amongst the gentlemen on the plat
firm, were William Brown, E q., M.P., William
Rathbone, Esq., Rev Dr Rapes, Dr Hum', Rev T Ban-
ning (London), Rev W Channinz, Rev H S Browne,
Rev H Griffiths, Rev A Picton, Rev J Peters, Messrs.
J A Picton, D-James, W Jeffrey, Alderman Bennett,
Councillor J Aikin, Councillor J R J,ffrey, and several
others,
After tea, all having amply partaken of the " cup that
elvers but not inebriates," _

The Chairman said the company'vvere all aware that they
were as,enabled for the purpose of celebrating the laying of
the foundation stone of the free public library. (Cheers )
The committee of the Saturday evening Concer's felt called
upon to hold that meeting in order that the working classes
might take a part in the festivities of the day. The town
council, however, did them the honour to announce in their
programme thht the tea meeting was to be hold, thus
giving them a standing, and thus they were
enabled to take a part in the day's pro,,
ceedings. The committee of that institution thought,'
and were convinced that the establishment of the free public
library was something owing to them, in fact they thought that

it would be found that those who were the best
attendants of Sa.urday evening concerts were the most
regu:ar supporters of the free library. (Cheers.) That was
one of the obj acts they had always bad in view, and they were
sure that none had been disappointed. The free pubge library
was one of the results of sixteen years' labours—the
labours of bygone times, and was a labour of love • and he was
sure that not one of the thopsands who Ltd enj )yed
the Saturday Evening Concerts, more enjoyed the
iestf,t that had been achieved, than the directors during the
past years they had received their kind support and co-operation,
and they had 'frequently had the honour of meeting on the
plattortn the gentleman who had made this princely gift, for
which they were that day met to acknowledge. (Great
cheering.) He should call on Mr. Brown and others to address
the meeting in due course, but first of all he would call upon
an old and tied friend—the oldest and best friend of the
working classes—a friend who had stood by them through
evil report and through good report ; he had stood fast
by them, and had been their unflinching friend, and they
all wished fur long life and prosperity to Mr W. Rathbane
—(cheers)—and may he long live in the hearts of
the people of Liverpool (cheers), and he was sure that
there was not one man or woman present who would not
respond to the'proposition he was about to give, and that
was, " God bless old William Rathbone." (Great
cheering.)
Mr. William Rathbone, on coming forward, was
received with immense applause. He said, after so many
years as he had been before them, he did assure them
that he could but feel the cordial reception he had met.
with on that occasion. But they were all excited on such
an occasion, and after the sixteen years that he had been
before them, it was with surprise that he found that they
had Balled upon one of their own body. Therefore,
he thought that he should please them best, as they had
beard his voice so often, by reading the words of a
working man of Manchester, and therefore he would pro-
ceed to do so He then proceeded to read a long extract
from a published work, and concluded amidst great ap-

plause.-
The Chairman then rose and said there were perhaps
some persons present whoremembered the Liverpool Market
which then stood, not where it stands now, but on the side of
Derby square, near tke church (Hear, hear.) At that
time Mr. Abraham held his celebrated optician shop at
the north side of Lord street. In order to catch the eye
of the country people he put a label on his window with
this inscription—" Helps to Read," and one day a country
man, going . from the market, went in and asked
for a " help •to read." Ile was shown several
glasses, and books to read, or to try the glasses,
and Lfter trying several be declared that he could not read
with any of them. At last Mr. Abraham gave him one of
hts most powerful mageifying glasses, and a hand bill
with very large print, but, observing the countryman ,
turn the bill upsile down, he said, " fbeg your pardon,
sir, but, perhaps, you cannot read at all." " Why,"
replied the countryman, what do you think I would
want with the spectacles if I could read." (Loud laughter.)
Since that time the schoolmaster has been abroad, and,
thanks to the progress of intellect, the difficulty now was to
find a man that could not read. (Hear, hear.) The working
man, who had a wife and family to support by his hard
industry, found his income little enough to support them. lid
could read, but he had no money to purchase Woks ; he bad
the thirst for reading and the intelligence to learn, but he
could not gratify his inclination ; there was the 'desire, but
there was a lack of the meats. (gear, hear.) There
was one of. the prince merchants of L verpool who saw the
desire, and he said, " Oh, oh, you want to read, •do you? I
will help you to do so." And he gave, as a
help to read, the sum of £39,ooo—there was a help to
read— (loud cheers)—and he asked them if that was not a
better help to read than that offered by old Mr Abrahams.
(Renewed cheering.) He wanted them to acknowledge
that princely gift with their hearts, as British workmen
always did. (Hear, hear.) When British workmen
gave thanks they shouted then; and he wanted them to
shout their heartfelt tbanks to Mr. Brown for his princely
gift to the workmen. The call was responded to with long
continued and heartfelt cheering.
Mr. W. Brown then came forward, and af.er a few brief
remarks,said that as he had addressed several large meetings
in the day, and as he should have to answer two addresses
which he had 'understood would be presented to him, be
should, wi h their permission, abstain from making any
further remarks until he replied to them all.
The Cha;rinan then, in suitable terms, introduced the
chairman of the committee,
Mr Picton, who, on coming forward, was received with great
applause. Having briefly alluded to the pleasure that he felt
in taking a part in the proceedings of the day, and to the
peculiar concentration of feeling that inspired persons at certain
intervals—at one time they felt a peculiar feeling far• one
thing, and at another for something else ; sometimes they were
in favour of certain customs, and at pile time the blue was in
the predominant, and at another time the red—but on looking