The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-23 00:00:00

Social Science Congress at York,

YORK, Thursday Evening.
The eighth annual congress of the British Asso-
ciation for Promoting Social Science commenced its
labours to-day in the metropolis of the north. The
sale of tickets has been very large, and there is every
prospect of a most successful meeting. The pro-
ceedings were inaugurated by a special service in
the marvellous minster, of which York is so justly
proud. There was a crowded congregation, to
whom the Archbishop of York delivered a very able
sermon. At the close of the service a meeting of
the council was held!, at which various preliminary

arrangements were made.
At eight p.m. a meeting of the members and
associates took place in the Festival Concert-room.
The opening address was delivered by Lord
Brougham, the president of the association, who
had arrived the preceding evening at the Mansion
House, where his lordship is the guest of the Lord
Mayor. _ _ _

Lord BROUGHAM said,—That I should once more
preside over our congress, after so often filling the
office, is the matter of some regret, considering the
navy younger and abler members whose turn is
thus deferred,and my own resolution had been taken
to refuse the honour. But when it was represented
to me that my old friends and constituents in this
great county strongly desired it, no choice was left
but to submit. Of the honours and distinctions with
which a long life has been blessed the very highest
must ever be reckoned my election to represent
Yorkshire, the last time it was fated to choose
members for the whole undivided province ; and
there still live those of my colleagues in office who
know how bitter was the pang of exchanging that
proud position for the highest office in the State,
how reluctantly the step was taken, how firm the
determination of refusal, and to what urgent
remonstrances submission was yielded. And
now in re-visiting the scenes of former years, the
pleasure naturally arising isLsadly damped by the
blanks, the dismal blanks, that meet the eye where-
soever it is cast around. Let me avoid this retro-
spect, but too painful to bear, by at once plunging
into the effairs of the hour—
" Offspring of woe, a parent of our ease,
The toil which teaches pleasure's self to please,
Diverts the grief that spurns direct control,
And stills the raging tempest of the soul."
And now we are met on the very threshold of our
eighth assemblage by the complaint often before re-
peated, that so little has been done since our last
congress. Need I again explain the grounds of this
impatience, and the gross fallacy it involves ? To say
nothing of the necessity that all improvements to be
safe must be gradual, experience being the great
teacher, and the corrector of errors and oversights,
we greatly underrate the progress actually made,
not only from our impatience that the movement
is not more rapid, but from our fancy ever dwelling
on that more rapid rate, as they who move along
the side of the river wholly miscalculate the swift-
ness with which they see the vessel borne down the
stream, nay, sometimes believe it stationary or borne
backwards. If Lord Bacon said that " proposal has
wings but execution leaden feet," you were told last
year that the people who hasten to improve their
lot faster than the safety of society allows are as
sure of coming to a bad end as he who makes haste
to be rich ; that anarchy and slavery await the
people, as the gibbet awaits the man. In casting
the eyes over the last year we are naturally struck
with one great inaprovemt nt—the voice of party
has been for the moat part still, The circumstance
of the most considerable of leading statesmen having
belonged to different parties at various periods of
their course has no doubt contributed to this; but
it has more especially been owing to the increased
and happily increasingly influence of public opinion,
from the diffusion of knowledge, and the habit of
discussing freely all important questions, personal
as well as general. Men are still combined in
parties, and if their bond of union is community of
principle, it is for the advantage'of the State. But
the benefits of party union may be obtained by a
temporary combination of those who are agreed in
anzioualy desiring to further the attainment of a
common object, without those evils which arise
from the banding of men and families in factions.
The influence of public opinion prevents those evils
which in former times resulted from party render-
ing it no longer possible that a few leading men or
families should govern the State, disposing of its
interests and patronage as they might those of a
corporation or a borough. Tire times are gone, and
never to return, when, in forming a Ministry, able
and honourable men could exclude the most
rising men of the day, inheriting the fame of
Lord Chatham, and himself already distinguished
for first rate parliamentary powers, to make way
for a noble family's younger son, wholly undistin-
guished for any acquirement or capacity ; an exclu■
sion which had the most disastrous consequences to
the interests of the country for a quarter of a cen-
tury, the most critical period of its history. It is a
satisfactory indication of the stillness of party that
we have to recount a most important measure
lately adopted at the instance of our council. The
state of education for the middle classes had long
been complained of, and petitions to both houses
had more than once been presented upon the sub-
ject ; a great number, about 120, by myself to the
Lords, and, with those to the Commons, signed by
above 40,000 persons. This last session there were
others from districts in London and in various
places of nine several counties, from many classes
of the promoters of education ; among others from
teachers of schools. Then the general complaint
was that while due ctre is bestowed upon the
schools for the highest and humblest classes,
none whatever is given to the schools for the
middle classes. The working class numbers between
15 and 16 millions, the upper class between 3 and 4
million, the middle class may be reckoned at below
a million, but though small in point of numbers,
their importance to the community it would be diffia
cult to over-estimate. Yet no provision whatever is
made to superintend the teachers of the schools fres
quented by their children., while the vast importance
of the education they receive is undeniable. Care
is taken that no unfit persons shall practice meth-
tine or surgery ; provision is made for the education
of lawyers ; is it less important to see that fit per-
sons shall be entrusted with the mental and moral
health of the community than its bodily health or
its property ? Yet the persons least qualified by
learning or talents, and even of the most excep-
• tional character and habits, may set up
schools for either sex, so that it has be-
come a saying, when any one has failed in all
other ways to obtain a livelihood, !et him keep a
school, or let her be a schoolmistress. No one has
ever recommended that any compulsion should be
employed, any person be prevented from opening a
school, or any school already set up be interfered
with. But if inspectors be provided, with power
to grant certificates of qualification and character,
almost all schools would submit to the inspection
for the sake of the certificates, and few if any per-
eons would set up schools without having passed
examination. An answer would thus be afforded
to those who complained, as some farmers lately
did, that though they paid little for the schooling
of their children, what they got for their money was
not worth it. The council, taking this important
subject into their consideration, appointed a depu.
tation upon it to wait on the Minister. It was at •
tended by our leading members, as Mr Chadwick, to
whom wcowe the greatest improvement in education
effected of late years by the half time system (as great
a caving in point of money to the working classes
as in health, physical and moral, of the pupils) ;
Lord Lyttelton, who had rendered such important
service on the commission to inquire into our pub-
lic En'aools ; and the Bishop of London, whose
ancient connexion with Rugby school gave him pe-
culiar weight on all such questions. The deputation
Ci:cuasrd the Eubiect in the minister's presence, and
it tags s'•t,ca been announced in Parliament that a
conanaission shall forth with ha issued rn the whole
subject of
with the recomraenda-tiolicia in
ldocation, in compliance
of the council. An im•
portant discussion took
PApril on the admis-
sion of girls to the university ()cal examinations.
It was unanimously agreed' that this is most desir-
able, and the committee formed for promoting this
cbject are very desirous that it should be included
under the head of those matters referred to
the commission for inquiry. There can be no

