The Sun.
London, England, 1855-11-27 00:00:00

THE SIIN3 LONDON, TITOSDAY EVENING,____MOVEMBER- 27, 1855.

Arrival of General Simpson in London.

SPORTING INOTES.

LORD STANLEY ON TILE EDUCATION OF
THE RURAL POPULATION.

HINTS ABOUT HARROW.

General Sir James Simpson, late Commander-in-Chief
of her Majesty's Forces in the Crimea, arrived in London
yesterday. The gallant general travelled eia the South
Eastern Railway, and on his arrival at the London ter-
minus he was most enthusiastically received.

EfAn attempt will be made to-morrow to "resuscitate"
the Metropolitan Steeplechases at Harrow, and to im-
prove the character of the sport which has of late years
been celebrated on theUxendon Farm. To effect a consum-
mation so earnestly to be wished, the right man has been
put in the right place, for the qualifications of Mr. Sam.
Merry, for the office of Clerk of the Course and Huudi-
capper, are manifold and widely acknowledged. I cor-
dially wish him success in his new unde►taking. He
has commenced his work in earnest, and the fact of
Lord Chesterfield and Capt. Little having consented
to act as stewards, is alone sufficient to give the
stamp of popularity and respectability to the
meeting. The programme is certainly attrac-
tive, and promises ample if not very interesting
sport. Should the weather, too, be propitious, there
will doubtless be an immense gathering of metropolitan
and provincial Turfites. I always experience much
hesitation in dealing with Steeplechases, and only on
special occasions venture a hint relative to the probabi-
lities. Believing, however, that the squaring system
will not be very extensively adopted at Harrow, I shall

Within the last few days Lord Stanley has addressed
a letter to Sir Willoughby Jones, of Cranmer, Hall, Nor-
folk, in which he propounds a scheme for facilitating
rational recreation and self-culture among the humbler
classes in the rural districts of the country, by means of
public libraries established at central or salient points of
the county, and radiating from them a series of small
local reacting-rooms for every village. The letter has
for its more immediate object the promotion of an edu-
cational project which the hon. baronet to whom it is
addressed, aided by some of the nobility and gentry of
Norfolk, have recently set on foot at Fakenham ; and,
though having special reference to that county, his lord-
ship's scheme is not the less applicable to every other
rural county or district in England, so far, at least, as
the machinery, apart from the necessity for carrying it
into execution, is concerned. The document, the more
material parts of which are given below, may be assumed
to embody the sentiments to which the noble lord would
have given viva voce expression, had not the late negotia-
tions for his joining the Government cf Lord Palmerston
prevented his being present at the late educational meet-
ing at Fakenhain.
Adverting to a request made to him to put on paper
a few suggestions in reference to the Fakenharn plan,
his lordship says :—" I do so with great pleasure, feel-
ing sure that you have got hold of the right end of the
education question, while politicians, both in and out of
Parliament, are, for the most part, busying themselves
with the "wrong one. It is idle to expect that persons
who have no access to books, and who therefore seldom
or never read, will take pains to see that their children
acquire the power of reading. Public libraries, whether
wholly free or open to subscribers at a low rate, are the
most effective instruments to create a demand for more

Sir James as soon as possible left the station, and went
direct to the War Department, in Whitehall, but
Lord Paunaure being absent he immediately left, and
proceeded to his club, the United Service, in Pall-mall,
where he was most cordially welcomed by the different
general officers who had the good fortune to be present.
During the gallant general's short stay at Paris he had
the honour of an interview with the Emperor Napoleon
And his Majesty Victor Emmanuel, King of Sardinia.
We have much pleasure in stating that in appearance
the gallant General seems to have suffered little from the
effects of the climate of the Crimea ; in fact he
appeared to have actually improved both in health and
appearance.

On leaving the United Service Club the gallant sol•
dier was recognised by the few passers by, whose Bala.
tations he most heartily returned.