doubt that it will. Female education was

specially dwelt upon in the interview with the
minister. The memorial presented to the univer•

sity authorities has been eigned by above 900
teachers, and there can be little doubt of its favour-

able reception. Nothing could be mcre incorrect
than the representations made in some quarters that

the discussion alluded to was for obtaining degrees
to female pupils. Such a notion never was enter.
tained by any of those who attended the meeting.

Indeed it was excluded by the known fact that no

degrees are given at the local examinations by the
universities; and the only object of Mr. Hastings
and those who supported him was to have those

examinations opened to females. The importance
of these to persons who desire to follow the line of
governesses and schoolmistresses, or indeed the
humbler line of housekeepers, or even nurserymaid,
is manifest ; and it was stated at the meeting, on
the authority of our colleague, Mr Harris, chairman
of the Society of Arts, that women who, having

passed the -Examination of the Society, have
obtained first-class ceitificates, had been able at once
to obtain situations as housekeepers in large es-
tablishments, instead of having to work their way

up through different degrees of domestic service.
At a time when great exertions are making by
public•spirited persons, ladies especially, to give
increased facilities of female employment, surely
this discussion in the associatio❑ has been most op-

portune. But we have always been zealous in our

efforts to encourage women of a higher class in their
endcavonrs to better their condition by cultivating
letters ; and here at York we are naturally re.

minded of one intimately connected with the county
where she was born (the daughter of a highly re•

spected clergyman), and esteemed by distinguished
families—the S trick lands, Swans, Ramsdens, Head•
lame,—Miss Eyre, whose works, " Queen's Pardon"

and "Family History," have been well received, and
as will be in a few days found in the pages of Mr.
Cassell's Quiver another is about to appear, "A
Lady's Walks in the South of France," giving a

most interesting account of the inhabitants, the
working classes especially of the countries near the

Pyrenees. To patronise those who thus supply their
wants by labour is an appointed duty to the mem-

bers of our association. The accident which gave
rise to the resignation of our colleague, Mr. Lowe,
is much to be regretted. He seems to have thought

a point of honour required that step, but when a

committee had fully proved that there was no
foundation whatever for any charges against him,

it is unfortunate that he should not have resumed
his place in the department where his labours have

been so useful to the interests of education. The

revised code has on the whole given satisfaction. The

system of examination has both diminished the
expense to the State, and made the payment depend
on the result of the instruction, and those oily

receive the benefit who are unable to bear the ex,

pense themselves. The whole subject will be

considered in our education department, and
it is only to be regretted that Mr. Lowe's
absence from the country must prevent his at-
tendance. Intimately connected with the interests of