_ .
depart from the rule I have laid down. The Metropo-
litan Handicap seems, on paper, what is popularly called
i "good thing" for either Odiham or Dieppe. The
former was not " wanted" at Shrewsbury ; his turn
therefore may be now come. I have not selected Old
British Yeoman, because I am quite ignorant as to his
present form. If his powers be not greatly impaired,
he would, doubtless, be capable of galloping his oppo-
nents to a stand-still. The last opportunity, however,
which I bad of taking stock of him convinced me that
he had not the "shade of a shadow " of his former abi-
lity. For the Hurdle Rata I shall select Nonsuch and
Laura Selina.

and better schools. That done, the supply will soon
follow. The evil which friends of kno wleige have now
to fight against is not poverty, nor prejudice, nor the
want of qualified teachers (though all these obstacles
operated until lately), but sheer apathy and indifference
on the part of parents in the labouring class. That
apathy cannot, in the nature of things, be removed un-
til literary culture is more diffused and more valued in
the class immediately above them. Your undertaking
is therefore calculated directly to benefit one set of per-
sons, and indirectly to operate, by the force of example,
upon another. More than this—in regard to literary pro-
vision for the people, England is behind almost every
European nation, and the rural districts of England are
behind the great towns. A double obligation, there-
fore, lies on the inhabitants of Norfolk, as Englishmen
and as agriculturists, to regain their lost ground in the
competition of intellect, both with foreign nations and
with a rival class in their own country ; and it behoves
them, rather than any others, to take the lead in this
movement ; for Norfolk claims to be in agriculture what
Lancashire is in manufacturing matters—the model
county—the most active, intelligent, and enterprising of
all. Nowhere arelandlords more liberal; nowhere do
farmers display more science and skill ; nothing is want-
ing to success, except that educational reforms should
be pushed with the same energy which has been shown
in developing the material resources of the province.
" Let us consider what agency and what amount of
expenditure are requisite to establish throughout Nor-
folk a system of public libraries, independent of one
another, but so distributed as to supply:every village and
parish with the means of instruction and amusement.
The county contains an area of 2,116 square miles, its
form compact, without straggling or outlying districts,
and with easy communication to and from every part.
The population (increased within 20 years by 52,000)
exceeds 442,000. In this number are included, accord-
ing to the census returns, 413 landowners, 862 clergy
of various denominations, 1,324 professional persons,
exclusive of clergy, and nearly 6,500 farmers. Besides
Norwich, with 70,000 inhabitants, Yarmouth with
30,000, and Lynn with something under 20,000, there
are eight towns, in each of which the residents exceed
2,000, according to the estimate of 1851. No requisi-
site for social progress seems absent. You have no
great distances or natural obstacles to overcome. You
have a population not too much dispersed; an abundance
of educated and wealthy men, fit and willing to act as
leaders, and you have central points from which to ope-
rate upon and influence the whole surrounding districts.
"In order to take advantage of these facilities, I
should suggest the establishment of five principal or
central libraries, from which smaller institutions of a
similar nature might be supplied with books. Beginning
from the west, Lynn occurs as the first suitable point ;
and here, in fact, the work has been done. Norwich
and Yarmouth should be provided with depots of the
same kind ; and there, at least, neither means nor will
are likely to be wanting. 'Fakenham towards the nortb,
and Thetford, on our southern boundary, might, with
a proper organisation, supply the intervening districts.
To pronounce what number of volumes each such library
ought to contain is difficult. I have often stated my
belief that a collection of 5,000 volumes may be so chosen
as to include nearly all that, for popular purposes, is
valuable in English literature ; and that estimate I see
1.0 reason to alter. The cost of books may be taken
roughly at 4s. per volume, or five to the pound, which,
allowing for expenses of furniture, would imply an outlay
of 1,2001. for each library, or 6,0001. for the whole.
When one considers that sums are recklessly wasted by
the richer classes in this country on objects of mere
selfish luxury or pleasure, it is difficult to imagine that
such an amount would not be forthcoming, if only the
importance of the end to be gained were once duly esti-
mated." The noble' lord then proceeds, in some little
detail, to prove that libraries of this kind, once founded,
would be self-supporting, by citing examples at Hatfield,
in Hertfordshire, Lynn, and places in Lancashire.
" Next, it may be demanded," he continues, "by what
agency the benefit of libraries such as those I describe
can be extended beyond the immediate vicinity of each
I answer, by the establishment in every village of small
local reading-rooms, each of which may be supplied with
books from the nearest central depot, paying for their
use, and having also, if that be practicable, a limited
stock of standard works in its own possession.- Such a
reading-room may be easily established wherever a school
exists. All that is required is that some one person
should make himself responsible for the due payment of
the annual subscription and for the safe custody of the
volumes issued. In the district immediately surround-
ing Lynn many parishes and villages are thus assisted,
and there is no reason why the system should not be ex-
tended over the entire county. Taking its area in
square miles (in round numbers, 2,100), it will be seen
that 42 institutions such as I describe would give one to
every 50 square miles, or, in other words, nearly one to
every square of seven miles each way. If the number
were doubled, we should have one to every 25 square
miles, or one to every square of 5 miles each way. The
latter number might probably be considered as sufficient
for all purposes. But with these branch or affiliated in-
stitutions we need have no present concern ; local
efforts will create them in every place, when once the
central establishments are formed, on which their effi-
ciency must in a great degree depend.
" I regard, therefore, the work on which you are engaged
at Fakeuham, not as an isolated enterprise (in that case it
might be fitly left to those who are to derive immediate
benefit from it), but as falling into and forming part of a
larger scheme, as does also the kindred institution al-
ready existing at Lynn." " As to seising the
capital required, it is generally found advisable to invite
contributions only on condition of success ; that is, to
undertake that no donation promised shall be called for
unless a certain minimum amount shall have been raised,
sufficient to carry out the design in a satisfactory man-
ner. A manifold advantage is thus gained. First, the
fear of entire failure, and of the consequent abandon.
went of the project, acts as a stronger stimulus than the
mere apprehension of an inadequate result. Next, in the
unfortunate event of such failure, you have at least the
ground clear for a fresh attempt, and not encumbered
with the ruins of an abortive enterprise. Thirdly (and
this is most important) many persons are more willing
to assist in a good work than sanguine of the issue.
Such persons are apt to hold back, not out of apathy,
but because they think success impossible ; their objec-
tions are met by a form of promise which, if their fears
prove well-grounded, binds them to nothing."
After noticing several other points of detail his lord-
ship concludes by stating : "It only remains for me to
express the pleasure I feel in being associated with you,
however slightly, in the good and useful work which
you have taken in hand. That neither political rivalry,
nor sectarian difference, nor apathy among the wealthy,
nor ignorance in the poor class, may interfere with its
speedy success is the earnest wish of many. Obstacles
to such an undertaking vanish on approach. Little
more is needed than the will to overcome them and the
confidence which a good cause ought to inspire."