Education is the great reform of the Post-oflice,
which has of late years been effected by Sir Row-
land Hill ; and it is most gratifying to find that his
merit and that of his plan has been recognised by
the Government and Parliament since our last con-

greys. In this material respect he differs from a

inventors. So little was ho under the influence o.

sanguine expectations that he greatly underrated
the success of his plan, and overrated its cost. He
foretold that the number of letters would increase
fivefold ; they increased between eight and nine
fold. He feared there would be a loss to the
revenue of £300,000, a cost which be considered
the advantages of the change well worth. But
there has been no loss at all ; on the contrary, the
nett revenue increased by above £lOO,OOO. The
enabling poor persons to correspond with their
friends has greatly encouraged their learning to
write, besides the unspeakable comfort afforded by
this free intercourse. But the cheap and easy con-
veyance by book post is of the utmost benefit to ail
literary men and to the readers also. This advan-
tage is entirely due to the new system. The Post-
office savings banks is another and most important
benefit to the working classes, which can only be
said to have been carried to its full extent by that
system, though without owing its origin to it. We
cannot leave the subject of the Post Office without
remarking the superiority of great over ordinary
men in the history- of its changes. Mr Pitt stood
by Mr Palmer in his introduction of mail coaches,
when all the authorities of the Post Office were
against him. The great Duke of Wellington almost
alone perceived the merits of Sir R. Hiii's plans,
when others, Sir Robert Peel included, either op-
posed or coldly supported him. That he is destined
to effect further improvements there can be little
doubt, and we can only wish him the full restore.
tion of his health that such improvements may be
brought forward. The subject of the patent laws
is sure to come under discussion with report of the
commission upon it, under our colleagues Lords
Stanley and Oeerstone. Though the Government
have ably and successfully given encouragement to
the fine arts, in their application to manufac-
tures, they have shown little favour to discoveries
in science and their application to the useful arts.
Since last congress our most distinguished colleague
Sir D. Brewster's grand improvement of light-
houses, the result of his optical discoveries, has
failed to obtain duo protection from the Board of
Trade. It is to be hoped that it may not share the
fate of Sir W. S. Harris's lightning rod, which has
saved life and property to a great amount, but was
resisted for 15 years by the Admiralty and the
Treasury. To the stillness of party already men-
tioned may possibiy be referred those opinions which
have of late been ventilated upon the important
subj. eta of foreign or international and of colonial
policy—opinions which, though in some points
soiled, and in all respects well deserving attention,
are yet in material particulars unfounded and re-
quire to be guarded against. It has been said not
only that great care should be taken never to en•
gage in the disputes of coryinental states, but that
the rule should be laid down of absolute and entire
isolation, and that we have no more reason ever to
mix ourselves in those disputes than if we belonged
to another world. That the greatest mischief has
resulted from a rash and needless interference to
preserve the balance of power is undeniable. But
that no violent usurpation, no seizure of one
power's dominions by another, no extinction of one
state and its absorption in another, can justify our
interposition, it is impossible to maintain, unless we
are prepared to see such an augmentation of some
one state's force as shall reduce all others to sub-
servience under it, while a timely help given to a
weak state, and allianzes formed with others, may
serve to secure us against the dangers that might
arise from the grasping propensities of conquerors
unopposed. The love of maintaining national in-
dependence, and the natural and just abhorrence
of manifest wrong, may even be gratified, if the
opportunity arise of acting in concert with others
to resist the wrong-doer, and this where no obliga-
tions of treaty bind us. It is not correct to repre-
sent this as a sacrifice to the desire of national in-
fluence, or as a mere indulgence in feelings. it is
useful as the means of preventing aggression,and up.
holding the general law of national independence,for
when we speak of the balance of power, the real
meaning of the phrase and of the principle is the
maintenance of the existing order of things, the
established distribution of dominion, and the pre-
vention of change by lawless violence. It-is never
honourable—nay, hardly even safe—for a great
nation to stand by and witness, unmoved, sets of
inexcusable aggression to the violation of all national
rights, acts such as the oppression of an unoffending
people. The greatest crime in modern ages was
the partition of Poland, contrived by him whom
nett fleeting men have called great, hut whose trea-
cheries and cruelties were without example before
our days, the second Freeerick of Prussia; he was
joined by his willing accomplice, Catherine, whose
usurpation of the Russian throne and
of her husband's murderers was as
scandalous
3naces
her life was profligate. Maria neresa was drawn
into the plot, and ever after repented of her weak-
ness. The acquiescence of the other Powers covered
them with dlsgrace, and the subvercion of all public
principle, fatal to national morals, was fait in its
consequences in after times. The wars and the in.