I intended to watch the proceedings at Waltham last
week, but circumstances interfered with my design. I
have, however, received many communications respecting
them ; but really the doings seem to me to have been
too contemptible and clumsy to require comment. The
attempt to get up another gathering in that locality will
not, I trust, be repeated. From a letter which was for-
warded to me last week I make the following extract,
which sets forth the modus operandi of the "getters up"
of the Waltham Steeplechases :
"Massaroni was sold by auction, after winning the
Selling Steeplechase, for 23 guineas, to Mr. Webb,
who paid the auctioneer a deposit of one sovereign,
agreeing to meet him at the New Inn in the evening
and pay him the remainder. Early in the evening
Mr. Webb was at the place appointed, and
Mr. Brayley offered to give him 301. for his horse. This
proposition was accepted, and Mr. Brayley paid over
the stipulated sum to Mr. Webb, who wrote him a re-
ceipt. Mr. Brayley, accompanied by Mr. Stinton, then
went to the stable, expecting to find the horse, but, to
their surprise, they discovered that the changes had been
rang, and that another animal called Firebrand had been
substituted for Massaroni. On inquiry it was ascertained
that the promoter of the meeting had induced the auc-
tioneer to deliver Massaroni to him, and he had caused
the horse's removal. He was applied to, and it then ap-
peared that, to give a colour to his claim, although he
had not bought the horse from the auctioneer, he had
paid twenty-three guineas in addition to the stakes to
Yates, the jockey, under whose charge the horse
was sent to Waltham. Mr. Stinton expostulated
with the getter-up of the meeting, who coolly informed
him that if he (Mr. Stinton) went to law about the matter
he might be able to obtain possession of the horse. To
arrange matters, however, Mr. Stinton was compelled
to write a " tenner" off an old account. Mr. Newcome
Mason, who took some interest in the affair, and at whose
instance Massaroni was sent to Waltham, expressed him-
self pretty warmly on the matter, and even made a threat
of bringing the case before certain " turf authorities."
Such is the round, unvarnished tale of my correspon-
dent.

I was much pained to hear of the death of Mr. Pell,
the owner of Pole Star. He died suddenly about a week
ago. A FRESH MAN.
Nov. 27.